POSSIBLE EVIDENCE OF PLAYING
CONDOR (Vultur gryphus) reintroduces IN COLOMBIA
Zuluaga Santiago Castañeda, Student, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Caldas.
Researcher, Centre for Raptor Rehabilitation of San Isidro. Pereira-Colombia
santiago.1710720106 @ ucaldas.edu.co
The Andean condor (Vultur gryphus) is a species considered in the category of "near threatened worldwide, with a population decline (IUCN 2010; BirdLife 2010), which is why in recent years has been used for restocking individuals of condors born in captivity in various parts of its range in Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Argentina and Chile (Lambertucci 2007). In Colombia, between 1989 and 2005
have been reintroduced to the wild 65 individuals (born in captivity in various zoos in the U.S. and the Zoo of Cali, Colombia), 6 cores localized recruitment of the Andes mountain range (MAVDT 2006). It is estimated that 78% of those released have survived successfully, but have not yet been documented events of reproduction of reintroduced individuals (Márquez et al.
2005). In this context, I announce some comments on a core recruitment in the National Park (NNP), Los Nevados, and the observation of a juvenile found in this area, which suggests the possibility that the condors reintroduced to Colombia be starting to breed in nature.
Between 2004 and 2010, using binoculars (10 x 50) and cameras, I made no systematic observations from high vantage points with broad vision and transect lines (Márquez & Rau 2003), in the buffer zone of PNN Los Nevados, central cordillera of the Colombian Andes. In July 2010, geographical coordinates 4 ° 55.02 'N, 75 ° 26.97' W, at an altitude of 3600 m, was photographed a juvenile condor feathers for an approximate age of three years.
is likely that the individual was born in the PNN Los Nevados, which would mean the first evidence of possible breeding grounds for reintroduced condors in Colombia. The juvenile was seen flying, accompanied by an adult condor reintroduced. From 1997 to 2001 were released 16 juvenile condors in the PNN Los Nevados. In July 2010, all these condors and must have adult plumage, thus indicating the presence of young local playback or a possible immigration from elsewhere in Colombia, where they reproduce
wild condors, which is less likely, because that these have very small numbers and are restricted to a few isolated mountain villages (MAVDT 2006) in the PNN Cocuy and Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, about 417 and 682 km from the PNN Los Nevados respectively.
I made 14 visits to the area of \u200b\u200bstudy with an average of 2.3 per year. At each visit, recorded the presence of condors and behavioral observations.
also I interviewed people in the community on the sighting of the species. The observations documented behavior patterns of the species in relation to foraging, roosting and presence of solitary individuals and couples.
food behaviors show how the species when food is not immediately descend on it, but remains a good distance in places where it can be observed over long periods of time. This behavior coincides with that described by Speziale et al. (2008) who argue that, generally, the species is very cautious and it may take days before you decide to go down to eat.
Two roosts have been recorded: the first found in 2007, located in a rock wall about 50 m high, with shrubs and trees that isolates the interior. In this there was little activity on one occasion only three individuals were seen off at afternoon. The second roost, but recently found, was first recorded in January 2010, is located on a rock wall, which has a height of approximately 300 m and has
shrubs. There he saw a solitary individual arriving at dusk and
out in the early hours of the morning for three consecutive days. Subsequently, in May 2010, there were two individuals using the roost.
observed individuals belong to a core of reforestation was established in 1997 as a center of dispersal of the species in the central mountains of the country (MAVDT 2006). From the beginning, these were marked with bands patagiales on both wings, in addition to this, they put a microchip in order to achieve individual identification (pers com. G. Runner), but apparently, most individuals have
patagiales lost their bands, why can not be identified in nature, in addition to that, there is little or virtually no biological knowledge of this nucleus, due to the lack of monitoring and limited availability of resources to document their current status. These are perhaps the main reasons why this youth had not been previously registered. It is noteworthy also that before this discovery, residents argued the area saw a group of three individuals, possibly juvenile, feeding in the area.
addition to this, it is presumed the presence of juveniles in different parts of the country. However, no conclusive evidence to prove the veracity of these assumptions, so it is necessary to confirm these records, in addition to seeking funds to obtain accurate data and knowledge aspects of population dynamics in these nuclei of recruitment. In this way we hope to evaluate the effectiveness of releases how an appropriate conservation strategy.
observations discussed here and the registration of youth represent a contribution to knowledge on the status of the population of condors reintroduced into the PNN Los Nevados and education verification need to play as one of the measures to evaluate the success of implementation of the Action Plan 2006-2016 (MAVDT 2006) for the conservation of the condor in Colombia. Germain
Corridor, leader of the captive breeding program Cali Zoo, says that the reconfirmation of the reproduction of reintroduced condors undoubtedly will be of great importance to the scientific community and, especially, will mean good news for efforts to restore populations of the Andean condor in Colombia.
thank Sergio Lambertucci, a researcher at the Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Bariloche, Argentina, for their comments and contributions. I want to especially thank
Olga Lucía Núñez, Germain Corridor, Hernan Vargas and Cesar Marquez, for his comments.
References BirdLife International (2010) Species factsheet: Vultur gryphus. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 19/7/2010.
IUCN 2010. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.2. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded
on 19 July 2010.
Lambertucci, SA 2007. Biology and conservation of the Andean condor (Vultur gryphus) in Argentina. Hornero 22 (2) :149-158.
Marquez, C., M. Bechard., F. Gast, & VH Vanegas. 2005. Diurnal birds of Colombia. Research Institute of Biological Resources "Alexander von Humboldt." Bogotá, Colombia.
Marquez, C, & J. Rau. 2003. Detection techniques, observation and raptor census in Costa Rica. Environmental Management 9: 67-77.
MAVDT. Ministry of Environment, Housing and Territorial Development. National Programme for the Conservation of the Andean Condor in Colombia. Action Plan 2006 - 2016.
Speziale, KL, SA Lambertucci & O. Olsson. 2008. Disturbance from roads Negatively Affects Andean condor habitat use. Biological Conservation 141:1756-1772.
WWW.NEOTROPICALRAPTORS.ORG PAGES 09-12 NUMBER 10 • DECEMBER 2010
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