Honduras to host First Annual Mesoamerican Birdwatching Festival in February 2009

October 15, 2008

ORLANDO, FLA (October 15, 2008) – This February, the Central American country of Honduras will host the first annual Mesoamerican Birdwatching Festival, organized by the Mesoamerican Ecotourism Alliance (MEA). Honduras was selected by MEA as the first country to host this event, during the fourth annual Mesoamerican Sustainable Ecotourism Conference in Antigua, Guatemala in December 2007. The event will feature three program segments: a guide training/certification course (February 13-20), a Birdwatching Festival (February 22-27), and a post tour for birdwatching company representatives and nature writers (February 27-March 5).

Honduras is located in the heart of Central America, allowing for a rich diversity of species from the northern and southern countries of the region. While only 740 species (and counting) have been registered in Honduras, along with one endemic, many are very desirable and easy to observe. In the Mosquitia region nearly 500 species have been recorded, the north coast more than 400, the Lake Yojoa basin over 400, and 400 within the department of Copán.

The principal objective of this annual festival is to elevate interest in birdwatching in Mesoamerica on a national and international level in an effort to increase sustainable tourism. This will then create employment, and most importantly, help preserve the ecosystems where the birds live and nest. The festival will subsequently be held in a different Central American country each year.



Guide Training / Certification Course (February 13-20)

The guide training course in the Lake Yojoa basin will last five days and be field intensive. Sessions will be conducted by trainers with extensive field experience in guiding, habitat and bird biology. Identification of birds by sight and sound will be emphasized, as well as their names in English. Students will also attend technical seminars and complete an exam (in English) at the end, with the results appearing on their diplomas. The guide training courses is limited to 30 people.



Birdwatching Festival (February 22-27)

The Birdwatching Festival will last four full days, and each will be filled with field trips to a number of different sites in the Lake Yojoa basin accompanied by qualified guides. Attendees will also have the privilege to bird with Robert Ridgely, author of various bird guides in Central and South America, and considered by many as the leading Neotropical ornithologist. Each evening, there will be presentations and seminars touching on various bird topics. The Birdwatching Festival is limited to 100 people.



Post Tour (February 27-March 5)

The post tour will include visits to Copán Ruinas, the Lancetilla Botanical Gardens in Tela, the Lodge at Pico Bonito near La Ceiba, and the Aguan Valley. The objective is to show the richness that Honduras has to offer along the north coast. The tour will be limited to ten international bird watching company representatives and nature writers.



How to Register

Bird lovers, tour operators, local guides and non-governmental organizations are encouraged to visit www.travelwithmea.org for more information and to register for the guide training course or festival.

Registrations fees for the Birdwatching Festival are $365 per person based on double occupancy, or $460 per single occupancy. A 10% discount will be given for two or more people from the same organization who book by December 31. The registration fee includes: airport transfers from San Pedro Sula; accommodations for five nights; all meals for five days; a trained guide at each field trip; a copy of the Bird Guide to Lake Yojoa; the opportunity to attend nightly seminars; ground transportation during the festival; and other miscellaneous materials.



Birding in Honduras

One of the most famous of Neotropical families is the Motmots, which are well represented in Honduras with seven species. Much of the country’s western highlands in Copán, Gracias and Marcala are easily accessible. Here, one can find many of the Mesoamerican endemics such as the Blue-throated Motmot, Rufous-collared Robin and Fulvous Owl. The north coast also possesses very desirable species such as the Lovely Cotinga and Keel-billed Motmot, which can be easily found along the Nombre de Dios mountain range. The great wilderness of La Mosquitia, called the “Little Amazon of Central America”, is another world unto itself, filled with macaws, antbirds and eagles. The Aguan Valley is the best place to observe Honduras’ endemic and endangered Honduran Emerald and other dry forest species.



The Mesoamerican Ecotourism Alliance (MEA) is a non-profit organization formed to foster sustainable tourism in Central America. It is a membership-based organization with members in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, El Salvador and Nicaragua. MEA hosts a sustainable ecotourism conference in a different country each year and offers a wide array of small group tours in archaeology, nature, culture and more, visiting the many sites where its members live and work. MEA is a unique organization in the region whose aim is to promote and protect the resources and heritage by showing its clients the riches found in the region. For more information visit: www.travelwithmea.org.

Honduras is located in the heart of Central America, encompassing over 43,000 square miles, making it about the size of Tennessee. It is only a short flight from the U.S.: two hours from Miami or less than three hours from Houston or Atlanta. Honduras features a 500-mile Caribbean coastline on its north and a 100-mile Pacific coastline on its south. It borders on the west with Guatemala, the southwest with El Salvador, and on the east with Nicaragua. For more information, travelers can call 1-800-410-9608 or visit www.letsgohonduras.com.

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Media Contact:

Amanda Jackson

Ypartnership Public Relations

(407) 838-1812

amanda.jackson@ypartnership.com