After breakfast Mercedes relived her exploits to Loja Ecuador where she worked alongside bird expert Dr Robert Ridgely who first noticed this unique bird by their distinctive bark like chirp. The discovery of this new species named Jocotoco, spurred the conservation of the area which was being forested at the time of this expedition.
Mercedies also told us about the inside joke of trash birds; where some avian species are seen so many times they are boring and considered 'trash birds'. And after the Jocotoco, many of the birds become just that to those who where present.
Soon after the Jocotoco foundation was formed and through their efforts over 30,000 hectares have been preserved for the many bird species which are indigenous only to Ecuador. These birds tend not to migrate and are uniquely suited for the microclimate from which they originate. This means that any climate or environmental change can impact the future survival of many species.