Birding at El Carricillo, Guanajuato.

Spotted Towhee

Biologist and Technology Consultant Raul Padilla recently posted the first state record for the Crested Guan in Guanajuato on eBird (Guanajuato is located in the Central Highlands of Mexico), very soon after, I received a message from my friend David Bell in which he expressed his interest in coming from California to explore the area where the Guan had been recorded: El Ejido del Carricillo in the Guanajuato section of the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve.

For me, this represented a great opportunity to orchestrate along with local guides, ejido owners, and regional conservationists a field-trip to an authentic off-the-beaten-path location on a quest that fitted two of my major interests: (1) Birding and (2) Eco-Tourism development in Natural Protected Areas with the involvement of the Local Community.

Today David and I returned from a 2-day birding adventure to this area and happily I can report that all our goals where achieved, except finding the Crested Guan 🤪.

Trip route from SMA to El Carricillo

We started our journey in San Miguel de Allende and drove across Los Rodriguez towards the town of Tierra Blanca where we were supposed to pick up Edgar our guide, unfortunately for reasons we can’t explain here, he wasn’t able to join us and instead Isabel, his wife, took his place and went with us. Edgar and Isabel are a couple of highly educated professionals in their mid 30’s that work as independent environmental consultants in the region helping different communities to obtain economical support from the National Forestry Commission to preserve their land from logging and to develop eco-tourism oriented infrastructure such as trails, fencing, cabins, lodges; as well as providing training for nature guides and forest rangers.

Isabel, David, Omar, y León.

After driving across Tierra Blanca, we continued towards Atarjea, passing through the idyllic valleys and mountains of Santa Catarina, so abundant in gorgeous rock formations and cacti (Isolatocereus dumortieri) that for a moment one can feel that is amidst the Tehuacan-Cuicatlan Biosphere Reserve. Once passed this municipality, the road became noticeable windier and the vistas of the sierra let us know that we were close from our destination, the final leg of the drive was about one hour on dirt roads which added to the sense of adventure.

Views of the Sierra Gorda de Guanajuato.

The community of El Carricillo belongs to the municipality of Atarjea and is nestled in the Sierra Gorda of Guanajuato at an altitude of 7015 feet above sea level. It boasts breathtaking scenery, and well-preserved forests of pines, junipers, and oaks. White-tailed Deer are abundant, and there have been recent records of American Black Bear, Puma, Jaguarundi, and Badgers.

Spectacular misty pine and oak forest at El Carricillo preserve.

Once we arrived into El Carricillo, we were greeted by Mr. León Gonzalez Mata, who has been appointed by the council of the ejido as Coordinator of the Eco-tourism and Sustainability Program which includes the management of a small restaurant, 2 rustic hotel rooms, 1 cabin for groups, and the natural preserve. We also met Lala and Mila both in charge of the kitchen and authors of our delicious (almost 100% vegan) meals during our stay.

León González: Coordinator of Eco-tourism at the El Carricillo Ejido.

It was a nice surprise to get to know a couple of students of the University of Guanajuato who were born in this town: Aris and Omar Hernández, she studies Chemistry Engineering and Omar Environmental Engineering, they joined us in our birding hikes and teamed-up with Isabel and Leon as guides.

Guides: Isabel, Aris, and Omar.

After checking into our (rustic) hotel rooms, we got back to the car and drove 30 minutes towards the entrance of the preserve, once there we started birding; as we advanced we realized how beautiful the forest was and that the trails were in excellent condition: easy to walk, wide, and well marked. David and I think that El Carricillo team has made a superb job!

Sign at Natural Preserve Carricillo

This is the checklist of birds that we saw in the afternoon:

1. 1 Black Vulture
2. 4 Turkey Vulture
3. 1 Selasphorus sp.
4. 1 Acorn Woodpecker
5. 2 Spot-crowned Woodcreeper
6. 3 Greater Pewee
7. 2 Hutton’s Vireo
8. 7 Mexican Jay
9. 1 Common Raven
10. 15 Bushtit
11. 2 Eastern Bluebird
12. 2 bluebird sp.
13. 1 Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush
14. 25 American Robin
15. 1 Olive Warbler
16. 2 Black-and-white Warbler
17. 1 Crescent-chested Warbler
18. 6 Painted Redstart
19. 1 Chipping Sparrow
20. 2 Yellow-eyed Junco
21. 2 Hepatic Tanager
22. 5 Lesser Goldfinch

To access our detailed bird checklist, please click here: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S47688370

Spot-crowned Woodcreeper

The next morning was even more productive, please see our checklist below: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S47688354

1. 4 Band-tailed Pigeon
2. 4 Blue-throated Hummingbird
3. 1 White-eared Hummingbird
4. 5 hummingbird sp.
5. 3 Mountain Trogon
6. 7 Acorn Woodpecker
7. 1 Ladder-backed Woodpecker
8. 1 Golden-olive Woodpecker
9. 2 Northern Flicker
10. 4 Tufted Flycatcher
11. 5 Greater Pewee
12. 1 Pine Flycatcher
13. 6 Hutton’s Vireo
14. 1 Warbling Vireo
15. 15 Mexican Jay
16. 2 House Wren
17. 8 Brown-backed Solitaire
18. 6 Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush
19. 5 American Robin
20. 3 Olive Warbler
21. 2 Black-and-white Warbler
22. 1 Red-faced Warbler
23. 15 Painted Redstart
24. 5 Yellow-eyed Junco
25. 5 Hepatic Tanager
26. 1 Western Tanager
27. 2 Black-headed Siskin

Don León and David Birdwatching at El Carricillo.

Photo gallery

If you are interested in the complete set of  bird checklists of this trip, please follow the links below:

Day one

GTO-Fields south of Los Rodriguez, Guanajuato, MX
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S47688440

GTO-Field at north end of Los Rodriguez, Guanajuato, MX
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S47688433

GTO-laguna near Highway 1 and railroad tracks, Guanajuato, MX
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S47688435

GTO-Rincón de Cano overlook, Guanajuato, MX
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S47688408

GTO-Ocotes, Querétaro, MX
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S47688395

GTO-La Joya tree tobacco patch, Guanajuato, MX
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S47688384

MX-GTO Carretera del Pilón-La Madera, El Carricillo, Guanajuato, MX
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S47688390

GTO-El Carricillo protected area, Guanajuato, MX
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S47688370

Day two

GTO-El Carricillo protected area, Guanajuato, MX
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S47688354

GTO-El Carricillo—ballfield area, Guanajuato, MX
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S47688347

If you’d like to contact El Carricillo Natural Protected Area (Puerto de Carricillo en la Naturaleza Sociedad Civil), please email to: gonzalezmatajleon@gmail.com (León Gonzalez Mata) or WhatsApp any of these numbers: +52 (1) 419-103.5957 Edgar, or +52 (1) 419-138-4421 Omar Hernández.

Travelian Tours offers unbeatable nature and culture excursions to El Carricillo and many other Natural Protected Areas of Guanajuato, México, and Central America, our highly personalized small-group adventures are available as private for you, your family, or group of friends, call us at 888-505-7211 or +52 (1) 415.100.2798 or send us an email: reservations@travelian.com.mx to inquire.