Birdwatching in Tulum: Start With the Birds Already Around You

Tulum sits between jungle, wetlands and the Caribbean coast, giving birds very different places to feed, rest and live.

Parque Nacional Tulum is both habitat for resident birds and a stopping point for migratory birds arriving from the United States and Canada on their way toward the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve.

You don't have to go anywhere special to start looking. Pay attention around:

• Jungle and neighborhood trees
• Gardens and undeveloped lots
• Wetlands and mangroves
• The beach and rocky coastline
• Cenote areas
• Parque Nacional Tulum and the Sian Ka'an area

If you regularly hear a bird and think, "What IS that thing?", download Merlin Bird ID from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

It's free and designed for beginners.

Merlin can help identify a bird in several ways:

• Sound ID: Let your phone listen to the bird.
• Photo ID: Upload or take a photo.
• Bird ID: Answer a few questions about what you saw.
• Explore: See birds likely to be around your location and time of year.

Merlin can also show photos, bird calls, identification tips and range information. Regional bird information can be downloaded so much of the app remains useful even when you don't have internet service.

Sound ID is ridiculously fun. Open Merlin, choose Sound ID, tap record, and let it listen. You'll see possible birds appear on the screen as Merlin hears them. Just remember: Merlin is making a suggestion, not issuing a bird passport. Cornell recommends comparing the suggestion with the bird's sound, appearance, habitat and range before deciding you've identified it correctly.

You don't need to memorize species. Start by noticing where the bird is.

Around the Coast and Wetlands

Parque Nacional Tulum records birds including:

• Brown pelicans
• Magnificent frigatebirds
• Herons
• Ospreys
• Common black hawks
• Other coastal and water birds

Around the Jungle

Look and listen in the tree canopy. Resident birds live here year-round, while other species appear seasonally as they move through the Yucatán Peninsula.

Sometimes the easiest bird to identify isn't the one you see. It's the one you keep hearing every morning. That's where Merlin really earns its spot on your phone.

You can birdwatch anytime, but early morning is usually easiest. The temperature is cooler, there's less human activity and birds tend to be more active.

You don't need special equipment. Start with:

• Your phone
• Merlin Bird ID
• A little patience

Binoculars can come later if you discover you've become one of those people standing in the jungle whispering, "Wait...what was THAT?"

Merlin lets you save birds you've identified.

If you want to go further, eBird, also from the Cornell Lab, lets you record where and when you observed birds and contribute observations to a much larger bird database used by birders and researchers.

Think of it this way: Merlin answers "What bird is that?" and eBird answers "Here's what I saw." You absolutely do not need both to enjoy birdwatching.

The goal is to observe wildlife, not make it perform.

• Give birds space.
• Don't touch nests, eggs or chicks.
• Don't chase a bird for a better photo.
• Keep noise down around nesting areas.
• Watch from a distance when a bird appears stressed or changes its behavior because you're there.

Sometimes the best birdwatching is simply sitting still and letting them come to you.