I apologize for my long absence on this blog, due to an overloaded schedule along with health problems. There are mountains of news to share, and I will begin catching up in the course of the next few weeks, though I imagine all readers currently have their attention focused on the coronavirus, which is still in its exponential phase in Ecuador, the US, and most other countries. Everything indicates a coming disaster.
Spring plumage Blackburnian Warbler, Setophaga fusca, in Ecuador. Photo Roger Ahlman
Yet life goes on in the non-human world. A brilliant male Blackburnian Warbler perched above me this morning, on its way to the US, making light of our travel blockades. This fragile thing smaller than my hand will fly about 60 miles a day for more than 4000 miles (6600km) in the next month and a half, over a path that many individuals have never tried before (the route north is slightly different from the route south), finally crossing the Gulf of Mexico (600 miles, 1000km) in a single nonstop flight, falling exhausted on the beaches of Texas by mid April, and then picking itself up off the ground and crossing most of the US, all to reach its northern conifer forest breeding grounds. Half of these birds will die on each round trip, but the northern forests will briefly be filled with the songs of the survivors, until they must start their trip anew in the opposite direction. Life goes on for them, oblivious to the human suffering below.
I wish all of our readers the best during these difficult times. Isolate yourselves, wear rubber gloves if you have to go to the grocery store, and don’t touch your face.
Lou Jost
Regreso a la vida
Me disculpo por mi larga ausencia en este blog, debido a un horario sobrecargado junto con problemas de salud. Hay montañas de noticias para compartir, y comenzaré a cubrir los atrasos en el curso de las próximas semanas, aunque imagino que todos los lectores actualmente tienen su atención enfocada en el coronavirus, que todavía está en su fase exponencial en Ecuador, EE.UU. y la mayoría de los otros países. Todo indica un desastre inminente.
IMG 01 – Plumaje de primavera de Reinita pechinaranja (Blackburnian Warbler, Setophaga fusca) en Ecuador. Fotografía: Roger Ahlman
Sin embargo, la vida sigue en el mundo no humano. Un macho brillante de Reinita pechinaranja se perchó sobre mí esta mañana, en su camino a los EE.UU., haciendo luz de nuestros bloqueos de viaje. Esta frágil criatura más pequeña que mi mano volará cerca de 60 millas por día durante más de 4000 millas (6600 km) en el próximo mes y medio, sobre un camino que muchos individuos no han intentado antes (la ruta hacia el norte es ligeramente diferente de la ruta hacia el sur), finalmente cruzando el Golfo de México (600 millas, 1000 km) en un solo vuelo sin escalas, cayendo exhausto en las playas de Texas a mediados de abril, y después levantándose del suelo y cruzando la mayor parte de los EE.UU., con el fin de llegar a sus zonas de reproducción en los bosques de coníferas del norte. La mitad de estas aves morirán en cada viaje de ida y vuelta, pero los bosques del norte se llenarán en poco tiempo con las canciones de los sobrevivientes, hasta que empiecen su viaje de nuevo, en la dirección opuesta. La vida continúa para ellos, ajena al sufrimiento humano que se encuentra debajo.
Deseo lo mejor para todos nuestros lectores durante estos tiempos difíciles. Aíslense, usen guantes de goma si tienen que ir a la tienda de comestibles y no se toquen la cara.
Each afternoon Andy, Abel, or Santiago capture the baby and return it to the safety of the trees. Photo: Abel Recalde.
Santiago Recalde carrying the baby. Photo: Abel Recalde.
The baby’s claws. Photo: Abel Recalde.
[Ver version en espanol abajo]
Our rescued eaglet is still alive in its home forest. Every day it comes down from its artificial nest, trying to get to its real nest, and every evening Abel and Andy find the bird and put it back in its artificial nest so it won’t be eaten by predators. It is being fed by Andy and Abel, but a few days ago it had food in its stomach presumably given by its one of its parents. This is an excellent sign, and confirms the importance of keeping the bird near its parents during rehabilitation. We want this bird to grow up to join the wild population, not to be a pet. It is getting close to being able to fly, and from then on, we hope we can leave it alone.
The eaglet. Photo: Abel Recalde.
Eaglet in its nest. Photo: Abel Recalde.
Lou Jost, Fundacion EcoMinga.
