Current status of the Critically Endangered Black-winged Trumpeter Psophia obscura in one of its last strongholds

• Published in: Bird conservation international 2023-01, Vol.33, Article e12
• Main Authors: CARVALHO, ELILDO A. R., MENDONÇA, ELOÍSA N., LOPES, ALEXANDRE M. C., HAUGAASEN, TORBJØRN
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cameras; Conservation; Conservation areas; Endangered & extinct species; Endangered species; Endemism; Forest management; Forests; Logging; Population decline; Psophia; Research Article; Survival; Time series; Trees; Trends; Wildlife conservation
• ISSN: 0959-2709; 1474-0001
• DOI: 10.1017/S0959270922000077

The ‘Critically Endangered’ Black-winged Trumpeter Psophia obscura is endemic to the Belém Centre of Endemism in extreme eastern Amazonia and has a declining population and range. Here we report on a five-year (2016–2020) systematic camera-trap (n = 61) study of the species in Gurupi Biological Reserve, one of its most important conservation areas. We used a multi-season occupancy model to identify factors affecting occupancy rates and to assess occupancy trends in the reserve. Occupancy was negatively related to elevation and site-level tree density, and was positively related to post-logging recovery times. Average annual occupancy rates remained stable throughout the study period (ranging between 0.57 and 0.67) and this stability was largely driven by high between-year survival rates. Results confirm that the Black-winged Trumpeter is an interior-forest specialist that is highly sensitive to forest disturbance, which underlines the importance of the Gurupi Biological Reserve as a core site for the conservation of the species. However, the species is long-lived, so continuous monitoring is needed to further clarify population trends. We also recommended that the status of the species in other forest remnants, most of which remain unprotected, is assessed.