The Yellow-Spotted Margota
editavies xanthopunctata
The yellow-spotted margotas are a group of small often colorful passerine birds with yellowish distinctive patterns around their small frames. Their natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes. They can only thrive in Argentina, Brazil, and are found most prominently in Paraguay.
It is likely that this group originated in northern Central America, which remains with the greatest diversity and numbers of species. From thence they spread north during the interglacial periods, mainly as migrants, returning to the ancestral region in winter. This species belongs to the order Passeriformes and the family Emberizidae.
They are seed-eating birds with a distinctively shaped bill for this purpose. In recent years, it has been discovered that the pesticide, DDT (Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane), has been used to protect Paraguayan agriculture. The use of this potent poison was prohibited by the Paraguayan government around a decade ago, due to the harmful effects it caused on the consumers of their produce. However, the poor farmers (Paraguay has an annual per capita GDP of $4,555) cannot meet the expenses of the proposed healthy alternatives of pest control. Since margotas are very small creatures, their systems cannot even tolerate the miniscule amount of DDT that has been transferred to their food from the Paraguayan crop system1. The population of these margotas has been decreasing at an alarming rate due to this poisoning. The once abundant species is now severely depleted, and in danger of extinction.
1 www.savethemargotas.blogspot.com