An organisation that started out as a group of nature-loving friends has gone on to establish Guyana’s first Important Bird & Biodiversity Area thanks to backing from the Conservation Leadership Programme. Find out how they’re empowering their community to protect wildlife beyond just birds...
In western Guyana, next to the border with Brazil and Venezuala, lies a large expanse of semi-arid grassland known as the Rupununi savannah. Covering roughly 5,000 square kilometres of grasslands, wetlands and the rainforested Kanuku Mountains, the Rupununi is a biodiverse wonderland home to the likes of jaguar, giant anteater and over 250 bird species, including the Red Siskin Spinus cucullatus (Endangered).
This small, vibrant red and black bird was first spotted here in 2000. It was a surprising discovery as at the time it was only thought to exist in small numbers in Venezuela, Colombia, and Trinidad. Intense poaching for the caged bird trade had pushed the species close to extinction across its range.
The newly-discovered population in Rupununi was a vital lifeline for the species, so its protection became the focus of a local NGO, the South Rupununi Conservation Society (SRCS). Over the last twenty years, SRCS has collected a vast amount of data on Rupununi’s Red Siskins, and recruited local community leaders, students and other stakeholders as conservation champions for the species.
In 2005, our Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) backed one of the first SRCS projects, which collected invaluable new information on the bird’s population size and distribution. The team also worked with village leaders and teachers in the local Amerindian communities to form wildlife groups for schools and establish monitoring activities that are still ongoing today.
New milestone: Guyana gets its first Important Bird & Biodiversity Area
In western Guyana, next to the border with Brazil and Venezuala, lies a large expanse of semi-arid grassland known as the Rupununi savannah. Covering roughly 5,000 square kilometres of grasslands, wetlands and the rainforested Kanuku Mountains, the Rupununi is a biodiverse wonderland home to the likes of jaguar, giant anteater and over 250 bird species, including the Red Siskin Spinus cucullatus (Endangered).
This small, vibrant red and black bird was first spotted here in 2000. It was a surprising discovery as at the time it was only thought to exist in small numbers in Venezuela, Colombia, and Trinidad. Intense poaching for the caged bird trade had pushed the species close to extinction across its range.
The newly-discovered population in Rupununi was a vital lifeline for the species, so its protection became the focus of a local NGO, the South Rupununi Conservation Society (SRCS). Over the last twenty years, SRCS has collected a vast amount of data on Rupununi’s Red Siskins, and recruited local community leaders, students and other stakeholders as conservation champions for the species.
In 2005, our Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) backed one of the first SRCS projects, which collected invaluable new information on the bird’s population size and distribution. The team also worked with village leaders and teachers in the local Amerindian communities to form wildlife groups for schools and establish monitoring activities that are still ongoing today.
New milestone: Guyana gets its first Important Bird & Biodiversity Area