Bird Sellers' Fading Tradition

0:00It's March 30, I'm Cory with the story. This is Global News, driven by AI and built for a global audience. For over 32 years, Cruz-Manroy has hauled towering stacks of bird cages through the streets near Mexico City, selling songbirds like red, cardinals, parakeets, and finches. These pottereros, as they're called, have been a staple among Mexico's 1.5 million street vendors for generations, filling markets with. Chirps and color. The tradition hits its peak every Palm Sunday, when hundreds of vendors from across the country converge on the Capitol. They deck out 10-foot cage towers with flowers, tinsel, and images of the Virgin of Guadalupe, then march miles with their families to the iconic. Basilica. Animal rights groups slam the practice as abuse and illegal trafficking, while authorities crack down hard, especially on wild tropical species they. Deam unfit his pets, vendors face constant harassment, leading many to pack it in. Maroy breeds most of his birds at home and insists they get top care, but even he admits the family's legacy is fading fast.

1:06Friends of quit, and the daily grind just isn't reliable anymore. With restrictions tightening, this vibrant slice of Mexican street life hangs by a thread, as old-timers like Munroy steer their kids towards steadier, pass.