Blue throated hillstar

The blue-throated hillstar is a hummingbird native to the Chilla-Fierro Urco mountain range in southwestern Ecuador. First described in 2018, approximately 100 mature individuals remain among minuscule stretches of páramo grasslands. The hummingbirds live at high elevations among shrubby habitats. They feed on the “flower of the Andes.” Blue-throated hillstars are listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The main threats facing this hummingbird are habitat loss and degradation caused by pine plantations, ranching and mining.
If awarded $1 million from the Indianapolis Zoo’s Saving Species Challenge, conservationists would take the following steps:
Expand protected habitat through land acquisition
Establish conservation agreements with local communities
Improve the availability of suitable nesting sites
Restore habitat using the species’ main foraging plants
Foster community engagement and promote economic alternatives
Overturn mining concessions by invoking the rights of nature
Implement an ongoing monitoring program
You can learn more about blue-throated hillstars from Fundación Jocotoco. www.jocotoco.org.ec
The winner of the Indianapolis Zoo’s Saving Species Challenge will be announced later this year. Bookmark www.ProtectSpecies.com for updates.