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The recent publication and update of bird speciesdistributions in The birds of Ecuador8,9 has

permitted the contextualisation of new records andrange extensions1,2,15. Continued surveysthroughout Ecuador, especially in poorly studiedareas, are often producing records that aid a betterunderstanding of the current ranges of birds. Herewe report range extensions, additional and newdistributional records obtained during waterbirdcensuses in north-western prov. Esmeraldas, fromthe Cayapas-Mataje Ecological Reserve. In the late1990s, several species included here were recordedby K. S. Berg10 in the same reserve, but because hisrecords are unpublished, we consider it worthwhileto publish evidence of their presence and to makethe information available to a wider audience.

Cayapas-Mataje Ecological Reserve (51,300 ha)was established in 1995 and subsequentlydesignated as a Ramsar site (2003) and ImportantBird Area (IBA) (2005)4. The IBA only fulfilledcriterion A1 (threatened species), but recent worksuggests that it may also be important for congre-gatory species (criterion A4)11. Roughly, the IBAembraces 70,000 ha of mangrove and wetlands,including the seasonally flooded freshwaterLaguna de la Ciudad4. It also encompasses theterritories of several Afro-Ecuadorian communities,a number of important watercourses (e.g., the lowerros Cayapas and Mataje), as well as some areasrecently cleared for oil palm monocultures (seeFreile & Santander4).

On 2729 July 2007 we visited five sites withinthe IBA, most in Cayapas-Mataje EcologicalReserve, to conduct waterbird censuses as part ofthe Wetlands International programme12. Foursites are within extensive mangrove north of SanLorenzo. 1) Changal: La Pajarera, Pampanal sector(0123N 7850W); 2) Changuaral: La Barca,Palma Real sector (0127N 7852W); 3) EsteroMolina (no coordinates available); 4) San Pedro:Malvinas, Puerto Bolvar sector (0123N 7854W).These were surveyed on 2728 July, from a smallmotor boat and on foot where feasible. Largenumbers of waterbirds were found. Additionally, on

29 July we surveyed an area of extensivefreshwater marshland at Laguna de la Ciudad, 10

km south of La Tola community (0106N 7907W).At this site, observations were made from a roadoverlooking the marshes. All sites were selected onthe basis of previous knowledge of areas with majorwaterbird congregations12, based on previouscensuses.

Species accounts

Least Grebe Tachybaptus dominicusUp to 26 were at Laguna de la Ciudad, inhabitingsmall ponds surrounded by extensive cattlepasture. Regularly recorded north to southernEsmeraldas, with a single record from Porvenir

near San Lorenzo (one seen in November 1997 byK. S. Berg, sensu Ridgely & Greenfield8). Theseauthors suggested that numbers ofT. dominicus inparts of west Ecuador fluctuate dramatically inresponse to changes in water levels.

Pied-billed Grebe Podylimbus podicepsTen were observed with T. dominicus at Laguna dela Ciudad. Previous reports limited to southernEsmeraldas8. At least three juveniles were noted,suggesting local breeding.

AnhingaAnhinga anhingaThree at Laguna de la Ciudad, perched on posts. Asthey were resting, identification from the locallycommon Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocoraxbrasilianus was straightforward. Recorded from thelower ro Santiago, south of San Lorenzo; it hasbeen suggested that breeding might occur inCayapas-Mataje Ecological Reserve (O. Jahn et al.

fide Ridgely & Greenfield8). Only females (orjuveniles?) were observed.

Fulvous Whistling DuckDendrocygna bicolorOne observed in flight at Laguna de la Ciudad.Identification was based on its uniform underparts,no white on the wings and dark bare parts8.

