In Maya culture there are many legends about different animals, one of which is the Toh bird. The Toh bird is two species of Momotidae family that reside in the Yucatan peninsula: the Turquoise-browed Motmot (Eumomota superciliosa) (right photo) and Blue Crowned Motmot (Momotus lessonii) (left photo).

 

The historic Maya had a special way of relating nature to spirituality. In this way many Maya legends are related to animals or plants. One of the legends is about the Toh bird. The legend is as follows:

One afternoon, black clouds appeared in the sky announcing a storm. An emergency meeting of birds was convened to plan how to protect each other. Assigning each bird a specific task, Chujut, the woodpecker; Panchel, the toucan and Mox, Xtut and Exikin, the parrots and macaws, were assigned to cut branches to build a shelter. Bach, the chachalaca and Cutz, the turkey, carried the heaviest branches. Small birds, such as blackbirds and orioles, were responsible for gathering grass and small plants to cover the refuge. Other birds collected fruits and seeds for food and some more were assigned to alert the forest animals about the storm. Among all of the birds, Oc, the king vulture, acted as chief. Only the Toh bird refused to do any work, claiming to be “an aristocrat, not a worker”. The other birds told him that everyone would regret very much if the storm caught them unprepared. Outraged, the Toh bird took his place among the builders of the refuge. Not many minutes passed and he already felt tired so he waited until no one saw him and ran away into the nearby bushes.

There the Toh bird found a good place to hide inside the cracks of a stone wall. He climbed into the hole to sleep. Convinced that he had a good hiding place, he did not realize that his long tail hung outside the crack. The place where the tail of the Toh bird hung was a path where the working birds passed with their cargo. A little while later, the Toh bird woke up and listened to other birds sing. The storm had ended without much damage and all the bird kingdom rejoiced for good luck. The Toh bird left his hole and flew towards the shelter where he asked the other birds if they also felt tired like him after their hard work. All birds said “yes” but assured him that the work was necessary to save the forest and its inhabitants from what could have become a great disaster.

The royal birds called the Toh bird and together they flew to their favorite place to perch in the forest. As always, the Toh bird was placed in the highest place so that everyone could admire his beautiful tail. But in this moment, one of the companions of the group began to laugh at the Toh bird, pointing to his tail. Little by little all other birds did the same, saying: “Your tail is ruined. Surely you damaged it when you worked as much as you say”. The Toh bird was sure that this was a joke, until he looked at himself and saw only two long naked rods hanging and ending in a small set of feathers, like two arrows.

Horrified, he realized what had happened while he slept. The cocky bird privately acknowledged his guilt, but he could not bear to let his friends know the truth. His pride took the best of him and he flew away to the most inaccessible part of the forest. There he found a cenote and went inside. To this day, the Toh bird remains an inmate in the forest, avoids other birds, and makes his house in holes in the walls of cenotes.

The historic Maya had a special way of relating nature to spirituality. In this way many Maya legends are related to animals or plants. One of the legends is about the Toh bird. The legend is as follows:

One afternoon, black clouds appeared in the sky announcing a storm. An emergency meeting of birds was convened to plan how to protect each other. Assigning each bird a specific task, Chujut, the woodpecker; Panchel, the toucan and Mox, Xtut and Exikin, the parrots and macaws, were assigned to cut branches to build a shelter. Bach, the chachalaca and Cutz, the turkey, carried the heaviest branches. Small birds, such as blackbirds and orioles, were responsible for gathering grass and small plants to cover the refuge. Other birds collected fruits and seeds for food and some more were assigned to alert the forest animals about the storm. Among all of the birds, Oc, the king vulture, acted as chief. Only the Toh bird refused to do any work, claiming to be “an aristocrat, not a worker”. The other birds told him that everyone would regret very much if the storm caught them unprepared. Outraged, the Toh bird took his place among the builders of the refuge. Not many minutes passed and he already felt tired so he waited until no one saw him and ran away into the nearby bushes.

There the Toh bird found a good place to hide inside the cracks of a stone wall. He climbed into the hole to sleep. Convinced that he had a good hiding place, he did not realize that his long tail hung outside the crack. The place where the tail of the Toh bird hung was a path where the working birds passed with their cargo. A little while later, the Toh bird woke up and listened to other birds sing. The storm had ended without much damage and all the bird kingdom rejoiced for good luck. The Toh bird left his hole and flew towards the shelter where he asked the other birds if they also felt tired like him after their hard work. All birds said “yes” but assured him that the work was necessary to save the forest and its inhabitants from what could have become a great disaster.

