These Birds Are National Symbols but Getting Harder to See
www.nytimes.com
The populations of some Latin American birds are declining, even in the countries they symbolize.
  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldBEnglish
    2·
    4 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:

    Every child in Mexico learns the story: During nomadic times, the Aztecs had a prophecy that they should settle in a place where they saw an eagle eating a snake while perched on a cactus.

    Despite the bird’s importance in some Indigenous cultures — it is thought that condors carried souls to heaven — it is hunted and poisoned, typically by farmers concerned about their livestock.

    The southern lapwing (Vanellus chilensis) and the rufous hornero (Furnarius rufus), both of which prefer grasslands and pastures, have actually benefited from the conversion of woodlands into farms and cattle ranches.

    Today those feathers — as well as the bird’s tolerance for captivity and its ability to mimic human voices — make macaws a desirable pet that can fetch upward of $3,000.

    “It has required resources that have not been available in a lot of the countries where most biodiversity exists,” said Viviana Ruiz-Gutierrez, co-director of the Center for Avian Population Studies at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

    Still, Dr. Ruelas and other scientists hope that the local decline of bird species, especially those that are national symbols, will prompt the public to participate in monitoring efforts or support research and conservation policies.

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