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MEXICO -- YUCATAN

10 - 19 March 2001

by Jim Hengeveld

This past spring break (March, 2001), Susan & I traveled to the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico with Chris Wood and Stephanie Hanson to do some birding.  We were primarily interested in finding the specialties and endemics of the Yucatan but we also wanted to explore Calakmul at the base of the peninsula and to visit Palenque, Chiapas, if only briefly.  Our itinerary was perhaps a bit ambitious but we were successful in finding most of the Yucatan specialties, managed to explore some of the Mayan ruins, and even enjoyed a day of snorkeling on I.  Cozumel.  Collectively, we saw/heard 309 species plus several other distinctive subspecies (or species) (Ridgeway's Rough-w.  Swallow, Cozumel Wren, Golden Warbler, Mangrove Warbler).

During the week prior to our departure, I was beginning to hear Blue-crowned Motmots (a dog barking on the north side of the lake), Red-crowned Ant-Tanagers (Tufted Titmice), Collared Forest-Falcons (Ring-billed Gulls out on the flats), and Yellow-olive Flycatchers (a squeaking Eur.  Starling across the channel) from our backyard on Lk.  Lemon, northeast of Bloomington, IN.  I knew it was time to leave for our Yucatan trip.

Despite the seemingly obligate snafus that accompany international travel (our reserved "4X4," a Geo Tracker, was barely big enough to fit four people--forget about luggage!; so we squeezed into a relatively small car provided by a different rental company and returned the following day for a slightly bigger 2-wheel-drive car), things went pretty smoothly, and no one got sick.

Sites visited:

3/10:  Dr. Alfredo Barrera M.  Botanical Gardens near Puerto Morelos in am; Tulum in afternoon; Felipe Carillo Puerto in evening

3/11:  Felipe Carillo Puerto in am; travel to the entrance (on Highway 186) to Calakmul Biosphere Reserve in afternoon

3/12:  Calakmul all day

3/13:  Calakmul in am; travel to Palenque through Usumacinta marshes in pm

3/14:  San Manuel Road (near Palenque) in am; La Libertad Road in evening

3/15:  Palenque in am; travel (again via Usu.  marshes) to Celestun in afternoon & evening

3/16:  Celestun area, including boat ride to see flamingos, in am; travel to Coba in pm

 3/17: Coba in am; travel to I.  Cozumel in afternoon

3/18:  Cozumel (south) in am; snorkeling in pm

3/19:  Cozumel (north) in am; back to Cancun in afternoon for return flight

Highlights:

-22 raptor species (+ 4 vulture spp.), including a close fly-by of an adult BLACK HAWK-EAGLE at Palenque

-lots of OCELLATED TURKEYS, a CRESTED GUAN, and 2 GREAT CURASSOWS at Calakmul

-an early morning of birding on the Vigia Chico Road at Felipe Carillo Puerto on 3/11, where we heard COMMON PAURAQUES, YUCATAN NIGHTJARS and YUCATAN POORWILLS, FERRUGINOUS PYGMY-OWLS and a MOTTLED OWL; Chris also heard a NO.  POTOO

-a SPOTTED RAIL that we heard in the evening at Lake Coba; unfortunately, we never did get a look at it

-a RUFOUS-NECKED WOOD-RAIL (found by Stephanie) walking along the mangrove edge just east of the bridge at Celestun

-the huge pink swarms of GREATER FLAMINGOS (~3000) on the boat ride at Celestun; poling with the motor off, we approached to within ~20m; also on the boat ride--several AM.  PYGMY KINGFISHERS, one of 5 kingfishers spp.  that we saw

-a pair of DOUBLE-STRIPED THICK-KNEES in a field just north of La Libertad

-a MEXICAN (BLACK-FACED) ANTTHRUSH at an ant swarm just several feet off of the path at Calakmul; other species at this and another nearby ant swarm included GRAY-THROATED CHAT, HOODED WARBLER, RED-THR.  & RED-CR.  ANT-TANAGERS, TAWNY-WINGED & RUDDY WOODCREEPERS, & (a good record for) a STRONG-BILLED WOODCREEPER

-BLUE-CROWNED & TURQUOISE-BROWED MOTMOTS are always a treat, regardless of how many you see

