Birding the Americas Trip Report
and Planning Repository
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MEXICO - NAYARIT, COLIMA &
JALISCO
01 - 10 February 2002
by Frank Murphy, Frani Lowe, and Scott Marshall
Introduction:
We flew to Guadalajara, rented a compact Nissan with fairly good clearance,
and drove to the Pacific coast. We stayed at the small coastal village
of La Penita de Jaltemba and used this area as a base for exploring the San
Blas area to the north and Punta Raza to the south. We then drove south
along coastal Route 200 through Puerto Vallarta and south to another beautiful
coastal town of Barra de Navidad. From there we went northeast through
Colima and on to Ciudad Guzman which we used as a base to explore Volcán
Nieve. Our last day we took scenic Route 110 to Laguna de Chapala just south
of Guadalajara.
This was our first real birding trip to Mexico, so experts we are not.
We didn’t have a guide and we didn’t use tapes, so we missed a few birds.
In addition, we were from either the mid-West or Eastern U.S., and the migrant
birds we saw were almost exclusively western species. Nonetheless we
saw a lot of good birds and had a great trip and never once encountered any
problems.
Birds listed in boldface are Mexico endemics to the best of our knowledge.
Underscored birds are those we considered particularly noteworthy for various
reasons. (H) indicates heard only.
February 1 (Friday) - Guadalajara to the west coast.
After our first night at Hotel Universo in Guadalajara and a good breakfast
nearby, we drove to the Pacific coast via the modern Route 15 Autopista toll
road, making stops along the way. We no sooner got on the autopista
when we stopped for our first look at the gorgeous Black-throated Magpie Jays,
cover bird of the Howell and Webb book, which we used as our main reference,
and a flock of Mexican Parrotlets. Toward the other end of the autopista
between Volcán Céboruco and Tepic, we stopped at a mirador (lookout)
where we got a good look at what we thought was a Pine Flycatcher based on
the habitat, the description in the book and its mellow chirps. Realizing
that flycatchers are the most difficult to identify we did our best to get
all the details and that’s what fit best.
Also here were our first White-striped Woodcreeper, Ash-throated Flycatcher,
Thick-billed Kingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher, Golden Vireo, and Hermit Warbler.
Other birds along the way included Pied-billed Grebe, Magnificent Frigatebird,
Black-crowned Night-Heron, White-faced Ibis, Green-winged Teal, Northern Harrier,
Gray Hawk, Crested Caracara, Whimbrel, Lesser Yellowlegs, Squirrel Cuckoo,
Broad-billed Hummingbird, Cinnamon Hummingbird, Tufted Flycatcher, Great
Kiskadee, Common Raven, Loggerhead Shrike, Northern Mockingbird, Nashville
Warbler, American Redstart, Lark Sparrow, Stripe-headed Sparrow, Brown-headed
Cowbird, and Lesser Goldfinch. (Night at Villa Chuparosa in La Penita
de Jaltemba).
February 2 (Saturday) - Punta Raza
Our base for the next few days was Villa Chuparosa, a nice guest house in
the quaint coastal village of La Penita de Jaltemba, just south of Las Varas,
or about an hour north of Puerto Vallarta. Our hosts at Villa Chuparosa,
Jerry and Libby Einem, have a hummingbird feeder where we got our first easy
looks at Black-chinned and Broad-billed Hummingbirds. A brief
early morning walk in the neighborhood produced Plain-capped Starthroat, Cinnamon
Hummingbird, Violet-crowned Hummingbird, Masked Tityra, Sinaloa Crow, Rufous-backed
Robin, Happy Wren, and Yellow-winged Cacique.
Later that morning Jerry, who is very knowledgeable in natural history,
especially butterflies and birds, took us to this uniquely beautiful area
called Punta Raza, which is about an hour north of Puerto Vallarta along
Route 200 just south of Rincon de Guayabitos. Look for the sign for
El Monteon, turn west, and from there it’s best to ask directions for Punta
Raza, which is only a km or two away. The dirt road here eventually
passes through some old growth forest leading right to the coast where there
is a quaint open air café and cabanas where one could stay and spend
some quality time. The road continues around the café
along the coast and eventually leads to an estuary. A walk along this
road provided our first look at a family of San Blas Jays, including two
immatures that look quite different from the adults. We also had close
detailed looks at what had to be a Yellowish Flycatcher even though they
are found at higher elevations.
Howell’s book says it has been considered conspecific with the Empidonax
difficillus (Western Flycatcher) complex. There was also a good flock
of warblers including Lucy’s Warbler, Northern Parula, Black-throated Gray,
Black-and-white, MacGillivray’s, Wilson’s, American Redstart, Ovenbird; and
Citreoline Trogon, Painted Bunting, and Streak-backed Oriole, our first of
many Golden-cheeked Woodpeckers, and a Lineated Woodpecker. We stopped
back at the café for a late lunch where we were served several delicious
fresh-squeezed exotic juices followed by some great food, all the while watching
birds like Brown and Blue-footed Boobies, Heermann's Gull, Brown Noddy and
Brown Pelicans over the ocean.
