You can only find this unique bird in the Caribbean island and nowhere else in the world. This bird is Mexico's most threatened bird species and in danger of extinction.
Cozumel has the most beautiful coral reefs making it among the most beautiful island in the Caribbean. It is the largest and densely populated island in Mexico to have received the most number of tourists from around the world, even cruisers and short-stay. The place gave rise to the booming development tourism of Mexican Caribbean. Yet from a biological viewpoint, it has a uniqueness that numerous individuals ignore: the home of special species in the world, like the thrasher or mockingbird of Cozumel, a bird believed to be the most threatened with extinction in Mexico. Because of this, a concerted international effort has been established to better understand their situation and also guarantee their survival.
Discover More About The Unique Bird Of Cozumel
The Cozumel thrasher of mockingbird is very popular relative of the tropical Mimus gilvus mockingbird that is the same in shape and size yet of different color and its bill is curved downward.
Toxostomaguttatum is the scientific name of the Cozumel Thrasher which is a singing bird of melodious trills just like all birds of its kind. It has been linked to the well-known tropical mockingbird Mimus gilvus, which is abundant on the peninsula and even in cities. It exists only in the island and not on the mainland peninsula which is just 20 kilometers away. It was identified as new species in 1885.
The reason why it was not able to spread to other locations was deemed mysterious like its origin. Because of this, biologists came up with 3 intelligent guesses: first of all, that it was remnant specie. That is, it had once a much wider distribution but then was limited to Cozumel. One other hypothesis is that it originated from a species that existed on the mainland peninsula and dealt with an evolutionary transformation which in turn delivered a whole new species. Thirdly, the species originated from Florida, where they're already extinct, and that some specimens arrived by accident at Cozumel in the distant past and produced a whole new population that has existed up to now.
Each of these 3 hypotheses have pros and cons. Yet regardless if it's correct, the fact remains that the days of the mockingbird of Cozumel appear to be numbered if human intervention is unable to save it. The last time a bird was captured in a net and after that released, was actually June 1995. Ever since then there have been only sightings, the majority of them remained questionable. The most recent sighting was in April in the year 2006. Yet another, in December 2003, was noted with a camcorder, nevertheless the recording was afterwards missing.
The Creeping Enemy - A Great Threat To Cozumel's Unique Bird
This all makes some researchers worry that the Cozumel thrasher is definitely extinguished because of a lot of factors, particularly the disruption of their habitat, deciduous forest, that is being flattened down by the construction of houses and settlements, the damage due to hurricanes, which include Wilma and Gilberto, which directly hit the island and created an environmental devastation plus the predation of birds and eggs by the Boa constrictor.
Although such snake is not poisonous or venomous, the boa gets rid of its prey by means of constriction. This terrifies the birds, and threatens their eggs and chicks mainly because it easily climbs trees. The snake reportedly did not exist in Cozumel right until these days. It was purposely introduced in 1971 when a number of animals were delivered to be used in a movie, and then discharged in the island. Alternatively, a number of herpetologists feel that the boas had existed in the island for several years. At any rate, the reality is that now they are extremely considerable and large. They can grow about between 1.5 to 2 meters, even though there are places with snakes measuring 5 meters long, and as a result of their arboreal habits, are perilous bird predators along with eggs and chicks. Moreover, they make a grave threat to more than 2 dozen species and subspecies of vertebrates endemic to Cozumel. Therefore, they simply exist on that place and not anywhere else. Many of them are the Cozumel Vireo Vireobairdii, Hummingbird Chlorostilbonforficatus, the dwarf coati Nasua badger or nelsoni, raccoon Procyonpigmaeus dwarf, and the lizard picasombra Aspidosceliscozumela.
Regardless of the fact that the island is just 500 square kilometers, the Cozumel's great bird richness can be estimated as there are more than 200 bird species which have been identified, a number equivalent to half of all the bird species found in Europe. Several of the species exist not anywhere else in the world. Several unique species and subspecies of reptiles and mammals can be found in Cozumel.
Christopher Gonzalez Baca and Alfredo Cuaron, from the UNAM Institute of Ecology led and conducted a study, in order to determine the magnitude of the threat posed to wildlife by the boas. And regarding Cozumel's mockingbird, there is a coordinated international effort which seeks to confirm if the species still exist and, in that case, what actions can be used to put a stop to their extinction. The U.S. Villanova University and the Foundation for Parks and Museums of Cozumel are involved in this work the Island Endemic; they are scientific organizations dedicated to protect the fauna in various parts of the world. For the moment, regardless of whether the thrasher continues to exists, the studies are meant to propose mitigation steps to be able to put a stop to more destruction of the island's vegetation, which happens to be really endangered by a significant real estate and golf courses constructions.
