United Mexican States

Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos ©J. Glover - Atlanta, Georgia Website
Birding México

In birding terms México is a very rich country due to its geographical conditions and characteristics, we have a wide variety of climates, habitats and ecosystems which are the home to unique and again wide diversity of flora and fauna. Just to mention some ecosystems we can find coastal dunes, mangroves, savannas, low, medium and high jungle, cloud and rain forests, desert, high mountains, etc, etc. Due again to its geographical location and wide diversity of ecosystems Mexico is considered as one of the 7 countries with Mega biological diversity occupying the first place in number of reptiles in the world, second place in number of land vertebrates, more than 30,000 of plants, as well as 1,040 different species of birds, of which 125 are endemic and approximately 400 can not be found in USA or Canada. Mexico has more species of birds than the USA and Canada combined.

Fortunately there have been several studies done on Mexico’s birds, just to mention some important groups we have Psitacidos, which include 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; we have a big population of flamingos in the Yucatan peninsula, we have cormorants, pelicans, spoonbills, frigate birds and many more.

Birdwatching in Mexico has been long appreciated by visitors again due to the rich diversity we have. Some of the best birdwatching is practiced in most of the 116 protected areas Mexico has throughout the country.

With the recent growth of eco-tourism in Mexico birdwatchers have the opportunity to visit many more places than they could before.

Mexico already has some professional companies offering high quality birdwatching trips with serious and experienced local birders who can arrange trips throughout the year. Normally these trips have the extra opportunity of doing cultural activities such as seeing historic sites, enjoying great food and experiencing the high quality service that the people in Mexico give to visitors.

México es un país que por sus características geográficas y ortográficas presenta una gran variedad de climas y habitats, que brindad refugio y hogar a miles de especies de fauna y flora a través de su vasto territorio. Desde dunas costeras hasta paramos de altura y nieves eternas, encontrando en el camino manglares, sabanas, pantanos, selvas bajas, medianas y altas en sus diferentes clasificaciones, bosques mesófilos de montaña, vegetación xerófita, desiertos, bosques de confieras, etc. Por estas y otras características México a sido considerado dentro de los seis países mas megadiversos del planeta ubicándolo en el primer lugar en cuanto a herpetofauna se refiere, el segundo en vertebrados terrestres, 30,000 plantas superiores, así como con 1040 especies de aves silvestres de las cuales 125 son endémicas y aproximadamente 400 no ocurren al norte de nuestra frontera. Lo cual es un número aun mayor de las que cuenta el número combinado entre Estados Unidos y Canadá juntos.

En este aspecto la variedad de aves tanto residentes como migratorias en México es bastante amplia identificando algunas de importancia como: Psittacidos como guacamayos, cotorros y pericos, aves de presas, entre ellas halcones, águilas, milanos, lechuzas, búhos tropicales, etc. Aves marinas de gran importancia como los flamencos, espátulas, cormoranes y fragatas por mencionar algunas, así como otras especies de carpinteros, martín pescador, chupamirtos, tucanes, motmots, trogones, cuervos, chipes, etc.

La observación de aves en el caso particular de México, brinda la posibilidad de acercar a la gente a la naturaleza y consigo misma, de conservar y estudiar los recursos disponibles. La observación de aves es una actividad que puede ser realizada de manera independiente o grupal, desde la ventana de tu casa en la ciudad hasta en distintos ambientes naturales.

En nuestro país existe una gran variedad de alternativas para procurarse de la observación de aves, pues se cuenta, con distintas clases de áreas protegidas en todo el país, disponibles para el disfrute del turista ávido de paz y naturaleza. Nuestro país hoy en día, cuenta con algunas agencias y empresas de ecoturismo que brindan servicios de observación de aves en tours y rutas perfectamente diseñadas en todo el país, con guías preparados y dispuestos a dar siempre lo mejor de si, para el disfrute y seguridad del turista.

