>> FEATURE LOCAL GUIDES The importance of local bird guides Sarah Stewart

In the first of a series of articles by conservationists at the National Audubon Society, we learn about the US-based organisation’s programme to train local bird guides in and beyond.

ver three days in April 2016, whilst in on the importance of in their areas and northern Guatemala, I saw four particularly trains local guides. This made my limited birding O exciting species of bird thanks to local bird time all the more precious—thus raising the guides. Two species—Great Curassow Crax rubra stakes if I wanted to see some or all of Petén’s and Great Tinamou Tinamus major—sparked most exciting birds. This visit, however, exceeded my interest because of their global threat status my expectations—thanks, in large part, to the (Vulnerable and Near Threatened respectively) and company I held: local bird guides-in-training. because of their typically elusive behaviour (partly In an unfamiliar environment (such as a a response to escape human hunters). The other foreign country or even a new part of one’s own two species were unusual (and thus exhilarating) country), even the best birder may encounter some because their migratory routes do not always difficulty spotting birds or interpreting calls. In my include stopovers in Guatemala: Scarlet Tanager view (and that of Audubon), local bird guides are Piranga olivacea and Dickcissel Spiza americana. invaluable in such circumstances: they are the best Just like many of you, I suspect, I might have been conduits to the birds of an area—an investment willing to pay US$1,500 for a one-week visit to well worth the financial outlay. see these birds as components of a much longer Like any profession, there is clearly a spectrum trip list. However, on this occasion, the sightings of in-country bird guides. At one end there are and the local bird guides, came free, because keen novices, perhaps with very little specific I was making a field visit to monitor a bird- bird knowledge and no English language skills. At based tourism project of the National Audubon the other end, there are fluent English-speaking Society (Audubon, a United States-based bird- birding experts, who are furthering ornithological conservation organisation). A lifer or two for free, understanding of their country or pursuing whilst working: what’s not to like?! conservation projects as well as guiding foreign tourists. The former will usher you and ensure Seeing El Petén’s star birds your safety, while the latter will help you get the A Guatemalan department well known for high- lifers and share some insights on local culture quality birding, El Petén harbours more than during rest stops. Little wonder that the big bird- 300 species. These include highly sought-after tour companies, with operations in numerous regional endemics, such as Ocellated Turkey countries, make a beeline for such guides’ services. Meleagris ocellata (Near Threatened), Yucatan yucatanicus and Grey-throated Chat Audubon is training local bird Granatellus sallaei, migratory birds that spend all or part of the winter in Guatemala such as Golden- guides winged Warbler Vermivora chrysoptera (Near Over the past year, Audubon’s International Threatened), birds in transit that use the area as Alliances Program has been implementing a bird- a critical stopover on their way south in autumn based tourism initiative funded by the Multilateral or north in spring such as Blackburnian Warbler Investment Fund (FOMIN) of the Inter-American Setophaga fusca, plus charismatic resident birds Development Bank (IDB). The Program includes such as Orange-breasted Falcon Falco deiroleucus a strong focus on training community members (Near Threatened). living in and around Important Bird and I spent most of my visit to El Petén working— Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) in Guatemala, Belize, monitoring the progress of an Audubon The Bahamas and Paraguay to be bird guides. conservation project focused on sustainable The areas where this project focuses are some livelihoods, which educates local communities of the most threatened ecosystems within the