El aguilucho sigue haciéndolo bien
Traducción: Salomé Solórzano Flores
**IMG 01**- Cada tarde Andy, Abel o Santiago capturan al polluelo y lo regresan a la seguridad de los árboles. Fotografía: Abel Recalde
**IMG 02**- Santiago Recalde cargando al polluelo. Fotografía: Abel Recalde
**IMG 03**- Las garras del polluelo. Fotografía: Abel Recalde
Nuestro aguilucho rescatado sigue vivo en su bosque nativo. Cada día cae de su nido artificial, tratando de regresar a su nido natural, y cada noche Abel y Andy encuentran al ave y lo ponen de regreso en su nido artificial de modo que no sea depredada. Ha sido alimentada por Andy y Abel, pero hace unos pocos días, tenía comida en su estómago, presumiblemente dado por sus padres. Esto es una señal excelente, y confirma la importancia de mantener al ave cerca de sus padres durante la rehabilitación. Queremos que esta ave crezca para unirse a la población salvaje, no para ser una mascota. Cada vez se acerca más a ser capaz volar, y desde entonces, esperamos poder dejarlo solo.
**IMG 04**- Aguilucho en su nido. Fotografía: Abel Recalde
This year the project to study the Black-and-chestnut Eagle began an intensive search for more nests in our area and in a few other selected areas. The results were incredible. About fourteen eagle territories were found in our upper Rio Pastaza watershed, at an astonishing density of about 4 km between nests! No one expected such a high density for a huge eagle like this.
Andy Salazar and Abel Recalde, sons of our “Keepers of the Wild” reserve guards, were part of this project, and were the discoverers of the second nest in our area (after the Rio Zunac nest mentioned above). It was found near the town of Rio Blanco, not in one of our reserves, just as the young eagle began to leave the nest. Here is one of the parents:
One of the eaglet’s parents. Photo: Santiago Recalde/EcoMinga
After the fledgling left its the nest, it came over to inspect Abel and Andy:
The adults soon re-nested and had another baby, shown in this photo:
Black and chestnut eagle baby, second brood since discovery of the nest.
Andy and Abel monitored the nest almost constantly. Then two weeks ago the baby disappeared. Andy and Abel feared the worst, remembering the tragedy of the Rio Zunac baby. But this time, the constant monitoring paid off, and they found the eagle below the nest, slightly injured but still alive.They rescued it and, with the help of our reserve guards, Sebastian Kohn, Santiago Zuluago, the Fundacion Condor Andino, Banos zoo, BioParque Yanacocha, Ministerio del Ambiente-Tungurahua, Direccion Nacional de Biodiversidad, Peregrine Fund, and Proyecto Internacional de Estudio del Aguila Andina, the baby was cured of its wounds and rehabilitated, and fitted with a small radio transmitter. The nest was in a tree that could not be climbed safely, so it was necessary to build a new nest in a tree near the original nest. Last week Sebastian climbed the tree and raised the eagle into the nest.
Checking the eagle’s health. Rescuers Andy and Abel are in the background.
Baby with radio transmitter. This is the second individual of this species in Ecuador to be fitted with a transmitter. It will help us find the bird if something goes wrong, and will provide useful data on dispersion if everything goes right.
Baby getting used to its new man-made nest.
Sebastian Kohn putting the baby in its nest. This is the same man-made nest shown in the previous picture; it was raised into this tree with pulleys and ropes.
The mother eagle immediately accepted the baby in the new nest, but her mate seemed to attack it. All this week Andy and Abel fed the eagle themselves, climbing up to the artificial nest and flipping prey items into it from below so that the young bird did not associate them with food.
The baby in its new home.
Then yesterday the young eagle disappeared again. The bird was found later in another tree about 70m away, in the direction of its original nest. It must have hopped through the branches to get there as it still cannot fly, though it is close to being able to do so.
Today the baby was found near the ground, where it might not have been able to climb back into the canopy. Andy and Abel re-captured it and will return it to the canopy after feeding it….stay tuned for the next chapter!
Thanks to everyone who helped with this rescue, especially:
Sebastian Kohn
Santiago Zuluago
Fundacion Condor Andino
Banos Zoo and Orlando Vega
BioParque Yanacocha
Ministerio del Ambiente-Tungurahua
Direccion Nacional de Biodiversidad
Peregrine Fund
Proyecto Internacional de Estudio del Aguila Andina
and most of all, the bird’s foster parents, Andy and Abel.
Pichón de Águila Andina (Spizaetus isidori) rescatada
Traduccion: Salomé Salorzano Flores
Los lectores podrán recordar nuestra alegría y emoción cuando encontramos nuestro primer nido de la amenazada Águila andina (Black-and-chestnut Eagle, Spizaetus isidori, antes Oroaetus isidori) en nuestra Reserva Río Zunac, y nuestra decepción pocos meses después cuando encontramos el cadáver de un pichón de águila debajo del nido. Desde entonces, muchos pichones han emplumado exitosamente. En aquel entonces, este fue uno de los muy pocos nidos de esta especie que han sido encontrados, y fue uno de los objetos de un esfuerzo de monitoreo intensivo liderado por The Peregrine Fund y el Proyecto Internacional de Estudio del Aguila Andina Spizaetus isidori.
