Re-introduction of the white-winged guan in Lambayeque, Peruo

Summary

The white-winged guan (Penelope albipennis), Critically Endangered and rediscovered in 1977 after being presumed extinct for a century, survives in roughly 200 individuals across fragmented dry forest patches in northwestern Peru's Tumbesian region. Asociacion Cracidae Peru's captive breeding program, begun in the late 1970s and producing its first chick in 1986, released 69 guans between 2000 and 2007 at two protected sites: 45 birds at Chaparri Private Reserve between 2001 and 2005, and eight at Laquipampa Wildlife Refuge in 2007, selected for maximum genetic distance, balanced sex ratios given the species' monogamy, and recent sexual maturity. Outcomes diverged sharply by habitat quality: at Laquipampa, former guan habitat with intact food resources, survivorship reached 100% at 20 months and a pair bred within two months of release; at Chaparri, marginal habitat lacking key food trees produced only 55% survivorship after two years, and while released birds bred and produced 50 wild-born chicks since 2001, this growth depended heavily on artificial feeding near a tourist lodge, which kept birds concentrated rather than dispersing to reconnect isolated wild populations, the project's original goal. No releases have occurred since 2007 despite available birds and habitat, due to lack of long-term monitoring funding. Major difficulties included developing a pre-release health screening protocol from scratch and mortality during transport and predation. The project rates itself Partially Successful, since feasibility studies proved essential but chronic underfunding blocked the intended population connectivity.