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Trash Birds

5/15/2016

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Our first night in Ecuador, we were warmly welcomed by Mercedes at the Puembo Birding Garden. After a welcome nights sleep after our long journey we awoke to plethora of chirping and songs from the many varieties of birds which enjoy this serene garden. Just a few of the species spotted here were the Saffron finch who's color was a striking yellow and orange, and the Vermilion fly catcher also bore unique colors of red and gray.
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.

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1 Comment
Ashton link
3/15/2021 07:17:11 pm

Hi nice reading your bllog

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    About this blog:

    2016 is the first year for Kevin Murphy’s Neotropical Agroecology class in Ecuador. Students will spend two weeks in Ecuador meeting with, learning from and working alongside farmers, artisans, naturalists and/or ecologists in two distinct ecosystems. During the first week, we will focus on the agroecology and social ecology of northern Ecuador. This will include visits to Puembo, Cotacachi, Otavalo and Peguche in the Andean highlands, followed by three days in the Intag Cloud Forest region on the western slope of the Andes Mountains. The second week will be spent in Quito area in Ilalo, followed by a journey south to the high altitude areas around Riobamba and Cañar. In Quito, we will visit agrosilvopastoral farming systems, seed sovereignty organizations, local farms, Slow Food Ecuador, among other exciting adventures. In Cañar, we will visit and work with an indigenous Cañari farmer association of seed and grain producers. The trip will end in Cuenca, the third largest city in Ecuador.
     
    We invite you to virtually join us on this trip by checking in on this page where we will be posting photos and sharing our experiences while we are in Ecuador.

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