VOA慢速英语--种植咖啡树为委内瑞拉国鸟提供栖息地

Saving¹ Venezuela’s Famous Red Bird by Planting Coffee

Pictures of the bird called the red siskin appear on Venezuela’s money, on products and in school books. The “Little Cardinal,” as the bird is known, is loved by Venezuelans.

But the small song bird is disappearing from the wild. It has become the victim of shrinking² forests and poachers who want to sell their bright red feathers.

That threat has brought together an international team. The team includes scientists from the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. and coffee farmers in Venezuela's mountains. They hope to save the bird. The plan is to have farmers plant organic³ coffee plants. Such coffee plants are covered with branches which make good nesting places for the birds.

"They don't have many years left, unless we do something right now," said Miguel Arvelo. He is an animal doctor for the nonprofit group Provita in Caracas. It is one of the groups leading the effort.

Once found in the millions, as few as 300 red siskins remain in Venezuela. However, scientists say it is difficult to estimate⁴ their numbers now because of Venezuela’s current economic crisis⁵ and violence.

An effort to save the birds

The Red Siskin Initiative⁶ began about three years ago on a budget of less than $100,000 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and private groups in the U.S. and Venezuela.

Planting organic coffee crops with branches stops farmers from increasing production by thinning their coffee crops to let more sun onto their fields.

Farmers who meet the project's rules will win the right to sell their beans with "Bird Friendly" labels. They will be able to set prices for such “high quality” products that can be five times higher than legal prices set by the socialist⁷ government.

At the same time, a red siskin breeding⁹ center is being built at a private zoo in Venezuela. There, 200 birds are expected to be born next year. This number will be added to the 25 siskins at the Smithsonian Institution. Red siskins from the center will be placed in the coffee groves¹⁰. These efforts could prevent the birds from disappearing.

There are reports of early success. About 40 farmers in the mountains of Carayaca, northwest of the capital Caracas, have stopped cutting down trees, a move that will help the siskin.

The male siskin is valued for its red feathers and black head. Breeders cross them with yellow pet birds to create babies with colorful feathers.

Protection under Venezuelan law has not stopped poachers from catching¹¹ the birds to sell on an illegal international market.

Poor Venezuelan families often catch and sell the birds. The money they receive can feed their children for months, said biologist Jhonathan Miranda, a Provita researcher.

Michael Braun is co-founder of the Red Siskin Initiative and a research scientist at Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. He said Venezuela's economic crisis has hurt the project. Researchers and scientists have been robbed or shot by Venezuela’s growing poor population.

It is difficult to get people to travel to or to stay in Venezuela and work on the project, Braun said.

Scientists keep the places where the birds are known to live a secret to protect them from poachers. They permitted The Associated Press to photograph a small number of birds at one of those secret places.

Twelve or more of the small, red birds flew into sight just as the sun appeared.

"It's the first time I've seen so many together," said Miranda. "It gives us hope."

I’m Susan Shand.

Words in This Story

poacher – n. one who catches an animal illegally

feathers – n. any one of the light growths that make up the outer covering of the body of a bird

branch – n. the arm of a tree

label –n. a piece of paper, cloth or other material that is attached to something to identify and describe it

breed⁸ – v. to produce offspring by sexual reproduction

1 saving   

n.节省，节约；[pl.]储蓄金，存款

参考例句：

• Energy saving is term strategic policy of our country.节约能源是我国长期的战略国策。
• Old-fashioned housewives were usually very saving.旧时的家庭主妇通常都很节俭。

2 shrinking   

a.畏缩的，犹豫不决的

参考例句：

• She purposely made the dress larger to allow for shrinking when it was washed. 她故意把衣服做大一些，以防洗时缩水。
• I can't imagine why a dynamic young woman like her is marrying a shrinking violet like him. 我不能想像，像她这样一个充满活力的年轻女子为什么会嫁给他这样一个胆怯害羞的人。

3 organic   

adj.有机的，有机物的；有组织的

参考例句：

• Organic farming is expanding everywhere.有机农业正在各地迅速发展起来。
• The organic fertilizer shall keep the soil in good heart.这有机肥一定会使土壤保持肥沃。

4 estimate   

n.估计，估量；评价，看法；vt.估计，估量

参考例句：

• We estimate the cost to be five thousand dollars.我们估计费用为5000美元。
• The lowest estimate would put the worth of the jewel at ＄200.按最低的评估这块宝石也值200美元。

5 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

6 initiative   

n.主动性，首创精神，主动权（的行动），倡议

参考例句：

• He went to see the headmaster on his own initiative.他主动去看望校长。
• His employer had described him as lacking in initiative and drive.雇主说他缺乏进取心和干劲。

7 socialist   

n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的

参考例句：

• China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。
• His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。

8 breed   

n.品种，种类；vi.繁殖，产仔；vt.养殖，产生

参考例句：

• The parents are trying to breed their son a musician.这对父母尽力要把儿子培养成为音乐家。
• This breed of horses is both tall and heavily grown.这种马既高且大。

9 breeding   

n.繁殖

参考例句：

• the breeding of horses 马的饲养
• This area of the city has become a breeding ground for violent crime. 这个市区已成为暴力犯罪的滋生地。

10 groves   

树丛，小树林( grove的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The early sun shone serenely on embrowned groves and still green fields. 朝阳宁静地照耀着已经发黄的树丛和还是一片绿色的田地。
• The trees grew more and more in groves and dotted with old yews. 那里的树木越来越多地长成了一簇簇的小丛林，还点缀着几棵老紫杉树。

11 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。