The World Birding Rally's fourth edition came to an end on May 20th, after a closing ceremony held in Puerto Palmeras hotel, Tarapoto, Peru. The jury concluded that a total of 777 bird species was observed, a number that equals almost 10% of the world's total. This confirms the mega biodiversity in the Nor Amazon Route, as well as its potential for sustainable tourism.
The winning team was Sunbird Wings (UK/US), after observing a total of 588 species. US team Field Guides came second with 575 species. Third and fourth positions were occupied by Surbound (US) y Birding Ecotours (South Africa).
The trophy handed to Sunbird Wings was named 'Carlos González', in honor of the hotel entrepreneur who promoted tourism in the Amazonian region of San Martin, who passed away in 2013. The award has a sculpted Marvelous Spatuletail (Lodiggesia mirabilis), an endemic hummingbird which was one of the highlighted species of the rally.
Organized by the NGO Inkaterra Asociación, Peru's Ministry of Foreign Commerce and Tourism (MINCETUR) and the Peruvian Board of Tourism (PromPerú), the World Birding Rally - Nor Amazon 2014 covered a 1503-km route across twelve life zones and four regions: the coastline in Lambayeque, the Andean highlands of Cajamarca, the cloud forests of Amazonas, and Amazonian San Martin.
This event is part of a strategy to position Peru as an ideal destination for bird watching. Peru is the third country with the largest number of bird species (1816 species, 120 of which are endemics). On the other hand, the rally aims to raise awareness on the environment, and contributes in creating added value in rural areas via sustainable tourism.
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WORLD BIRDING RALLY - FINAL RESULTS
1. Sunbird Wings (UK/US) 588
2. Field Guides (US) 575
3. Surbound (US) 537
4. Birding Ecotours (S. Africa) 520
Total Species 777
