The Mazatlan Bird Festival will highlight hotspots for birding in Southern Sinaloa including the Tufted Jay Preserve. Most of the locations described in this section are part of a network of conservation efforts by the Mexican Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP), Pronatura Noroeste, US Fish and Wildlife, the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSR), among others.

Field Trips

Level 1- easy walking, mostly on flat surfaces
Level 2- easy to moderate walking on narrow uneven paths
Level 3- possible objects and obstacles and areas of uneven or narrow paths
Level 4- parts of trail difficult and steep. Good physical condition required.

Wetlands and Estuaries

Every winter the coastal bays and lagoons of Sinaloa in northwestern Mexico host tens of thousands of waterfowl because Sinaloa is part of the Pacific Flyway for North American wintering shorebirds. These wetlands contain enormous mud flats, islands, mangroves, estuaries, sand dunes and sustain great biodiversity, including more than 300 migratory and resident bird species. During the fall and winter months close to 1/3 of the shorebirds that breed in Alaska, western Canada and the U.S use these important habitats for wintering or as a resting area for continued migration to other areas in Latin America

Bahia Santa Maria, Ensenada Pabellones and Playa Ceuta are some of the most important sites for wintering and migrating waterfowl on the west coast of North America and are part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSR). In addition, these areas are important reproductive sites for various species of shorebirds including the Least Tern and the Snowy Plover. During the festival, day trips will be offered to Playa Ceuta, an easy drive north of Mazatlan.  A post-festival 2-3 night trip will be offered to Bahia Santa Maria.

Playa Ceuta

Located one hour north of Mazatlan in the south central part of the state of Sinaloa, Playa Ceuta is considered to be the most important site in the state for the reproduction of the protected species Least Tern (Sterna antillarum) and the Snowy plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) and an important area for migratory visitors. It is also an important nesting area for the Olive Ridley Turtle among other sea turtle species. We will visit the wide salt flats at Playa Ceuta where thousands of birds may be seen including: Least Grebe, Tri-colored Heron, Muscovy Duck, White-tailed Kite, Great Black Hawk, Merlin, Collared Plover, Wilson’s Plover Semipalmated Plover, American Oystercatcher, Western and Least Sandpipers, Short-billed Dowitcher, Laughing Gull, Heerman’s Gull, California Gull, Caspian and Elegant Terns, and Violet-green and Mangrove Swallows. Taking advantage of the tail end of the turtle hatching season, this birding tour will stop by to visit The Playa Ceuta Turtle hatchery run by a local university. Here we will receive a short tour to learn about the lifecycle of the Olive Ridley Turtles and about the efforts towards its protection.

Level 1 walking. Box lunch included.  6:30am - 2pm. $80 usd

Estero Del Yugo

Located 10 minutes north of Mazatlan's “Golden Zone” by car, the Estero Del Yugo Preserve is an important educational & nature center for the city and the state of Sinaloa. The 27 acre sanctuary consists of two lagoons, one fresh and the other salt water. Both connected by wooden boardwalks that include birding blinds for resting and an observation tower. Although the small preserve is surrounded by hotels and the ever encroaching urban sprawl; it is a refuge for over 200 species of aquatic and terrestrial birds and an important center for environmental education. The list includes the Least Grebe, Neotropic Cormorant, Anhinga, Magnificent Frigate bird, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Roseate Spoonbill, many ducks including the Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Cinnamon, Blue & Green-winged Teals, and Ruddy Duck as well as Rufous-bellied Chachalaca, Elegant Quail, Black-throated Magpie Jay and Purplish-backed Jay.  These birds inhabit or winter in the area's well preserved habitats of mangrove-lined lagoons and tropical deciduous forests.

Level 1 walking. Several departures during the day. $25 usd

Mesa de Cacaxtla

The Mesa de Cacaxtla protected area is the largest in the State of Sinaloa and contains some of the highest biodiversity in Mexico. It is a natural sanctuary where a wealth of mammals, amphibians, reptiles and flora are found within its 124,000 acres . This important biological corridor north of Mazatlan houses this incredible biodiversity within its varied ecosystems of coastal dunes, mangrove lagoons, thorn and shrub forest and the tropical deciduous forest. On this birding tour, participants may see the Rufous-bellied Chachalaca, Elegant Quail, Orange-fronted Parakeet, White-fronted Parrot, Lesser Roadrunner, Citreoline Trogon, Violet-crowned Hummingbird, Golden-cheeked Woodpecker, Pale-billed and Lineated Woodpeckers, Pacific Slope Flycatcher, Mangrove Swallow, Purplish-backed Jay, Sinaloa Crow, Sinaloa and Happy Wrens, Black-capped Gnatcatcher, Rufous-backed Thrush, and the Yellow Grosbeak, among many others. 

 Level 2 walking. Box lunch included. 6:30am – 2:30 pm $80 usd

Tufted Jay Preserve - visit the special Tufted Jay Section on this Website

Recognized as an important area for bird endemism and richness*, the Sierra Madre Occidental pine-oak forests are characterized by a unique and rich variety of flora and fauna created by the “convergence of tropical and temperate influences”. Located 2 hours from Mazatlan at 2,100m (6,800ft), the Tufted Jay Preserve is located in this privileged area and is the best known location for viewing the spectacular and highly endemic Tufted Jay. A wealth of other endemic species like the Military Macaw, White-naped Swift, Mountain Trogon, White-stripped Woodcreeper, Pine Flycatcher, Brown - backed Solitaire, Aztec Thrush and the Green-striped Brushfinch also inhabit these beautiful canyons. We will walk along roads lined with bright wildflowers visited by White-eared, Broad-tailed and Berylline Hummingbirds. Along with Scott’s Oriole, Magnificent and Blue-throated Hummingbirds can be found in the bright orange flowers of a parasitic plant which clings to the tall evergreen trees. Mixed bird flocks are common and the usual suspects are the Cresent-chested, Grace’s, Red, and Olive Warblers, along with the Mexican Chickadee and the Bridled Titmouse to name a few.

Birding the Islands of Mazatlan

Join us on a 3 hour tour of the coastal islands which are found in the bay of Mazatlan just off the city’s coast.  These islands are part of a nature reserve overseen by the CONANP which includes all 900+ islands in the Sea of Cortez, also known as the Gulf of California. We will take a short hike on Deer Island, the island with the highest number of plant species in the Sea of Cortez, looking for the Osprey, Peregrine Falcon, Rufous-backed Robin, Streak-backed Oriole, Tropical Kingbird, Great Kiskadee  and the Five-striped Sparrow. We will witness the guano covered islets where we have great possibilities to see the Blue and Brown-footed Booby and the Red-billed Tropicbird. We will then pass by Bird Island, an important nesting and roosting site for many species including the Brown Pelican, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Neo-tropic Cormorant, Magnificent Frigatebird, and the White-faced Ibis.

Level 2 walking on Deer Island, otherwise all other viewing is from the vessel. $38 usd
No lunch included