Mexico Ramsar wetland
Upper Gulf of California and Colorado River Delta biosphere reserve
198 bird species recorded; the most in October.
Gildardo Quijada flo… · CC BY-SA 3.0
This month here
96 species in January.99 species in February.120 species in March.128 species in April.99 species in May.78 species in June.76 species in July.89 species in August.112 species in September.146 species in October.106 species in November.106 species in December.
The birds you are most likely to see in the month you choose, those that come for the season first. It opens on today's month.
VU
VU
VU
NTVU
NT
VUVU
NTVU
NT
NTVU
NTNT
NTVUVU
NTNTNTVU
VUVUNTNTVUNTVUVU
VUVUNTNT
NT
VUNTVUVU
NT
- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
198 species, counted.
Our own rating, from the records only: species (50 points), threatened species (20), migrants (20) and protected status — Ramsar, IBA, SPA, observatory (10).
- 198Speciesrecorded more than once
- 107Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 5ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 8,055Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 10Raptors
- 1Owls
- 25Waders
- 29Gulls & seabirds
- 11Ducks & geese
- 17Herons, ibises & grebes
- 83Songbirds
- 22Other birds
From open records (eBird and others, through GBIF, licensed for any use). More birdwatchers mean more records: a quiet place may have more birds than it shows.
The checklist
All 198 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors10 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Turkey VultureCathartes aura
- Falco sparveriusFalco sparverius
- OspreyPandion haliaetus
- Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis
- Prairie FalconFalco mexicanus
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
- Accipiter striatusAccipiter striatus
- Crested CaracaraCaracara plancus
- Black VultureCoragyps atratus
Owls1 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Burrowing OwlAthene cunicularia
Waders25 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Long-billed CurlewNumenius americanus
- Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
- Marbled GodwitLimosa fedoaVU
- WilletTringa semipalmata
- Western SandpiperCalidris mauri
- Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
- SanderlingCalidris alba
- KilldeerCharadrius vociferusNT
- American OystercatcherHaematopus palliatus
- Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusVU
- Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleucaNT
- Red KnotCalidris canutusNT
- Semipalmated PloverCharadrius semipalmatus
- American AvocetRecurvirostra americana
- DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
- Least SandpiperCalidris minutillaNT
- Black TurnstoneArenaria melanocephala
- Black-necked StiltHimantopus mexicanus
- Wilson's PhalaropePhalaropus tricolor
- Long-billed dowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusNT
- SurfbirdCalidris virgata
- Spotted SandpiperActitis macularius
- Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatus
- Lesser yellowlegsTringa flavipesVU
Gulls & seabirds29 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensis
- Yellow-footed GullLarus livens
- California GullLarus californicus
- Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
- Heermann's GullLarus heermanniNT
- Laughing GullLeucophaeus atricilla
- Forster's TernSterna forsteri
- Black SkimmerRynchops niger
- Gull-billed TernGelochelidon nilotica
- Elegant TernThalasseus elegansNT
- American Herring GullLarus smithsonianus
- Least TernSternula antillarum
- Royal TernThalasseus maximus
- Larus occidentalisLarus occidentalis
- Common LoonGavia immer
- Blue-footed BoobySula nebouxii
- Pacific LoonGavia pacifica
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- Red-throated LoonGavia stellata
- Magnificent FrigatebirdFregata magnificens
- Least Storm PetrelOceanodroma microsoma
- Hydrobates melaniaHydrobates melania
- Iceland GullLarus glaucoides
- Glaucous-winged GullLarus glaucescens
- Black TernChlidonias niger
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- Arctic SkuaStercorarius parasiticus
- Bonaparte's GullChroicocephalus philadelphia
- Franklin's GullLeucophaeus pipixcan
Ducks & geese11 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillata
- Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
- Cinnamon TealSpatula cyanoptera
- BuffleheadBucephala albeola
- Lesser ScaupAythya affinis
- Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensis
- Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangula
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- RedheadAythya americana
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- American WigeonMareca americana
Herons, ibises & grebes17 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Brown PelicanPelecanus occidentalis
