在哥倫比亞與波利維亞，兩種稀有且瀕危的鳥類的處境正逐漸改善，族群的狀況正逐漸回穩。這可歸功於美國華府的「鳥類保育協會」促成當地環保人士與科學家合作，建立彼此之間的夥伴關係。
在哥倫比亞，藍鸝鶯是世界上最瀕危的候鳥之一，這種外表披上亮麗藍色外衣、每年往返南北美洲遷徙的鳴禽，處境正因為哥倫比亞鳥類保護基金會(Colombia's Fundacion ProAves)以及希魯林小組(El Grupo Ceruleo)的努力而改善。這些團隊與美國廣播公司(ABC)已一同制定出保育計畫。
在玻利維亞，棲息地對於世界上最瀕危的野生金剛鸚鵡──藍喉金剛鸚鵡──至關重要，美國鳥類保護協會、波利維亞和諧組織以及美國世界土地信託等三個機構，共同努力為藍喉金剛鸚鵡買下了土地，以擴大牠們的自然保護區。
藍儷鶯保育人士與咖啡種植者的接觸
每年夏天，藍儷鷹(Dendroica cerulea)會在美國東部與加拿大的闊業林進行繁殖。這些有亮麗藍色外表的鳴禽在冬天則向南遷徙到南美安地斯山脈森林的非繁殖區。
保育人士警告，藍儷鶯在過去40年間已經減少了80%，這是因為棲地的喪失以及地理分布被分散化的結果。
在藍儷鶯的非繁殖棲地中，最主要的威脅來自清空林地以進行農耕或是畜牧業活動，還有就是傳統的蔭栽咖啡被非蔭栽咖啡所取代。
最新的物種地理分布、生存狀況以及生態學等發展與研究成果，發表在《哥倫比亞自然保育》期刊的新保育計畫之中。
參與的合作夥伴將運用經濟與生態學工具，例如各樣的認證與獎勵措施，以減少蔭栽咖啡農場的數量，進一步利用藍儷鶯當成保護傘物種，以擴大保護區網絡，回復並且加強棲地安全。
美國廣播公司與鳥類保護基金會再哥倫比亞有一個試辦計畫，用以展示蔭栽咖啡與可可對藍儷鶯棲地保護的潛力。
保育人士與地主合作，鼓勵他們保留他們的土地，作為藍儷鶯以及其他候鳥和原生物種的棲地。
在美國，藍儷鶯是受到高度關注的物種，因為其族群量十分小，而且在棲地內的數量正在下降。本鳥類根據瀕危物種法案，受到聯邦政府的保護。以全球的角度來看，本鳥類被列入IUCN紅皮書中的易危(VU)等級。
藍喉金剛鸚鵡在玻利維亞得到保護
野生的藍喉金剛鸚鵡(Ara glaucogularis)僅能在西北玻利維亞的貝尼大草原見到。當地複雜的生態系統由草原、沼澤與森林所組成，受到牧場經營者為了牧場每年所進行的大面積火耕所控制。
現在則有超過2800英畝的熱帶草原和雨林將成為巴爾巴˙阿祖爾(Barba Azul)自然保護區的一部分而受到保護，這個保護區的涵蓋面積已經增加到11555英畝了。
「擴大的保留區保護了5個重要的莫塔古棕櫚(Motacu palm)林，藍喉金剛鸚鵡的生存需要這種棕櫚樹富含油脂的果實，」阿摩尼亞/羅洛˙巴克藍喉基金會金剛鸚鵡保育計畫(Armonia/Loro Parque Fundacion Blue-throated Macaw Conservation Program)的埃雷拉(Mauricio Herrera)解釋。
該基金會自1995年以來，一直從事保護藍喉金剛鸚鵡的工作。
西班牙的羅洛˙巴克基金會是一個國際性的非盈利性組織，旨在促進鸚鵡保育、生物多樣性、環境以及永續發展，並且支持藍喉金剛鸚鵡保育計劃。
玻利維亞的阿摩尼亞協會是一個非營利性的鳥類保育組織，管理巴爾巴˙阿祖爾自然保護區。
一項由美國鳥類保育協會贊助的調查顯示，在貝尼草原的偏遠地帶發現了藍喉金剛鸚鵡一個發展良好的群聚，其中至少有80隻個體，尚未被盜獵者所盯上。這一個偏避的地區，橫跨了9個私人牧場，是世界上藍喉金剛鸚鵡密度最高的區域。
其中正好有一個農場要出售。幾個月內，世界土地信託以及美國鳥類保育協會籌募了資基金，在2008年為巴爾巴˙阿祖爾自然保護區買下了第一塊土地。
新擴建的保育區除了提供了研究金剛鸚鵡保育技術的場地，也做為金剛鸚鵡的棲地。研究人會為在巢箱旁設置監視器，進行放牧牛群的存在對於棲地再生影響的研究，並且探討金剛鸚鵡的棲地需求。阿摩尼亞正在規畫一個飛機能夠抵達的生態旅遊設施，以便金援這個計畫。
巴爾巴˙阿祖爾的西班牙文原意是藍鬍子，也是這種波利維亞地區鳥類的俗名。這個保護區同時也對其他生存受威脅鳥類進行保護，這裡也提供棲息地給美洲虎、野豬、美洲獅、大食蟻獸、草原鹿、黑凱門鱷和鬃狼。
In Columbia and in Bolivia, two rare and threatened bird species are now enjoying an increased measure of safety due to partnerships the Washington-based American Bird Conservancy has created with local environmentalists and scientists.
