Copán, Ruinas, Honduras.
10 copies of the National Bird of Honduras were released this Saturday in the parque Macaw Mountain, based in Copán Ruinas, during the seventh release of guaras that takes place in the west of the country.
The activity, coordinated by the Organization for the Protection of Birds PRO-ALAS, Macaw Mountain Bird Park and Marca País Honduras, was conducted with a limited audience and with a live broadcast via the National Television of Honduras and the social networks of the organizers. .
Since 2011, at least 70 specimens of guaras have been released in the west of the country, where the bird was considered a deity by the Maya 1,000 years ago. Four of these releases were at the Mayan site of Copán, that is, the archaeological zone of the Mayan civilization, and two in the sacred valley of the red macaw, covering the municipalities of Copán Ruinas, Santa Rita, Cabañas and San Jerónimo includes. ., in an area of at least 870 square kilometers.
Bird sanctuary
Macaw Mountain is a rescue, rehabilitation and release center for birds that has about 300 of them and is classified into 30 species, which are considered a national pride by the residents of the area.
Macaw Mountain began working with the community of Copán Ruinas in 2011 to restore a population of red guara in the archaeological park. The bird park and wildlife sanctuary has over 15 years of dedication to direct ex situ conservation actions and a decade of responsibility in the management of birds, mainly guaras, parrots and rehabilitated parakeets from seizures, donations, births or others, to become viable. and successful reintroductions and releases.
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To achieve a release, groups of birds are required completely ready to fly. The six releases since 2011 in Copán Ruinas were through birds gradually collected through private donations, seizures by government agencies such as the Forest Conservation Institute (ICF), others from nests in the Sacred Valley of Guara Red in Copán and in aviaries on Macaw Mountain .
The Sacred Valley of the Red Guara is an agreement between the leaders of the communities for the protection of the Red Guara and is considered a sacred bird in the Mayan civilization, in addition to all the species that live in the Copán Valley in an area that covers 870 square kilometers. This agreement was signed on April 11, 2016 between the mayors of the four municipalities: Copán Ruinas, Santa Rita, Cabañas and San Jerónimo.
Support in the reintroduction of birds
Prior to release, Marca País Honduras signed for the second consecutive year in support of the Center for Incubation and Assisted Breeding (Cica), the first center of its kind in the country.
The Cica is a collaborative effort coordinated by the bird conservation organization Pro-Alas, the Macaw Mountain Bird Park, the World Parrot Trust and has the support of the Welchez Foundation, the Honduran Institute of Tourism (IHT), the Forest Conservation Institute (ICF), the Honduran Institute of Anthropology and History (Ihah) and Country Brand Honduras.
The founder of Macaw Mountain and president of Pro-Alas, Lloyd Davidson, said this organization is a direct result of the red guara reintroduction program in the Copán Valley.
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“The flying macaws, due to their spectacular presence, have changed a lot of things, including the visitors’ experience at the archaeological park, they even had their own festival (Guacamaya Fest),” he said.
“This is part of the effort to promote tourism, biodiversity and national pride, programs like this one (for the release of birds) are very important to the country as they preserve our species and represent an attraction that is added to the history and cultural richness of Copán Ruinas ”, confirmed the coordinator of Marca País Honduras, Luis René Suazo
“It is impressive to see and appreciate that these birds are better off in the wild. The idea should always be to consider the national bird as free birds, ”said the official.