Ex-hunter thrills bird watchers

AFTER hunting birds for decades, Angel Paz now guides birdwatchers who ock to his forested mountain preserve in Ecuador, home to one-sixth of the world's bird species.

In 2005, the 47-year-old farmer traded in his ri e for binoculars after realising that tourists would dole out large sums to view birds on the private preserve near Nanegalito, some 90 km north of Quito.

"I used to hunt. Now I safeguard the birds. I give them food and they allow me to feed my family," Paz said, boasting of his ability to imitate the calls of 100 different bird species.

Six months after the creation of his "Peace of the Birds" refuge, it has already attracted ornithologists and "birders" or "twitchers" — bird-watching enthusiasts — from the US, Britain, Canada, Japan and India. Paz has patiently gained the trust of his birds by offering them food, and now when he calls out their names select birds will come out of the thick foliage to greet visitors.

Minutes after arriving at the reserve, visitors are surrounded by dozens of hummingbirds of different sizes and colours, including rare and endangered species such as the tiny black-breasted puf eg ( eriocnemis nigrivestis).

"One tourist who really wanted to visit could not believe his eyes when he arrived, and he broke into tears," Paz recalled.

One of his favourite birds is the endangered tawny antpitta ( grallaria antpitta), which he has named after the Colombian pop star "Shakira" because of its unique rhythmic tail wag.

He is especially proud of his dark-backed wood quail, a shy, endangered ground bird native to the high forests of Colombia and Ecuador.

There is also a giant antpitta named Maria, which Paz said was dif cult to attract to his reserve.

On his 25 hectares perched 4,200 feet above sea level, virtually on the equator, Paz feeds fruits and earthworms to more than 220 bird species.

On the reserve Paz has el oro parakeets ( pyrrhura orcesi) and toucans as well as sparrows, doves, wild turkeys and owls.

After the birds nish eating, two olingos — mammals that look like a cross between a monkey, a squirrel and a miniature bear — swoop down to scoop up the leftovers. — AFP