bird diversity And avitourism

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Ecuador is rich in bird biodiversity at the same time that many of its residents, especially those in rural areas, live in poverty. Furthermore, its land and people are targeted by oil and mining companies and global deforestation pressures which threaten human health and habitat for many birds. Ecuador alone has more than 1,600 species of birds, more than all of North America combined, and is ranked 1st for number of bird species per area. The Chocó bioregion of NW Ecuador has some of the highest levels of biodiversity on the planet, is one of the 25 Priority Terrestrial Ecoregions of the world, and was recently declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. However, few researchers have sought to assess bird community assemblages in the cloud forest within or outside of protected areas, despite their importance.

To contribute to avian biodiversity baselines in this region, I partnered with Fundación Ecominga to develop and lead a research project in collaboration with community members in the town of Villaflora and Manduriacu Reserve. In the past two decades, avitourism has emerged as a solution to protect the land while bringing economic benefits to local communities, so the tourism potential of birds was a major focus of this project. I worked with reserve park rangers and local bird guides to identify birds by sight and song and collect data with over 100 point counts on trails in the town and the reserve. Using this data, I created maps indicating where the highest levels of rare, endemic, and charismatic birds could be found in the town.  I then produced a scientific report in English and Spanish titled "Bird Diversity in the Ecuadorian Chocó: A Proposal for Avitourism in Villaflora and Manduriacu Reserve", which analyzed bird biodiversity according to altitude, human impact level, and guild, and made recommendations on ecotourism expansion options. I presented these findings with park rangers at a community meeting, demonstrating avitourism as an economic alternative to mining operations. This discussion, as well as the data and report generated, has led to the promotion of birding events and the creation of 8 new birding routes, drawing over 100 birdwatchers and generating $4,500 for community members in the first year.