United Mexican States

Mexico is a country in the southern portion of North America. It covers over 1,970,000 km2 (760,000 square miles), making it the world’s 13th-largest country by area. It has a population of almost 130 million, the 10th-most-populous country and the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world. Mexico is organized as a federal constitutional republic comprising 31 states and the capital Mexico City, a mega city of 22.5 million people. It shares land borders with the United States to the north, with Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; as well as maritime borders with the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Caribbean Sea to the southeast, and the Gulf of Mexico to the east. 54.9% of land is agricultural (11.8% is arable; 1.4% is in permanent crops; 41.7% is permanent pasture) and 33.3% is forest.

Mexico is crossed from north to south by two mountain ranges known as Sierra Madre Oriental and Sierra Madre Occidental, which are the extension of the Rocky Mountains from northern North America. From east to west at the center, the country is crossed by the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt also known as the Sierra Nevada. A fourth mountain range, the Sierra Madre del Sur, runs from Michoacán to Oaxaca. As such, the majority of the Mexican central and northern territories are located at high altitudes, and the highest elevations are found at the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt.

Sierra Madre Occidental ©Christian Frausto Bernal CA, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Three major urban agglomerations are located in the valleys between these four elevations: Toluca, Greater Mexico City and Puebla. An important geologic feature of the Yucatán peninsula is the Chicxulub crater. The scientific consensus is that the Chicxulub impactor was responsible for the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event. Mexico is subject to a number of natural hazards, including hurricanes on both coasts, tsunamis on the Pacific coast, and volcanism.

The climate of Mexico is quite varied due to the country’s size and topography. Tropic of Cancer effectively divides the country into temperate and tropical zones. Land north of the Tropic of Cancer experiences cooler temperatures during the winter months. South of the Tropic of Cancer, temperatures are fairly constant year-round and vary solely as a function of elevation. This gives Mexico one of the world’s most diverse weather systems. Maritime air masses bring seasonal precipitation from May until August. Many parts of Mexico, particularly the north, have a dry climate with only sporadic rainfall, while parts of the tropical lowlands in the south average more than 2,000 mm (78.7 in) of annual precipitation. For example, many cities in the north like Monterrey, Hermosillo, and Mexicali experience temperatures of 40 °C or more in summer. In the Sonoran Desert temperatures reach 50 °C or more.

Saguaro National Park, Sonoran Desert ©Joe Parks CA, CC BY 2.0 < >, via Wikimedia Commons

Mexico ranks fourth in the world in biodiversity and is one of the 17 megadiverse countries. With over 200,000 different species, Itis home of more than 10% of the world’s biodiversity. Mexico ranks first in biodiversity in reptiles with 707 known species, second in mammals with 438 species and fourth in amphibians with 290 species. It is fourth in flora, with 26,000 different species. Mexico is also considered the second country in the world in ecosystems and fourth in overall species. About 2,500 species are protected by Mexican legislation.

170,000 square kilometres (c.65,000 square miles) of Mexico are considered ‘Protected Natural Areas’. These include 34 biosphere reserves (unaltered ecosystems), 67 national parks, 4 natural monuments (protected in perpetuity for their aesthetic, scientific or historical value), 26 areas of protected flora and fauna, 4 areas for natural resource protection (conservation of soil, hydrological basins and forests) and 17 sanctuaries (zones rich in diverse species).

Birding México

In birding terms México is a very rich country due to its geographical conditions and characteristics, including a wide variety of climates, habitats and ecosystems which are the home to unique and wide diversity of flora and fauna. There are coastal dunes, mangroves, savannas, low, medium and high jungle, cloud and rain forests, desert, high mountains, etc, It isn’t surprising therefore, that it boasts more than 1,100 different species of birds, of which 10% are endemic and about 400 cannot be found further north.

The range includes macaws and parrots, a wide variety of hawks, egrets, herons, warblers, vireos, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, owls, etc. Birds that live on the coast are also well represented; a big population of flamingos in the Yucatan peninsula, and cormorants, pelicans, spoonbills, frigate birds and many more. Birdwatching in Mexico has been long appreciated by visitors due to the rich diversity and the many protected areas Mexico has throughout the country.

For North American birders Mexico is easily accessible with good transport and familiar hotels and eateries etc. Many combine a birding trip with a beach holiday in the Yucatan peninsular of Baja California and numerous birding tour companies operate from north of the border. For birders further afield, Mexico in winter offers excellent numbers of overwintering birds from further north with wood warblers and others swelling resident species.