Peru Ramsar wetland
Lagunas de Mejía National Sanctuary
175 bird species recorded; the most in October and from December to February.
Carlo Castellani · CC BY 2.0
This month here
134 species in January.130 species in February.118 species in March.112 species in April.124 species in May.111 species in June.110 species in July.122 species in August.113 species in September.130 species in October.105 species in November.137 species in December.
The birds you are most likely to see in the month you choose, those that come for the season first. It opens on today's month.
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NTNTNTNT- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
175 species, counted.
Our own rating, from the records only: species (50 points), threatened species (20), migrants (20) and protected status — Ramsar, IBA, SPA, observatory (10).
- 175Speciesrecorded more than once
- 49Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 10ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 38,731Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 9Raptors
- 3Owls
- 31Waders
- 32Gulls & seabirds
- 9Ducks & geese
- 20Herons, ibises & grebes
- 2Storks & cranes
- 2Flamingos
- 43Songbirds
- 24Other birds
From open records (eBird and others, through GBIF, licensed for any use). More birdwatchers mean more records: a quiet place may have more birds than it shows.
The checklist
All 175 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors9 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Turkey VultureCathartes aura
- OspreyPandion haliaetus
- Cinereous HarrierCircus cinereus
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- Falco sparveriusFalco sparverius
- Harris's HawkParabuteo unicinctus
- Aplomado FalconFalco femoralis
- Buteo polyosomaButeo polyosoma
- Black-chested Buzzard-EagleGeranoaetus melanoleucus
Owls3 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Burrowing OwlAthene cunicularia
- American Barn OwlTyto furcata
- Short-eared OwlAsio flammeus
Waders31 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- American OystercatcherHaematopus palliatus
- Black-necked StiltHimantopus mexicanus
- Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleucaNT
- KilldeerCharadrius vociferusNT
- Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
- SanderlingCalidris alba
- Lesser yellowlegsTringa flavipesVU
- Least SandpiperCalidris minutillaNT
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
- Wilson's PhalaropePhalaropus tricolor
- Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
- Semipalmated PloverCharadrius semipalmatus
- Spotted SandpiperActitis macularius
- Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaNT
- WilletTringa semipalmata
- Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdii
- Blackish OystercatcherHaematopus ater
- Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotos
- Western SandpiperCalidris mauri
- Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopusNT
- American golden ploverPluvialis dominica
- Hudsonian GodwitLimosa haemasticaVU
- Red KnotCalidris canutusNT
- White-rumped SandpiperCalidris fuscicollisVU
- SurfbirdCalidris virgata
- Least SeedsnipeThinocorus rumicivorus
- Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusVU
- Andean AvocetRecurvirostra andina
- Hudsonian WhimbrelNumenius hudsonicus
- Peruvian Thick-kneeBurhinus superciliarisVU
- Andean LapwingVanellus resplendens
Gulls & seabirds32 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Grey-headed GullChroicocephalus cirrocephalus
- Grey GullLeucophaeus modestus
- Belcher's GullLarus belcheri
- Southern Black-backed GullLarus dominicanus
- Franklin's GullLeucophaeus pipixcan
- Black SkimmerRynchops niger
- Peruvian BoobySula variegata
- Elegant TernThalasseus elegansNT
- Andean GullChroicocephalus serranus
- Inca TernLarosterna incaNT
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- South American TernSterna hirundinacea
- Royal TernThalasseus maximus
- Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
- Laughing GullLeucophaeus atricilla
- Sooty shearwaterPuffinus griseus
- Humboldt PenguinSpheniscus humboldtiVU
- Peruvian Diving-PetrelPelecanoides garnotiiNT
- Peruvian TernSternula lorata
- Gull-billed TernGelochelidon nilotica
- Arctic SkuaStercorarius parasiticus
- Thin-billed prionPachyptila belcheri
- Blue-footed BoobySula nebouxii
- Pomarine SkuaStercorarius pomarinus
- Large-billed TernPhaetusa simplex
- Arctic TernSterna paradisaea
- Least TernSternula antillarum
- Black TernChlidonias niger
- Buller's AlbatrossThalassarche bulleriNT
