4 - 18 March 1997
by Kevin C. Loughlin
Here (finally) is my abbreviated trip report and bird list for my March 97 trip.
I had a 251 species including 6 heard only birds (marked with *)..
The areas visited were Mountain Pine Ridge, Caracol, Xunantunich, Crooked Tree Sanctuary, Guanacoste Park, Belmopan, Gales Point, Blue Hole Park, Cockscomb Sanctuary, Red Bank Village, Dangriga, South Water Caye, Monkey Bay Sanctuary, and the Belize Zoo. (Yes, great birding around the zoo area too.)
Trip Highlights (and low-lights):
March 4 - Arrived Belize, drove to Bull Frog Inn, Belmopan
(Low-light: Since my plane was delayed in Miami for five hours, there
was not much daylight time left to bird.). However, I had an
immature
Crane Hawk along the Northern Highway south of the airport on our way
to
Belmopan.
March 5 - Pine Ridge Lodge
Black-Crowned Tityra in Guanacoste Park, a lifer on the first day.
A rare event for me. Wonderful views of a Slaty-tailed Trogon at Rio
Frio
Cave. Relaxing along the Rio On.
March 6 - Pine Ridge Lodge
Left Pine Ridge Lodge before sunrise to get to Caracol early. Watched
the sun rise over the mountains along the Macal River... beautiful. A
White-Necked
Jacobin dancing above the river in the morning light. Rufous-capped
Warblers
along the bank. Birding at Caracol was incredible. A Band-back Wren was
another lifer. Several Plumbeous Kites viewed at eye-level from a
temple
at Caracol.
(Trip "low-light"... My Leica scope took a minor topple... destroying the prism. HOWEVER, I spoke with Leica and they agreed that the damage should not have happened, and they agreed to repair/replace it at no charge. They also informed me that they have extended their 3-year unconditional "Passport Warranty" to their scopes.)
March 7 - Bull Frog Inn, Belmopan
Two more lifers, Graces Warbler, and Hepatic Tanager.
March 8 - Paradise Inn, Crooked Tree
No birding
March 9 - Paradise Inn, Crooked Tree
Great views of a swooping Peregrine Falcon over the North Lagoon at
Crooked Tree. Also good views of Jabiru.
March 10 - Paradise Inn, Crooked Tree
Jabirus on the nest along the New River Lagoon. Howler Monkeys in low
branches at Lamanai enjoying their great views of humans.
March 11 - Bull Frog Inn, Belmopan
Finally saw the Collared Forest Falcon at Crooked Tree... at about
ten feet. Funny Moment: heard a Ferruginous Pygmy Owl at Crooked
Tree, then realized it was a tape being played accidentally when
luggage
slipped onto the play button.
Arrived at Belmopan late evening and heard the Pygmy Owl again. Yelled at Alan for playing it as a joke... he pulled the tape out of his pocket, it was not in the player... there really was a Pygmy Owl nearby!
March 12 - Cockscomb Sanctuary
Found the Pygmy Owl early a.m. Great views. Stopped at Blue Hole
Park/St. Herman's Cave and found and photographed a pair of Common Tody
Flycatchers building a nest, and a female White-collared Seedeater on
the
nest.
March 13 - Cockscomb Sanctuary
Woke to the chirps and whistles of a Piratic Flycatcher and two Social
Flycatchers squabbling over the ownership of a nest. Yellow-winged
Tanager,
Scarlet-rumped Tanager, and Crimson-collared Tanager in one tree at the
same time.
Close views of White-collared Manakins and a Red-capped Manikin
displaying.
March 14 - Cockscomb Sanctuary
Seeing the Scarlet Macaws at Red Bank.
March 15 - Pelican Beach Resort, Dangriga
Cinnamon Becard singing sweetly in a tree low above our heads before
leaving Cockscomb. Enjoying a relaxing afternoon in the Caribbean
breeze...
March 16 - Pelican Beach Resort, Dangriga
Hundreds of Magnificent Frigatebirds soaring over Man-O-War Caye.
A great day of snorkeling along the reef.
(Low-light: sunburn!)
March 17 - Bull Frog Inn, Belmopan
Saw three species of terns in a row on a dock at Gales Point: Sandwich,
Royal, Gull-billed.
March 18 - Back to U.S.A.
(Low-light: Having to leave Belize again...)
