Six Days Birding the Yucatan Peninsula - July-August 2025
6 Day Birding Tour – July-August 2025
Day 1.
Our tour started when I picked up Akshay, our visitor from India, at the Mérida Airport around 5 AM. From there, we drove to the Misnebalam Road for our first stop. As we arrived we were greeted by the songs of the many Black-throated Bobwhites in the area and in just hour and a half of birding there, we spotted 36 species, including: Black-throated Bobwhite, Common Ground Dove, Ruddy Ground Dove, Groove-billed Ani, Lesser Nighthawk, Cinnamon Hummingbird, Black-headed Trogon, Turquoise-browed Motmot, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Rose-throated Becard, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Yucatan Flycatcher, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Mangrove Vireo, Green Jay, Yucatan Gnatcatcher, Southern House Wren, Scrub Euphonia, Olive Sparrow, Gray-crowned Yellowthroat, Blue-black Grassquit and Cinnamon-bellied Saltator.
Black-headed Trogon (Trogon melanocephalus) photographed near Mérida.
After our productive start, we moved to the estuaries and mangroves of Chicxulub Puerto to pick up a few more birds on a different habitat. Highlights included: Black-necked Stilt, Willet, Ruddy Turnstone, Least Sandpiper, Laughing Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Least Tern, Gull-billed Tern, Caspian Tern, Black Tern, Sandwich Tern, American Flamingo, Magnificent Frigatebird, Neotropic Cormorant, Black-crowned Night Heron, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Reddish Egret, Green Heron, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, Olive-throated Parakeet, Tropical Kingbird, Mangrove Swallow, Orchard Oriole, Red-winged Blackbird and Mangrove Warbler.
Then, we moved back to Mérida to try for a roosting Northern Potoo. Unfortunately, the bird had moved from it’s perch but we still managed to see some nice birds like Northern Jacana, Black Vulture, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Rose-throated Becard, Great Kiskadee, Social Flycatcher, Cave Swallow, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Clay-colored Thrush, Hooded Oriole, Melodious Blackbird and Cinnamon-bellied Saltator.
We stopped during the hottest part of the day to have brunch and from there, we hit the road for a 2 hour drive towards Rio Lagartos, so we could catch a boat ride in the afternoon.
Once in Rio Lagartos, we checked in at our hotel and met up with our captain for a fun a very relaxing boat ride through the mangroves of the Rio Lagartos Biosphere Reserve. Highlights included: Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Lesser Nighthawk, Clapper Rail, Least Tern, Black Tern, Royal Tern, American Flamingo, Great Blue Heron (White Morph), Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Reddish Egret, Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Zenaida Dove, Semipalmated Plover, Wilson’s Plover, Whimbrel, Marbled Godwit, Anhinga, White Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Osprey, Common Black Hawk, Gray-breasted Martin and of course the star of the show, the endemic Yucatan Nightjar.
American Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) photographed in Rio Lagartos.
Day 2.
Our second day started as we drove south of Rio Lagartos to bird some agricultural fields and scrubs, picking up a good amount of species, including: Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Black-throated Bobwhite, White-tipped Dove, Groove-billed Ani, Cinnamon Hummingbird, Gray Hawk, Black-headed Trogon, Turquoise-browed Motmot, Crested Caracara, Vermilion Flycatcher, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Mangrove Vireo, Yucatan Wren, Tropical Mockingbird, Lesser Goldfinch, Altamira Oriole, Melodious Blackbird, Northern Cardinal, Blue-black Grassquit, Yellow-faced Grassquit and Cinnamon-bellied Saltator.
Yucatan Wren (Campylorhynchus yucatanicus).
We went back to our hotel for a quick breakfast and then we kept birding the Rio Lagartos area for more birds until midday. Highlights included: White-tailed Hawk, Mexican Sheartail, Cinnamon Hummingbird, Laughing Falcon, American Pygmy Kingfisher, Red-winged Blackbird, Mangrove Vireo and Mangrove Warbler.
After a half day birding the Rio Lagartos Reserve, we left the place for a 1:30 hours drive to our next destination: the Xocen Birding Trail Reserve. As we arrived there, we noticed that the weather was getting ugly and there was a chance that we couldn’t do birding as planned (later in the day when the weather wasn’t so hot) so we decided that it was better if we just went straight into the trail and give it our best try. Usually birding at 2 PM around here is not the best idea as this is the time of the day when bird activity is pretty slow, but I guess birds knew rain was coming so they were all out feeding, singing and very active! We ended up picking up 54 species in three hours, including the best views I’ve ever had of the endemic Rose-throated Tanager!
