“Caribbean Flamingo Conservation Success in Yucatan”

The Cozumel Parks and Museums Foundation (FPMC) and the Pedro and Elena Hernández Foundation are joining forces to protect the Caribbean flamingo species (Phoenicopterus ruber) in the Yucatan peninsula. The initiative aims to safeguard and monitor the emblematic species while also restoring its natural habitat.

The Pedro and Elena Hernández Foundation is focusing its efforts on Isla Cozumel, a key distribution area for the flamingo. In collaboration with the FPMC, they are conducting monitoring work in the State Ecological Park Laguna Colombia, also known as Punta Sur Park, which spans over 1,130 hectares.

Alejandro Marchán Payán, the general director of the FPMC, emphasized the park's importance as a sanctuary, particularly after the destruction caused by Hurricanes Emily and Wilma in 2005. Over the past ten years, a restoration project has been underway at Punta Sur, led by the National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR) and mangrove ecosystem specialists. This project aims to rejuvenate aquatic birdlife and bolster the Caribbean flamingo population.

Biologist Héctor González Cortés, deputy director of the Punta Sur Ecotourism Park, noted the recent recording of flamingos with identifier rings on Cozumel. These are part of the 'Flamingo Lab' citizen science initiative by the Pedro and Elena Hernández Foundation. This registration is a significant step forward, offering valuable data on the birds' distribution and migration patterns on the Yucatan peninsula.

The FPMC has played a crucial role in the project's implementation, encouraging community involvement through informative posters from the Pedro and Elena Hernández Foundation. These posters explain the banding report process in Laguna Colombia Park for the Caribbean flamingo.

David Alonso Parra, manager of the Pedro and Elena Hernández Foundation's flamingo conservation program, underscored the flamingo's importance as an indicator of the health of wetland and mangrove ecosystems. This encourages ecotourism, a critical income source for many local communities.

Protecting and monitoring the flamingo not only helps preserve its natural habitat but also supports a multitude of other flora and fauna species. This promotes scientific research and environmental education. The collaboration between the Cozumel Parks and Museums Foundation and the Pedro and Elena Hernández Foundation underscores the importance of conserving the Caribbean flamingo in the Yucatan peninsula.