Ecobreves – CUBA: To the Rescue of Fernandina's Flicker

By IPS Correspondents and - - Reprint | | Print |

HAVANA, Mar 10 2007 (IPS) - Measures to preserve the habitat of the bird known as Fernandina's Flicker (Colaptes fernandinae) in a protected area of the central Cuban province of Villa Clara are helping to boost the population of this endangered species. The special care intensifies during its reproductive season, from March to September, José Antonio Santos, an expert with the Villa Clara Flora and Fauna Protection agency, told Tierramérica.

The measures include prevention of forest fires and limiting the number of people entering the nesting area in the Monte Ramonal reserve.

There is also a ban on cutting down the cane palm (Sabal unbraculiferae), the nesting preference of the flicker, endemic to Cuba.