Highlights included: Squirrel Cuckoo, Wedge-tailed Sabrewing, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Black-headed Trogon, Lesson’s Motmot, Turquoise-browed Motmot, Yucatan Woodpecker, White-fronted Amazon, Olive-throated Parakeet, Barred Antshrike, Gray-collared Becard, Yellow-olive Flatbill, Greenish Elaenia, Northern Tropical Pewee, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, Piratic Flycatcher, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Mangrove Vireo, Yellow-green Vireo, Green Jay, Yucatan Jay, Carolina Wren, Spot-breasted Wren, White-bellied Wren, Scrub Euphonia, Olive Sparrow, Yellow-billed Cacique, Yellow-backed Oriole, Altamira Oriole, Gray-crowned Yellowthroat, Rose-throated Tanager, Northern Cardinal, Gray-throated Chat and Yellow-faced Grassquit.
Male Rose-throated Tanager (Piranga roseogularis) photographed at Xocen Birding Trail.
Turns out, the clouds were just playing games with us and there was no rain, so after dinner, our local guide Angel Castillo took Akshay for some night birding in the Reserve. Birds were not as showy but they still managed to see a Northern Potoo.
Day 3.
For our third day, we left Xocen very early and drove all the way to Playa del Carmen for the first ferry to Cozumel Island. We arrived to the island and went straight to our birding spot. We did about hour and a half of pretty much stationary birding and we picked up all of the endemics of the island plus some of the Caribbean specialties, including: White-crowned Pigeon, Vaux’s Swift, Green-breasted Mango, Cozumel Emerald, Yucatan Woodpecker, Caribbean Elaenia, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Bright-rumped Attila, Cozumel Vireo, Yucatan Vireo, Cozumel Wren, Black Catbird, Western Spindalis, Yellow Warbler (Golden), Bananaquit and Yellow-faced Grassquit.
Cozumel Emerald (Cynanthus forficatus).
Once we were back in the mainland, we drove all the way to Akumal, for a break and then in the afternoon some more birding outside our hotel CaSa Akumal. The birding started pretty slow, with very few birds showing off and a few heard only species, but then, as we took a different trail we came across a big flock of mostly Yucatan Jays from all ages feeding on Syssphinx caterpillars, it was definitely a spectacle and worth every single second spent looking at them. Highlights included: Osprey, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Black-headed Trogon, Turquoise-browed Motmot, Rose-throated Becard, Yellow-green Vireo, Mangrove Vireo, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Yucatan Jay, Brown Jay, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, Spot-breasted Wren, Hooded Oriole, Altamira Oriole, Melodious Blackbird and Great-tailed Grackle.
Juvenile Yucatan Jay (Cyanocorax yucatanicus).
Day 4.
On day four, we left our hotel early and drove to the Uxuxubi al Natural Reserve in Akumal where we met our local guide Axel Vazquez for a morning of birding. We started focusing on finding the endemic Ocellated Turkey first and after finding our first (and only) one we started walking around the trails in the reserve. Akshay told Axel that he wanted to see the Curassow, so Axel took us to a particular spot where he has had that species before and just as we were arriving to the spot, there it was, a male Great Curassow!
This amazing birding spot in the Riviera Maya also allowed us to see a huge flock of 50 Swallow-tailed Kites migrating and just in general a lot of astonishing birds including: Plain Chachalaca, Ocellated Turkey, Great Curassow, Red-billed Pigeon, Scaled Pigeon, Caribbean Dove, Keel-billed Toucan, Squirrel Cuckoo, Wedge-tailed Sabrewing, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, White-bellied Emerald, Roadside Hawk, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Black-headed Trogon, Gartered Trogon, Lesson’s Motmot, Turquoise-browed Motmot, Lineated Woodpecker, Ivory-billed Woodcreeper, Green Jay, Yucatan Jay, Eye-ringed Flatbill, Greenish Elaenia, Barn Swallow, Cave Swallow, Black Catbird, Yellow-throated Euphonia, Orange Oriole, Yellow-tailed Oriole, Green-backed Sparrow, Red-throated Ant-Tanager, Morelet’s Seedeater and Black-headed Saltator.
Swallow-tailed Kites (Elanoides forficatus) photographed at the Uxuxubí al Natural Reserve.
After a productive morning, we moved to Felipe Carrillo Puerto for some rest and more birding in the afternoon.
The Siijil Noh Ha Reserve has been a staple on our tours, this community owned land has an amazing forest that’s close to water which produces a lot of bird sightings and it’s in general, good for bird photography. We did about two and half hours birding the reserve when activity picked up later during the day and we saw some really good species, including: Red-billed Pigeon, Wedge-tailed Sabrewing, White-bellied Emerald, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Olive-throated Parakeet, Mayan Antthrush, Ivory-billed Woodcreeper, Tropical Royal Flycatcher, Northern Bentbill, Yellow-olive Flatbill, Greenish Elaenia, Tawny-crowned Greenlet, Mangrove Vireo, Brown Jay, Mangrove Swallow, Gray-breasted Martin, Long-billed Gnatwren, White-bellied Wren, Green-backed Sparrow, Red-throated Ant-Tanager, Red-legged Honeycreeper and Black-headed Saltator.
