American wood storks appear for first time in Texcoco lake natural area

The Brigada de Vigilancia y Monitoreo Comunitario spotted two juvenile American wood storks in the Lago de Texcoco protected natural area in Mexico.

The birds were found near agricultural trenches in the San Salvador Atenco community. This marks the first time this species has been recorded in the ecosystem. Jorge Daniel Fonseca Cando, the director of the ANP Lago de Texcoco, says the appearance of these birds indicates the success of ongoing restoration and rehabilitation work on the reservoir.

He attributes the increase in bird migration to improved water quality and the fact that over 4,700 hectares remained flooded during the rainy season this year. The restoration efforts have also led to the return of 20 bird species that had previously disappeared due to the drying of the lake during the failed construction of the Nuevo Aeropuerto Internacional México. Currently, authorities have recorded more than 290,000 migratory birds and 285 native species in the area.

The flooded areas include several bodies of water such as Lago Nabor Carrillo, which covers more than 900 hectares, and the Ciénaga de San Juan, which covers 700 hectares. These environmental improvements have also helped the mexcalpique, a local endemic fish species, increase its presence across more than 1,200 hectares.