-all of the endemics/specialty species that we saw; besides the species already mentioned, we saw: BLACK-THROATED BOBWHITE (Celestun), CARIBBEAN DOVE (several places; common on Cozumel); YUCATAN (YELLOW-LORED) PARROT (several locations); WEDGE-TAILED SABREWING (several locations); COZUMEL EMERALD (I.  Cozumel); CANIVET'S EMERALD (several locations); MEXICAN SHEARTAIL (Celestun); YUCATAN (RED-VENTED) WOODPECKER (several locations); RUFOUS-BREASTED SPINETAIL (Palenque); YUCATAN FLYCATCHER (several locations); COZUMEL VIREO (I.  Cozumel); YUCATAN JAY (several locations); RIDGWAY'S (NORTHERN) ROUGH-W.  SWALLOW (Tulum, Celestun); YUCATAN WREN (Celestun); WHITE-BROWED (CAROLINA) WREN (Calakmul); COZUMEL (HOUSE) WREN (I.  Cozumel); WHITE-BELLIED WREN (several locations); BLACK CATBIRD (Felipe Carillo Puerto, Calakmul, v.  common on I.  Cozumel); BANANAQUIT (I.  Cozumel); ROSE-THROATED TANAGER (Felipe Carillo Puerto); WESTERN SPINDALIS (Stripe-h.  Tanager) (I.  Cozumel); GREEN-BACKED SPARROW (several locations); ORANGE ORIOLE (Tulum, Coba); unfortunately, we missed Gray-collared Becard

It was a fun trip.  We wish we could have spent more time in the Palenque area and at Calakmul.  In fact, we could have easily spent the entire time at those two locations.  However, we were glad we saw what we did.

TRIP SPECIES LIST

Refer to narrative for locations visited each day.