- Great Blue HeronArdea herodias
- Double-crested CormorantPhalacrocorax auritus
- Western GrebeAechmophorus occidentalis
- Snowy EgretEgretta thula
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Reddish EgretEgretta rufescensNT
- Eared GrebePodiceps nigricollis
- Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
- American White PelicanPelecanus erythrorhynchos
- Clark's GrebeAechmophorus clarkii
- Black-crowned Night-HeronNycticorax nycticorax
- Plegadis chihiPlegadis chihi
- Horned GrebePodiceps auritusVU
- Green HeronButorides virescens
- Brandt's CormorantUrile penicillatus
- Pied-billed GrebePodilymbus podiceps
Songbirds83 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Quiscalus mexicanusQuiscalus mexicanus
- Northern RavenCorvus corax
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Northern Rough-winged SwallowStelgidopteryx serripennis
- Say's phoebeSayornis saya
- House finchHaemorhous mexicanus
- Myrtle WarblerSetophaga coronata
- Savannah SparrowPasserculus sandwichensis
- Orange-crowned WarblerLeiothlypis celata
- Tree SwallowTachycineta bicolor
- Black phoebeSayornis nigricans
- VerdinAuriparus flaviceps
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- Western KingbirdTyrannus verticalis
- Loggerhead ShrikeLanius ludovicianusNT
- American Cliff SwallowPetrochelidon pyrrhonota
- Hooded OrioleIcterus cucullatus
- Northern MockingbirdMimus polyglottos
- Ruby-crowned KingletRegulus calendula
- White-crowned sparrowZonotrichia leucophrys
- Wilson's WarblerCardellina pusilla
- Western TanagerPiranga ludoviciana
- Mangrove WarblerSetophaga petechia
- Common YellowthroatGeothlypis trichas
- Buff-bellied PipitAnthus rubescens
- Brown-headed CowbirdMolothrus ater
- Warbling VireoVireo gilvus
- Black-headed GrosbeakPheucticus melanocephalus
- PhainopeplaPhainopepla nitens
- Bullock's OrioleIcterus bullockii
- Western Wood-PeweeContopus sordidulus
- American RobinTurdus migratorius
- Northern House WrenTroglodytes aedon
- Townsend's WarblerSetophaga townsendi
- Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorum
- Lesser GoldfinchSpinus psaltria
- Shore LarkEremophila alpestris
- Chipping SparrowSpizella passerina
- Black-throated Grey WarblerSetophaga nigrescens
- Sturnella neglectaSturnella neglecta
- Mountain BluebirdSialia currucoides
- Lincoln's SparrowMelospiza lincolnii
- Violet-green SwallowTachycineta thalassina
- Nashville WarblerLeiothlypis ruficapilla
- Agelaius phoeniceusAgelaius phoeniceus
- Empidonax difficilisEmpidonax difficilis
- Lazuli BuntingPasserina amoena
- Willow FlycatcherEmpidonax traillii
- Brewer's BlackbirdEuphagus cyanocephalusNT
- Yellow-headed BlackbirdXanthocephalus xanthocephalus
- Summer TanagerPiranga rubra
- Brewer's SparrowSpizella breweri
- Olive-Sided FlycatcherContopus cooperi
- Blue GrosbeakPasserina caerulea
- Rock WrenSalpinctes obsoletus
- Pine SiskinSpinus pinus
- Ash-throated FlycatcherMyiarchus cinerascens
- Black-tailed GnatcatcherPolioptila melanura
- Blue-gray GnatcatcherPolioptila caerulea
- Marsh WrenCistothorus palustris
- Lawrence's GoldfinchSpinus lawrencei
- LeConte's ThrasherToxostoma lecontei
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- Hermit ThrushCatharus guttatus
- MacGillivray's WarblerGeothlypis tolmiei
- Junco hyemalisJunco hyemalis
- Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis
- American RedstartSetophaga ruticilla
- Swainson's ThrushCatharus ustulatus
- Lark SparrowChondestes grammacus
- Cassin's KingbirdTyrannus vociferans
- Abert's TowheeMelozone aberti
- Black-throated Blue WarblerSetophaga caerulescens
- Hammond's FlycatcherEmpidonax hammondii
- Purple MartinProgne subis
- Yellow-breasted ChatIcteria virens
- Rose-breasted GrosbeakPheucticus ludovicianus
- Bewick's WrenThryomanes bewickii
- Sage ThrasherOreoscoptes montanus
- Tropical KingbirdTyrannus melancholicus
- Chestnut-sided WarblerSetophaga pensylvanica
- Lucy's WarblerLeiothlypis luciae
Other birds22 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
- Anna's HummingbirdCalypte anna
- Yellow-shafted FlickerColaptes auratus
- Mourning DoveZenaida macroura
- Inca DoveColumbina inca
- White-throated swiftAeronautes saxatalis
- Lesser NighthawkChordeiles acutipennis
- Costa's HummingbirdCalypte costae
- Rufous HummingbirdSelasphorus rufusNT
- White-winged DoveZenaida asiatica
- Vaux's SwiftChaetura vauxi
- Belted KingfisherMegaceryle alcyon
- Gambel's QuailCallipepla gambelii
- Sphyrapicus nuchalisSphyrapicus nuchalis
- Common Ground-DoveColumbina passerina
- American CootFulica americana
- Black-chinned HummingbirdArchilochus alexandri
- Lewis's WoodpeckerMelanerpes lewis
- Gilded FlickerColaptes chrysoides
- Monk ParakeetMyiopsitta monachus
- Greater RoadrunnerGeococcyx californianus
Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.
