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As one of the highest forest ecosystems in the world, forests are recognized both as center of endemism and diversity along the Andes and as an ecosystem under serious threat from habitat loss, fragmentation, and climate change due to human activities. Effective conservation efforts are limited, in part, by our poor understanding of the ecology and habitat needs of the ecosystem's flora and fauna. In 2014-2015, we studied bird communities and 19 associated local and landscape attributes within five forested glacial valleys within the Cordillera Blanca and Huascaran National Park, Peru. We surveyed birds during the dry (May-August) and wet (January-April) seasons at 130 points distributed along an elevational gradient (3,300-4,700 m) and analyzed our data using Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA). We associated a total of 50 species of birds, including 13 species of high conservation concern, with four basic habitat types: (1) forests at low elevations, (2) forests at high elevations, (3) Puna grassland and (4) shrublands. Four species of conservation priority ( ) were strongly associated with large forest patches (∼10-ha) of at lower elevations (<3,800 m), whereas another four ( ) were associated with less disturbed forests of at higher elevations (>4,200 m). Results suggest two key strategies form the cornerstones of conservation efforts: (a) protect large remnant (>10-ha) forests at lower elevations and (b) maintain all relicts of , irrespective of size, at high elevations (>4,200 m).

Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) represents a significant source of anthropogenic mercury emissions to the environment, with potentially severe implications for avian biodiversity. In the Madre de Dios department of the southern Peruvian Amazon, ASGM activities have created landscapes marred by deforestation and post-mining water bodies (mining ponds) with notable methylation potential. While data on Hg contamination in terrestrial wildlife remains limited, this study measures Hg exposure in several terrestrial bird species as bioindicators. Total Hg (THg) levels in feathers from birds near water bodies, including mining ponds associated with ASGM areas and oxbow lakes, were analyzed. Our results showed significantly higher Hg concentrations in birds from ASGM sites with mean ± SD of 3.14 ± 7.97 µg/g (range: 0.27 to 72.75 µg/g, n  = 312) compared to control sites with a mean of 0.47 ± 0.42 µg/g (range: 0.04 to 1.89 µg/g, n  = 52). Factors such as trophic guilds, ASGM presence, and water body area significantly influenced feather Hg concentrations. Notably, piscivorous birds exhibited the highest Hg concentration (31.03 ± 25.25 µg/g, n = 12) exceeding known concentrations that affect reproductive success, where one measurement of Chloroceryle americana (Green kingfisher; 72.7 µg/g) is among the highest ever reported in South America. This research quantifies Hg exposure in avian communities in Amazonian regions affected by ASGM, highlighting potential risks to regional bird populations.

The Ash-breasted Tit-tyrant, Anairetes alpinus (Carriker, 1933) (Aves, Tyrannidae), is an endangered and highly specialized bird that inhabits the Polylepis forests (Rosaceae) of Peru and Bolivia. Here, we report 2 new localities in the department of Junín, central Peru, where it was detected in forests dominated by Polylepis canoi, P. rodolfo-vasquezii , and a third undescribed Polylepis species. We conclude that a residential population is the more likely possibility although the possibility of dispersal individuals should also be considered.

The Ash-breasted Tit-tyrant, Anairetes alpinus (Carriker, 1933) (Aves, Tyrannidae), is an endangered and highly specialized bird that inhabits the Polylepis forests (Rosaceae) of Peru and Bolivia. Here, we report 2 new localities in the department of Junín, central Peru, where it was detected in forests dominated by Polylepis canoi, P. rodolfo-vasquezii, and a third undescribed Polylepis species. We conclude that a residential population is the more likely possibility although the possibility of dispersal individuals should also be considered.

Background. As one of the highest and most unique systems in the world, Polylepis forests are recognized both as center of endemism and diversity along the Andes and as a system under serious threat from human activities, fragmentation, and climate change. Effective conservation efforts are limited, in part, by our poor understanding of the habitat needs of the system’s flora and fauna. Methods. In 2014-2015, we studied bird communities and 19 associated local and landscape attributes within five forested glacial valleys within the Cordillera Blanca and Huascaran National Park, Peru. Birds were surveyed in dry (May-August) and wet (January-April) seasons at 130 points distributed along an elevational gradient (3,300-4,700 masl) and analyzed using Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA). Results. A total of 50 species of birds, including 13 species of high conservation concern, were associated with four basic habitat types: (1) Polylepis sericea forests at low elevations, (2) P. weberbaueri forests at high elevations, (3) Puna grassland and (4) shrublands. Four species of conservation priority (e.g., Poospiza alticola) were strongly associated with large forest patches (~10-ha) dominated by P. sericea at lower elevations (<3,800 masl), whereas another four (e.g., Anairetes alpinus) were associated with less disturbed forests of P. weberbaueri at upper elevations (>4,200 masl). Discussion. Results suggest that, in addition to conserving large (>10-ha) P. sericea forests at lower elevations as the cornerstone for maintaining bird diversity, any high elevation (>4,200 masl) relicts of P. weberbaueri, irrespective of size, should be prioritized for conservation.