Over the past two years, we have seen major progress in local techniques and capacities to study migratory birds in Guatemala’s Maya Forest, as well as new collaborations between the communities connected by these birds. Following the bird-banding certification workshop held at the Las Guacamayas Biological Station in 2024 -which promoted and recognized the skills of bird banders across northern Central America- scientific monitoring in the Maya Forest has incorporated Motus technology (Motus Wildlife Tracking System) and collaborations with both new and long-standing partners.
Motus is an international network that uses automated radio technology to track birds and other animals fitted with radio tags. This network helps us understand bird migration patterns across the Americas—some traveling all the way from South America to Greenland.
With support from local communities and international partners such as Zumbro Valley Audubon and SELVA(Research for Conservation in the Neotropics), two Motus stations have been installed in Tikal and Laguna del Tigre National Parks in Guatemala.
Teams from Zumbro Valley Audubon (above) and SELVA building Motus stations and training local technicians on how to correctly attach radio tags. Photos by WCS Guatemala.
At each site, we have equipped Wood Thrushes (Hylocichla mustelina) with radio tags to track their migratory routes between the Maya Forest and their breeding grounds in North America. This effort is part of a collaborative project marking individuals across the species’ range to better understand their migration and the reasons behind their population decline.
Catalina Ramírez tagging a Wood Thrush with radio transmitters. Photos by WCS Guatemala.
Wood Thrush individuals from the Maya Forest have been detected in Georgia, Texas, Mississippi, New York, and New Hampshire, among other states. The stations have also detected other species tagged elsewhere, such as a Swainson’s Thrush that flew from Montana to the Maya Forest. This information highlights the strong migratory connections between Mesoamerican forests and regions of the United States.
Migration routes of Wood Thrush #55870, an individual tagged in New Hampshire in June 2024 and later detected in Tikal in October 2024 (left), and a Swainson’s Thrush tagged in Montana in September 2024 and detected in Tikal the same year (right).
To celebrate the strong connection that migratory birds create between the U.S. Midwest and the Maya Forest -as well as the long-standing collaboration between WCS Guatemala and Zumbro Valley Audubon- six young birders from Petén- representing the Caoba Birders Club, Green Water Conservation, and Petén Birders Association, joined WCS Guatemala’s Bird Program Coordinator, Marcial Córdova, at the annual Hawk Ridge Raptor Migration Festival in Duluth, Minnesota, in September 2024.
The youth had the opportunity to observe the same raptors they see in Guatemala, but in a completely different context, exchanging knowledge and experiences about bird monitoring across the species’ range. This international exchange reflects our shared commitment to protecting migratory raptors that travel thousands of kilometers between regions.
Marcial Córdova (second from left) with six youth from Petén who traveled to Minnesota for the Hawk Ridge Festival. Members of Zumbro Valley Audubon, including Eric Matteson (left), warmly welcoming their Guatemalan partners (right).
One of the most significant advances in bird conservation in Petén is the implementation of ecological restoration, particularly in areas degraded by fires, illegal cattle ranching, and deforestation. In communities such as Paso Caballos, Cruce a la Colorada, and La Colorada, strategic native species have been planted to promote the return of biodiversity.
Trees like Simarouba glauca (aceituno), Brosimum alicastrum (ramón), and Swietenia macrophylla (mahogany) play a vital role:
Ramón produces fruits that feed tanagers, parrots, and toucans.
Aceituno provides shelter and shade for small species and serves as a perching site.
Mahogany, beyond its ecological value, contributes to forming canopy structures essential for nesting and protection.
A member of the Cruce a la Colorada community transporting seedlings from the local nursery to a restoration area. Photo by WCS Guatemala.
“These trees are part of a restoration strategy with multiple benefits—they provide food, improve soil quality, and help the return of species that depend on them,” explains César Paz, head of WCS Guatemala’s Restoration Program.
Restoration activities are also being monitored to see whether certain bird species increase their presence in reforested zones. The expectation is that, over time, these areas will become key habitats for many species at risk or in population decline. Target species such as the Wood Thrush and the Kentucky Warbler (Geothlypis formosa) have already begun returning to restored areas.
Beyond technology, the program continues to promote knowledge exchange among local communities, organizations, and governments. Activities such as the Christmas Bird Counts we conduct with partners in Laguna del Tigre National Park, and Global Big Day, along with community participation, strengthen the link between science and daily life in Maya Forest communities.
“The knowledge we are generating helps design better policies, but it also inspires new generations to care for their environment,” adds Marcial Córdova.
Marcial Córdova (far left, front row) and Luis Orellana (second from right) from WCS Guatemala with youth from the Carmelita community heading out for birdwatching in the forest.
Bird monitoring remains a fundamental tool for understanding the benefits of ecological restoration for biodiversity and the connections between Mesoamerica’s largest remaining forest and its “sister landscapes” in North America—linked through migratory birds.
Text by Anna Lello-Smith, Claudia Novelo Alpuche and Sofía Rosales. With support from WCS Guatemala, SELVA, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Zumbro Valley Audubon, Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA), Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the European Union, and the Five Great Forests of Mesoamerica initiative.