A total of 141 bird species, including both resident and migratory birds, were recorded during ornithological surveys conducted in the Huamantanga and Chorro Blanco Mountain Forests Regional Conservation Area (ACR) in the Cajamarca region. This finding strengthens scientific understanding of the area’s biodiversity, lays the groundwork for implementing a community-based monitoring program, and promotes birdwatching tourism as a sustainable development option for local communities.
Dalí Diaz, field coordinator for Nature and Culture International, explains that the surveys were conducted between November 2025 and April 2026 using the “point count” methodology, supplemented by targeted searches. Twenty monitoring points were established across two survey areas, located between 1,700 and 2,950 meters above sea level, which made it possible to record birds associated with well-preserved montane forests.
Notable among the records are species of high value for conservation and nature-based tourism, such as the bearded guan (Penelope Barbata), the black-billed Andean toucan (Andigena nigrirostris), and five boreal migratory species that use these forests during part of their life cycle.
As part of the project, Nature and Culture International It developed a community bird monitoring protocol and a practical guide that will enable the training of local residents and students from the National University of Jaén in techniques for observing, identifying, and recording birds using tools such as eBird and Merlin Bird ID. In addition, through theoretical and practical workshops, participants will strengthen their skills in ornithology, biodiversity monitoring, and birdwatching tourism, helping to build a network of community monitors that supports biodiversity monitoring and the conservation of Cajamarca’s natural heritage.
«Community-based monitoring generates valuable information for bird conservation, strengthens local communities’ connection to their territory, and creates opportunities to promote nature-based tourism as a sustainable activity«, said Dalí Diaz.
Conserva Aves is an alliance between American Bird Conservancy (ABC), National Audubon Society, BirdLife International, Birds Canada and the Latin American and Caribbean Environmental Funds Network (RedLAC). In Peru it is implemented by Profonanpe in conjunction with Andean Ecosystems Association (ECOAN). It also has the financial backing of the Government of Canada, through Global Affairs Canada (GAC).