The royal birds called the Toh bird and together they flew to their favorite place to perch in the forest. As always, the Toh bird was placed in the highest place so that everyone could admire his beautiful tail. But in this moment, one of the companions of the group began to laugh at the Toh bird, pointing to his tail. Little by little all other birds did the same, saying: “Your tail is ruined. Surely you damaged it when you worked as much as you say”. The Toh bird was sure that this was a joke, until he looked at himself and saw only two long naked rods hanging and ending in a small set of feathers, like two arrows.

Horrified, he realized what had happened while he slept. The cocky bird privately acknowledged his guilt, but he could not bear to let his friends know the truth. His pride took the best of him and he flew away to the most inaccessible part of the forest. There he found a cenote and went inside. To this day, the Toh bird remains an inmate in the forest, avoids other birds, and makes his house in holes in the walls of cenotes.

Mr. Pau, as I call him, affectionately, is a technician in the Natural Resources Department in the Yucatan Center for Scientific Research (CICY, A.C.). He is known by many and recognized by many more both in CICY and in other research centers.

Those who have had the privilege of interacting with Paulino have been able to really know how he is both professionally and personally. And for those who do not, here is a short description.

Mr. Paulino comes from a community in Tixcacaltuyub that belongs to the municipality of Yaxcabá. He began to work at CICY out of misfortune; he along with other colleagues were dismissed from their previous jobs.  But that did not discourage him. He continued climbing and climbing until he was one of the most recognized technicians at CICY. But how did he gain this recognition? It was not easy nor did it happen overnight. Mr. Paulino tried his best, but unlike the others, he persisted and won the admiration of many who work at CICY.

This admiration is born from the great knowledge that he has in identifying plant species. Despite not being a Doctor or Master of Science, he is an expert in botany. In fact, several CICY researchers turn to him for help. He has collaborated with several people even without earning recognition of his support and he’s always available at the moment they ask for help.

Besides his great knowledge, Mr. Pau has other qualities. For example, he is transparent and empathetic. In all the days that I have lived with him on field trips, he never was angry or bored, he always had a smile, and he was always kind.

The technician Paulino Simá has earned my respect and affection and will continue to have it, as well as that of many other people. Unfortunately, we will not see him in CICY as he’s about to retire; he only has a few months left. We will need that time, especially me, as soon I will not see him in his usual place, I will not be able to go and ask him questions and I will not have anyone to whom to tell my sorrows. For me he is a great friend and I hope to have been a great friend to him too.

I know Mr. Paulino will do very well in his personal projects and I hope he comes back to visit CICY someday. Thank you for all your support Mr. Pau, for always being available when someone needed help. I will miss him a lot and his departure leaves a great void that I doubt anyone else can replace. We have to value these two months with him and make the most of them.

The end of the year is near and with it the traditional December festivities. In Mexico, the term “Guadalupe-Reyes” Marathon is used to refer to the festive period that begins on December 12 with the celebration of the Virgin María Guadalupe and ends on January 6 with the feast of the three wise men. Many families and friends gather for pleasant moments, which include food, drink, and dancing, accompanied by music and fireworks all night. However, what for is fun for us is a nightmare for our pets, specifically for our dogs, because of the excessive noise of the fireworks. If your pet is scared by fireworks, here are a series of steps you can take to help your pet cope with these celebrations.

Keep up with celebrations

It´s good to take a little time and bring home a calendar of the next few days’celebrations. You can check the internet or talk with your neighbors to know the days when there might be fireworks nearby your home.

Let your dog exercise that day

If dogs have an excess of energy, they are more likely to be scared when they hear loud noises because they may be more nervous. If you know that there will be fireworks at night, it is advisable to tire out your dog as much as possible.  Run with it, play with it or just take it out for a longer walk. If, when the night comes, your dog is tired, it will not be overexcited by the noise.

Do not take it to parties where there will be fireworks

It sounds obvious, but if you know there will be fireworks in one place and your dog is afraid, do not take the poor dog with you. If you don´t want to miss the party you can go when the fireworks have passed. It is best that your dog is at home when excessive noise begins.

Close windows, curtains or blinds of your house

If the noise of the fireworks scares your dog, seeing how the sky lights up will only make it more afraid. Keeping windows and curtains closed helps your dog feel more secure, as well as reducing noise levels a bit.