When to go
The most species in October.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan18°/12°12 mm
- Feb19°/13°10 mm
- Mar21°/15°9 mm
- Apr24°/18°4 mm
- May26°/21°2 mm
- Jun30°/25°1 mm
- Jul32°/29°14 mm
- Aug33°/30°19 mm
- Sep32°/28°17 mm
- Oct28°/23°13 mm
- Nov23°/18°9 mm
- Dec18°/13°12 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Upper Gulf of California and Colorado River Delta biosphere reserve.
Biosphere reserve in Mexico | designated in 1993. Extended in 1995
Upper Gulf of California and Colorado River Delta biosphere reserve is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in Mexico.
198 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 8,055 open records.
The most recorded are the Ring-billed Gull, the House Sparrow and the Rock Dove.
44 species come for the summer, 56 for the winter and 7 only pass through.
5 are threatened worldwide, including Grey Plover, Marbled Godwit and Short-billed Dowitcher.
The most species are recorded in October.
Get there and watch
- Official informationAccess, hours and rules from those who manage the place.Official site↗
- El Golfo RV Resortcampsite · 8.5 km · 1 within 10 km
- Hotel Mar De Cortezplace to stay · 6.9 km · 1 within 10 km
- Golfo de Santa Claranearest town · 7.0 km in a straight line
- Yuma International Airport / Marine Corps Air Station Yuma (YUM)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 102 km in a straight lineCar hire at MXL airport (Mexicali)Discover Cars · sponsored link↗
Plan the visit
A guided walk, a bed nearby, a car.
Some links above are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the data on this page says.
From above
The place and its surroundings.
The satellite image of the 6 × 6 km around the place, with the bird hides, towers and trails that OpenStreetMap shows.
Around, in OpenStreetMap
- 1campsites within 10 kmEl Golfo RV Resort
- 1places to stay within 10 kmHotel Mar De Cortez
- bird hides within 6 km
- observation towers within 6 km
- marked trails within 4 km
- visitor centres within 6 km
- viewpoints within 5 km
- car parks within 3 km
- restaurants and cafés within 3 km
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit. A low number may just mean nobody has mapped it yet.
Other places nearby.
Upper Gulf of California and Colorado River Delta biosphere reserve
Mexico
- 76Birdyas Score
- 198Species
- 107Migrants
- 5Threatened
El Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve
Mexico · 66 km
- 34Birdyas Score
- 36Species
- 2Migrants
- 1Threatened
Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve
United States · 259 km
- 92Birdyas Score
- 428Species
- 244Migrants
- 17Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q5671143) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 8,055 open bird records within 6 km (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY 4.0 only; mostly eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology) |
| See these records | gbif.org |
| Species | GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0; Wikidata (CC0); Wikimedia Commons |
| Altitude | Copernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA |
| Temperature and rain | NASA POWER (CERES SYN1deg, 2001–2020; MERRA-2) |
| What is around | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Images | EOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
The family
Do you prefer beaches, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, islands, rivers, canyons, caves, dark skies, viewpoints, birdwatching or forests?
Same idea, other landscapes: field atlases built on open data, in seven languages.
beaches
Find your beach: sea temperature, sun and swimming month by month.Visit 
lakes
Every lake on Earth: water temperature, ice, depth and the shore.Visit 
mountains
Every summit in 3D: summit weather, the 0 °C line, huts and trails.Visit 
waterfalls
Every waterfall: height, flow month by month and when it roars.Visit 
islands
Every island from the sea up: size, sea temperature, ferries and 3D.Visit 
rivers
Every river from source to sea: the journey, the flow and the basin in numbers.Visit 
canyons
Every canyon cut to scale: depth to the floor, rim and floor temperatures, trails and viewpoints.Visit 
caves
Every cave with its real depth and length: the rock above, the temperature inside all year, and how to visit.Visit 
dark skies
Where the night is still dark: the sky of every place, the Milky Way month by month, the Moon, eclipses and auroras.Visit 
viewpoints
Every viewpoint with its real 360° panorama: the peaks you can name, how far you see and where the sun sets.Coming soonVisit 
birdwatching
Every bird sanctuary and wetland with the species recorded month by month: who is resident, who comes for the summer, who only passes through.You are here
forests
Every forest with its land-cover rings, what grows and lives in it, and the best months to walk it.Coming soonVisit