Mohamed bin Zayed Species project number 222530039

Saving the endemic and critically endangered Blue-throated Hillstar from extinction in Cerro de Arcos, Ecuador (Fase II)

The Mohamed Bin Zayed grant has been key to continue or conservation efforts to save the Blue-throated Hillstar from extinction. Thanks to the support from The Mohamed Bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund we were able to organize eight expeditions within and outside the Cerro de Arcos that generated key information about the nesting biology of the Blue-throated Hillstar and protected six Blue-throated Hillstar nests, from which, three were successful with a total of six chicks leaving the nests in 2023. The Mohamed Bin Zayed grant also allowed us to continue with our patrol and monitoring efforts within the Cerro de Arcos reserve that resulted in the discovery and protection of a new Blue-throated Hillstar nest with two chicks that successfully left the nest by late January 2024. Also, thanks to the information generated during this project, we expanded our reserve by 66 hectares and now protect a total of 614 hectares of key habitat for the Blue-throated Hillstar. Finally, with the support from different experts, we have created the first conservation action plan for the Blue-throated Hillstar. This is a five-year action plan that will guide our conservation actions on the long term with the aim to downlisting the Blue-throated Hillstar from Critically Endangered to Endangered. 

Project documents

• Jocotoco Park guard, Nolberto Ordoñez, during Blue-throated Hillstar monitoring
• Jocotoco Park guard, Nolberto Ordoñez, during Blue-throated Hillstar monitoring 2
• Jocotoco Foundation park guards and Azuay University experts during explorations. Photo by Paul Molina




Project 222530039 location - Ecuador, South America