Bird list
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
| *Great Tinamou | Tinamus major |
| *Little Tinamou | Crypturellus soui |
| *Slaty-breasted Tinamou | Crypturellus boucardi |
| Least Grebe | Tachybaptus dominicus |
| Pied-billed Grebe | Podilymbus podiceps |
| Brown Booby | Sula leucogaster |
| Brown Pelican | Pelecanus occidentalis |
| Double-crested Cormorant | Phalacrocorax auritus |
| Neotropic Cormorant | Phalacrocorax brasilianus |
| Anhinga | Anhinga anhinga |
| Magnificent Frigatebird | Fregata magnificens |
| Great Blue Heron | Ardea herodias |
| Great Egret | Casmerodius albus |
| Snowy Egret | Egretta thula |
| Little Blue Heron | Egretta caerulea |
| Tricolored Heron | Egretta tricolor |
| Cattle Egret | Bubulcus ibis |
| Green Heron | Butorides virescens |
| Black-crowned Night-Heron | Nycticorax nycticorax |
| Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Nyctanassa violacea |
| Boat-billed Heron | Cochlearius cochlearius |
| White Ibis | Eudocimus albus |
| Glossy Ibis | Plegadis falcinellus |
| Roseate Spoonbill | Ajaia ajaja |
| Jabiru | Jabiru mycteria |
| Wood Stork | Mycteria americana |
| Black-bellied Whistling-Duck | Dendrocygna autumnalis |
| Muscovy Duck | Cairina moschata |
| Blue-winged Teal | Anas discors |
| Black Vulture | Coragyps atratus |
| Turkey Vulture | Cathartes aura |
| Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture | Cathartes burrovianus |
| King Vulture | Sarcoramphus papa |
| Osprey | Pandion haliaetus |
| American Swallow-tailed Kite | Elanoides forficatus |
| White-tailed Kite | Elanus leucurus |
| Snail Kite | Rostrhamus sociabilis |
| Plumbeous Kite | Ictinia plumbea |
| Crane Hawk | Geranospiza caerulescens |
| White Hawk | Leucopternis albicollis |
| Common Black-Hawk | Buteogallus anthracinus |
| Great Black-Hawk | Buteogallus urubitinga |
| Black-collared Hawk | Busarellus nigricollis |
| Gray Hawk | Buteo nitidus |
| Roadside Hawk | Buteo magnirostris |
| Short-tailed Hawk | Buteo brachyurus |
| Laughing Falcon | Herpetotheres cachinnans |
| Collared Forest-Falcon | Micrastur semitorquatus |
| American Kestrel | Falco sparverius |
| Aplomado Falcon | Falco femoralis |
| Bat Falcon | Falco rufigularis |
| Orange-breasted Falcon | Falco deiroleucus |
| Peregrine Falcon | Falco peregrinus |
| Plain Chachalaca | Ortalis vetula |
| Crested Guan | Penelope purpurascens |
| Ocellated Turkey | Agriocharis ocellata |
| Ruddy Crake | Laterallus ruber |
| Gray-necked Wood-Rail | Aramides cajanea |
| Purple Gallinule | Porphyrula martinica |
| Common Moorhen | Gallinula chloropus |
| American Coot | Fulica americana |
| Limpkin | Aramus guarauna |
| Killdeer | Charadrius vociferus |
| Northern Jacana | Jacana spinosa |
| Lesser Yellowlegs | Tringa flavipes |
| Solitary Sandpiper | Tringa solitaria |
| Willet | Catoptrophorus semipalmatus |
| Spotted Sandpiper | Actitis macularia |
| Whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus |
| Sanderling | Calidris alba |
| Least Sandpiper | Calidris minutilla |
| Gull-billed Tern | Sterna nilotica |
| Caspian Tern | Sterna caspia |
| Royal Tern | Sterna maxima |
| Sandwich Tern | Sterna sandvicensis |
| Pale-vented Pigeon | Columba cayennensis |
| Scaled Pigeon | Columba speciosa |
| Red-billed Pigeon | Columba flavirostris |
| Short-billed Pigeon | Columba nigrirostris |
| Ruddy Ground-Dove | Columbina talpacoti |
| Blue Ground-Dove | Claravis pretiosa |
| White-tipped Dove | Leptotila verreauxi |
| Olive-throated Parakeet | Aratinga nana |
| Scarlet Macaw | Ara macao |
| White-crowned Parrot | Pionus senilis |
| White-fronted Parrot | Amazona albifrons |
| Red-lored Parrot | Amazona autumnalis |
| Mealy Parrot | Amazona farinosa |
| Yellow-headed Parrot | Amazona oratrix |
| Squirrel Cuckoo | Piaya cayana |
