The Cardenales Mission
We are naturalists who practice slow birding—observing birds to build a deep connection with yourself and the place you're in. We are dedicated to building community through birding and learning about nature and the land we live on. We have experienced first-hand the benefits, both physical and mental, of birding and spending time in nature, and it's our pleasure to share it with you through our tours.
Why Birding?
Wellness
Studies show that birding supports physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. Birding allows us to spend time outside, breathe fresh air and explore new places.
Ecotourism
Birding provides an opportunity to explore the Yucatán peninsula in a way that positively impacts the local environment and economy by fostering ecological and cultural awareness.
Community
Birding is for beginners, experts and everyone in between. It's a wonderful way to make new friends, share knowledge and build connections with birders from near and far.
Who We Are
Arturo Rosado
A native of Mérida, Arturo is a bilingual birding guide and outdoorsman.
Allison Russell
Originally from North Carolina and now a Yucatán resident, Allison is a photographer and nature-lover.
About Our Logo
Cardinals are all one species, Cardinalis cardinalis, and various subspecies exist depending on the territory they live in. The subspecies yucatanicus lives in the Yucatán Peninsula and has two varieties that exist in certain areas of Yucatán, flamminger and phillipsi.
The phillipsi variety is restricted to the state’s northern coast, in the same area as the endemic Mexican sheartail hummingbird. These phillipsi cardinals are specialists at inhabiting the dunes of the coast, and they are commonly seen perched on the varejones, or long stalks, of the henequen plants. This variety’s color and diet are as unique as its habitat: if the habitat disappears, this unique variety of cardinal will disappear as well.
For our Colectivo Cardenales logo we chose a pair of coastal cardinals perched on the varejón of a henequen, an image we have seen countless times while traveling and bird-watching along the coast, and one that represents us in our project that we continue to do for the love of birds.