ABC's Bird of the Week - White-bellied Cinclodes

Trouble viewing this email? View as a webpage here Bird of the Week White-bellied Cinclodes The White-bellied Cinclodes is the largest and rarest member of its genus, and is only found in treeless bogs or grasslands high in the Andes of central Peru. These birds are usually seen in pairs or small groups. The primary threats to this cinclodes are illegal peat harvesting (the peat is gathered for mushroom farms elsewhere), mining operations, increased human populations, overgrazing, and free-roaming dogs. Conservation action is urgently needed, and ABC and ECOAN are now exploring opportunities with local mining companies to create new protected areas to enable better management of portions of the birds’ remaining habitat. In 2007, ABC funded a search of 11 sites in Peru for this species. The search found 12 birds at only three locations, with the highest total (six) at Ticlio Pass. On a trip in June 2011, ABC and its Peruvian partner ECOAN observed fewer birds than usual, along with new signs of habitat degradation. To view rare video footage of this species, click here. Help support ABC’s efforts to protect the rare bird species of Peru and other Latin American countries!   Photo: White-bellied Cinclodes by Dan Lebbin; Range Map by ABC

Don't forget to join ABC on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, and check out the ABC blog                      Plus... Free Ways to Help American Bird Conservancy Raise Much-Needed Funds: every time you shop at any of 700+ online stores in the iGive network, a portion of the money you spend benefits American Bird Conservancy. It's a free service, and you'll never pay more when you reach a store through iGive. In fact, smart shoppers will enjoy iGive's repository of coupons, free shipping deals, and sales. To get started, just create your free iGive account<. And when you search the web, do it through iSearchiGive.com where each search means a penny (or more!) for our cause! Start iGiving at: www.iGive.com/abcbirds & www.iSearchiGive.com/abcbirds

American Bird Conservancy is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that conserves native birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. Click here to unsubscribe from BirdWire