On my first morning in Huatulco, Mexico, I found a hidden pathway leading to Las Brisas Huatulco’s front lobby. As I made my way past a small hidden beach and a wild array of foliage (aloe vera sitting side-by-side with flower of may anyone?), I heard a loud squawk and a rustle in the trees. I stopped and stared, entranced by what appeared to be a half-dozen oversized bluebirds hopping up and down the branches.
I had time to spare, so I climbed a set of stairs to get a better view. I grew up in a birding family, and though I’m not an avid birdwatcher myself (sorry Mom and Dad!), I knew enough about this bird to know it wasn’t a typical bluebird. In fact, it wasn’t a bluebird at all. From head-to-tip of tail, the birds probably measured at least a foot and a half long. The chest was white while the tail was a deep blue. A poof of feathers crowned its head.
This wasn’t the last time I encountered the unusual bird during my stay. In fact, bird watching is popular in this part of the state of Oaxaca because of the diverse and colorful bird population. So popular, in fact, that Las Brisas offers a morning birdwatching excursion. It was then that I put a name to the unusual blue bird: A white-throated magpie jay.
