During several expeditions, accompanied by CAM professionals, a species of bird was recorded for the first time and six more were confirmed in four of the department’s six moorland complexes.
DIARIO DEL HUILA, ENVIRONMENT
A new bird record for Huila and six confirmed bird species were the results of these expeditions.
“Due to the interest in knowing and analyzing the state of the moors in Huila and carrying out the first inventories of birds, trying to fill the information gaps identified in these ecosystems, we found important data about the biodiversity that inhabits them,” said Sebastián. Betancourth of the Ornithological Component of the Regional Autonomous Corporation of Alto Magdalena-CAM.
After documenting 60 species of birds, Coeligena bonapartei was identified as a new record for Huila and Cinclodes albidiventris, Chalcostigma heteropogon, Oxypogon guerinii, Grallaria rufula, Scytalopus griseicollis and Geranoaetus melanoleucus were confirmed as six additional species.
The work was carried out by the CAM together with the Huila Ornithological Association, National Parks, environmental organizations, local communities and 32 local professionals and experts.
“Thanks to these exercises and the increase in bird watchers throughout the department, the bird inventory amounts to 745 species,” highlighted the CAM ornithologist.
You may be interested in: Colombia, epicenter of knowledge in breast cancer
visited moors
The expeditions visited the paramos in the protected areas of the Oseras Regional Natural Park in the municipality of Colombia; of the Miraflores Regional Natural Park in Garzón; from the Nevado del Huila National Natural Park in Teruel; and the Puracé National Natural Park between the municipalities of Isnos, San Agustín and La Plata.
«The Huila moors are difficult to access, which has minimized the effects. The local communities of the Miraflores Regional Natural Park have carried out a very complete bird characterization exercise for seven years. Furthermore, in 2024 the biodiversity characterization expedition was carried out in Miraflores within the framework of the HYLEA project,” said the ornithologist.
For Sebastián Betancourth, the Puracé National Natural Park is the moor complex with the greatest biodiversity information, generated by National Parks, the University of Cauca, the Orígenes Monitoring Group and organizations in Cauca.
«The tours through the paramos took around six months of planning, but in the field it took about 25 days, with the participation of local communities, biology professionals, environmental engineers, graduates and other experts, dedicated to recognizing birdlife issues, exploration, collection and expedition to learn about the biodiversity, birds, flora and herpets in the localities,” said the professional from the environmental entity.
First exercise
This unprecedented event in the department allowed researchers to understand the current state of the paramos, evaluate the available information and determine possible strategies to strengthen biodiversity inventories and environmental education in the municipalities where these important ecosystems are located.
Huila Paramos
In Huila there are six moorland complexes delimited by the Ministry of the Environment. 93% of these areas are protected under the figure of National Natural Parks (PNN), Regional Natural Parks (PNR) or Regional Integrated Management Districts (DRMI).
The moorland complexes and the municipalities where they are located in Huila are: Sotará, located in San Agustín; Guanacas-Puracé-Coconucos between San Agustín, Isnos and La Plata; Nevado Huila-Moras between Teruel, Íquira and Santa María; Miraflores in Algeciras, Gigante and Garzón; Los Picachos in Baraya; and Cruz Verde-Sumapaz in Colombia.
You can read: 16 archaeological pieces that were in Switzerland and New Zealand return to Colombia
