Joe Tobias; www.neomorphus.com Marvellous Spatuletail is benefitting from a new interpretation centre in Pomacochas, northern Peru Zoom In

BirdLife News-Bytes

17-03-2009

Stories in this BirdLife News-Byte: A splendid new butterfly for science; Marvellous interpretation centre; Call for UK to create a world marine park; Paraguayan reforestation; Critically Endangered parrot reserve; Semipalmated in decline; Happy 100th Birthday NatureKenya!

A splendid new butterfly for science - a new species of butterfly has been found in the collections of the Natural History Museum in London after being held there since 1920. Blanca Huertas discovered the species, together with two colleagues, on a Conservation Leadership Programme-funded biological expedition in a remote mountain in Colombia in 2005. However, she did not notice it was an undescribed species until she found other specimens in the Natural History Museum collections, also from Colombia but caught in 1920. The discovery was confirmed by detailed studies of its unusually hairy mouthparts, different to other related species. This butterfly belongs to the genus Splendeuptychia and has been called Splendeuptychia ackeryi in honour of Phil Ackery, the former Collection Manager of the butterfly collections at the Natural History Museum. The description of the “Magdalena Valley Ringlet” was published in the scientific journal Zootaxa in February 2009. To find out more about the Conservation Leadership Programme click here

Marvellous interpretation centre - Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN) with support from the American Bird Conservancy, BirdLife and the British Birdwatching Fair have opened the Marvellous Spatuletail Interpretation Centre in Pomacochas, Peru. This is an important step in promoting environmental education in this area and helping to safeguard one of the most spectacular species of hummingbirds. Marvellous Spatuletail Loddigesia mirabilis is classified as Endangered and only occurs at a small number of sites in northern Peru. Adult males (which are greatly outnumbered by females and immature males) gather at leks where they display to attract females. To see the courtship display click here

Call for UK to create a world marine park - The Chagos Conservation Trust has launched a booklet, The Chagos Archipelago: Its nature and the future, to start a discussion on a programme 'to create one of the world's greatest conservation areas' in the little-known British Indian Ocean Territory. The archipelago - in the central Indian Ocean - is described by scientists as comparable with the Galapagos Islands or the Great Barrier Reef in environmental and scientific importance. Graham Wynne, chief executive of the RSPB, said: "The Chagos are outstandingly important in global biodiversity terms.  As the largest remaining group of unexploited coral atolls in the world, and the most seabird species rich in the Indian Ocean, the RSPB welcomes the work of CCT and is enthusiastic to work with all stakeholders to conserve this unique and fragile ecosystem for the benefit of all." Find out more at www.chagos-trust.org

Paraguayan reforestation - Numerous organisations, businesses and institutions in Paraguay are joining in a venture to plant 14 million trees in six months. The main objective is to reforest the Atlantic Forest, located in the east of Paraguay. Only 1.3 million hectares survive of an original 9 million. Guyra Paraguay (BirdLife in Paraguay) will be contributing 200,000 trees thanks to support from American Forests, US Forest Service and World Land Trust. The work will involve local farming communities and Guyra Paraguay will also be involved in the overall campaign to raise awareness and generate support for the project.

Critically Endangered parrot reserve - A 600 hectare nature reserve has been established by Fundación ProAves in Quindío department, Colombia, to protect Critically Endangered Indigo-winged Parrot Hapalopsittaca fuertesi. This species, whose population size is estimated at just 50-250 individuals, is restricted to a small area in the Cordillera Central of Colombia and is heavily impacted by deforestation. The area is also extremely important for the Golden-plumed Parakeet Leptosittaca branickii (Vulnerable), and Rufous-fronted Parakeet Bolborhynchus ferrugineifrons (Endangered). Click here to view the BirdLife Species Factsheet for Indigo-winged Parrot. To find out more about the BirdLife Preventing Extinctions Programme click here

Semipalmated in decline - Researchers have found that Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla has been declining across its range. In late January, a team from New Jersey Audubon Society and the Netherlands, completed field work in northern South America. Their results indicate that Semipalmated Sandpiper has declined in numbers on its wintering grounds. In the 1980s, the population in South America was estimated at more than two million. The latest surveys suggest that only 400,000 now winter there. As the breeding and wintering areas have not changed, the likely reason for the decline may be found in Delaware Bay, New Jersey, USA, where Red Knots Calidris canutus have also declined due to the poor availability of Horseshoe Crab Limulus polyphemus eggs. Find out more at www.njaudubon.org

Happy 100th Birthday NatureKenya! - NatureKenya (BirdLife in Kenya) is celebrating its 100th birthday with several events this year. NatureKenya started when a small group of naturalists gathered with the objective of creating a society that would promote the remarkable flora and fauna of Eastern Africa. The highlight event is a centenary gala dinner on the 28th March. Other events include a corporate golf tournament, nature fair and a series of talks. NatureKenya has also created some great centenary gifts to buy and use they include wheel covers, polo shirts, caps and centenary postage stamps. To get involved in the event, buy some gifts, or to find out more, please visit www.naturekenya.org