The purpose of GBD is to list as many bird species in a day, so we did.The Global Big Day is the world’s largest birdwatching event, organized by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. During 24 hours, birders from all around the world go out to observe and record as many bird species as possible using the eBird platform. Beyond the excitement of birding, the event also contributes valuable information for citizen science, helping researchers better understand bird populations, migration routes, and important habitats for conservation.
 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.
 As we moved north and the day went on, the heat also picked up. By the time we got to Mérida, the temperature was too hot to stay under the sun for long. We knew where to find the Northern Potoo at an urban park located at the west side of the city. We went to confirm its perch, took some photos and left quickly to the next spot, to avoid being too exposed to the heat. Luckily, we found some nice shade at Acuaparque, the next urban park, where we spotted the always reliable Limpkin and Snail Kite. One of the most important birds we had there was the Mexican Sheartail, which is rare in that area. It’s usually seen closer to its coastal habitat, about 30 km away.  Here, this time of the year, the sun sets by 6 pm. We had to decide how to better use the couple of hours of sunlight we had left. So, we went straight to the shore, to the wetlands of Progreso, where we listed all the shorebirds we could find in less than one hour. That sport has great potential and birders usually list around 60 (sometimes up to 80) bird species. That day, we listed 39 birds in 60 minutes. One of the surprises we had was the White-rumped Sandpiper. Finally, we ended the day birding in Misnebalam, always a great spot to find birds like Black-throated Bobwhite and the Gray-crowned Yellowthroat. There, we got to watch the sunset and reflect on what we were doing when it was rising, 14 hours earlier : we were 129 km away, looking at the Middle American Screech-Owl, the Yucatan Nightjar, and listening to a Yucatan Flycatcher with insomnia.  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. 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! Biol. Sandra MendiolaClick here to edit.
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