23 January - 20 February 1998
by Greg Roberts
Provinces of Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, Yucatan.
Abbreviations - C = Common. U = Uncommon. Locality abbreviations as below.
Itinerary
West Mexico (WM)
23/1. Arrived Puerto Vallarta (PV) for overnight stay.
24/1. Drove to Chamela Biological Research Station (CBS). Birded a dirt road near Chamela town and thorn forest around the station. Overnight at the station's staff quarters (pre-arranged).
25/1. Drove to Autlan. Birded the Sierra de Autlan at Puerto los Mazos (M) 12 km south of Autlan, walking to the summit. Overnight in motel in Autlan.
26/1. Drove to Gruzman. Birded a dirt road near El Limon and pine and pine-oak forests along the highway in mountains 20-30km west of Gruzman (MG). A side track running south from the highway was particularly fruitful. Overnight in hotel in Gruzman.
27/1. Drove to the summit of Volcano de Nieve (V). The road is good, evidently much better than the road up Volcano de Colima recommended in most reports. Overnight in Gruzman.
28/1. Drove to La Cumbre, a hill of religious significance near Colima. Drove to Playa de Oro near Manzanillo, then to Tepic. Overnight in hotel in Tepic.
29/1. Birded the road through the Cerro de San Juan Ecological Reserve (SJ) near Tepic. Overnight in hotel in San Blas (SB).
30/1. Birded forest and second growth around Singayta and near La Bajada. Overnight in San Blas.
31/1. Birded roads near El Cora and Techuitata, San Blas area. Drove to Bucerias, north of Puerto Vallarta. Overnight in Bucerias.
1/2. Birded cultivated areas near Nuevo Vallarta. Flew to Oaxaca via Mexico City. Overnight in hotel in Tlacolula.
Oaxaca (O)
2/2. Birded Valle De Tlacolula, including hills and dam behind Teotitlan del Valle (T) and the Zapotec ruins at Yagul and Dainzu. Overnight in Tlacolula.
3/2. Drove to the so-called Garbage Gulch (GG) on Highway 175 near Oaxaca, then across the two mountain ranges through pine, pine-oak and cloud forests to Valle Nacional (VN). Overnight in hotel in Valle Nacional.
4/2. Birded the cloud forests of the Sierra Oriental before returning to La Cumbre, a mountain pass above Garbage Gulch on Highway 175. Overnight a few km east of La Cumbra at Del Monte Campemento (cabins).
5/2. Birded the dirt run running north from La Cumbre after paying for entry. Overnight at Del Monte Campemento.
6/2. Birded Garbage Gulch again and the Monte Alban ruins near Oaxaca. Overnight in Oaxaca hotel.
Yucatan (Y)
7/2. Flew to Cancun via Mexico City. Met Chris Corben and Lisa Hug from California. Overnight in Playa del Carmen, south of Cancun.
8/2. Caught the ferry to Isle de Cozumel (IC), birding a side track 7 km east of the town and the road to the San Gervacio ruins. Overnight in Playa del Carmen.
9/2. Drove to Tulum, then to Coba. Overnight in hotel at Coba.
10/2. Birded the ruins and lake at Coba. Overnight in Coba.
11/2. Drove to Filipe Carillo Puerto. Birded the Vigia Chico Road (VC). Overnight in Filipe Carillo hotel.
12/2. Birded the road again. Overnight in Filipe Carillo.
13/2. The Vigia Chico road again. Overnight in Filipe Carillo.
14/2. Drove to Bacalar. Overnight in lakeside hotel 4 km south of Bacalar.
15/2. Birded road to biological research station (BRS) 10 km north of Bacalar. Overnight in hotel.
16/2. Birded research station road again. Overnight in hotel.
17/2. Birded dirt road opposite main road from research station road. Drove to Uxmal ruins. Overnight in Uxmal hotel.
18/2. Birded roads near Uxmal. Drove to Celestun. Overnight in beachfront hotel in Celestun.
19/2. Birded dry scrub behind beach north of Celestun. Hired boat for river trip. Overnight in hotel.
20/2. Returned to Coba. Overnight in Coba.
21/2. Drove to Cancun. Flew from Cancun to San Francisco.
Birds
Names follow Howell & Webb, A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America, 1995. For the purposes of this list, some forms split by Howell & Webb are not regarded as full species. * denotes lifer.
