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| Río Ik'bolay - the "Snake River" |
Birding in Rocjá Pomtilá. Rocjá Pomtilá
is a remote Maya Q’eqchi’ village in the vicinity of the Laguna
Lachuá National Park, on the shores of Río Ik'bolay, the Maya
Q’eqchi’ name for "Snake River". After traveling 400
m underground, the river literally springs from the earth near Rocjá
Pomtilá. During the rainy season the force of the water creates several
columns of water up to one meter tall.
Rocjá Pomtilá is rich in bird diversity with more than 320 bird
species having been recorded by the PROEVAL RAXMU Bird Monitoring Program.
During your visit, one of the local bird census takers (several community
farmers have been trained to identify all of the birds in the area and carry
out continual monitoring of the species) will lead you to the best bird-viewing
spots in the area. You will witness birds living amongst the wealth of resources
available in the mosaic of forested areas, corn fields,
cardamom, and cacao plantations, and secondary scrub at different stages of development. Cardamom
plantations make quality birding sites as they are generally planted below
patches of primary rainforest, replacing the underbrush and therefore making
it easier to spot birds than in a naturally structured primary rainforest.
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| Tody Motmot (Hylomanes momotula). |
Because Rocjá Pomtilá is situated at the base of foothills
running across northern Guatemala, a variety of bird species are found here,
attracted to this transition zone between lowland and mountain forests. You
may listen to the strange call of the Keel-billed Motmot, enjoy the entertaining
song of the Nightingale Wren, observe the Russet Antshrike, the Slaty Antwren,
Plain Antvireo, Golden- crowned Warbler and Green Honeycreeper moving in mixed-species
flocks.
The Laguna Lachuá National Park and Rocjá Pomtilá harbor
a large assemblage of rain forest raptors, including three hawk-eagles (Black-and-White,
Black, and Ornate Hawk Eagle), White Hawk, Common and Great Black Hawk, Gray-headed
and Double-toothed Kite.
At the end of your birding day Rocjá Pomtilá invites
you to relax with the local villagers and experience the traditional life
of the Maya Q’eqchi’, Guatemala’s second largest Mayan linguistic
group.
How to get there and accommodation: Rocjá
Pomtilá is accessible from Cobán on asphalt and dirt road (140
km) via Minibus (about 3.5 hours) or with your own car (no 4WD required).
Rocjá Pomtilá offers rustic camping-style accommodation in the
villager's huts. Electricity and running water is not available, however the
use of well and river water is common for general use and purified bottled
drinking water is available. All meals will be prepared for you by women from
the local village, giving you a chance to sample some of the regional recipes
from this area of Guatemala.
For independent travelers:
Please fill this reservation form and we will send you information on rates and space availability as soon as possible.
Or call Javier Caal (Associate of PROEVAL RAXMU Bird Monitoring Program in
Rocjá Pomtilá) at (502) 5381 1970 (from 15:00 to 17:00, only
Spanish spoken).
When is the best time for a visit in Rocjá Pomtilá? Any time of year is a good time to visit.
How will you contribute to the conservation in
Rocjá Pomtilá? Rocjá Pomtilá is a small Maya
Q’eqchi’ community which subsists relying on cardamom and subsistence
corn production. Several villagers have received special training to be more
directly involved with tourism as guides, cooks and bird monitors. Rocjá
Pomtilá has received assistance from a couple of different private
voluntary organizations in recent years to help initiate eco-tourism and artisan
education projects with the aim of helping local people to raise their incomes
and quality of life and to diminish the anthropogenic impact on the neighboring
primary rainforest in Laguna Lachuá National Park and the village's
very own rainforest reserve. Your interest in environmental conservation and
your tourist income will be a significant help towards increasing local interest
in preserving their own natural resources. It will show villagers how unique
and special the rainforest around them is and will provide an alternative
income generation source for these villagers that is harmonious with the forest’s
protection. For the bird census takers from the community, your visit will
spark their interest and give them an added incentive to keep seeking out
more information about the birds in their area that they will be able to share
with future tourists.
