The Chimalapas Region, Oaxaca, Mexico: a high-priority region for bird conservation in Mesoamerica
Issue Date
2003Author
Peterson, A. Townsend
Navarro-Sigüenza, Adolfo G.
Hernández-Baños, Blanca E.
Escalona-Segura, Griselda
Rebón-Gallardo, Fanny
Rodríguez-Ayala, Emir
Figueroa-Esquivel, Elsa M.
Cabrera-García, Leonardo
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Type
Article
Article Version
Scholarly/refereed, publisher version
Rights
Bird Conservation International (2003) 13:227–253. BirdLife International 2003
DOI: 10.1017/S0959270903003186 Printed in the United Kingdom
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The Chimalapas region, in eastern Oaxaca, Mexico, holds lowland rainforests, tropical dry
forests, and cloud forests typical of the Neotropics, as well as montane pine and pine-oak
forests more typical of the Nearctic. Totaling more than 600,000 ha, much of the region is
forested, and in a good state of preservation. The Chimalapas avifauna is by far the most
diverse for any region of comparable size in the country, totalling at least 464 species in
the region as a whole (with more than 300 species in the lowland rainforest) representing
44% of the bird species known from Mexico. Within the region, the humid Atlantic
lowlands hold 317 species, the montane regions 113 species, and the southern dry forested
lowlands 216 species. Important species present in the region include Harpy Eagle Harpia
harpyja and several other large eagles, Black Penelopina nigra and probably Horned
Oreophasis derbianus Guans, Scarlet Macaw Ara macao, Cinnamon-tailed Sparrow Aimophila
sumichrasti, Rose-bellied Bunting Passerina rositae, and Resplendent Quetzal Pharomachrus
mocinno. The area holds immense lowland rainforests and cloud forests that rank among
the largest and best preserved in all of Mesoamerica, including a complete
lowland-to-highland continuum, with entire watersheds preserved more or less intact.
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Citation
Peterson, A. T., A. G. Navarro-Sigüenza, B. E. Hernández-Baños, G. Escalona-Segura, F. Rebón-Gallardo, E. Rodríguez-Ayala, E. M. Figueroa-Esquivel, and L. Cabrera-García. 2003. The Chimalapas region, Oaxaca, Mexico: A high-priority region for bird conservation in Mesoamerica. Bird Conservation International 13:227-254. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0959270903003186
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