Omiltemi Ecological State Park is a protected area in southern Mexico. It is located in the

Sierra Madre del Sur The Sierra Madre del Sur is a mountain range in southern Mexico, extending from southern Michoacán east through Guerrero, to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in eastern Oaxaca. Geography The Sierra Madre del Sur joins with the Eje Volcánico Transv ...

of Guerrero. The park includes well-preserved pine–oak forests and cloud forests.

Geography

Omiltemi Ecological State Park is located in the Sierra Madre del Sur, 15 km west of Chilpancingo. The topography is rugged, with steep slopes and deep gorges. Elevations range from 1800 to 2800 meters.

Flora and fauna

The park is in the

Sierra Madre del Sur pine–oak forests The Sierra Madre del Sur pine–oak forests is a tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, subtropical coniferous forest ecoregion in the Sierra Madre del Sur mountain range of southern Mexico. Setting The Sierra Madre del Sur pine–oak fore ...

ecoregion. Plant communities include pine forest, pine–oak forest, cloud forest, oak forest, humid oak forest, and areas of dry scrub. The forests of the reserve are some of the best-preserved in Guerrero. 595 species of vascular plants from 102 families have been identified in the park, including 103 species orchids in 41 genera. 167 species of birds have been recorded. 79% of species are permanent residents, 18% are winter residents, 1% are summer residents, and 2% are of uncertain seasonality.BirdLife International (2021) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Omiltemi. Accessed 4 October 2021

/ref> 20 species or subspecies are endemic to the Sierra Madre del Sur. Bird species include the

long-tailed wood partridge The long-tailed wood partridge (''Dendrortyx macroura'') is a bird species in the family Odontophoridae, the New World quail. It is endemic, found only in Mexico. Taxonomy and systematics The long-tailed wood partridge shares the genus ''Den ...

(''Dendrortyx macroura''),

singing quail The singing quail (''Dactylortyx thoracicus'') is a species of bird in the family Odontophoridae, the New World quail. It is found in Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. Taxonomy and systematics The singing quail is the only ...

(''Dactylortyx thoracicus''),

banded quail The banded quail (''Philortyx fasciatus'') is a species of bird in the family Odontophoridae. It is found only in Mexico where its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tr ...

(''Philortyx fasciatus''), white-faced quail-dove (''Zentrygon albifacies''),

military macaw The military macaw (''Ara militaris'') is a large parrot and a medium-sized macaw that gets its name from its predominantly green plumage resembling a military parade uniform. It is native to forests of Mexico and South America and though conside ...

(''Ara militaris''),

dusky hummingbird The dusky hummingbird (''Phaeoptila sordida'') is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is endemic to Mexico. Taxonomy and systematics The dusky hummingbird was formerly placed in the genus ...

(''Phaeoptila sordida''),

white-tailed hummingbird The white-tailed hummingbird (''Eupherusa poliocerca'') is a Near Threatened species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is endemic to southwestern Mexico.HBW and BirdLife International (2021) Handboo ...

(''Eupherusa poliocerca''),

pine flycatcher The pine flycatcher (''Empidonax affinis'') is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in the montane tropical and subtropical coniferous forests of Mexico and southwestern Guatemala. A vagrant bird found ...

, (''Empidonax affinis''),

white-throated jay The white-throated jay (''Cyanolyca mirabilis''), also known as the Omiltemi jay, is a species of bird in the family Corvidae. It is endemic to the Sierra Madre del Sur ranges of Mexico. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist monta ...

or Omiltemi jay (''Cyanolyca mirabilis''),

Boucard's wren Boucard's wren (''Campylorhynchus jocosus'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is endemic to Mexico. Taxonomy and systematics Boucard's wren has sometimes been considered conspecific with the spotted wren (''Campylorhynch ...

(''Campylorhynchus jocosus''), Aztec thrush (''Ridgwayia pinicola''), blue mockingbird (''Melanotis caerulescens''), red-headed tanager (''Piranga erythrocephala''), rufous-capped brushfinch (''Atlapetes pileatus''), and white-throated towhee (''Melozone albicollis'').. Endemic and limited-range species include Wagler's toucanet (''Aulacorhynchus wagleri''), white-throated jay, white-tailed hummingbird,

white-striped woodcreeper The white-striped woodcreeper (''Lepidocolaptes leucogaster'') is a species of bird in the Dendrocolaptinae subfamily. It is endemic to Mexico. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical moist monta ...

(''Lepidocolaptes leucogaster''), Aztec thrush, and subspecies of the long-tailed wood partridge. Omiltemi is designated an

Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...

for the presence of the white-tailed hummingbird and white-throated jay. The Omiltemi cottontail (''Sylvilagus insonus'') and Omiltemi minute salamander (''Thorius omiltemi'') are limited to the park and surrounding mountains.

References

{{reflist Protected areas of Guerrero Sierra Madre del Sur Important Bird Areas of Mexico Cloud forests of Mexico