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Forest hidden among the clouds protects tiny bird in danger in Ecuador

Quito, Dec 15 (EFE / EPA) - Hidden among clouds that caress a mountain in Quito, the forest of the Yanachocha reserve protects the Black-breasted puffleg, a tiny bird with white feathers that wrap its limbs almost completely.(CAMERA: Juan Francisco Chavez)IMAGES OF THE YANACOCHA RESERVE AND THE HUMMINGBIRD COURTESY OF THE JOCOTOCO FOUNDATION.SOUNDBITES BY EFRAÍN CEPEDA, DIRECTOR OF THE NORTH RESERVES OF THE JOCOTOCO FOUNDATION.TRANSLATION1. "Several studies have been carried out to understand what has happened to this species, but basically, it is the loss of its habitat that has caused it to be in this degree of threat"2. "That is what has it so critically threatened. All these sites that we are now seeing were forest before, and now the agricultural frontier has been growing and all that forest has been lost, and in areas as high as we are now, at 3,500 meters high, natural regeneration processes are very slow"3. "This species is especially important because there will be no more than 300 specimens here, it is super low the number of specimens of this species"4. "How can we genetically guarantee that this species will continue to develop? It has a peculiarity, the reason for its name. It has its legs covered with white feathers, so it gives the impression that it is wearing Zamarro pants"5. "It is one of the problems with which we have to work here, but we have to look for the mechanisms to work and live with people. Because people obviously are also in need, they are people with limited resources"6. "The jocotoco foundation here encourages tourism, many of the people who work here are people from the community"