| Striped Cuckoo | Tapera naevia |
| Groove-billed Ani | Crotophaga sulcirostris |
| Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl | Glaucidium brasilianum |
| *Mottled Owl | Ciccaba virgata |
| Pauraque | Nyctidromus albicollis |
| Spot-tailed Nightjar | Caprimulgus maculicaudus |
| Vaux's Swift | Chaetura vauxi |
| Long-tailed Hermit | Phaethornis superciliosus |
| Little Hermit | Phaethornis longuemareus |
| White-necked Jacobin | Florisuga mellivora |
| Green-breasted Mango | Anthracothorax prevostii |
| Fork-tailed Emerald | Chlorostilbon canivetii |
| White-bellied Emerald | Amazilia candida |
| Azure-crowned Hummingbird | Amazilia cyanocephala |
| Rufous-tailed Hummingbird | Amazilia tzacatl |
| Buff-bellied Hummingbird | Amazilia yucatanensis |
| Black-headed Trogon | Trogon melanocephalus |
| Violaceous Trogon | Trogon violaceus |
| *Collared Trogon | Trogon collaris |
| Slaty-tailed Trogon | Trogon massena |
| Blue-crowned Motmot | Momotus momota |
| Ringed Kingfisher | Ceryle torquata |
| Belted Kingfisher | Ceryle alcyon |
| Amazon Kingfisher | Chloroceryle amazona |
| Green Kingfisher | Chloroceryle americana |
| American Pygmy Kingfisher | Chloroceryle aenea |
| White-whiskered Puffbird | Malacoptila panamensis |
| Rufous-tailed Jacamar | Galbula ruficauda |
| Collared Aracari | Pteroglossus torquatus |
| Keel-billed Toucan | Ramphastos sulfuratus |
| Acorn Woodpecker | Melanerpes formicivorus |
| Black-cheeked Woodpecker | Melanerpes pucherani |
| Red-vented Woodpecker | Melanerpes pygmaeus |
| Golden-fronted Woodpecker | Melanerpes aurifrons |
| Ladder-backed Woodpecker | Picoides scalaris |
| Golden-olive Woodpecker | Piculus rubiginosus |
| Lineated Woodpecker | Dryocopus lineatus |
| Pale-billed Woodpecker | Campephilus guatemalensis |
| Rufous-breasted Spinetail | Synallaxis erythrothorax |
| Ruddy Foliage-gleaner | Automolus rubiginosus |
| Tawny-winged Woodcreeper | Dendrocincla anabatina |
| Ruddy Woodcreeper | Dendrocincla homochroa |
| Wedge-billed Woodcreeper | Glyphorynchus spirurus |
| Barred Woodcreeper | Dendrocolaptes certhia |
| Ivory-billed Woodcreeper | Xiphorhynchus flavigaster |
| Spotted Woodcreeper | Xiphorhynchus erythropygius |
| Barred Antshrike | Thamnophilus doliatus |
| Dot-winged Antwren | Microrhopias quixensis |
| Dusky Antbird | Cercomacra tyrannina |
| Black-faced Antthrush | Formicarius analis |
| Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet | Ornithion semiflavum |
| Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet | Camptostoma imberbe |
| Greenish Elaenia | Myiopagis viridicata |
| Yellow-bellied Elaenia | Elaenia flavogaster |
| Ochre-bellied Flycatcher | Mionectes oleagineus |
| Northern Bentbill | Oncostoma cinereigulare |
| Common Tody-Flycatcher | Todirostrum cinereum |
| Royal Flycatcher | Onychorhynchus coronatus |
| Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher | Myiobius sulphureipygius |
| Yellow-bellied Flycatcher | Empidonax flaviventris |
| Least Flycatcher | Empidonax minimus |
| Black Phoebe | Sayornis nigricans |
| Vermilion Flycatcher | Pyrocephalus rubinus |
| Bright-rumped Attila | Attila spadiceus |
| Dusky-capped Flycatcher | Myiarchus tuberculifer |
| Great Crested Flycatcher | Myiarchus crinitus |
| Brown-crested Flycatcher | Myiarchus tyrannulus |
| Great Kiskadee | Pitangus sulphuratus |
| Boat-billed Flycatcher | Megarynchus pitangua |
| Social Flycatcher | Myiozetetes similis |
| Piratic Flycatcher | Legatus leucophaius |
| Tropical Kingbird | Tyrannus melancholicus |
| Fork-tailed Flycatcher | Tyrannus savana |
| Cinnamon Becard | Pachyramphus cinnamomeus |
| Rose-throated Becard | Pachyramphus aglaiae |
| Masked Tityra | Tityra semifasciata |
| Black-crowned Tityra | Tityra inquisitor |
| *Thrushlike Manakin | Schiffornis turdinus |
