Hey Meester, want to rent a car? It’s 9:30 at night on a crowded street in Cancun. Rental car? WTF? Who would rent a car at 9:30 at night at the spur of the moment? Apparently a fair amount of people since these guys are always around.
If you do happen to rent a car, here are some great places not only to birdwatch, but also observe incredible wildlife like crocodiles, sea turtles, jaguar, puma, and more! You’ll also drive by dozens of Ancient Maya archeology sites and traditional present-day Maya communities. Our list is focused on the western side of the Yucatan Peninsula in the Mexican states of Campeche and Yucatan (far from Cancun/Playa del Carmen/Tulum madness (and rental car dudes)). Our driving reference point is Merida, the colonial and present-day capital of Yucatan State. You can find recent checklists on eBird.org (Yucatan State: http://ebird.org/ebird/subnational1/MX-YUC?yr=all & Campeche State: http://ebird.org/ebird/subnational1/MX-CAM?yr=all). Endemics: the following species are found only in the bioregion comprising the Yucatan Peninsula, parts of Belize, northern Guatemala and western Tabasco:
It’s possible to see all these endemics species and many of the 555 recorded species at the following sites that we think are outstanding.
Celestun - both the name of a fishing village famous for its octopus fishery, and Biosphere Reserve about the size of Zion National Park (~ 157,000 acrs). About 1.5 hours west of Merida.
One of the two best places in the world to observe the magnificent Caribbean Flamingo. The prime time for flamingo viewing at Celestun is between September and February. They regionally migrate between Celestun and Ria Lagartos (see #2). In Celestun you can see huge congregations of thousands of flamingos that fade to hazy pink in the distance. Also great for local endemics in the coastal dunes – Yucatan Wren, Yucatan Bobwhite, Yucatan Jay, as well as migratory warblers in the mangrove forest. This is the first land for those species migrating across the Gulf of Mexico. Very good local guide services who will lead you in the search of a discreet Bare-throated Tiger-heron and other hard-to-find species.
Ría Lagartos - on the north coast of the peninsula, about 4 hours from Merida.
This RAMSAR site is the breeding site for Caribbean Flamingos, where you will find them sharing the extensive mangrove wetland habitat with other waders such as White & Snowy Egrets, Reddish Egrets, Roseate Spoonbills, Great Blue, Little Blue & Green Herons. Also the best place for shorebirds and raptors that share and co-exist in wide-open areas of sand dunes and coastal environments. Kingfishers and Anhingas complete the list for hardcore birders and beginners as well.
Merida City Parks and Archeological Sites will surprise you with the diversity of bird life that you will find in one of the most forested cities in the region. Parque Yumtsil, at the south part of the City, next to "periferico" (peripheral highway), with its 100% native vegetation, host species such as the iconic Turquoise Browed Mot-mot (or Toh in Yucatecan Maya), as well as the endemics Yucatan Woodpecker and Yucatan Oriole. If you visit early you might see White-lored Gnatcatchers wandering among the shrubby vegetation. The Parque Hundido, ot the westside of the city, that is an old abandoned mining area that has been turned into a fantastic wetland habitat where you are challenged to spot the elusive Limpkin or the soaring Snail Kite. Do not miss the Parque Ecologigo Kai Luum (The song of the Earth), a beautiful park with a small lake that lies in front of the CRIT at Periferico Norte. Migrant ducks like the Blue-winged Teal, and resident Northern Jacanas and Black-bellied Whistling Ducks are just some of the many different species of aquatic birds that can be seen at this site that local organizations and government have turned into a must for bird lovers, and shorebirds as well! Yes, all of this within the reach of a taxi ride from your hotel in Merida.
Calakmul Biosphere Reserve – get your game on! One of our favorite places for birds, wildlife, and Ancient Maya culture. One of the reasons this place is so special is its hard to get to, about 6 hours due south of Merida driving. It’s also big, around 2 million acres or similiar in size with Yellowstone National Park; and also home to the largest jaguar population in the region. Calakmul is part of the Maya Forest that extends into Guatemala and Belize and is the second largest contiguous tropical forest in Mesoamerica. Birding is outstanding! There is a great diversity of birds with 496 species officially listed. The diversity of habitats creates almost 24-hour birding opportunities from the secretive Tinamou early in the early morning to Northern Potoo at night. For migrants, this is a major flyway and both eastern and western US species routinely pass through. Tourism infrastructure offers a variety of accommodations from the Ecovillage Chicanná to community home-stays. Local community members have participated in many training workshops and there are very good local guides. If you had to pick just one place in the entire Yucatan Peninsula for birdwatching, this would be the one!
Xocen, Valladolid - this is the last remnant of lowland tropical rainforest in Yucatan State about 2 hours from Merida, very close to the charming city of Valladolid. This authentic Mayan community hosts one of the most active and professional birding groups in the region - The Yucatan Jay Birding Club. With a birding list that includes the not-so-common Blue-crowned Mot-mot, the humid forest exclusive Black Catbird, pretty much all of the endemics of the Peninsula and more woodpeckers, flycatchers, hummingbirds, wrens, parrots, owls, and doves that you could ever expect to find in a very small area of community owned forest. As a bonus, there are abundant & awesome cenotes to take a quick swim after a day birding.
Candelaria, Campeche – about 6 hours from Merida. On the border with Guatemala, and very close to Calakmul, this area harbor’s many wetlands and savannas and an ideal birding area for raptors, Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, and the extremely rare Jabiru Stork. Its pristine lakes and rivers offer a wide variety of birds. Just across the border is the Laguna del Tigre National Park that links Candelaria with millions of acres of pristine tropical habitat.
The best way to see these sites is in two loops. The first we’ll call the Southern Loop:
Day 1 & 2: Celestun
Day 3 & 4: Candelaria
Day 5 & 6: Calakmul
We give two days for each site to include drive times and positioning for early morning birding. The second route we will call the Eastern Loop:
Day 1: Parks of Merida
Day 2 & 3: Ria Lagaros
Day 4: Xocen
Thanks to the efforts of organizations like Pronatura Peninsula de Yucatan, there are many local birding guides throughout the peninsula and in all the places on our list. There is also year-round birding opportunities, photography workshops, and all things birding relating through Pronatura’s Festival Toh program. This culminates in the November Festival Toh (http://www.festivalavesyucatan.com). There are also a number of local tour operators specializing in birding tours.
Mark Willuhn is the Executive Director for a regional sustainable tourism non-profit called Alianza Mesoamericana de Ecoturismo (AME). You can follow him and AME members at www.exploremesoamerica.com and on Twitter @ExploreMeso Facebook: Explore Mesoamerica.
Eduardo Galicia lives in Merida, Yucatan, working with nature based tourism projects in the Mesoamerican region, birding, and completing his PhD degree on flamingo ecological and economic value. Member of AME since 2004. You can follow him on Twitter @naturante and contact him directly at: egalicia@me.com
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