Species

Justification
This species is thought to have a declining population and a moderately small range which is declining owing to habitat loss. It is consequently classified as Near Threatened.

Taxonomic source(s)
SACC. 2006. A classification of the bird species of South America. Available at: http://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.html.
Sibley, C. G.; Monroe, B. L. 1990. Distribution and taxonomy of birds of the world. Yale University Press, New Haven, USA.
Stotz, D. F.; Fitzpatrick, J. W.; Parker, T. A.; Moskovits, D. K. 1996. Neotropical birds: ecology and conservation. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Distribution and population
Eriocnemis derbyi has a disjunct range in the Central Andes of south Colombia (Nariño), and on both slopes of the Andes in extreme north-west Ecuador (Carchi) (Hilty and Brown 1986, Fjeldså and Krabbe 1990), where it is uncommon to fairly common and local.

Population justification
The global population size has not been quantified, but this species is described as uncommon and patchily distributed, and uncommon to locally fairly common in Ecuador.

Trend justification
A moderately rapid and on-going population decline is suspected owing to habitat loss.

Ecology
It occurs in humid forest edge, second growth, bushy partially open pastures and ravines at 2,500-3,600 m, but usually above 2,900 m (Hilty and Brown 1986, Fjeldså and Krabbe 1990). Although tolerant of some habitat degradation and sometimes occurring in pastures and gardens, it apparently prefers borders of montane forest and low scrub at the timberline.

Threats
Within its patchy distribution, these habitats have been severely deforested over several centuries to the extent that most, if not all, forest has been cleared in many areas, primarily for agricultural expansion (Stattersfield et al. 1998).

Conservation actions underway
CITES Appendix II. Occurs in Los Nevados and Puracé National Parks, Ucumarí Regional Park and Volcán Galeras Sanctuary, Colombia; and El Ángel Ecological Reserve, Guandera Biological Station and probably Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve, Ecuador (Freile and Mazariegos 2006).

Conservation actions proposed
Study its ecological requirements. Search for the species in new areas of potentially suitable habitat. Monitor population at existing sites. Effectively protect those protected areas where it occurs.

References
Hilty, S. L.; Brown, W. L. 1986. A guide to the birds of Colombia. Princeton University Press, Princeton.

Fjeldså, J.; Krabbe, N. 1990. Birds of the high Andes. Apollo Books, Copenhagen.

Stattersfield, A. J.; Crosby, M. J.; Long, A. J.; Wege, D. C. 1998. Endemic bird areas of the world: priorities for bird conservation. BirdLife International, Cambridge, U.K.

Freile, J. F.; Mazariegos, L. A. 2006. Notes on Black-thighed Puffleg Eriocnemis derbyi in northern Ecuador. Neotropical Birding: 74-75.

Further web sources of information
Hear sounds for this species from xeno-canto, the community database of shared bird sounds from around the world.

View photos and videos, and hear sounds of this species from the Internet Bird Collection

Text account compilers
Benstead, P., Capper, D., Sharpe, C J, Symes, A.

IUCN Red List evaluators
Butchart, S., Symes, A.

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Eriocnemis derbyi. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 26/05/2013. Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 26/05/2013.

This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife

To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums.