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What are the characteristics of the species?

• Poospiza rubecula is a bird the size of a sparrow with a total length between 15.5-16.5 cm. In adult stage it presents a slate gray coloration in the region posterior to the head and the back, with dark red-brick color from the lower jaw to the belly, becoming lighter in the lower abdomen. Over the eyes it has a gray mask similar to the color of the back, and a superciliary stripe that narrows towards the neck, the color of the chest.

• The juveniles do not present the superciliary stripe, have a less defined belly of brick color and have dark striae on the chest and flanks of the body.

• The beak is conical and pointed.

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Where do we study the species?

P. rubecula was studied in ELU 11, above Huancaccasa. This area is characterized by being an area of ​​dense semi-dry shrubs with some cacti.

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What questions do we seek to answer with the study?

• What is the distribution and abundance of P. rubecula in the area of ​​influence of the pipeline?

• Are there differences in the presence of P. rubecula in sites near and far from the pipeline?

• How is the bird community composed of P. rubecula?

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What general results have we obtained to date?

• P. rubecula is an elusive and difficult to find species that was reported in the environmental impact study for the pipeline but was not found during the studies. It is possible that the species does not exist in the area as a permanent resident.

• A niche model was generated in which a restricted distribution was observed to a strip on the western slope of the Andes, quite thin, partially fragmented and ending, towards the south, very close to the pipeline area of ​​PERU LNG, in the Department of Huancavelica.

• 65 species were recorded in the study areas. The family with the greatest number of species was the Emberizidae (10), followed by the families Furnariidae (9), Tyrannidae (8) and Trochilidae (7).

• The species most frequently recorded were: Muscisaxicola maculirostris (82 sightings), Asthenes pudibunda (74), Phrygilus fruticeti (56), Carduelis magellanica (46) and Ochthoeca leucophrys (40).

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Why is the conservation of this species important?

• P. rubecula is within the Peruvian legislation in the category of danger of extinction in the Supreme Decree 034-2004-AG and by the red list of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Birdlife International.

• Five of the species recorded in the study are endemic to Peru. The family with the highest number of endemic species is Trochilidae (3). One species finds the category almost threatened and 64 in minor concern.

• The biological information of this species is very limited.

• P. rubecula is a species with a very small population size: all sub-populations are considered extremely small, fragmented and continuously decreasing.