x = 10-50 individuals
X = 50-100 individuals
XX = >100 individuals
 
Date March ___ 2001 09  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19 
Great Tinamou - - - - - - H2 - - - -
Thicket Tinamou - H3 H5 H5 H5 - - - - -
Least Grebe - - - - - - - - -
Pied-billed Grebe - - - - - - - - x - -
American White Pelican - - - - - 60  - - - -
Brown Pelican - - - - - x x x x x
Neotropic Cormorant - - - - x x x x x - -
Double-crested Cormorant - - - - - - - X X - X
Magnificent Frigatebird - - - - - x x - x x
Least Bittern - - - - - - - - - -
Bare-throated TigerHeron - - - - - - - -
Great Blue Heron - - - - x x x x x - -
Cattle Egret - x - - XX XX XX x - - x
Snowy Egret - x - - XX XX XX x x x x
Great Egret - x - - XX XX XX x x x x
Little Blue Heron - x - X X X x x - x
Tricolored Heron - x - - X X X x - - -
Green Heron - - - - - -
Black-crowned NightHeron - - - - - - - -
Yellow-crowned NightHeron - - - - x - x - - -
Boat-billed Heron - - - - - - - - - -
White Ibis - - - - - x x - - x
Glossy Ibis - - - - - - 17  - - - -
Roseate Spoonbill - - - - - - - - - -
Wood Stork - - - - 10  10  10  - - - -
Greater Flamingo - - - - - - - 3000  - - -
Black Vulture x X X X X X X X X X X
Turkey Vulture x X X X X x X X X x x
Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture - - - - - - -
King Vulture - - - - - - - - - -
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck - - - - 10,000  - 10,000  - - - -
Fulvous Whistling-Duck - - - - - - - - - -
Muscovy Duck - - - - - - - - - -
Blue-winged Teal - - x x x x x - - X
Northern Shoveler - - - - x - x x - - -
Osprey - - - - - - -
Swallow-tailed Kite - - - - - - - - -
Hook-billed Kite - - - - - - - - - -
White-tailed Kite - - - - - - - - -
Snail Kite - - - - - - - - -
Double-toothed Kite - - - - - - - - -
Black-collared Hawk - - - - - - - -
Crane Hawk - - - - - - - - -
Gray Hawk - - - - - - -
Common BlackHawk - - - - - - - -
Great BlackHawk - - - - - - - - - -
Roadside Hawk - - - - -
Short-tailed Hawk - - - - - - - - -
Zone-tailed Hawk - - - - - - - - -
Black Hawk-Eagle - - - - - - - - - -
Collared Forest-Falcon - - - - H - - - H - -
Crested Caracara - - - - x x x - - - -
Laughing Falcon - - H - - - H - -
American Kestrel - - - - - - X -
Aplomado Falcon - - - - - - - - -
Bat Falcon - - - - - - - -
Peregrine Falcon - - - - - - - - - -
Plain Chachalaca - x - x x x - - - - -
Crested Guan - - - - - - - - - -
Great Curassow - - - - - - - - - -
Ocellated Turkey - - - x x - - - - - -
Black-throated Bobwhite - - - - - - - - - -
Ruddy Crake - - - - - - - - -
Spotted Rail - - - - - - - H1 - - -
Rufous-necked Wood-Rail - - - - - - - - - -
Gray-necked Wood-Rail - - - - - - - - -
Purple Gallinule - - - - x - - - - -
Common Moorhen - - - - x - - 10  - -
American Coot - - - - x - x x - -
Limpkin - - - - - - -
Double-striped Thick-knee - - - - - - - - - -
Black-bellied Plover - - - - - - - - -
Black-necked Stilt - - - - x x x - - -
Northern Jacana - x - - X X X - - - -
Greater Yellowlegs - - - - - - - - - -
Lesser Yellowlegs - - - - - - - - -
Solitary Sandpiper - - - - - - - - - -
Willet - - - - - - - - - -
Spotted Sandpiper - - - - - - -
Ruddy Turnstone - - - - - - - - -
Sanderling - - - - - - - x - x x
Least Sandpiper - - - - - - -
Pectoral Sandpiper - - - - - - - 18  - - -
Laughing Gull - - - - - X X X - - -
Ring-billed Gull - - - - - - - - - -
Caspian Tern - - - - - - - -
Royal Tern - - - - - - x - - -
Sandwich Tern - - - - - - - x - -
Pale-vented Pigeon - - - - x x - - - - -
White-crowned Pigeon - - - - - - - - x x x
Red-billed Pigeon x x x x - - x - - -
Rock Dove - x x - x x x x x - x
White-winged Dove - x x x x x x x x x x
Common Ground-Dove - - - - - - - -
Plain-breasted Ground-Dove - - - - - - - - - -
Ruddy Ground-Dove - x x - x x x x x x x
Blue Ground-Dove - - Hx Hx x - - - - - -
White-tipped Dove - x x x x x x x - - -
Gray-fronted Dove - - - H - - - - - - -
Caribbean Dove - - H x x - - - x x x
Gray-chested Dove - - - - - - H - - - -
Ruddy Quail-Dove - - - - - - - - - -
Olive-throated (Aztec) Parakeet x x x x x x x x - -
White-crowned Parrot - - - - - x x - - - -
