Threatened birds of the Bolivian Yungas – especies amenazadas de Los Yungas Bolivianos

Ross MacLeod

The aim of the Bolivian Yungas Project is to enhance the protected status of the Carrasco National Park, which is one of the most important areas for threatened bird species in Bolivia. The first expedition was carried out between July and October 1998 and conducted ecological assessments on threatened and endemic bird populations within the Park. The expedition completed survey work at four locations within the park, successfully locating two of the four target threatened species and 19 key species. The most notable finding was the discovery of a lekking site of the Horned Curassows, the only second ever recorded. This provided baseline ecological information on these little known species and, with the aid of park management, a number of follow-up projects were identified which would enhance the ecological understanding and conservation efforts both within the reserve and within the Bolivian Yungas as a whole. On this basis it was decided to carry out a more extensive follow-up expedition from July to November 1999. The four projects chosen focus on demonstrating the parks importance on an ecological and international scale. They will 1) carry out breeding surveys of the Horned Curassow to identify areas important for its conservation 2) do botanical surveys to add to this data and knowledge of important bird areas within the park and habitat associations 3) investigate areas of exposed clay visited by thousands of parrots per day which is currently outside park boundaries to justify inclusion within the park 4) to set up a conservation education program within the area and establish links between children in Bolivia and children in Scotland to raise local awareness of the park and its international importance