These birds are national symbols, but are becoming increasingly difficult to see

The American tropics are uniquely blessed with birds. Thirty-six percent of the world’s 11,000 bird species live in the region south of the United States-Mexico border, more than in Asia or Africa.

That diversity is reflected in the national birds chosen to represent the countries of Latin America, from the lightweight southern lapwing – Uruguay’s bird symbol – to the 30-pound Andean condor, the national bird of four countries. Some birds have indigenous cultural importance; others were once ubiquitous in, or are endemic to, their countries.

But an increasingly common feature is a decline in their numbers, sometimes even in the countries they represent.

Golden Eagle (Mexico)

Every child in Mexico knows the story: during nomadic times, the Aztecs had a prophecy that they had to settle in a place where they saw an eagle eating a snake while sitting on a cactus. That observation led to the founding of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, later Mexico City.

The golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is found in Russia, Central Asia, Europe and America. Mexico is the eagle’s southernmost range, according to Ernesto Ruelas Inzunza, an ecologist at the University of Veracruz. Although the bird appears on objects such as coins and football shirts, it is endangered in Mexico, and so is its population probably shrink.

Recent estimates suggest there may be only about 200 adult birds left in Mexico, said Dr. Ruelas, although more formal nationwide surveys need to be conducted.

“It’s a beautiful bird, and it’s deeply rooted in our history,” said Dr. Ruelas. “But we don’t see them that often.”

Superb quetzal (Guatemala)

Habitat loss is a major factor in the decline of bird populations in the region. About 13 percent of the forest in Latin America and the Caribbean has been lost in the past thirty years, mainly due to agriculture and ranching. Brazil accounts for most of that loss, but Guatemala alone lost more than 26 percent of the forests 1.25 million hectares, about the size of California, Texas and Louisiana combined – from 1990 to 2020.

That change has had a strong effect on Guatemala’s national bird, the beautiful quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno), which breeds in high-elevation cloud forests and feeds in lower-elevation forests.

The quetzal’s iridescent green feathers adorned Quetzalcoatl, the snake-headed god of the Aztecs and Mayans, and were once used as money; the currency of modern Guatemala is called the quetzal. But the quetzal’s habitat requirements and dependence on avocado varieties make it vulnerable to climate change and deforestation. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified the population of the beautiful quetzal as almost threatened.

Andean condor (Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador)

In most of the world, the Andean condor (Vultur gryphus) is identified by a version of its Quechua name, kunstur. It is one of the largest flying birds, has a wingspan of 10 feet and weighs up to 33 pounds. Bolivia and Chile are strongholds for the species, but the population as a whole is vulnerable and the condor is barely present in Colombia and Ecuador. From a 2015 study by the Andean Condor Foundation It is estimated that only about 100 adults remained in Ecuador.

Despite the bird’s importance in some indigenous cultures – condors are thought to carry souls to heaven – the bird is hunted and poisoned, usually by farmers concerned about their livestock. Condors compete with wild dogs to find carrion, and have sometimes resorted to killing baby cows.

“That’s a big problem with birds of prey in places where local communities are close,” said Eliana Montenegro, a conservation officer based in Ecuador with BirdLife International.

The intimidating features and size of birds of prey, such as the golden eagle, the condor and the Panama’s harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja), make them charismatic national symbols, but can also provoke human persecution.

Lapwing (Uruguay)
Rufous Hornero (Argentina)

The southern lapwing (Vanellus chilensis) and the russet hornet (Furnarius rufus), both of which prefer grasslands and pastures, have actually benefited from the conversion of forests into farms and ranches.

Common birds like these still play a role in mobilizing support for conservation efforts, says Luis Miguel Renjifo, a conservation biologist at the Pontifical Javeriana University.

Most Argentinians can easily find their national bird, the Hornero, named after the oven-like little ones, or Horneros, that it builds, even in the parks of Buenos Aires. “They get people excited,” said Dr. Renjifo. “It creates that connection between birds and people.”

Scarlet Macaw (Honduras)

With so many beautiful birds in Latin America, poaching for the international pet market has become a major problem, including for the scarlet macaw (Ara macao).

The ancient Mayans believed that macaws could travel between earth and heaven, and their colorful feathers adorned the Mayan and Aztec elite. Today, these feathers – as well as the bird’s tolerance for captivity and its ability to imitate human voices – make macaws a sought-after pet that can fetch more than $3,000.

Populations are declining in much of Central America, and the scarlet macaw is vulnerable in Honduras. But it did yield something recent progress in the region, thanks to forest conservation efforts; programs such as Macaw mountain, which combines tourism with nature conservation; and arrangements, like those in the Mosquitia region, that pay off former hunters to become stewards.

But that performance remains weak.

Can a symbol boost conservation efforts?

Understanding population trends requires long-term data collection, and conservation efforts can take decades to produce results.

“It requires resources that are not available in many of the most biodiverse countries,” said Viviana Ruiz-Gutierrez, co-director of the Center for Avian Population Studies at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

And the decline of a species in one country is less likely to attract international funding if the bird’s global population is not concerned.

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

“A symbol of national identity should be something that makes us work together,” said Dr. Ruelas.