Create a refuge in which your dog feels safe

If your dog gets too nervous with noise, in addition to the previous steps, you can take your dog to a room that isolates sound even more, for example, the bathroom. You can put your dog´s blanket and favorite toy inside while leaving the door open so your dog can take refuge.

Do not enclose your dog or leave it alone

Dogs are social animals, leaving them alone in a room will not help reduce their stress. When fireworks start, accompany your dog and keep it entertained.

 Keep control

 

Dogs respect the strength of their leader. If your dog runs around the house without control, you can put on a leash and hold the dog gently but firm. If the dog feels that you have the situation under control, it will have less fear. Running after your dog telling it nice words to calm it down makes them believe that you don´t have the control or strength to solve the situation.

Try using a relaxing garment

Dog trainer Susan Sharpe invented The Anxiety Wrap, a dog garment that reduces anxiety by gently pressing the animal on the chest and back. You can improvise a similar garment with a large handkerchief or a long strip of cloth. The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) offers instructions on how to improvise one. It does not work with all dogs, but you do not lose anything by trying.

Use sedatives as a last resort

If all of the above fails and your dog is so scared with the noise of the fireworks that your dog hurts itself, consider giving it a mild sedative. Always consult your veterinarian and administer the drug that he recommends in the dose that he recommends.

 

All these measures can help your dog better spend time near festivities; the goal is to have fun with your loved ones while thinking about the well-being of your four-legged companions.

Source: “Gizmodo en Español”

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), every year traffic accidents cause the death of approximately 1.25 million people around the world, mainly among young people between 15 and 29 years old. In addition the WHO notes that people who use the cell phone while driving are four times more likely to have an accident than drivers who do not.

In Mexico, bad practices at the wheel, such as distractions are implicated in 80 percent of road accidents (according to the National Council for Accident Prevention [Conapra for its Spanish initials]).  Conapra has classified road accidents as a public safety problem at the national level with Mexico City standing out as a red flag. Each year an average of 18,000 accidents occur there with 1,000 of those causing death. Conapra mentions that the main causes of accidents in terms of human error are speeding, alcohol consumption and the use of mobile devices. Currently the use of cell phones while driving causes more deaths than the consumption of alcoholic beverages says Rodrigo Ramirez, Technical Secretary of Conapra. Of every 10 accidents, seven are related to the use of mobile devices and three are due to alcohol consumption. Therefore, road accidents have been classified as a public security problem at the national level.

Many people who drive use the cell phone for around five or 10 seconds to answer a call or a message. However during that time they can travel more than 100 meters without realizing what is happening around them, which can result in serious accidents that can end in permanent disability or death. Accidents not only concern drivers of four-wheel vehicles but people who ride motorcycles also make use of their mobile phones, increasing their risk of death.

In the state of Yucatan the use of cell phones in vehicles has been prohibited since 2011. According to article 197 of the regulation, fines of 1,500 to 1,800 pesos can be given for carrying out such activities while driving. However, these habits have become more common either because of the simple carelessness of the driver or because many police do not apply the sanction correctly.

Therefore, the WHO states that if serious measures are not applied to prevent mobile phone use while driving, it is expected that by 2030, traffic accidents will be the seventh leading cause of death in the world.

It is important to be aware of the risk to which we expose ourselves simply by looking at the cell phone screen. Accidents not only affect driver and pedestrians but they affect many more people such as family and friends, who may lose a family member or loved one. If you want to answer or make a call or write a message, the correct thing to do is to park in order to avoid an accident.

References

http://www.excelsior.com.mx/comunidad/2015/04/25/1020632

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs358/es/

https://www.debate.com.mx/mexico/En-aumento-los-accidentes-por-uso-del-celular-20170703-0334.html

It had been a year and a half since I adopted my Chihuahua dog Harley and if I could describe her, I would say that she is like a small velociraptor, skillful and speedy. Yes, skillful to neglect me and speedy to run away from home whenever the opportunity presents itself; so it was a problem every day to try to enter my house.

Never had I imagined that my dog in heat would escape to meet a “handsome” Chihuahua male who lived near my home. Hence, Harley got pregnant by accident. I knew very little about Chihuahua breeding like the difficulties that arise because of their small size and the extra care needed. But to be honest, the first thing I thought was: What is the worst that could happen?

