Birding Mazatlan's Estero Del Yugo
Popular Mexican Beach Resort Offers First Class Bird Watching
Nov 8, 2008
Mazatlan, about nine hundred miles south of the United States, is one of Mexico's favored year-round destinations for American tourists. This jewel of the Pacific coast offers pristine beaches, great restaurants and an annual Mardi Gras that attracts a million visitors. It also offers wonderful birding, and the Estero del Yugo is a showcase example.
An Overview of Estero del Yugo in Mazatlan, Mexico
The Estero (estuary) is a protected habitat at the far north end of Mazatlan, on Avenida Sabalo Cerritos. Covering only 27 acres, it consists of two lagoons, one freshwater and one saltwater, as well as tropical deciduous forest. Easy walking trails allow birders good views of both lagoons and the forest.
The estuary was protected initially by CIAD (Centro de Investigacion en Alimentacion y Desarrollo), but ongoing support depends upon donations. The entrance is gated, and is open to the public from 9:00 to 5:00 on weekdays. Entry donations are requested at about five dollars per person per day, with significant discounts for weekly or monthly passes.
There is a small education center and laboratory (as well as restrooms) at the entrance, where birders can purchase a pass, meet the administrator, Sandra Guido, and learn more about the estuary. A bird check list is available at the center, but it is far from complete, and birders are encouraged to let Sandra know about identified birds that are not on the list.
Birding the Deciduous Tropical Forest Trails at Estero del Yugo in Mazatlan
More than 200 species of birds have been recorded at Estero del Yugo, an amazing number considering the small size of the area. Birders should first check the area around the education building, where Rufous-backed Robins, Cinnamon Hummingbirds, Wilson's Warblers, Lineated Woodpeckers and Happy Wrens are often seen.
A trail begins to the left of the center, and continues through forest, skirting the saltwater lagoon. In the dry season (primarily winter), the tropical deciduous trees are mostly leafless, making it easier to spot birds. Tanagers, warblers, vireos, gnatcatchers and flycatchers are common throughout the forest trails, and an observant birder can sometimes find more reclusive residents, such as the Ferruginous Pygmy Owl.
Not as easily seen, but worth the search, is the Citreoline Trogon, with its blue-green back and bright lemon belly.
Birding the Lagoons at Estero del Yugo in Mazatlan, Mexico
The trail occasionally approaches the lagoons, giving birders an opportunity to look for shore birds through the trees. Eared, Least and Pied-billed Grebes are typically seen along the shoreline. As the trail breaks into the open close to the shoreline, birders have many opportunities to spot groups of larger birds such as Roseate Spoonbills and Neotropic Cormorants, as well as Great Kiskadees and Crested Caracaras. Sometimes, less common birds such as Tiger and Boat-billed Herons can be found in the shore trees.
The trail follows the lagoon around its end, where large numbers of teal and ducks are found, then re-enters the forest before coming out on a narrow levee that runs between the two lagoons. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers frequent the levee trees, as do Kiskadees. At the end of the levee, the trail turns back to the center.
Getting to Estero del Yugo in Mazatlan
Birders staying in one of the many new condominiums along Mazatlan's northern Cerritos Beach can easily walk to the preserve. The Estero entrance is just north of the intersection of Avenida Sabalo Cerritos and the road (Carretera Habal-Cerritos) that is the northernmost Mazatlan connection to the toll road between Mazatlan and Culiacan.
From the Golden Zone and other hotels along Mazatlan's more southern coastline, visitors can drive north on Avenida Camaron-Sabalo which circles the marinas and becomes Avenida Sabalo Cerritos. Buses also run frequently from the southern tourist sections along this route, and are identified as "Sabalo-Cerritos".
A Remarkable Example of Excellent Urban Birding in a Mexican Resort
Estero del Yugo, in the northern Cerritos beach area of Mazatlan, Mexico, is a great example of first class birding that sometimes can be found in unlikely surroundings. Confined to only 27 acres, this preserve offers easy trails and a wide mixture of both forest and water birds that will delight and surprise resort-bound birders.
 |
 |
 |
 |
