Cozumel, Quintana Roo — Cozumel will host the 18th Isla Cozumel Bird Festival from Oct. 7 to 11, a week of activities celebrating the island’s birdlife and raising awareness about the protection of its ecosystems, organizers announced.
Framed around environmental preservation and citizen science, the program includes specialized workshops, keynote lectures, art and cultural exhibitions, and the traditional “pajareadas” — birdwatching walks led by experts at strategic points across the island.
Organizers said the schedule was designed to be inclusive and accessible to all audiences, with the aim of involving both Cozumel residents and visitors in protecting the island’s natural heritage.
Spotlight on the Cozumel Thrasher
This year’s edition coincides with World Migratory Bird Day 2026 and seeks to highlight the role of participatory science in protecting biodiversity. It also keeps alive the hope of rediscovering the Cozumel Thrasher in the island’s jungle — an endemic species listed as endangered and one for which there have been no records for just over a decade.
The festival will feature a keynote lecture titled “What Happened to the Cozumel Thrasher?” delivered by Dr. Juan Martínez Gómez, a researcher at the Institute of Ecology who has promoted international efforts to locate the endemic bird.
Documentary Screening and Environmental Fair
As part of the cultural program, the Isla Cozumel Bird Festival Committee and the Society of Anonymous Scientists are inviting the public to a screening of the documentary “Flamingos: Life After the Meteorite” on Friday, Oct. 9, at 5:00 p.m. at the Cozumel Planetarium. Filmed over 700 days in the northern Yucatan Peninsula, the film follows the life cycle of the Caribbean flamingo, with narration by Julieta Venegas and original music by Bryce Dessner.
The festival will close with an environmental fair bringing together members of the public interested in the cultural and conservation activities held throughout the week at various locations on the island.
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