BAHIA DE CARAQUEZ, Ecuador, December 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

- With Photo

- Ecuador's luxury hotel and winner of the 2011 Five Star Green Diamond Award unveils  "Birds of Bahia de Caraquez" field book.

It's time for serious birdwatchers to "unite and take flight" to Bahia de Caraquez, the planet's best kept secret for bird ornithologists.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111208/LA18967)

One of the world's most bio-diverse places in the world, the Ecuadorian city of "Bahia" is both a luxury travel destination and home to hundreds of fascinating birds. Now the birds have been documented for the first time in a new publication: "Birds of Bahia de Caraquez." This impressive, 24-page field guide was unveiled in Quito at a celebration for the book, its authors, sponsors and its publisher, Casa Ceibo Boutique Hotel & Spa.

"'Birds of Bahia de Caraquez' is a truly original publication, showcasing the hundreds of birds that are either endemic or foreign to this coastal region of Ecuador," says Daniel Jacome, who co-owns Casa Ceibo with Charles Van Diver of Destin, Fla. "We're thrilled to see the final product, which, thanks to a number of sponsors and supporters, is now exclusively available to Casa Ceibo guests who sign up for our professionally guided bird-watching tours and packages."

The unveiling at Quito's Swissotel was part of a campaign kickoff to promote Bahia as the newest, must-see eco-tourism hotspot. It also coincided with Casa Ceibo receiving the 2011 Five Star Green Diamond Award, an honor given by the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences (AAHS) for two consecutive years. Casa Ceibo is the only South American business to have received this prestigious award, which was presented by Karen Dixon, the AAHS' international general manger. It recognizes the hotel's five-star status and its commitment to environmental initiatives, including the 'Birds of Bahia' book project.

The luxurious Casa Ceibo is located just minutes from Bahia de Caraquez and on the shore of the Chone River, an estuary that feeds into the nearby Pacific Ocean and showcases a dazzling diversity of birds and wildlife. A joint project - spearheaded by Jacome and two internationally renowned ornithologists, W. Miles McMullan and Andres Vasquez - "Birds of Bahia de Caraquez" features a checklist with colorful illustrations of 360+ birds that frequent the region.

The book has received support in Ecuador and other key areas of the world. In fact, the British Embassy's Ambassador Linda Cross spoke at the book and Star Diamond award celebration. In addition to the British Embassy's "Vuelvete Verde" program, Ecuadorian Tours, Conservaciony Desarrollo/Smart Voyager, the Municipality of Sucre, and Bahia's mayor, Carlos Gustavo Mendoza Rodriguez, are sponsoring the book.

For more information, visit: http://www.casaceibo.com.

Note to Editors:

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SOURCE Casa Ceibo