The doggy gestation lasts approximately 8 weeks, so we had to take extra care of Harley. The worst part when you have your pregnant Chihuahua is to listen to horror stories of how other people came to their house to find their dogs or their babies dead, because they suffered problems in childbirth.

I followed the instructions of my veterinarian though I did not count on Harley’s dog birth being one week ahead of schedule. Thus, I did not have time to take her for an X-ray to know the number of puppies that were to be born and in what position they came. I called the veterinarian but he had left the city because it was a holiday (November 20) and he only told me two things: keep calm and if you notice that the puppy is coming with his butt first, you will have to help Harley to get him out, good luck! And I had a flashback to me saying: What is the worst that could happen?

Then as Harley went into labor, the nightmare happened because I saw the back legs of the first puppy with the broken placental bag. I felt scared but I guess the survival instinct was greater so I started to help Harley by pulling the little dog bit by bit until I pulled it out completely. In this way “Furiosa” came into the world. Following “Furiosa” “Gipsy Danger” was born (and she was in the correct position and came out easier).

Fortunately, Harley had two puppies with whom I fell crazy in love. The bad thing is that I could not keep both because I could only maintain one more in my house.

After two months it was time to find a new home for one of the puppies, which was easy because my brother wanted to adopt Furiosa. I knew that she was going to be in good hands and was going to have a good life, so I agreed to give her to him. The time to say goodbye was very difficult but the good news was that I would be able to see Furiosa whenever I wanted.

It’s been two years since Gipsy Danger’s birth and in my inventory of 2017 I have three Chihuahuas and a cat as part of my family. The fun part is that now I have two little velociraptors trying to run away every time I get careless.

Furiosa (light brown) and Gipsy Danger (dark brown)

In wars, there are stories of many heroes who have become legends, hard men like steel. Men made of courage, able to fight without limbs or with the aim of a John Rambo. This is the case of Owen Baggett.

Owen was born in Texas in 1920. He studied finance at Hardin-Simmons University. After graduating, he moved to New York and began working at Johnson and Company Investment Securities. However, something made him change his mind about his future. In December 1941, he volunteered for the Army Air Corps and began basic pilot training at New Columbus Army Flying School. After graduating (for a second time) Baggett was off to India, very close to Japanese-occupied Burma.

At this point in history, he became the co-pilot of a B-24 bomber with the 7th Bomb Group, and reached the rank of second lieutenant. Baggett’s work consisted mainly of aerial bombardment flights of Burma. He also defended the allied supply routes between India and China.

The birth of his legend was on March 31 of 1943. Baggett was to fly to Burma and destroy a railway bridge in the City of Pyinmana. However, shortly after taking off, his plane was attacked by several dozen Japanese aerial fighters. During the battle, Japanese shots hit the plane’s emergency oxygen tanks, severely damaging the plane.

Assessing the desperate situation, First Lieutenant L. Jensen issued the order for the crew to try to save themselves so Baggett and the rest of the group jumped out of the plane. Only a few seconds later, Baggett noticed that the situation was more critical than he thought, a Japanese plane was approaching them and firing at the crew of 7th Bomb Group (5 of his 9 companions were killed).

Baggett knew that the Japanese pilot would not stop until he killed all the members of the crew so he did only thing that he could do: he pulled out his gun (M1911), aimed at the pilot, and shot.

A few seconds later, the enemy plane crashed into the ground. The Japanese pilot had been shot in the head. Upon reaching the ground, the survivors were captured and interrogated.

After telling the events to enemies, Japanese offered to Baggett to die honorably through the harakiri, but he rejected the offer. Baggett spent two years as a prisoner of war until his release on September 7, 1945.

Baggett continued to serve in the army for several years after World War II reaching the rank of colonel. Baggett died on July 27, 2006, dying as the only man who had hit a pilot with one shot while jumping with a parachute thousands of meters off the ground.

We need to adopt another dog! were the words that surprised me that morning in September of 2013 said by my husband. A year and a half earlier we had adopted “Lord Voldemort”, my first Chihuahua dog. It did not meet the standards of the breed as it grew to the size of a Schnauzer; I guess genetics played a trick on us, yet we love that dog.

Lord Voldemort is a literal destroyer of muggles because he is very aggressive with other people. We believe that it is because he received some sort of mistreatment from his old owners. We adopted him and little by little he gained confidence until he became the most loving, faithful and best friend in the world, but only with us.

