Monterrey, N.L. birding tours
Monterrey is a big and industrious city in the northeast part of Mexico. What makes Monterrey a very special place for people who love nature is its magnificent mountainous formations surrounding the city. Located next to the Sierra Madre Oriental, which is the largest and highest Sierra of Mexico, Monterrey offers different birding spots representing the four main ecosystems of the area. From the arid rocky canyon of La Huasteca to the tall and magnificent forest in Santiago, passing through the natural oasis of Zuazua, this place has it all.
Choose your single-day birding experience based on your targets, your scenery, or your adventure preferences. Read carefully your options and send us an email or fill out the form for more information.
Santiago
Santiago is a great option for those who prefer diversity in a single day. Just a few minutes from the city, there is an amazing birding spot of grasslands. If we start early enough, we could find the endemic Tawny-collared Nightjar on this spot. Later, will start driving up to the low mountain area to find species like the Crimson-collared Grosbeak and the Blue-capped Motmot. There are many other interesting species to see here too, like the Long-billed Thrasher, the Blue Bunting, the Buff-bellied Hummingbird, the Audubon´s Oriole, the Varied Bunting, and the Gray-crowned Yellowthroat. On a good morning, we can expect to see around 40 different species.
As we go up the vegetation starts to change from an oak-pine forest to a taller and denser pine forest. Making different stops along the way, we can see the Mexican Jay, the Painted Redstart, the Brown-backed Solitaire, the Rufus-capped Brushfinch, and many more.
Pick up time: 40 minutes before sunrise
Drop off time: Around noon
Number of birds we can see in the morning: 60 - 70 species
Vegetation types visited: Grasslands, Oak-pine forest, and pine forest.
Tour style: Ideal for birders and photographers. Short walks near the car. Consider altitude changes throughout the day.
Extended day:
Over the same route to this trip in Santiago, going higher and deeper into the Sierra, there´s a well-known spot to find the Marron-fronted Parrot, near Laguna de Sanchez. In this case, driving for around an hour will be necessary to get there. The return of this full-day birding option would be at night.
Second-day option:
You may even consider a second day of birding and spend de night in a cabin on Mesa del Oso, which is located in a highland pine forest with exceptional chances to see the Blue-throated Mountain Gem, the Elegant Trogon, and many more species of swallows, swifts and wrens. Spending the night in this place sets the perfect opportunity to look for nocturnal species like the Whiskered Screech Owl and the Spotted Owl.
Eather your preference of the extended option of a full day or two days of birding, you can send us an email or fill out the form to check details and set up the itinerary with you.
Estanzuela
La Estanzuela is a Natural Park near the city with chances of many birds, making it an ideal spot for those eager for the best representation of birds of the area, like the Spot-breasted Wren, the Hepatic Tanager, the Blue Bunting, the Golden-crowned Warbler, the Elegant Trogon, the Streaked Flycatcher, the Tropical Parula, the Flame Colored Tanager, and the Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet.
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Since it is a protected natural area, it is common to find other representative fauna species of the Sierra Madre Oriental forests, such as squirrels, coatis, migratory butterflies like the monarch butterfly, lizards, snakes, and even the emblematic black bear.
This park serves as a natural reserve, and is characterized by its stone road that takes you up (distancia y altura), into the forest of this part of the Sierra; making it suitable to walk and find many other species like the Brown and Mexican Jay, the Acorn and Golden-olive Woodpecker, the Black-crested Titmouse, the Buff-bellied Hummingbird, the Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, and the Grey-collared Becard among many others.
Pick up time: 60 minutes before sunrise
Drop off time: Around noon
Number of birds we can see in the morning: 60 - 70 species
Vegetation types visited: Lowland forest, open grasslands, and wetlands.
Tour style: Ideal for birders and photographers, we can adjust the time to spend in each place. Short walks near the car.
If we get to arrive early in the morning, around sunrise, there would be chances to find nocturnal species like the Mexican Whip-poor-will and some species of owls. As soon as the sun rises, you´ll be amazed of the viarity of species in a short time.
Zuazua
Theres an area of wetlands so called the Oasis of the desert, and rightly so.
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After the boat tour, we will continue
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Pick up time: 40 minutes before sunrise
Drop off time: Around noon
Number of birds we can see in the morning: 60 - 70 species
Vegetation types visited: Lowland forest, coastal sand dune, mangroves, open grasslands.
Tour style: Ideal for birders and photographers, we can adjust the time to spend in each place. Short walks near the car.
Huasteca
There is this unique part where the rocky formations of the Sierra form a canyon with impressive tall walls of rock and arid vegetation. La Huasteca is the place of birds of prey, which are very common to see soaring near the rocky walls. Species like Volture, Swainson, Aura,are almost part of the scenery.
This tour starts by picking you up at your accommodation before the sun rises. 20 minutes driving from downtown. We will make a stop right in the entrance of the canyon to see species like___
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We will continue driving inside the park to the road behind the canyon walls to look for very special species for this transitioning ecosystem like __
Pick up time: 40 minutes before sunrise
Drop off time: Around noon
Number of birds we can see in the morning: 60 - 70 species
Vegetation types visited: Lowland forest, coastal sand dune, mangroves, open grasslands.
Tour style: Ideal for birders and photographers, we can adjust the time to spend in each place. Short walks near the car.