El Trapiche Tour
PAGE 1
NEWSLETTER 2013
PHONES: 2645-7780 & 2645-7650
Fax: 2645-5834
E-mail :[email protected]
Website: www.eltrapichetour.com
CONTENT:
COVER & INTRODUCTION
Pag.1
THREE WATTLED BELLBIRD, SYMPHONY ON THE HIGHTS Pags.2
&3
INTRODUCTION
WHY THE MIMOSA PLANT CLOSES ITS LEAFS?
Pag.3
As you already know our cloud forest is
increasingly more at risk and not for a
parcular species, but for all and specially for the Three Waled Bellbird. A
kind of bird that sings some of the most
fascinang melodies in the cloud forest
is about to disappear thanks to the destrucve acon of the human being, and
as a main feature highlights the indiscriminate tree felling which mainly affects
the food supply of these beauful birds.
“Providing our small contribution to environmental conservation”
El Trapiche Tour 2013
PAGE 2
NEWSLETTER
JANUARY 2013
THREE WATTLED BELLBIRD, SYMPHONY ON THE HIGHTS
The Story of a Three Waled Bellbird
mated that only about four populaons
remain, and can be found between NicThis Three Waled Bellbird has lived
aragua and Panama. The male is a very
as a part of both the Costa Rican and
disnct individual due to the its striking
Panamanian Bellbird populaons.
plumage, and of course, its three black
The Three Waled Bellbird is one of the wales. The female, on the other hand,
many species throughout the world that blends right into the canopy with her
is in serious danger of exncon. The
drab coloraon (a mixture of olive with
bird has some amazing qualies, and
yellow streaking on the chest), lack of
wales, and secreve behavior. The
like all other species struggling to survive in a shrinking natural world, it
Bellbird’s claim to fame, however, is its
needs our help. Debra Hamilton and her call which humans can hear up to about
team at the Costa Rican Conservaon
one kilometer away- one of the loudest
Foundaon (who have worked closely
bird calls in the world!
with the Monteverde Conservaon
The Three Waled Bellbird is a migratoLeague in reforestaon efforts) have
ry
known this for years, and are working
speharder and harder to restore the natucies,
ral habitat and necessary food sources
meanfor one of the last remaining Bellbird
ing
populaons on the planet. I invite you
that
to take a few minutes of your me to
during
certain
mes
of
the
year
they are found in different locaons.
The Bellbirds are normally seen (and
heard) in Monteverde during their
breeding season, which spans between
March and September. During the rest
learn about the Three Waled Bellbird of the year, some individuals travel to
and the possible acons you can take to Nicaragua, while others end up in Panaassure the survival of this amazing crea- ma. Many of the birds, however, deture.
pend upon the food sources in the
Tropical Rain Shadow Forests of the
The Three Waled Bellbird, is one of
over 400 nave resident bird species found in Costa Rica. It is es-
Pacific Highlands in Costa Rica.
The Three Waled Bellbird’s food of
choice comes mainly from the plant
family Lauraceae, or wild avocado family (also favored by the Resplendant
Quetzal and the Black Guan, among
others). They thrive on the small green
fruits, yet with such extreme habitat
destrucon within their feeding
grounds, the avocado trees are few and
far between. The Bellbird populaon
has definitely suffered because of this,
and according to the Costa Rican Conservaon Foundaon (CRCF) both census work and anecdotal data have
shown a steady decrease in the populaon since 1997.
A Special Individual
Through banding techniques, the CRCF
team has been able to track and monitor Three Waled Bellbird populaons
as they visit Monteverde during their
breeding season. One of these individuals banded by the CRCF was caught on
camera by our one and only Marc Hoffman, professional wildlife photographer
and frequent visitor to the CER. Marc,
through various connecons, was able
to get his photograph to the CRCF, and
the bird was idenfied as a male that
had disappeared for twelve years!
As a maer of fact, the bird was noted
to have a Costa Rican call in 1997 (a
“squeak-bonk”), but in 2007 was heard
calling with a Panamanian dialect (a
“wonk-bonk”). Our friend had traveled
with the Costa Rican group for a while,
“Aportando
grano
de arena
la conservación
ambiental”
“Providing nuestro
our small
contribution
to en
environmental
conservation”
El Trapiche Tour 2013
JANUARY 2013
PAGE 3
NEWSLETTER
and then decided to join up with the Panamanian populaon for
an extended period…coming back with a Panamanian accent, so
to speak!
WHY THE MIMOSA PLANT CLOSES ITS LEAFS?
Hope in Monteverde
In the garden, the less fricon closes its leaves as natural
eyelid tripletail, whose scienfic name is Mimosa pudica,
is a prickly herb very common in our country. This plant
is recognized by their leaves divided into many very
small flakes, showing great sensivity. To the touch, its
flakes fold down and close, giving the plant withered
looking. This apparent deterioraon is passed: ceasing to
be disturbed, the plant recovers
within minutes your fresh and lush
State. Does that respond to the smulus of contact? What makes their
The MCL, along with the Tropical Science Center, Monteverde
leaves to bend as well? We found the
Instute and the University of Georgia, have been working togeth- explanaon in a type of movement,
er with the CRCF to recuperate the lost habitat that Costa Rican
of certain plants, which is called
migratory species need so much. Hopefully through reforestaon “sismonasa” in Spanish. It is a response to a smulus of
efforts and the development of a biological corridor, we will not
contact. When you touch the plant, is given an electrical
be reading about the Three Waled Bellbird in the history books. signal in the sheet. At the base of each one of the flakes,
there are a few small bags, called pulvinules, which have
How You Can Help
the ability to absorb water and release it with extraordiIf you would like to help the Three Waled Bellbird and other spe- nary rapidity. The electrical signal caused by the fricon
cies under the pressures of habitat loss, please make a donaon
of an intruder reaches the pulvinules and smulates the
to MCLUS or the CRCF. The priority for both organizaons is to
water outlet. When the water is released, flakes lose
reforest properes on the Pacific side of the Tilaran Mountain
turgor which keeps them open and then close. ApRange, with the goal to create a biological corridor between the
pearance wilng of the plant not only away to anyone
protected areas of Monteverde and the Gulf of Nicoya.
who wants to eat fresh foliage, but it allows many thorns
to be completely exposed. In this case, the sismonasa is
Please visit hp://www.mclus.org or hp://
a response in defense of the plant to a probable aggreswww.fccmonteverde.org to make your donaon and help save the
sion. Therefore, the tripletail is not a plant that goes to
Three Waled Bellbird.
"sleep" or on the contrary! It is well awake and aenve
before the arrival of any intruder
that can cause damage. It is an
example of how plants perceive
and react to smuli from the
environment.
Fortunately, the Three Wale Bellbird’s story is not over yet,
thanks to the CRCF, the MCL and other local conservaon organizaons. The CRCF has been working with Monteverde and its surrounding communies and farmers to plant nave trees on their
properes in order to support wild animal populaons, including
the Three Waled Bellbird. By working with the communies to
connect protected areas in Monteverde to the Gulf of Nicoya with
biological corridors, the long term survival of these precious species is a reachable goal.
“Providing our small contribution to environmental conservation”