Top Sites
  • Calakmul Biosphere Reserve

    Satellite View
    Calakmul Biosphere reserve is also an area accepted by UNESCO as a natural heritage site. It has more than 1.7 million acres and it is the second largest protected area of Mexico. It is composed basically of a jungle area connecting with the jungle of Guatemala representing the second largest jungle in America after the Amazon.Calakmul has just recently started to be studied. There is not a lot of information on the reserve and the number of species, nevertheless it is known by the abundance and diversity of species that can be seen in the area. There are several groups working in the area such as WWF and Pronatura. A trip to the reserve early in the morning can provide you with a quite diverse view of bird species as well as other animals of the area.
  • Siankaan Biosphere Reserve:

    Satellite View
    Siankaán was established as a Biosphere Reserve in 1986 and incorporated into UNESCO's list of natural world heritage sites in 1987. Covering more than 1.5 million acres along the central coast of the State of Quintana Roo, it is one of the largest protected areas of Mexico. The reserve is composed equally of semi evergreen tropical forest, wetlands & savannas and marine habitat.The Yucatan peninsula has at least 527 bird species in 62 families of which 12 are endemic with 4 subspecies, 2 morphs and 14 hipotetical registers. Siankaán itself is home to more than 345 bird species, including over 1 million wintering migratory songbirds from the US and Canada and the rare Jabiru stork.The challenge in the area is to promote rational and sustainable use of the natural resources that is compatible with the conservation of the reserve and at the same time beneficial to the local inhabitants; integrating environmental policy into regional development planning.
  • Zona del silencio

    Satellite View
    Zona del silencio is located in Durango and Coahuila in the north of Mexico and is a dessert ecosystem.
Contributors
Number of Species
  • Number of bird species: 1122

    (As at April 2020)

    National Bird - Crested Caracara Polyborus plancus

Endemics
  • Number of endemics: 111

    Non-Passerines
    Rufous-bellied Chachalaca Ortalis wagleri, West Mexican Chachalaca Ortalis poliocephala, Bearded Wood-Partridge Dendrortyx barbatus, Long-tailed Wood-Partridge Dendrortyx macroura, Banded Quail Philortyx fasciatus, Elegant Quail Callipepla douglasii, Eared Poorwill Nyctiphrynus mcleodii, Tawny-collared Nightjar Caprimulgus salvini, White-fronted Swift Cypseloides storeri, White-naped Swift Streptoprocne semicollaris, Short-crested Coquette Lophornis brachylopha, Mexican Sheartail, Doricha eliza, Beautiful Hummingbird Calothorax pulcher, Bumblebee Hummingbird Atthis heloisa, Golden-crowned Emerald Chlorstilbon auriceps, Cozumel Emerald Chlorstilbon forficatus, Dusky Hummingbird Cynanthus sordidus, Long-tailed Sabrewing Campylopterus excellens, Blue-capped Hummingbird Eupherusa cyanophrys, White-tailed Hummingbird Eupherusa poliocerca, Mexican Woodnymph Thalurania ridgwayi, Xantus's Hummingbird Hylocharis xantusii, Aztec Rail Rallus tenuirostris, Townsend’s Storm-petrel Hydrobates socorroensis, Guadalupe Storm-petrel Hydrobates macrodactylus, Balsas Screech-Owl Otus seductus, Tamaulipas Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium sanchezi, Colima Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium palmarum, Citreoline Trogon Trogon citreolus, Eared Quetzal Euptilotis neoxenus, Blue-capped Motmot Motmotus coeruliceps, Golden-cheeked Woodpecker Melanerpes chrysogenys , Gray-breasted Woodpecker Melanerpes hypopolius, Strickland’s Woodpecker Picoides stricklandi, Socorro Parakeet Aratinga brevipes, Thick-billed Parrot Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha, Maroon-fronted Parrot Rhynchopsitta terrisi, Mexican Parrotlet Forpus cyanopygius, Red-crowned Parrot Amazona viridigenalis, Lilac-crowned Parrot Amazona finschi, White-striped Woodcreeper Lepidocolaptes leucogaster.

