Ten Latin American Species Most In Need of Conservation

Habitat is essential for birds’ survival, but for birds around the world, it is disappearing quickly. In fact, the loss, degradation, and fragmentation of habitat is the primary driver of bird population declines. The ongoing conversion of habitat for agriculture, development, and other uses has pushed many species, both resident and migratory, to a tipping point. The threat is particularly acute in the tropics, where land is being converted at a rapid clip and impacting the already small ranges of many species. 

The surest way to protect birds is to conserve the habitats they rely on throughout their life cycle. For migratory birds, this can mean conserving and improving broad swaths of habitat on a landscape scale. But for endemic species found only in one area and range-restricted species relying on even less habitat, safeguarding one carefully selected area can have a profound, positive effect, provided it encompasses at least the minimal amount of habitat the species needs to survive. 

American Bird Conservancy’s (ABC) gap analysis mapped the habitats of 129 of the most threatened species in Latin America. Researchers determined how much habitat each species would need to support 1,000 mature individuals (or the bird’s total population if under 1,000). Then, they compared that need to the amount of their habitat that is currently protected. A majority of the 129 species met their protection goals, but 45 missed targets for protected habitat and 10 fell short in both protected habitat and population size, leaving a “gap” between the area currently protected and the amount needed to ensure the species’ survival. 

To protect enough habitat for all of the 55 species in the “gap,” conservationists would need to conserve an area of approximately 5,545 square miles — about 3.5 million acres. That number seems daunting, but it amounts to less than 0.1 percent of the landscape in Latin America, roughly the size of Death Valley National Park. The acreage needed for these birds may seem like a big lift, but ABC’s research shows it is possible. Many of the 55 species identified in the gap analysis have for years been the focus of conservation efforts from ABC and a suite of partners on the ground in Latin America. 

The 10 species missing both habitat and population targets, in particular, are already benefiting from decades of collaboration with partners to establish protected areas, engage communities in conservation, and improve habitat. These 10 species face strong headwinds, but bold action and science-backed strategy are giving them a firmer foothold and a future.

The list of the 10 species most in need of protection is made up of birds from a range of families: from sparrows and spinetails to parrots and antshrikes. But the list is dominated by hummingbirds. Many aspects of hummingbird biology push the limits: their size, their metabolism, their flight. Hummingbirds, which are found only in the Western Hemisphere, have high rates of endemism, meaning many species inhabit small and often restricted ranges. And some hummingbird species coevolved with the flowers they frequent most often, evolving bills that allow them to extract nectar more efficiently. That degree of specialization can come with a price. When native vegetation is destroyed, or habitat is lost, species with very specific niches can struggle to adapt in ways generalists might not.

Range: Guerrero, Mexico

Population Size: <1,000

Acres Needed to Prevent Extinction: 21,547

Measuring under 3 inches in length, the diminutive Short-crested Coquette is among the smallest and rarest hummingbirds in the world. This dazzling bird inhabits an extremely limited range in the Sierra de Atoyac mountains in the Mexican state of Guerrero. Approximately one-fourth of the Critically Endangered hummingbird’s woodland habitat has been converted for agricultural and livestock uses. Forest fires and climate change threaten what habitat remains. 

ABC has worked with the Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero (Autonomous University of Guerrero) and local communities, as well as Mexico’s National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas, or CONANP), to establish 22,000 acres of protected area across six sites, which are administered by local ejidos (communally owned and farmed land).

Range: Oaxaca, Mexico

Population Size: 600–1,700

Acres Needed to Prevent Extinction: 1,927

Also known as the Oaxaca Hummingbird, the Blue-capped Hummingbird flew under the radar for years and was only described to science in 1964. Much remains to be learned about this striking hummingbird with shimmering plumage — it has yet to be the subject of a formal study. The Blue-capped Hummingbird inhabits a sliver of forested foothills in the Sierra Miahuatlán mountains, part of the Sierra Madre del Sur range of southern Mexico. 

