Researchers at La Paz’s public university have published a conservation management plan and bird field guide for the city’s Ecoparque, a 130-hectare wetland and desert scrub preserve that harbors 252 recorded bird species. The new tools aim to regulate human activity, restore degraded habitat, and give visitors a practical reference for identifying the site’s most notable wildlife.
252 Bird Species at a Single La Paz Ecoparque Site
The management strategy and guide were developed by UABCS’s Bird Laboratory in collaboration with Pronatura Noroeste, a leading conservation nonprofit in northwestern Mexico, and Resiliencia MX. Víctor Ayala, a researcher in UABCS’s Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, presented the plan at the university’s campus in La Paz. He described it as a technical document focused on conservation, ecological restoration, and sustainable public use of the park.
Dr. Roberto Carmona, who heads the UABCS Bird Laboratory, put the site’s ecological value in sharp terms. The 252 species recorded at the Ecoparque represent roughly 50% of all bird species ever documented across the entire state of Baja California Sur. That concentration in a single urban-adjacent site is unusual anywhere in the peninsula.
Of those 252 species, 27 carry formal protection under Mexican federal law. Two stand out in particular: the least grebe (zambullidor menor) and the peninsular yellowthroat (mascarita peninsular). Both are classified under special protection status, and both actively breed at the Ecoparque. The peninsular yellowthroat is endemic to the Baja California peninsula, meaning it exists nowhere else on Earth. Its breeding habitat at the Ecoparque consists of freshwater marshes fed by underground springs, a rare ecosystem in a region that receives less than 200 millimeters of rainfall per year.
The management plan sets guidelines for trail use, visitor capacity, and habitat restoration priorities. One central goal is improving habitat quality so the site can support larger populations and a greater diversity of species. Carmona called the Ecoparque “a true natural oasis close to the community” and said the plan would enable targeted restoration of the park’s wetland tongues, or lenguas, the narrow channels where freshwater surfaces and supports marsh vegetation.
La Paz Ecoparque Birds Draw Hikers and Photographers Year-Round
The Ecoparque sits on the southeastern edge of La Paz, roughly a 15-minute drive from the malecón. It borders the Ensenada de La Paz, the shallow bay that wraps around the city’s waterfront. The park’s terrain mixes desert scrub, mangrove fringe, and freshwater wetland, creating a patchwork of microhabitats in a compact area.
Most visitors come for birdwatching, hiking, and wildlife photography. The site is free to enter and open year-round, though early mornings between October and March offer the best birding. That window coincides with the arrival of migratory species from North America, including various herons, shorebirds, and raptors that winter along the Baja coast. Resident species like the Belding’s yellowthroat, Xantus’s hummingbird, and gray thrasher can be spotted any time of year.
Baja California Sur has become a growing destination for birding tourism. The peninsula’s geographic isolation, sitting between the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez, creates habitat for a mix of endemic, resident, and migratory species found in few other places. eBird, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s global database, lists more than 470 species recorded across the state. The Ecoparque’s 252 species in one accessible location make it one of the most productive single birding sites in the region.
For residents of La Paz who walk or cycle the park’s trails, the management plan also addresses trail maintenance, signage, and environmental education. The plan calls for better interpretation materials at the park, so visitors without birding experience can identify common species on their own. The new field guide, produced in collaboration with Pronatura Noroeste, serves that purpose directly.
The management strategy does not yet have a formal adoption timeline from the municipal government of La Paz. But the involvement of UABCS and Pronatura Noroeste, which has managed conservation projects across the Gulf of California for more than 25 years, gives the plan institutional weight. The next step will be coordination with city authorities to implement the guidelines on the ground. This story was first reported by BCS Noticias.