Carrizal Seedeater (Amaurospiza carrizalensis)

Mohamed bin Zayed Species project number 14057832

Conservation of endemic Carrizal Seedeater (Amaurospiza carrizalensis) at Lower Caroni river, Venezuela.

The Carrizal Seedeater (A. carrizalensis) is an endemic bird species recently described in Venezuela (Lentino and Restall, 2003), considered a Critically Endangered species (CR) by the IUCN and as Data Deficient species (DD) by the Red Book of the Venezuelan Fauna (Rodríguez and Rojas- Suárez, 2008), by the poor data available on this species. Moreover, the type locality, the island of Carrizal, was deforested and then flooded due the construction of Carlos Manuel Piar Hydroelectric Complex (Tocoma), which, once completed, will affect some of the potential habitat of A. carrizalensis, which consists of bamboo forests (Genus: Guadua and Ripidocladus). To date have been identified individuals of A. carrizalensis in seven localities nearby the type locality, in the lower basin of the Caroni River and the surface of its potential habitat estimated in 2482Km2 (BirdLife International, 2014). However, this habitat has not been thoroughly evaluated, resulting in an important lack of knowledge, which makes difficult to take decisions to protect this endemic bird species.