    Passerines
    Flammulated Flycatcher Deltarhynchus flammulatus, Belted Flycatcher Xenotriccus callizonas, Pileated Flycatcher Xenotriccus mexicanus, Golden Vireo Vireo hypochryseus, Slaty Vireo Vireo brevipennis, Dwarf Vireo Vireo nelsoni  Cozumel Vireo Vireo bairdi, White-throated Jay Cyanolyca mirabilis, Dwarf Jay Cyanolyca nana, Black-throated Magpie-Jay Calocitta colliei, Tufted Jay Cyanocorax dickey, San Blas Jay Cyanocorax sanblasianus, Purplish-backed Jay Cyanocorax beecheii, Transvolcanic Jay Aphelocoma ultramarine, Tamaulipas Crow Corvus imparatus, Sinaloa Crow Corvus sinaloae, Sumichrast's Wren Hylorchilus sumichrasti, Nava's Wren Hylorchilus navai, Socorro Wren Thryomanes sissonii, Clarion Wren Troglodytes tanneri, Gray-barred Wren Campylorhynchus megalopterus, Giant Wren Campylorhynchus chiapensis, Spotted Wren Campylorhynchus gularis, Boucard's Wren Campylorhynchus jocosus, Yucatan Wren Campylorhynchus yucatanicus, Happy Wren Thryothorus felix, Sinaloa Wren Thryothorus Sinaloa, Yucatan Gnatcatcher Polioptila albiventris, Russet Nightingale-Thrush Catharus occidentalis, Rufous-backed Robin Turdus rufopalliatus, Aztec Thrush Ridgwayia pinicola, Blue Mockingbird Melanotis caerulescens, Ocellated Thrasher Toxostoma ocellatum, Cozumel Thrasher Toxostoma guttatum, Gray Thrasher Toxostoma cinereum, Socorro Mockingbird Mimodes graysoni, Cinnamon-tailed Sparrow Aimophila sumichrasti, Black-chested Sparrow Aimophila humeralis, Bridled Sparrow Aimophila mystacalis, Worthen's Sparrow Spizella wortheni, Green-striped Brush-Finch Buarremon virenticeps, Guadalupe Junco Junco insularis, Baird's Junco Junco bairdi, Striped Sparrow Oriturus superciliosus, Sierra Madre Sparrow Xenospiza baileyi, Rusty-crowned Ground-Sparrow Melozone kieneri, White-throated Towhee Pipilo albicollis, Oaxaca Sparrow Aimophila notosticta, Collared Towhee Pipilo ocai, Rufous-capped Brush-Finch Atlapetes pileatus, Yellow-winged Cacique Cassiculus melanicterus, Orange Oriole Icterus auratus, Black-backed Oriole Icterus abeillei, Black-polled Yellowthroat Geothlypis speciose, Belding's Yellowthroat Geothlypis beldingi, Altimira Yellowthroat Geothlypis flavovelata, Hooded Yellowthroat Geothlypis nelson, Red Warbler Ergaticus ruber, Red-headed Tanager Piranga erythrocephala, Crimson-collared Grosbeak Rhodothraupis celaeno, Red-breasted Chat Granatellus venustus, Rose-bellied Bunting Passerina rositae, Orange-breasted Bunting Passerina leclancherii, Cinnamon-rumped Seedeater Sporophila torqueola.
Checklist
  • iGoTerra Checklist

    iGoTerra Checklist
    Fatbirder Associate iGoTerra offers the most comprehensive and up to date birds lists on the web
Useful Reading

  • A Field Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Adjacent Areas

    | (Belize, Guatemala, and El Salvador) | Ernest Preston Edwards & Edward Murrell Butler | University of Texas Press | 1998 | Edition 3 | Paperback | 209 pages, 51 col plates, 1 map | ISBN: 9780292720916 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America

    | By Steve NG Howell & Sophie Webb | Oxford University Press | 1995 | Paperback | 851 pages, 71 colour plates, 39 b.w line drawings, 1087 b/w distribution maps | ISBN: 9780198540120 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Birder's Mexico

    | By Roland H Wauer | Texas A & M University Press | 1999 | Paperback | 304 pages, 39 bw photos, 5 maps | ISBN: 9780890969182 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Birds of Mexico and Central America

