For a good idea of what species can be found in the Puerto Penasco area during the winter, look over the species that have been found over the last few years of Christmas Bird Counts. The cumulative list of C.B.C. species since I started compiling the count in 1989 is over 230 species. It is not to hard to find 100 species in a full day of birding in the winter.
To access CBC data, go to the Audubon Web Page at:       http://www.audubon.org/bird/cbc/index.html
Once there pick historical data, then at the bottom of the page is "By Count". Then you just pick Mexico for the country and MXPP for the count. Then the year or years you want to look at. It may sound complicated, but it is very easy to use.

While winter is a pleasant time to bird at Puerto Penasco, migration is also a good time to see many species not found in the winter. The checklist for Puerto Penasco as of 2006 is over 330 species. April and May are good for spring migrants and September and October are good for fall land bird migration. Shorebirds have a slightly different schedule with their fall migration starting as early as the first week of July. The many species of gulls that winter at Puerto Penasco typically do not arrive until cold weather hits to the north and late November through February are good months to find as many as 15 species of gulls and terns.

All the information that I have gathered over the years has been put into the Checklist of the Birds of the Puerto Penasco   Region. Please send me your sightings so I can keep this list current.

There are many hotels in town to stay at as well as RV Parks and there is a campground along the road to Cholla Bay at a place called Sandy Beach. Unfortunately the prices have been creeping up as more and more Gringos "discover" Puerto Penasco. Sandy Beach now has many hi-rise condos being built and access to the beach is a little harder and may have a   negative effect on the birding in the area. A golf course has been added that may help but that remains to be seen.
For rooms with a view and good restaurants I usually recommend the Vina del Mar right down on the Malecon within walking distance to many places.

There are several web pages for Puerto Penasco and you can find out lots of information before you travel. One important piece of information for birders is the tide chart. It helps to know when both high and low tides are especially for birding at Cholla Bay. At low tide the birds can be a mile or more farther out. Your best bet is to get there a couple of hours before high tide and have the water push all the birds in to you.

Puerto Penasco Web Pages:
http://www.rockypointonline.com food, hotels, fishing, weather
http://puerto-penasco.com- weather and tide charts here
http://www.rockypointres.com-places to stay
http://rockypoint-mexico.com-places to stay

Hotels - Motels, listed in order of increasing rates

Mar Y Sol phone: 3-31-90
Senorial Hotel phone: 3-20-65
Hotel Villa Granada phone: 3-27-75
Hotel Viña del Mar phone: 3-60-00 or write Apartado Postal #102
Hotel Cortez Vacacional: phone: 3-34-24

Campgrounds:
Tent camping at Sandy Beach-$6 per night w/showers
RVs
Playa de Oro write Apartado Postal #101
Playa Bonita phone: 3-29-60
Playa Miramar phone: 3-20-04
San Rafael phone: 3-26-81

Areas to Bird:
Finding Puerto Penasco's Sewage Ponds
Birding around Pelican Point and Cholla Bay
Birding the Estero Morua and Playa Encanto
Birding around Town and the Harbor
Bird Island and Pelagic Birding