Written by: Valentina Cedeño, Kathryn M. Rodríguez-Clark, Miguel Arvelo, Brian Coyle, Mike Braun and Ada Sánchez-Mercado. |
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Welcome Red Siskin lovers! We know many of you keep hearing sad news about the worsening situation in Venezuela, so we are proud to be able to share positive news about the Red Siskin Initiative (RSI). In spite of tremendous challenges, quality conservation work in Venezuela is possible and happening, and is a source of deep inspiration and hope for us personally. Your support is more important than ever to us, to the Red Siskin, and to the many other animals and plants that benefit from RSI conservation efforts. Thank you! |
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The Red Siskin Special Edition chocolate bar is available for sale at the gift shops of the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park! If you are interested in becoming a vendor o placing an order, you can download the catalog here. |
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Towards bird-friendly coffee in Venezuela: A special celebration In April, we also celebrated the Day of the Coffee Grower at Piedra de Cachimbo in northern Venezuela, where we are working toward Smithsonian Bird Friendly Coffee® certification with support from the US Fish and Wildlife Service Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act Fund. This project, called USCAFE, protects and expands agroforestry and natural habitat for Red Siskins, migratory species and other birds, increases profits for farmers, and strengthens traditional shade cultivation of coffee. |
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The day was a great success, with over 100 community members gathering to celebrate traditional livelihoods and cultural heritage. Schoolchildren opened the day with dances accompanied by Venezuelan folk music. Then "Birds and Coffee" project field technician, Luis Arrieta, with Provita team members Valentina Cedeño, Silvia Gómez, Ingrid Zager, Adriana Pizzi, and Carlos Peláez gave a few words of welcome. Linsabel Noguera, from La Rana Encantada, continued with storytelling and a session of bird-inspired origami. |
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Cecilio Monterrey, a local coffee farmer, then demonstrated a traditional coffee roasting technique, followed by a coffee tasting. Guests sampled varieties from Miranda and Trujillo states, under the guidance of David Ibañez, Cristian Gallo and Luis Dorado from the Academia de Baristas in Maracay, Venezuela. To close the day, children played “bird-bingo”, created with birds of the Piedra de Cachimbo region. Players won coloring books and sweets while at the same time learning more about local Venezuelan wildlife. We look forward to repeating El Día del Caficultor in 2019! ↓Photography by: Jhonathan Miranda |
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The Red Siskin Conservation Center in Venezuela is now a reality! We are thrilled to share wonderful news about construction of the first Red Siskin Conservation Center in Venezuela, based at Zoológico Leslie Pantin in Turmero (Aragua). Construction began in mid-July, led by Provita and Federico Pantin, who is not only supervising extensive facility renovations across the entire zoo, but is also the zoo’s head veterinarian. The 200 m2 center will include space for birds, research, staff offices and supplies/maintenance. It will also have a large aviary and central courtyard, designed to allow plenty of sunlight and to simulate natural conditions, while ensuring security. We couldn’t be happier with this major RSI milestone, which was made possible thanks to a grant from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), a key ally of RSI, and the partnership with Zoológico Leslie Pantin. This grant was awarded jointly to the Department of Animal Programs at the Smithsonian’s Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI), and to Provita, a partnership that will ensure excellence in animal welfare and conservation science. |
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The Red Siskin flying freely in Caracas On June 9, RSI joined Café Arábica and over 80 guests for the exhibit: “The free flight of the Red Siskin,” comprised of original photos of Red Siskins in their natural habitat. All were taken by Jhonathan Miranda, RSI field ornithologist, during his RSI fieldwork. |
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Provita’s President, Jon Paul Rodriguez, opened with words of welcome, describing RSI efforts to restore wild populations. Jhonathan then talked about the Red Siskin's behavior and ecology and shared exciting and harrowing stories of fieldwork adventures. Luis Arrieta presented RSI’s "Birds and Coffee" project, describing the close connection between the coffee aroma surrounding guests in Café Arabica and the Red Siskins in Jhonathan’s photographs. A tasting session followed with coffee varieties from Piedra de Cachimbo, where the project is based, and Red Siskin Special Edition chocolate, which is produced by Mantuano Chocolate in partnership with Café Arábica, and well-known Venezuelan fashionista Titina Penzini. |
