Category Archives: Ecotourism

2014 Parrot Cruise: Western Caribbean

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The annual Parrot Lovers Cruise is back with an exciting new itinerary!  It will be leaving from Galveston which makes it very easy to get there using miles as Americans will only require a domestic award.  Early bird rates are available until 7 Feb so don’t miss out!

Read my series of posts about Belize to get an idea of what you can see on this cruise.

Here is the itinerary which includes several ports where you can see wild parrots:

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 Please note:

  • Prices are valid while availability lasts. Please contact Carol for current rates.
  • Prices are per person based on double occupancy. Single or 3rd/4th person occupancy is available, contact Carol for pricing.
  • Prices quoted include a donation to the World Parrot Trust and conference expenses (on-board seminars and activities).
  • Bookings must be made through Carol’s Travel Time in order for passengers to be able to participate in Parrot Lover’s Cruise seminars and acitivities.
  • Cost of transfers are $32 per person one way. Must arrive before 12:30PM and depart after 12 noon.

– See more at: http://www.parrotloverscruise.com/cruise_info.html#sthash.8OrHC1qo.dpuf

Australia Land Of Parrots

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This stunning documentary of parrots in Australia was shown on local TV channels back in 2007.  I was lucky enough to stumble across it on YouTube and thought I would share it.  It’s almost an hour long so grab a snack, relax and enjoy!

You can’t help but be inspired to book a trip to watch wild parrots in Australia so head on over to my guide on getting to Australia with airline miles!

Do Bird Calling Apps Harm Birds?

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Birding can be very rewarding or very frustrating.  Some days you will see and hear birds easily, other days you just KNOW they are there but they just won’t come into view.  In recent years, the popularity of bird call apps for smartphones can be a huge temptation.  People can download actual bird songs and play them on a speaker hooked up to their smartphone to lure a bird closer so they can get that all important photograph.  But just how much harm can we do with these apps?

IMG_1286Yesterday, I saw a link to this article on BBC come across my Facebook feed.

“Repeatedly playing a recording of birdsong or calls to encourage a bird to respond in order to see it or photograph it can divert a territorial bird from other important duties, such as feeding its young.  It is selfish and shows no respect to the bird. People should never use playback to attract a species during its breeding season.”

 

While I do have a few bird song apps, I don’t have a speaker or amplifier of any kind and I have used these apps to remind me of what kind of bird song I am listening for.  I have seen other birders using the apps with speakers to lure a bird closer in.

Further research turned up a few more articles.  From Discovery.com:

“Just keep the volume low,” Dr. Hilary Wilson, a developer for the Chirp! app, told the BBC, although she admitted it is possible to misuse them. “We urge great caution — birdsong is simply a pleasant sound to human ears, but to birds it is a powerful means of communication.”

From Seattle Times:

While delightful to our ears, singing is serious for birds. Males pour their hearts out to impress the ladies. They trill to proclaim territory and keep other males away. Every strange song — whether from another bird or an iPhone — registers as a threat.

“That’s why it works,” said Sam Wasser, director of the University of Washington’s Center for Conservation Biology. “The male is going: ‘Oh, my god! There’s another bird in my territory.’ ” The trickery is most effective during breeding season.

When the sought-after bird pops out, birders can snap pictures and tick off a box on their life lists. But the consequences to the bird can include heart-pumping anxiety, exposure to predators and an undefended nest and mate.

“I’ve seen woodpeckers respond to playback from birders … and a sharp-shinned hawk comes and takes that bird out,” said Martyn Stewart, a Seattle-based wildlife recording expert.

From Time.com:

What if all the bird lovers out there clamoring to use their new technology were really driving birds mad? As new bird-calling technology, whether applications for your smartphone or recorded onto your iPod, lure birds to where you are for better viewing or photographing, they may also be messing with the brains of birds.

