Driving to Calakmul

   This morning we slept late, (...hey, we are on vacation) left the fabulous royal complex of Palenque, and headed into the jungle lowlands near Guatemala. Today was mainly a driving day, but even on driving days, we see birds. Today in Mexico we saw several Life Birds along the way. Three of the most remarkable ones were the Pale Billed Woodpecker (Campephilus guatemalensis), the Great Curassow (Crax rubra), and the Ocellated Turkey (Meleagris ocellata).

   Woodpeckers are one of our favorite birds. We have several in our back yard at home and we keep suet out for them all winter. When we saw a large woodpecker on the side of a tree, we immediately thought of our Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) in the southern United States. The Pale Billed Woodpecker (Campephilus guatemalensis) is one of the most spectacular woodpeckers in Central America. It is a large, black and white woodpecker with a crested, red head. The heavy bill is ivory or yellowish white. The Pale Billed Woodpecker is the only surviving member of the Campephilus woodpecker family. The other birds in that scientific family were the Ivory Billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis), last seen in Arkansas and the Imperial Woodpecker ((Campephilus imperialis), last seen in Mexico. These two are most probably extinct.

   As our drive continued, we spotted a large, pheasant-like bird, foraging on the ground. It was a Great Currassow (Crax rubra). Diagnostic characteristics of this bird are a tousled crest of forward-curling feathers that adorn the length of its crown and its vivid yellow bill with a bulbous yellow knob at the base. Its plumage is predominantly black, faintly glossed with a purple glow. Its belly and under-tail coverts are white. While trying to identify the Great Currassow, we learned that they have long lifespans (up to 24 years!) and low rates of reproduction.

   Finally in the late afternoon, on the side of the road, we saw a male Ocellated Turkey (Meleagris ocellata) strutting to show off his beautiful feathers. There are only two species of turkey in the world. The North American Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) up north and the Ocellated Turkey. The Ocellated Turkey lives only in the Yucatan Peninsula.

   After a long day of driving, we stopped for the night in the city of Xpujil and stayed at the Hotel Calakmul. Tomorrow, we are going to explore the vast jungle reachs of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve.

Robert and Berry

photo courtesy of lynxeds