20 Neotropical Birding 19 BASIC VS ADVANCED LEVEL GUIDES

Basic-level guide Advanced-level guide Community level tour guide certified in his/her country to work National or regional level tour guide certified in his/her in a single location or defined area near their community; country; Minimal English for communicating, but knows bird names in Fluent or advanced level English; English for most commonly seen species; Works independently or with tour operator; Less than 5 years birding experience; At least 5 years guiding tour groups of birders; Usually guides casual birders on day trips or accompanies an Can guide multi-day tour groups of casual or hard-core birders. advanced guide with more experienced birders. selected countries. Habitat loss represents the main threat for the globally threatened species that CONTRACTING AN AUDUBON- are found within the IBAs at the selected project TRAINED BIRD GUIDE sites. In Guatemala, deforestation in the Maya Petén Birders Club comprises some of the best bird Forest, the largest tropical rainforest north of the guides from across El Petén in northern Guatemala. Amazon Basin, stretching across Belize, northern They have, on average, 10 years’ experience Guatemala and through ’s Yucatan guiding tourists in nature / Mayan archaeology Peninsula, continues at an alarming rate, with up and seven years’ experience birdwatching; almost to 11% being lost annually (Bray et al. 2008). all are fluent in English. Most Club members took Using a curriculum created by Audubon National Audubon’s advanced bird guide course. experts, regional professional guides and local Petén Birders Club can set up tours for individuals partners (Bahamas National Trust, Belize or groups (www.petenbirdersclub.com; e-mail: info@ Audubon Society, Vivamos Mejor, Wildlife petenbirdersclub.com). Conservation Society–Guatemala, and Guyra Paraguay), each country is committed to improving local conservation capacity for birds through bird-based tourism by training guides to on a bird then getting all nine fellow classmates either ‘basic’ or ‘advanced’ levels (see box above), onto it within one minute. plus educating and engaging communities. The I joined course members on a short afternoon mission is two-fold: to produce incentives for walk in the world-renowned Parque Nacional conservation by creating economic opportunities Tikal, where most of the trainees guide regularly. through bird-based tourism and to increase Tipped off about a Black-and-white Owl Ciccaba community members’ awareness of the economic nigrolineata hanging around nearby, we went in importance of birds and the habitats that support search of it. With the guides’ awareness of the them. Over the long term, and on a large scale, overall area as well as specific knowledge of some revenue generated from bird-based tourism favourite owl resting areas in this dense forest, can secure the position of birds on the political it didn’t take long to encounter this stunning and economic agenda of these countries, as it nightbird by day. It is hard to walk away from an has already done in Costa Rica, Ecuador and owl, but the guides suggested that we do since it elsewhere. might have been nesting—implementing ethics for birding that they had learned during their course. Birding at Tikal with Despite being Guatemala’s most-visited National Park, Tikal’s crowds thin out by late Guatemala’s guides April—the end of the dry season and after the Part of my field visit included witnessing the very busy Semana Santa (Holy Week). We were final session of the advanced bird-guide course fortunate to be the only people on the main path in El Petén. With an average of 10 years guiding when one of the guides spotted a Great Tinamou and seven years birding, the trainees (all of next to a large trunk about 6 m off the path. whom are members of Petén Birders Club; www. The dingy grey-brown bird merged with the petenbirdersclub.com) are already accomplished in similarly dusky forest floor. This large, terrestrial their profession. For them, progress is at the level species may be neither fancy nor colourful, but of ‘nuances’ in bird calls and customer service. An an encounter with it is unwaveringly precious. example would be mastering the genus Empidonax Accordingly, we were delighted that the tinamou or taking turns setting up and getting a telescope held its position for several minutes before striding

Neotropical Birding 19 21 >> FEATURE LOCAL BIRD GUIDES

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1 Ocellated Turkey Meleagris ocellata, a colourful and Near Threatened regional endemic, is easily seen at Tikal (John Sterling). 2 Yucatan Jay Cyanocorax yucatanicus (John Sterling). Not so readily seen, this regional endemic inhabits the bajos, seasonally flooded forests of the Yucatán. 3 Grey-throated Chat Granatellus sallaei (Carlos 5 Echeverría) occurs in dry forests in Belize, Guatemala and Mexico. 4 The eerie, drawn-out call of Great Tinamou Tinamus major (John Cahill) is regularly heard early or late in the day (or at night), but seeing this Near Threatened species is a different matter. Thanks to local guides, we succeeded! 5 Bird guides from Petén Birders Club checking out Tikal’s ‘magic tree’ (Sarah Stewart). Almost all are fluent in English, and most Club members have taken Audubon’s advanced bird-guide course.

