Interview with Daniel Germer

birdwatchinghonduras — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 18:24:51 +0000

Daniel Germer Sánchez is a biologist with an emphasis on botany. Nowadays he is into birding, photography and avian research.

What is the scenario of Bird watching in Honduras?

Daniel: Speaking simply, Bird watching is growing bigger as the number of guides trained in the country even without the government acceptance that is a profitable option. Year after year more birders are coming, in 2008, the market were almost Americans, in 2010, the first European operators (mainly British) will be in operation. The most needed resource in the country are qualified guides, there only a few of them and there is a lack of interest because of the low salaries offered by the local operators.

What are the best spots in Honduras for Bird watching?
Daniel: Any Garden with trees is good for Bird watching because the tourist comes from a tempered zone so; he sees new kind of birds. There are hot spots where key species can be seen: Pico Bonito National Park, Yojoa Lake, Emerald Hummingbird Reserve, Rio Platano Reserve… in general any protected zone in the country is a good site to see birds.

What is the status of the Emerald Hummingbird?

Daniel: It’s critically endangered, it’s the most threatened Hummingbird in the world, professionally I think it will be extinct in less than 25 years because his habitat is fragmented and it has many threats. It’s difficult to them to survive even with the new populations found in Santa Barbara and Olancho.

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Save the Honduran Emerald Hummingbird from Extinction

birdwatchinghonduras — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 17:43:56 +0000

The EcoLogic Development Fund is sponsoring a petition to save the Honduran Emerald Hummingbird, with less than 2,000 breeding pairs left, is considered the most endangered bird in Central America and one of the most endangered hummingbirds in the world.

This petition brings together The EcoLogic Development Fund, The Hummingbird Society and The Hummingbird Conservancy and others who collectively seek to gather enough signatures to begin the process of placing the Honduran Emerald Hummingbird on the Endangered Species List. Legal recognition of its threatened status will urge the Honduran government to develop conservation measures that ensure its habitat remains viable. It will also require U.S. federal agencies to guarantee that any project carried out or funded by the United States government does not jeopardize the continued existence of this hummingbird species.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/campaign/signatures/628831806/153

Birdwatching

birdwatchinghonduras — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:55:22 +0000

Birdwatching or birding is the observation and study of birds with the naked eye or through a visual enhancement device like binoculars. Birding often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are more readily detected and identified by ear than by eye. Most birdwatchers pursue this activity mainly for recreational or social reasons.

Birdwatching became the most popular form of non-consumptive wildlife associated recreation in the Western World. It has become a market segment for tourism industry, especially for the destination where birdwatching activity might be conducted. Birdwatchers like doing nature based activities and bird related activities while they are watching the birds. These activities don’t show correlations with attractions and accessibility, they are correlated with amenities, available packages and ancillary services. It may be the result of these three A’s being more conducive to the birdwatching activity than others. Therefore, the importance of developing and promoting this activity in regions or countries which have this tourism potential.