Deep in the semi-arid thorn forests of the Mexican state of Oaxaca, the Rose-bellied bunting struggles for survival. Endemic to a tiny crescent of Mexican wilderness — a micro-habitat that’s shrinking by the year — the bird’s fate is precarious. In this impassioned essay for the bunting’s preservation, environmental educator and master birder Roderigo López outlines the threats to this endangered species — and points to a humane path forward, preserving not just the Rose-bellied bunting, but the human communities it neighbours.

With a beautiful cover illustration by Windsor-based illustrator Julia Hall, only 200 of these hand-bound, limited-edition chapbooks have been produced.

Royalties on all sales are donated to our publishing partner, the Pelee Island Bird Observatory.

About Roderigo López

Roderigo Ulises López Valdeso is a tireless promoter of birding, birdwatching tourism, conservation, and environmental education. For over a decade, he has designed and explored routes for birding in Mexico, always engaging local and Indigenous guides. In 2020, Roderigo founded the Central West Mexican Birding Society to create a forum for communication and collaboration between groups across five states engaged in appreciating and conserving birds. He has served on the Board of Directors of Sociedad Audubon de México for the past nine years, assists with PIBO’s International Intern program, and is PIBO’s partner in Mexico for the Graeme Gibson Prismáticos Project, which distributes donated birding optics to classrooms, field workers, and conservation groups in Guanajuarto, México.