IN THE NEWS - Guyana Birding News Vol 3
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New Species of Nightjar Discovered
From his home in the North Rupununi village of Yupukari, Guyana guide, naturalist and explorer Ashley Holland discovered a new species of bird for Guyana. Based on his sighting and recording, the Smithsonian Institute was able to positively identify the bird as the Santa Marta Nightjar (Caprimulgus heterurus).
While Guyana’s bird list continues to grow, you can now download the recently updated version (minus the Nightjar) of the Smithsonian Institute’s A Field Checklist of the Birds of Guyana from our website at www.guyanabirding.com/trellis/Checklists.
Important Bird Areas Programme Launched in Guyana
The Important Bird Area (IBA) Programme of BirdLife International is a global initiative that aims to identify, document and protect a network of critical sites for the conservation of the world’s birds. IBAs are selected according to internationally agreed scientific criteria concerning: 1). Globally threatened species, 2). Restricted-range species, 3). Assemblages of biome-restricted species, and 4). Congregatory species. IBAs are intended to be practical tools for conservation, large enough to support self-sustaining populations of the trigger species, but small enough that they can be managed for conservation. In March 2007, BirdLife launched a coordinated regional programme to inventory IBAs in the Guianas, supported by the Dutch Government (DGIS), the Jensen Foundation, US Fish and Wildlife Service and Vogelbescherming (BirdLife in the Netherlands), and due to be completed in June 2008. In Guyana, the IBA programme is being coordinated by the Guyana Amazon Tropical Bird Society. For more information, contact Andy Narine: guyanabirds_society@yahoo.com or Rob Clay: rob.clay@birdlife.org
Guyana Exhibits at the British Birdwatching Fair
Representatives from the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) – United States Agency for International Development (USAID) / Guyana Trade and Investment Support (GTIS) Birding Tourism Program have recently returned from this year’s British Birdwatching Fair (BBWF), which took place in Rutland Waters, England from August 17–19.
This year, Guyana’s birds and other natural highlights were being touted at two separate booths, one sponsored by the Birding Tourism Program and the other sponsored by Greenheart Trust, a conservation organization that works in Guyana. (The Greenheart Trust booth won the second place award in the conservation category.)
Guyana was also highlighted in two separate presentations. The first was made by Justin de Freitas, President of the South Rupununi Conservation Society, who spoke on the population of the rare Red Siskin in Guyana (see this issue’s Featured Bird) and the society’s efforts to protect it. Tony Thorne of Wilderness Explorers and Iwokrama Forest Ranger, Ron Allicock also gave a presentation titled, “Guyana: South America’s Hot New Birding Destination.”
The Birding Tourism Program also co-sponsored a barbeque with Trinidad and Tobago, where 60 guests learned about the different birding experiences in the nearby Caribbean countries. Guyana’s involvement at the BBWF is detailed in several press releases that can be downloaded at the Press Releases: 2007 section of our website.
Guyana’s Birds Featured in Several Articles
Besides the tradeshow appearances, Guyana’s birds have also been popping up in articles in a variety of different publications. An article titled, “Cotinga Central,” appeared in the February 2007 issue Birdwatch magazine, and the same author, Simon Papps also wrote a piece titled, “The Wildlife and Birds of Guyana,” for the website WildlifeExtra.com. Tim Earl wrote a piece on Guyana’s birds called “Rainforest Supermodels” for the Guernsey Press and Star and Chris Collins penned the article, “Guyana: South America’s Overlooked Birding Destination,” for Neotropical Birding magazine.
Two tour operators also decided to feature Guyana in their publications. Journey Latin America published the story “Birding in Guyana,” in Papagaio and Abercrombie & Kent ran a story called, “The World’s Last Wilderness” in a recent issue of Sundowner.
Future stories on Guyana’s birds are also set to appear in the next issue of Birds Illustrated, and the American Birding Association publication Winging It is also going to publish an article on Guyana.
For more information on recently published articles on birdwatching in Guyana, including links to some in their entirety, please visit the Guyana in the News section of the Guyana Birding website.
Guyana Guidebook to be Released
In another media-related, but not entirely bird-focused piece of news, Bradt Travel Guides is getting set to release a Guyana guidebook. The guidebook includes chapters on Guyana’s history, the local people and culture, natural history (with a special section on birds) and all the details to make traveling through South America’s overlooked country a bit easier. The book was authored by Kirk Smock and is scheduled for a publication date of December in the UK (US publication will be in January). For more information see www.bradtguides.com; advanced copies are also on sale through many online bookstores.
Many Top Tour Operators Introduce Guyana Tours
It seems that all of the media, trade show appearances, and attention garnered by the Birding Tourism Program has caught the attention of some of the world’s finest birdwatching and nature-based tour operators. Excited about Guyana’s growing status as a great neotropical birding destination, several international tour operators have introduced new tours to Guyana. Ornitholidays, The Travelling Naturalist, Tropical Birding, Birding Ecotours, Victor Emmanuel Nature Tours and Ecoventures have all created new tours to Guyana. And it seems that they’re proving to be popular. Ornitholidays reported that their first tour to Guyana sold out within a week of them advertising it and a waiting list has been established for a possible second tour in 2008. To view all of the new itineraries, and those already being offered by other tour operators, visit: http://www.guyanabirding.com/trellis/International_Operators.
ABA and RSPB Support Guyana’s Birding Guide Development
In an effort to help promote birdwatching and conservation within Guyana, several programs have donated equipment to local guides and programs. The American Birding Association (ABA) Birders Exchange donated new, high-quality binoculars and a scope and tripod to the Guyana Amazon Tropical Birding Society (GATBS).
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) Second-hand Binocular Scheme also donated 24 pairs of binoculars and three scopes that will be divided between the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development and the GATBS.
Many of the participants that have been coming on the Guyana Birding Tourism Program product familiarization tours have also brought and donated several sets of binoculars, scopes and field guides to Guyana’s birdwatching guides.
Furthering the development of Guyana’s local birdwatching guides, Iwokrama Ranger, Ron Allicock, will be participating in the ABA Birders Exchange/ Massachusetts Audubon Society international guide training internship in August 2008.
Guyana Birding Tourism Program Announces Fourth Familiarization Tour
Following on the heels of the three very successful product familiarization trips organized by the Birding Tourism Program in 2006 and 2007, a fourth is planned for early November 2007. The trip will include representatives from National Audubon Society’s travel division, the Massachusetts Audubon Society and American Birding Association publications.
We here at Guyana Birding News realize that some of our readers are only now beginning to become familiar with Guyana, so to help with your pre-trip planning and geographical knowledge, we are recommending an excellent map of Guyana. The Guyana Map, published by International Travel Maps, has a colorful, detailed travel map of Guyana on one side, and a map of the Guianas (Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana) on the opposite side. The map is widely available at bookstores and can also be found at www.itmb.com.
