by Hugo Sotelo
PhD in Wildlife Management and Sustainable Development.
On the eastern side of the Sierra del Carmen, the first flying nyctosaur reptile discovered in Mexico was found, belonging to the genus of pterosaur pterodactyloids, which lived during the Late Cretaceous period, about 90 million years ago. It was described in 2006 and named Muzquizopteryx coahuilensis in honor of the city of Múzquiz and the state of Coahuila. The name means “wing of Múzquiz” (Rivera et al., 2018).
Muzquizopteryx coahuilensis De Karkemish - Trabajo propio, CC BY 3.0
Muzquizopteryx coahuilensis De Juan Carlos Fonseca Mata , CC BY-SA 4.0,
Maderas del Carmen is an area of importance for bird conservation (AICA 63, G1), created by the Mexican Section of the International Council for Bird Preservation (CIPAMEX) and BirdLife International, with the support of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation of North America (CCA; CONABIO, 2015). This site represents a vital biological corridor where two major distribution zones converge: the Nearctic and the Neotropical. The altitudinal gradient and variety of ecosystems make it a key location for migratory species such as the Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus), Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina), and Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus). Additionally, it serves as a refuge for resident species, among the most important are:
• Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
• Solitary Eagle (Arpialeaetus solitarius)
• Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
• Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)
• Orioles (Icterus spp.)
• Grassland Sparrows (Spp.)
Orioles, photo by Mdf - Trabajo propio, CC BY-SA 3.0
Belted Kingfisher photo by MarshBunny - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,
There have also been reports of species such as the Black-capped Vireo (Vireo atricapillus) and migratory water birds like the Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon) and Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) (SEMARNAT, 2013).
A total of 289 bird species have been reported for the area (El Carmen Natural Reserve, 2024).
References:
Rivera et al., 2018. Reptil Mesozoico. En La biodiversidad en Coahuila Estudio de Estado. Volumen II. Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad (CONABIO) y Gobierno del Estado de Coahuila de Zaragoza, México. Primera edición.
SEMARNAT, 2013. Programa de Manejo Área de Protección de Flora y Fauna Maderas del Carmen. Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales y Comisión Nacional de Áreas Protegidas. México, D. F. Primera Edición 2013.
El Carmen Reserva Natural, 2024. https://www.elcarmenreserve.com/es/biodiversidad
CONABIO, 2015. https://avesmx.conabio.gob.mx/Inicio.html
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