| White-collared Manakin | Manacus candei |
| Red-capped Manakin | Pipra mentalis |
| Purple Martin | Progne subis |
| Gray-breasted Martin | Progne chalybea |
| Tree Swallow | Tachycineta bicolor |
| Mangrove Swallow | Tachycineta albilinea |
| Northern Rough-winged Swallow | Stelgidopteryx serripennis |
| Green Jay | Cyanocorax yncas |
| Brown Jay | Cyanocorax morio |
| Band-backed Wren | Campylorhynchus zonatus |
| Spot-breasted Wren | Thryothorus maculipectus |
| House Wren | Troglodytes aedon |
| White-bellied Wren | Uropsila leucogastra |
| White-breasted Wood-Wren | Henicorhina leucosticta |
| Long-billed Gnatwren | Ramphocaenus melanurus |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | Polioptila caerulea |
| Clay-colored Robin | Turdus grayi |
| Gray Catbird | Dumetella carolinensis |
| Tropical Mockingbird | Mimus gilvus |
| White-eyed Vireo | Vireo griseus |
| Yellow-green Vireo | Vireo flavoviridis |
| Lesser Greenlet | Hylophilus decurtatus |
| Rufous-browed Peppershrike | Cyclarhis gujanensis |
| Blue-winged Warbler | Vermivora pinus |
| Northern Parula | Parula americana |
| Yellow Warbler | Dendroica petechia |
| Magnolia Warbler | Dendroica magnolia |
| Black-throated Green Warbler | Dendroica virens |
| Yellow-throated Warbler | Dendroica dominica |
| Grace's Warbler | Dendroica graciae |
| Black-and-white Warbler | Mniotilta varia |
| American Redstart | Setophaga ruticilla |
| Worm-eating Warbler | Helmitheros vermivorus |
| Ovenbird | Seiurus aurocapillus |
| Northern Waterthrush | Seiurus noveboracensis |
| Louisiana Waterthrush | Seiurus motacilla |
| Common Yellowthroat | Geothlypis trichas |
| Hooded Warbler | Wilsonia citrina |
| Yellow-breasted Chat | Icteria virens |
| Golden-masked Tanager | Tangara larvata |
| Red-legged Honeycreeper | Cyanerpes cyaneus |
| Scrub Euphonia | Euphonia affinis |
| Yellow-throated Euphonia | Euphonia hirundinacea |
| Olive-backed Euphonia | Euphonia gouldi |
| Blue-gray Tanager | Thraupis episcopus |
| Yellow-winged Tanager | Thraupis abbas |
| Gray-headed Tanager | Eucometis penicillata |
| Red-crowned Ant-Tanager | Habia rubica |
| Red-throated Ant-Tanager | Habia fuscicauda |
| Hepatic Tanager | Piranga flava |
| Summer Tanager | Piranga rubra |
| Crimson-collared Tanager | Ramphocelus sanguinolentus |
| Scarlet-rumped Tanager | Ramphocelus passerinii |
| Grayish Saltator | Saltator coerulescens |
| Buff-throated Saltator | Saltator maximus |
| Black-headed Saltator | Saltator atriceps |
| Black-faced Grosbeak | Caryothraustes poliogaster |
| Northern Cardinal | Cardinalis cardinalis |
| Rose-breasted Grosbeak | Pheucticus ludovicianus |
| Blue-black Grosbeak | Cyanocompsa cyanoides |
| Indigo Bunting | Passerina cyanea |
| Orange-billed Sparrow | Arremon aurantiirostris |
| Green-backed Sparrow | Arremonops chloronotus |
| Blue-black Grassquit | Volatinia jacarina |
| Variable Seedeater | Sporophila aurita |
| White-collared Seedeater | Sporophila torqueola |
| Yellow-faced Grassquit | Tiaris olivacea |
| Rusty Sparrow | Aimophila rufescens |
| Chipping Sparrow | Spizella passerina |
| Red-winged Blackbird | Agelaius phoeniceus |
| Eastern Meadowlark | Sturnella magna |
| Melodious Blackbird | Dives dives |
| Great-tailed Grackle | Quiscalus mexicanus |
| Bronzed Cowbird | Molothrus aeneus |
| Black-cowled Oriole | Icterus dominicensis |
| Orchard Oriole | Icterus spurius |
| Hooded Oriole | Icterus cucullatus |
| Yellow-backed Oriole | Icterus chrysater |
| Northern Oriole | Icterus galbula |
| Yellow-billed Cacique | Amblycercus holosericeus |
| Chestnut-headed Oropendola | Psarocolius wagleri |
| Montezuma Oropendola | Psarocolius montezuma |
| Black-headed Siskin | Carduelis notata |
Kevin C. Loughlin.
14 Marchwood Road
Exton, PA 19341
610/363-3056 fax
610/363-3033
WILDSIDENT@aol.com