Fernando Angulo

Population trends for shorebirds that spend the nonbreeding period of their annual cycle along the Pacific Americas Flyway are largely unknown. However, localized studies within the Pacific Flyway and analyses from the Atlantic Flyway suggest many shorebird species may be declining in the Western Hemisphere. Herein, we present the first trends of nonbreeding shorebirds along the Pacific Americas Flyway based on a coordinated survey effort from across a large portion of the Flyway. We used 10 years of survey data collected annually (2012–2013 to 2021–2022) between November and February from 10 countries along the Pacific Coast of the Americas to assess population trends for 22 species. There was a mix of positive and negative trend estimates across species. Overall, 10 of 22 species had a significant negative trend; 7 were significant at the P < 0.05 level and an additional 3 species showed evidence of significant decline at the P < 0.15 significance level. Two species evaluated were significantly increasing at P < 0.05. Of 17 species evaluated with regional models, the directionality of trend estimates by species was broadly consistent between the North Temperate and Neotropical regions of the Flyway. However, for 5 species the directionality of the trends differed between regions. Overall, species with uncertain trends generally had lower numbers of survey events and units included in the analysis because often they were affiliated with habitats with relatively limited sampling. While there was still uncertainty in the trend estimates for some species, we have strong evidence that some species were significantly declining, and at least a couple were increasing during our study period. Our results provide critical information to guide the prioritization of conservation investments and further investigations into the causes of shorebird declines, as well as increases, at regional and flyway scales along the Pacific Americas Flyway.

Global-scope scientific journals have played an important role in upholding a colonial legacy of north-south inequities in ornithology, and they now have a key role to play in increasing equity in scientific publishing. We explore common barriers faced by ornithologists in the Neotropics (Latin America and the Caribbean) and suggest priority actions that Ornithological Applications, Ornithology, and other global-scope ornithological journals can take to increase equity in publication and research uptake. Among the most important problems, we identified (1) restrictive (and north-biased) criteria for assessing research “importance” and “novelty,” (2) the high publication costs of the Author Pay (Gold) Open Access model, (3) language hegemony, (4) under-representation of ornithologists from the Neotropics on editorial boards and as lead authors on invited articles, and (5) lack of attention to ethics of collaboration and citation. We recommend that Ornithological Applications, Ornithology, and other global-scope ornithological journals (1) adjust their criteria for publication with the aim to publish all scientifically robust and ethically rigorous ornithology research submitted by first authors based in the Neotropics, including negative results and articles on basic biology; (2) maintain or create options for free or low-cost publication; (3) offer the option of a submission and review process in Spanish (and possibly other languages in the future); (4) increase the representation of ornithologists based in the Neotropics (especially women and those belonging to other marginalized groups) in core editorial teams and on editorial boards; and (5) introduce structured reflexivity statements, in which authors declare how local scientists were involved in the research and how equity was promoted in the collaboration that resulted in the manuscript. For these changes to be broadly effective in the long term, ornithologists across the Global South, and Indigenous, Brown, and Black ornithologists globally, should play lead roles in designing, implementing, and assessing the effectiveness of journal policies and programs. Spanish and Portuguese translations are available in the supplementary material. • For ornithologists based in the Neotropics, the most important barriers to publication are restrictive and north-biased criteria regarding the “importance” and “novelty” of research, the high cost of publication, and English language hegemony. • We recommend that Ornithological Applications,Ornithology, and other ornithological journals aim to publish all scientifically robust and ethically rigorous ornithology research from first authors based in the Neotropics. • Journals should maintain or create options for free or low-cost publication. • We encourage journals to offer the option of a submission and review process in Spanish. • Journals should introduce structured reflexivity statements to encourage authors and reviewers to reflect on the ethics of collaboration and citation. • Journals should increase participation of Global South ornithologists on editorial boards and in core editorial teams.

The canid genus Lycalopex comprises six recently diversified South American species whose evolutionary relationships have been remarkably challenging to resolve. We analyzed 6000 bp of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from 55 Lycalopex individuals (L. sechurae = 4, L. culpaeus = 7, L.griseus = 8, L.gymnocercus = 17, L.vetulus = 13 and L. fulvipes = 6), and nine specimens from the closely related species Cerdocyon thous, Chrysocyon brachyurus and Speothos venaticus, to reconstruct their phylogenetic relationships, estimate the support for species-level monophyly, and date their divergences. In addition, we also sequenced seven nuclear segments from the same taxa. Three different phylogenetic approaches converged on the same mitochondrial topology with strong support for most nodes. All species were confirmed to be monophyletic for mtDNA, except for one intriguing case in which two L. vetulus individuals carried L. gymnocercus haplotypes, potentially implying a case of interspecies admixture. L. vetulus was the first species to diverge (ca. 1.2 Mya), followed by L. sechurae and then L. gymnocercus. The most internal group comprised L. griseus and the sister-species L. culpaeus and L. fulvipes, which diverged around 430,000 years ago in southern Argentina or Chile. The analysis of nuclear markers revealed several examples of intra-specific variation coupled with lack of species monophyly, consistent with pervasive incomplete lineage sorting and/or hybridization in this recent radiation. Our results provide robust mitochondrial resolution of this challenging radiation, and illustrate the difficulty of attaining similar success with traditional nuclear markers.

