Birds and Bird Watching in Mexico

A visit to any of the lagoons, estuaries of the Mexican coastline is great opportunity for bird watching. The shores and mangrove swamps are filled with a great variety of birds perched on branches and and half-submerged logs, and turtles can sometimes seen in the lagoons. The air fills with the sound of bird calls and the flapping of wings as one passes by in boat, canoe or kayak.

Common waterbirds seen in many parts of Mexico are herons, egrets, roseate spoonbills and pelicans.

Pelicans catch food easily in the shallow waters. All pelicans have very long bills in comparison with their heads. The skin pouch hanging from the lower part of the bill holds 2 or 3 times more than the bird's stomach. They are used to hold their catch of fish, letting the water drain out before swallowing. The pouch acts as a net and is also a cooling mechanism

There are nature preseves in the Yucatan Peninsula near Merida which are well-known for the flocks of flamingos which frequent the lagoons and estuaries. Guided birdwatching tours can be taken into the reserves of Celestun and Rio Lagartos for spectacular views of these creatures.

Countless other feathered friends populate the high central plateaus, mountainous interior and jungles of the south. Some of the more colorful tropical birds that you can see in the warmer, jungly climes of southern Mexico include a great variety of parrots, macaws and toucans.

Turquoise-crowned Motmot

A toucan in captivity in Oaxaca

Xel-Ha, Quintana Roo

Birdwatching in Troncones, Guerrero, Mexico- list of some of the species identified in the area

Birdwatching in Mexico... books, field guides, nature reference

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