Annual Yucatán Bird "Toh" Festival

Editor's Note: This is an annual event. The information below was regarding the 2008 event.  New information for 2009 will be provided when it becomes available.

The VII Yucatán bird festival, which will be celebrated from November 13th -16th, will be held in Mérida and Uxmal.

If you are interested in joining us in the Xoc ch' ich birds marathon, please write me, in order to begin the participant's record and compose the different teams. The cost of the marathon is $200 pesos per person and includes a kit (cap, t-shirt,birds listing) as well some surprises. You will enjoy participating in our bird identification competition, and will have the opportunity of winning precious handmade prizes. Furthermore, the payment includes a delicious lunch during the closing ceremony, in a beautiful restaurant at Uxmal. The team can be of 4 to 8 persons.
The expenses of hotel, food, transportation and field guides will be covered by the participants.
The participants' record payment will be done directly with me by e-mail (I can send you a bank account number), and you can do it at the following site: www.yucatanbirds.org.mx Payment can be done personally at the Niños y Crías offices on dates closer to the event.

For more information, please contact us:
Biol. Rosa María González Marín  rosamglez@ninosycrias.org.mx

The 7th Annual Bird Festival of Yucatán Toh 2008 is an important yearly event for both the local people and our tourist guests. It is a clear example of what can be done when the three levels of government work together with the private sector, civil organizations and the Mayan communities. The dates of this year's events are from Thursday, November 13th to Sunday, November 16th. The sites of this evermore popular event are Mérida and Uxmal. In the birdwatchers' world, birders from the US and Mexico await this festival, as the Yucatán is every birdwatcher's dream come true.

This Bird Festival is a competitive event with something for both novice and expert birders. Because the Yucatán is so rich in bird species (there are 546 recorded species with 11 endemic species) the local, national and international birder community enjoy not only the excellent birding but the other natural activities so readily available in the area.

The organizers are aware of the importance of this festival to the Mayan communities and visitors. With this in mind, other conservation and conscious-raising related activities are organized so as to promote sustainable tourism. Included in the program are field trip practices to observe the 546 bird species registered in the Yucatán. During these trips, the birders will not only enjoy the birding but also the contact with nature, being near the Mayan archeological sites, and the local haciendas. 
Bird Festival participants will also be able to participate in workshops and conferences put on by known birders, and take part in photography and drawing contests - all related to birds. One of the most awaited activities is the 28-hour long bird-a-thon, Xox ch'ich', which is when different groups compete in the bird counting. This is a fun, energizing activity!

With local guides, well practiced in the art of bird watching, this 7th Annual Bird Festival promises to be one of the best yet! 
Come join us! 

Previous activities:

Photography contest: 11 Aug.- 21 Oct.

Drawing contest: 11 Aug.- 21 Oct.

Puppet show for children: 8 Nov. at 10:00 am  in the Centro Cultural Olimpo

November 10-12:

Tour Guide course with accreditation by SEFOTUR Yucatán.

Place: Centro de Convenciones Yucatán Siglo XXI.

Hour: 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Thursday, November 13:

9:00 am Educazoo: (Children's environmental education program) Photographic Exhibits, talks, guided visit to the bird section of the zoo, and a bird drawing workshop.

Place: Parque Zoológico El Centenario.

4:00 pm Registration for participants in the bird-a-thon, xoc ch'ich'. Cost $200 pesos.

Place: Auditorium of the Central Building of UADY, corner of Calle 57 & 60, Center.

4:30 pm    Bird song identification competition. Pre-registration of competitors required. Free. For information: Barbara MacKinnon   barbaramackinnonde@gmail.com  or telephone: (999) 927-59-47.

6:00 pm Principal Conference "The Impact of Climate Change on Birds and Landscapes" by Dr. Eduardo Santana Castellón of the University of Guadalajara. Free.

Place: Auditoriumof the Central Building of UADY, corner of Calle 57 & 60, Center.

7:00 pm Integration of the bird-a-thon -xoc ch'ich-teams

Place: Auditorium of the Central Building of UADY, corner of Calle 57 & 60, Center.

7:30 pm Awards ceremony for the bird Photography and Drawing contests.

Place: Central Patio of UADY.

8:00 p.m. Inaugural Cocktail for Festival participants.

Place: Central Patio of UADY.

Exhibits:

Handcrafts: November 13 in the Central Patio of UADY.

Photography and drawing: Nov. 13 - Dec. 7. Gallery of the Central Building of UADY.

Friday, November 14

5:30 am Departure of participating teams in the workshop: Bird Observation for Beginners and registered participants in the xocch'ich' bird-a-thon, for the Eco-archeological Park - Sihunchen, Hunucmá, Yucatan. (45 min. trip).

Departure site: Santa Ana Park, Calle 55 x 60, Center.

6:00 am Workshop: Bird Observation for Beginners. Cost: $260 pesos. (Breakfast not included)

10:00 am Breakfast and reading of the bird-a-thon rules. Cost: $50 pesos.

Place: Eco-archeological Park -Sihunchen, Hunucmá, Yucatan.

Noon: Teams depart for afternoon birding at location of their choice and spend the night close to where they want to start the bird-a-thon the next morning.

Saturday, November 15

5:00 am The bird-a-thon -xoc ch'ich'- begins.

7:00 pm The competing teams are expected to spend the night at one of the local hostelries in the area of Uxmal.

8:00 pm Sound and Light show (optional).

Place: Archeological zone of Uxmal.

Sunday, November 16

9:00 am The bird-a-thon -xoc ch'ich'- ends.

9:30 am All bird lists must be turned in.

Place: Mision Uxmal Hotel

10:00 am Breakfast (cost included in the registration for the xoc ch'ich').

Place: Mision Uxmal Hotel

11:00 am Awards and closing ceremony.

Place: Mision Uxmal Hotel

12:00 pm Visit to the archeological zone of Uxmal (optional).