Thicket Tinamou (1 at VC, 1 at BRS)
Slaty-breasted Tinamou (1 at BRS)
Least Grebe (1 near Cancun, 1 at SB)
Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant (Y)
Neotropic Cormorant
Magnificent Frigatebird
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Little Blue Heron
Tri-coloured Heron
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
White-faced Ibis
White Ibis
Wood Stork
American White Pelican
Brown Pelican
Greater (American) Flamingo (common at Celestun; a "Howell split")
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
Green-winged Teal
Blue-winged Teal
Gadwall
Northern Shoveler
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture (U - B, Celestun)
Osprey
Snail Kite (C - Bacalar area)
Common Black Hawk (C in Y; feeding on fish and crabs at Celestun)
Roadside Hawk
Grey Hawk
White-tailed Kite
Red-tailed Hawk
Short-tailed Hawk
Zone-tailed Hawk (U in Y)
Bicoloured Hawk (1 at Coba)
Black Hawk-Eagle (1 at BRS)
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Crested Caracara
Laughing Falcon (2 at VC)
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Plain Chachalaca (C in Y)
*West Mexican Chachalaca (4 parties of between 1 and 4 birds seen at CBS; 1 at T; others heard)
*Rufous-bellied Chachalaca (4 seen near Techuitata, SB area; others heard)
Crested Guan (1 near VN)
*Great Curassow (1 at BRS, attracted to captive birds in breeding program)
*Long-tailed Wood-Partridge (2 parties each of 3 birds, roadside on V)
*Yucatan Bobwhite (C - several parties near Uxmal and Celestun)
*Elegant Quail (1 at Nuevo Vallarta)
*Banded Quail (C - roadside parties near El Limon, near Autlan and between Colima and La Cumbre)
*Ruddy Crake (2 in late afternoon on lakeshore at Coba)
Purple Gallinule
Common Moorhen
*Rufous-necked Wood-Rail (1 adult and 1 juvenile at mangrove edge at Celestun)
American Coot
Limpkin (U - near Mazatlan and at Bacalar)
Killdeer
Ringed Plover
Grey Plover
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Northern Jacana
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Solitary Sandpiper
Spotted Sandpiper
Willet
Least Sandpiper
Whimbrel
Long-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Curlew
Laughing Gull
Heermann's Gull (C - SB)
Caspian Tern
Gull-billed Tern
Royal Tern (U - IC)
Sandwich Tern
Feral Pigeon
Red-billed Pigeon
Band-tailed Pigeon
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
Inca Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Ruddy-Ground-Dove
Blue Ground-Dove (U - BRS)
White-tipped Dove
*Caribbean Dove (1 on IC; 1 at VC; heard at Celestun)
*White-crowned Pigeon (5 on IC)
Orange-fronted Parakeet (U in WM)
*Barred Parakeet (2 in cloud forest above VN)
White-fronted Parrot (U in Y)
*Yucatan Parrot (C on IS; U at VC)
Aztec Parakeet (C in Y)
*Lilac-crowned Parrot (C at CBS; U in SB area)
*Mexican Parrotlet (several hundred drinking at spring near El Limon; U in SB area)
Mangrove Cuckoo (5 on IC; 1 at Celestun)
Squirrel Cuckoo
Groove-billed Ani
*Lesser Roadrunner (1 at Yagul; 2 at GG)
*Vermiculated Screech-Owl (C at Coba, VC and BRS; responded readily to tapes but only brief fly-over view)
Great Horned Owl
*Mottled Owl (2 spotlighted at CBS, tame around research station buildings; 1 on road near Coba; heard elsewhere)
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (C in Y)
Lesser Night-Hawk
*Yucatan Poorwill (1 spotlighted near Uxmal; 1 near Bacalar)
Northern (Mexican) Whip-poor-will (1 flushed during day above Del Monte, Highway 175 - "Howell split")
*Yucatan Nightjar (1 spotlighted near Uxmal and 1 near Coba)
Pauraque
*Northern Potoo (1 spotlighted near Coba, at Tulum turnoff)
White-collared Swift (party above VN)
Vaux's Swift
