Earlier this year, we set out on a 12-day birding tour through the Yucatan Peninsula, covering all the habitats across the three states that make up the peninsula. We know that some bird species are harder to spot than others this is why we expanded our chances of finding each location's specialties by spending more than two nights in highly diverse areas, such as Rio Lagartos or the Calakmul region.

Originally, day 1 is meant for the pick-up and an afternoon or evening birding outing if time permits. We decided to visit the Uxuxubi reserve near Akumal. It is a very well-preserved reserve where local members have worked hard to put it on the map as one of the country's top birding spots. We started finding the most abundant birds, such as the Cinnamon Hummingbird, the Golden-fronted Woodpecker (the velasquezi subspecies), and the White-fronted Amazon. Some of the most striking birds of this outing were the Hooded Warbler, the Yucatan Woodpecker, and an Ocellated Turkey that we spotted a bit far off. We had great views of the ridgwayi subspecies of the Northern Rough-winged Swallow, which is distinguished by a white patch on its forehead. One of the best birds of the day was a Collared Trogon that perched very close to us. Another factor that makes visiting Uxuxubi such a pleasant experience is that the families and local community members invite us to have breakfast with food they prepare themselves. ​

We also birded very early at the Toh Reserve in Puerto Morelos. Here you experience the phenomenon called the edge effect, where a mix of trees, shrubs, cecropias, flowers, and fruiting trees triggers high bird activity within a very small area. You can literally spend two hours barely walking and just watching plenty of birds, which was exactly the case for us.
During one of the most active mornings of the entire trip, we got excellent views of the Black-headed Trogon, Masked Tityra, Lesson's Motmot, Yucatan Jay, Wood Thrush, Green-backed Sparrow, and Golden-olive Woodpecker. For the orioles, we spotted Hooded, Yellow-backed, and Altamira Oriole. Afterward, we headed to the birder’s house where Irene, a member of one of the families protecting this site, prepared breakfast for us. Around the house, sharing the same vegetation characteristics, we continued checking off birds like the Yucatan Flycatcher and Bright-rumped Attila before the heat picked up.

Rio Lagartos is a small coastal town where the main economic activity is fishing and, more recently, ecotourism activities such as boat tours, scenic visits, birdwatching, and fishing trips. The area of estuaries, coast, and mangroves was recognized by the Mexican government as a protected natural area and Biosphere Reserve because it serves as the primary nesting site for American Flamingos, with thousands of them arriving each year to build their nests within the reserve.

We started our boat ride a couple of hours before sunset to ensure we spotted as many coastal birds as possible. Herons are abundant at the site, including the white morph of the Great Blue Heron. We observed the Royal Tern, American Flamingo, and Anhinga, and we enjoyed great views of the Boat-billed Heron, alongside the White Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, and American Pygmy Kingfisher. The star of the night was the endemic and hard-to-find Yucatan Nightjar. We located it perching quietly on one of the high branches of the mangrove, completely out in the open. We were heading back in the dark along the estuary when we caught the glow of a pair of eyes just above the canopy. 

We spent the next day by Rio Lagartos starting at the famous San Salvador hotspot, searching for the endemics of the northern coast of Yucatan. We found a large number of Black-throated Bobwhite, observed the Yucatan Woodpecker once again, and spotted the Yucatan Wren, along with the Barred Antshrike, Northern Cardinal, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. This area corresponds to the coastal dune scrub, and there was a huge number of warblers, such as Magnolia, Northern Parula, Black-and-white, and Hooded Warbler.

After that, we moved to a mangrove area with mudflats where shorebirds feed on the moist sediment. Our main target was the Clapper Rail, along with plovers such as the Black-bellied and Semipalmated Plover, as well as the Willet, Least Sandpiper, flamingos, and spoonbills. We also stopped in an area where we saw American White Pelicans, Tree Swallows, and the Mangrove Yellow Warbler flying overhead.

Afterward, we moved toward the local cemetery where a group of Mexican Sheartails frequent the feeders, flowers, and plants that adorn the grounds. That day, the hummingbirds were courting. The males flew from side to side showing off their iridescent gorgets in the sunlight before suddenly launching 25 to 30 meters high into the air, surprising everyone present.

In the afternoon, we continued birding around Las Coloradas. This is another popular tourist spot and a pleasant place for birders due to the presence of birds like the Lesser Yellowlegs, Sanderling, Forster's Tern, Sandwich Tern, Royal Tern, and a group of Brown Pelicans that were fishing. We approached a beach where a peaceful atmosphere could be felt. We then repeated the boat ride with Santiago, known as El Chino, starting from the Las Coloradas bridge out along the estuary at sunset. We navigated to the back of Las Coloradas to observe the species in a secluded and remote spot where the birds gather in massive numbers. We counted around 300 Short-billed Dowitchers, one Long-billed Curlew, many Killdeer, 50 Semipalmated Plovers, 11 Willets, one Greater Yellowlegs, 40 Ruddy Turnstones, 400 American Black Skimmers, 200 Western Sandpipers, several white morph Great Blue Herons, and 300 American White Pelicans. This is our favorite spot in Rio Lagartos.

Our route through San Juan del Rio gave us the most productive morning of the entire trip.  Highlights included new birds for our trip list, such as the Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, White-bellied Emerald, Purple Gallinule, Least Grebe, Glossy Ibis, Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Zone-tailed Hawk, Laughing Falcon, and Scrub Euphonia. We knew the Lesser Roadrunner was a possibility, so we stayed alert throughout the entire drive, but we did not have luck finding it that morning.