Cozumel has the most beautiful coral reefs making it among the most beautiful island in the Caribbean. It is the largest and densely populated island in Mexico to have received the most number of tourists from around the world, even cruisers and short-stay. The place gave rise to the booming development tourism of Mexican Caribbean. Yet from a biological viewpoint, it has a uniqueness that numerous individuals ignore: the home of special species in the world, like the thrasher or mockingbird of Cozumel, a bird believed to be the most threatened with extinction in Mexico. Because of this, a concerted international effort has been established to better understand their situation and also guarantee their survival.
Discover More About The Unique Bird Of Cozumel
The Cozumel thrasher of mockingbird is very popular relative of the tropical Mimus gilvus mockingbird that is the same in shape and size yet of different color and its bill is curved downward.
Toxostomaguttatum is the scientific name of the Cozumel Thrasher which is a singing bird of melodious trills just like all birds of its kind. It has been linked to the well-known tropical mockingbird Mimus gilvus, which is abundant on the peninsula and even in cities. It exists only in the island and not on the mainland peninsula which is just 20 kilometers away. It was identified as new species in 1885.
The reason why it was not able to spread to other locations was deemed mysterious like its origin. Because of this, biologists came up with 3 intelligent guesses: first of all, that it was remnant specie. That is, it had once a much wider distribution but then was limited to Cozumel. One other hypothesis is that it originated from a species that existed on the mainland peninsula and dealt with an evolutionary transformation which in turn delivered a whole new species. Thirdly, the species originated from Florida, where they're already extinct, and that some specimens arrived by accident at Cozumel in the distant past and produced a whole new population that has existed up to now.
Each of these 3 hypotheses have pros and cons. Yet regardless if it's correct, the fact remains that the days of the mockingbird of Cozumel appear to be numbered if human intervention is unable to save it. The last time a bird was captured in a net and after that released, was actually June 1995. Ever since then there have been only sightings, the majority of them remained questionable. The most recent sighting was in April in the year 2006. Yet another, in December 2003, was noted with a camcorder, nevertheless the recording was afterwards missing.
The Creeping Enemy - A Great Threat To Cozumel's Unique Bird
This all makes some researchers worry that the Cozumel thrasher is definitely extinguished because of a lot of factors, particularly the disruption of their habitat, deciduous forest, that is being flattened down by the construction of houses and settlements, the damage due to hurricanes, which include Wilma and Gilberto, which directly hit the island and created an environmental devastation plus the predation of birds and eggs by the Boa constrictor.
Although such snake is not poisonous or venomous, the boa gets rid of its prey by means of constriction. This terrifies the birds, and threatens their eggs and chicks mainly because it easily climbs trees. The snake reportedly did not exist in Cozumel right until these days. It was purposely introduced in 1971 when a number of animals were delivered to be used in a movie, and then discharged in the island. Alternatively, a number of herpetologists feel that the boas had existed in the island for several years. At any rate, the reality is that now they are extremely considerable and large. They can grow about between 1.5 to 2 meters, even though there are places with snakes measuring 5 meters long, and as a result of their arboreal habits, are perilous bird predators along with eggs and chicks. Moreover, they make a grave threat to more than 2 dozen species and subspecies of vertebrates endemic to Cozumel. Therefore, they simply exist on that place and not anywhere else. Many of them are the Cozumel Vireo Vireobairdii, Hummingbird Chlorostilbonforficatus, the dwarf coati Nasua badger or nelsoni, raccoon Procyonpigmaeus dwarf, and the lizard picasombra Aspidosceliscozumela.
Regardless of the fact that the island is just 500 square kilometers, the Cozumel's great bird richness can be estimated as there are more than 200 bird species which have been identified, a number equivalent to half of all the bird species found in Europe. Several of the species exist not anywhere else in the world. Several unique species and subspecies of reptiles and mammals can be found in Cozumel.
Christopher Gonzalez Baca and Alfredo Cuaron, from the UNAM Institute of Ecology led and conducted a study, in order to determine the magnitude of the threat posed to wildlife by the boas. And regarding Cozumel's mockingbird, there is a coordinated international effort which seeks to confirm if the species still exist and, in that case, what actions can be used to put a stop to their extinction. The U.S. Villanova University and the Foundation for Parks and Museums of Cozumel are involved in this work the Island Endemic; they are scientific organizations dedicated to protect the fauna in various parts of the world. For the moment, regardless of whether the thrasher continues to exists, the studies are meant to propose mitigation steps to be able to put a stop to more destruction of the island's vegetation, which happens to be really endangered by a significant real estate and golf courses constructions.
About the Author:
Bird watching in the Yucatan Peninsula is a great experience. Onejungle.com has lots of Birding information.
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