White-fronted Parrot x x x x x x - - x - -
Red-lored Parrot - - - - - x - - - - -
Yellow-lored (Yucatan) Parrot - - - - - x x x
Mangrove Cuckoo - - - - - - - - - -
Squirrel Cuckoo - - -
Striped Cuckoo - - - - - 1H - - - - -
Pheasant Cuckoo - - - - - - - - 1H - -
Groove-billed Ani x - - - x x x x x - -
Vermiculated Screech-Owl - - - - 1H 1H - - - - -
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl - - - -
Mottled Owl - - 1H - - - 1H - 1H - -
Lesser Nighthawk - - - - - - - -
Common Pauraque - - 5H 5H 2H 3H
Yucatan Poorwill - - 2H - - - - - 3H - -
Yucatan Nightjar - - 4H 4H 4H - - - 3H - -
Northern Potoo - - 1H - - - - - - - -
White-collared Swift - - - - - X XX - - - -
Chimney Swift - - - - - - - - - -
Vaux's Swift x x x x - - x - x x x
Long-tailed Hermit - - - - - - - - -
Wedge-tailed Sabrewing - - - - - - -
White-necked Jacobin - - - - - - - - - -
Green-breasted Mango - - - - - - - -
Cozumel Emerald - - - - - - - - -
Canivet's Emerald - - - - - -
White-bellied Emerald - - - -
Azure-crowned Hummingbird - - - - - - - - - -
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird - - - - - - - - -
Buff-bellied Hummingbird - - - - - - - - - -
Cinnamon Hummingbird - - - - - - -
Mexican Sheartail - - - - - - - - - -
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - - - - - - - -
Black-headed Trogon - - - - - -
Violaceous Trogon - - - - - -
Collared Trogon - - - - - - - - -
Blue-crowned Motmot - - - - - - -
Turquoise-browed Motmot - - - - - - -
Ringed Kingfisher - - - - - - - -
Belted Kingfisher - - - - - -
Amazon Kingfisher - - - - - - - - -
Green Kingfisher - - - - - - - -
American Pygmy Kingfisher - - - - - - - - - -
White-necked Puffbird - - - - - - - - - -
Collared Aracari - - - - 10  - - - - -
Keel-billed Toucan - - x - - - -
Black-cheeked Woodpecker - - - - - - - - - -
Red-vented Woodpecker - - - - - -
Golden-fronted Woodpecker - - -
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - - - - - - - - - -
Ladder-backed Woodpecker - - - - - - - - - -
Smoky-brown Woodpecker - - - - - - - - -
Golden-olive Woodpecker - - - - - -
Chestnut-colored Woodpecker - - - - - - - - - -
Lineated Woodpecker - - - - -
Pale-billed Woodpecker - - -
Rufous-breasted Spinetail - - - - - - - - - -
Plain Xenops - - 1H - - - - - - - -
Strong-billed Woodcreeper - - - - - - - - - -
Tawny-winged Woodcreeper - - - - - - - - -
Ruddy Woodcreeper - - - - - - - - -
Northern Barred-Woodcreeper - - - - - - - - -
Ivory-billed Woodcreeper - - -
Barred Antshrike - - - - -
Black-faced (Mexican) Antthrush - - - - - - - - - -
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet - - - - - -
Greenish Elaenia - - - - - - - - -
Caribbean Elaenia - - - - - - - - -
Yellow-bellied Elaenia - - - - - - - - - -
Ochre-bellied Flycatcher - - - - - - - - -
Sepia-capped Flycatcher - - - - - 2H - - - - -
Northern Bentbill - - 2H 2H 1H 2H - - - -
Common Tody-Flycatcher - - - - - - - - -
Eye-ringed Flatbill - - - - - - - - - -
Yellow-olive Flycatcher - x x x x x - x - - -
Stub-tailed Spadebill - - - - - - - - -
Royal Flycatcher - - - - - - - - -
Olive-sided Flycatcher - - - - - - - - -
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher - - - - - - - - -
Acadian Flycatcher - - - - - - - - - -
Least Flycatcher - - - - -
Vermilion Flycatcher - - - - - - - -
Bright-rumped Attila -
Rufous Mourner - - - - - 1H - - - - -
Yucatan Flycatcher - - - - - - -
Dusky-capped Flycatcher - - - - - - -
Great Crested Flycatcher - - - - - - -
Brown-crested Flycatcher - - - - - - -
Great Kiskadee - x x - x x x - x - -
Boat-billed Flycatcher - - - -
Social Flycatcher - x x x x x x - x - -
Western Kingbird - - - - - - - - - -
Tropical Kingbird x x x - x x x x x x x
Couch's Kingbird - - - - - - -
Fork-tailed Flycatcher - - - - - - -
Rufous Piha - - - - - 1H - - - - -
Rose-throated Becard - - - -
Masked Tityra - - - - - -
White-collared Manakin - - - - - 2H - - - - -
White-eyed Vireo - x x x x x x x x - -
Mangrove Vireo - - - - - - -
Cozumel Vireo - - - - - - - - -
Yellow-throated Vireo - - -
Red-eyed Vireo - - - - - - - -
Yellow-green Vireo - - - - - - - - - -
