- Cueva de los Guácharos
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This article is about a Colombian national park. For the Venezuelan cave and national park in Monagas, see Cueva del Guácharo National Park .
Cueva de los Guacharos IUCN Category II (National Park)
(oilbird)
GuacharoLocation Departments of Huila and Caqueta, Colombia Nearest city Florencia, Caqueta, Colombia Coordinates 1°33′N 76°8′W / 1.55°N 76.133°WCoordinates: 1°33′N 76°8′W / 1.55°N 76.133°W Area 90.78 km² Established October 1960 Governing body SINAP The Cueva de los Guácharos National Park (spanish for cave of oilbirds), created in 1960, is the oldest of the 51 protected areas of Colombia. The park is located in the western face of the Colombian Eastern Andean Range (Cordillera Oriental) in the departments of Huila and Caquetá. It covers an area of 90 km2 corresponding to the karstic zones of the Magdalena and Caquetá Rivers.
The park is intended to protect the cloud forest and páramo ecosystems. This area hosts one of the last intact oak forests in the country (with the native oak species Quercus humboldtii, Bonpland, Fagaceae, and Colombobalanus excelsa, (Lozano, 1979)).
The park was named after the nocturnal guácharo bird (Steatornis caripensis, ordo Caprimulgiformes, family Steatornithidae), which lives in caves in the park.
Contents
Biodiversity
Cueva de los GuacharosCueva de los Guacharos (Colombia)
Spider monkeys (Ateles belzebuth)
Tapirus pinchaqueResearch to determine the exact number of species in the area is inadequate for a complete statement. Some recorded species are:
Mammals
Biodiversity in Cueva de los Guácharos Species family common name range conservation status Lagothrix lagotricha lugens (Humboldt) Cebidae/Atelinae churuco monkey High Amazon valley ? Cebus apella (Linné) Cebidae/Cebinae corn monkey Andes\Amazonas ? Ateles paniscus (Linné) (!) Cebidae/Atelinae marimonda mid and low Amazon valley (!) ? specie is maybe Ateles belzebuth Mazama americana (Erxleben) Cervidae/Odocoileinae páramo deer Neotropic ? Mazama rufina (Lesson) Cervidae/Odocoileinae páramo deer ? ? Pudu mephistophiles (De Winton) Cervidae/Odocoileinae rabbit deer North andean: N Ecuador- S Colombia ? Tapirus pinchaque (Roulin) Tapiridae páramo tapir North andean: N Ecuador- Colombia threatened Birds
To date there are 296 registered species in the park.
Environmental issues
Settlements for agriculture and cattle cause problems as well as the timber industry and hunting in the park grounds. Illegal crops such as coca and opium poppy (heroin) are cultivated illegally in the park.
References
- INDERENA, 1984. Colombia. Parques Nacionales. Fondo para la Protección del Medio Ambiente José Celestino Mutis. FEN Colombia. Bogotá. 264 pp.
- Grzimek, Bernhard, 1979. Tierleben. Enzyklopädie des Tierreiches. Band 4-13 (Fische, Lurche, Kriechtiere, Vögel und Säugetiere). DTV. München. ISBN 3-423-03206-5
External links
Protected areas of Colombia National parks Amacayacu · Chingaza · Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta · Cueva de los Guácharos · Doña Juana-Cascabel Volcanic Complex · El Tuparro · Farallones de Cali · Gorgona Island · Lake Iguaque · Las Hermosas · Los Katíos · Los Nevados · Munchique · Nevado del Huila · Old Providence McBean Lagoon · Puracé · Rosario and San Bernardo Corals · Serranía de los Churumbelos · Serranía de la Macarena · Serranía de Macuira · Sierra Nevada del Cocuy · Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta · Sumapaz · Tamá · Tayrona · YariguíesFlora and fauna sanctuaries Flora sanctuaries Unique natural area Los Estoraques Unique Natural AreaRoad parks Salamanca IslandCategories:- IUCN Category II
- Biosphere reserves of Colombia
- National parks of Colombia
- Protected areas established in 1960
- Huila Department
- Caquetá Department
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