Endangered Ark

Colorful Puffleg

Eriocnemis mirabilis

3 of Hearts

Art by Amber ‘Vantid’ Hill

http://vantid.artspots.com/

vantid@gmail.com

California

The Colorful Puffleg (the “miraculous” bird) is a critically endangered hummingbird, one of 11 species in its Genus, Eriocnemis. These hummingbirds are called “pufflegs” for obvious reasons; the local name “Colibri de Zamarros” means “hummingbird with hotpants” since his poofs tend to have a cinnamon tint.

Originally discovered in 1967, the continued existence of these birds was proved only in 1999 and an estimate of 50-250 individuals alive puts them on the Critically Endangered list. They live on the steep slopes of a small section of Western Colombian cloud forest between the altitudes of 2200 and 2800 meters. Colorful Pufflegs feed on a variety of orchids, bromeliads, cavendishia, and melastomes.

In the 1960’s and 70’s the local economy was based on a fruit crop of “lulo” or naranjilla. In the 1980’s, when the crop was destroyed by a fungal disease and pests, the logging began again. To facilitate this business, an old mule track was widened into a road. Ironically, this road caused mudslides which opened up the land for low growing flowering bushes that attracted and led to the discovery of the pufflegs. The continued deforestation of its habitat threatens to wipe out not only the tiny population of this hummer, but also another 16 endangered bird species, two endangered frog species and many other rare birds, amphibians, butterflies and plants that only occur in this part of the world. Illicit opium and coca crops also threaten the rich biodiversity of these tropical forests.

Conservation efforts include the protection of 5,000 acres of cloud forest, education for the local communities, and replanting the lola crops as they do not infringe on the surrounding forests.

To find out more about what is being done to help conserve these amazing birds, please check out The Hummingbird Conservancy.