New and confirmative bird records from northern Esmeraldasprovince, Ecuador

Alejandro Solano-Ugalde, Juan F. Freile, Paola Moscoso and Francisco Prieto-AlbujaReceived 26 March 2008; final revision accepted 21 February 2009

Cotinga 31 (2009): 115118

Presentamos 18 nuevos registros de aves realizados en el norte de la provincia de Esmeraldas, ensu mayora especies acuticas o semi-acuticas, los cuales fueron obtenidos durante censosnacionales de aves acuticas. Los registros se realizaron en manglares y humedales al norte y surde San Lorenzo, cerca a la frontera con Colombia, algunos representan extensiones de mbito (ej.Mirasol NeotropicalBotaurus pinnatus) y otros los primeros para la provincia de Esmeraldas (ej.Ostrero AmericanoHaematopus palliatus).

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Previous records are from further south in westernEsmeraldas (Atacames-Muisne areas8).

Black-bellied Whistling DuckDendrocygnaautumnalisThree groups, totalling up to 17, were observed atLaguna de la Ciudad, both swimming and at rest.The nearest records are from the Chone estuary9.

White-cheeked PintailAnas bahamensisA dispersed group of c.12 was observed at Lagunade la Ciudad. Locally fairly common to common onponds and lagoons near the coast, as well as onfreshwater ponds and lakes north to the Atacamesarea of western Esmeraldas8. Our observationrepresents the northernmost report in Ecuador.

Pinnated Bittern Botaurus pinnatusThis rare and local species was observed on threeoccasions amongst tall aquatic grass and reedbedborders at Laguna de la Ciudad. Two birds wereobserved for up to ten minutes, their identity beingconfirmed by the long, yellowish and heavy bill,greenish legs, and finely and complexly striped,barred and vermiculated upperparts8,9. Previouslyknown from a few scattered records north to theChone estuary, in central Manab, but may occuranywhere with extensive suitable habitat8,9.

Cocoi HeronArdea cocoiThree foraging in damp pastures and abandonedshrimp ponds at Laguna de la Ciudad. Easilyidentified by the black cap and grey mantle.

Although locally fairly common in freshwaterhabitats in western Ecuador, recent records are allfrom the Chone estuary southwards8,9. Alsorecorded from mangroves in the Pedernales-Cojimes area, where 17 were counted in July 2006(JFFet al.; see Santanderet al.13).

Yellow-crowned Night Heron Nyctanassa violaceaA single adult at Laguna de la Ciudad. Most recentrecords are from southern Esmeraldas andnorthern Manab3, with 23 records from westernand northern Esmeraldas8,9,11, suggesting acontinuous distribution along the entire

Ecuadorian coast.

Common Black HawkButeogallus anthracinusOne was first heard (its loud calls identified by AS-U) and subsequently located in the subcanopy oftall mangrove at Changal. Although it wasobserved near a relatively large nest of drybranches, no further evidence of breeding wasobtained. The all-dark plumage and yellowish bareparts were noted, and confusion with other raptorsis also unlikely based on the habitat8,9. Previouslyonly known from the Golfo de Guayaquilmangroves8,9, this record confirms the species

presence in the San Lorenzo mangrove, as initiallysuggested by K. S. Berg (fide Romero10).

Rufous-necked Wood RailAramides axillarisOne observed for an extended period bathing at asmall shallow estuary adjacent to an extensivemangrove at Changuaral. Previously recorded at

very scattered localities in the north8,9, with threeobserved at Muisne (P. Coopmans in Ridgely &Greenfield8), two at the Cojimes estuary3, and atleast one in mangrove at the Cayapas-MatajeEcological Reserve (K. S. Bergfide Romero10), but isprobably continuously distributed along theEcuadorian coast in remnant mangrove habitat3.

Common Gallinule Gallinula chloropusQuite numerous at Laguna de la Ciudad, where 69were counted, of which at least 30% were juveniles.Previously reported north to the Same-Muisne areaof western Esmeraldas8,9, but its presence furthernorth is unsurprising.

American OystercatcherHaematopus palliatusFive, including a pair tending an immature, wereobserved on a sandy island at San Pedro. A nestwas found in 200611. These records extend thedistribution ofH. palliatus to northern Ecuador, asmost previous records were from the south-west8,9,with a single published record from the Canutodelta, northern Manab7.

