Guyana: A place for birding

Guyana is geographically part of the Neotropics, an area that includes Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America, and accounts for a quarter of the world’s bird species.

Our country boasts numerous species of tropical and Amazon birds that are both endemic and migrant. There are 877 recorded species of birds belonging to 79 families, 47 of which are endemic to the Guiana Shield.
There are various birding zones that birding enthusiasts will find very interesting. Georgetown is zone one and is home to a wide diversity of birds. Key families are woodpeckers, tanagers, plovers, parrots, macaws, flycatchers, hummingbirds, raptors and terns.
Zone two contains 5,000 square miles of coastal swamps, mangrove forests and cultivated lands stretching from the western border with Venezuela to the eastern border with Suriname.
More than 400 species can be identified and key families include ibises, tanagers, sandpipers, plovers, herons, tyrant flycatchers and parrots. In zone three, 10,000 square miles of lowland grass and scrub savannahs with mixed forests are found here. This zone contains more than 500 bird species and key families include storks, herons, hawks, falcons, finches, ducks, toucans, vireos and herons.
Zone four is 6,200 square miles of mixed white and forest and mixed scrub and white sand savannahs and is home to more than 350 species. Zone five is 1,800 square miles of mixed marsh and white sand forests where over 300 bird species can be found. Zone six is the largest of all the zones with 60,000 square miles containing mountainous rainforests. It is home to at least 650 bird species including the renowned Cock-of-the-Rock.
In an interview with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, vice president and founder of the Guyana Amazon Tropical Birds Society, Andy Narine, said the Botanical Gardens is the first official birding sanctuary in Guyana and it hosts more than 199 species, which fluctuates according to season. It is 174 hectares in size. He added that last year the Gardens was officially declared the first birding sanctuary in Guyana.
The environmentalist and bird aficionado specifically pointed out one of the gems of Guyana, the blood-coloured woodpecker. He said this specie is one out of seventeen species of woodpeckers recorded in Guyana and is the smallest.  It is only found along the North Eastern shoulder of South America known as the Guiana Shield, along the coast between the mouth of the Essequibo River to the Corentyne River. Their habitats are mostly mangroves and cultivated lands, and can be commonly seen in some areas. The blood-coloured woodpecker shares habitat with other woodpeckers such as the woodcreepers and piculets.
“The feature of the handsome woodpecker obviously stands out from all the other species of woodpeckers since its blood-red colour is always stunning. This woodpecker is somewhat a very shy bird since most times when in search for sightings it is first heard than seen, and if you are not careful to look you can pass by without even noticing since it is only 13cm in body length like the size of a regular lighter. It is also recorded as a Mangrove Endemic or known as restricted range specie,” Andy outlined.
With other birding enthusiasts in mind, Andy decided to compile his research of birds, and under the auspices of the Guyana Tourism Authority, launched a “Checklist of Birds of Essequibo” which gives a detailed list of 597 bird species; where they are found and other important information for birders.
Andy disclosed that his company is registered under the laws of Guyana in protecting bird species, and is peeved that some agencies are using the society’s information and not attaching appropriate credit. He added these entities, which are suppose to work coherently with the society, are giving unqualified and inexperienced individuals projects instead of the society. He is very distressed about this matter as his society works assiduously in researching and protecting birds and their habitats.
He revealed that persons are going into protected birding areas at times when there are baby birds and destroying habitats that are left unattended as their mothers flee due to unwarranted invasion. He hopes that these agencies desist from destroying these areas and work cohesively with the society in protecting Guyana’s birds.
Andy’s passion for birds is clearly seen in his attempt to stop persons from destroying birds’ habitats. His tour company ‘Guyana Feather Friends’ appropriately coordinates tours for birding activities and he urges those interested to seek out the society’s help in this area.
Visit Guyana Feather Friends on Facebook or call Andy on 231 5684 for more information.