Mexico City Birding
Mexico City and surroundings
Mexico City may not seem as a great birding area, but the big city is surrounded by natural parks,
and even within the city there are great birding spots to explore. Its location is also favorable, it stands in the edge between the Nearctic and Neotropic regions, endowing the region with a high diversity of species and ecosystems.
¿Where to bird?
Depending on your time and interests you may plan your birding in and around the city, the options are diverse, plenty and can be divided in:
Urban Parks
Quick & easy: Most tourists stay west of Mexico City's downtown, which is itself one of the greener areas of the city, allowing for interesting species to be found in the smaller parks and green areas along streets.
One of our most urban endemic is the Black-backed Oriole, which is frequently found in this kind of places, pay special attention to flowering trees, like Coral Tree, Jacaranda and Australian Silver Oak. These may also attract species like Cinnamon-bellied Flowerpiercer, Berylline and Broad-billed Hummingbirds, several species of Warblers, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, other orioles and more.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Chapultepec is one of the most common places to search for birds in this area, yet it is really big and every section is different.
If you wish to know more about specific locations and how to find birds, explore the links.
Contact us if you are interested on a birding tour, or explore the Tours section
.jpg)
%20Taxque%C3%B1a.jpg)
Miguel Hidalgo
Viveros
Coyoacán
Chapultepec, 3rd Section
Miguel Hidalgo
Other great options within the city but that may require more time to explore and find local birds are located south of the city, there you can find native scrub-lands, forests and wetlands, like in Xochimilco's Ecological Park, Tlalpan's Forest and Botanical Garden in the National University, these parks have a more interesting bird diversity, and can also be very different from each other.
​
These are also good locations for the Black-backed Oriole and other endemics like the Blue Mockingbird, which can be found in any of the three. Xochimilco's Ecological Park is best to get a great variety of birds, a lot of them aquatic.
​
For endemics the best option would be Tlalpan's Forest but the steep roads make it more complicated to walk around, and most of the species are shared with the Botanical Garden, which may be better to find the Hooded Yellowthroat and have an easier walk, but the opening time may be inconvenient (be sure to check the opening schedules and days).
​
​
Contact us if you are interested on a birding tour, or explore the Tours section
Xochimilco's Ecological Park
Miguel Hidalgo
Tlapan's Forest National Park
Coyoacán
Botanical Garden, National University
Coyoacán
Forested areas and National Parks
Mexico City is surrounded by mountains and natural protected areas, and specially the south is covered by temperate forest which host several Mexican endemics, such as Green-striped Brushfinch, Rufous-capped Brushfinch, Red Warbler, Russet Nightingale-Thrush, Striped Sparrow, Long-tailed Wood-Partridge, Strickland's Woodpecker, Blue Mockingbird among other interesting forest species like Crescent-chested Warbler, Olive Warbler, Mexican Chickadee, Golden-browed Warbler, Blue-throated Mountain-Gem, Mexican Violetear and other more scarce, like Hooded Grosbeak, Flame-colored Tanager, Mountain Trogon, etcetera.
​
By exploring the next Parks you may be able to find some of the mentioned species and others which share the habitat. Please note this are highlands that will take you close to 3,000 meters above sea level, so be prepared with layers (specially on winter) and hydrate yourself. My personal recommendation would be visiting these parks with a guide, but if you wish to explore them on your own, follow the links to learn more about the areas and where to find birds.
%20Contreras.jpg)
Contact us if you are interested on a birding tour, or explore the Tours section
%20Xitle.jpg)
Totolapan's Park
Miguel Hidalgo
Dinamos National Park
Coyoacán
Desierto de los Leones National Park
Coyoacán
Birding for endemics and specialties
The center of Mexico has two endemism areas, the temprate forest of the Transvolcanic Belt and the tropical deciduous forest in the lowlands of the Balsas Basin (Morelos).
​
In the highlands you can find endemic birds like: Red Warbler, Russet Nightingale-Thrush, Striped Sparrow, Long-tailed Wood-Partridge, Gray-barred Wren, Bumblebee Hummingbird, White-striped Woodcreeper, Rufous-capped Brushfinch, Blue Mockingbird, Hooded Yellowthroat, Transvolcanic Jay and Aztec Rail, some of the most restricted birds to the center of Mexico are: Strickland's Woodpecker, Green-striped Brushfinch, Black-polled Yellowthroat and Sierra Madre Sparrow.
Other interesting birds include (not endemic): Crescent-chested Warbler, Hooded Siskin, Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo, Flame-colored Tanager, Mountain Trogon, Mexican Violetear, Blue-throated and Amethyst-throated Mountain-Gem, among others.
%20Parres.jpg)
Milpa Alta
Milpa Alta, Mexico City
Maravillas Park and la Cima, in the free way to Cuernavaca, are also possible sites for these birds, but it is strongly recommended to avoid this areas, specially if not accompanied by local people.
Contact us if you are interested on a birding tour, or explore the Tours section
Lerma Marshes
Toluca, Mexico State
%20Maravillas.jpg)
Totlán Park
Morelos
In the lowlands or Morelos state we can find a very different ecosystem and species, endemics include: Golden Vireo, Golden-crowned Emerald, Rusty-crowned Ground-Sparrow, Golden-cheeked Woodpecker, Happy Wren, Orange-breasted Bunting, West-Mexican Chachalaca and Colima Pygmy-Owl, the must restricted endemics to the center of Mexico are: Dusky Hummingbird, Gray-breasted Woodpecker, Black-chested Sparrow, Banded Quail and Pileated Flycatcher, other interesting birds (notendemic) include: Banded Wren, Russet-crowned Motmot, White-throated Magpie-Jay, Yellow-winged Cacique, Varied Bunting, Streak-backed Oriole, among others.
​
Zacatecontitla
Tepoztlán, Morelos