conservation
yellow cardinal
The Yellow Cardinal (Gubernatrix cristata) is endemic to South America: its range is restricted to small portions of southern Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina, where it inhabits open forests and scrublands.
Its colourful plumage and melodious song have historically made it a prey for illegal trade as a cage bird, generating strong pressure and a dramatic decline in its populations.
It is estimated that in Argentina there are only between 1000 and 2000 individuals of this species left. These worrying figures have led to the Yellow Cardinal being categorised as ‘in danger of extinction’ (Resolution SAyDS 348/2010) at national level.
In Entre Ríos the species was declared a Natural Monument in 2002, with Decree 4933/02 of the Directorate of Fisheries and Natural Resources.
yellow cardinal alliance
Thanks to the presence of large areas of open forest and espinal woodland, the El Potrero Reserve has the privilege of being within the distribution area of this species. For this reason, some years ago we collaborated with different organisations and institutions in the conservation of the Yellow Cardinal, to protect the populations of Entre Ríos, helping mainly in the rehabilitation of individuals kidnapped from illegal trafficking for their subsequent release.
The Alianza Cardenal Amarillo Entre Ríos, of which we are an active part, works as a network to rescue, rehabilitate and strengthen the wild populations of this species. Formed by the Temaikèn Foundation, the Asociación Aves Argentinas, the Dirección de Áreas Naturales de Entre Ríos, the INTA Diamante and the Reserva El Potrero, it works in a coordinated way in the province and together with its counterpart in the province of Buenos Aires to conserve this species.
