In August Council met to discuss proposals for funding through our Conservation Awards Programme (CAP). These had been vetted by the CAP sub-committee, who put forward a number of applications for consideration, from a total of eight countries in the region.
With the funds available we were able to fund a total of seven projects as follows:
Brazil
Atlantic Forest Rewilding: Monitoring of the Black-fronted Piping-guan Pipile jacutinga. This proposal from SAVE Brasil looks to continue their work with re-introduction of the species in São Francisco Xavier IBA and the funds requested will pay for one year’s monitoring in a new dispersal area. It is part of a long term effort to establish a self-sustaining population. NBC’s award was made possible by a donation from PLJ Writings.
Awarded $5000
Creating a protected area for the critcally endangered Marsh Antwren Formicivora paludicola. This was another proposal from SAVE Brasil and follows up on work we supported in 2019 to create a protected area for this species in Guararema – the 2373-hectare Refúgio de Vida Silvestre do Bicudinho. Since 2021, they have been working with the municipality of Salesópolis to replicate the model, and establish another protected area, thus creating a mosaic of protected areas for the Marsh Antwren. A change of local government and some false information set this back, but SAVE Brasil are keen to win support from the local community to ensure that the project goes ahead. NBC decided to award $3000 and we are grateful to March for funding this. Watch out for an article about Marsh Antwren conservation by Alice Reisfeld and Karlla Barbosa in Neotropical Birding 38, due in 2026.
Awarded $3000
Uruguay
Monitoring and conservation of Saffron-cowled Blackbird Xanthopsar flavus. The Saffron-cowled Blackbird is an Endangered grassland bird with fewer than 5,000 individuals worldwide. In Uruguay, only two small populations remain, with the eastern group found in Rocha and Maldonado Departments. Major threats include habitat degradation, cattle trampling, nest predation, and parasitism by Shiny Cowbirds (Molothrus bonariensis). Recent efforts by the NGO Ambá, with support from BirdLife International and the Uruguay Grassland Alliance, confirmed four breeding colonies and marked 13 individuals for the first time in over 20 years.
This project aims to continue this work to secure and expand the eastern population through science-based conservation, habitat protection, sustainable ranching practices, and long-term monitoring. Actions include nest detection and monitoring, individual bird banding, installation of nest protection measures, and landowner engagement. Expected outcomes include improved breeding success, stable or growing populations, and strengthened conservation practices that can be replicated across the species’ range in Uruguay.
Awarded $2000
Argentina
Protecting Magellanic Plover Pluvianellus socialis nests. NBC received an application on behalf of Asociacion Ambiente Sur. Their proposal was for a focused conservation project to develop agreements with private landowners to protect key nesting and foraging sites for the Magellanic Plover. The species was recently upgraded to Vulnerable and although the population is probably stable at around 330 pairs in 2021, there is a lack of data and an urgent need to mitigate stressors on nesting population. The CAP sub-committee thought that the construction of nest protection structures, and education of local people was a sound conservation measure in the area where work will take place. This award was made possible thanks to a generous legacy from the late Suzanne Capewell, who had an interest in the birds of Patagonia.
Awarded $3000
Understanding the breeding needs and seed-dispersal role of Bare-faced Curassow Crax fasciolata in the Gran Chaco of Argentina. This species has disappeared from large parts of its former range in Argentina. The Grand Chaco is the country’s second largest forest and suffers from deforestation and a lack of adequate protection. The project will look at the breeding needs of the curassow, examine its diet through faecal samples, and assess its role in seed dispersal. This will then be fed back into forest management strategies. The project will run from 2026 – 2028 and is supported by Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Litoral (CONICET–UNNE) and the Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales y Agrimensura de la Universidad Nacional del Nordeste (UNNE) as well as the Parque Nacional Chaco.
Awarded $3000
Bolivia
After Nick Acheson’s inspirational talk at our AGM it was pleasing to get two high quality applications from Bolivia.
Protecting Blue-throated Macaw Ara glaucogularis in Beni. This was a proposal from the World Parrot Trust and its local ally, Fundación CLB who collaborates with the municipality of Loreto and the Gran Mojos Municipal Protected Area to safeguard the breeding population. The project will construct 40 new nest boxes within the species’ breeding zone each year to increase the stock and replace damaged ones from previous seasons to maintain a total of approximately 120 available boxes. Nest sites will be identified by conducting surveys supported by the local community and monitored by park rangers from the protected area during the breeding season, with protection measures implemented there needed.
Awarded $3000
Conservation Education and Field Observation of the Military Macaw Ara militaris in Jacj Cuisi Wildlife Sanctuary, Bolivia. This is a follow-up on a previous grant awarded by NBC from an indigenous community looking to increase awareness of the Military Macaw and other wildlife in the area. By means of workshops followed by field visits this initiative will foster local conservation awareness and provide practical birdwatching skills, contributing to the sustainability of avian species in the region.
Awarded $1500
