March 21 - April 4, 1998
by Lynn Voit and John Riddell
Muchas gracias to all of the people who responded to the RFI for the Jalisco and Colima that Lynn Vogt and John Riddell posted some months ago. We live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and flew to Puerto Vallarta on March 21, 1998 for a 2 week vacation/birding trip. John is a Biologist who has been teaching Bird Identification classes for over 20 years at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary in Calgary. Lynn works with Aquatic Insects and has been birding 5 years.
Resources:
Howell & Webb: A Guide to the Birds of Mexico
Peterson: Mexican Birds
National Geographic Society: Field Guide to the Birds of North America
Escalante, Sada and Gil: Listado de Nombres Comunes de las Aves de Mexico
Sites visited: Puerto Vallarta area (includes North of PV, in PV, South of PV following Highway 200 and birding at Mismaloya and near Chico's Paradise Restaurant area), El Tuito (in the town, at the Altamira Restaurant grounds, and on the Quarry Road at 174.5 km from PV on Highway 200), Southern Nayarit (Islas Marietas, Punta Mita, Nuevo Vallarta), and Chamela (stopping at various areas between P. Vallarta and Chamela).
Hotel: Las Palmas Beach Resort, Blvd. Francisco Medina Ascencio Km 2.5, P. Vallarta (Mexican owned): March 21 - April 4, 1998
Transportation: Boat trip to Islas Marietas, and car rental for 4 days in order to drive South to El Tuito and Chamela area. We hoped to drive to Manzanillo but found it was going to take far longer than expected and be too expensive paying for two hotels for the same nite. So we birded the area around El Tuito and then drove as far as Chamela on one day, reaching it at about 2:30 p.m. We did not go to the Biosphere nearby as it was extremely hot outside and we felt the chances of seeing much at that point were slim. There were two Military Checkpoints between El Tuito and Chamela but they waved us through on our way South, and then stopped us on our way back North, asking us for tobacco (which we did not have). They stopped most Mexicans and searched many vehicles, but were not bothering tourists.
Species seen:
CP= Chico's Paradise Restaurant area, south of Vallarta along Highway 200
ET= El Tuito
Hotel= Las Palmas Beach Resort, P. Vallarta
IM= Islas Marietas
NV= Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit
PV= Puerto Vallarta
| COMMON NAME | SCIENTIFIC NAME | WHERE OBSERVED |
| Pied-billed Grebe | Podilymbus podiceps | - |
| Black Storm-Petrel | Oceamodroma melania | seen from Hotel and from IM |
| Blue-footed Booby | Sula nebouxii | seen from Hotel and IM |
| Brown Booby | Sula leucogaster | - |
| Brown Pelican | Pelecanus occidentalis | - |
| Double-crested Cormorant | Phalacrocorax auritus | seen from Hotel |
| Neotropic Cormorant | Phalacrocorax brasilianus | - |
| Magnificent Frigatebird | Fregata magnificens | - |
| Great Egret | Casmerodius albus | - |
| Snowy Egret | Egretta thula | - |
| Little Blue Heron | Egretta caerulea | - |
| Cattle Egret | Bubulcus ibis | - |
| Green Heron | Butorides virescens | - |
| Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Nyctanassa violacea | - |
| White Ibis | Eudocimus albus | - |
| White-faced Ibis | Plegadis chihi | 1 NE of PV |
| Wood Stork | Mycteria americana | 4 in PV, along creek next to Holiday Inn, PV |
| Black-bellied Whistling-Duck | Dendrocygna autumnalis | NV |
| Blue-winged Teal | Anas discors | - |
| Black Vulture | Coragyps atratus | - |
| Turkey Vulture | Cathartes aura | - |
| Osprey | Pandion haliaetus | 1 at Punta Mita, Nayarit |
| White-tailed Kite | Elanus leucurus | 1 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | Accipiter straitus | 1 near CP |
| Cooper's Hawk | Accipiter cooperii | - |
| Gray Hawk | Buteo nitidus | - |
| Short-tailed Hawk | Buteo brachyurus | - 1, dark phase in PV |
| Red-tailed Hawk | Buteo jamacensis | - 2, ET |
| Crested Caracara | Caracara plancus | - 2 adults, on Highway 200 approx. 1/2 way from ET to Chamela |
| American Kestrel | Falco sparverius | - |
| Chachalaca species, heard only | - | - |
| Elegant Quail | Callipepla douglasii | - |
| Common Moorhen | Gallinula cholorpus | 4 in NV |
| American Coot | Fulica americana | - |
| Killdeer | Charadrius vociferus | - |
| Northern Jacana | Jacana spinosa | 13 at NV and 2 at ET |
| Willet | Catoptrophorus semipalmatus | - |
| Spotted Sandpiper | Actitis macularia | - |
| Whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus | - |
| Marbled Godwit | Limosa fedoa | - |
| Laughing Gull | Larus atricilla | - |
| Franklin's Gull | Larus pipixcan | - |
| Heermann's Gull | Larus heermanni | - |
| Sabine's Gull | Xema sabini | 3 seen from boat to IM |
| Royal Tern | Stena maxima | - |
| Forster's Tern | Sterna forsteri | - |
| Rock Dove | Columba livia | - |
| Red-billed Pigeon | Columba flavirostris | - |
| White-winged Dove | Zenaida asiatica | - |
| Inca Dove | Columbina inca | - |
| Common Ground-Dove | Columbina passerina | - |
| Ruddy Ground-Dove | Columbina talpacoti | - |
| Orange-fronted Parakeet | Arantinga canicularis | - |
| Military Macaw | Ara militaris | 2 seen NE of PV, and 2 seen on Quarry Rd. near ET |
| Mexican Parrotlet | Forpus cyanopygius | - |
| Lilac-crowned Parrot | Amazona finschi | - approx. 70 seen in PV area |
| Squirrel Cuckoo | Piaya cayana | 1 between Mismaloya and PV along Highway 200 |
| Lesser Ground-Cuckoo | morococcyx erythropygus | 1 NE of P.Vallarta |
| Groove-billed Ani | Crotophaga sulcirostris | - |
| Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl | Glaucidium brasilianum | 1 seen near CP and many heard near PV |
| Large Owl species | - | 1 seen flying one evening from a building near the Hotel |
| White-collared Swift | Streptoprocne zonaris | 100 seen in a single flock near CP along Highway 200 observed twice on 2 different days |
| Vaux's Swift | Chaetura vauxi | - |
| Fork-tailed Emerald | Cholorstilbon canivetii | 2 |
| Broad-billed Hummingbird | Cynanthus latirostris | - |
| Berylline Hummingbird | Amazilia beryllina | - |
| Cinnamon Hummingbird | Amazilia rutila | - |
| Violet-crowned Hummingbird | Amazilia violiceps | 1 JR only - |
| Plain-capped Starthroat | Heliomaster constantii | - |
| Sparkling-tailed Hummingbird | Tilmatura dupontii | 1 near CP note: referred to as above in Peterson and as Philodice dupontii |
| Sparkling-tailed Woodnymph | - in Howell & Webb. | |
| Black-chinned Hummingbird | Archilochus alexandri | - |
| Bumblebee Hummingbird | Atthis heloisa | 1 seen near CP |
| Citreoline Trogon | Trogon citreolus | - |
| Elegant Trogon | Trogon elegans | - |
| Russet-crowned Motmot | Momotus mexicanus | - |
| Belted Kingfisher | Ceryle alcyon | - |
| Green Kingfisher | Chloroceryle americana | 1 in PV note: far fewer Kingfishers observed this year than in previous visits to PV |
| Acorn Woodpecker | Melanerpes formicivorus | - |
| Golden-cheeked Woodpecker | Meanerpes chrysogenys | - |
| Pale-billed Woodpecker | Campephilus guatemalensis | 1 on Quarry Road near ET |
| Ivory-billed Woodcreeper | Xiphorhynchus flavigaster | - |
| White-striped Woodcreeper | Lepidocolaptes Leucogaster | - |
| No. Beardless-Tyrannulet | Camptostoma imberbe | 1 in PV |
| Greenish Elaenia | Myiopagis viridicata | - |
| Greater Pewee | Contopus pertinax | - |
| Western Wood-Peewee | Contopus sordidulus | - |
| Western Flycatcher species | Empidonax difficilis/occidentalis | -observed but not heard |
| Bright-rumped Attila | Attila spadiceus | 1 along Highway 200 at 185.4 km at Puente la Puerta |
| Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Myiarchus tuberculifer | - |
| Nutting's Flycatcher | Myiarchus nuttingi | 1 seen along Highway 200 at same stop as Crested Caracara's |
| Brown-crested Flycatcher | Myiarchus tyrannulus | - |
| Great Kiskadee | Pitangus suphuratus | - |
| Boat-billed Flycatcher | Megarynchus pitangua | - |
| Social Flycatcher | Myiozetetes similis | - |
| Tropical Kingbird | Tyrannus melancholicus | - |
| Thick-billed Kingbird | Tyrannus crassirostris | - |
| Western Kingbird | Tyrannus verticalis | - |
| Rose-throated Becard | Pachyrampus aglaiae | 1 male seen at Punta Mita, Nayarit |
| Masked Tityra | Tityra semifasciata | - |
| Sinoloa Martin | Progne sinaloae | 1 seen at Altamira Restaurant near El Tuito |
| Gray-breasted Martin | Progne chalybea | seen near Los Arcos, Mismaloya |
| Mangrove Swallow | Tachycineta albilinea | seen in NV, Nayarit |
| No. Rough-winged Swallow | Stelgidopteryx serripennis | - |
| Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica | - |
| Black-throated Magpie-Jay | Calocitta colliei | numerous sightings around PV |
| Green Jay | Cyanocorax yncas | - |
| San Blas Jay | Cyanocorax sanblasianus | - |
| Bushtit | Psaltriparus minimus | 6 seen near CP (JR) |
| Spotted Wren | Campylorhynchus gularis | - |
