Reintroducing the white-winged guan to northern Peru

The Critically Endangered white-winged guan is endemic to northern Peru with an estimated population of 250-300 wild birds. The species was thought to be extinct until its rediscovery in 1977. White-winged guans are typically found in densely wooded valleys in remote, arid, western Andean foothills.

A captive breeding programme to reintroduce white-winged guans to Chaparrí in the department of Lambayeque has now been established. Chaparrí is Peru’s first Private Conservation Area and since the reintroduction, wild-born guans from captive-bred parents have successfully hatched. WPA recently provided support for a programme to develop monitoring protocols and as a result new information has been gathered on their ecology. Small pockets of foraging habitat exist between Chaparrí and the nearest wild population, several miles away in another protected area, theoretically allowing the populations to mix. However, shooting may prevent this from happening, which could cause problems with inbreeding within small populations.

Long-term studies are required to understand the dispersal mechanisms of the white-winged guan and create opportunities for birds from isolated populations to mix. The biggest threat to the birds dispersing appears to be hunting, but other factors are not completely understood. More survey work is required to further understand various behaviours of the white-winged guan, especially those relating to dispersal.