A bird with multiple personalities

One of the most interesting characters in the animal kingdom is living among us here in Los Cabos. We are talking about a medium-sized raptor with a bold white and black plumage pattern, and a bright yellow face and legs.

This bird, due to the conditions of the ecosystems it inhabits, presents various and unique adaptations. This bird lives solitary or with its mate, who stays loyal for all its life like most falcons and eagles do. It is the only falcon that nests and it usually does this on rocks or small bushes.

It feeds on small rodents, lizards and other birds, but its principal meal comes from carrion. The Crested Caracara, Mexican Eagle or Quelele also plays the role of a buzzard, taking any chance to have a feast on the carcasses of dead animals. This contributes to the cleansing process, which is very important in the desert environment where dryness makes the rotting process impossible. One of its principal adaptations is the lengthening of the legs which allows it to walk or even run, making it unique among all falcons.

The Caracaras were persecuted for a long time, almost to the point of extinction in several states because people used to believe that they stole the calves of cattle. Recently they have become a protected species and some populations are becoming stable again.

So do not lose the chance of exploring all these wonders and remember to keep your eyes open.

The Arch of Stone

We are living one of the greatest adventures on the planet as are all the other inhabitants of this land too. We are sailing away in a northwest direction at 1.6 inches a year on a boat known as The Baja California Peninsula. According to the Continental Drift Theory, the surface (crust) of the planet is divided into many floating pieces (something similar to a soccer ball but with irregular shapes instead of hexagons) that are moving and crashing against each other. We are at the edge of one of these called The Pacific Plate. The rest of México, with the USA and Canada, are on the North American Plate, which is pushing us.

This has been happening for millions of years and it is the reason why the Peninsula and the Gulf were created 6 million years ago. During this time life has adapted and specialized due to climatic changes also. Can you imagine that this place was a tropical forest just 2 million years ago? We have one of the highest rates of “ENDEMIC” (plants and animals living exclusively in one region) species in the world, beaten just by Australia, a Continent! Researchers from all around the world are interested in places like this to try to understand how life has evolved on our planet, due to the huge diversity of species and “local” climates.

We are facing a huge challenge as we live on Nature’s Ultimate Experimental Field. We MUST not just admire and enjoy it but also preserve it. Let us respect all the other species who live with us on this Ark of stone. Do you dare to accept the challenge?