Abundance of the Resplendent Quetzal Pharomachrus mocinno (Trogoniformes, Trogonidae) in the tourist sector of a cloud forest reserve

The Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) exhibits characteristics that are common to species prone to extinction, such as occurring at low densities, presenting strict ecological requirements, and inhabiting locations with high rates of degradation. The lack of data on the abundance of threatened species makes it difficult to make management decisions and does not allow to know trends over time, which is essential for conservation in their distribution areas. The abundance and density of the Resplendent Quetzal was estimated from audio/visual detections analyzed with distance sampling techniques. Data was collected in the public use sector of La Tigra National Park, a reserve of virgin and secondary growth cloud forest in Honduras, Central America. A population N = 136 was found with a density of 40 quetzals per km2. There are no systematic studies on the population size and density of the species for this site since 1979, in which a population of 145 quetzals was reported. The estimation of the Resplendent Quetzal population for the total area of the park is a main research priority, which will make it possible to evaluate the viability of the species and the establishment of a new baseline for conservation policies and environmental education efforts in the area of influence.

Bridging Biology and Ethnohistory: A Case for Collaboration

Interdisciplinary scholarship that combines research questions and methodologies from biology and ethnohistory generates new insights into historical interactions between human and bird populations in ancient and colonial Mesoamerica. Codices, ethnohistorical sources, and surviving feather art point to the religious, economic, and artistic importance of various types of birds to Nahua people. Alongside the well-known resplendent quetzal and lovely cotinga, many additional species were significant to ancient and colonial Nahuas. This article presents potential directions for scholarship that bridge biology and ethnohistory and surveys key resources, including natural history collections and online databases. Finally, the article employs the biological literature to describe eleven bird species of great importance to Nahuas, detailing the species’ appearance and plumage, geographic range, variation, habitat, behaviors, and current status. Ultimately, the article demonstrates how insights from natural history and ethnohistory together allow for a fuller understanding of Nahuas’ material and conceptual interactions with these birds.

Ecology, endemism, and conservation status of birds that collide with glass windows in Monteverde, Costa Rica

Worldwide, billions of birds die annually due to window collisions. Nevertheless, few accounts document bird-window collisions in the Neotropics. In this study, we document species that collided with windows in Monteverde, Costa Rica, and describe their ecological and conservation status. We gathered information from different sources, including data from museum records and accounts by Monteverde residents who participated as “citizen scientists” between May 2014 and December 2017. We conducted carcass searches between March 2015 and February 2016. We classified window-strike species by migratory, forest dependence, trophic guild, weight, abundance, conservation, and endemism status. We registered 103 species striking windows in Monteverde, which includes 98 of 267 species known to occur in three life zones in Monteverde and five not registered in the area. Window strike casualties’ frequencies differed by species, trophic guild and migratory status. Most window victims were residents, small, insectivorous, considered common or fairly common, with declining population trends. The families with the most species represented were Parulidae (14 spp.), Trochilidae (13 spp.), Turdidae (10 spp.), and Tyrannidae (9 spp.). Most species were passerines (Order Passeriformes) (71 spp.). No hawks or vultures were found colliding with buildings. The three species most commonly killed by windows were frugivores: Swainson’s Thrush (Catharus ustulatus), Northern Emerald-Toucanet (Aulacorhynchus prasinus), and Black-faced Solitaire (Myadestes melanops). Among window-kills were five species whose status on the IUCN Red List are Near Threatened and one Vulnerable, including the Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) and the Three-wattled Bellbird (Procnias tricarunculatus). Six species are listed as in danger of extinction and four are listed as species with reduced populations by the National System of Conservation Areas for Costa Rica (SINAC). 12 endemic species are strike casualties. The premontane wet forest is the life zone where more species were found (n=64 spp.), followed by the premontane moist forest (n = 49 spp.) and the lower montane wet forest (n = 31 spp.). These findings demonstrate the urgent need for conservation measures to mitigate bird mortality due to window collisions. Promoting use of methods to protect birds from windows should be an important goal for this IBA and the rest of Costa Rica. We also recommend collecting data in order to increase understanding about bird window collisions.

73 Artificial incubation of resplendent quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno mocinno) eggs

The scientific literature lacks information regarding the incubation conditions and hatching success of the resplendent quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno mocinno). Jesús Estudillo López, founder of the El Nido aviary, was the first to succeed with quetzal reproduction in captivity. Quetzals do not typically reproduce in captivity and the aim of this study was to increase fecundity through artificial incubation. Over a 3-year period (Yr1, Yr2, and Yr3), data about quetzal eggs, artificial incubation, and diet were recorded for 3 quetzal pairs (ranging from ~4-12 years old, with females ~4-8 years old). Eggs were manually collected from artificial nests and egg substitution was utilised. Quetzals can continue laying eggs up to 8 times with egg substitution. Eggs were weighed and placed into an 80W incubator (INCA 200®, DMP Engineering, Tel Aviv, Israel) with an automatic egg turner. The eggs were incubated for 17 to 18 days at 37.2 to 37.6°C with a relative humidity of 20 to 40%. Fisher’s exact test (2-tailed, α=0.05) was used for statistical analyses comparing the numbers of eggs hatched, infertile eggs, and eggs experiencing embryonic death for the study period. Eggs were candled on Day 3 to determine fertility by the presence of a darker area with vasculogenesis. Hatchability (%) was determined by dividing the total number of offspring hatched by the total number of eggs deemed fertile after candling. All of the eggs that did not hatch were opened at the end of the incubation period to detect early embryo death. A total of 27 quetzal eggs [mean weight (g)=17.3, s.d.=1.2] were incubated over 3 years, of which 10 (~37%) hatched, with 3 (30%) fledging and surviving to adulthood. Six of the eggs (~22%) suffered embryonic mortality during incubation, whereas 11 eggs were infertile (~41%). Hatchability over the study period was 62.5% (10/16). During Yr1 and Yr2 two eggs hatched each year, and compared with the 6 eggs that hatched in Yr3, a noteworthy but not significant difference was observed (Yr1v. Yr2, P=1; Yr1v. Yr3, P=0.188; Yr2v. Yr3, P=0.170). Embryonic death of the eggs was also not significantly different between the years (Yr1v. Yr2, P=1; Yr1v. Yr3, P=0.314; Yr2v. Yr3, P=0.303). However, the number of infertile eggs was significantly different between Yr1v. Yr3 (P=0.007) and Yr2v. Yr3 (P=0.003), but not Yr1v. Yr2 (P=1). During Yr1 and Yr2 the diet consisted of fruit (aguacatillo, banana, and papaya) and a mouse pup once a week. In Yr3 the diet was modified to include blueberry and a commercial food for Tucans (Mazuri®; https://www.mazuri.com/) and a new quetzal pair was added. The modified diet will continue to be used given that there were fewer infertile eggs. However, future research will need to be conducted to elucidate which variables specifically contribute to better hatching results. The results of this study demonstrate an assisted reproductive technique for quetzals that can benefit conservation efforts for this species.