Endangered and Endemic Birds of the Dominican Republic

'The birds in the Dominican Republic are part of the culture and beliefs of the Dominican people. Ever since the Arawak Indians lived on this island, birds have been part of people's spiritual lives - in tales, myths - and also their everyday meals.
Today, this continues, both the myth and the food. We still see youngsters forming groups to hunt for birds, mainly the Cigua (Dulus dominicus) to make 'locrios de cigua.' This heritage, this tradition, has created a deep interest among Dominicans in their birds. It is hard to find a person in the Dominican Republic who cannot tell you a story about birds in his life.
Mrs. Dod has gathered in this book the tales and myths about birds of the Dominican Republic, compiling a cultural treasure from several generations in some cases and in others, the experiences of one man or family.
It is important to note tales such as the ones about the Ciguapa, the Pitangua, and the La Selle's Thrush or Cho-Cho. These are birds that Mrs. Dod worked very hard to find. In the case of the Ciguapa (Stygian Owl), she clearly establishes, finally, that this is a bird and not a supernatural being as was long believed in the Dominican Republic.
For her contribution to scientific knowledge about birds, cultural values, and the life experiences of the D people, Mrs. Dod is now considered a Dominican - not only by her close friends, but also by the many Dominicans who read every Saturday her newspaper column about nature in the Dominican Republic.' -Francisco X. Geraldes, Director, National Museum of Natural History, Santo Domingo

'This book is a delightful combination of field notes, diary and folklore stories written in a charming and candid style. One can learn a great deal of ornithological history about the land of Hispaniola, the land that Columbus loved.' - Ardyce Worth