Скачать или смотреть We do have a BELLBIRD now: More on the Recent Rediscovery of Bearded Bellbird in Colombia

LA VERSIÓN COMPLETA EN ESPAÑOL DE ESTE TEXTO LA ENCUENTRAN EN NUESTRO FACEBOOK

Less than a month after the Bearded Bellbird (Procnias averano) was re-discovered in Colombia after 82 years of no records, Diego guides you here a bit on the details and importance of this amazing discovery… enjoy!

The Bellbirds in the genus Procnias belong to the family of Cotingas, making them cousins of manakins, flycatchers, kingbirds, and tyrants. There are only four species of Procnias bellbirds, all of which are peculiar, chunky fruit-eating bizarre birds that exclusively inhabit the Neotropics. They all exhibit polygynous breeding systems, where males differ significantly in appearance from females. During courtship, males gather in display arenas called leks, where they produce loud calls to attract females which then choose the best mates from the neighborhood. These birds are not only visually intriguing but also produce unique and distinctive sounds, and the four species are:

1. Three-wattled Bellbird (Procnias tricarunculatus) from Central America that has three crazy fleshy wattles hanging from its bill and that we had the privilege to film while shooting The Birders Show episodes in Panamá:    • Can We Find One of the Loudest Birds on Ea...  

2. White Bellbird (Procnias albus) from the Guianas that exhibits only one hanging fleshy wattle but produces the loudest voice from any bird: https://www.science.org/content/artic...

3. Bare-throated Bellbird (Procnias nudicollis) from the Atlantic Forest that albeit not having have any fleshy caruncles, it has the most attractive green bare face and throat:   / cislfbkg6e9  

4. Bearded Bellbird (Procnias averano) from the Guianas, NE Brazil, and the Cordillera de la Costa in Venezuela (including Trinidad) that has a ton of crazy little wattles in the throat showing a cool fleshy beard.

The Bearded Bellbird was first discovered in the Colombian Perijá Mountains in 1941 by the renowned bird explorer of the Neotropics, Meb Carriker. During his expedition, Carriker collected a couple of specimens, which are currently housed in the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institution. These specimens have been invaluable in contributing to our understanding of this fascinating bird species.

Despite the tireless efforts of local researchers and birdwatchers over many years, the Bearded Bellbird has remained elusive in Colombian soil. Despite extensive birding and exploration of the area, there have been no further records of this species within the country. However, occasional reports from the Venezuelan side of the same mountains have kept a glimmer of hope. The lack of recent sightings in Colombia has led everybody to fear that the Bearded Bellbird was extinct in Colombia.

Well, almost everybody!... because this is a remarkable and heartwarming story: local birder Naimeth Corso's dedication and persistence in exploring the Northern tip of the Perijá Mountains and connecting with the local community have paid off in a big way. Despite the fear that the Bearded Bellbird might have gone extinct in Colombia, Naimeth's efforts always helped by the locals, led to the thrilling discovery of a beautiful singing male Bearded Bellbird. This exciting finding came true during a recent visit, where she was accompanied by her son Miguel, my birding mate Juan D. Ramirez, and local guide Cesar Acosta. It's a testament to the importance of local knowledge and community involvement in conservation efforts, and we hope this rediscovery of the Bearded Bellbird in Colombia brings renewed interest in protecting and preserving this area of the Colombian Andes.

Naimeth's discovery of the Bearded Bellbird in the Colombian Perijá mountains highlights for her how Colombia's more peaceful times have enabled easier access to remote birding areas. That couple with local migrations that these Procnias bellbirds undertake might have contributed to their "hiding in plain sight" phenomenon. Improved accessibility, dedicated birdwatchers, local communities having different and new opportunities, and understanding migration patterns led to this exciting rediscovery.

Original eBird checklist with the re-discovery: https://ebird.org/checklist/S143467223

For kindly allowing us to use some of their footage and photos for this video we are grateful with Naimeth Corso, Juan David Ramírez, Caio Brito (Brazil Birding Experts), Jamie MacArthur, Stephen Jay (  / stephenjayphotography  , Pete Morris (Birdquest) and Marcos de La Oz (@marcosguevara10).

https://TheBirdersShow.com

Check out our merch: https://TheBirdersShow.com/store

We have a Patreon page! If you'd like to support us, please visit   / thebirdersshow  

Produced by WhereNext
A Bird-Loving Storytelling Agency
https://www.WhereNext.com