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Outreach activities at Bararida Zoo In April, Parque Zoológico y Botánico Bararida (Barquisimeto, Venezuela) organized a special weekend to celebrate Earth Day. The event highlighted species threatened with extinction, including the Red Siskin. In collaboration with community groups and the “Guardaparques Universitarios” excursion group, the Zoo’s education staff displayed RSI posters and gave talks to the public. Most attendees were students, who were eager to learn about Bararida’s conservation work in Venezuela. We particularly value the contributions of Leonel Ovalle, Dulce Quero, Reinaldo Jiménez and many community service students, and thank them for their support to the day’s activities and for their commitment to help save Venezuelan biodiversity. |
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RSI-USCAFE at the Symposium “What do we know about migratory birds?” RSI-USCAFE field specialist, Pablo Lau, gave a talk about migratory bird conservation through shade coffee cultivation at a symposium hosted by Universidad Central de Venezuela on May 12. This celebration of World Migratory Bird Day highlighted the importance of Venezuela to bird migration in the Western Hemisphere, and included talks from researchers and students across the country. Pablo noted, “Two agroforestry systems in the Neotropics, coffee and cacao, support much higher biodiversity than crops without tree cover, and enhancing these systems can preserve habitats for migratory avifauna”. Pablo has documented 231 bird species to date in the study area, of which seven are northern hemisphere migrants. |
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New chicks at SCBI! This year three chicks were hatched at the Smithsonian Conservation and Biology Institute (SCBI) flock. Erica Royer, animal keeper at SCBI, reports the breeding season yielded two parent-reared chicks and one hand-reared chick. The dam that produced the third chick was inexperienced, so to ensure survival of more offspring and to increase keeper to experience with small passerines, they pulled one chick for hand-rearing. This first-time experience with Red Siskins at their facilities benefitted from SCBI’s deep experience with hand-rearing other bird species, and resulted in important husbandry insights and data to support future fieldwork. For example, Erica was able to collect the first complete series of daily photos of chick development, from hatch to fledge, which will allow greater precision in estimating ages of chicks observed in the wild. Insights will be incorporated in a future Animal Care Manual, which will include a hand-rearing protocol for Red Siskins. The photos below are of this hand-reared bird, which was successfully integrated back into flock. Congratulations to all the staff at the SCBI! ↓Photography by: Jhonathan Miranda (left) and Erica Royer (right). |
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Welcome APEC – and more chicks! - to RSI The Avian Preservation and Education Conservancy (APEC) is an NGO based in Florida with a combined commitment to aviculture, Red Siskins, and conservation. RSI welcomes APEC's Caroline Efstathion and Robert Horsburg as new partners, who will be leading RSI’s ex situ program with private breeders, along with Dr. Kathryn Rodriguez-Clark of the Smithsonian. The objectives of this program are to provide outreach and education to aviculturists about how they can support Red Siskin conservation, to lead aviculturists in the responsible, cooperative production of captive-bred Red Siskins through a Captive Bred-Wildlife (CBW) breeding group, and to produce siskins for to transfer to other zoos in the RSI partnership. With the support of Lauren Ogburn, they maintain a breeding population of Red Siskins; also in February, they transferred four siskins to the Miami Zoo, a recent RSI partner. |
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Venezuelan visitors at the Smithsonian Two RSI team members from Provita, Ada Sanchez-Mercado and Jhonathan Miranda, arrived in the US in July as Smithsonian Research Fellows. Both visits were supported by the Round-up for Conservation Fund of the Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ). Ada spent her visit leading the creation of a formal Red Siskin Recovery Plan for the Red Siskin Initiative, organizing research on how Red Siskin recovery planning can advance new IUCN Green Listing methods, finishing research on unsustainable harvest, and analyzing distance sampling data. |
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Jhonathan digitized field data, finished a manuscript on the recent rediscovery of the long-lost Tachira Antpitta (Grallaria chthonia), and began work on a publication on the population ecology of Red Siskins both in-situ and ex-situ. Their 5-week visit was split between the Rock Creek and Front Royal campuses of the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (SNZP&CBI), and was supported by many collaborating staff from both locations, to whom RSI is very grateful. Photography by: Jhonathan Miranda |
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Advances in Red Siskin genetics research New genetic data on Red Siskin populations in captivity and in the wild was received in August. Karen Holm, DVM, a George Mason University (GMU) PhD student is leading the analysis of these data as part of an internship at SNZP&CBI, co-supervised by Kate Rodriguez-Clark and Dr. HC Lim, Karen’s primary supervisor at GMW. These data will inform management of both captive and wild populations, allowing us to avoid inbreeding and promote the maintenance of genetic diversity. |