- White-chinned PetrelProcellaria aequinoctialisVU
- Chilean skuaStercorarius chilensis
- White-vented Storm PetrelOceanites gracilis
Ducks & geese9 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- White-cheeked PintailAnas bahamensis
- Cinnamon TealSpatula cyanoptera
- Andean DuckOxyura ferruginea
- Yellow-billed PintailAnas georgica
- American Comb DuckSarkidiornis sylvicola
- Yellow-billed TealAnas flavirostris
- Puna TealSpatula puna
- Blue-winged TealSpatula discors
- Crested duckLophonetta specularioides
Herons, ibises & grebes20 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Snowy EgretEgretta thula
- Phalacrocorax brasilianusPhalacrocorax brasilianus
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Great GrebePodiceps major
- Little Blue HeronEgretta caerulea
- Pied-billed GrebePodilymbus podiceps
- Black-crowned Night-HeronNycticorax nycticorax
- Peruvian PelicanPelecanus thagusNT
- Tricolored HeronEgretta tricolor
- Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
- White-tufted GrebeRollandia rolland
- Puna IbisPlegadis ridgwayi
- Striated HeronButorides striata
- Roseate SpoonbillPlatalea ajaja
- Cocoi HeronArdea cocoi
- Guanay CormorantLeucocarbo bougainvilliorumNT
- Red-legged CormorantPhalacrocorax gaimardi
- Black-faced IbisTheristicus melanopis
- Yellow-crowned Night-HeronNyctanassa violacea
- Southern Silvery GrebePodiceps occipitalis
Storks & cranes2 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- JabiruJabiru mycteria
- Wood StorkMycteria americana
Flamingos2 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Chilean flamingoPhoenicopterus chilensisNT
- Andean FlamingoPhoenicoparrus andinusVU
Songbirds43 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Peruvian MeadowlarkSturnella bellicosa
- Rufous-collared SparrowZonotrichia capensis
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- Southern House WrenTroglodytes musculus
- Grassland Yellow-FinchSicalis luteola
- Peruvian PipitAnthus peruvianus
- Wren-like RushbirdPhleocryptes melanops
- Chestnut-throated SeedeaterSporophila telasco
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Blue-and-white SwallowNotiochelidon cyanoleuca
- Cinereous ConebillConirostrum cinereum
- Scarlet FlycatcherPyrocephalus rubinus
- Shiny CowbirdMolothrus bonariensis
- Blue-black GrassquitVolatinia jacarina
- Hooded SiskinSpinus magellanicus
- Short-tailed Field-tyrantMuscigralla brevicauda
- Slender-billed FinchXenospingus concolorNT
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- Pied-crested Tit-TyrantAnairetes reguloides
- Many-colored Rush TyrantTachuris rubrigastra
- Dark-faced Ground-TyrantMuscisaxicola maclovianus
- Yellow-billed Tit-tyrantAnairetes flavirostris
- Andean NegritoLessonia oreas
- Peruvian Seaside CinclodesCinclodes taczanowskii
- Porphyrospiza alaudinaPorphyrospiza alaudina
- American Cliff SwallowPetrochelidon pyrrhonota
- Chiguanco ThrushTurdus chiguanco
- Greenish Yellow-finchSicalis olivascens
- White-crested ElaeniaElaenia albiceps
- Common MinerGeositta cunicularia
- Peruvian martinProgne murphyiNT
- Grayish MinerGeositta maritima
- Yellowish PipitAnthus lutescens
- Raimondi's Yellow-finchSicalis raimondii
- Bran-colored FlycatcherMyiophobus fasciatus
- Andean SwallowHaplochelidon andecola
- Band-tailed SeedeaterCatamenia analis
- Dives warczewicziDives warczewiczi
- Sicalis uropigyalisSicalis uropigyalis
- Plain-mantled Tit-spinetailLeptasthenura aegithaloides
- Tropical KingbirdTyrannus melancholicus
- Black-hooded Sierra FinchPhrygilus atriceps
- Ash-breasted Sierra FinchGeospizopsis plebejus
Other birds24 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- Slate-colored CootFulica ardesiaca
- West Peruvian DoveZenaida meloda
- Croaking Ground-DoveColumbina cruziana
- Eared DoveZenaida auriculata
- Plumbeous RailPardirallus sanguinolentus
- Oasis HummingbirdRhodopis vesper
- Groove-billed AniCrotophaga sulcirostris
- Red-fronted CootFulica rufifrons
- Purple-collared WoodstarMyrtis fanny
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- White-winged CootFulica leucoptera
- Peruvian SheartailThaumastura cora
- Lesser NighthawkChordeiles acutipennis
- Giant CootFulica gigantea
- Green KingfisherChloroceryle americana
- Spot-winged PigeonPatagioenas maculosa
- Bare-faced Ground DoveMetriopelia ceciliae
- Black RailLaterallus jamaicensis
- Andean SwiftAeronautes andecolus
- Ornate TinamouNothoprocta ornata
- Southern Andean FlickerColaptes rupicola
- Chimney SwiftChaetura pelagicaVU
- Band-winged NightjarSystellura longirostris
Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.