In Columbia, the Cerulean Warbler, one of the world's most threatened migratory birds, is benefitting from the work of Colombia's Fundacion ProAves and El Grupo Ceruleo. The groups have partnered with ABC to develop and publish a conservation plan for this bright blue songbird that flies from North America to South America every year.
And in Bolivia, habitat vital to the world's most endangered macaw surviving in the wild, the Blue-throated Macaw, has been purchased in a joint effort to expand a nature preserve by three conservation groups - American Bird Conservancy, Asociacion Armonia Bolivia and World Land Trust, US.
Cerulean Warbler Conservationists Reach Out to Coffee Growers
In summer, the Cerulean Warbler, Dendroica cerulea, breeds in the deciduous forests of the eastern United States and Canada. These brilliant blue songbirds migrate south to winter in their non-breeding range, the Andean montane forests of South America.
Conservationists are alarmed that Cerulean warblers have lost 80 percent of their population over the past 40 years due to habitat loss and fragmentation across the species' whole geographical range.
The clearing of forests for agriculture and cattle pasture and conversion of traditional shade-grown coffee plantations to sun coffee plantations are among the main threats to the Cerulean Warbler in its non-breeding range.
The new conservation plan, published in the journal "Conservacion Colombiana," relies on recent advances in the knowledge about the species' geographical distribution, survival, and ecology.
The partners intend to use economic and ecological tools, such as certification and economic incentives to reduce the loss of shade-grown coffee farms, to promote a protected areas network using the warbler as an umbrella species, and to restore and enhance habitats.
A pilot project in Colombia initiated by ABC and Fundacion ProAves demonstrates the potential for shade coffee and cacao plantings to provide habitat for Cerulean warblers.
The conservationists work with private land owners, encouraging them to maintain their lands as habitat for the warblers and other migrant and native species.
In the United States, the Cerulean Warbler is one of the species of highest concern because of its small total population size and decline throughout its range. The bird is under consideration for federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. Globally, the species is listed as Vulnerable by the authoritative IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Blue-throated Macaw Sheltered in Bolivia
The Blue-throated Macaw, Ara glaucogularis, is found in the wild only in the Beni Savannas of northwestern Bolivia. This complex ecosystem of grasslands, marshes, and forests is controlled by cattle ranchers who set fire to large areas for pastureland each year.
Now, more than 2,800 additional acres of savanna and rainforest will be protected as part of the existing Barba Azul Nature Preserve, which is enlarged to encompass 11,555 acres.
"The enlarged reserve now protects five important Motacu palm forest islands. The Blue-throated Macaw depends on the oil-rich fruit of this palm tree for its survival," Herrera explained.
The Armonia/Loro Parque Fundacion Blue-throated Macaw Conservation Program has been working to protect the Blue-throated Macaw since 1995.
The Loro Parque Fundacion of Spain is a nonprofit organization operating internationally to promote conservation of parrots, biodiversity, the environment and sustainable development, and supports the Blue-throated Macaw Conservation Program.
Asociacion Armonia is a Bolivian non-profit bird conservation organization that manages the Barba Azul Nature Reserve.
With funding from American Bird Conservancy, a survey of the most remote areas of the Beni Savannas found a thriving colony of Blue-throated Macaws, at least 80 in number, that had been overlooked by poachers. This isolated area, spanning nine private ranches, held the world's highest abundance of Blue-throated Macaws.
By coincidence one of these ranches was for sale. Within months, World Land Trust-US and American Bird Conservancy raised the funds and in 2008 acquired the first parcel of land for the Barba Azul Nature Reserve.
The newly expanded reserve provides a venue for actively researching conservation techniques for the macaw and the grassland habitat. Researchers will place and monitor nest boxes, conduct habitat regeneration studies comparing areas with and without cattle, and research habitat requirements of the macaw. Armonia is planning an ecotourism facility with access by airplane at the site to help support the project,
Barba Azul means blue beard in Spanish, and is the colloquial name for this endemic Bolivian bird. The preserve also protects other threatened bird species and provides habitat for jaguars, peccaries, pumas, giant anteaters, pampas deer, black caiman and maned wolves.
