by David Bacab
| Northern Yucatan has two very
important Wildlife Refuges: Ría Lagartos and Ría Celestún. Celestún Wildlife Refuge is
the Fourth most significant wintering site in the Gulf of Mexico for the central migratory
bird flyway. The reserve straddles the states of Yucatán and Campeche; it is about an
hour and half by a good road from Mérida, Yucatán´s capital. It is less than two hours
from the famous Maya archeological site of Uxmal. Within its boundaries is an area covering approximately 146,000 acres, with many habitats such as: coastal dune vegetation, mangrove forest, low deciduous forest, savannas, and hummocks. In 1979 a federal decree created the Celestún Wildlife Refuge. Because of its importance as the main feeding area for the American Flamingo and countless species of waterfowl and shorebirds, in 1989 its status was upgraded to that of Biosphere Reserve. The flamingo is one of the most graceful and spectacular of all birds, but also one that depends on a fragile ecosystem - hypersaline lagoons - for survival. The Northern Hemisphere´s only mainland flamingo population lives along the north and west coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. The flamingo feeds and nest in flocks consisting of several thousands birds huddled together in knee-deep water or wading along muddy salt flats. It feeds on small organisms that it filters from the water through a complex mechanism in its large, specially adapted bill. If flamingos are forced to fly too often, they will not be able to feed enough and may weaken and die. If disturbed while nesting, they frequently abandon their nests or even entire colonies. |
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