Yucatan Vireo - - x - - - - - - x x
Lesser Greenlet - - - - - -
Green Shrike-Vireo - - - - - - - - - -
Rufous-browed Peppershrike - - -
Green Jay - x - x - x - -
Brown Jay - x x x x x x x x - -
Yucatan Jay x x x x - - x - - -
Purple Martin - x - x x - - - x x x
Gray-breasted Martin - - - - - - -
Mangrove Swallow - - - - - -
Northern Rough-winged Swallow - - - - - x x - - - -
Ridgeway's No. Rough-w. Swallow - - - - - - - - -
Cave Swallow - 10  - - - - - - - - -
Barn Swallow - x - - - - x x x - x
Yucatan Wren - - - - - - - - - -
Spot-breasted Wren - x - - -
Carolina (White-browed) Wren - - - - - - - - -
(Southern) House Wren - - - - - - - - -
(Cozumel) House Wren - - - - - - - - -
White-bellied Wren - - - - - - -
White-breasted Wood-Wren - - - - - - - -
Long-billed Gnatwren - - - - - - 2H - - - -
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - - - - - -
White-lored Gnatcatcher - - - - - - - - - -
Tropical Gnatcatcher - - - - - - - -
Swainson's Thrush - - - - - - - - - -
Wood Thrush - - - - - - -
Clay-colored Robin - x x x x x x x x - -
Gray Catbird -
Black Catbird - - - - - - x x
Tropical Mockingbird - x x x x x x x x x x
Cedar Waxwing - - - x x - - - - - -
Blue-winged Warbler - - - - - - - - -
Tennessee Warbler - - - - - - - - - -
Northern Parula - - - - -
Yellow Warbler - - - - - - - -
(Mangrove) Yellow Warbler - - - - - - - - - -
(Golden) Yellow Warbler - - - - - - - - -
Chestnut-sided Warbler - - - - - - - - - -
Magnolia Warbler - x x x x x x x x x -
Yellow-rumped Warbler - - - - - - - -
Black-throated Green Warbler - - -
Yellow-throated Warbler - - - - - - - - - -
Prairie Warbler - - - - - - - - -
Palm Warbler - - - - - - -
Black-and-white Warbler -
American Redstart - x x x x x x x x x x
Prothonotary Warbler - - - - - - - - - -
Worm-eating Warbler - - - - - - - - -
Swainson's Warbler - - - - - - - - - -
Ovenbird - -
Northern Waterthrush -
Kentucky Warbler - - - - - -
Common Yellowthroat - - -
Gray-crowned Yellowthroat - - - - - - - - - -
Hooded Warbler - - - - -
Wilson's Warbler - - - - - - -
Golden-crowned Warbler - - - - - - - - - -
Rufous-capped Warbler - - - - - - - - - -
Yellow-breasted Chat - - - - - - - - -
Gray-throated Chat - - - - - - - -
Bananaquit - - - - - - - -
Red-crowned Ant-Tanager - - - - - - - - -
Red-throated Ant-Tanager - - - - - -
Rose-throated Tanager - - - - - - - - - -
Summer Tanager - - - -
Crimson-collared Tanager - - - - - - - - - -
Passerini's Tanager - - - - - - - - - -
Western Spindalis - - - - - - - - - -
Blue-gray Tanager - - - - - - - - -
Yellow-winged Tanager - - - - - - - - -
Scrub Euphonia - - - -
Yellow-throated Euphonia - - - - - - -
Golden-hooded Tanager - - - - - - - - - -
Red-legged Honeycreeper - - - - - -
Blue-black Grassquit - - - - x x x - - - -
White-collared Seedeater - - - - x - -
Thick-billed Seed-Finch - - - - - - - - - -
Yellow-faced Grassquit - - - - - - - - - x x
Grassland Yellow-Finch - - - - - - - - -
Orange-billed Sparrow - - - - - - - - - -
Green-backed Sparrow - - - - - -
Grayish Saltator - - - - - - - - -
Buff-throated Saltator - - - - - - - - -
Black-headed Saltator - x - - - -
Northern Cardinal - - - - -
Rose-breasted Grosbeak - - - - - - - -
Blue Bunting - - - - - - - -
Blue Grosbeak - - - - - - - -
Indigo Bunting - x x x x x x x - x x
Painted Bunting - - - - - - - - -
Red-winged Blackbird - x - - x x x x - - -
Eastern Meadowlark - - - - - - - - -
Melodious Blackbird - x x x x x x x x - x
Great-tailed Grackle x XX XX - XX XX XX XX XX XX XX
Bronzed Cowbird - x - - - - - - - -
Black-cowled Oriole - - - - - - - -
Orchard Oriole - - - - - -
Hooded Oriole - - - - - - - - -
Yellow-backed Oriole - - - - - - - -
Orange Oriole - - - - - - - - -
Altamira Oriole - - - - -
Baltimore Oriole - - - - - -
Yellow-billed Cacique - - - - - - - - - -
Montezuma Oropendola - - - - - - - - - -

selected mammals

Cent. American Agouti
Gray Fox
Yucatan Squirrel
Black Howler Monkey
Spider Monkey
numerous bat spp.

____________________
Dr. James Hengeveld
jhengeve@indiana.edu
 





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