Again in 2016 one very surprising fowl seemed within the Mexican highlands: an American Flamingo. It took up place of dwelling for a part of each and every 12 months within the Parque Metropolitano of the town of León, Guanajuato, to the northeast of Guadalajara and smartly northwest of Mexico Town. That is an city website online with a excellent choice of birders, so it is rather most likely that every time it used to be no longer reported there for a couple of months, it used to be as a result of they it had moved in different places.
In 2019, this lone American Flamingo discovered a chum: a Chilean Flamingo. Ever since then, the 2 birds would display up throughout the wintry weather months within the Metropolitan Park, all the time in combination. However they’ve no longer been observed there since Would possibly of 2023. And the place they pass in the summertime months, no person is aware of.
American Flamingos do happen naturally in Mexico, however simplest at the Yucatán peninsula within the nation’s excessive southwest. And Chilean Flamingos must be discovered, smartly, in Chile, in addition to a lot of southwestern South The usa. So each birds are assumed by way of many to be escapees from a zoo or a non-public assortment someplace. And but, they appear to have achieved moderately smartly of their unnatural house. (The similar will also be stated for an American Flamingo and (Eurasian) Nice Flamingo pair that experience lived for a few years within the remnant Texcoco marshes close to Mexico Town’s airport.)
(I must additionally point out that the male American Flamingo and feminine Chilean Flamingo had been in brief joined by way of an similarly fantastic male Chilean Flamingo within the fall of 2020 and the spring of 2021, however the male has no longer seemed since then. Lifestyles is extraordinary.)
I’ve been listening to about Leon’s well-known flamingos for years, now. However I had by no means observed them, as I’ve no longer had the chance to trip to that town in recent times. (Even with not too long ago stepped forward freeways, it’s nonetheless a two and a part hour commute from my house in Morelia.)
However this previous Monday, March twenty fifth, I took my 3 biologist birding pals as much as what recently stays of Lake Cuitzeo, to turn them a place the place our micro-endemic Black-polled Yellowthroat has discovered safe haven as a lot of the lake and its reedbeds have dried up in our present drought. The Yellowthroats are astonishingly ample there nonetheless; at one level, my pal Nacho held out a finger jokingly to indicate that one specifically daring particular person may wish to perch there.
And right here he’s.
Jonathan used to be very curious about seeing extra shorebirds, and I knew simply the within sight spot. We headed there after you have our fill of Yellowthroats, each Commonplace and Black-polled. I’ve spotted that my biologist pals are a lot more conscientious about counting birds provide, but additionally get a hold of a lot higher numbers than I do. This time, they counted 3,000 Northern Shovelers, 1,000 Inexperienced-winged Teals, 2,800 American Avocets, 2,150 Stilt Sandpipers, 820 Lengthy-billed Dowitchers, 1,000 Least Sandpipers, 500 Western Sandpipers, and 150 American White Pelicans, at the side of lesser numbers for 30 different species. (After birding and passing via numerous habitats, our overall for the day used to be 109 species.)
So there we had been, taking on this spectacle, when birding friend #3 known as out “Flamingos! Flamingos!” Since Jorge is from Cuba, the place those birds are moderately commonplace, all of us believed him. (The truth that he’s an ornithologist gave him additional side road cred.) All of us grew to become to the west, and there they had been, most likely a part kilometer (1/3 mile) away. As they flew, a big workforce of Avocets took flight round them.
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The closeup above is solely excellent sufficient to turn the invoice trend of a Chilean Flamingo at the decrease fowl, and the invoice trend with much less black, of an American Flamingo. Those two birds are virtually no doubt the similar Flamingos as were observed for years in León. Our contacts in that town showed thie idea, and had been more than pleased certainly to listen to that their birds are alive and smartly.
In fact, when a bunch sees 109 species, there are lots of highlights for the day. This time, there used to be the White-throated Flycatcher, the rarest of our resident Empidonax Flycatchers. (In case you don’t find out about this devilish workforce, believe your self lucky.)
Additionally Verdins, which eBird nonetheless does no longer settle for as a resident throughout the borders of Michoacán. Now I’ve two extra witnesses backing me up.
Marsh Wrens inevitably accompany Commonplace and Black-polled Yellowthroats.
And right here’s a kind of Commonplace Yellowthroats, which inevitable accompany the ones Marsh Wrens. Just like the Black-polled Yellowthroats, those two species were lowered to the sort of small a part of the lake that you’ll virtually achieve out and contact them.
The cherry on my private birding cake, at the side of the ones Flamingos, used to be a Virginia Rail, which used to be a brand new Michoacán species for me. I did see it, I truly did, however simplest Ignacio Torres accomplished footage. So this pretty shot is his:
After all, in this day trip I noticed my first Ecu Starlings for central Mexico. They could also be stunning birds, however that is one “Michoa-lifer” about which I’ve decidedly blended emotions.
Be aware: the photograph on the most sensible of this submit could also be no longer mine; it’s by way of Mauricio Mena and used to be taken at a far nearer distance, of the similar two birds, within the town of León.