El Vuelvepiedras Rojizo (Arenaria interpres) es una migrante boreal bastante común en playas arenosas y zonas rocosas, en la costa del Perú. Documentamos la presencia de A. interpres en el departamento Loreto, en la Amazonía de Perú, con lo cual se amplía su registro documentado en Perú. Adicionalmente, se proporciona algunos datos sobre su comportamiento, número de individuos y periodo de residencia.

The tropical Andes in South America stand at the top of the world’s list of endemism hotspots, due to their high species richness per unit area. Thus, our study focuses on the Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) of the Utcubamba River (PER-84), one of the 96 KBAs, with an extension of 35,534 hectares. This area is located in northwest Peru, within the hotspot of the tropical Andes. The study area is well known as the waterfalls valley, which holds the world’s third highest waterfall “Gocta”, an outstanding national and international tourist attraction. Nevertheless, despite its great ecological and tourist value, research reports are deficient in the area. Therefore, we conducted a biological inventory in 2019 during the wet season, with the aim of recording and identifying species of tetrapod fauna, as well as promoting actions for their conservation. Based on field assessments, the following number of species was recorded: amphibians (14), reptiles (6), birds (229), and mammals (20). Interestingly, for the first time, two species of amphibians (Gastrotheca aguaruna and Gastrotheca spectabilis) and two reptiles (Dipsas palmeri and Tachymenis affinis) have been recorded; furthermore, the following several endemic species have been observed: amphibians (3), reptiles (2), birds (3) and mammals (1) that have not yet been reported for the ACB, which have not yet been reported for the KBA. This finding, in fact, increases the number of species of endemism in this part of Peruvian territory. Consequently, this study aims to be the basis for promoting further research to discover new species for science and to propose strategies for their conservation over time.

We report documented records of the Maranon crescentchest (Melanopareia maranonica) in six localities. These have hydrological connectivity with the middle basin of the Maranon River, in the provinces of Celendin (Cajamarca) and Luya (Amazonas), Peru. The records were obtained through occasional encounters, biological evaluations and intensive searching, between 2017 and 2020. These new records are between 1111 and 2074 m in elevation, exceeding its known altitudinal range by more than 1000 m. A total of 39 individuals were registered (11 females, 12 males and 16 indeterminate due to the fact that only auditory registration was made). We expanded the known range with respect to the published records by 121 km in the Cajamarca department and 98.2 km in the Amazonas department. Appropriate habitat for this species is protected in 5290.12 ha of the Maranon Seasonally Dry Inter-Andean Forest ecosystem and 7784.67 ha of Andean Scrub, within three Private Conservation Areas and one Regional Conservation Area.

Tropical mountains feature marked species turnover along elevational gradients and across complex topography, resulting in great concentrations of avian biodiversity. In these landscapes, particularly among morphologically conserved and difficult to observe avian groups, species limits still require clarification. One such lineage is Scytalopus tapaculos, which are among the morphologically most conserved birds. Attention to their distinctive vocal repertoires and phylogenetic relationships has resulted in a proliferation of newly identified species, many of which are restricted range endemics. Here, we present a revised taxonomy and identify species limits among high-elevation populations of Scytalopus tapaculos inhabiting the Peruvian Andes. We employ an integrated framework using a combination of vocal information, mitochondrial DNA sequences, and appearance, gathered from our own fieldwork over the past 40 yr and supplemented with community-shared birdsong archives and museum specimens. We describe 3 new species endemic to Peru. Within all 3 of these species there is genetic differentiation, which in 2 species is mirrored by subtle geographic plumage and vocal variation. In a fourth species, Scytalopus schulenbergi, we document deep genetic divergence and plumage differences despite overall vocal similarity. We further propose that an extralimital taxon, Scytalopus opacus androstictus, be elevated to species rank, based on a diagnostic vocal character. Our results demonstrate that basic exploration and descriptive work using diverse data sources continues to identify new species of birds, particularly in tropical environs.

New records of the Great Inca-finch (Incaspiza pulchra) and the Masked Duck (Nomonyx dominicus) from 2011 and 2012 in the department of Lambayeque, Peru are presented and discussed. Several Masked Ducks were discovered in seasonal wetlands near the town of La Viña. Single individuals (possibly the same) of the inca-finch were found in both 2011 and 2012 on Cerro Chalpón, near the city of Motupe, and frequent handouts offered by pilgrims to a shrine on the hill. Both these records represent significant range expansions or previously unrecorded populations.

The white-winged guan Penelope albipennis (Aves, Cracidae) is a Critically Endangered bird endemic to northern Peru. We surveyed a protected area suitable for its reintroduction north of the species' current range. Following IUCN guidelines, four factors were evaluated: diversity and quantity of plant species that are part of the white-winged guan's diet, year-round water sources, resting and roosting cover, and extent of undisturbed forest. Several suitable small valleys or quebradas were inspected, but our evaluation focused on three. We identified all shrub and tree species to compare with habitat currently used by the guan. Cover for nesting places was assessed visually. We found species composition and microhabitat types to be similar to habitat presently used by wild guans. Thus, all habitat components are favourable for reintroduction. The high degree of protection of the area makes it particularly suitable as a reintroduction site. We recommend experimental extension of the species current range to mitigate the risk of extinction posed by catastrophic events.