Newly discovered hummingbird on brink of extinction INDIANAPOLIS , Oct. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Indianapolis Zoo has awarded a $1 million grant to the Ecuadorian conservation group Fundación Jocotoco to save a newly-discovered hummingbird from the brink of extinction. The Indianapolis Zoo created the $1 million Saving Species Challenge with the specific goal of saving a single species from extinction.
The plan to save the Blue-Throated Hillstar was chosen by a jury of international animal conservation experts. In total, 52 applications were received from 46 countries. "We are witnessing a global decline in biodiversity, and the Indianapolis Zoo is determined to make a positive difference.
We are honored to support the work of Fundación Jocotoco, and I am confident the Blue-Throated Hillstar can be saved," said Dr. Robert Shumaker , Indianapolis Zoo President & CEO. The Blue-Throated Hillstar, a new hummingbird species, was discovered in 2017.
The Hillstar is found within only 24 square miles of a cold, high-elevation area of the isolated Chillan Mountain range in Southwestern Ecuador . Habitat loss due to mining and frequent burning is responsible for the bird's classification as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Today, fewer than 110 adult birds remain.
Soon after the Blue-Throated Hillstar was discovered, Fundación Jocotoco created the Cerro de Arcos Reserve to protect its habitat. The group will use the $1 millio.