• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Reference and further resources

Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
SACC. 2005 and updates. A classification of the bird species of South America. Available at: https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm.

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
-	B1ab(i,ii,iii)+2ab(i,ii,iii); D	B1ab(i,ii,iii)+2ab(i,ii,iii); D1+2

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2020	Endangered	B1ab(i,ii,iii)+2ab(i,ii,iii); D
2016	Critically Endangered	B1ab(i,ii,iii,v)
2015	Critically Endangered	B1ab(i,ii,iii,v)
2013	Critically Endangered	B1ab(i,ii,iii,v)
2012	Critically Endangered	B1ab(i,ii,iii,v)
2010	Critically Endangered	B1a+b(i,ii,iii,v)
2009	Critically Endangered	B1a+b(i,ii,iii,v)
2008	Critically Endangered
2004	Critically Endangered
2000	Critically Endangered
1996	Critically Endangered
1994	Critically Endangered
1988	Threatened

Migratory status	not a migrant	Forest dependency	high
Land-mass type	continent	Average mass	-

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	590 km2	medium
Area of Occupancy (breeding/resident)	100 km2	good
Number of locations	2-5	-
Severely fragmented?	no	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	100-150 mature individuals	poor	inferred	2020
Population trend	decreasing	poor	suspected	2014-2024
Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	10-19%	-	-	-
Rate of change over the future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	10-19%	-	-	-
Rate of change over the past & future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	10-19%	-	-	-
Generation length	2.1 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	2	-	-	-
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation	1-89%	-	-	-

Population justification: The population size has not been quantified directly. The species appears to be scarce even in suitable habitat (T. Santander in litt. 2019). At Yanacocha-Verdecocha, a maximum of four individuals have been observed together during each transect count (T. Santander in litt. 2019, H. M. Schaefer in litt. 2020). The population in this area has preliminarily been estimated at up to 20 individuals (H. M. Schaefer in litt. 2020). Including further individuals in inaccessible, steep terrain and along the western slopes, the subpopulation at Pichincha volcano may number up to 80 individuals (H. M. Schaefer in litt. 2020), which roughly equates to 50 mature individuals. Similarly, for the subpopulation in the less studied Cordillera de Toisán up to four individuals have been observed, with an estimated density of 2-4 individuals/ha (Montenegro 2017). A recent survey however found the subpopulation to be likely larger than the subpopulation on the Pichincha volcano (L. Calapi, W. Arteaga and K. Varela per S. Bos in litt. 2020, T. Santander in litt. 2020, Ulloa 2020). The global population is thus tentatively placed in the band 100-150 mature individuals.

Trend justification: The population is suspected to be in decline based on habitat loss within its range, the rate of which is considerably lower than 10% over ten years (Global Forest Watch 2020; see also Santander et al. 2004, Cárdenas 2007, O. Jahn in litt. 2007). Considering the threat posed by additional habitat degradation, the rate of population decline may be higher than the rate of forest loss, and is here tentatively placed in the band 10-19% over ten years.

Country/Territory	Presence	Origin	Resident	Breeding visitor	Non-breeding visitor	Passage migrant
Ecuador	extant	native	yes

Country/Territory	IBA Name
Ecuador	Mindo and western foothills of Volcan Pichincha
Ecuador	Reserva Ecológica Cotacachi-Cayapas
Ecuador	Volcán Atacazo

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane	major	resident
Altitude	1700 - 3500 m	Occasional altitudinal limits

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Scale Unknown/Unrecorded	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Agriculture & aquaculture	Livestock farming & ranching - Scale Unknown/Unrecorded	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Unlikely to Return		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Past Impact
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use	Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small scale) [harvest]	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Climate change & severe weather	Habitat shifting & alteration	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Competition
Energy production & mining	Mining & quarrying	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Future		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 3
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Geological events	Volcanoes	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Likely to Return		Minority (<50%)		Unknown		Past Impact
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion, Species mortality
Residential & commercial development	Commercial & industrial areas	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Unlikely to Return		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Past Impact
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion

Purpose	Scale
Pets/display animals, horticulture	international

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Black-breasted Puffleg Eriocnemis nigrivestis. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/black-breasted-puffleg-eriocnemis-nigrivestis on 22/11/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 22/11/2024.