Antioquia Brush-finch | Colombia Since being rediscovered in 2018 , the endemic , Critically Endangered Antioquia Brush-finch was recorded on 25 properties north of Medellín , the second largest city in Colombia . Knowing that there were fewer than 50 individuals left , Rainforest Trust , in partnership with the American Bird Conservancy and Corporación Salvamontes , launched the “ Last Stand for the Antioquia Brush-finch ” project . This swift action expedited the purchase of these properties that enabled the creation of the 1,025-acre Antioquia Brush-finch Nature Reserve . The rusty-crowned songbird now has a chance of survival in this small but critical refuge .
Ridge Marsupial Frog | Ecuador Many rare amphibians are found only on southern Ecuador ’ s Abra de Zamora ridge . The Endangered Gastrotheca psychrophila , commonly known as the Ridge Marsupial Frog , is just one of them . This rich and complex habitat is home to 29 species of amphibians , 11 considered endemic and 12 considered new to science . But as critical habitat is deforested and degraded for cattle grazing and urban expansion , these amphibians are losing their limited range .
Rainforest Trust and our partner , Nature and Culture International – Ecuador are working to protect 4,814 acres to expand the 360,000-acre Podocarpus National Park ( Important Land Purchase for Endemic Amphibians in Ecuador ). In or by November 2022 , we safeguarded 798 acres of this irreplaceable ecosystem of global significance for conservation , with the remaining acres underway .
Atelopus palmatus | Ecuador Eastern Ecuador ’ s humid montane and evergreen forests are home to the endemic , Critically Endangered Atelopus palmatus . Commonly known as Andersson ' s Stubfoot Toad , this tiny rare species is only found in the Cordillera Oriental — a chain of mountains in the Andes . But encroaching agriculture , logging and the development of a hydroelectric dam have contributed to an 80 % decline of its population .
With our partner , Fundación EcoMinga , Rainforest Trust is working toward the protection of a total of 1,885 acres in this project . Nearly 300 acres were purchased in November 2022 with the remaining acres underway . This project , “ Protect Ecuador ’ s Valley of Orchids ,” builds on our shared work in this region to identify and protect the unique species that dwell in dramatic rocky canyons filled with sinkholes , caves and subterranean aquifers .
Blue-throated Hillstar | Ecuador Preserving 1,172 acres can make a world of difference . For Ecuador ’ s Critically Endangered Blue-throated Hillstar — a tiny , iridescent hummingbird — it has . First described to science in 2018 , this endemic bird was immediately found to be facing extinction , with its population assessed at no more than 110 mature individuals and declining .
Found only in paŕamo grassland in the western Andes , the Bluethroated Hillstar is strictly dependent on the pale yellow and orange flowering Chuquiraga jussieui shrubs that grow here . But its alpine habitat is severely threatened as it is burned and degraded for cattle grazing and pine plantations . Rainforest Trust and our partner , Fundación de Conservación Jocotoco , launched the “ Creating the First Blue-throated Hillstar Reserve ” project to protect this land . Completed in November 2022 , this refuge now secures the known habitat of this beautiful hummingbird . In addition to safeguarding these acres , Fundación de Conservación Jocotoco is planting Chuquiraga jussieui to enrich this habitat .
Blue-billed Curassow | Colombia A large , ground-dwelling tropical bird , the Critically Endangered Blue-billed Curassow is just one of the imperiled species found in the Barbacoas region of the Middle Magdalena Valley . This ecosystem is one of the most richly biodiverse — yet least protected — in Colombia . Between 85 to 90 % of the original rainforest and wetlands here have been degraded or destroyed , primarily for cattle ranching .
As this bird ’ s population decreases , fewer than 2,200 mature individuals are estimated to survive in the remaining habitat . Rainforest Trust and our local partner , Fundación Biodiversa Colombia , expanded the protection of this critical landscape for the Blue-billed Curassow by supporting the purchase of 1,315 acres in 2022 . This second project , “ Expand Protection in Colombia ’ s Magical Magdalena Valley ,” increased the El Silencio Natural Reserve to 6,880 protected acres of critical habitat for this imperiled species . above Antioquia Brush-finch | j . esteban berrio
Blue-billed Curassow | quincy floyd