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You are here: Home » Happy Nomad Tour » Macaw Mountain Bird Park – Natural Beauty Galore

Macaw Mountain Bird Park – Natural Beauty Galore

by Adam Pervez on October 15, 2011

in Happy Nomad Tour, Honduras

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After an adventure earlier in the day, that I’ll have to post after I leave Honduras for legal reasons (seriously), I went to Macaw Mountain Bird Park with some friends. It was amazing!

The park is about 1.5 miles/2km from the city. It’s a bit of an uphill hike, but motor taxis/tuk tuks/rickshaws will happily take you up there for about $1.

The entrance fee is $10/190 Lempira. It is well worth it. Guides are provided free and they bring the park to life with their stories.

The park is set in a tropical jungle, basically. Coffee is growing throughout the park, there are palm trees, and other interesting trees. My favorite interesting tree is the Indio Desnudo, or Naked Indian. The locals have a different name for this tree, however. They call it the “gringa.” If you aren’t familiar with the word gringo or gringa, click herefor an explanation. Otherwise, you’ll appreciate the irony given that this tree turns red in the sun and peels afterward.

Coffee tree

Indio Desnudo (naked indian) tree aka gringa

Owls at Macaw Mountain Bird Park in Honduras

There are a variety of birds at the park. Here are some owls, for example. Unfortunately, most of the birds are kept in cages. But many birds are rescued from far worse circumstances. The macaws, in general, were not treated well here and that was part of the motivation for the park in the first place.

There is a bird interaction square in the middle of the park. There you can see the birds (macaws, toucans, and another species I forgot) up close and personal. You can let them sit on your arm or shoulder, and generally get an experience you can’t get elsewhere.

Macaws can live to be 100 years old, and in the interaction center there is an 80-year-old. He is the father of all the rest of the macaws there. He looks great for his age!

Below are some pictures of me with the birds, and then pictures of the birds by themselves.

Me with birds at Macaw Mountain Bird Park In Copan Ruinas Honduras

Beautiful Birds in Macaw Mountain Bird Park Honduras

Me with birds at Macaw Mountain Bird Park In Copan Ruinas Honduras

Apparently these birds like to pick at things. They picked at my shirt and made holes in the sleeve and shoulder. It’s ok though. I’d still do it again We also passed by a really cool tree that had all kinds of different color beads/fruit on it.

Holes In My Shirt After Macaws

Cool plant

After an auspicious start the day finished up wonderfully. The ticket is good for three days and I hope to make it back to the park to enjoy more time with the birds and scenery.

Tagged as: Copan Ruinas, Honduras, Nature

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About Adam Pervez

In mid-2011 I left my cushy corporate job and took the plunge into a life incorporating my passions of traveling, writing, volunteering, learning, educating, and telling stories. I study what happiness means to others, offer what I can from my engineering/MBA background as a volunteer, and try to leave each place better than how I found it. Read more.