Re: Birding (?) in Mexico City
Robert Weiner (rweiner@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu)
Mon, 12 Oct 1998 00:10:35 -0400 (EDT)
david,
as you might guess, Mexico City is not a prime destination for birding
trips. Neither is birding popular among the locals, despite their
interest and concern over the environment. Its bad rap notwithstanding,
there are plenty of good birds there, and transportation is easy and
plentiful (make sure you agree on the taxi fare before you start your
trip, and figure that as a gringo you should expect to pay more than a
native in any case).
I attended an environmental conference in Mexico in 1992, so my info may
be outdated, but for what it's worth: Try to find a copy of *The birds of
Mexico City: an Annotated checklist and birdfinding guide to the Federal
District*, by richard wilson and Hector Ceballos-Lascurain. ABA does not
list it, so it's probably out of print, but you might be able to locate a
copy at a library or used-book seller.
My conference was at UNAM (the largest university in the world at the
time -- 250,000 students!), and I found the University's Botanical garden
and the Contreras Valley (in the SW part of the city; both are described
in the above book) productive. I don't have a sightings list handy, but
the red warbler still stands out as the amazing bird I saw in the Valley.
I also strolled thorugh chapultepec park, but found it unproductive; too
many people. I also suspected that some of the birds I saw there were
endemic to the park -- i.e., escapes, feral species, etc. The
archaeological museum there is worth giving up a half-day's birding for,
even if one has no interest in archaeology. some of the objects in the
museum are breathtaking, and offer insight into the longstanding proud and
violent culture of the country.
Hope this is helpful.
Robert Weiner
(rweiner@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu)
George Washington University Washington DC 20052
202 994 5981