Indigenous communities in Guyana are helping protect a rare bird from extinction, reports Carla Ruas.
The red siskin has long been sought out by illegal bird traders and breeders due to its unique red-and-black plumage and cheerful song.
The endangered species had almost disappeared from tropical South America until 2000, when a population was recorded in the South Rupununi region of Guyana.
Local Indigenous Wapichan, Macushi and Wai Wai communities have rallied behind the small bird, successfully maintaining population levels and encouraging a broader conservation movement that focuses on education and deterring poaching.
“We’re still trying to determine precisely the number of active birds in the region, as they can move long distances,” Leroy Ignacio, an Indigenous Macushi who helped in the early days of the Red Siskin Initiative, told Ruas. “But we have been maintaining a stable population, and that’s already a success.”
📰 In a fight to save a rare bird, Indigenous communities in Guyana are winning
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📸 1) Illegal bird traders have aggressively sought out the red siskin for more than a century. Image courtesy of South Rupununi Conservation Society (SRCS)
📸 2) Leroy Ignacio is president of the South Rupununi Conservation Society, which works to protect the red siskin. Image courtesy of Chung Liu/SRCS.
📸 3) Environmental education classes take place in 16 communities throughout South Rupununi. Image courtesy of SRCS.
