The Tropical Andes may be best known for their breathtaking scenery and dazzling birds, but the region inevitably holds a deeper story. Birds of the Tropical Andes, the upcoming book by photographer Owen Deutsch and conservationist Mike Parr, is more than just a visually stunning coffee table book; it is also a testament to one of the world’s most biodiverse and threatened regions.
Home to over 1,500 bird species with many found nowhere else on Earth, the Tropical Andes stretch through Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and northern Chile and Argentina. But this biodiversity hotspot is under siege: deforestation, intensive agriculture, mining, climate change; the threats are many. When Owen and Mike set out to produce this beautiful yet informative book, their resolve was driven by these issues. The photos within are a conduit through which we can all learn of the ongoing and often urgent fight to protect these unique habitats.
Aside from the magnificent images and detailed text about each layer to be found in this otherworld, the heart of the book could also be said to beat with the stories of those who have dedicated their lives to conserving the region and its birdlife. Sara Inés Lara, Executive Director of Fundación ProAves in Colombia, writes powerfully of transformation, after leaving behind a career in engineering in 2002 to become part of Fundación ProAves.
“It has been a tremendous challenge … [which] has included habitat conservation through the establishment of the largest network of private bird reserves in the tropics, with twenty-eight reserves, protecting over 12 percent of all bird species on Earth … This network has become a beacon of hope for species recovery and a catalyst for local communities to invest in greener alternatives, such as ecotourism and bird tourism, contributing to greatly improved local livelihoods.”
Similarly, Constantino Aucca Chutas, founder of ECOAN (Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos), has spent decades helping Indigenous communities in Peru restore native Polylepis forests:
“The beginning years of ECOAN were very hard, since no one believed in this mission. Everyone was busy protecting conservation corridors and hotspots and creating protected areas, but, unfortunately, deforestation was still winning the battle. Only American Bird Conservancy supported ECOAN from the beginning.”
That support from ABC and many more donors meant that “on-the-ground action” could persevere, and over the decades, the communities have fully grasped the concept of environmental stability and their role to play in it. “Highly threatened species need many years of adaptation to respond to new changes in their habitat. Conservation is not a job that lasts a couple of years but is a cyclical issue that requires medium- to long-term programs … protecting a large number of threatened and iconic species in Peru, [at the same time as] building local capacity, providing jobs, and empowering many local people.”
These stories are central to the book’s mission, and underscore that conservation works when it’s inclusive, locally driven, and backed by perseverance.
Each chapter of the book introduces a different Andean region where the stakes are high. There is a wealth of information in the book as you would expect from the creators, but here is a brief overview of what you can expect to find.
The Chocó: With more than 50 endemic bird species, this area has lost up to 90% of its lowland forests to agriculture and logging. Reserves like Canandé in Ecuador now serve as vital climate refuges.
The Colombian Andes: Despite deforestation, Colombia boasts over 1,300 protected areas and active organizations like Fundación ProAves and Asociación Calidris. Species such as the Blue-bearded Helmetcrest and Apolinar’s Wren hang on thanks to reserve creation and habitat restoration.
Polylepis Forests: Once dismissed as scrubby highland woodlands, these habitats are lifelines for critically endangered birds like the Royal Cinclodes. Now, Acción Andina aims to reforest 2.5 million acres across the Andes.
Amazonia & Cloud Forests: Though more intact than eastern Amazonia, western forests face accelerating threats. The book highlights conservation corridors like Abra Patricia in Peru, where local partnerships have preserved habitat for species like the Long-whiskered Owlet, doing well enough to now inhabit other sites, and the Marvelous Spatuletail, a must-see bird on many lists. “Their lek is truly one of the most amazing bird spectacles anywhere,” writes Mike Parr.
But he is the first to acknowledge they’re also a symbol of what can be lost if we don’t act. “A key priority for bird conservation in the Andes moving forward is to ensure that protected-area and other equivalent land-conservation networks are expanded and/or sustained to include representative areas of habitat for all these priority sites, and to ensure that all Endangered and Critically Endangered birds are properly represented in the region’s network of protected areas. While the impacts of climate change on the region are difficult to predict precisely, it seems clear that the more forest is lost, the more it is likely that the entire Andes–Amazon system will desiccate and be subject to more climate extremes.”
Another essential and recurring theme is community. From the Red-fronted Macaw reserve in Bolivia to the women-led conservation work in Colombia, the message is clear: birds and people can thrive together. In many cases, ecotourism has become the financial engine that keeps both conservation and communities afloat.
Dr. Rodrigo Soria Auza, Director of Asociación Armonía, which protects Bolivia’s endemic macaws, sums it up:
“After twenty-seven years, I proudly affirm that Armonía, as a collective, has successfully reversed the declining population trend of Bolivia’s endemic macaw species, restored critical high Andean habitats … [and] nurtured a burgeoning culture of birdwatching and nature conservation.”
Birds of the Tropical Andes is a celebration of avian splendor, of course, but it’s also a record of struggle and success. Its pages are filled with species that have narrowly escaped extinction, landscapes scarred by human impact, and people who’ve chosen to fight for the future. Through Owen’s photographs, Mike Parr’s conservation insight, and the invaluable stories from the contributors, the book aims to bridge beauty and urgency by inviting you to admire, to learn, but perhaps more importantly and ultimately, to act.