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SI has a new outstanding member! On April 15, Kate Rodriguez-Clark started a new job as a Population Ecologist at Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park and Conservation Biology Institute, funded by the Skorton Scholar program. As she continues to support RSI in this new position, she will also be conducting research on the genetic and demographic management of group-living species, and will be supporting NZP staff in practical population management. Congratulations! We wish you the greatest success Kate. |
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Coordination team meets in Washington The RSI coordination team (Kate Rodríguez-Clark, Mike Braun, Brian Coyle, Miguel Arvelo and Ada Sánchez) met this summer in Washington, D.C. for a three-day work meeting. They evaluated progress on the Strategy for the Global Conservation of the Red Siskin with respect to the activities accomplished so far and those planned for 2018. As we move into the next version of our conservation strategy, we will continue to focus on six major work areas, with clear leadership in each: 1) understanding Red Siskins through research, led by Mike; 2) reducing the impact of traffic, led by Ada; 3) increasing habitats through bird-friendly agriculture, led by Brian; 4) connecting with stakeholders, led by Miguel; 5) raising and releasing Red Siskins, led by Kate, and 6) RSI sustainability (partner relations, marketing, fundraising), led by Miguel. |
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RSI at World Migratory Bird Day: May 12th. The Red Siskin was also represented at a World Migratory Bird Day celebration in the US, hosted by Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park in Washington DC. Even though the Red Siskin is likely an altitudinal rather than a latitudinal migrant, it shares something else with some long-distance migrants: it is endangered because of illegal trade and habitat loss. |
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Kate Rodríguez-Clark presented a variety of entertaining RSI activities with help from NZP volunteers and artists, including face-painting, comic-book and origami-making for all ages, and selfie props with messages like #SaveTheRedSiskin and #CardenalitoPaRato. We were thrilled to attract a large and bilingual crowd! Thanks to FONZ (particularly Kirstin Hill) for all their help making Kate’s first-ever public outreach activity at the zoo fun and successful. Bilingual FONZ volunteers Sarah Wyatt and Caitlin Starks also provided much-appreciated support. |
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Brew at the Zoo On July 19, Kate Rodriguez-Clark and Miguel Arvelo, RSI’s Venezuelan coordinator hosted a table informing National Zoo guests about RSI. Visitors learned not only about international efforts to save this bird, but also about the coffee-flavored chocolate that supports the Initiative. Free samples were a big hit! Thanks to FONZ and Exhibits for all their help, particularly Helen Moore, Michelle Stauder, Scott Posey and John Davis, for ensuring outreach materials were top-notch. |
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Building RSI partnerships in Florida During his summer visits to the US, Miguel Arvelo met with Frank Ridgley, James Traverse and James Dunster at Miami Zoo who are preparing to display Red Siskins at the Zoo’s Conservation building. We will soon have the honor of inaugurating the first Red Siskin exhibit in Miami! Miguel also met with Mike Taylor at Jacksonville zoo; although their current facilities aren’t adequate for Red Siskins, they were eager to learn about RSI and will be alert for ways to collaborate in the future. Finally, Miguel spent a day with Tony Silva at his psittacine breeding farm. Tony was very kind and willing to help the RSI expand its scope. He will give us a hand with contacting bird breeders from the US and other countries around the world. We always welcome any ethical new zoos and private breeders who are interested in supporting the RSI ex situ program. Contact RSI by email at theredsiskininitiative@gmail.com. |
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In August, several Smithsonian researchers and the Office of International Relations participated in a working group on the innovative Green State Development Strategy with the honorable Riyad Insanally, Guyana ambassador to US, at the Guyanese embassy in Washington DC. We look forward to continuing to support and collaborate with Guyana to help advance a national sustainability plan that benefits people and nature, including the Red Siskin, and serves as a model for the Guiana Shield region. Together with other disciplinary experts at SI, RSI is exploring opportunities through the Global Environmental Facility to expand research and conservation in Guyana. Photography by: Jhonathan Miranda. |
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Jack Eitniear, at the Center for the Study of Tropical Birds on Puerto Rico, is helping to establish a Red Siskin detection and monitoring program on private lands where the species has been reported most recently. Although the last published observation of Red Siskins in Puerto Rico is almost 40 years old, multiple credible anecdotal reports have been made in the intervening years, as recently as 2017, prior to Hurricane Maria. Feeding stations will be monitored through autonomous audio and video equipment and direct observation. |
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- May 7 & 14. Kate Rodriguez-Clark presented on genomic research to the Laboratory for Analytical Biology (Genetics LAB), National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) and gave a virtual presentation on RSI movement ecology to the Smithsonian Conservation Commons Movement of Life (MoL) action area.
