CONSERVATION PROJECTS OF

RESERVA LAS GRALARIAS

 

Located in the westernmost foothills of the northwestern cordillera of the Andes some 200 kilometers above the Pacific Ocean, Reserva Las Gralarias sits just south of the equator, between 1700-2400 meters   elevation.  It is home to 24 of the 44 montane endemic bird species of the West Slope of the Andes and includes 12 of 19 bird species in this region considered to be at risk (p. 65-6, Birds of Ecuador).      

We have recorded 25 species of hummingbirds, including rare and range-restricted species such as Hoary Puffleg, Gorgeted Sunangel, Empress Brilliant, Velvet-purple Coronet, White-tailed Hillstar and Wedge-billed Hummingbird.  Other key attractions include Giant, Moustached, Yellow-breasted, Chestnut-crowned   and Ochre-breasted Antpitta as well as breeding populations of Orange-breasted and Scaled Fruiteater.  Additional bird species found at Reserva Las Gralarias include Cloud-forest Pygmy-Owl, Black-and-white Owl, Rufescent Screech-Owl, Dark-backed Wood-Quail, Sickle-winged Guan, Toucan Barbet, White-faced Nunbird, Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan, Golden-headed Quetzal, Crested Quetzal, Black-billed Peppershrike, Golden-winged Manakin, Club-winged Manakin, Olivaceous Piha, Beautiful Jay, Black Solitaire, Plushcap, Black-chinned Mountain-Tanager, and much more.

Mammal species so far encountered on the reserve include Spectacled Bear, Two-toed Sloth, Oncilla, Puma, Mountain Coati, Tayra, Red-brocket Deer, White-tailed Deer, Nine-banded Armadillo, Kinkajou, Andean Weasel, Rothchild´s Porcupine, various squirrels, opossums and bats. One nectarivorous bat species, Anoura fistulata, described only in 2005, has recently been found on the reserve.

ONGOING PROJECTS

• HABITAT CONSERVATION:   Our conservation objective is to purchase and protect high quality habitat for rare, endemic and special species of birds in the Mindo area.   In 2002-2007 we purchased additions to Reserva Las Gralarias so that the reserve now covers 1063 acres, or 425 hectares. We plan to continue to expand our holdings in this beautiful area in order to re-establish a habitat connection upslope that will provide a continuous protected habitat corridor from 1600 meters to 3500 meters elevation, along approximately 30 kilometers of the northwestern Andean slopes.   Donors who are interested in helping fund this project are encouraged to contact the Las Gralarias Foundation at www.lasgralariasfoundation.org

• FIELD RESEARCH:                               

Birds:  For ten years, from 1999-2009, we operated a bird banding project on the reserve in order to better understand the movements of the avifauna in this zone as well as to document individual characteristics of plumage and body measurements.   In January 2009 the first-ever nest of the Chocó endemic Yellow-breasted Antpitta was found by Segundo Imba, caretaker at Las Gralarias, and was formally described by biologists Dr. Harold Greeney and Mery Juiña in January 2010.  In June-July 2010 UK student Elizabeth Noble of Leeds University conducted her master´s research documenting hummingbird behavior on the reserve.  We continue to record exciting bird activity, such as nesting Hoary Puffleg in June 2010, and keep ongoing documentation of bird observations on the reserve.

                         

 Mammals:  In May 2008 we welcomed Suzanne Bartzke, a graduate student from Germany studying mammals and conservation at the University of Leeds in the UK. Suzanne conducted a survey of the mammals of Reserva Las Gralarias as part of her graduate degree in Conservation and Biology.  Her camera traps photographed an interesting variety of mammals on the reserve.   We maintain several trail cameras which continue to provide us with some astounding photos of the little-seen and little-known mammals who live on the reserve.

Plants:  In 2001 a team from Ecuador's National Herbarium conducted an initial survey of the plant life at Reserva Las Gralarias. Collecting 82 species of plants considered important to birds, the team found 11 species that are endemic to Ecuador.  Of these 11 endemics, 5 are classified as vulnerable, 3 are classified as near-threatened, 1 is considered endangered and 1 is considered critically endangered. The species considered critically endangered is Podandrogyne brevipedunculata of the family Capparaceae and is found in three separate sites on our reserve.  We are currently trying to identify the butterfly species recently discovered pollinating this rare plant.  We have also been able to identify numerous plants that are important as food sources for various frugivorous and nectarivorous bird species. Thanks to our plant surveys, we have been able to ensure adequate protection for these rare and important plants and the birds and other animals that depend on them.

 

Butterflies, Skippers and Moths:  In 2005 we invited U.S. scientists to conduct the first-ever moth and butterfly survey at the Reserve. The results were astounding, with over 450 speces of moths and butterflies found in two weeks.  In addition, German moth researcher Volker Pelz has, to date, found two new species at Reserva Las Gralarias which they have named for the reserve and for the owner: Hynhamia lasgralariae and Dimorphopalpa lyonsae.  See http://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Dimorphopalpa_lyonsae.  In 2009 entomologists found 30 species of skippers in the guest house gardens, including some quite rare species. From May-July 2010 Leeds University master´s student Tim Kell, in conjunction with Quito´s Catholic University, sampled butterflies on the reserve from 1750m up to 2400m elevation.  We look forward to the results of his project.

Amphibians:   In January 2006 the first-ever amphibian survey, sponsored by the Cleveland Zoo, U.S.A., was conducted at Reserva Las Gralarias.  The survey, conducted by Kathy Duffey and Tim Krynak, included visual encounter and audio surveys, leaf litter plots and water quality analysis. The results were amazing.  One species of frog, Pristimantis eugeniae, considered an endangered amphibian and on the IUCN’s Redlist, was found in relatively high abundance throughout the reserve.   A Chocó endemic species, Pristimantis appendiculatus, was found only within primary forest, while along the Santa Rosa River was found the spectacular Giant Glass Frog, Nymphargus grandiosonae, which is a species found only in clean pure water. The water quality analysis found the Santa Rosa River to be free of contamination and minerals, i.e., totally pure water.  In addition, a Dendropsophus carnifex or "Pond Frog" breeding pool was found near the Santa Rosa River.  This is another Chocó endemic species of frog.