New reserve created in Colombia for the Orange-breasted falcon

25/10/2008 21:56:56 October 2008. ProAves has established the new Orange-breasted Falcon Bird Reserve in the foothills of the Llanos thanks to the support of World land Trust-US and Robert Giles. Located close to the city of Villavicencio, the new reserve overlooks the vast Llanos plain.

240 bird species recorded
Research by ProAves has highlighted the importance of protecting the humid forested foothills of the Eastern Andes beside the Llanos grasslands. This area is crucial wintering and passage habitat for Neotropical migrants, such as Swainson's Thrushes, that follow the north-south border of the Andes. The reserve has recorded 240 bird species, but it is most important for the little known and near threatened Orange-breasted Falcon that is distributed across Colombia.

Rare mammals
The new reserve is also extremely important for rare and endangered mammals, such as the Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) and the Ornate Titi monkey (Callicebus ornatus), which is endemic to Colombia.
The foothills of the Andes beside the Llanos are now largely fragmented as pressure from cattle ranches in the lowlands have pushed up into the cooler climes of the Andes. While only patches remain, the new reserve protects part of one of the most important surviving fragments, and is extremely important for the city of Villavicencio with over 360,000 inhabitants.

With the support of the World Land Trust. Courtesy of Proaves