- June 9. Luis Arrieta, Provita-USCAFE field technician gave a presentation: “Birds and Coffee” at the Photo Exhibition “The free flight of the Red Siskin” at Café Arabica in Caracas, Venezuela.
- June 11. Brian Coyle gave a talk in Annapolis MD at the National Socio Environmental Synthesis Center, Boundary Spanning: Advances in Socio-Environmental Systems Research Symposium titled “Conservation Commons Red Siskin Initiative: Preserving habitat and livelihoods through Bird Friendly Coffee certification in Venezuela.”
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- August 13. Ada Sanchez-Mercado followed up with a second presentation to the Movement of Life group presenting results of her research on Red Siskins, including habitat modelling and unsustainable harvest.
- August 16-18. Caroline Efstathion and Jason Crean, APEC’s Executive Director and Director respectively, gave a talk at the 44th Annual Educational Conference of the American Federation of Aviculture (AFA). The presentation, entitled: “What is the Red Siskin Initiative?”, explained APEC’s role supporting Red Siskin conservation, and the threat of habitat fragmentation in Venezuela.
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- August 24. Brian Coyle gave a "Meet the Scientist" presentation on RSI to SCBI interns and staff, as well as a webinar, in May, on RSI and conservation careers for undergraduate student participants in the UCSB -SI scholars program.
- August 25. Stacy Hill gave a poster presentation on Red Siskins at the 27th International Ornithological Conference in Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada. Her work, entitled: “Saving the Red Siskin (Spinus cucullatus): Managing new flock member introductions in captivity” is part of her MS thesis, based on research performed at SCBI. Click here to see Stacy’s poster.
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- Rodriguez-Clark, K. M., Davidson B., Kingston S., Coyle B. J., Duchesne P., Braun M. J. (2018) Evaluating a potential source of founders for ex situ conservation efforts: Genetic differentiation between disjunct populations of the endangered Red Siskin (Spinus cucullatus). Endangered Species Research. 36: 183-196.
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Valentina Cedeño, Luis Arrieta, Adriana Pizzi and Jhonathan Miranda gave several interviews to promote the photo exhibition “The free flight of the Red Siskin” and the “Birds and Coffee” project. Thanks to all of the interviewers and producers for receiving us and for spreading our work to their audiences: - Gerhard Weilheim (La Mega).
- Maga Díaz y Marco Santos (La Mega).
- David Uzcátegui (Adulto Jóven).
- Jeannette Moreno, María Fernanda Flores y Alonso Moleiro (Unión Radio Noticias)
- Lorenzo Martínez (Líder FM).
- Albani Lozada y Unai Amenábar (Circuito Éxitos).
- Verónica Oliveros (Radio Caracas Radio)
- Vanessa Davies (Contrapunto).
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Grants pending - Sea World & Bush Garden
- Satch Krantz conservation fund - Riverbanks Zoo.
- The Neotropical Bird Club Award.
- Club 300 Bird Protection.
- International Climate Initiative
- Smithsonian Scholarly Studies Program
Funds approved - July. British Embassy Caracas - Official Development Assistance (ODA) bilateral program to expand research within the “Birds and Coffee” project.
Donations We want to express special thanks to the following for their generous and valuable contributions to the Red Siskin Initiative: Your donations helped make possible the visit of the Venezuelan team to the United States, and support our ongoing work and dedication of the coordination and fieldwork teams. |
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