Fall 2003 Ecotour Log

Rancho Los Ebanos, Tamaulipas, Mexico

by J. Marie Digatono

We've made another wonderful trip to the tropical Gulf Coast of Mexico, amazon country!

It's a thrill to have the opportunity to observe amazons in their natural surroundings and see what their wild lives are like. At Rancho Los Ebanos, Tamaulipas, we're at the northernmost limit of Red-lored Amazon territory so we were fortunate to get good sightings of them. More abundant at this latitude are the Red-headed and Yellow-headed Amazons and it was great fun watching them fly over and listening to their wild yodels and laughs. Amazons fly out from their roost to the food source trees at dawn, calling to their friends on the way. They eat the abundant seeds from the ebano and fig trees (summer and fall), and other seeds, flowers and buds and sip water from epiphytic cactus vining through the treetops. By the time the sun begins to heat the day, they've had great exercise, socialized with their friends and vied for territory and the most choice of the fruits and seeds, all the while keeping an eye out for predators such as hawks, snakes, and coati mundi. After an action-packed, exciting morning they make their way back to the roost again for siesta, where they rest and preen and quietly socialize, making ready for another jaunt in the late afternoon, repeating the process after the day has cooled.

The amazons have it right and we too take a well-deserved afternoon siesta after a great morning of searching for views of amazons and other species of the central Gulf Coast via open truck (fit with benches). The courtyard, cabanas, and palapa (roofed patio) are positioned on an inland lake, and the breezes keep us cool while we relax in hammocks, read, or wander the grounds. Big Slider Turtles bask on the dock and an armadillo leisurely grubs through the grass. Meanwhile the cooks have prepared our lunch, which always includes delicious local fare, fresh fruits, and often, fabulous flan! The table is set with huge bowls of fruits, including guavas that sweetly, tropically, scent the room.

Back out in the field in the late afternoon, we find just how well amazons camouflage themselves if they manage to sit quietly. You can walk under a tree and not realize that they're perched right overhead. Suddenly they all take off hollering as they flap away to the next tree! Their voices carry across the countryside for a mile or more. (No wonder it's so loud in the living room when pet amazons make themselves known!)

Species in Peril

It's sad to consider how in peril of extinction these and so many other parrot species are, especially Mexican Red-headed Amazons, who are endemic to such a small range. A slight further disruption to their area or a health epidemic could cause extinction in the wild. How long will we have the opportunity to hear their natural calls and see that iridescent green cheek flash in the sun? Ninety percent of the trees of the Gulf Coast state of Tamaulipas were cleared for cattle ranching beginning fifty years ago, and not surprisingly it is estimated that 90% of the parrots are also gone. Amazons were also seriously compromised because of heavy export, mostly to the U.S. pet trade. Though legal exportation is banned, poaching continues and a very serious threat to the survival of these remarkable birds. At Los Ebanos and surrounding areas, poaching had basically ceased over the last ten years because of amazon field research, education of the locals, and the dollars brought in by eco-tourism. Unfortunately, there were a couple of cases there this year. Los Ebanos Ranch owner and biologist, Arturo Caso, has considered trying to repair the damage to the trees (made by poacher's hatchets) so that the nests might eventually be revisited and productive again. Trees large enough for nesting are in short supply throughout amazon habitat.

A local woman told me she recently bought a Red-headed and a Yellow-headed Amazon for $30 each from a man who had a huge basket filled with babies. Like so many of us, she found the baby amazons irresistible, but as they grew up and chewed her house apart, bit her, and developed their screaming skills, she gave them to a woman in a small town nearby and there they live in a tiny cage. Bummer!

Sympatric Species

As migratory species make their way south from Canada and the U.S. for the winter and reach the Gulf waters, they funnel west along the coast to stay near land. Our tour coincided with peak migration at this incredible site and raptor viewing was especially splendid! We saw Great and Common Black hawks, Gray, Roadside, Red-shouldered, Red-tailed, Broad-winged, Harris, Short-tailed, White-tailed Hawks, Merlin, Osprey, American Kestrel, Bat Falcon, Crested Caracara, Black and Turkey Vultures. You would think that there wouldn't be parrots or any other prey birds left! Happily, there are…we got views of the raucous Green Parakeet flocks. I love seeing all the green and brown jays, and the glorious Pale-billed and Lineated Woodpeckers (Woody Woodpecker style hairdos!) We have seen Ivory-billed Woodcreepers, Blue-crowned Mot Mots, Elegant Trogons, and many more.

We made a first time side trip to El Cielo, the famed cloud forest biosphere preserve where we had hoped for views of Military Macaws and the rare Maroon-fronted AAmazon, neither of which complied, though we did see fantastic butterflies, also in migration and in unbelievable numbers. We toured up the mountainside (at times it felt like STRAIGHT up!) via a revamped U.S. Army Jeep through the clouds to Alta Cima and San José. Lush green mosses and tiny orchids and ferns covered huge outcroppings. Stunning!

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Join us for a trip you'll never forget, first week of November 2004.

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