    | By Ber Van Perlo | Princeton University Press | 2006 | Paperback | 336 pages, 98 col plates' b/w illustrations, b/w distribution maps, colour maps | ISBN: 9780691120706 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Birds of the US-Mexico Borderland

    | Edited By: J Ruth, T Brush & D Krueper | Cooper Ornithological Society | 2008 | Paperback | 165 pages, Figs, tabs | ISBN: 9780943610849 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Mexico Birds: An Introduction to Familiar Species

    | By James Kavanagh & Raymond Leung | Waterford Press | 2009 | Unbound | 12 pages, laminated fold-out pocket guide | ISBN: 9781583554807 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Raptors of Mexico and Central America

    | By William S Clark | Princeton University Press | 2008 | Hardback | 304 pages, 32 plates with colour illustrations; 213 colour photos, 3 b/w illustrations, 64 colour distribution maps | ISBN: 9780691116495 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Useful Information
  • National Bird

    Crested Caracara Caracara plancus
Organisations
  • Audubon Mexico

    Website
    We work locally to connect people with nature: to strengthen our relationship with the land, our water and all living beings that share our home and to foster commitment to protecting and revitalizing our natural heritage and the ecological health of San Miguel de Allende.
  • CIPAMEX - Secci

    Website
    CIPAMEX (Secci
  • CONABIO - Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad

    Website
    Conabio's mission is to co-ordinate conservation and research efforts designed to preserve biological resources. Conabio promotes and develops scientifically-based activities whose aim is to explore, study, protect or find a sustainable use for biological resources…
  • Fundacion Ecologica de Guanajuato

    The Fundacion Ecologica de Guanajuato A.C. is a non-governmental organization established in March 1988. It promotes and initiates projects, cooperative programs, and investigations, and provides information and education about the state`s biological resources. The Fundacion supports the concept of ecodevelopment and works to implement it. Our plan is to achieve sustainable developmentÑthe foundation of a new relationship between humankind and nature. We believe conserving biological diversity and achieving sustainable management of resources must involve local inhabitants, land owners, and both direct and indirect users of the ecosystems. Therefore, since the beginning we have worked alongside the ONG Desarrollo Rural de Guanajuato A.C. (Rural Development Agency); which provides social services to inhabitants of rural areas such as those encompassed by the Santa Rosa Forest of Guanajuato…
Sightings, News & Forums
  • Aves de Mexico

    Forum
    Birders forum, photos, observations, IDs & sites in Mexico
  • Ornitologica de Mexico

    Mailing List
    This is the electronic list of Birdlife International - Mexico the main Ornithological Association in our country. The list is in Spanish. Es la lista de discusi
Guides & Tour Operators
  • Bird Mexico Travel

    Tour Operator
    To develop the definitive online resource and marketing tools for promoting bird watching in Mexico as an important tourism and conservation activity
  • Ecocolors

    Tour Operator
    This unique eco-tour is specially design for bird watchers. We will be able to visit the main protected areas in the Yucatan peninsula such as Sianka'an, Holbox, Coba, and El Eden, as well as Guatemala and Belize rainforest. Mexico has around 1,040 different bird species, just in the Yucatan peninsula there are 509 different species in 62 families, from which 12 are endemic, with 4 subspecies, 2 morphos and 14 hipotetical registers. Belize and Guatemala have also more than 550 species of birds…
  • Mexico Birding

    Guiding
    Co-op of private birding guides
  • Open Air Expeditions

    Tour Operator
    Choose either the Coastal Bird Walk or the Mountain Bird Hike. We suggest the Coastal Birds if this is your first time birding in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We will drive you to a local estuary down a road paralleling the river. This is great habitat for Seedeaters, Buntings, Oriols, Kestrels and more. At the estuary, we will use a Spyingscope to scan the Shores and Mangroves for Egrets, Herons, Avocets and Sandpipers. Next we will drive 15 minutes to a fresh water lagoon to view Rails, Coots, Jacanas and Ducks
  • Travelian Tours