When to go
The most species in October and from December to February.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan24°/18°22 mm
- Feb24°/19°32 mm
- Mar24°/18°14 mm
- Apr22°/16°2 mm
- May21°/15°1 mm
- Jun19°/13°1 mm
- Jul19°/12°2 mm
- Aug19°/12°1 mm
- Sep19°/13°1 mm
- Oct20°/13°1 mm
- Nov21°/15°1 mm
- Dec22°/16°4 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Lagunas de Mejía National Sanctuary.
Protected area in Peru
Lagunas de Mejía National Sanctuary is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in Peru.
175 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 38,731 open records.
The most recorded are the Turkey Vulture, the White-cheeked Pintail and the Snowy Egret.
23 species come for the summer, 25 for the winter and 1 only pass through.
10 are threatened worldwide, including Lesser yellowlegs, Grey Plover and Hudsonian Godwit.
The most species are recorded in October and from December to February.
Get there and watch
- Official informationAccess, hours and rules from those who manage the place.Official site↗
- Punta del Marplace to stay · 8.0 km · 2 within 10 km
- La Curvanearest town · 4.4 km in a straight line
- General Jorge Fernandez Maldon Airport (ILQ)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 82 km in a straight lineCar hire in ArequipaDiscover Cars · sponsored link↗
Plan the visit
A guided walk, a bed nearby, a car.
Some links above are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the data on this page says.
From above
The place and its surroundings.
The satellite image of the 6 × 6 km around the place, with the bird hides, towers and trails that OpenStreetMap shows.
Around, in OpenStreetMap
- 2places to stay within 10 kmPunta del Mar, Orca
- bird hides within 6 km
- observation towers within 6 km
- marked trails within 4 km
- visitor centres within 6 km
- viewpoints within 5 km
- car parks within 3 km
- restaurants and cafés within 3 km
- campsites within 10 km
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit. A low number may just mean nobody has mapped it yet.
In our other atlases
Around Lagunas de Mejía National Sanctuary.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Peakyas24 mountains within 25 kmCerro Majuelo · 11 kmCerro Taro · 12 kmCerro Pedregal · 13 kmCerro Curi Curi · 15 kmCerro Gordo · 15 kmCerro Yamayo · 16 kmCerro Laguna · 18 kmCerro Ventillata · 23 km
Coastya1 beaches within 10 kmPlaya La Punta · 10 km
Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.
Photographs
The place, as people saw it.
Other places nearby.
Lagunas de Mejía National Sanctuary
Peru
- 74Birdyas Score
- 175Species
- 49Migrants
- 10Threatened
Salar de Surire Natural Monument
Chile · 357 km
- 41Birdyas Score
- 47Species
- 15Migrants
- 2Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q5763498) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 38,731 open bird records within 6 km (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY 4.0 only; mostly eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology) |
| See these records | gbif.org |
| Species | GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0; Wikidata (CC0); Wikimedia Commons |
| Altitude | Copernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA |
| Temperature and rain | NASA POWER (CERES SYN1deg, 2001–2020; MERRA-2) |
| What is around | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Images | EOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons |
| Sister atlases | Peakyas, Coastya |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
The family
Do you prefer beaches, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, islands, rivers, canyons, caves, dark skies, viewpoints, birdwatching or forests?
Same idea, other landscapes: field atlases built on open data, in seven languages.
beaches
Find your beach: sea temperature, sun and swimming month by month.Visit 
lakes
Every lake on Earth: water temperature, ice, depth and the shore.Visit mountains
Every summit in 3D: summit weather, the 0 °C line, huts and trails.Visit 
waterfalls
Every waterfall: height, flow month by month and when it roars.Visit 
islands
Every island from the sea up: size, sea temperature, ferries and 3D.Visit 
rivers
Every river from source to sea: the journey, the flow and the basin in numbers.Visit 
canyons
Every canyon cut to scale: depth to the floor, rim and floor temperatures, trails and viewpoints.Visit 
caves
Every cave with its real depth and length: the rock above, the temperature inside all year, and how to visit.Visit 
dark skies
Where the night is still dark: the sky of every place, the Milky Way month by month, the Moon, eclipses and auroras.Visit 
viewpoints
Every viewpoint with its real 360° panorama: the peaks you can name, how far you see and where the sun sets.Coming soonVisit 
birdwatching
Every bird sanctuary and wetland with the species recorded month by month: who is resident, who comes for the summer, who only passes through.You are here
forests
Every forest with its land-cover rings, what grows and lives in it, and the best months to walk it.Coming soonVisit