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I’m the first one to admit how frustrating it can be to hear birds deep in the trees and want a closer look at them.  But we need to respect THEIR needs.  They may have a reason for staying deep in the trees such as chicks in a nest or hiding from predators.  No birder should startle a bird into exposing itself if it doesn’t feel safe by pretending to be another bird.  IMG_1518
This article reminded me of a time I was scuba diving in Tahiti with a guide.  We approached pretty close to a remora fish on the reef.  I was trying to get a photo and the fish was concentrating on me as a possible threat.  All of a sudden, a moray eel darted out and grabbed the poor remora fish.  I remember how upset I was, it was my fault that fish got eaten since he wasn’t paying attention to his surroundings.  This is the last thing I would ever want to happen to a bird.
Rimatara Lorikeet (Vini kuhlii)

Rimatara Lorikeet (Vini kuhlii)

How would you feel if a baby bird mistook your app for its parents coming home to feed him…………………and he fell out of the nest?  What about that woodpecker in the article who got snatched by a hawk?  What if multiple uses of these apps cause birds to become so accustomed to the sounds that they ignore a real threat from a real bird?
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Birding is fun.  Birders contribute a lot to eco-tourism by supporting local economies.  But please, lets keep the use of these apps for identification & familiarization purposes and the volume low.  Let’s not put the beautiful birds we love in danger with misuse of bird call apps.

MTTW 1 Year Old Today!

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I can’t believe I actually got here!  A year ago, I had no idea of how to use WordPress, now here I am with around 450 blog posts all based around my mission of bringing eco-tourism within the grasp of normal people who thought they could never afford to go to all those exotic countries to see their favourite bird species.  And then there are the people who are well-versed in the use of miles and points who I hopefully may have coaxed out of their Park Hyatts and SQ first class cabins into the tranquility of eco-lodges where they can get away from it all, commune with nature and contribute to some deserving local communities who have learned to appreciate their natural resources.

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As I look back on my first ever post, I am proud that I have stayed true to myself.  I discovered that a small niche blog such as this one is never going to get credit card links and even if I did get them, I wouldn’t keep them for long.  I would never be comfortable pushing affiliate links in every post and have kept just very basic credit card information in the Miles & Points section.  I managed to get banned from Ad(non)sense but have a few affiliate links in the sidebar that most people probably don’t see because everyone uses an ad-blocker nowadays.  I do occasionally highlight books and products that are of use to eco-tourists which can be found by searching the “gear” or “guides” tags.  This isn’t a credit card blog and I think the best deals are to be found on FlyerTalk as they are crowd-sourced and discussed on a daily basis.

Monetization would have been more the icing on the cake though, what I really want is to help save wild birds from being captured and sold as more eco-tourists head into communities and create more sustainable jobs.  That mission will never change!

So as I head into my second year of blogging, I hope to continue to bring more beautiful birds to your attention, introduce you to some of the world’s top eco-lodges, keep you informed of miles & points opportunities and hopefully get more people out in the field traveling and appreciating this beautiful natural world we live in!

Costa Rican Bird Route

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The Costa Rican Bird Route is the first birding trail of its kind in Central America. Located in the northern region of Costa Rica, this ecotourism project offers a variety of bird watching and nature tourism opportunities. The Bird Route consists of 18 nature reserves specifically chosen for their high diversity of bird species. Most importantly, this region hosts the last remaining habitat in Costa Rica for the endangered Great Green Macaw (Ara ambiguus). The Costa Rican Bird Route offers the best opportunity to view this species on the planet!  Use your miles for a Central American award to get here!

On our trip, we visited two of the lodges on the Bird Route:  Selva Verde & Laguna del Lagarto.

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SUPPORT THE BIRD ROUTE

1. Visit the Bird Route The success of this project is dependent on sustained tourism to the sites involved, so come explore all that the Bird Route has to offer.

2. Make a Donation. Make a tax-deductible donation to the Costa Rican Bird Route project using the secure Paypal button here. Donations are used to support the efforts of the private landowners. This includes assistance with producing brochures, maintaining websites, creating signs, etc. Money will also be used for continuous education efforts within the communities of the Bird Route. Rainforest Biodiversity Group is looking to implement bird education curriculum within these communities as well as fund future workshops for the landowners.

3. Volunteer. Rainforest Biodiversity Group is looking for volunteers to work with the private landowners of the remote sites of the Bird Route, assisting them in developing their land for eco-tourism. These newly created reserves are at varying stages of development as eco-tourism sites.

 

Southern Queensland Is A Bird Watcher’s Paradise

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It’s bird week, but according to Kevin and Kay Williams in Toowoomba “every day is a good day for birding!”

King Parrot

King Parrot

See full article from ABC News.

But don’t just read the articles, come and see for yourself!  The good news is that you can use frequent flier miles to get to Australia very cheaply.  I have another post with the details but please feel free to ask here in the comments about how to book the flights or how to acquire the miles at a very low cost.