    Tour Operator
    From its inception, Travelian has operated under the belief that sustainable tourism can be beneficial to local communities, the environment, and our travelers as well. For this reason we run all our trips in a sustainable way, respecting both the culture and the environment; generating a richer and more authentic experience for our travellers
  • Wezil Walraven Bird Tours

    Tour Operator
    Here you will find the current tours offered by Wezil Walraven, professional bird guide. Wezil is the sole owner and operator of Wezil Walraven Bird Tours, as well as a senior tour guide for High Lonesome Bird Tours. If you are interested in a private trip lead by Wezil, he will take out groups of any number in the AZ/NM region. Contact Wezil: wezil@wezilwalravenbirdtours.com 828-575-3107 (new number)…
Trip Reports
  • 2004 [11 November] - Bo Beolens

    PDF Report
    This is a report on a 7-day guided bird-watching tour of Mexico in November 2004 with a dba [disabled birders association] group The tour had 10 participants; Nigel Moorhouse of Sarus tours leading and driving the larger vehicle and Bo Beolens of the dba as second leader driving a saloon car. The other participants were Brian Anderson, Mike & Gill Brown, Maggie Beolens, Lawrence and Ann Robinson, Sue Sayers and Andy Senior. This was the first visit to Mexico by all the participants…
  • 2014 [11 November] - Yucatan, Chiapas & Michoacan

    PDF Report
    Not many people realize that Mexico is not just the wintering place of hundreds of millions of incredible Monarch butterflies, but also host to almost 10 percent of the total butterfly species of the entire globe! That is close to 1800 species which means a hard to beat diversity.
  • 2015 [06 June] - Michael Carmody - Northwest Mexico

    PDF Report
    ...I found a noisy family of EARED QUETZALs around the waterfall viewing area at CascadaCusarare, which is about 20 km southwest of Creel by paved highway, each of the three times Iwas there: 3pm, 7 pm, and 9 am. There is a lovely rustic ranch-style motel, near the highway,but out of sight, which is only officially open from mid June into Nov.
  • 2015 [06 June] - Nathan Pieplow, Andrew Spencer & Carlos Sanchez - Western Mexico

    PDF Report
    ...Not many people visit this part of Mexico at this time of year, but more people should. There was littletourist activity but tons of bird activity. The rainy season in this region hadn’t started in earnest,especially up north (we only got rained on once, down south in Colima), but the breeding season waswell underway, making it easy to find many sought-after specialties like Flammulated Flycatcher (whichwe found at 3 sites), Red-breasted Chat (at 4 sites), Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo (2 sites), Gray-collaredBecard (3 sites), etcetera. It was hot at lower elevations, but not excessively so, and at higher elevationstemperatures were perfect.
  • 2016 [01 January] - Gabor Orban - Yucatan & Quintana Roo

    PDF Report
    This tour was put together by Andrea & Gabor for the participants: David & Claire Farmiloe and Phil & Dorothy Blatcher. Andrea and Gabor live, organize and lead tours between generally November and April each year since 2006.
  • 2016 [03 March] - John Hornbuckle - West Mexico

    Report
    This is the report of a successful trip to Mexico by Richard Fairbank, Brian Foster, Rod Martins and Jon Hornbuckle, guided and driven by Eric Antonio Martinez for the best part of three weeks.
  • 2016 [04 April] - Thomas Kuppel - Puerto Escondido

    PDF Report
    ...and short visits to Oaxaca de Juárez and Puebla
  • 2019 [02 February] – Greg Smith – Sea of Cortes

    PDF Report
    As we walked out of the HI, we had Hooded Oriole and White-winged and Common Ground-Doves in the stable, and a myriad of water-related birds on the Estero San Jose banks and mudflats. As with any desert setting, water attracts birds, a pretty amazing diversity of birds. Raptors, waders, shorebirds and passerines. Probably the highlight of birding the estuary was that there were birds everywhere.
  • 2019 [03 March] - Dick Meijer

