Rich Hoyer reports on a recent tour to the Yucatan

The American Flamingo might be the Yucatan Peninsula’s most iconic bird, and on our recent tour to this region and the adjacent island of Cozumel we learned that the lawn ornament is no substitute for seeing the real thing. From distant splashes of shocking pink in the Rio Lagartos estuary, to ridiculously stretched-out birds flying over the mangroves, to an astonishing drive-up view of several birds almost too close to focus on, we experienced the essence of this beauty, voted favorite bird of the tour. Also memorable were all birds with Yucatan in the name – regional endemics such as the wren, the gnatcatcher, and the jay, all of which we saw well. Some of the sought-after regional endemics have more descriptive names – Gray-throated Chat and Yellow-lored Parrot were two that we enjoyed thoroughly. We also experienced a touch of the wider Neotropical region, with the likes of a stunning male Red-capped Manakin and several swarms of two species of army ants attended by multiple birds. One close swarm in a perfect viewing situation had us captivated for 40 minutes with about 10 species of birds taking advantage of the easy pickings (the birds eat critters flushed by the ants, not the ants themselves). It was also fun to become familiar with birds on their non-breeding grounds, having escaped the northern winter, such as a male Painted Bunting and many Magnolia and Black-throated Green Warblers, White-eyed Vireos, and not just a few Least Flycatchers. Then of course, there were more than just birds, such as blindingly blue Common Morphos, Crimson-patched Longwings, a giant Morelet’s Crocodile, and mind-numbing numbers of Central American Locusts in one of those swarms we had all only ever read about.

American Flamingos at such close range are unforgettable.

Seeing a Turquoise-browed Motmot perched on a powerline is not a sight you can prepare yourself for.

Pretty, adorable, and regional endemic all aptly describe the Gray-throated Chat.

Yucatan Wrens recall the Cactus Wren of more northerly climes, but this regional endemic is quite distinctive with a fantastic duet.

This Northern Barred-Woodcreeper was one of about 10 species of bird attending an ant swarm.

We were lucky to bump into this male Red-capped Manakin as he fed in a fruiting tree.

The most commonly seen butterfly on the tour was the lovely Crimson-patched Longwing.