Este año, el proyecto para estudiar el Águila Andina comenzó una búsqueda intensiva de más nidos en nuestra y en otras pocas áreas seleccionadas. Los resultados fueron increibles. Se encontraron cerca de 14 territorios de águila en la parte alta de la cuenca del Río Pastaza, ¡en una asombrosa densidad de aproximadamente 4 km entre nidos! Nadie esperó tal densidad para un águila tan enorme como esta.
Andy Salazar y Abel Recalde, hijos de nuestros guardianes de reserva “Keepers of the Wild” (Guardianes de la Naturaleza), fueron parte de este proyecto y fueron los descubridores del segundo nido en nuestra área (después del nido de Río Zunac, mencionado antes). Se encontró cerca del pueblo Río Blanco, fuera de nuestras reservas, justo cuando el águila empezaba a abandonar el nido. aquí está uno de sus padres:
(**IMG 1** – Una de los padres del águila. Foto: Santiago Recalde/Ecominga)
Después de que el volantón abandonó su nido, se acercó para examinar a Abel y Andy:
(**Video 1**)
Los adultos pronto anidaron de nuevo y tuvieron otro pichón, mostrado en esta fotografía:
(**IMG 2** – Pichón de Águila Andina, segunda cría desde el descubrimiento del nido)
Andy y Abel monitorearon el nido casi constantemente. Entonces, hace dos semanas, el pichón desapareció. Andy y Abel temieron lo peor, recordando la tragedia del pichón de Río Zuñac. Pero esta vez, el monitoreo constante valió la pena, y encontraron al águila debajo del nido, ligeramente lesionado pero vivo. Lo rescataron, y con ayuda de de nuestros guardas de la reserva, Sebastián Kohn, Santiago Zuluago, la Fundación Condor Andino, el Zoológico de Baños, BioParque Yanacocha, el Ministerio del Ambiente en Tungurahua, la Dirección Nacional de biodiversidad, The Peregrine Fund, y el Proyecto Internacional de Estudio del Águila Andina, el polluelo fue tratado de sus heridas, rehabilitado, y equipado con un pequeño radiotransmisor. Debido a que el nido se encontraba en un árbol imposible de escalar con la seguridad apropiada, fue necesario construir un nuevo nido en un árbol cercano al nido original. La semana pasada, Sebastián escaló este árbol y subió al águila en el nido.
(**IMG 3** – Comprobando la salud del águila. Los rescatistas Andy y Abel están en el fondo)
(**IMG 4** – Polluelo con radiotransmisor. Este es el segundo individuo de esta especia en Ecuador que ha sido equipado con un transmisor. Esto nos ayudará a encontrar el ave si algo sale mal, y nos proporcionará información útil sobre dispersión si todo sale bien.)
(**IMG 5** – Pichón acostumbrándose a su nuevo nido artificial)
(**IMG 6** – Sebastian Kohn colocando al polluelo en su nido. Es el mismo nido, hecho por mano del hombre, mostrado en la imagen anterior; fue llevado a su nuevo árbol con poleas y cuerdas)
La madre águila inmediatamente aceptó el polluelo en el nuevo nido, pero su compañero pareció atacarlo. Esta semana, Andy y Abel alimentaron al águila ellos mismos, trepando all nido artificial y lanzando elementos de presa en el mismo desde abajo, de modo que el polluelo no los asocie con comida
(**IMG 7**- El polluelo en su nuevo hogar)
Ayer, la jóven águila desapareció otra vez. Se lo encontró después en otro árbol a 70 m de distancia aproximadamente, en dirección a su nido original. Probablemente saltó a través de las ramas para llegar allí, ya que todavía no puede volar, aunque pronto podrá hacerlo.
Hoy el polluelo se encontró cerca del suelo, donde pudo no haber podido volver a subir al dosel. Andy y Abel lo volvieron a capturar y lo devolverán al dosel después de alimentarlo… ¡Manténganse atentos al próximo capítulo!
Gracias a todos quienes ayudaron en este rescate, en especial:
Sebastian Kohn
Santiago Zuluago
Fundacion Condor Andino
Banos Zoo and Orlando Vega
BioParque Yanacocha
Ministerio del Ambiente-Tungurahua
Direccion Nacional de Biodiversidad
The Peregrine Fund
Proyecto Internacional de Estudio del Aguila Andina
y sobre todo, a los padres adoptivos del ave, Andy and Abel.
