Free and Sovereign State of Nuevo León

Brown Jay Cyanocorax morio ©Greg Lasley
Birding Nuevo León

Nuevo León (Spanish for “New León”, after the former kingdom in Spain) is a state located in northeastern Mexico. It borders the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east and San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León accounts for a 15 kilometer (9 mi) stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S. state of Texas.Nuevo León has an extreme climate, and there is very little rainfall throughout the year. The territory covers 64,924 square kilometers (25,067.3 sq mi), and can be divided into three regions: a hot, dry region in the north, a temperate region in the mountains, and a semi-arid region in the south. The Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range affects in an important way the lay of the land forming the Galeana and Doctor Arroyo plateaus, the Iguana, Picachos, Papagayos, and Santa Clara mountain ranges, and the Pilón, Ascensión, and Río Blanco valleys. As for hydrography, the San Juan River supplies the El Cuchillo dam, which provides water for Monterrey and the metropolitan area. There are also the Cerro Prieto, La Boca, Vaquerías, Nogalitos, and Agualeguas dams. Laguna de Labradores is a major lake in Nuevo León, and Pozo del Gavilán is a natural well. Both are located in the Galeana municipality. The flora of the region includes brush and pastures in the low regions, and pine and oak trees in the mountains. The fauna includes black bears, mountain lions, javelinas, foxes, coyotes, and white-tailed deer, along with smaller species.

Contributors
Reserves

Abbreviations Key

  • NP Cumbres de Monterrey

    InformationSatellite View
    The Cumbres de Monterrey is a national park of Mexico located in the northern portion of the Sierra Madre Oriental near the city of Monterrey, Nuevo León. The park includes the famous symbol of Monterrey, the signature skyline known as Cerro de la Silla (Saddle Mountain). The park consists of rugged terrain boasting steep mountains reaching an elevation of 2,260 meters (7,410 feet) above sea level, deep canyons, rivers and waterfalls.
Trip Reports
  • 2004 [05 May] - Phil & Charlotte Benstead

    Report
    We spent the period between 20th April and 7h May 2004 birding in Northern Mexico. We flew with Continental from London (via Houston, where we had to overnight on the way out) to Mazatlan…

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