ABSTRACT
Natural History and Conservation Status of Cracids in Mexico and Central America - Eleven species of cracids ocurr in Middle America: México (8), Guatemala (6), Belize (3 ), El Salvador (4), Honduras (5), Nicaragua (6) Costa Rica (5) and Panamá (4). Based on bibliographical revision, personal communications and our own experiences, we make an evaluation on the status and conservation efforts on the cracids in this region. In general, the basic biology of most of the Middle American cracids is poorly documented, as well as the taxonomy and geographical distribution. Within the Chachalacas, Ortalis vetula mccalli is perhaps the best studied species. The biology of Oreophasis derbianus however, has been subject of the longest ongoing study of any cracid; this species is of Immediate conservation priority. The status of Chamaepetes unicolor in Costa Rica and Panama is poorly documented and requires fieldwork; this species is considered Very High conservation priority. The ecology and status of Crax rubra has been studied in detail; and like Penelopina nigra is a species with a high conservation priority. Penelope purpurascens and Ortalis leucogastra are considered Intermediate conservation priority. Two subspecies, Crax rubra griscomi and Ortalis vetula deschauenseei, are considered Critically Endangered on the Islands of Cozumel and Utila, respectively. The natural protected areas of Middle America offer some protection for cracids; however in some countries such as Nicaragua and El Salvador, the conservation status is critical for species occurring there, due to hunting and desforestation. Studies on the phylogenetic relationships among different genera of Cracidae by sequencing mitochondrial DNA have started in Mexico and Brazil.
CONTENTS
D.M. Brooks, J. Carroll, J. Eitniear and F. Gonzalez-G. (The Co-Editors)
Foreword
REGIONAL REPORTS
F Gonzalez-G., DM Brooks y SD Strahl
Estado de conservacion de los Cracidos en Mexico y Centro America
DM Brooks, AJ Begazo and L Pautrat
Ethics and realities of Cracid conservation: the Latin American perspective
R Clay and DM Brooks
Cracid conservation in the new millennium: a Southern Cone perspective
POPULATION BIOLOGY
RB Wallace, RL Painter, DI Rumiz, L Sainz and AB Taber
Comparative ecology of Cracids in Northern Dpto. Santa Cruz, Bolivia
AM Mamani-F
Historia natural y evaluacion de la densidad poblacional de Ortalis canicollis (Charata)
en Izozog, Provincia Cordillera del Dpto. Santa Cruz, Bolivia
MA Martinez-M
Situacion poblacional y conservacion del Hocofaisan de Cozumel (Crax rubra
griscomii)
SL Pereira and A Wajntal
Studies of captive stocks of the Endangered Red-billed Curassow (Crax
blumenbachii) suggest that the species is not depleted of genetic variability
STATUS AND CONSERVATION PROGRAMS
RP Clay
The status and conservation of the Cracids of Paraguay
JNM Flanagan and RSR Williams
A training program for the conservation of the White-winged Guan (Penelope
albipennis) in Northern Peru
F Gonzalez-G.
Estado de Conservación del Pavón Oreophasis derbianus en el Campo y en
Cautiverio en México
PGW Salaman, TM Donegan and AM Cuervo
Rapid Assessments and conservation of Galliformes along three altitudinal
transects in the Colombian Andes
ECOLOGY
I Jimenez, JL Parra, M Agudelo, G Londono and A Yaily
Temporal variation in the diet of a pair of Black Curassows (Crax alector)
DM Brooks, L Pando-V., A Ocmin-P. and J Tejada-R.
Resource Separation in an Napo-Amazonian Gamebird Community