Wilsons PloverCharadrius wilsonia

Thirteen, mostly in non-breeding plumage6, werecounted on sandy beaches at Changuaral,confirming the observation by K. S. Berg10. The onlyother Charadrius recorded was C. semipalmatus,from which C. wilsonia is readily identified by itslarger size, longer and heavier bill, broader pectoralband and more extensive white forehead6,8. Thespecies range north of the Chone estuary8,9 isprobably continuous3.

Black SkimmerRynchops nigerAn adult in non-breeding plumage was observed atclose range amongst a large flock of ElegantSterna

elegans and Royal TernsS. maxima. Its large size,

pied plumage and unique bill confirmed the identi-fication5. Previously unknown from the northEcuadorian coast, where recordsfew of themrecent and none of large numbersare all from theGuayas estuary west to the Santa Elena peninsulaand nearby beaches8,9.

Masked Water Tyrant Fluvicola nengetaRegular in open pastures and marshes at Lagunade la Ciudad and elsewhere between the wetlandand San Lorenzo town. This fairly common speciesof open and semi-open areas in western Ecuador isseemingly spreading north and east following

New and confirmative bird records from northern Esmeraldas province, Ecuador

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habitat modification. Recent records from easternEsmeraldas and neighbouring Pichincha, Imbaburaand Carchi provinces, along with our records

support the reported recent range expansion8

.Rufous-browed Peppershrike Cyclarhis gujanensis

At least two, singing in the subcanopy of mangrovein the Palma Real Sector, were identified by theiralmost monotonous melodious vocalisations typicalofCyclarhis14. Reported to occur in small numbersnorth only to west Esmeraldas and westPichincha8,9; our record confirms previous observa-tions in the same area by K. S. Berg10 and extendsthe species range further north. As we were unableto observe the birds, we do not know if they corre-sponded to the (undescribed?) form found insouth-west Colombia8.

Red-breasted Blackbird Sturnella militarisAt least six males were observed through telescopesat Laguna de la Ciudad. Identification fromPeruvian MeadowlarkS. bellicosa was based on thesolid black upperparts, lack of supercilium, anddarker and shorter bill. The species appears to beincreasing its range8 and will probably continue tospread south to other disturbed areas in westernEcuador. Already known from the eastern lowlands,this record is the first from western Ecuador,although we are aware of several unpublishedreports from the same side of the Andes (T.Santander & F. Prieto, AS-Uet al., R. S. Ridgelyetal.).

Most records reported here were to some degreeexpected whilst others merely confirm previousobservations10 not published in peer-reviewed ormainstream literature8,9. However, few ornitholo-gists have visited the San Lorenzo area, which liesclose to the Colombian border, making publishedknowledge scarce.

Some species reported here merit specialattention. The population of Cyclarhis gujanensisrequires study due to the existence of a presumablyundescribed form in adjacent dpto. Nario in south-west Colombia8. The small breeding population of

Haematopus palliatus in northern Esmeraldas

represents an important northward extension;Henry7 suggested the Canuto delta (in northernManab) to be the northernmost breeding locality.

According to local people, the isolated sandy islandwhere we observed the species is of recent origin,making it possible that this population becameestablished recently. We assume that Sturnellamilitaris has colonised western Ecuador fromneighbouring Colombia, rather than via dispersalover the Andes from the east Ecuadorian lowlands.Habitat conservation at the visited sites variesconsiderably. Mangroves in the reserve are stillextensive and, although several communities

regularly exploit their natural resources, negativeimpacts appear to be low. In contrast, marshes atLaguna de la Ciudad have suffered intensive

destruction. Extensive cattle ranching, resulting incompacted soils, polluted water and alteration ofthe dynamics of seasonally flooded areas throughdyke building and drainage, was noted. Shrimpponds also exist, some apparently abandoned butothers still operative. In 2006 environmental NGOspetitioned the Ministry of Environment to blockfurther shrimp aquaculture in Laguna de laCiudad11,12, but we are unaware of any governmentaction to counteract such activities.

