SAN BARTOLO MORELOS, Mexico (AP) — For 32 years, Cruz Monroy has walked the streets of a small town on the edge of Mexico's capital that houses a small cage tower filled with a rainbow of birds.
The melody of red cardinals, green-and-blue parakeets and colorful finches fills the days of “pajareros” (street bird sellers) like him.
The practice of selling birds in stacks of cages – sometimes taller than the people carrying them – goes back generations. They have long been regulars in Mexican markets and are among the 1.5 million street vendors on the streets of Mexico.
“Hearing them sing brings joy to people,” Monroy said, as dozens of bird calls echoed through his home in a small town outside the Mexican capital, where he cares for and raises the birds. “This is our tradition. My father is also a bird seller.”
Hundreds of pajaros from across the country flock to Mexico City during the Catholic holiday of Palm Sunday to decorate the 10-foot-tall cages, decorating them with bright flowers, tinsel and images of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico's patron saint.
They walked several miles with their birds and families through the streets of the capital to the city's iconic cathedral.
But in recent years, Pagaroo has slowly disappeared from the streets in the face of increasing restrictions from authorities and sharp criticism from animal rights groups, who say the practice constitutes animal abuse and trafficking.
Monroy and others said they would not capture birds such as parrots, which are banned by Mexican authorities, who call the tropical species “wild birds, not pets,” and that they often kept the birds they owned and took good care of their animals. Monroy said among his family members, though, the tradition is disappearing.
Facing harassment from authorities and mounting criticism, he said he wanted his son to find more stable employment.
“Many friends have given up selling birds due to restrictions and harassment from certain authorities,” Monroy said. “This is no longer a stable job for my children. We have to look for other alternatives.”