We then moved to Valladolid and visited the Xocen Birding Trail, where we walked through patches of forest and traditional cornfields called milpas. Here we observed the Canivet's Emerald, Cinnamon Hummingbird, Gartered Trogon, and Ladder-backed Woodpecker. However, the two most special birds of the morning were the Yellow-lored Amazons, which we began hearing from afar as they made their presence known with their loud calls until they came into view above the treetops, and a Gray-headed Kite. The kite was taking advantage of the bird activity in the milpa, keeping watch from high up in the canopy, and we got excellent views through the scope.

We started the next day from Merida. Our plan was to search for the Yucatan Gnatcatcher, a species restricted to the northwestern coast of the peninsula. Although this species is limited to this area, its population is stable, making it easy to guarantee. Along the way to Misnebalam, we found new species for our trip, such as the Gray-crowned Yellowthroat and the Rufous-browed Peppershrike, with overall great views. We also stopped at a site near a solar farm where we got excellent views of  Yucatan Jay. Once on the gravel road along the coastal strip, we spotted the Clapper Rail and American Avocet, which were new additions to our list, along with the Stilt Sandpiper, a Least Bittern that showed itself very well, and the Yellow-rumped Warbler.

In Pital Viejo, we visited the Mamantel River where local guide Don Jaime offers a boat tour starting from the section of the river located right behind his home. For us, establishing communication with local guides is vital. By hiring Don Jaime, you benefit him directly, and traveling with a group brings a small economic boost to the town. Even before boarding the boat, new species like the Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Orchard Oriole, and Western Tanager made an appearance. Once on the boat, we observed 44 species, highlighted by the river specialty, the Sungrebe, alongside new additions to our trip list like the Lesser Nighthawk and the Yellow-headed Amazon.

Later, on our way to Calakmul, we arrived at the Bat Volcano just in time for dusk. This spot is the exit of a series of underground caves that extend below ground level. At dusk, thousands of bats from various local species emerge all at once, offering a nature spectacle that everyone should experience at least once. The bat activity also attracts raptors, and we spotted a Collared Forest-Falcon hunting near the cave.

The road to the Calakmul archaeological zone from the main entrance is 60 kilometers long. We made various stops along the way and found several new birds for our list, including the Lineated Woodpecker, Tropical Royal Flycatcher, Great Crested Flycatcher, and White-crowned Parrot. Along this road, it is common to see the Ocellated Turkey in groups crossing the road or foraging along its edges. One of the most spectacular bird sightings of the morning occurred when we located an Ornate Hawk-Eagle nest. We found a pair preparing the nest, and they even copulated while we were watching them through the scope. 

Inside the archaeological zone, we located the Wedge-tailed Sabrewing, a Mottled Owl on its daytime roost, the Keel-billed Toucan, and the Pale-billed Woodpecker. We also got excellent views of the Northern-barred Woodcreeper, Yellow-breasted Chat, Montezuma Oropendola, Gray-throated Chat, Blue Bunting, and a very beautiful green female Painted Bunting. Upon leaving the reserve, we spotted a sleeping Middle American Screech-Owl right next to the path.

Our final birding destination was the island of Cozumel. We took the ferry over and dedicated our time to locating the island's specialties: the Cozumel Emerald, Cozumel Wren, and Cozumel Vireo, as well as the endemic subspecies of the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Yellow-faced Grassquit, and Yucatan Woodpecker. We also added the Worm-eating Warbler to our trip list. We visited El Cedral, where we located the Yucatan Vireo and saw several highly active warblers and great views of the Cozumel Emerald. Then the male Painted Bunting, and a Caribbean Elaenia, another one of our final target birds.

We then headed north near the water treatment plant, where we saw the Ruddy Crake and the island's subspecies of the Mangrove Warbler, which has a distinct rufous cap. We also spotted a Palm Warbler, which was new to our list. At that point, we decided to head back since two of our companions had flights to catch that same night.

On the ferry ride back, we talked and celebrated our achievements, reminiscing about the great moments and celebrating new friendships. We congratulated one another on our shared efforts and milestones, and we exchanged well wishes since the group would split up from that moment on. 

Joel Ortega planned the route to cover most of the major habitats found across Yucatán, maximizing the opportunity to record the highest possible number of species during this year’s Global Big Day.  On this occasion, we participated in an “intense” route. Our GBD started with a 2:00 a.m. departure from Mérida and ended back in the city around 8:00 p.m., adding up to more than 14 hours of birding.

 Yes, 14 + 2 hours that took us to drive from Merida to the first stop in Labná.

The first stop is a transition area with a midsized, denser forest, different from the drier lowland forest found in the northern part of the Peninsula. This habitat allows us to find birds such as Keel-billed Toucan, Ivory-billed Woodcreeper, Tawny-winged Woodcreeper, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Green-backed Sparrow, and Blue Ground Dove, along with most of the Yucatán specialties and endemic species, such as the Yucatán Jay, Orange Oriole, and Yucatán Flycatcher, which can also be seen in other areas. Definitely, one of the best sightings we had at this spot was a pair of Bicolored Hawks watching over their nest.

We also visited Sayil, part of the Puuc Route on our way north, where we were able to see the Green-breated Mango, Sulfur-bellied Flycatcher and the Blue Ground Dove, new to our lists.

To be honest, we started the day with very high expectations for this route. Looking back at previous GBD lists from past years, we thought reaching 180 bird species could be possible . Perhaps a bit ambitious. In the end, we felt very satisfied and happy with everything we saw and the great moments we shared along the way.
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This time, we recorded 148 bird species, which is still an excellent number considering that almost all migratory birds had already left the area by this time of year. Even so, we were still able to observe a few lingering winter migrants and some summer arrivals, including Magnolia Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Swainson's Thrush, and several sandpiper species. Not bad at all.

If you would like to go birding from Merida, check our tour options here: or send us a message if you would like to reply this crazy route.

Click here if you would like to take a look to this GBD Trip Report.

Let 's go birding!