Reminder: Only One Month Until The Parrot Lover’s Cruise

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If you have been thinking about joining this fantastic cruise, don’t delay as it’s only a month away!  It’s pretty easy to get to Puerto Rico using airline miles and spend a few extra days pre or post cruise as well!

If you are a dedicated conservationist, eco-tourist or birder who has been looking for an excuse to ease your spouse/partner into the adventure; this is soft ecotourism at its best!  What could be easier than boarding a luxurious cruise ship in San Juan and relaxing at sea while you cruise to a different Caribbean island just about every day.  Many of these islands have native parrot populations and there will be other bird species too.  And best of all, your participation benefits the World Parrot Trust’s conservation efforts!

Parrot Lovers Cruise

In order to participate in the seminars and dedicated birding excursions, you must book with the official travel agency, Carol’s Travel Time.

Wild Parrots Of Telegraph Hill, San Francisco

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Eco-tourism isn’t always about traveling overseas to exotic locations.  Sometimes it is very close to home, especially if you are lucky enough to live in San Francisco!

THE WILD PARROTS OF TELEGRAPH HILL tells the true story of a bohemian St. Francis and his remarkable relationship with a flock of wild red and green parrots. Former street musician and San Francisco dharma bum Mark Bittner falls in with the flock as he searches for meaning in his life, unaware that the parrots (Cherry-headed Conures) will bring him everything he seeks.

THE WILD PARROTS OF TELEGRAPH HILL premieres Tuesday, May 29 on Independent Lens, a weekly series airing on PBS. Hosted by Terrence Howard, the acclaimed series showcases powerful and innovative independent films. Presented by ITVS, Independent Lens is broadcast on PBS stations nationwide.

Choosing The Itinerary For “The Mother Of All Africa Trips”

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Yesterday, I posted about how I will use airline miles to make a dream trip to Africa come true.  Today, I will show you how I chose the specific places I did.  Africa has such a huge variety of wildlife habitat, you really need to know what species you are most interested in seeing.  For first time travelers, this will usually be the “Big 5” – elephants, lions, rhinoceros, leopards and buffalos.  For birders, there are more decisions to be made and more species you need to consider.  Here’s how I did it.

ANALYZE REQUIREMENTS

1.  Can get miles from credit cards but don’t have much cash.  Need destinations that can be reached on Star Alliance airlines.

2.  Need to maximize destinations for number of parrot species found nearby.

3.  Need to avoid long land trips that would be expensive if it would require private guides and transport.

4.  Need to avoid having to pay too much in advance, prefer to pay when we arrive if possible.

5.  Need to visit national parks where guides can be found on site rather than paying to transport one around with us.

PRIORITIZING TARGET SPECIES

PARROT SPECIES IN AFRICA (INCLUDING NEIGHBOR ISLANDS)

The species that I have identified as being in range for this trip will be highlighted in green.  As I said, I am most interested in seeing as many parrot species as possible but the habitas I have chosen are rich in all kinds of wildlife!  You can use the same technique to narrow down your travel plans whether you are interested in leopards, elephants, eagles or lemurs.  Just research where your priority species can be found, find the nearest airport where you can redeem your miles and enjoy ALL the wildlife you encounter along the way!

1. Rose-ringed Parakeet – Psittacula krameri.  We have seen them in several places in India and feral populations in Europe.  Not a priority but may see them during the trip.

2. Mauritius Parakeet  – Psittacula echo.  Habitat in Black River Gorges National Park, easily driven from hotel in Mauritius.

3. Gray Parrot – Psittacus erithacus.  Has large range but many places difficult, expensive or possible unsafe to travel to.  Easiest place to see them near Star Alliance airport is in Ghana at Kakum National Park.

4. Greater Vasa Parrot – Coracopsis vasa.  Madagascar endemic, easiest place to find them near Star Alliance airport is Andasibe National Park.

5. Lesser Vasa Parrot – Coracopsis nigra.  Madagascar endemic, easiest place to find them near Star Alliance airport is Andasibe National Park.

6. Red-headed Lovebird – Agapornis pullarius.  Probably out of range for this trip.  Habitat in Central Africa, not easily accessible.

7. Black-winged Lovebird – Agapornis taranta.  Found in Ethiopia.  Slim chance to see them if there is a long layover at Addis Ababa.