The first year with Voldemort was wonderful. He was a good guard dog, educated and, no matter how horrible your day, he always welcomed us as if we were the best in the world. But there was a problem. He spent a lot of time alone at home and we started to notice he was shedding and lacking an appetite

We suspect that Voldemort had depression because we had read in a column on dog behavior that sometimes dogs get depressed when they spend a lot of time alone at home because they feel a kind of fear of possible abandonment. The fear is manifested in the symptoms that we had previously observed, among other things.

The solution that my husband had to “cure” the dog was to adopt another to keep Voldemort company, a decision that, as always, did not leave me very convinced. We knew that Voldemort was very aggressive and I feared that he would attack the new dog to death.

I knew that the idea of my husband was going to materialize and on the day of his birthday (September 30) he came singing happy birthday to me! and in his hands, wrapped in a white wipe was the most beautiful, delicate and tiny Chihuahua puppy you could imagine.

On the recommendation of the veterinarian, “Harley Queen” (following the list of villains) had to remain separated from Voldemort for a month until she had her first vaccines; besides that we did not know how Voldemort was going to behave with her.

In the course of that month of isolation, we put our scientific thinking into practice by collecting information from friends, family, the vet, the internet, and even we watched an episode of the tv show “Dog Whisperer” about dog behavior in the presence of a new dog. In the end we made several hypotheses that could happen and an algorithm of what to do in case things got complicated.

We put our strategy into practice. We introduced Voldemort to Harley. In an instant Voldemort raised his tail in a position of alertness and approached her to smell it; fortunately it was love at first sight.

After a month Voldemort’s mood and appetite returned. I stopped worrying about him and started worrying about other things the dogs might do like killing my plants, making holes in the garden, rummaging in the trash, eating my shoes, disturbing the cat and, in short, everything you can imagine that would make two dogs with so much free time happy.

When I get to my home and I see that those two dogs sleeping together it is the moment when I say that my herd is complete, well at least that was what I believed until the following year when “Gipsy Danger” arrived but that story I will tell  in my next blog. So, if your dog starts behaving strangely and spending a lot of time alone maybe a solution is to bring him a new friend.

The word Flavonoid comes from the Latin Flavus and means “yellow”. Flavonoids are natural pigments present in plants and contribute some of the flavor and color of fruits and vegetables. Flavonoids are the most abundant secondary compounds in the plant kingdom. Secondary compounds are organic molecules that apparently do not have a direct function on the processes of photosynthesis, respiration, nutrient assimilation, or the synthesis of proteins, carbohydrates or lipids. However, secondary compounds have specific ecological functions such as attracting or repelling animals or they are involved in plant defense against different pathogens. Secondary compounds may have an important medicinal value.

In general, several studies show that flavonoids possess different anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-allergic, antitumor, anti-cancer and, above all, antioxidant capacity. The latter property refers to protecting the body from damage caused by oxidizing agents such as ultraviolet rays, environmental pollution, and chemicals in food, among others. Flavonoids are not the only antioxidants. In fact the most well-known antioxidants are vitamins C and E. However flavonoids have been found to possess 20 times more antioxidant power than vitamin C and 50 times more than vitamin E. Therefore, flavonoids play an essential role in the prevention and treatment of various pathologies, including ischemic heart disease, atherosclerosis and cancer.

Our body cannot produce flavonoids so we must obtain them from food or supplements. Flavonoids are found in many fruits such as oranges, lemons, apples, peaches, cherries, tomatoes, grapes, and strawberries, among others and also in vegetables such as onions, broccoli, beets and radishes.  They can also be found in various seeds and legumes. Some drinks like beer, wine, green tea and black tea are a great source of flavonoids. Most of the flavonoids consumed are excreted in the urine so there is no risk of accumulating them to the point of impacting health.

In conclusion, an adequate diet rich in flavonoids along with exercise and good rest can contribute to a better quality of life.

References:

Martínez-Florez, S., Gonzalo-Gallego, J., Culebras, J. y Tuñón, M. (2002).  Flavonoids: antioxidant properties and actions. Hospital Nutrition 6, 271-278. Online: http://www.nutricionhospitalaria.com/pdf/3338.pdf

Ochoa, C. and Ayala, A. (2004). The Flavonoids: General Notes and its Application in the Food Industry. Engineering and competence 6, 93-104. Online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267546959_Los_Flavonoides_Apuntes_Generales_y_su_Aplicacion_en_la_Industria_de_Alimentos

What does the word “finados” mean? The word was brought by the Spaniards and it is currently used in several places in Mexico. The word is used to refer to someone who died. But there is a particular month in which you hear the word or the phrase “the day of the finados is near” more often. The month is November.

