I've been living in the Yucatán Peninsula for a short while now, spending all this time birdwatching, and it's my first visit to this particular place: the Tern Sanctuary on Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo.
This place is special because it's chosen by some tern species as a nesting site. For example, the Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscatus), which typically spends most of its life away from shores but selects certain rocky islands in the Caribbean Sea for nesting. In Mexico, it chooses Isla Mujeres and Isla Contoy.
The sanctuary is located within the grounds of a hotel that has committed to conserving the site, transforming it into a sanctuary and taking measures for the conservation, monitoring, and maintenance of this important site for these birds.
We traveled from Mérida by road and arrived very early in the morning in Cancún, where we took the ferry to Isla Mujeres. Once there, we walked just under 10 minutes to a spot near the hotel.
Initially, we tried to observe the nesting site from outside the hotel grounds. We set up with telescopes and cameras and managed to see some individuals perched on the rocks and on some architectural structures of the hotel.
The first species we identified from a distance was the Sooty Tern with its unmistakable black and white pattern on the bill, forehead, and nape, and white belly and black back in flight. However, we needed a closer view to observe and determine if there were individuals of other species among the numerous Sooty Tern population.
We arrived at the hotel crossing a wooden bridge over a seawater inlet between the main island and the rocky sanctuary island. There we met a small group of birders who, like us, were there to see the tern nesting site. Upon arrival, we were asked about our intentions with the birds and were briefed on the entrance fee.
A hotel staff member explained the areas where we could observe the birds. Honestly, it far exceeded my expectations—the place was teeming with birds!
We had a close look at the numerous population of Sooty Terns. They occupied much of the space, brooding their eggs and feeding their chicks—the noise was indescribable!
Up close, it was easier to identify the Bridled Tern (Onychoprion anaethetus). Slightly smaller than the Sooty, with slightly lighter tones on the back and a slightly wider head in proportion. The Bridled wasn't a lifer for Joel; he mentioned seeing it for the first time on a boat expedition in Nayarit, but it was the first time we saw them up close, so we managed to take good photos of them and their chicks.
Minutes passed, and soon we noticed the presence of a third species, the Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus). A slightly more robust species, brown in color with an elegant pattern of shades grading to white on the forehead. At that moment, we were photographing the Brown and counting those perched on a rope when we noticed there was a different one!
With elongated morphology, darker coloring, and a defined light spot on the crown, there was no doubt—it was an individual of the Black Noddy (Anous minutus).
With this, it added up to 4 lifers for me and my companions. We had enough time and calm to take photos and observe their breeding behavior. Truly a spectacle.
While the number of individuals and species we saw was incredible, I couldn't help but think about the conditions in which the terns had to nest. While the hotel guests and staff are respectful, it's sad to see the birds laying their eggs on the lawn, roofs, and hotel structures because the space on the rocks isn't sufficient for them.
Overall, it was an enriching experience and a delightful moment with my birder friends.
Attached is the Trip Report from e-Bird as a reference for a day of birding with Birding Mexico Expeditions:
Biol. Sandra Mendiola
Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo
A 9 Junio 2024
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