HISTORY OF RESERVA LAS GRALARIAS
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Reserva Las Gralarias was launched in 1998 with the purchase of a small farm of 7.5 hectares/19 acres. On a brief birding trip to this area birders had found a number of uncommon and some rare bird species endemic to the Chocó biogeographic zone which is considered one of the world´s most important endemic bird areas. Such species included Moustached Antpitta and Orange-breasted Fruiteater, both species very poorly known at that time and still considered very rare in this area. The reserve continues to harbor these and many other rare species. |
Since 1998 additional lands have been purchased, by the current owner with the help of conservation-minded donors and birders and with the ongoing work and support of the Las Gralarias Foundation, Inc. Thanks to a recent large donation from the US-based Gulf Coast Bird Observatory and many smaller donations, in July 2007 RLG was able to almost double its size. It now encompasses 425 hectares/1063 acres of cloud forest habitat ranging from an elevation of 1790m/5370ft up to 2270m/6810ft. Our efforts to protect the Santa Rosa River watershed as well as our plans to build a field research station are progressing.
Reserva Las Gralarias protects three important water systems which serve as the source of water for native wildlife as well as for downslope communities. The reserve is made up of 7 different parcels of land purchased over 9 years and is located along the equator at 00°00´33"S latitude and 78°44´15" W longitude, within the parrish of Mindo, the counties of San Miguel de Los Bancos and Nanegalito, and the Province of Pichincha, 2 hours by the main highway, northwest of Quito, Ecuador.
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'Las Gralarias' is the Spanish term for the genus of antbirds Grallaria, of which there are at least 4 species on the reserve with another 2 possible but unconfirmed.
The reserve is situated within the very humid sub-tropical bioclimatic region (according to Cañadas´ classification) and the very humid pre-montane forest ecological zone (according to Holdridge´s classification), with an annual rainfall of 2000-3000mm/72-108 inches, and an average temperature between 18-22.8°C/appr. 65-75°F. The vegetation within the reserve includes primary and secondary forest as well as regenerating pastures. The flat area along the road was used for grazing cattle and is now being replanted with hundreds of seedling native trees in order to help regenerate a woodland habitat connection between the two halves of the reserve and leading upslope to key forests along the old Nono-Mindo Road. With a recent purchase, Reserva Las Gralarias now reaches up to this famous birding road and thus provides a protected habitat corridor from 1700m to 2270m elevation. The Reserve has 7 miles/12 km of birdy, well-marked, uncrowded trails to hike, ranging from easy to difficult, as well as three hummingbird feeding stations. Reserva Las Gralarias is home to a variety of endangered plants, frogs and birds. In December 2005 and January 2006, a male Black-breasted Puffleg was photographed at the reserve, near the guest house, where it fed mostly on fuchsia flowers. This is the lowest altitudinal record for this critically endangered species. The species, normally found in Yanacocha Reserve, had not been recorded before in this area. And in November 2007 a rare Spectacled Bear was observed along the road near the guest house. |
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Black-breasted
Puffleg at Reserva las Gralarias |
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In
2001 a preliminary vegetation survey was conducted by a team of
botanists from Ecuador´s
National Herbarium. Species targeted for collection were those
species of plants considered to be of importance to birds or special
for
some other reason. Of the 82 species of 32 families collected,
11 species found are endemic to Ecuador, with 1 species considered
critically
endangered, 1 species endangered, 3 species considered near-threatened,
and 5 species considered vulnerable. With this information we have
been able to better plan our trail system in order to avoid disturbing
rare species as well as to cultivate those species of plants and
trees of particular significance to birds and to conservation in
general. A copy of the plant survey (in Spanish only) is available
for reading for anyone interested. |
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The continued goal of Reserva Las Gralarias is to conserve the natural habitat found within the reserve, to regenerate disturbed areas with native species, and to purchase additional adjacent properties to form habitat connections to key forests upslope and downslope as possible. For more details, Conservation
We will be more than happy to talk with anyone interested in donating to this cause or who would like more information. Donors can also contact the Las Gralarias Foundation, Inc., a U.S.A. 501(c)3 tax-exempt non-profit organizaton.
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Oncilla, or LIttle Spotted Cat, photographed on Waterfall Trail at Reserva Las Gralarias |
Collared Peccary, photographed on Sr. Tim´s Trail at Reserva Las Gralarias |
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| Velvet-purple Coronet | Turquoise Jay | Sparkling Violetear |
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| White-capped Dipper | Gorgeted Sunangel | Rufous-tailed Hummingbird |
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Toucan Barbet |
Purple-bibbed Whitetip |
Ocellated Tapaculo |
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Green-and-black Fruiteater |
Santa Rosa Waterfall |
Violet-tailed Sylph |
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| Giant Glassfrog found in the pure water of the Santa Rosa River | ||
Photos by Tim Krynak
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