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6 Yaxhá Mayan ruins where Audubon trains guides such as Moisés Pérez Díaz (Sarah Stewart). Yaxhá is the second most visited Mayan ruins in the Petén, and also a RAMSAR site. 7 The guides’ local knowledge helped us track down a day-roosting (and possibly breeding) Black-and- white Owl Ciccaba nigrolineata (Greg Lavaty; www. texastargetbirds.com). 8 Giant Cowbird Molothrus oryzivorus is a regular visitor to the ‘magic tree’ at Tikal. This bird (of the nominate subspecies rather than the impacificus of Guatemala) was photographed along the Transpantaneira, Mato Grosso, Brazil, August 2008 (James Lowen; jameslowen.com) 9 9 Rufous-tailed Jacamar Galbula ruficauda, Transpanteira, Mato Grosso, Brazil, September 2008 10 (James Lowen; jameslowen.com). This bird (albeit of the subspecies melanogeia) lends colour to birding at Uaxactún. 10 Advanced-level guides in Guatemala are expected to master the genus Empidonax, one example of which is Acadian Flycatcher Empidonax virescens, which migrates through the country. This bird was photographed at Dungeness, Kent, UK, in September 2015 (James Lowen; jameslowen.com).

Neotropical Birding 19 23 >> FEATURE LOCAL BIRD GUIDES silently away. Enthralled, I remained crouched until the last feather disappeared into the distance. Granted, Great Tinamou has a large distributional range and is often heard in tropical forests, but actually setting eyes on one is nevertheless unusual. Given that tinamous are often hunted, they are rarely seen near human settlements. The local guides from El Petén are so highly attuned to Tikal’s forest environment that they filter every sound and know every corner along the trail where a particular species might be hiding out. Accordingly, despite our group numbering double figures, individual guides were able to spot birds and point them out before they were spooked. The following day, the group of guides decided to take a look at their favourite ‘magic tree’ near the central plaza of the Tikal Mayan ruins, CASE STUDY: MOISÉS PÉREZ DÍAZ and took me along. In April, the tree is usually flowering. At such a time it typically attracts 20–30 Hailing from Jobompiche in the Guatemalan bird species, such as Blue Cyanocompsa parellina, department of El Petén, Moisés Pérez Díaz (pictured) Indigo Passerina cyanea and Painted Passerina has worked more than half his life as a park guard at ciris (Near Threatened) buntings, Red-legged Parque Nacional Yaxhá–Nakúm–Naranjo and eight Honeycreeper Cyanerpes cyaneus, Giant Cowbird years as a community tour guide. An enthusiastic Molothrus oryzivorus, Tennessee Leiothlypis participant on Audubon’s basic-level bird-guide course peregrina, Chestnut-sided Setophaga pensylvanica in Yaxhá in 2015, Moisés will easily transition to bird and Golden-winged warblers. guiding. This will add value to his current repertoire of On our way to the magic tree, one of the knowledge in Mayan archaeology and wildlife of the course instructors kept saying: “Do you hear that? Reserva de la Biósfera Maya. Do you hear that?” I confess that I couldn’t hear a Moisés is a strong believer in utilising his new thing. He imitated a very low, dull grunt. I could knowledge to increase income opportunities for hear many other birds calling in the forest, but not himself and his family and also in sharing what he has any low notes. He assured me there was something learned with his community so they are also aware of special calling in the distance. The group of guides the importance of birds to the environment. “I liked and the other instructor all agreed and I trusted the Audubon bird guide training course, because it them. Despite being able to identify common will strengthen my service as a community guide in species in this type of subtropical forest, I am not Yaxhá”, he says. “If we have bird tourism here, we familiar with all the calls. These guides have spent will have more work, more jobs. Awareness of birds is many years in this and other forests of the Petén, important—not only working in tourism but also in my not only guiding but also doing scientific research community to convey the importance of birds so that in some cases. They know avian vocalisations well others also get involved. If we don’t kill birds, we can and can distinguish the variety of tones with ease. keep an equilibrium and benefit economically.” Then a guide spotted some movement and a flash of yellow up high in the forest branches. The colour was the characteristic bill knob of a male Great Curassow perched way up on a broken warblers. The guides led us to one of the adjacent branch! As with the Great Tinamou, hunting Mayan ruins. Here we perched on a precarious pressure in the Petén means that Great Curassows ledge that was at a great height. From here we are rarely seen at close range or near inhabited could get a long look at the tree in all its glory. areas. Seeing this cracid up high was a reminder to I would never have known about this particular look at all levels in the forest for movement, even tree had it not been for our local guides. Although for birds that one primarily associates with the close to the main plaza, the particular ruin on ground. Again, without local guides, I might have which we were sitting was not well visited. missed out. Something even better came next; a great We continued to the ‘magic tree’; it did not surprise. One of the guides was scanning treetops disappoint. It was dripping with tanagers and towering above adjacent nearby ruins and spotted

