TY - JOUR

T1 - Nests, vocalizations, and conservation status of endangered Cochabamba Mountain-Finches (Compsospiza garleppi)

AU - Huanca, Noemí Esther

AU - Hosner, Peter A.

AU - Hennessey, A. Bennett

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - Cochabamba Mountain-Finches (Compsospiza garleppi) are endangered residents of semihumid shrublands in the high Andes, with a range restricted to a few high valleys surrounding the city of Cochabamba, Bolivia. We examined the breeding behavior, feeding ecology, habitat requirements, vocalizations, and conservation status of Cochabamba Mountain-Finches from November 2006 to April 2007. We observed 10 nests of eight pairs, with nests found in a variety of small woody shrubs as well as bunchgrass and a ground bromeliad. Clutches (N = 2) consisted of one or two eggs, and all broods (N = 4) included one or two young. Our observations suggest that Cochabamba Mountain-Finches are not Polylepis specialists as previously thought, and use a diversity of native shrubs often associated with Polylepis woodlands for foraging and nesting. Pairs inhabited modified habitats where native vegetation and woodland edge persisted, but were not observed in closed canopy woodlands. Cochabamba Mountain-Finches frequently foraged on the edges of potato fields in a rural community and, at least occasionally, consumed parts of unearthed tubers. We recorded two previously unknown song types and three types of calls, and one song type was found to be useful for playback surveys. We recommend that future research and conservation actions include thorough surveys using playback to determine population sizes, and that habitat restoration projects focus on maintaining a diversity of native shrubs rather than only Polylepis trees.

AB - Cochabamba Mountain-Finches (Compsospiza garleppi) are endangered residents of semihumid shrublands in the high Andes, with a range restricted to a few high valleys surrounding the city of Cochabamba, Bolivia. We examined the breeding behavior, feeding ecology, habitat requirements, vocalizations, and conservation status of Cochabamba Mountain-Finches from November 2006 to April 2007. We observed 10 nests of eight pairs, with nests found in a variety of small woody shrubs as well as bunchgrass and a ground bromeliad. Clutches (N = 2) consisted of one or two eggs, and all broods (N = 4) included one or two young. Our observations suggest that Cochabamba Mountain-Finches are not Polylepis specialists as previously thought, and use a diversity of native shrubs often associated with Polylepis woodlands for foraging and nesting. Pairs inhabited modified habitats where native vegetation and woodland edge persisted, but were not observed in closed canopy woodlands. Cochabamba Mountain-Finches frequently foraged on the edges of potato fields in a rural community and, at least occasionally, consumed parts of unearthed tubers. We recorded two previously unknown song types and three types of calls, and one song type was found to be useful for playback surveys. We recommend that future research and conservation actions include thorough surveys using playback to determine population sizes, and that habitat restoration projects focus on maintaining a diversity of native shrubs rather than only Polylepis trees.

KW - Breeding behavior

KW - Cochabamba Mountain-Finch

KW - Compsospiza garleppi

KW - Conservation

KW - Nest

KW - Vocalizations

U2 - 10.1111/j.1557-9263.2009.00224.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1557-9263.2009.00224.x

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:69449101114

VL - 80

SP - 215

EP - 223

JO - Journal of Field Ornithology

JF - Journal of Field Ornithology

SN - 0273-8570

IS - 3

ER -