Mexico has 58 hummingbird species buzzing through its meadows and forests, generally being charismatic little nectar-sipping helicopters. Unfortunately, that number may soon be reduced to 57. The Mexican sheartail, a gorgeous hummingbird native to the country, is imperiled by habitat loss.
But a bird-watching group is stepping up to save it.
The Mexican sheartail exists in only two places in the world: the dry tropical forests of Veracruz, near the Gulf of Mexico, and on the Yucatan Peninsula. Recent studies suggest the Veracruz sheartail hummingbird may even be a separate species. Either way, there are fewer than 2,500 Mexican sheartails in the world, and the birds are classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature World Conservation Congress. Mexico's government considers the sheartail endangered, according to Mongabay.
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Definitely 👍 "I've been birding for many years, and for most of this time the sheartail remained unknown to many," said Alexis Jarvio Rodríguez, a bird-watcher in Chavarrillo, central Veracruz. "Once I started posting my sheartail photos online, I got many requests from birdwatchers worldwide that wanted to spot this elusive species."
Habitat loss threatens the bird — a crucial pollinator — like it does so many animals. So bird-watchers in the town of Chavarrillo and the municipality itself have taken it upon themselves to help. "The ecosystem in Chavarrillo was well preserved despite local farmlands, so we needed to take advantage of that," said Rodríguez.
Chavarrillo has started using revenue collected from bird-watchers visiting the area to establish a hummingbird sanctuary called the Doricha Natural Reserve. A prominent local even donated part of his land holdings to create the reserve.
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Local college students have also made a documentary revealing the town's efforts.
The story is a wonderful example of how a community and local government can work together to positively impact the environment, which the world will surely need in the future.
"We have to continue pushing authorities to act in favor of biodiversity by following the example of Alexis and the Chavarrillo community and authorities," Judith Gonzalez, director of Emiliano Zapata's Environmental and Agricultural Authorities, told Mongabay. "This is only the beginning."
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