One of the most emblematic Andean birds is the Sword-billed Hummingbird, Ensifera ensifera. We have them in most of our reserves, but they are elusive and hard to photograph when we are hiking around. A few days ago, however, one of these wonderful birds landed in front of my kitchen window and stayed long enough for me to get my camera, so I finally got a picture of it. This species has co-evolved with several species of cloud forest plants with long tubular flowers; this hummingbird is the only organism able to pollinate these plant species. This particular individual may have been attracted to two of these co-evolved species, Passiflora mixta and Passiflora tarminiana, which both grow wild around my house (though this hummingbird is also perfectly able to feed from regular flowers too).
A large hummingbird like this needs lots of nectar for fuel, and each of the flower species that have co-evolved with this hummingbird have large nectaries loaded with sweet liquid. Below I’ve made cross-sections of both these passionflower species, so you can see the nectar chambers at the base of the tubes:
Left: P. tarminiana; right, P. mixta. Photo: Lou Jost/EcoMinga
All that nectar is a big temptation of other species too. Since other species don’t have tongues long enough to reach the nectar, they have to rob the nectar by breaking into the nectaries, drilling or biting holes in the back of the flower. Nectar -robbing doesn’t pollinate the flower, so the robbed nectar is wasted as far as the plant is concerned. Flower variations that happen to be more resistant to robbers will have more nectar to offer the Sword-billed Hummingbird, and will therefore get visited more often by it, and will get pollinated more often and leave more descendants. Thus natural selection will eventually lead to flowers whose backsides are somewhat protected against robbers. The thickened “armored” walls of the nectaries are visible in the above cross-sections.
The base of this passionflower has been pierced multiple times by nectar robbers, probably flowerpiercers. Photo: Lou Jost/EcoMinga.
Still, some robbers get through. Several entire genera of nectar-robbing birds have evolved to take advantage of this resource. The most dedicated thieves are the eighteen bird species belonging to the genus Diglossa, the Flower-piercers. They often have sharp hooks on their bill tips to rip holes in the backs of flowers. Some of the species that rob these particular passionflowers are the White-sided Flower-piercer, the Masked Flower-piercer, and the Glossy Flower-piercer. Many short-billed hummingbirds also drill holes in the backs of the flowers, or use the holes made by flower-piercers. Bees also rob the nectar by biting holes in the back of the flowers, and butterflies steal their share by visiting the holes made by all these other thieves. Some passionflower species put tiny nectaries on the backs of their flowers to attract ants and wasps, which might deter some of these thieves.
Black Flowerpiercer feeding on Fuchsia. Photo courtesy Roger Ahlman.
The Slater Museum of Natural History of the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington kindly gave me permission to show their scan of the skeleton of this bird, surely one of the weirdest of all vertebrate skeletons. Note the huge keel of the breastbone (sternum), where the powerful wing muscles are attached in the living bird. Note also the bony base of the enormous tongue circling underneath and behind the head, and the little feet pointing backwards:
Sword-billed Hummingbird skeleton, scan courtesy of the Slater Museum of Natural History.
The Sword-billed Hummingbird occurs in most of our Banos-area EcoMinga reserves, at elevations from about 2000m to 3400m: Cerro Candelaria Reserve, Viscaya Reserve, Naturetrek Reserve, Rio Verde Reserve, Rio Zunac Reserve, Rio Machay Reserve, and Chamana Reserve. Our lowland Rio Anzu Reserve is too low for it.
Glowing Pufflegs frequently cling to flowers with their feet instead of hovering while they feed. Photo: Lou Jost/EcoMinga.
A common shrub in the family Ericaceae (the cranberry and blueberry family) is in bloom right now, attracting many species of hummingbirds in our middle-elevation reserves. The most faithful visitor to this bush right now is the Glowing Puffleg, Eriocnemis vestita, a common hummingbird at elevations from around 2100m up to the treeline in the eastern and southwestern Andes of Ecuador. It has white leg puffs, a bright green rump and belly, and purple vent. Like many high-elevation birds, this species is oblivious to humans. One of these even joined me in my outdoor shower once, landing at my feet while I washed. The photos in this post were taken today while the bird was about 2m away, sometimes even closer. I made no attempt to hide, and moved around with it. It is a nice feeling when a wild creature does not treat a human as a threat!
Glowing Puffleg. Photo: Lou Jost/EcoMinga.
Glowing Puffleg at my feet, directly beneath me. It doesn’t care. Photo: Lou Jost/EcoMinga.
Glowing Puffleg taking off less than a meter from me. Photo: Lou Jost/EcoMinga.
Fundacion EcoMinga 