8. Black-collared Lovebird – Agapornis swinderniana.  Habitat not easily accessible, best chance is in Ghana.

9. Black-cheeked Lovebird – Agapornis nigrigenis.  Found in Zambia, not in range for this trip.

10. Peach-faced Lovebird – Agapornis roseicollis.  Tried but failed to see them in Kgalagadi National Park in 2009.  Other habitats in Namibia but out of range for this trip.

11. Fischer’s Lovebird – Agapornis fischeri.  Found in Tanzania, targeting them in Arusha, Tarangire and Serengeti.

12. Yellow-collared Lovebird (Masked Lovebird) – Agapornis personatus.  Found in Tanzania, targeting them in Arusha, Tarangire and Serengeti.

13. Nyasa (Lilian’s) Lovebird – Agapornis lilianae.  Found in Zambia & Zimbabwe, out of range for this trip.

14. Grey-headed Lovebird –  Agapornis canus.  Madagascar endemic, easiest place to find them near Star Alliance airport is Anatanarivo’s Tsimbazaza Park.

15. Red-fronted (Jardine’s) Parrot – Poicephalus gulielmi.  Targeted in Arusha National Park and possible Ghana.

16. Cape Parrot – Poicephalus robustus.  Southern coast of South Africa.  Will try to find them as close as possible to Port Elizabeth.

17. Brown-necked Parrot –  Poicephalus fuscicollis.  Subspecies of Cape Parrot.  Have seen in Magoebaskloof, planning on return visit.

18. Brown-headed Parrot – Poicephalus cryptoxanthus. Easiest to find in northern Kruger National Park.

19. Red-bellied Parrot – Poicephalus rufiventris.  Found in Tanzania, targeting them in Tarangire.

20. Yellow-fronted Parrot – Poicephalus flavifrons.  Very small range in Ethiopia, probably out of range for this trip.

21. Meyer’s Parrot – Poicephalus meyeri.  Several subspecies spread out over southern and central Africa.  Best places to target them are northern South Africa and Tanzania’s Tarangire and Serengeti.

22. Niam-Niam Parrot  – Poicephalus crassus.  Very small and inaccessible range in Central African Republic.  Out of range for this trip.

23. Rüppell’s Parrot – Poicephalus rueppellii.  Found in Angola and Namibia.  Out of range for this trip.

24. Senegal Parrot  – Poicephalus senegalus.  Wide-spread in West Africa but easiest place to see using Star Alliance airports would be Shai Hills, Ghana near Accra.

As you can see, with just the few stop-overs I planned in my airline miles redemptions; I can try for 17 out of 24 possible species of parrots in Africa and the neighboring islands of Madagascar and Mauritius.

RESOURCES I USED

To determine where parrot species can most easily be seen where, I use mostly two resources.

Joseph Forshaw’s “Parrots of the World” which is my birding travel “Bible”.

Surfbirds Trip Reports which have full lists of which birds people have seen on birding trips worldwide.

 

Dire Message About Why We Need To Conserve Wild Birds

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Trafficking of wild-caught birds is devastating no matter how you look at it.  The birds lose their freedom at best, their lives at worst.  The eco-system loses valuable members.  Everyone loses the joy of seeing and hearing wild birds flying free in their native homes.  Trafficking happens because there are people who need to earn money to feed their families and people who are willing to pay them to capture wild birds.  To stop it, we need to offer these people other alternatives for gainful, honest employment so they leave the wild birds alone.  This is where eco-tourism can help.  When we spend our tourist $$ by supporting local communities, they no longer need to capture these birds.  The birds become more valuable left in the wild so they attract eco-tourists.

Let’s have a look at just how damaging the wild-caught bird trade is with this video found on the World Parrot Trust’s Fly Free page.

The fight to end rare-animal trafficking in Brazil
Biologist Juliana Machado Ferreira, a TED Senior Fellow, talks about her work helping to save birds and other animals stolen from the wild in Brazil. Once these animals are seized from smugglers, she asks, then what? – See more at: http://www.parrots.org/flyfree/about-the-wild-bird-trade.html#sthash.KrtmN54x.dpuf
If you are doing an eco-tour this year, thank you for doing your part to help save wild birds.  Please try to spend as much cash as possible within the local communities of the nature preserve you are visiting so they stay motivated to leave the birds flying free.
If you are not traveling or doing a city or resort type trip, please consider helping the World Parrot Trust with a donation so they may continue their work.