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Scientists at the University of Chile are working hard trying to save the rare and critically endangered Chilean Woodstar from extinction. This hummingbird is found only in a small area in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. The count for 2023 estimates that there are only a little over 300 remaining birds. Without intervention, this species might not even make it into the next decade.
I met with Dr. Cristian Estades and his team of scientists and visited the micro reserves they are setting up to try to entice the remaining population into protected areas. Most of the habitat where the bird was at one time abundant has been lost to agriculture, as this area is prime growing land for fruits and vegetables.
The females are easy to attract by providing food and water, so they will come and build their nests. But the males are difficult to bring to a new territory. They gather into an area called an exploded lek, where each male has a large territory where he displays to the females to entice a mate. This territory is ingrained into the mind of the male and he will return to the same place year after year, even though the area is being destroyed.
The scientists are trying to entice young males who are looking for a place to establish a territory by providing them with a fake, artificial lek. They have set up carved hummingbird decoys and speakers broadcasting their calls to try to bring the young males into protected areas. If they are successful, they can use this method to gather the remaining population into these protected areas.
I have produced two YouTube videos of this beautiful hummingbird and the efforts being made by the scientists trying to protect them. The links to the videos are below.
-- Carole Turek, International Hummingbird Society Board Member and Founder of Hummingbirdspot
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