Conservation Allies recently supported our partner Fundación ProAves in a pivotal conservation milestone, when over 60 representatives from Colombia’s leading environmental institutions gathered to develop an urgent National Conservation Action Plan for the Critically Endangered Blue-billed Curassow (Crax alberti).
A Species on the Brink
The Blue-billed Curassow is endemic to Colombia’s Magdalena rainforests and has suffered a catastrophic decline. Over the past 25 years, the species has lost an estimated 93% of its viable habitat due to deforestation and hunting, with its range shrinking from 2,965,141 acres in 1999 to just 284,217 acres in 2024.
ProAves and many other conservation organizations emphasized the urgency: Crax alberti is perhaps Colombia’s most iconic bird species, long recognized and honored by indigenous communities in their gold icons of the species. Unfortunately, over the last 25 years, we estimate that Crax alberti has lost almost all of its viable habitat due to deforestation and hunting, so it is likely that the population has possibly declined by 95% or more.
It is estimated that only around 1,000 mature individuals now survive in scattered forest patches across five Colombian departments, with key populations persisting in isolated protected areas like the El Paujil Bird Reserve, created by ProAves in 2004.
Six Pillars for Conservation
The national meeting resulted in a comprehensive framework built around six strategic pillars:
- Habitat Protection & Management – Expand protected habitats and ecological corridors
- Policy & Legal Instruments – Strengthen enforcement against hunting and nature crimes
- Research & Monitoring – Establish regional monitoring and research networks
- Actions Against Hunting & Illegal Trade – Coordinated national enforcement efforts
- Captive Breeding & Reintroduction Programs – Strategic population recovery initiatives
- Community Engagement – Inclusive conservation with local communities
Looking Forward
As Paloma Carrillo, Executive Director of Fundación ProAves, stated: “This meeting reaffirms the urgency and importance of joining forces to save the Blue-billed Curassow. Only by working together, institutionally, communally and scientifically, can we guarantee a future for this spectacular species.”
A comprehensive National Action Plan will now be developed to coordinate actions at local, regional, and national levels, with the ultimate goal of halting the species’ decline and ensuring its long-term survival.
Conservation Allies remains committed to supporting ProAves and other partners in this crucial conservation effort. Through unified action, there is hope that this “guardian of biodiversity and forest health” can be pulled back from the brink of extinction.