The Nest (aviary)

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

The Nest, also known as El Nido, is a large aviary in Ixtapaluca, State of Mexico. It covers about 7 hectares (17 acres) and houses more than 300 bird species from Mexico and other parts of the world, including South America, Africa, and Asia. It is considered one of the most diverse aviaries in the world and the third largest in Latin America. The logo features a quetzal, the bird that was first bred in captivity there.

The Nest was founded in the 1960s by veterinarian Jesús López Estudillo as a civil association to protect endangered birds. He bought land with thousands of trees to recreate natural habitats and to run breeding programs for threatened species. The site began as a research and conservation project and opened to the public in 2003 as an environmental education center to teach people, especially young generations, about conservation.

Today, the aviary includes areas for different wildlife beyond birds, such as cats (jaguars, tigers, panthers), primates (spider monkeys), and birds of prey (falcons, hawks, owls, and golden eagles). It focuses on many Mexican species—especially from Chiapas and Yucatán—as well as birds from other continents, including toucans, herons, flamingos, peacocks, and macaws. The quetzal remains a key symbol of El Nido, reflecting the site’s early success in breeding this iconic bird. The quetzal typically breeds once a year, laying two eggs.