Location: Eastern Andean Slope, elevation 2,400m. Weather: Heavy mist, intermittent rain. Temperature 14°C.
The transition from the humid Amazonian lowlands to the cloud forests of the Andes is stark. Today, our team focused on setting up mist nets to sample the understory bird community. The goal is to compare the morphological adaptations of high-altitude species here with those found in the highlands of the Galapagos.
We captured and released several individuals of the genus Diglossa (flowerpiercers). Their specialized bills are a fascinating example of niche adaptation, similar in principle—though not in form—to the adaptive radiation seen in Darwin’s finches.
The acoustic environment here is dense. Unlike the relatively quieter Galapagos highlands, the Andean cloud forest is a cacophony of calls. We are deploying the same AudioMoth recorders used in our Santa Cruz petrel project to standardize our data collection methods.
The terrain is unforgiving. Steep slopes and dense vegetation make movement slow. We rely heavily on our local guides, whose knowledge of the landscape is indispensable. Logistics are also a challenge; keeping our equipment dry in 100% humidity requires constant vigilance.
Tomorrow, we ascend to the paramo ecosystem at 3,500m. We expect to see a significant shift in species composition. This comparative data will help us better understand how island species might respond to rapid climate shifts compared to their mainland counterparts.
