A participatory study in the proposed Regional Conservation Area (RCA) of Mayunmarca Cloud Forests, in Ayacucho, recorded more than 250 species of birds, including the presence of 12 unique to Peru, confirming the condition of this landscape as an exceptional life territory and key for the conservation of biodiversity.
The ornithological expedition was coordinated by the Regional Management of Natural Resources and Environmental Management of the Regional Government of Ayacucho and Yunkawasi, in alliance with the peasant communities of Belén Chapi, Santo Domingo de Huecchues and Unión Libertad de Rumichaca, belonging to the Quechua Wanka indigenous people and located within the area of the proposed ACR Bosques Nublados de Mayunmarca.
This new protected area initiative seeks to protect more than 51,000 hectares of landscapes that connect cloud forests and high Andean grasslands, among which up to 382 species of birds have been documented in total, integrating historical records and the recently conducted study.
The study integrated standardized methods such as counting points, transects, fog networks and passive recordings. © Reneé Vilchez | Yunkawasi
The jewel of Mayunmarca: the thistle tail of Ayacucho
One of the most significant sightings of the expedition was the confirmation of the presence of the Ayacucho piscuiz (Asthenes ayacuchensisThe Ayacucho thistle-tailed plant (Ayacucho thistle-tail) is an endemic species of Peru with a distribution restricted to the Mayunmarca landscape and is currently not under any conservation protection. This species has become the emblem of the proposed Mayunmarca Cloud Forests Regional Conservation Area, representing the close relationship between high-Andean ecosystems, the unique biodiversity of the territory, and the need for its long-term legal protection.
Asthenes ayacuchensis registered in the communities of Belén Chapi, Santo Domingo de Huecchues and Unión Libertad de Rumichaca; within the scope of the proposed ACR Bosques Nublados de Mayunmarca. © Joel Ayala | Yunkawasi
Community participation towards the establishment of the ACR proposal
The active participation of local communities was key to the development of the study, contributing knowledge about the territory that was an important input for planning the observation points and participating during the survey along the proposed ACR (Area of Conservation and Restoration). This collaboration allowed for the integration of local knowledge into the scientific work and promoted local appreciation of their biodiversity.
The technical team and local community members spent 15 days exploring the grasslands and cloud forests of the proposal for the ACR Cloud Forests of Mayunmarca. © Reneé Vilchez | Yunkawasi
The ACR proposal is led by the Regional Government of Ayacucho, through the Regional Management of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, with the support of Yunkawasi, Andes Amazon Fund and the Bird Conservation Initiative, through the project “Participatory conservation of the Tropical Andes in the department of Ayacucho”.
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).