| Sinaloa Wren | Thryothorus sinaloa | - |
| Happy Wren | Thryothorus felix | - |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | Polioptila caerulea | far fewer than seen before in previous visits |
| Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush | Cathaus aurantiirostris | 1 seen by JR, NE of PV |
| White-throated Robin | Turdus assimilis | - |
| Rufous-backed Robin | Turdis rufopalliatus | - |
| Northern Mockingbird | Mimus polyglottos | 1 seen South of PV, along Highway 200 in a town called Jose Maria Morales on route to Chamela |
| Blue Mockingbird | Melanotis caerulescens | - |
| Bell's Vireo | Bireo bellii | - |
| Black-capped Vireo | Bireo atricapillus | 1 seen near CP |
| Cassin's Vireo | Vireo cassini | 2 near PV |
| Plumbeous Vireo | Vireo plumbeus | - |
| Golden Vireo | Vireo hypochryseus | 1 seen on Quarry Rd. near ET, not as common as previous visits |
| Warbling Vireo | Vireo gilvus | - |
| Orange-crowned Warbler | Vermivora celata | - |
| Nashville Warbler | Vermivora ruficapilla | abundant around PV |
| Virginia's Warbler | Vermivora virginiae | 1 seen in Nashville Warbler flock near CP |
| Tropical Parula | Parula pitiayumi | 1 seen on Quarry Rd. near ET |
| Yellow Warbler | Dendroica petechia | abundant in Chamela, fewer seen in PV |
| Chesnut-sided Warbler | Dendroica pensylvanica | 1 seen in PV |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler | Denroica coronata | - |
| Black-throated Gray Warbler | Dendroica nigrescens | - |
| Black-and-white-Warbler | Mniotilta varia | - |
| Northern Waterthrush | Seiurus noveboracensis | 1 in PV along creek at Holiday Inn |
| Louisiana Waterthrush | Seiurus motacilla | 1 in PV along creek at Holiday Inn |
| MacGillivray's Warbler | Oporornis tolmiei | - |
| Common Yellowthroat | Geothlypis trichas | - |
| Wilson's Warbler | Wilsonia pusilla | - |
| Rufous-capped Warbler | Basileuterus rufifrons | 1 seen on Quarry Rd. near ET, fewer than previous years |
| Yellow-breasted Chat | Icteria virens | - |
| Hepatic Tanager | Piranga flava | 1 seen on Quarry Rd. at ET, 2 1 pair - seen near CP |
| Western Tanager | Piranga ludoviciana | - |
| Rosy Thrush-Tanager | Rhodinocichla rosea | 2 1 pair - seen NE of PV |
| Grayish Saltator | Saltator coerulescens | - |
| Yellow Grosbeak | Pheucticus chrysopeplus | more common this year |
| Black-headed Grosbeak | Pheucticus melanocephalus | - |
| Blue Bunting | Cyanocompsa parellina | - |
| Lazuli Bunting | Passerina amoena | 1 seen along Quarry Rd. near ET |
| Varied Bunting | Passerina versicolor | - |
| Blue Grosbeak | guiraca caerulea | - 1 female, P.Vallarta area |
| Indigo Bunting | passerina cyanea | P.Vallarta area |
| Orange-breasted Bunting | Passerina leclancherii | - |
| Painted Bunting | Passerina ciris | - |
| Rusty-crowned Ground-sparrow | Melozone kieneri | 1 seen near CP |
| White-collared Seedeater | Sporophila torqueloa | - |
| Stripe-headed Sparrow | Aimophila ruficauda | - |
| Chipping Sparrow | Spizella passerina | seen south of PV along Highway 200 at 185.4 km |
| Grasshopper Sparrow | Ammodramus savannarum | 1 seen along Highway 200 with Crested Caracara's |
| Lincoln's Sparrow | Melospiza lincolnii | 1 seen along creek near Holiday Inn in PV |
| Great-tailed Grackle | Quiscalus mexicanus | - |
| Bronzed Cowbird | Molothrus aeneus | - |
| Orchard Oriole | Icterus spurius | - |
| Streak-backed Oriole | Icterus pustulatus | - |
| Northern Baltimore - Oriole | Icterus galbula | - |
| Northern Bullock's - Oriole | Icterus bullockii | - |
| Yellow-winged cacique | Caciiicus melanicterus | - |
| Black-headed Siskin | Carduelis notata | - |
| House Sparrow | Passer domesticus | - |
166 species seen/heard
We might also add that the "jejenes" (no-see-ums) were extremely bad this year along any streams/rivers. The weather was extremely hot and humid in Vallarta, with areas such as Punta Mita and Chamela hot and dry. The temperature of the ocean was warm, due of course to El Nino.
Thanks to all the people who responded to our RFI, and to others who had their Trip Reports in the archives, for their help in making this a wonderful trip. Mexico is a delightful country with friendly people who were always willing to help tourists find their way around the countryside.
Lynn Vogt and John Riddell
vogtl@cadvision.com
#5201- 315 Southampton Drive S.W.
Calgary, Alberta
CANADA T2P 2T6 phone: 403-259-5723