The Birds of Mayakoba

Yucatan Jay

The flash of blue darting in front of your car as you arrive at Mayakoba is likely to be this endemic Yucatan species. When they hatch, their feathers are pretty white, then they retain the golden eye ring and yellow beak for a year or so before maturity brings a black beak and no eye-ring.

Boat-Billed Heron

You can find this surprising bird during the Birdwatching Boat Tour. It inhabits a particular nesting area, and it is fascinating to watch the juvenile birds as they mature into adults. It is primarily nocturnal, so it tends to stay in the mangroves during bright sunlight.

Green Heron

An exceptionally photogenic bird regularly seen in the Mayakoba mangroves. This bird is one of the few species that use tools to catch fish, like dropping a feather or a leaf on the water’s surface and waiting for a fish to come out.

American Anhinga

You can find the Anhingas lining the waterways of Mayakoba. Unlike ducks, they have no oil in their feathers, and therefore must dry their wings after they dive for food. They nest in busy colonies, usually in the mangroves.

Egrets

Closely related to herons, sometimes we can see dozens of these birds at roost, particularly at sunset. Spot the “yellow shoes,” which signal the Snowy Egret. The Great Egret has rebounded from its personality with the Millinery trade at the turn of the last century. It is larger than the Snowy Egret and lacks the “yellow shoes.”

Osprey

These are our resident birds of prey. You may see them perched overlooking their feeding grounds or even taking a fish from the water.