But what is so special about the month of November that makes the “finados near”? Well, in the first days of November, one of the Mexican customs is the celebration of the “Day of the Dead.” They are the days to remember the dead; to say the “finados” are near is to say that the dead come to celebrate that day with us.

It may seem very strange to anyone who has not lived this type of custom that a deceased person can come out to celebrate? That’s impossible!

But although it seems impossible, this ingrained custom is practiced by 8 out of 10 Mexicans; they offer bread, food and drink to deceased friends and relatives and even place photos of their loved ones on an altar.

In the Yucatan Peninsula, one of the traditional foods that is placed on the altar is the Pib, which is a type of tamale but larger and made with corn masa, banana leaves, tomato, habanero pepper, meat, achiote and sometimes seeds of Vigna unguiculata. The Pib is destined for consumption on those days of November. Other months of the year you will not find the Pib anywhere.

For some people the November dates may only represent the fact of eating Pib. While it is delicious, for other people the Day of the Dead represents something sad and are days of mourning and remembering when their relatives passed away. For others they are days that generate joy as they will feel, for a moment, close to their loved ones who are gone. Yet other people may not even celebrate these days. Also many others celebrate Halloween, which is a celebration that has gradually been introduced into our culture replacing the Day of the Dead.

But whether or not we celebrate the Day of the Dead or Halloween or whatever we want to call it, personally, for me, it is one of the best times of the year where we can enjoy the gastronomic diversity that is placed in the altars. We should continue preserving the custom because, above all else, it promotes coexistence between relatives, friends, and co-workers, among others. And what better way to remember those who unfortunately were ahead of us on the short road between life and death.

The Yucatan Peninsula is recognized as an important area for bird diversity because of its strategic location as a passage zone and wintering site for a large number of migratory birds. As well, there are many resident and endemic species. The bird species richness of Yucatan Peninsula is approximately 50% of all species in Mexico.

While the  the Yucatan Peninsula may not have the habitat or bird diversity of other Mexican states like  Chiapas or Oaxaca, the Peninsula does include several unique habitats. First in the north coast we find coastal dunes where species like the Yucatán Wren (Campylorhynchus yucatanicus) and Mexican Sheartail (Doricha eliza) are observed. Back from the coast, we find mangrove forest and petenes, and characteristic species like the American Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber), Mangrove Warbler (Setophaga petechia erithachorides) and Bare-throated Tiger-Heron (Tigrisoma mexicanum). In the centre of the Yucatan Peninsula we find a mosaic of low forest and agriculture. Birds related to these areas are Black-throated Bobwhite (Colinus nigrogularis), Olive-throated Parakeet (Eupsittula nana) and Yucatan jay (Cyanocorax yucatanicus). To the south we can find sub-deciduous and sub-perennial forests where we can see characteristic species such as Keel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus), Collared Aracari (Pteroglossus torquatus), Collared Trogon (Trogon collaris) and Amazonian Royal-Flycatcher (Onychorhynchus coronatus).

Although the Yucatan peninsula has a great bird diversity, there are 64 at-risk species according to the Mexican Official Norm (NOM-059) including 10 in “danger of extinction,” 39 under “special protection,”; and 15 “threatened”. The species in “danger of extinction”. include: King vulture (Sarcoramphus papa), Jabiru (Jabiru mycteria) and Yucatan Wren (Campylorhynchus yucatanicus). The first two are characteristic of forest areas. The latter is restricted to north coast, particularly to coastal dune environments. All these species are threatened by habitat destruction.

 

There are other species threatened by illegal trafficking of species. Among the most threatened species are Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria), Cinnamon-rumped Seedeater (Sporophila torqueola), Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus), Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris), Blue Grosbeak (Passerina caerulea), Yellow-faced Grassquit (Tiaris olivaceus), Blue-black Grassquit (Volatinia jacarina) and Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea). All these species are caught in the wildlife trade without any regulation and caught throughout the year without regard to their age or sex. Although conservation efforts have been made, it is very difficult stop habitat destruction and species trafficking. Thus probably some of the threatened species may go extinct.