Mexico is a great place for bird watching. It has more bird species than the United States and it has double the amount of species found in Canada. One of the best Bird Watching spots in the Americas is the Yucatan Peninsula and thanks to its subtropical location, bird aficionados can find over 500 species year-round; during winter the Peninsula has even more species because of migration patterns. Popular birding sites can be found along the Riviera Maya and include Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, Cozumel, and Rio Lagartos.
Journey Mexico’s General Manager, Matteo, recently got together with one of the Yucatan Peninsula’s best conservation of biodiversity company, Biosakbé, for a chance to learn and partake in this activity. Matteo reports:
“We met our Guide – Luis Ku , native from a little village close to Merida and over 20 years of experience in Bird watching – at 6:00am together with the biologists from Biosakbé by Puerto Morelos and drove inland on the route of the cenotes to a little village called Central Vallarta. This was a former Chicle (Gum) Farm. Since the first steps we were able to see a large amount of birds – our guide did provide us with important information and gave us each binoculars. After a small walk we continued further inland were we where able to see even more birds. Luis explained to us that the Yucatan Peninsula is one of the best places in the Americas for this activity. In our 5 hour tour we saw an astonishing amount of 80 different Birds (and about 20 Spider Monkeys!!!).”
Chara Yucateca – Yucatecan Jay – Cyanocorax Yucatanicus – Ch’el
Photos by Biosakbé
