Yaxha - An Ideal Place To Go Birding

Yaxha - An Ideal Place To Go Birding

by Linda Patterson

Yaxha is an important city during the Mayan era which is now a part of the Yaxha-Nakum-Naranjo National Park. This ancient city's treasures are its well preserved forest and the Yaxha lagoon, which is deemed to be among the most important water systems of the Maya Biosphere.

The Archaeological Site Of Yaxha

The archaeological site of Yaxha is the third largest, following El Mirador and Tikal. It is composed of more than 500 ancient structures including 40 stalae, 9 temple pyramids, 13 altars, 2 ball courts and a series of causeways or scabe'ob that connect the central, north as well as east acropolis. Visitors can climb the 9 pyramids as they are safe and the wooden stairs are strongly constructed. Being on the top of the partially restored Temple 216 will give you a breathtaking view of the rest of the pyramids, the jungles and lakes. Moreover, you can hear the sound of birds and Howler monkeys.

There are still other interesting attractions and they are the Maler Group, the North Acropolis and the unnamed astronomical observation structure. The North Acropolis is bordered by 3 temples. The Maler Group features a twin temple which is similar to the twin Temples in Tikal. The observatory structure is not yet named but is very popular.

A Great Place For Birding

The Mayan city of Yaxha is now an ideal destination for bird watchers, nature lovers and those find archaeology interesting. This site was considered one of the most significant parts of the ancient Mayan civilizations and through continued excavation it was rediscovered in the year 1904. Geographically, the ruins are found on the southeast part of the National Park of Tikal and now a part of the Yaxha-Nakum-Naranjo National Park. The Yaxha Lagoon is found at the bottom of the site; it is magically carved in limestone and it is encircled by tropical rainforest which is a home to many different varieties of flora and fauna.

Birding in this site offers an even more amazing experience and sightseeing opportunities as there are plenty of exotic bird species and human traffic is less. You can watch flocks of Mealy parrot, White-fronted parrot, Red-lore parrot and White-crowned parrot at the observatory tower.

The lagoon is also a great place to see a lot of birds such as the rare Jabiru especially if you are there during the migration season of the Nearctic shorebirds. However, swimming is not allowed in the lagoon as there are a lot of crocodiles. Crane Hawk, Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher, Pale-billed Woodpecker, Bat Falcon, Slaty-tailed trogon, Short-billed Pigeon, Killed-billed Toucan, Brown-hooded Parrot, Plain Chachalaca, Blue Bunting, Tawny-crowned Greenlet and Brown Jay are the other bird species that can be seen in the forest of Yaxha.

Yaxha is a place for any avid birdwatcher as it offers the best bird watching tours with a less crowded place.



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