Enthusiasts in Guyana and abroad can now take their bird watching experiences taken to a higher level following yesterday’s launching of a publication titled Birds of Essequibo – a Checklist.
The launching was held at the Ministry of Tourism, where it was stated that because of its size and light weight, it is anticipated that the publication will serve as the ideal tool for any bird-watching enthusiast, enabling them to not only locate, but keep track of the birds.
According to Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) Indranauth Haralsingh, “this publication was a long time coming,” and is a culmination several years of work undertaken by several organizations interested and actively involved in building this sector. Some of the stakeholders included the Ministry of Tourism (MOT), the GTA, the Guyana Amazon Tropical Birds Society (GATBS) and the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG). He said the publication “is an integral part of the development of the Essequibo tourism circuit…”
Asked about the cost to produce such a publication as well as execute the marketing being talked about, Haralsingh answered that it was “tens of thousands of US dollars,” but was unable to give a specific amount. This, he said, was because much of what was done was in partnership with resorts and airlines which provided lodging and travel for international marketers, as well as costs for the actual creation of the checklist.
“Guyana is home to approximately 900 bird species, 600 of which are found in the Essequibo,” said Haralsingh. As such, “this effort will enable the promotion of Essequibo as a product, as businesses found here, more specifically the resorts and other tourist destinations, stand to benefit significantly.”
Amira Resort and Tours, Baganara Island Resort, Lake Mainstay Resort, Shanklands Rainforest Resort and White Water/Baracara Falls were just a few of the resorts, which realized the positive impact increased bird watching can have on their businesses and invested in the creation of the checklist.
Gajendra Nauth Narine, a Conservationist and member of the GATBS was responsible for the construction of the list. According to Narine, the resorts paid for him and his team to go to their locations and make a list of all the bird species found in that area. It was the data collected from the 11 tourist destinations that were compiled to make Birds of Essequibo – a Checklist.
Narine conveyed that he was honoured to build the checklist, stating that Essequibo is a unique birding destination and that Guyana can benefit tremendously from this initiative. He cautioned, however, that the maintenance of this sector must go hand in hand with its exploitation. Birding in itself is eco-friendly as none of the birds are caught, or killed. However, he mentioned that if this is not done in an environmentally conscious manner resources could still be damaged. As such he highlighted the need for competent tour guides who know and appreciate the significance of these resources.
He said, “well trained tour guides are important as an inexperienced [or] ignorant tour guide may damage the product and diminish the experience….” He also stated that individuals, especially those native to those areas had to be convinced not to destroy the bird habitats since this may spell destruction for the birds as well.
It was stated that other areas, such as the Botanical Gardens (the largest bird sanctuary in the world) are also very important. Georgetown has approximately 284 species of birds, many of which are favourites of bird watchers and can easily be found in the Botanical Gardens.
Guyana is now seen as a birding hotspot and Haralsingh attributes the growth of this sector to the fact that it “is being aggressively marketed as a bird watcher’s paradise especially to overseas markets… We have approximately 35-40 international companies, Avian Adventures, Bird Quest, Clipper Cruise Lines and Wild Wings for example, selling Guyana in this capacity.”
Last month, Guyana was represented at the annual British Bird Watching Fair from August 17 19, which enabled stakeholders to reinforce its position as a paradise for professional and amateur birders. There are several reasons why Guyana has grown in this capacity, crucial among them is the fact it is home to several birds on the globally threatened and vulnerable species lists. Incidentally, these birds, such as the Harpy Eagle (world’s largest eagle), the Cock of the Rock and the Canje Pheasant (Guyana’s National Bird) are endemic to the Guyana Shield and the Amazon Basin. Guyana also serves a temporary home for neo-tropical migratory birds arriving from Canada and United States, as well as species migrating from several other parts of the world.
Bird watching is the fastest growing outdoor activity in America, sporting a support base of approximately 51.3 million who spend about US$2.5billion, said Haralsingh, in an effort to sate their appetite for the activity. Although in Guyana companies carry out 25-30 tours on a yearly basis and rake in $100 million to $168 million annually, he expressed optimism that there is much potential for growth. However, if this is to be done effectively, then all Guyanese have a part to play.
According to Narine, bird watchers also have an interest in the areas where the birds reside, as such, since Guyanese are supposed to be specialists on Guyana, sharing knowledge of the areas with the bird watchers will only serve to enhance the experience, and by extension, increase the appeal of Guyana
