Copán, Ruinas, Honduras.
10 specimens of the Honduran National Bird were released on Saturday in Macaw Mountain Park, located in Copán Ruinas, during seventh release of the stations that take place in the west of the country.
The event, coordinated by the PRO-ALAS Bird Protection Organization, Macaw Mountain Bird Park and the Honduras Country Brand, was conducted with a limited audience and a live broadcast on Honduran National Television and the organizers’ social networks.
Since 2011, at least 70 guara specimens have been released in the west of the country, where 1,000 years ago the bird was considered a deity by the Mayans. Four of these versions were in the Copán Mayan site, ie in the archeological area of the Mayan civilization, and two in the sacred valley of the Red Macaw, which includes the municipalities of Copán Ruinas, Santa Rita, Cabañas and San Jerónimo. ., in an area of at least 870 square kilometers.
Shelter for birds
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 locals.
Macaw Mountain began working with the Copán Ruinas community in 2011 to restore a population of red guar in the archeological park. The bird park and nature reserve has more than 15 years of commitment in direct ex situ conservation actions and a decade of responsibility in bird management, mainly guaras, parrots and parrots rehabilitated from confiscations, donations, births or others, to finish in viable and successful reintroductions and launches.
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To get a release requires groups of birds completely ready to fly. The six releases made in 2011 in Copán Ruinas took place through birds gradually accumulated from private donations, confiscations by government authorities such as the Institute of Forest Conservation (ICF), others from nests located in the sacred valley of Guara Red in Copán and in aviary on Macaw Mountain.
The sacred valley of the Red Guara is a statement of agreement between community leaders for the protection of the Red Guara and considered a sacred bird in the Mayan civilization, in addition to all species living in the Copán Valley in an area that includes 870 square kilometers. This agreement was signed between the mayors of the four municipalities: Copán Ruinas, Santa Rita, Cabañas and San Jerónimo, on April 11, 2016.
Support for the reintroduction of birds
Prior to its launch, the País Honduras brand signed for the second consecutive year the support given to the Center for Incubation and Assisted Reproduction (Cica), the first center of its kind in the country.
Cica is a joint effort between the Pro-Alas Bird Protection Organization, Macaw Mountain Bird Park, World Parrot Trust and has the support of the Welchez Foundation, Honduran Tourism Institute (IHT), Forest Conservation Institute (ICF), Honduran Institute of anthropology and history (Ihah) and Country Brand Honduras.
Macaw Mountain Founder and President of Pro-Alas, Lloyd Davidson, said that this organization is a direct consequence of the program to reintroduce red railway stations in the Copán Valley.
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“Flying macaques, due to their spectacular presence, have changed many things, including the experience of visitors to the archeological park, they even had their own festival (Guacamaya Fest),” he said.
“This is part of the efforts to promote tourism, biodiversity and national pride, such programs (for the release of birds) are very important for the country, because they involve the conservation of our species and are an attraction that adds to the history and cultural richness of Copán Ruinas.” , said the coordinator of the Honduras Country Brand, Luis René Suazo.
“It’s impressive to see and appreciate that these birds are better in the wild. The idea must always be to think of national birds as free birds, “said the official.