II International Bird Festival of Granada

Clementine Haudecoeur | Nov 19, 2015

The Cocibolca Foundation invites you to the II Edition of the International Bird Festival of Granada that will take place in Granada on November 21st and 22nd of 2015, month when there is the highest concentration of birds in the country.

In order accomplish its objective, the Festival organized different activities such as open talks on scientific topic and birds tourism, photography, paintings, books and handicrafts expositions on birds and a workshop for teachers (you will find more information about the Festival here). Some Nature and Birds tours at an accessible cost will also be offered (details at the end of this article) in close rural areas. Finally, to give a festive tone to this event, the visitors will be able to enjoy gourmet and traditional food, as well as several concerts of local and classical music (with the participation of the famous Camerata Bach).

It is important to mention that this project was part of the Colonial and Volcanoes Route, financed by the European Union and the Government of Nicaragua, and was executed by the Nicaragua Institute of Tourism (INTUS) and the Cocibolca Foundation, with technical support from the Cooperation Agency of Luxembourg (LuxDev).

The Festival was organized with the support of the Nicaraguan Chamber of Tourism (CANATUR), the Nicaragua Association of Tour Operators (ANTUR), the Nicaraguan Chamber of Industry (CADIN), the Network of Private Reserves, with subventions from the Pellas Group, Movistar and the PRODEL Foundation.

We will give you the program of the Festival below:

Saturday, November 21st:

8am: Beginning of birdwatching tours (description of the different tours below)

9-9:30am: Inauguration of Festival, Dr. Jaime Incer Barquero. Casa de los Tres Mundos – Free Entrance.

9:30am-12pm: Scientific seminars. Casa de los Tres Mundos – Free Entrance.

• Dr. Jaime Incer Barquero, Fondo NATURA-FUNDAR, topic: “History or Ornithology in Nicaragua”.
• Grupo Pellas.
• Jean Bourgeais, LuxDev, Project of the Colonial and Volcanoes Route, topic: “Contribution of the CVR project in the development of sustainable tourism in Nicaragua”.

9am-4pm: Exhibitions of birdwatching sites by local and international tour operators. Casa de los Tres Mundos – Free Entrance.

9am-4pm: Exhibition of Bird Paintings by students from Fine Arts Academy. Casa de los Tres Mundos – Free Entrance.

9am-4pm: Exhibition of Birds Photography. Casa de los Tres Mundos – Free Entrance.

9am-12:30pm: Workshop for rural school teachers from the Biological and Archaeological Corridor of Granada, as part of the campaign My house is not your house. Hotel Alhambra – On invite.

2-4pm: Discussion groups on birdwatching and nature tourism. Hotel Darío – Free Entrance.

• Roger Mendieta, Fundación Cocibolca, topic: “Useful advice for birds touristic guides”.
• Howard Youth, topic: “Guiding International Nature Tourists: Simple Tricks of the Trade”.
• Martin Lezama, tema: “Notes on the owls of Nicaragua”.

4-6pm: Concert of the Camerata Bach: national themes and creations on birds themes. Plaza de los Leones – Free Entrance.

Sunday, November 22nd:

8am: Beginning of birdwatching tours (description of the different tours below)

9-11:10am: Discussion groups on birdwatching and nature tourism. Hotel Darío – Free Entrance.

• Enock Pineda, Fundación Cocibolca, topic: “Infrastructure and tourism facilities in the Biological Archilogical Corridor of Granada”.
• Liliana Duriaux, Reserva Silvestre Privada El Jaguar, topic: “Rainy season plan for the “Reinita Alidora (Vermivora chrysoptera). Steps for the conservation and recuperation of habitats”.
• George Duriaux, Reserva Silvestre Privada El Jaguar, tema: “Observations of Birdwatching in Private Reserves”.

9am-4pm: Exhibitions of birdwatching sites by local and international tour operators. Casa de los Tres Mundos – Free Entrance.

9am-4pm: Exhibition of Bird Paintings by students from Fine Arts Academy. Casa de los Tres Mundos – Free Entrance.

9am-4pm: Exhibition of Birds Photography. Casa de los Tres Mundos – Free Entrance.

2-4pm: Scientific discussion groups on birdwatching and nature tourism. Hotel Alhambra – Free Entrance.

• Carolina Coronado, Red de Reservas Silvestres Privadas, topic: “Support of the Wildlife Reserves in conservation of birds’ habitat".
• María Ignacia Galeano, Alianza para las Áreas Silvestres, topic: “Environmental Education through Birds”.
• José Manuel Zolotoff-Pallais, Fundación COCIBOLCA, topic: “Tourist sites of interest for bird watching in the Biological Archilogical Corridor of Granada”.

4pm: Closing of the 2nd International Birds Festival.

List of available birdwatching tours:

1. Islands Tour – US$15
Dotting Lake Nicaragua, its three hundred small islands are the signature attraction of the country. By boat through the Asese Bay (calm waters in Nahualt, the indigenous language), it’s easy to fall in love with these heavily treed areas that seem to float on the waters of the lake. Local and migratory birds fly overhead and from the trees come the sounds of the howler monkeys and the swinging movements of the capuchins. Almost within touching distance one can see the islands of Zapatera and Omotepe while the Mombacho Volcano, like a sleeping giant, displays its shoreline, heavy with first growth forests.

2. Blue Lagoon Farm – US$28
From the Laguna Azul Finca, quite near Granada, you can enjoy a beautiful view of the Apoyo Lake, hidden in a tropical dry forest with the lulling sound of the wind, the birds, and the howler monkeys walking along the shore and coming down to the water level for a drink. There are oropendolas, guarda barrancos (the national bird), cuco ardillas, doves, childhiltotes, parakeets, parrots, and flying overhead the birds of prey.

3. Zapatera Island – US$25
Among the unique experiences one can have by cruising on Lake Nicaragua is navigating the thirty or forty minutes it takes from Asese Bay to Zapatera Island. After crossing the Isletas and crossing the open lake one reaches, shortly thereafter, this great island with its own archipelago. Here one can witness the remains of ancient and mysterious cultures. At the Archaeological Hall “Rafael Cordoba Rivas”, a neo-Gothic architecture structure named in honor of a former president of Nicaragua, one can see an exquisite selection of pre-Columbian art, arranged in chronological order and according to different art style tendencies.

4. Malacos Farm Tour – US$33
Following a lesser known path on Cocibolca Lake, one comes upon the white sand beaches that are characteristic of the Hacienda los Malaco. Continuing down the path to the lake of the Hacienda, one can see many animals including monkeys and the deer grazing happily near the many fruit trees of the beautiful location.