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In part two of our interview with the team from the Belize Raptor Center, we welcome lead bird trainer Maricia Mas, a native Belizean hailing from the Toledo district of Belize. Maricia talks about how her love for nature and the environment was nurtured from a young age by her parents growing up in southern Belize. She tells us that the Lesson’s motmot was the bird that made her fall in love with birding. Maricia is now the first certified female bird trainer in Belize and continues to inspire younger generations of birders through her educational outreach activities. Maricia was recently recognized as Belize’s Wonder Woman by the US Embassy of Belize, a well deserved recognition for her hard work and dedication of preserving Belize’s birds and environment.
Maricia was hooked from the first time she was able to get her hands on a proper pair of binoculars. It was through an outreach program by the Belize Audubon Society. She recounts her fond memory of first using the "binos" to get to see the beautiful birds upclose and her desire to want to learn more.
Maricia talks about her work at the Belize Raptor Center and her special relationship with the birds. Some say she "talks" to the birds. She has a special connection that's hard to explain but she explains that their body language are signals from the bird to let her know how they feel. She says that it all comes down to time and patience. She has such a passion for birds and rehabilitation of birds that she never takes a day off because in her eyes she never works.
Meet Maricia and the team at the
Belize Raptor Center in Santa Elena Belize. It's always FREE to visit, and is an excellent experience for both visitors and locals alike.
Birds of Belize provides the first complete guide to the identification of all currently known species. The birds are grouped by families, with an introduction to each family that ... morehighlights its uniquely identifying characteristics and behaviors.