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Ecuadorian Pipeline Raises Awareness for Hummingbird Conservation

One of the rarest birds in the world, the black-breasted puffleg hummingbird is known to nest in only two places on the slopes of Volcan Pichincha in the Mindo area of Ecuador. A U.S. oil pipeline in this Ecuadorian Important Bird Area (IBA) could threaten the last remaining breeding habitat of this critically endangered hummingbird.

Fewer than 250 black-breasted puffleg hummingbirds, the entire world population, are found at these sites. The birds rely on the short vegetation on the high ridges of the volcano.

The Mindo IBA is a 250 sq. mi. (2000 sq. km) west of Quito, the capital of Ecuador. Consisting mostly of dense forest and an active volcano, the area houses five globally threatened bird species and 36 endemic species.

BirdLife International, a global conservation coalition, widely criticized the Ecuadorian government for signing a contract to allow a multinational group of corporations to build the pipeline in 2001. BirdLife International works in 100 countries to follow the status of birds, their habitats and issues that affect birds.

Despite public outcry, the government and the corporations insisted on building the pipeline in Mindo, which rests on a highly active tectonic boundary, making it susceptible to earthquakes. They did, however, agree to stricter environmental surveillance and the United States created a $16.9 million ecofund for Mindo and five other ecosensitive sites along the pipe's path. The town of Mindo relies heavily on the revenue from ecotourism.

Hummingbirds are the world's largest family of birds, with an estimated 328 species. Found only in North, South, and Central America (and islands of the Caribbean), nearly 10 percent, or 28 species, are threatened with extinction. One in three of these species is ranked critically endangered, meaning they have a 50 percent chance of extinction within the next 10 years.

Organizations such as The Hummingbird Society and BirdLife International are creating initiatives for bird conservation. For more information on hummingbird and other conservation programs visit www.hummingbirdsociety.org or www.birdlife.net.

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