Nests, vocalizations, and conservation status of endangered Cochabamba Mountain-Finches (Compsospiza garleppi)

Abstract

Cochabamba Mountain‐Finches (Compsospiza garleppi) are endangered residents of semihumid shrublands in the high Andes, with a range restricted to a few high valleys surrounding the city of Cochabamba, Bolivia. We examined the breeding behavior, feeding ecology, habitat requirements, vocalizations, and conservation status of Cochabamba Mountain‐Finches from November 2006 to April 2007. We observed 10 nests of eight pairs, with nests found in a variety of small woody shrubs as well as bunchgrass and a ground bromeliad. Clutches (N= 2) consisted of one or two eggs, and all broods (N= 4) included one or two young. Our observations suggest that Cochabamba Mountain‐Finches are not Polylepis specialists as previously thought, and use a diversity of native shrubs often associated with Polylepis woodlands for foraging and nesting. Pairs inhabited modified habitats where native vegetation and woodland edge persisted, but were not observed in closed canopy woodlands. Cochabamba Mountain‐Finches frequently foraged on the edges of potato fields in a rural community and, at least occasionally, consumed parts of unearthed tubers. We recorded two previously unknown song types and three types of calls, and one song type was found to be useful for playback surveys. We recommend that future research and conservation actions include thorough surveys using playback to determine population sizes, and that habitat restoration projects focus on maintaining a diversity of native shrubs rather than only Polylepis trees.

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“…Research has been carried out on the environment of the Andean communities of the department of Cochabamba, including studies of an endemic bird in danger of extinction, the Cochabamba Mountain-Finch (Compsospiza garleppi), and the quewiña tree (Polylepis spp.) threatened by deforestation (Huanca, Hosner & Hennessey, 2009). On the other hand, regarding the living conditions of the isolated communities inhabiting this region, as far as we know, there is no research identifying problems and leading to proposals for solutions.…”