My hummingbird of the day... the Juan Fernández Firecrown. This bird is endemic to the island where Alexander Selkirk was marooned in the early 1700s. His story was later the basis for the novel "Robinson Crusoe" by Daniel Defoe. Isla Robinson Crusoe is part of the Juan Fernández islands off the coast of Chile. This Firecrown is in trouble and is considered Critically Endangered. The global population of this species less then 3,000 mature individuals and decreasing rapidily. The clearance and degradation of vegetation by humans since the late 16th century and the impacts of herbivorous mammals (especially rabbits introduced in the 1930s) has limited the availability, quantity and quality of food resources. Habitat quality is also being degraded by the spread and dominance of invasive plants. Introduced predators, such as rats, cats and coatis, have been implicated in the mortality of some birds and may be responsible in part for its decline. Cats have been well documented killing firecrowns in town during the non-breeding season. The Juan Fernández Islands were designated as a national park in 1935 (protected from 1967) and an UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1977. The Chilean government began restoring habitat in 1997, and the islands have been nominated for World Heritage listing. Conservation is being led by the Juan Fernández Islands Conservancy, with support from the American Bird Conservancy, Conservation International, the Hummingbird Society, the Jeniam Foundation, and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Key activities which have already taken place are: the hiring of two island residents as project coordinators; control of invasive plants and herbivores (including volunteer programs for island residents to participate in invasive plant removal), which appears to increase nesting success of the species; invasive predator control (including cat control in the town on Robinson Crusoe); habitat restoration in native forest; a community outreach program aimed at engaging local people and including environmental education programs for local schoolchildren; as well as population surveys and monitoring of active nests, phenology and reproductive success. Rendered in Poser 2012 without postwork. Gladiolus (Xfrog Flowers) and J.F. Firecrown (Me/Songbird ReMiz hummingbirds of the Americas).