Ecología y migraciones de la lapa verde

La lapa verde (Ara ambigua) es una especie que realiza mi-graciones temporales altitudinales entre su zona de anida-miento en las llanuras del norte del Caribe costarricense y su zona de post-anidamiento,especialmente en las faldas norteñas de la Cordillera Volcánica Central. Sobre la base de la documentación de estos movimientos,obtenida me-diante un estudio de largo plazo con técnicas de teleme-tría, se están implementando iniciativas de conservación que toman en cuenta el valor del rango reproductivo y mi-gratorio de la especie con el fin de preservar una muestra única de ecosistemas poco representados dentro del siste-ma de áreas silvestres protegidas de Costa Rica.

Change in dense forest habitat for endangered wildlife species in Costa Rica from 1940 to 1977

El hábitat es un elemento clave en la extinción de especies. Con base en mapas de vegetación, estimaciones de densidad poblacional y teoría de ecología insular analizo la pérdida de bosque denso para 27 especies de Costa Rica. Entre 1940 y 1977, sufrieron en promedio 35% de destrucción del hábitat de bosque denso. Especies como Myrmecophaga tridactyla, Panthera onca, Harpia harpyja y Ara ambigua probablemente se van a extinguir en Costa Rica dentro del próximo siglo debido a que les hace falta suficientes áreas de bosque denso para sobrevivir. Es fundamental la importancia de proteger áreas grandes de hábitat de bosque denso para conservar poblaciones “viables” de vida silvestre.

Morphologic characterization of Sarcocystis sp. sarcocysts from the Buffon’s macaw (Ara ambigua)

A species of Sarcocystis is reported from two naturally infected Buffon’s macaws (Ara ambigua) from Costa Rica. Only mature sarcocysts, measuring up to 950 μm in length and up to 75 μm in width, were observed. By light microscopy the sarcocyst wall was thin (< 1 μm thick) and smooth. The villar protrusions on the sarcocyst wall were up to 4.0 μm long and up to 0.6 μm wide; they were folded over the sarcocyst wall giving a thin-walled appearance. The microtubules in villar protrusions were smooth and confined to villar protrusions. Bradyzoites in sections were 4.0–5.9 × 0.8–1.8 μm in size. Structurally, sarcocysts from the macaw appeared different from sarcocysts of other avian species. This is the first report of Sarcocystis infection in this host.

Additions to the Avifauna of Honduras

I report specimens and sight records of 15 species new to Honduras: Mesembrinibis cayennensis, Falco femoralis, Anous minutus, Ara ambigua, Chalybura urochrysia, Baryphthengus martii, Myrmeciza exsul, Hylopezus perspicillatus, Conopias parva, Lophotriccus pileatus, Dacnis cayana, Vermivora ruficapilla, Tachyphonus delatrii, Pitylus grossus, and Sporophila schistacea. Twelve additional range extensions within Honduras are reported for species that reach their northern limit of distribution in the lowland forests of the Mosquitia region: Tigrisoma lineatum, Leucopternis semiplumbea, Ortalis cinereiceps, Ramphastos swainsonii, Myrmotherula fulviventris, Myrmotherula axillaris, Hylophylax naevioides, Phaenostictus mcleannani, Colonia colonus, Myiozetetes granadensis, Cyporhinus phaeocephalus, and Cacicus uropygialis. With the exception of Anous minutus, Falco femoralis, and Vermivora ruficapilla, all records are range extentions from the south. Some of the northward range extensions into the forests of eastern Honduras from the contiguous forests of Nicaragua were expected, but other records indicate notable range extensions. A list is provided of those species that currently reach their northernmost distribution in Nicaragua and whose presence may be expected in adjacent regions of Honduras. The extensive humid forests in the departments of Olancho and Gracias a Dios are the northernmost limits of numerous species, which may be prevented from further northward dispersal by biogeographic barriers.