René Corado (Collections Manager)

René Corado was born in a little village in Guatemala. In 1981, at the age of 21, he migrated to California USA without documents. Mr. Corado has been the Collections Manager of the WFVZ since 1996, and was Curatorial Assistant and Field Assistant from 1985 to 1996. He has conducted several major field collecting projects on birds: in Guatemala from 2001 to present, Costa Rica from 1994-1997, and Ecuador from 1988-1992. His primary field of study is the breeding of Neotropical birds, with special emphasis on descriptions of their eggs and nests. In California he has also conducted monitoring work on San Clemente and Island Loggerhead Shrikes, and has studied the nesting ecology of Black Swifts. At the present he is conducting nest monitoring for Least Bell’s Vireo on the Santa Clara River.

He is the founder and President of El Lustrador Foundation, which supports low-income children in Guatemala with scholarships so they can study. Author of the book El Lustrador, 2014, declared Cultural Heritage of Guatemala.  He has received several awards, including: 
– Humanitarian Rescue of the Environment
– Distinguish Guatemalan Abroad by Guatemalan Congress Latino Leader, Oxnard, California
– Ambassador of Peace for the government of Guatemala.
– The Order of the Quetzal (The Knighthood of the Quetzal) which is the highest honorary distinction granted by the government of Guatemala.
– Key of the City, in his native Morazán, Guatemala.