Chocó vireo


The Chocó vireo is a species of bird in the family Vireonidae that was discovered by Paul Salaman in 1991 and described in 1996. It is found in western Colombia and has recently been found in north-west Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Discovery of the Chocó vireo

The Chocó vireo was first observed on August 25, 1991 by Paul Salaman in western Nariño located in southwest Colombia. The site, located at an altitude of 1,500 meters, was in a narrow strip of intact, very wet forest along the Rio Nambi, in the Chocó region which is famed for its high biological diversity. In early June, 1992, ornithologist Gary Stiles observed and collected this species while working in Alto de Pisones in Risaralda department. The bird was small, a little more than four inches, lightweight at 11.4 grams, and greenish in color with a broad, wide yellowish wing bar. It had a distinctive facial pattern with a long white stripe above its eye..
For the first time, the new species discoverer Paul Salaman decided to auction the scientific name to the highest bidder in order to raise money for conservation of the bird's habitat. It was named Vireo masteri after the winner Dr. Bernard Master, bid was accepted for USD $75,000 whose donation created the Pangan ProAves Reserve in Colombia, the first ProAves bird preserve in Colombia.