White-throated Swift (above VN)
Chimney Swift (U in Y)
*Wedge-tailed Sabrewing (C - Coba, VC, BRS)
Green-breasted Mango (1 on IC)
Green Violet-ear (C - MG, V)
Fork-tailed Emerald (race canivetii - C in Y; auriceps - U at CBS; forficatus - C on IC; all three "Howell splits")
*Broad-billed Hummingbird (C - C and La Cumbre, Colima)
*Dusky Hummingbird (U at GG)
*Mexican Woodnymph (1 near Techuitata, SB area)
*White-eared Hummingbird (C in mountains in WM and O)
*White-bellied Emerald (U - Coba, VC, BRS)
*Berylline Hummingbird (C at SJ and in O)
Cinnamon Hummingbird (C in WM and Y)
Buff-bellied Hummingbird (C in Y)
*Violet-crowned Hummingbird (2 near El Limon)
Magnificent Hummingbird (5 on V)
*Garnet-throated Hummingbird (1 in cloud forest above VN)
*Plain-capped Starthroat (1 at CBS)
*Mexican Sheartail (U behind beach 3 km east of Celestun)
*Beautiful Hummingbird (1 at Yagul)
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (U in Y)
Black-chinned Hummingbird (U at La Cumbre, Colima)
*Calliope Hummingbird (1 on V; 1 at MG)
*Broad-tailed Hummingbird (U - MG, V)
*Rufous Hummingbird (C in WM)
*Bumblebee Hummingbird (C in cloud forest above VN)
Black-headed Trogon (C in Y)
Violaceous Trogon (C in Y)
*Citreoline Trogon (C - SB area and CBS)
*Eared Quetzal (party of 8 at SJ moving noisily through forest)
*Russet-crowned Motmot (1 at SJ; 1 near Singayta, SB)
Blue-crowned Motmot (U - Coba, VC)
Turquoise-browed Motmot (U - Coba, VC, BRS)
Belted Kingfisher
Green Kingfisher
Amazon Kingfisher
American Pygmy Kingfisher (pair along inlet during Celestun boat-trip)
Emerald Toucanet (U in cloud forest above VN)
Collared Aracari (U - VC, BRS)
Keel-billed Toucan (U - VC, BRS)
Acorn Woodpecker
*Golden-cheeked Woodpecker (C in WM)
*Grey-breasted Woodpecker (1 at T; 1 at Yagul)
*Yucatan Woodpecker (C in Y)
Golden-fronted Woodpecker (C in Y)
Gila Woodpecker (U near SB)
*Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (1 at MG)
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
*Arizona Woodpecker (1 at M)
Golden-olive Woodpecker (U in Y)
Smoky-brown Woodpecker (U - BRS, VC)
*Grey-crowned Woodpecker (1 at SJ)
Lineated Woodpecker
Pale-billed Woodpecker (1 at VC; 1 at C)
Hairy Woodpecker
Tawny-winged Woodcreeper (U - Coba, VC, BRS)
*Ivory-billed Woodcreeper (C in Y and WM)
Spot-crowned Woodcreeper (1 above VN)
*White-striped Woodcreeper (1 on V; 2 at SJ)
*Ruddy Woodcreeper (U - VC, BRS)
Olivaceous Woodcreeper
Barred Woodcreeper (U - Coba, VC)
Barred Ant-Shrike (U in Y)
Northern Beardless Tyrannulet (U - IC, VC)
Greenish Elaenia
Yellow-bellied Elaenia (1 at Coba)
Ochre-bellied Flycatcher (1 at VC)
Vermilion Flycatcher
Common Tody-Flycatcher (1 at Tulum)
Northern Bentbill (U at Coba)
Yellow-olive Flycatcher (U in Y)
*Royal Flycatcher (1 at VC)
*Tufted Flycatcher (C in WM and O)
*Greater Pewee (C in WM and O)
Tropical Pewee (U - VC)
Least Flycatcher (C in Y; U in WM)
Hammond's Flycatcher (C in WM mountains)
Willow Flycatcher (U in WM lowlands)
Pacific Slope Flycatcher (C in WM lowlands)
*Cordilleran Flycatcher (1 at M; possibly others elsewhere)
*Pine Flycatcher (2 at MG; probably others on V)
*Buff-breasted Flycatcher (1 at MG)
Black Phoebe
Say's Phoebe
Bright-rumped Attila
*Yucatan Flycatcher (U - IC, VC, Coba)
Dusky-capped Flycatcher
Ash-throated Flycatcher (U in WM)
Nutting's Flycatcher (1 at C)
Brown-crested Flycatcher
Great Kiskadee
Boat-billed Flycatcher
Social Flycatcher
Tropical Kingbird
Couch's Kingbird (C in Y)
*Thick-billed Kingbird (C in WM)
Western Kingbird (C in WM)
*Grey-collared Becard (U - near El Limon, Singayta near SB, Coba, VC, BRS)
Rose-throated Becard (C and widespread)
Black-crowned Tityra (U at BRS)
