By Jasmaine Payne

IN looking for new things to do, many Guyanese often search for hobbies that can make them more in tune with their natural surroundings. Yet, few are aware that the little known past time of birdwatching could help them do just that. In fact, Vice-President of the Guyana Amazon Tropical Birds Society (GATBS), Andy Narine believes that Guyanese can comfortably slip into this hobby, as many locals already interact on a personal level with birds in their everyday lives.

“Birds play a large part of Guyanese lives,” he says. “Right in Georgetown, on a daily basis, you would find men riding every morning with bird cages; these men would meet with each other on the corner and talk about bird-racing and whistling, and all these kinds of things, and have that social bond among themselves. Many housewives have parrots or macaws as their pets; as a companion to chat with,” he told The Buzz.
“In the ‘Interior’, in the mining sector, pork-knockers interact with birds to know if they will find gold or not. In some Amerindian communities, if a certain bird whistles, the elder women would look at the younger women to see which of them are pregnant. In many ways, Guyanese see birds as a charm; we have grown up with it.”
With this remarkable information in mind, it begs the question: Why isn’t birdwatching a bigger part of our lives?
According to Andy, that is perhaps because ‘Birding’, as the professionals call it, is a more intricate science that requires one to become educated in the physical and instinctual characteristics of varying species of birds. And with the most recent estimation recording more than 900 species in Guyana, it means that our beautiful country is rife with the potential of being a birdwatching haven for those willing to indulge their passion.

ALMOST A SCIENCE

So, how does one become a birdwatcher? Well, since it is practically a “science”, Andy says that the only way is for one to become part of a society. “You have to do research and start inventories,” he says. “It is not something that you can learn by just being on a computer; you have to go out and do field trips.”
It could very well be one of the best ways to take a break from technology, and spend a moment with the natural splendour that surrounds us.
Andy wishes that more Guyanese would become involved with the sport, especially young people, for whom he believes birdwatching could be especially entertaining.

NEW VENTURE
Hence comes the role of the newest venture of the GATBS: The publishing of the first Annual Birdwatching Zones Magazine: Birding Guyana.
The publication will also serve as a checklist for all the birds found here, and will have vital information to help beginners identify different species of local birds.

Upon releasing the publication, the GATBS hopes to have it distributed across the country, with focus on schools and other groups, so as to get youth involved.
“We’d like to get it into the school curriculum to encourage kids to get into the fields and interact with the environment,” Andy said, adding that ‘birding’ can help persons get in touch with another part of themselves as well: “Looking at birds encourages people to develop a heart of compassion,” he says. “You look at the things around you and learn to take care of those things.”
The GATBS also hopes that the publication will help to create a wider network of birdwatchers, so as to help identify more birds that may not have yet been recorded.

PUSH TOURISM
On a larger scale, birdwatching can also help to push Guyana’s tourism product. Being part of the North Amazon District, which hosts one-quarter of the world’s species of birds, the country can therefore benefit significantly, should the niche be developed.
“Birdwatching is one of Guyana’s niche tourism products,” Andy says. “If we develop our marketing strategy, we could attract a large number of tourists on this hobby alone.
“There are 17.3 million birdwatchers in the US. Imagine the tourists that would come here, if Guyana’s potential for birdwatching was more widely known,” he added.
Since the establishment of the GATBS in 2002, he said, much progress has been made in the area of expanding the scope of birdwatching in Guyana. There are approximately 125 society members across the country’s ten administrative regions, and these members are now opening businesses to promote tourism through birdwatching. Coupled with the upcoming launch of ‘Birding Guyana’ on May 24, which will also be at the height of Guyana’s 50th Independence Anniversary Celebrations, Andy says that these initiatives could indeed place Guyana on the map as a birding destination like no other.