About Rancho Primavera
That fateful first visit …
When I first attended the Vallarta Bird Festival in 2014, I stayed at a lovely private estate outside the 16th-century pueblo of El Tuito. I had no idea then that I would move to the same ranch 10 years later! Today, I live at Rancho Primavera with my birding partner, Lizzy Martinez, and we lead tours for ranch guests, exploring the ranch itself and all corners of the eco-diverse Cabo Corrientes.
Rancho Primavera sits between the pine-oak forest of the southern Sierra Madre Occidental and the thorn forest of Jalisco’s Costalegre. The semi-deciduous tropical forest here supports an amazing diversity of birds that span all three habitats. Early this century, the property was converted from cattle ranch and mango plantation to a rich wildlife sanctuary. Since then, birders have reported more than 300 bird species on the 200-acre (80-hectare) ranch, many of which are endemic to western Mexico’s Pacific Slope.
The Black-throated Magpie-Jay
The resident—and endemic—Black-throated Magpie-Jay has become a symbol of Rancho Primavera, exemplifying the regional wildlife diversity. Birding on the ranch can produce 100 bird species on a winter morning, including a host of Neotropical migrants that spend half of their year in this mild tropical climate. About 17 warblers occur here more or less regularly, with an additional 17 reported from the property.
Male Orange-breasted Bunting
Beyond birding on the ranch, we can take you into the thorn forest of the Costalegre, which features the stunning—and unreal—Orange-breasted Bunting. This delicious eye candy is joined in coastal habitats by Flammulated Flycatcher, White-bellied Wren, and Red-breasted Chat, plus a wide array of waterbirds in the seaside estuaries. Enjoy a fresh seafood dinner watching the sunset over the Pacific, while boobies and terns fish for their meals.