24 Neotropical Birding 19 something different. The guides got the scope on in the perceived ‘value’ of common versus rare the bird and realised that it was a scarce passage birds. By understanding birding tourists’ needs migrant for the Atlantic slope of Guatemala—a (which typically relate to seeing rare birds), this Dickcissel. Amazingly, there was not just one—but continuously improving body of guides is rapidly a flock of 35. For some guides, it was a lifer and for understanding how having birds accessible to others, it was only their second or third encounter visitors might translate into income for them and with this Neotropical migrant. Thoroughly their communities. And, of course, comprehending satisfied, the guides congratulated each other that protecting their forests is integral to that and returned back to the visitor centre to take revenue stream. their final exam. Birding immediately before a professional examination? That’s playing it cool! Audubon and bird tourism Although I didn’t personally pay for seeing Guides at Uaxactún some exciting species, or indeed the 100 or so Two of the ‘advanced’ guides, a colleague and I other species that complemented them, during continued to Uaxactún, a lesser known Mayan site my visit to El Petén, I was reassured about the around 45 minutes’ drive north of Tikal. Here we opportunities that birds, and local birding guides aimed to see how some recently trained basic-level in particular, provide for getting ecotourist dollars bird guides were getting on. into nature conservation. Audubon’s bird-tourism Although less experienced, this particular program in Guatemala, Belize, The Bahamas group of aspiring guides resides within the Reserva and Paraguay is trying to explain the potential de la Biósfera Maya and thus has on-site birding economic value of birds to local communities. opportunities all day, every day, very close to Bird-guiding and related services provide tangible home. One morning, we went birding without supporting evidence. Meanwhile, for you, as a any particular objective in mind. While taking a birder, being accompanied by a local bird guide short break on a low Mayan ruin, we saw a red can enhance your experience and, hopefully, your bird on the top of a sparsely leaved large tree way life list. in the distance. One of the advanced guides took a Over the next few issues of Neotropical closer look and pointed out the dark wings to the Birding, Audubon’s bird-based tourism initiative aspiring guides. Again there was no doubt—this will transport you to some new birding sites in The was a Scarlet Tanager. Like the Dickcissel, this is Bahamas, Belize, Guatemala and Paraguay. Along an uncommon migrant in this part of Guatemala. the way, we will introduce you to some of the new The local community guides that recently finished professional bird guides and the high-value birds the basic level course could have dismissed it as a that excite them. Summer Tanager Piranga rubra, very common in this area. The advanced guide did not. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Throughout the next two days, we spotted I thank the Petén Birders Club and local bird guides in several uncommon species, such as Yucatan Uaxactún who made my visit to El Petén so enjoyably Flycatcher Myiarchus yucatanensis, Rose-throated ‘birdy’, photographers who contributed images that Tanager Piranga roseogularis and Double-toothed accompany this article, and colleagues (notably Matt Jeffery and Maki Tazawa) who commented on earlier Kite Harpagus bidentatus. The supporting cast drafts of this article. comprised many more common colourful species such as Red-legged Honeycreeper, Baltimore REFERENCES Oriole Icterus galbula, Yellow-winged Tanager Bray, D. B., Duran, E., Ramos, V. H., Mas, J.-F., Velazquez, Thraupis abbas, Black-headed Trogon Trogon A., McNab, R. B., Barry, D. & Radachowsky, J. (2008) melanocephalus, and Rufous-tailed Jacamar Tropical deforestation, community forests, and Galbula ruficauda. protected areas in the Maya Forest. Ecol. and Soc. It was clear that the basic-level guides 13(2): 56. benefited from interaction with the advanced- level guides who accompanied my colleague SARAH STEWART and me. The more experienced pair served as International Alliances Program, National mentors for the lower-level guides. The latter Audubon Society, 1200 18th St., NW, Suite 500, also learned by observing. By gauging the level of Washington, DC 20036, USA interest of the advanced guides in certain birds, E-mail: [email protected] the basic-level guides are learning differences Website: www.audubon.org/conservation/international

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