AcknowledgementsWe thank Fundacin Sirua, FEDARPOM and theregional Ministry of Environment of Esmeraldas(MAE) for support and logistical assistance. EdwinBravo, Alejandro Izquierdo and Efrn Segura (MAE),and Porfirio Martnez (FEDARPOM) accompanied usin the field. Aves & Conservacin funded the census

via financial support from Wetlands International.Tatiana Santander and Niels Krabbe kindly reviewedthe note. Olaf Jahn provided insightful comments onthe final version. This paper is dedicated to JulitaArcos.

References1. Cisneros-Heredia, D. F. (2006) Informacin sobre

la distribucin de algunas especies de aves deEcuador.Bol. Soc. Antioquea Orn. 16: 716.

2. Freile, J. F. (2004) Range extensions and othernoteworthy and new bird records from mainlandEcuador.Bull. Brit. Orn. Club 124: 188201.

3. Freile, J. F. (2008) New distributional records ofbirds from western Ecuador.Bull. Brit. Orn. Club128: 233241.

4. Freile, J. F. & Santander, T. (2005) reasimportantes para la conservacin de las aves enEcuador. In: Boyla, K. A. & Estrada, A. (eds.)

reas importantes para la conservacin de lasaves en los Andes tropicales: sitios prioritarios

para la conservacin de la biodiversidad. Quito:BirdLife International (Conservation Series 14)& Conservation International.

5. Harrison, P. (1987)Seabirds of the world: a photo-graphic guide. London, UK: Christopher Helm.

6. Hayman, P., Marchant, J. & Prater, T. (1986)

Shorebirds: an identification guide. Boston:Houghton Mifflin.

7. Henry, P.-Y. (2005) New distributional records ofbirds from Andean and western Ecuador.Cotinga23: 2732.

8. Ridgely, R. S. & Greenfield, P. J. (2001) The birds ofEcuador. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.

9. Ridgely, R. S. & Greenfield, P. J. (2006) Aves delEcuador, gua de campo. Quito: Acad. Nat. Sci.Philadelphia & Fundacin de ConservacinJocotoco.

10. Romero, J. C. (1998) Estudio de la flora y fauna dela Reserva Ecolgica Manglares Cayapas-Mataje. Anexo al plan de manejo. Unpubl. report.


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Quito: Instituto Ecuatoriano Forestal y de reasNaturales y Vida Silvestre, Direccin Nacional de

reas Naturales & Vida Silvestre.11. Santander, T. & Muoz, I. (2005) Ecuador: informe

anual 2004. In: Lpez-Lans, B. & Blanco, D. E.(eds.) Censo Neotropical de aves acuticas 2004.Buenos Aires: Wetlands International.

12. Santander, T., Hidalgo, J. R. & Haase, B. (2006)Reporte final aves acuticas en Ecuador. Unpubl.report. Quito: Aves & Conservacin.

13. Santander, T., Lara, A. & Muoz, I. (2006) Ecuador:informe anual 2006. In: Lpez-Lans, B. &Blanco, D. E. (eds.) Censo Neotropical de avesacuticas 2006. Buenos Aires: WetlandsInternational.

14. Stiles, F. G. & Skutch, A. F. (2003) Gua de aves deCosta Rica. San Jos: Instituto Nacional deBiodiversidad.

15. Vogt, C. A. (2007) Range extensions and

noteworthy records for mainland Ecuador. Bull.Brit. Orn. Club 127: 228233.

Alejandro Solano-Ugalde

Fundacin Imaymana, Lincoln 199 y San Ignacio,Quito, Ecuador. E-mail: [email protected].

Juan F. Freile

Fundacin Numashir, Casilla Postal 1712122, Quito,Ecuador. E-mail: [email protected].

Paola Moscoso

Escuela de Ciencias Biolgicas, Pontificia UniversidadCatlica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador. E-mail:[email protected].

Francisco Prieto-Albuja

Fundacin Sirua, Alemania 616 Edif. Morales 3B,Quito, Ecuador. E-mail: [email protected].


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Solano-Ugalde Etal New Bird Records Esmeraldas Cot 31, 2009