Mayan Riviera Travel Guide, Playa del Carmen, Quintana roo, Mexico: Herons

Herons are very protective of their eggs, rotating them regularly and scaring away predators. El explorador no admite los marcos flotantes o no está configurado actualmente para mostrarlos.

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Playa del Carmen Q. Roo México

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There are 400 bird species within the ten million square kilometers encompassed by the European continent; yet the Yucatan Peninsula-an area 30 times smaller-harbors 475. Among these are the herons, and we are fortunate to receive several winter-breeding colonies of different types of herons on the lagoons of Quintana Roo.

Thanks to its webbed feet, the heron doesn't sink into the soft clay of the marshy flats. Its yellow eyes can move independently, providing the animal with 360º vision. It also has the ability to adjust one eye as though it were a zoom lens and the other like a magnifying glass, in addition to being able to see under water. The wingspan of the royal heron (Ardea cinerea) can reach up to two meters.

Heron owes its Survival to its ability to overcome adversity. Turn-of-the-century fashion nearly drove some heron species into extinction: 20 million were sacrificed in Europe on the altar of fashion, their lovely feathers used to adorn women's hats and the crest on dress military helmets.

The heron trade in Europe was tremendously lucrative: feathers sold for up to $ 30 dollars an ounce. Fortunately, there were vociferous protests against the trade, and steps were taken to protect the birds. Today, heron hunting is strictly prohibited.

When primitive man went on forays at the edges of glaciers hundreds of thousands of years ago, the heron was already wading on the marshy shores of lakes and rivers. Like ducks, pelicans and owls, herons date from the Paleocene and Eocene eras. In the great scheme of time, however, we could say that it is a relatively modern bird.

There are six genera and 122 species in the heron family. They all tend to live in large flocks, although they forage in solitude. During mating season, they form huge colonies, nesting in trees and bushes. It is during this season that male herons develop a two-feathered crest, used to attract a mate.

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It's fascinating to watch herons build their nest. The male flies to woody areas in search of twigs, pine needles, and anything else that might be of value, bringing these spoils back to the female. She gratefully accepts his offering and decides where to build their nest. The female lays between three and seven pale blue egg, although herons living in northerly latitudes lay more eggs than their southern cousins.

Herons are very protective of their eggs, rotating them regularly and scaring away predators. After 28 days the chicks pick their way out of their shells, and immediately try out their lungs. Although the parents are painstakingly careful to feed them all, the weakest chicks will be pushed away by their stronger nestmates when there isn’t enough food. In fact, only two or three chicks will remain by the time they are ready to leave the nest.

Kinbé Hotel, Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

After a time, the parents reduce the amount of food they bring back to the chicks, to induce them into leaving the nest and learning how to fly. The chicks, having watched their parents, now follow the same routes to forage for food. They grow stronger and fly a little farther every day, as though preparing themselves for the upcoming migration. One day, they leave the nest altogether and begin their journey, flying day and night.

The heron flies and flies, to return each year and delight us with its presence.

Heron owes its Survival to its ability to overcome adversity. Turn-of-the-century fashion nearly drove some heron species into extinction.

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