Deforestation is the most serious threat facing the Blue-capped Hummingbird and other wildlife in the Sierra Miahuatlán. Agriculture, particularly monocrops such as corn and citrus, has spread through the region since the 1960s, claiming much of the native vegetation this hummingbird relies on. ABC supports Mexican NGO Conservación Biológica y Desarrollo Social (CONBIODES), which is engaging communities where the Blue-capped Hummingbird lives in the creation of voluntary protected areas. ABC also partners with CONBIODES to monitor the Blue-capped Hummingbird and other species to better understand its range and habitat requirements, and to direct conservation efforts.

Range: Chonta Valley, Peru

Population Size: 250–1,000

Acres Needed to Prevent Extinction: 22,042

The “gray” in this bird’s name doesn’t do it justice: Gray-bellied Comets are adorned with shimmering, bronzy-green upperparts and green tail feathers accented by golden-orange tips. Found only in the arid mountain slopes of the Chonta Valley near the growing city of Cajamarca, the Gray-bellied Comet population is so localized and uncommon that it was observed only infrequently for many years. Today, the comet is found in five fragmented populations on the Pacific slope of the Peruvian Andes. 

Like so many endemic, range-restricted hummingbirds, the Gray-bellied Comet is threatened by habitat loss, largely due to agriculture and livestock grazing. The comet’s semi-arid, shrubby slopes are also vulnerable to climate change impacts that increase drought and reduce food availability. ABC’s partner in Peru, Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN), and local communities have built a native tree and shrub nursery to restore Gray-bellied Comet habitat — 100,000 trees have already been planted to support the species. With support from ABC, Rainforest Trust, and the Bobolink Foundation, ECOAN has purchased multiple properties totaling 42.8 acres to create the first-ever protected area for the comet. 

Range: Atacama Desert, Chile 

Population Size: 210 

Acres Needed to Prevent Extinction: 5,659

Measuring just 3 inches long from the tip of its bill to the tip of its tail, the Chilean Woodstar is Chile’s smallest bird. Its distribution is also extremely small: Once found in four river valleys on the Pacific slope of the Andes that reach the Atacama Desert, today the woodstar inhabits just two. The Chilean Woodstar has carved out an existence in an extreme habitat. The Atacama Desert is the driest in the world, offering a largely barren landscape, aside from the vegetation that grows along the rivers and streams that snake through the desert.

This species was once abundant in the area, but pesticide use in the 1960s struck a blow to the Chilean Woodstar’s population. The downward trend has only continued with agricultural expansion, which has introduced non-native plants to the landscape, increased water demands, and eliminated much of the woodstar’s habitat. Only three percent of the original native vegetation in this habitat remains. ABC and the Chilean Network of Bird and Wildlife Observers (Red de Observadores de Aves y Vida Silvestre de Chile, or ROC) have partnered on conservation strategies for the woodstar. With ABC’s support, ROC is managing and restoring the 37-acre Axaca Luli Reserve in the Chaca Valley, the Chilean Woodstar’s last stronghold. 

Few places on Earth host more biodiversity than Ecuador. More than 40 parrot species can be found across the country’s range of habitats, which include portions of the Amazon rainforest, the cloud forests of the Andes Mountains, and the mangroves of the Pacific Coast. Of the 10 species that fall into the gap for habitat and population targets, the two parrot species — the Lilacine Amazon and El Oro Parakeet — occupy very different habitats in Ecuador. However, both parrots are plagued by the threat of habitat loss. 

Range: Coastal Ecuador

Population Size: 4,500

Acres Needed to Prevent Extinction: 58,539

The vibrant green Lilacine Amazon was only recently recognized as a species distinct from the Red-lored Amazon. Its name comes from one of the features that sets it apart from the Red-lored: Its plumage shows subtle lilac hues, most pronounced on its crown. The Lilacine Amazon is a highly coveted cage bird in the illegal pet trade; its sweet, gentle, and affectionate nature stands in contrast to the behavior of most Amazona parrots. 

In addition to capture for the pet trade, the Lilacine Amazon is threatened by the loss of its coastal mangrove habitat, which is rapidly being converted for aquaculture. In 2019, ABC and Fundación Jocotoco, along with Rainforest Trust, established the Las Balsas Communal Reserve, protecting 246 acres of dry forest habitat in Ecuador. The reserve is home to the largest population of the Lilacine Amazon — 4,000 parrots! The Las Balsas community also helps to protect mountain forests. 