Mayan Antthrush (Formicarius moniliger).
Day 5.
We started day five birding the “Muuch Kanan Kaax” Reserve just south of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, looking for more forest species and taking advantage of the better activity of the first hours of the day, picking up 63 species in less than 3 hours. Some highlights included: Caribbean Dove, Squirrel Cuckoo, Vaux’s Swift, Canivet’s Emerald, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Roadside Hawk, Black-headed Trogon, Gartered Trogon, Collared Trogon, Lesson’s Motmot, Keel-billed Toucan, Yucatan Woodpecker, Smoky-brown Woodpecker, Pale-billed Woodpecker, Barred Antshrike, Mayan Antthrush, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Northern Barred-Woodcreeper, Black-crowned Tityra, Masked Tityra, Stub-tailed Spadebill, Bright-rumped Attila, Piratic Flycatcher, Lesser Greenlet, Purple Martin, White-browed Gnatcatcher, Carolina Wren (White-browed), Yellow-throated Euphonia, Black-cowled Oriole, Rose-throated Tanager, Red-crowned Ant-Tanager, Gray-throated Chat, Blue Bunting and Red-legged Honeycreeper.
Collared Trogon (Trogon collaris).
Then, we went back to the Siijil Noh Ha Reserve for a second time with another 35 species in about an hour, including: Ivory-billed Woodcreeper, Tropical Royal Flycatcher, Stub-tailed Spadebill, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, Mangrove Swallow, Long-billed Gnatwren, Spot-breasted Wren, Scrub Euphonia, Black-cowled Oriole, Altamira Oriole, Gray-throated Chat and Yellow-faced Grassquit.
Black-cowled Oriole (Icterus prosthemelas).
We left Felipe Carrillo Puerto making a couple stops on our way to Bacalar, picking up a few birds like Short-tailed Hawk, Purple Gallinule, Northern Jacana, Blue-gray Tanager, Yellow-winged Tanager and Morelet’s Seedeater.
We arrived in Bacalar, checked in at our hotel, rested the hottest part of the day and then, went out again for more birding. We took a small road that takes you to a remote little town on the way to an archaeological site and did some birding there. Highlights included: Scaled Pigeon, Red-billed Pigeon, Squirrel Cuckoo, White-bellied Emerald, Western Cattle-Egret, Black-headed Trogon, Gartered Trogon, Lineated Woodpecker, Golden-olive Woodpecker, Laughing Falcon, Red-lored Amazon, Black-crowned Tityra, Masked Tityra, Northern Bentbill, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Green-backed Sparrow, Orchard Oriole, Hooded Oriole, Yellow-tailed Oriole, Altamira Oriole, Red-throated Ant-Tanager, Yellow-winged Tanager, Blue-black Grassquit, Morelet’s Seedeater, Yellow-faced Grassquit and Black-headed Saltator.
Blue-black Grassquit (Volatinia jacarina).
Day 6.
For our last day of birding, we had planned to visit the Kohunlich Archaeological Site. These Maya ruins near the border with Belize and Guatemala are an amazing spot for many birds that barely make it to the Yucatan Peninsula and it’s also very popular with our clients as they get to enjoy a different kind of archaeological site without the big crowds and noise.
Before going into the ruins, we birded the road that takes you to them for a couple hours and we spotted a good amount of birds, including: Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Black-throated Bobwhite, Scaled Pigeon, Ruddy Ground Dove, Roadside Hawk, Lineated Woodpecker, Pale-billed Woodpecker, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, White-fronted Amazon, White-crowned Parrot, Tawny-winged Woodcreeper, White-collared Manakin, Eye-ringed Flatbill, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Yellow-billed Cacique, Yellow-tailed Oriole, Gray-headed Tanager, Red-crowned Ant-Tanager, Red-throated Ant-Tanager, Gray-crowned Yellowthroat, Blue-black Grassquit and Red-legged Honeycreeper.
White-collared Manakin (Manacus candei).
Then, inside the ruins, we spotted another 34 species, including: Blue Ground Dove, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Black-headed Trogon, Gartered Trogon, Lesson’s Motmot, Laughing Falcon, Bat Falcon, White-crowned Parrot, Red-capped Manakin, Black-crowned Tityra, Masked Tityra, Tropical Royal Flycatcher, Eye-ringed Flatbill, Tawny-crowned Greenlet, Lesser Greenlet and Black-cowled Oriole.
Red-capped Manakin (Ceratopipra mentalis).
This was the end of the tour as after that, we did a 5-hour drive back to Mérida. We finished up the tour with 202 species which is a very good number considering we don’t have much of the migratory birds in the Yucatan Peninsula during July and August!
Written by Luis Trinchan Guerra.