He Black-breasted Puffin, a bird declared as an emblem of Quito in June 2005, is in danger of extinction due to the destruction of its habitat. The last specimens of the city live in the Chocó Andino biosphere reserve, within the rural parishes of Pacto, Nono, Nanegal, Nanegalito, Gualea and Pacto.
The World Union for Conservation of Nature notes that there are fewer than a thousand specimens and that 93% of their habitat has been altered or degraded by illegal logging, illegal mining, and forest burning.
Characteristics of this unique bird
This hummingbird is a bird that does not migrate, as well as being very sensitive to changes in temperature. It is shown more frequently between the months of May and July within the reserve Yanacocha, in Nono, according to the organization Birds and Conservation.
The feathers of male puffins are bright blue on their throats, bold on their chests, and bluish on their wings. While the females have a brown line around the eye and a bright turquoise back. Hummingbirds at birth are less than 2 centimeters in size and can live from 3 to 5 years.
In the Chocó Andino there are 640 species of birds, of which 55 are hummingbirds. These little birds hold the record for the fastest flapping, they are capable of flapping their wings 40 to 50 times per second; but some species reach up to 80 times per second, according to current knowledge of biology. To the naked eye, the movement is almost imperceptible.
Their small size allows them to fly at 50 kilometers per hour, and at the same time, move in all directions in mid-flight, because they move their wings in the shape of an eight, he highlighted. Roslyn Dakin, professor of biology at Carleton University. In this way, they can "float" in the air while feeding on the nectar of the flowers.
Areas where the Pufflegs inhabit
Resource: The IUCN Red List It is a critical indicator of the health of global biodiversity. iucnredlist.org