During a monitoring carried out in the Yotoco Forest, it was found that the caucana guan, considered a threatened species, increased its population by 430%.
The activity was coordinated by CVC Y and the NGO WCS and carried out by students from the National University -Palmira campus-, Javeriana-Cali, Icesi and del Valle, and involved the community of the area of the Quebrada Guadualito National Protective Forest Reserve and The Negrito.
It is unknown what allowed this increase in the population of this bird, but one hypothesis points to the recovery of forest cover in the reserve.
“This is how we realize that conservation interventions have served, for example, the work through the local table of the Departmental System of Protected Areas, Sidap” explained Luz Stella Castillo, biologist of the Biodiversity Group, Environmental Technical Department of the CVC.
In addition, he indicated that “based on this result, it is important to continue with future monitoring in order to define whether the improvement of the population continues. It also helps us to evaluate populations in other locations in the Department in order to improve conditions for the species.”
the species
The Caucana guan is an endemic species, which is not found anywhere else in the world, and is one of the Colombian birds most affected by deforestation and has also traditionally been hunted for its meat.
Also known by the name of Penelope perspicax, monitoring indicates that the presence of this bird grew by 430%, which is considered by biologists and environmentalists to be of great importance if one takes into account that it is a species considered “in Danger of extinction”.
The Cauca guan was abundant in the forests of Cauca, Valle del Cauca, Quindío and Risaralda but it is estimated that today it would not have more than 2,500 living specimens. Almost 95% of its original natural habitat has been lost, according to data from the Red Book of Birds of Colombia.
The caucana guan is a seed dispersing species found in trees in groups of three to five individuals, it feeds on fruits, leaves, flowers and also insects and lives on the slopes of the geographical valley of the Cauca river.
This bird travels through the remnants of sub-Andean forests dispersing seeds and allowing their restoration.
“These results show that this reserve is an important nucleus of conservation and monitoring must continue in partnership with CVC and WCS together with the academy and the community, whose role has been crucial,” concludes Castillo.
wild neighbors
In the region there are other important species that are of low concern, but the environmental authorities urge that their habitats be preserved, to guarantee their conservation.
One of these species is found in Las Goteras de Cali, it is native to South America and adapts to various habitats, from forests to rural areas. In Santiago de Cali, we can find them in wooded areas near rivers and bodies of water, where they find shelter and food. Although they also approach semi-urbanized areas, they prefer places less intervened by man.
The other is the jaguarandí, a cat-like feline that inhabits natural areas such as El Vínculo Regional Natural Park and other wooded areas.