Unusual sightings of toucans and trogons in urban areas of the Yucatán Peninsula

By Yucatan Times on January 25, 2018

The finding of trogons and toucans in urban areas of Quintana Roo, Campeche and Yucatan during 2017, launched a protocol of contingency and an investigation into the migration of more than 400 birds to the city, which conclusions were announced on December.

According to a statement from the Conacyt Information Agency on January 11, the birds founded in the cities presented a fatigue condition, and the death of at least one hundred of them warned about the possibility of an alteration in their habitat, caused by the climate change and human activity.

In an interview, biologist Gisela Maldonado Saldaña, director of Kanantik and member of the State Committee for Wildlife Quintana Roo, explained that the birds reported are distributed in medium and high forests of the Yucatan Peninsula and rarely approach coastal or urban areas, because the type of food they require is only found in the rainforest.

However, during 2017, many sightings of these species were recorded, especially in Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Holbox, Mahahual and Bacalar. “We observed erratic flights, they were too close to urban areas. Some were of these specimens were found trapped inside supermarket stores and other high-ceiling buildings, because they entered when the doors were open and then they could not exit” he said.

Continued  

RARE AND EXOTIC BIRDS STOLEN FROM PARK

17th September 2014

On Monday night, thieves stole more than 30 very rare birds from the Avifauna bird park in Alphen aan den Rijn. According to the animal park, the thieves knew what they wanted and specifically took the valuable and rare breeding pairs. 

Thieves took several toucans, mynas and some parrot species as well as diverse hornbills. These hornbills seemed especially important to the robbers, as they took a total of 16 of the tropical bird species.

Among these hornbills, there were some very rare endangered species such as the white-crowned hornbill, Tickell’s brown hornbill and the very close to extinction Visayan tarictic hornbill. Avifauna writes on their website that these last birds need specialized care, and are only found in a select number of zoos in the world.

Contined ...