With fewer than a thousand mature individuals remaining in the wild, the Titicaca grebe (Rollandia microptera) depends entirely on the lake, which is now affected by introduced species, fishing nets, the burning of totora reeds, and drought. Unlike other grebes, it evolved small wings and a reduced sternum. In a lake without major natural predators for thousands of years, flying ceased to be necessary.

Apurímac-born artist Tayta Bird recorded the sound of this critically threatened species. During the recording, he discovered that several birds were singing in synchrony and tuned to the key of A major, a finding that transformed the experience into a musical piece and an act of sonic memory. 

The grebe, an endemic species of Lake Titicaca, appears on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is classified as critically endangered. It is estimated that fewer than a thousand mature individuals remain in the wild.

The threats are multiple. The introduction of commercial fish species has altered the ecosystem and reduced the bird’s food availability. This is compounded by fishing nets in which it becomes trapped, the burning of totora reed beds where it nests, and drought that affects water levels.

Adapted for skilled diving thanks to the rear placement of its legs, the grebe struggles to walk on land and cannot fly. Its fate depends entirely on the highest navigable lake in the world.

In this context emerges “Mi casita en el lago,” a song now available on digital platforms. The work incorporates the bird’s real recording and invites reflection on the fragility of high-Andean ecosystems and human responsibility for their deterioration.

Tayta Bird, creator of what he calls “futurist folklore,” returned to the hamlet of Chullcay in Uripa, the land of his musician grandparents; from there he reaffirmed an idea: in the Andes, art also fulfills a social role—it accompanies, sustains, and gives strength in difficult times.