The Marañón Valley in northwestern Peru is one of the most arid regions of the Peruvian Andes. This distinctive region boasts a varied topography encompassing a wide elevational range, creating a dramatic landscape that has given rise to an astounding degree of endemism: There are 190 species of flora and fauna found only in the Marañón Valley and nowhere else in the world. 

This unique region faces several threats, with agriculture and industry chief among them. Cattle ranching and farming destroy and replace the native plants of the Marañón Valley. Trees in the valley are also cut for firewood and charcoal production, and large-scale industrial projects are planned for the valley. The roads that accompany these projects could further fragment habitat, creating isolated populations. Little of the Marañón Valley is currently protected.

Range: Marañón Valley, Peru

Population Size: 250–1,000

Acres Needed to Prevent Extinction: 7,388

Despite its name, the Little Inca-Finch is not a finch at all. Nor is it a sparrow, although by appearances it would fit quite well into that family. This ground-dwelling “finch” is actually a species of tanager, more closely related to forest birds like the Cherry-throated Tanager, another “gap” species. Like other Marañón Valley endemics, habitat loss and fragmentation put the Little Inca-Finch’s already small population at risk. 

ABC is supporting Nature and Culture International, a conservation nonprofit, in the effort to create and enhance protected areas using a variety of methods, including through regional and national conservation modalities. With ABC’s support, Nature and Culture International is also establishing plant nurseries to promote the revitalization of plant species native to the region. Through biohuertos, community-led educational gardens, the nonprofit is engaging local community members in learning about conservation while advancing beekeeping programs and ecotourism initiatives to bring income to the area. 

Range: Marañón Valley, Peru

Population Size: 600–6,000

Acres Needed to Prevent Extinction: 1,853

Little is known about the Marañón Antshrike, as is the case with many endemic species found in the Marañón Valley. The closely related Collared Antshrike — of which the Marañón Antshrike was once considered a subspecies — offers the best insight into what the life history of this species might look like. 

Researchers can be confident, however, that the Marañón Antshrike population is declining, and that the challenges facing the valley at large will also impact this range-restricted bird. Like the Little Inca-Finch, it too is benefiting from ABC-supported efforts by Nature and Culture International to restore habitat and create protected areas. 

The imperiled species identified by ABC’s gap analysis, particularly the 10 shown here, are up against multiple threats, and their small populations and ranges make them all the more vulnerable. Securing a future for the 10 species that fall short of both habitat and population targets is attainable. Protecting just 661.3 square kilometers of habitat strategically in the four countries where each is found — Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile — would give these incredible birds a stronger foothold. And, working strategically with partners on the ground to target conservation efforts to achieve results for the birds most in need, ABC has already conserved more than 1.1 million acres in protected areas. 

Conserving these gap analysis species is not only possible: It’s already being done. Species like the Pale-headed Brushfinch are proof that conservation can work, and for these range-restricted endemics, it starts with protecting habitat.

Range: Yunguilla Valley, Ecuador 

Population Size: 240–360

Acres Needed to Prevent Extinction: 222

The Pale-headed Brushfinch is an excellent example of microendemism, as it is found only in one location: Ecuador’s Yunguilla Valley. The brushfinch was thought to be extinct — thirty years had passed between the last credible observation of the species and its rediscovery in 1998. At the time, the population was thought to number no more than 30 mature birds, and those few that were found were threatened by encroaching agriculture and parasitism by the Shiny Cowbird, which lays its eggs in the nests of other species, often to the detriment of the host’s own eggs and young.

Though its population is still small, it has grown by leaps and bounds to as many as 360 individuals. After the Pale-headed Brushfinch was rediscovered in 1998, ABC and Fundación Jocotoco began efforts to pull the species back from the brink of extinction. ABC has supported Fundación Jocotoco in establishing, growing, and improving the Yunguilla Reserve, the brushfinch’s stronghold site. Thanks to this quick action and to sustained partnerships and planning, the species was downlisted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature from Critically Endangered to Endangered — an important marker of progress toward ensuring this species’ future.