Sandra Flor Cuadros Díaz
The main objective of this project is to improve the knowledge and understanding of the Peruvian endemic, endangered and understudied Grey-bellied Comet (Taphrolesbia griseiventris). To achieve this, a distribution model will be run and analysed to search for potential new localities of the species, and produce an updated distribution map. This, together with a habitat and diet assessment (in known and new potential sites), and threats to its habitat will be used to propose priority sites for conservation and appropriate conservation strategies.
T.griseiventris.
The Grey-bellied Comet (Taphrolesbia griseiventris) is a Peruvian endemic hummingbird and Critically Endangered according to the Peruvian government. The lack of information on the species and the current threats to it habitat urges to produce research that will help understand the species’ distribution and its habitat use in order to address conservation strategies.
This project aims to model its distribution with MaxEnt and the model will be assessed with Google Earth Pro to choose locations with potential suitable habitat for the species. These localities will be explored in the field in search for the species and with this, produce an updated distribution map and conduct a habitat characterization on confirmed localities with its presence. The habitat characterization will include environmental variables and inter-specific relationships between the species and other nectarivorous birds, as well as floral resources used.
With the previous information generated, an assessment of the threats to its habitat will be done, including all anthropogenic pressures on the areas where the species is present. This information will provide the input to propose adequate conservation strategies, including priority areas for its conservation.