Masked Tityra
Eastern Bluebird
Red-capped Manakin (1 at VC)
Grey-breasted Martin
Mangrove Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (C; race ridgwayi C in Y - "Howell split")
Cave Swallow (U in Y)
Barn Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Steller's Jay (race cyanotis C along Highway 175, O)
White-throated Magpie-Jay (party at La Cumbre, Colima)
*Black-throated Magpie-Jay (U - SB area and 40km west of PV)
Green Jay
Brown Jay
*San Blas Jay (C in WM)
*Yucatan Jay (C in Y)
*Dwarf Jay (10 with Steller's Jays and Grey-barred Wrens, 12 km north of La Cumbre, O)
Scrub Jay (race cyanotis C at T)
*Grey-breasted (Mexican) Jay (U at MG)
*Unicoloured Jay (1 in cloud forest above VN)
Northern Raven
*Sinaloa Crow (C in SB area)
*Mexican Chickadee (parties on V and near La Cumbre, O)
*Bridled Titmouse (U - M)
Bushtit (race personatus C near La Cumbre, O)
Brown Creeper
*Grey-barred Wren (U - parties on V and near La Cumbre, O)
*Spotted Wren (1 at SJ)
*Boucard's Wren (1 at Yagul, 2 at GG)
*Yucatan Wren (2 behind beach 3 km north of Celestun)
*Spot-breasted Wren (C in Y)
*Happy Wren (U - SB area and CBS)
*Sinaloa Wren (U - CBS and La Cumbre, Colima)
Carolina (White-browed) Wren (1 at Coba - "Howell split")
*White-bellied Wren (C - CBS in WM and Y)
House Wren (U - race aedon in WM; musculus in O)
Grey-breasted Wood-Wren (1 above VN)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Long-billed Gnatwren (U - Coba, BRS)
Blue-grey Gnatcatcher
*Black-capped Gnatcatcher (2 near SB)
White-lored Gnatcatcher (C in Celestun area)
Tropical Gnatcatcher (Y)
*Brown-backed Solitaire (C in WM mountains)
*Slate-coloured Solitaire (1 seen and many heard in cloud forest above VN)
*Russet Nightingale-Thrush (C - MG, V, above VN)
Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush
*Veery (1 above VN; 1 near La Cumbre, O)
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush (C in Y)
Clay-coloured Thrush (C in Y)
*White-throated Thrush (U - M and SB area)
*Rufous-backed Thrush (C in SB area)
American Robin
*Aztec Thrush (1 on Highway 175 near La Cumbre, O)
Grey Catbird (C in Y)
*Black Catbird (C in Y)
*Blue Mockingbird (C in WM and O)
Tropical Mockingbird (Y)
Northern Mockingbird (WM)
Curve-billed Thrasher (1 at T)
*Grey Silky (Flycatcher) (C in mountains of WM and O)
Loggerhead Shrike
White-eyed Vireo (C in Y)
Mangrove Vireo (U - Uxmal, Celestun)
*Cozumel Vireo (C on IC)
*Bell's Vireo (U - near El Limon, SB area, SJ)
*Dwarf Vireo (1 at GG; 1 at T)
*Plumbeous (Solitary) Vireo (U - SB area and M)
*Cassin's (Solitary) Vireo (1 at MG)
Hutton's Vireo
*Golden Vireo (1 at SJ; 1 at GG)
Warbling Vireo
*Yucatan Vireo (C on IC and at Tulum)
Yellow-throated Vireo (Y)
Lesser Greenlet (C in Y)
*Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo (1 on V; 1 near La Cumbre, O)
Rufous-browed Peppershrike (race insularis C on IC; flaviventris U at BRS)
Red Crossbill (party at MG)
*Blue-winged Warbler (C in Y)
Orange-crowned Warbler
*Colima Warbler (2 on V)
Nashville Warbler
*Virginia's Warbler (U - near El Limon and T)
Lucy's Warbler (U near El Limon)
*Crescent-chested Warbler (U - M, MG)
Northern Parula (Y)
Tropical Parula
Yellow Warbler (C, including race rufivertex on IC)
Magnolia Warbler (Y)
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Grey Warbler (WM)
Townsend's Warbler (WM)
Hermit Warbler (WM)
Black-throated Green Warbler (Y)
Yellow-throated Warbler (Y)
*Grace's Warbler (C - M, MG)
*Prairie Warbler (1 on IC)
*Palm Warbler (U - IC, VC)
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Prothonotary Warbler (1 at Celestun)
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Kentucky Warbler (U - Y)
