New Reserve Created in Colombia to Protect the Helmeted Curassow

20/03/2008 14:47:53 The Helmeted Curassow is a rain forest and cloud forest bird endemic to Colombia and Venezuela. In Colombia it only exists in the Perijá Mountains and the Eastern Cordillera. It is classified as vulnerable to extinction by IUCN.

3,700 Acre Reserve
The reserve is located in the municipalities of Betulia and San Vicente de Chucurí, with nearly 3,700 acres, 90% of them corresponding to tropical rain forest and 10% to coffee and cocoa plantations, and cattle grazing fields. The area has steep slopes with many gullies and canyons. Among the most important birds there are Chestnut-bellied Hummingbird (EN), Blue-billed Curassow (CR), Safron-headed Parrot (VU), White-mantled Barbet (EN), Sooty Ant-Tanager (VU), Cerulean Warbler (EN), Wattled Guan, Black-mandibled Toucan, Citron-throated Toucan, and Beautiful Woodpecker.

The forests also have a high diversity of mammals such as the endangered Spectacled Bear.

The reserve was created with assistance from American Bird Conservancy (ABC), National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and ConocoPhillips.

Courtesy of Fundacion ProAves.