Birdwatching in Mexico

In August 2004, our son and daughter-in-law and their two sons, Alejandro (8) and Josué (6), moved from a city in the northern Mexican State of Coahuila to a nearby small town. The boys soon became interested in the birds of the quinta (estate) where they lived. Their tio (uncle) in the United States sent them a large bird book, A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America, and binoculars. These have been of much assistance in identifying birds which the boys have seen in the municipality of Arteaga.

Below is a list of birds that they have seen. They provided the common names and their abuelito (grandfather) in Canada provided the Latin names. The taxonomic order is based on the A.O.U. Checklist of North American Birds. As more species are identified, these will be added to the list.

While other boys in the area have not exhibited an appreciation for the birds, these two boys have shown a great interest. Not only are they making identification, but they are also building bird-houses to be placed on the property. We hope that they will continue to learn about birds and other aspects of nature. We also hope that other children, wherever they live, will be stimulated to develop an interest for themselves in the plant and animal life around them and come to realize the importance of these to their own survival.

According to his father, Josué prefers to draw the birds while Alejandro's interest is more involved. He goes through an extensive process to identify each bird. He has not been taught this, but it seems to have come naturally to him. This is his process:

Alejandro also has the ability to distinguish bird songs. He has no trouble telling people the difference between the songs of a curve-billed thrasher and a mockingbird, for example; or a Canyon wren versus a Bewick's wren; and so on. It is amazing just how well he can pick out different songs and know which bird is singing, without even seeing it. Future goals include the acquisition of a digital camera with a telephoto lens, a parabolic dish with a sensitive microphone, and trips to different bird-watching spots - a natural process for many bird watchers.

During 2006, Alejandro, at the age of ten years, spent two months on a course from Cornell Lab of Ornithology. He was given the camera he wanted as a "graduation" present and has been practising his skills in taking and collecting pictures of birds.

See micro-photos of bird feathers.

This page was updated in February 2007.