MacGillivray's Warbler (WM)
Common Yellowthroat
Grey-crowned Yellowthroat (1 at VC)
Hooded Warbler (C in Y)
Wilson's Warbler (WM)
*Red-faced Warbler (C in WM and O mountains)
*Red Warbler (C in WM and O mountains)
*Painted Redstart (C in WM and O mountains)
Slat-throated Redstart
*Fan-tailed Warbler (1 near Singayta, SB)
Rufous-capped Warbler (race rufifrons C in WM - "Howell split")
Golden-crowned Warbler (U at SJ)
*Golden-browed Warbler (U - near La Cumbre, O and above VN)
Yellow-breasted Chat
*Red-breasted Chat (2 at CBS)
*Grey-throated Chat (C in Y)
*Olive Warbler (C in mountains of WM and O)
Bananaquit (race caboti C on IC)
Red-legged Honeycreeper (U - VC)
Scrub Euphonia
Yellow-throated Euphonia (C in Y)
Blue-hooded Euphonia (U near La Cumbre, O)
*Yellow-winged Tanager (flock at Coba)
*Stripe-headed Tanager (flock on IC)
Grey-headed Tanager (2 at Coba)
*Red-crowned Ant-Tanager (1 at VC)
Red-throated Ant-Tanager (C at Coba, VC, BRS)
*Rose-throated Tanager (C in Y)
Hepatic Tanager
Summer Tanager
Western Tanager (WM)
*Flame-coloured Tanager (U - MG, M, SJ)
*Red-headed Tanager (1 at SJ)
Crimson-collared Tanager (1 above VN)
Common Bush-Tanager (C above VN)
Greyish Saltator
Black-headed Saltator
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (U - BRS)
Black-headed Grosbeak (C in WM)
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
*Varied Bunting (C in WM and O)
*Orange-breasted (Orange-bellied) Bunting (U - C, Playo de Oro)
Painted Bunting (widespread)
*Blue Bunting (C in WM lowlands and Y)
*Rufous-capped Brushfinch (U - MG, V)
*Green-striped Brushfinch (U - M, V)
Chestnut-capped Brushfinch (U near La Cumbre, O)
Olive Sparrow (U - Y)
*Green-backed Sparrow (U - Coba, VC, BRS)
*Collared Towhee (U - MG, V)
*Olive-backed Towhee (1 at GG)
Canyon Towhee
*White-throated Towhee (C - GG, Yagul, T)
Blue-black Grassquit
White-collared Seedeater
Yellow-faced Grassquit (C in Y, including race intermedia on IC)
*Cinnamon-bellied Flowerpiercer (1 on V; 1 at MG)
*Bridled Sparrow (U - GG and T)
*Oaxaca Sparrow (U - GG and T)
*Black-chested Sparrow (party of 8 at La Cumbre, Colima)
Stripe-headed Sparrow (C in WM)
*Botteri's Sparrow (2 at Monte Albon)
Rufous-crowned Sparrow (U at GG, T)
Savannah Sparrow
*Rusty Sparrow (1 on Highway 175 above VN)
Chipping Sparrow
*Clay-coloured Sparrow (U near El Limon)
Lincoln's Sparrow (C in WM)
Lark Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
*Yellow-eyed Junco (C in mountains of WM and O)
*Black-headed Siskin (C in WM mountains)
Lesser Goldfinch
House Finch
House Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
*Melodious Blackbird (C in Y)
Bronzed Cowbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Black-cowled Oriole (C - Coba, VC, BRS)
Orchard Oriole (U in WM and Y)
Scott's Oriole (U in WM)
Hooded Oriole (C - race californicus in WM; cucullatus in Y)
*Black-vented Oriole (C - GG, T)
Bullock's (Northern) Oriole (U in WM)
*Baltimore (Northern) Oriole (U in Y)
*Abeill's (Black-backed) Oriole (1 at SJ)
Audubon's Oriole (1 in SJ, race dickeyae)
*Yellow-tailed Oriole (1 at BRS)
Yellow-backed Oriole (C in Y)
*Orange Oriole (U - Coba, VC, BRS)
Streak-backed Oriole (C in WM)
Altamira Oriole (U in Y)
*Yellow-winged Cacique (C in WM lowlands)
Montezuma Oropendola (U - BRS).
Total - 422
Mammals
Coatimundi (C at BRS)
Virginia Opossum
White-tailed Deer
*Red-bellied Squirrel (C)
Raccoon
Grey Fox
*Margay (1 spotlighted crossing road near Coba)
Tayra (1 at VC)
Central American Agouti
Common Grey Four-eyed Opossum (1 near Bacalar)
Central American Spider Monkey (group at BRS)
*Long-tailed Weasel (1 near Uxmal).
Total - 13
Greg Roberts ,
Australia;
groberts@smh.fairfax.com.au