The Avifauna of the Tres Marias Islands, Mexico

THE bird life of the Tres Marias Islands, off the west coast of Mexico, has been of interest to ornithologists since the time it was first brought to their attention by Andrew Jackson Grayson in 1865. Known historically since early in the 16th century, the islands were visited by early maritime explorers and served as a base for buccaneers operating along the Pacific coast of Mexico. In spite of this long period of contact by seafaring men, the islands even today are rather poorly charted and there exists a great deal of erroneous information regarding the immediate waters surrounding this insular chain.