Birding Cacaxtla Preserve Near Mazatlan
La Meseta de Cacaxtla in Sinaloa, Mexico Offers Excellent Birding
Dec 29, 2008
A three and one-half mile dirt road west of the Culiacan-Mazatlan Maxpista toll road traverses tropical deciduous forest and scrub, a fresh water creek bed, Pacific Ocean shoreline and inland estuaries.
This naturally varied habitat just north of the Tropic of Cancer is home to an impressive number of resident and migratory birds, as well as other wildlife.
An Overview of Cacaxtla Natural Reserve in Sinaloa, Mexico
La Meseta de Cacaxtla was declared a natural reserve on November 27, 2000. Consisting of 50,862 hectares (more than 125,600 acres), this is one of the largest pristine protected areas in Mexico. Bordering the Pacific Ocean on the west, this large tract represents a marvelously diverse ecosystem, including ocean shoreline, tidepools, estuaries, fresh water ponds, creek beds and tropical deciduous forest. Birders can expect to find well over two hundred resident and migratory species.
Birding La Meseta de Cacaxtla
Professional guiding organizations, such as Sendero Mexico in Mazatlan, are the most reliable way to find and identify the many birds of Cacaxtla. The first annual Mazatlan Bird Festival, held on January 16-19, 2009, also featured a day birding tour to Cacaxtla.
However, access to the area is straightforward enough that knowledgeable birders also can bird Cacaxtla independently.
In addition to binoculars, a spotting scope is useful here, and birders should carry plenty of fresh water, since none is available locally.
Accommodations near La Meseta de Cacaxtla
Just 5 miles north of the main entrance into La Meseta, and still within the preserve itself, lies the fishing village of Las Barras de Piaxtla. The 3 mile road to Las Barras from the Maxpista is also a bird rich area worth spending time on. Las Barras is a small picturesque village on the ocean with a good restaurant and an excellent multi-casita lodge, La Rosa de Las Barras. La Rosa has air-conditioned rooms with private baths, cooking facilities and wireless Internet. The lodge also provides kayaks for guest-birding of the nearby estuary.
Getting to Cacaxtla Natural Reserve from Mazatlan
Driving north from Mazatlan on the Maxpista toll road to Culiacan, watch for the Kilometer 50 sign, which is approximately 16 miles north of the Marmol toll booth. Just past the Kilometer 50 sign, move to the left lane and turn left at the "Retorno" (the only opportunity in this area to cross the median).
Cross the southbound traffic lane (very carefully, since the speed limit here is 110 Kilometers per hour) onto a wide shoulder area with a brass-colored five foot spiral sculpture identifying the area's petroglyphs (Labradas). The dirt road at the north end of this shoulder area heads west into the Cacaxtla preserve.
Driving Through Cacaxtla to Playa de las Labradas
Drive west on the dirt road slowly and with your windows down in order to listen for birds. There are many Crested Caracaras and Purplish-backed Jays along this deciduous forest section. In less than a mile you will enter the small friendly village of Chicayota. At one mile from the toll road, the road turns right (north), paralleling railroad tracks on the left side.
Two tenths of a mile from the village, the road turns west and drops below the railroad tracks, crossing a stream bed. Birders should park here and walk the trail that follows the stream bed north, where there are many birds to be seen, both in the trees along the stream bed, and in the fields to the east of the trail. Pale-billed woodpecker, Greyish saltator, Black-chinned hummingbird and Black-throated magpie jays are typical birds seen here.
Just past the railroad tracks, the road splits right and left. Turn right and follow the road for two and one half miles to the modest straw-thatched petroglyph museum, stopping along the way to bird the roadside brush and trees. It's a short walk from the museum (ten peso admission fee) to the Playa de las Labradas, where there are hundreds of dark boulders carved with petroglyphs. Typical ocean shore birds are common here.
From Playa las Labradas to the Estuaries
The road continues south from the museum just over a mile to an old shrimp farm. Birders can park here and walk along the estuary levees to see various water birds such as Little blue herons and Forster's terns. Common black hawks and even Bobcats also have been seen in this area.
Returning to the Maxpista Toll Road and Mazatlan
Bear right as you return from the dead end at the estuaries, which is the south end of a loop road that brings you back to the fork at the railroad undercrossing. Turn right, drive under the railroad crossing and return through the village and back to the Maxpista toll road. As throughout this drive, birders should drive slowly with windows open to the sound of birds. Mexican Parrotlets and White-fronted Parrots have both been observed along this return route, after first signaling their presence with raucous calls.
Great Birding Near Tourist Destinations in Mexico
La Meseta de Cacaxtla, just thirty miles from Mazatlan, is one more example, like Estero del Yugo, of first-class birding available within or near a major tourist center.
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