    PDF Report
    The scenic states of Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco and Colima in Western Mexico offer great opportunities to observe plenty of fantastic and often colourful specialities. These include 52 (see table 1) of the 99 endemic species of Mexico and 55 (see table 2) of the 132 near–endemic (‘regionals’) species, as well as numerous wintering birds from North America
  • 2019 [03 March] - Nick Athanas

    PDF Report
    March in much of the Northern Hemisphere was rather dreary, but in southern Mexico we enjoyed day after day of warm, sunny days and cool, pleasant evenings – it was a wonderful and bird-filled reprieve from winter for the whole group including me. The tour visited the dry Oaxaca Valley (rich in culture as well as endemics), the high mountains surrounding it, lush cloudforest and rainforest on the Gulf slope, and dry forest along the Pacific.
  • 2019 [03 March] - Stephen & Sandra Brauning - Querétaro,

    PDF Report
    We are part of an international team and we had a retreat in Tequisquiapan in the state of Querétaro, central México, so we did a little birding around the retreat location and then took a few more days to bird.
  • 2019 [06 June] - Ann Duff

    PDF Report
    We each had a specific target list of birds, except for Sonia who had not been to Mexico previously. Our focus was on seeing all of the endemics and near-endemics available on our itinerary as well as other available birds on our target lists.
  • 2019 [10 October] - Kashmir Wolf & Dave Mehlman - Veracruz

    PDF Report
    Despite the built-up area, it was a great place to start birding and we saw our first of the “must-see” birds of Veracruz, including Great Kiskadee, Tropical Kingbird, and Greattailed Grackle. Along the beach were a variety of aquatic birds, including Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Laughing Gull, Willet, and Spotted Sandpipers. Plus, we found our first migrants of the trip, including Baltimore Oriole and Blue Grosbeak.
  • 2020 [02 February] - Woody Wheeler

    PDF Report
    As sunlight cast its light and welcome warmth upon us, we found our first sparrow perched on large rocks on a shrubby hillside: a Striped Sparrow. This turned out to be the first of many sightings to come of this distinctive sparrow that often perched conspicuously on rocks or fence posts. Soon afterward, Carlos found our first Sierra Madre Sparrow, a Mexican endemic and endangered species. As the morning light moved overhead, we had better looks at this bird’s subtle plumage that was brilliantly illuminated. Another endemic, a Trans-volcanic Jay, flew into view just as we were headed to our field breakfast.
  • 2022 [02 February] b- Peg Abbot

    PDF Report
    ...We had a nice visit by Mexican Chickadee and cracking views of another endemic, a pair of Olivestriped Brush Finch. This duo stayed low, close to the ground in the brush, so we got fine views. Our hikers added Gray-Silky Flycatcher and Cinnamon-breasted Flowerpiercer to our growing list...
  • 2022 [04 April] - Max Berlijn

    PDF Report
    Annotated diary and list...
  • 2022 [12 December] - Pritam Baruah

    PDF Report
    The endemic rich region of Western Mexico has been on my to do list for many years. I had finally booked a trip for Feb 2022 but because of a personal situation, I had to cancel it days before the trip. I hadn’t thought about planning a make-up until a last-minute travel opportunity suddenly opened in an inflexible window of time.
  • 2023 [02 Februart] - Dave Mehlman - Butterflies & Birds

    PDF Report
    This classic tour of Mexico started in Mexico City (the largest in the country), ended in Guadalajara (the second largest) and encompassed a wide swath of the Transvolcanic Belt and West Mexico. States visited included Mexico City, Morelos, State of Mexico, Michoacán and Jalisco, though most of the birding time was in Michoacán. The typical elevation was pretty high (over 8,000 feet, reaching almost 11,000 feet in the Sierra Chincua Monarch Reserve), except toward the end of the tour as we approached Guadalajara. In addition to birds, we enjoyed great food and some very intriguing cities and towns in Mexico, including the Pueblo Mágico of Patzcuaro. Bird species receiving the most votes for “top three” of the tour were: Red Warbler, Russetcrowned Motmot and Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo.
Other Links
  • Aves de Mexico

    Website
    Birders forum, photos, observations, IDs & sites in Mexico

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