Perú, paraíso de las aves: endangered species

Peruvian Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds are fascinating birds in every way, it is surprising to see them in flight against a flower feeding, buzzing its wings barely moving body, and observe that suddenly headed for another flower in a vertical flight (as a modern fighter plane) or even fly in reverse.

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Sylph King (long-tailed sylph); Reserve cloud forest of Manu, Peru

The beautiful and colorful iridescent plumage of the variable, called by American naturalist Audubon as a "shining piece of rainbow" shows also luster in the throat or chest.

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Metalura Tiria (Metallura tyrianthina smaragdinicollis) (Tyriaan Metaltail); Sayaqmarka Inca city, Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, Cuzco, Peru

Hummingbirds are found throughout the Americas, from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, including the Caribbean West Indies. They live in varied habitats ranging from deserts and icy highlands to 5000 meters to sweltering tropical rainforests. This justifies the great diversification in species (328) and a number of associated subspecies (684), especially in areas of neotropical submontane of the eastern Andes (slopes to the Amazon), where most species are found.

The scientific names of the different species and their different denominations are also special ... references were made to precious stones (sapphires, topaz ...), stars (stars, sun ...) or laudatory adjectives like "Wonderful" "Wonderful" "Brilliant", etc.

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Hummingbird representation in the wilderness of the Pampas of Nazca (Peru), only visible from the air. Nazca culture (s.I-VII AD)

In ancient Peru, they were also cause for admiration and artistic representation. Hummingbirds appear abundantly in the pre-Columbian art; the best known is the giant hummingbird in the desert of Nazca, on the southern coast of Peru. It measures 70 meters and is only visible from the air. Its creators of the Nazca culture (s I-VII AD) also represented in ceramics, like his contemporaries Moche on the north coast. It also appears in the goldsmith art of Ecuadorian cultures, Colombian, Central American and Mexican.

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Hummingbird in Moche ceramics (s II BC-600 AD) of the northern coast of Peru. Huacas of Moche.

Gould Hummingbird Inca (Inca Coeligena) (Gould's Inca). Inkaterra Machu Picchu. Peru

Hummingbird pechirrojo (Boissonneaua matthewsii) (Chestnut-breasted Coronet). Inkaterra Machu Picchu, Peru

Gould Inca (Inca Coeligena) (Gould's Inca). Inkaterra Machu Picchu, Peru

Hummingbirds are beautiful and fragile, but those do not pound the risk of extinction because of the aggressive action of the people. Hummingbird tail spatula, wonderful hummingbird or hummingbird admirable (Marvelous mirabilis) is a species of hummingbird medium size (up to 15 cm) and blue, green and violet colors copper ridge, the only member of the genus Loddigesia. This bird is endemic to the basin of the Utcubamba River in the high jungle of northern Peru. It was discovered in 1853 by collector Andrew Bird Loddiges George Matthews.

Hummingbird tail spatula is unique among birds because it has only four tail feathers. In the male are two long outer tail feathers racket shaped crossing each other and end up in a big blue-violet discs or 'spoonbills' which can move independently.

Watching them, we surprised the two long feathers ending in two beautiful blue-violet disks, which move at incredible speed and independently each. Although it has two smaller on the tail feathers are longer than the end in a kind of racket or spatula, which captivate by the way that vibrate in the air.

It is one of the most beautiful birds in the world, it the amazing dance-procession which explains why so called Wonderful Hummingbird.

Hummingbird Marvelous mirabilis, with its blue, green and copper colors, crest and striking violet is endemic to the basin of Utcubamba River in the high jungle of northern Spain. The regional government declared Natural Heritage of Amazonas.

By loss of habitat from forest degradation, its small population and limited range it is at risk. In addition, its lush tail puts in danger of being hunted; there is the absurd belief that the dry hearts of males are an aphrodisiac.

The hummingbird spatula tail is on the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and belongs to the list in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

In 2006, the American Bird Conservancy and ECOAN (Association of Andean Ecosystems) start a conservation program with the Pomacochas Community (where it is) to protect this bird. 30,000 native trees and shrubs were planted to care hummingbird habitat. It is the first program of its kind in Peru.

There are positive experiences. In Tacna, southern Peru, a married couple share their love of nature preparing a syrup to feed and help preserve this endangered species. Four cups of boiled water, a cup of white sugar and a little food coloring, and the syrup is ready. Renaud Barreda places the syrup into a kind of trough hanging from the balcony of his house. Within minutes hummingbirds come to feed on the nectar. Regretfully he adds that factors like poison used to fumigate fruits and flowers.