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| CMS-funded
project on the saffron-cowled blackbird started |
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 The
Saffron-cowled Blackbird Xanthopsar flavus, a member
of the Icteridae family, is classified on a global level
as "vulnerable". Its present populations are distributed
in fragmented areas of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and
Uruguay within the River Plate basin. The total population
is estimated at a maximum of 7,000 individuals. The species
is listed in CMS Appendix I under the name Agelaius
flavus.-
- Xanthopsar lives in wet, open grasslands or
in shallow marshes. A major cause for the species´
decline is represented by the human alteration of its
habitat. Total destruction of the habitat has been recorded
as a consequence of flooding of grassland areas following
dam construction or the aforestation of open grasslands
with exotic trees like pines and eucalypts. On the other
hand, the species tolerates grazing by livestock (cattle,
horses, sheep) and even partial conversion of native grassland
to agriculture. Therefore, it could be feasible to preserve
the species in moderately transformed grasslands, as long
as suitable breeding sites remain. In this regard, knowledge
of the areas currently used by the species and its seasonal
movements would appear to be critical. At present, however,it
is fragmentary.
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- On a recommendation of its Scientific Council, CMS
is funding a project aimed at gathering new information
on population numbers and distribution of Xanthopsar
flavus in the border areas of Argentina, Uruguay,
Brazil and Paraguay, estimating the dispersal capabilities
of the species, and the potential demographic and genetic
connection between populations living in the four countries
and raising public awareness on the conservation of the
species. Activities planned to achieve these objectives
include field surveys of potential areas, studies of migratory
movements through banding or marking of birds, interviews/visits
to stakeholders and the printing and distribution of an
information brochure.
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- The project is co-ordinated by Asociació Guyrá
Paraguay, the representative of BirdLife International
in Paraguay, with the involvement of local ornithologists
in the different countries it covers.
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