Anléu, Guatemala: Aves Emblemáticas y simbólicas

With more than 720 species, Guatemala should rank as one of the world’s major birding destinations. But for a variety of reasons, historical, political, and practical, this beautiful and welcoming country has not enjoyed the benefits that ornithotourism has so richly bestowed on some of its neighbors in central America.

An energetic series of special events and publications sponsored by the Mesa Nacional de Aviturismo (National Birding Roundtable) has made a terrific start at changing this situation, informing the international birding community of the unique birding opportunities in Guatemala. Where else, after all, can one observe Black-throated Green, Towsend’s, Hermit, and Golden-cheeked Warblers in a single flock in a single morning? Or see four New World vultures in the space of a few minutes? Or watch Eastern Bluebirds gather nesting material while Brown-backed Solitaires and Mountain Trogons sing from the forest edge?

Among the most recent efforts to spread the word is the well-known researcher Luis Villar Anléu’s new work Guatemala: Aves Emblemáticas y simbólicas. As the book’s title suggests, the author cannily treats birds and their significance to the country’s rich culture; that culture, some aspects of which reach continously to the Classical Maya of the third to the tenth century A.D., is one of the great charms of a birding trip to Guatemala, and only the narrowest of minds would be capable of visiting the country without enjoying the wealth of its history and the inviting sweetness of its people (who even eat sugar cookies for breakfast–how can I not love this country!).

The cultural significance of native birds is treated in Chapter 5, “Iconos, simbolismos y apropriamiento cultural.” Illustrated with numerous photographs of objects ancient and modern, this central section of the book introduces the use of birds among the ancient Maya: they were sacrificed as mortuary offerings, their feathers served as money, and their images adorned the clothing and other possessions of the wealthy and the powerful. Particularly notable here is a beautiful vessel depicting a debate (its subject unknown, alas) between a vulture and a squatting Mayan noble. A few brief paragraphs are devoted to the role played by birds in pre-Hispanic literature and legends; citations to fuller versions of some of the texts mentioned here would have been welcome.

Another chapter, “La Ornitología guatamalteca en la historia,” provides a brief overview of European scientific ornithology in Guatemala. from the first anecdotal accounts in the eighteenth century through the period of the great collectors and the development of ornithotourism in the region. For most North Americans, the great revelation here will be the fact that the type specimen of the Golden-cheeked Warbler was collected not in Texas but on the wintering grounds in Guatemala.

These cultural and historical sections are flanked by more traditional accounts of the country’s birdlife, organized by habitat type. Guatemala can be roughly broken down into three ecological regions: in the north, a uniform plain, continuous with the Yucatan, traversed by three mountain ranges; in the central area, tall and rugged mountains punctuated by canyons, mesas, and volcanoes; and in the south, the coastal plain of the Pacific.

The mountains harbor such sought-after species as Unicolored Jay, Pink-headed Warbler, and Highland Guan, along with more familiar birds like American Kestrel, Northern Flicker, and Golden-fronted Woodpecker (the latter two in highly distinctive subspecies).

The northern tropics are even more exotic for the North American birder, with Collared Aracari, Chestnut-colored Woodpecker, and Great Currassow among the many local wonders. At Tikal, Ocellated Turkeys wander and strut among the tent campers, and Orange-breasted Falcons nest among some of the most monumental ruins in the New World. The southern savannas host many species typical of wetlands and plains throughout the hemisphere, but the presence of Striped Owl and Yellow-fronted Parrot, among others, leaves no doubt that this, too, is a unique area for the birder. High in the mountains, cloud forests provide habitat and home for such extremely desirable species as the Horned Guan and Resplendant Quetzal, and wintering territories for a number of North American breeders. Dry thorn forest recalls sites farther north in Mexico in both its landscape and its avifauna: Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Lesser Roadrunner, and Altamira Oriole come together here with Laughing Falcon and Russet-crowned Motmot.

The lavish format and accessible text of Aves will draw the attention of birders and non-birders alike to the astounding diversity of Guatemala’s avifauna. Though the text is entirely in Spanish, a thorough concordance provides the scientific and English names of all species treated (the Sabine’s Gull on page 118 and the Laughing Gulls on page 107 are unlabeled). It is to be hoped that the many photographs can be reproduced more reliably in the forthcoming English-language version of the book; in my copy of the Spanish version, unfortunately, many are smudgy and soft (though others are nearly as clean and crisp as the original photos).

Anyone fortunate enough to bird Guatemala will profit greatly from this book. And if you’re still having trouble making up your mind about visiting that country and its wonderful birds, take a look at Aves: you’ll be buying a plane ticket within hours, I promise!