The Emerald Toucanet (Aulacorhynchus prasinus) is the most widely distributed member of the toucan family. It can be found from Mexico through Central America south to Bolivia. As might be expected for a species with such as broad geographic range,…
Revised on November 14, 2019Birds and other biodiversity
The North American Wood Warblers are known for their colorful beauty. The male Black-throated Blue Warbler (Dendrioca caerulescens, left) is one of the most beautiful.
Revised on November 14, 2019Jacus (guans) are birds that eat ripe coffee cherries.One might imagine this habit would draw the ire of coffee farmers. But at least one enterprising producer is using the philosophy, “If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” Or in this case, “If life gives you bird crap with coffee beans it it, make coffee.”
Revised on November 14, 2019Vishnudas, C. K. 2008. Crematogaster ants in shaded coffee plantations: a critical food source for Rufous Woodpecker Micropternus brachyurus and other forest birds. Indian Birds 4:9-11. Rufous Woodpeckers are ant specialists. The Rufous Woodpecker is one of the twelve woodpecker…
Revised on November 14, 2019Tennessee Warblers are one of the classic winter residents of shade coffee farms in Central America and northern South America, which led tropical ornithologist Alexander Skutch to conclude that they really should be named “Coffee Warbler.”
Revised on November 14, 2019I’d like to inaugurate my “Know your coffee birds” series with the bird Coffee & Conservation uses to rate coffees: the Blue-crowned Motmot (Momotus momota).
Revised on July 19, 2022You’ve followed the saga of the flagship shade-coffee bird, the Cerulean Warbler, on these pages. If you need to catch up: An introduction to the declining Cerulean Warbler, and its connection to shade coffee on its Colombia wintering grounds. Discussion…
Revised on November 24, 2020Kapoor, V. (2008). Effects of rainforest fragmentation and shade-coffee plantations on spider communities in the Western Ghats, India.
Revised on November 28, 2020One trip to one part of one county’s coffee growing region is limited information to work with. Nonetheless, my recent visit to the western highlands of Panama was an eye-opener, replacing a mental image based on a great deal of…
Revised on November 24, 2020Adult butterfly communities in coffee plantations around a protected area in the Western Ghats, India. J. Dolia, M. S. Devy, N. A. Aravind, and A. Kumar. 2008. Animal Conservation 11:26-34. Butterfly diversity was examined in 12 coffee plantations in India’s…
Revised on November 24, 2020If there is a single bird strongly associated with shade coffee right now, it’s the Cerulean Warbler. I’ve written about the connection between coffee and Cerulean Warblers in the past. I’ve also discussed the Save the Cerulean Warbler Campaign by…
Revised on January 7, 2022The mammalian communities in coffee plantations around a protected area in the Western Ghats, India. A. Balia, A. Kumarb, and J. Krishnaswamy. 2007. Biological Conservation 139: 93-102. This study looked at the number of mammal species found in 15 coffee…
Revised on November 14, 2019Persistence of forest birds in the Costa Rican agricultural countryside. C. H. Sekercioglu, S. R. Loarie, F. Oviedo Brenes, P. R. Ehrlich, and G. C. Daly. 2007. Conservation Biology 21:482-494. This study radiotracked several species of resident forest birds in…
Revised on November 24, 2020Dietsch, T.V., I. Perfecto, and R. Greenberg. 2007. Avian foraging behavior in two different types of coffee agrosystem in Chiapas, Mexico. Biotropica 39:232-240. Other studies have documented that structural diversity is important in coffee farms — it is the complexity…
Revised on May 20, 2021Cerulean Warbler are strongly associated with shade coffee on their wintering grounds. The American Bird Conservancy (ABC) is working with coffee growers to preserve critical wintering habitat, and has a campaign to help the species.
Revised on January 7, 2022