Registro notable de Egretta caerulea (Pelecaniformes: Ardeidae) en el departamento de Tarija, Bolivia

Gabriela Yissel Lima Gorena; Anahi Cosky Paca Condori

doi:10.30550/j.azl/2316

Authors

Gabriela Yissel Lima Gorena Programa de conservación de Hábitats y Biodiversidad “COHABITA”, Rancho Sud S/N, Tarija, Bolivia https://orcid.org/0009-0004-7750-9101
Anahi Cosky Paca Condori Asociación Boliviana para la Conservación de las Aves “Aves Bolivianas”, Doble vía La Guardia, Barrio 23 de diciembre, Pasillo Camiri s/n, Santa Cruz, Bolivia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3560-490X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30550/j.azl/2316

Keywords:

Ardeidae, record, distribution, inter-Andean dry valleys, Guadalquivir

Abstract

The first record of the Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) in the inter-Andean dry valleys ecoregion of the Tarija Department, Bolivia, is documented aiming to provide information on the distribution of the species in high-Andean environments. The record corresponds to an individual observed on July 14, 2021, along the banks of the
Guadalquivir River, in an environment associated with the urban area of the city of Tarija. The identification was based on direct observation and supported by photographic evidence, allowing confirmation of the species using diagnostic morphological characters. This finding expands
the known distribution of E. caerulea in Bolivia, where it has been mainly reported in lowland regions (150–300 m a.s.l.), with scarce records at higher elevations, including ranges between 2560 and 3720 m a.s.l. In this context, the present record represents one of the few documented occurrences for the Tarija Department and provides evidence of the
species in inter-Andean aquatic environments. These results highlight the importance of high-Andean water bodies as potential habitats for aquatic birds and emphasize the need to strengthen monitoring efforts in regions with information gaps.

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