We then headed for the estuary about a km north of the café, but
there were so many birds along the way that by the time we got there it was
getting dark. We saw our only Common Black-Hawk and six Least Grebes
here, and on our way out at dusk our first Lesser Nighthawks and a Pauraque.
Other birds at Punta Raza included Magnificent Frigatebird, Green Heron, Yellow-crowned
Night-Heron, White Ibis, White-faced Ibis, Gray Hawk, Roadside Hawk, Common
Moorhen, American Coot, Whimbrel, Spotted Sandpiper, Willet, Black-necked
Stilt, Squirrel Cuckoo, Groove-billed Ani, Green Kingfisher, Nutting’s Flycatcher,
Ash-throated Flycatcher, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Thick-billed
Kingbird, Great Kiskadee, Masked Tityra, Ruddy-breasted Seedeater, Hooded
Oriole, and Orchard Oriole. This was definitely a place where we would
like to go back and stay a few days to explore the forest and estuary bordering
the beautiful coastal beach. (Night at Villa Chuparosa in La Penita
de Jaltemba).
February 3 (Sunday) - San Blas - Lower Singayta
- Mangrove Swamp Boat Trip
Lower Singayta: We started our morning at the Lower Singayta tract as described
in Howell’s Bird Finding Guide. Within ten minutes we saw the strikingly
beautiful Russet-crowned Motmot in perfect light, and the Citreoline Trogon.
Other birds included Rufous-bellied Chachalaca (H), Orange-fronted Parakeet,
Mexican Parrotlet, White-fronted Parrot, Groove-billed Ani, Broad-billed Hummingbird,
Cinnamon Hummingbird, Violet-crowned Hummingbird, Pale-billed Woodpecker,
Tufted Flycatcher, Least Flycatcher, Pacific-slope (Western) Flycatcher,
Brown-crested Flycatcher, Thick-billed Kingbird, Great Kiskadee, Masked Tityra,
San Blas Jay, Summer Tanager, Painted Bunting, Bullock's Oriole, and Yellow-winged
Cacique.
Boat Trip (4-8 PM): The boat trip was easily arranged at the boat
dock in San Blas. We chose the river trip through a mangrove swamp
to Tovara in the hopes of finding the endemic rufous-necked wood-rail, but
that was not to be. Nonetheless it was a great trip with awesome views
of Northern Potoo, Mangrove (Yellow) Warbler, and lots of shorebirds on a
sandbar including two American Oystercatchers, Whimbrel, Lesser Yellowlegs,
Spotted Sandpiper, Willet, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, and Semipalmated
Plover. Other birds included a single Boat-billed Heron, Anhinga, Mallard,
Osprey, Common Moorhen, Heermann's Gull, Lesser Nighthawk, Pauraque, and
an unidentified nightjar perched in a tree.
Birds seen around the San Blas area that morning included Magnificent Frigatebird,
Tricolored Heron, Little Blue Heron, Green Heron, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron,
Black-crowned Night-Heron, White Ibis, White-faced Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill,
Wood Stork, Gray Hawk, Roadside Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, American Coot, Ring-billed
Gull, Common Tern, Mourning Dove, White-winged Dove, Belted Kingfisher, Green
Kingfisher, Black-throated Magpie-Jay, Sinaloa Crow, Northern Parula, and
American Redstart. (Night at Hotel Garza Canela, San Blas).
February 4 & 5 (Monday & Tuesday) - Cerro de San Juan
Our first morning we made a brief stop at El Mirador del Aguila between
Crucero San Blas and Tepic, as described in Howell’s book, to look for the
endangered Military Macaws. A young boy happened to be walking up the
highway so we showed him a picture in the book and he quickly and graciously
pointed out exactly where the macaws were down in the canyon. We set
up the scope so we could all have a good look, then we gave him a copy of
Peterson’s Mexican Bird Guide and a U.S. gold dollar coin with an eagle (águila)
on the back for a souvenir. He was happy, so were we. Aside from
the garbage and traffic at the mirador this was truly a spectacular experience
seeing and hearing the macaws flying through the deep canyon. Let us
hope they survive.
Cerro de San Juan: We followed Howell’s directions except we drove
straight through to El Cora instead of turning around. Birding was great
all along this road though it was dusty. Relatively easy to find birds
included White-eared Hummingbird, Brown-backed Solitaire, and Blue Mockingbird.
Our first day at about a km past Rancho Noria we had “crippling views” of
a pair of Bumblebee Hummingbirds, second smallest in the world, in perfect
light feeding on blue flowers along the roadside, and literally at our feet.
We even got to see the male do what looked like an intriguing courtship display
next to the female.
Other highlights included mixed flocks of warblers and tanagers that included
Nashville, Black-throated Gray, Townsend's, Hermit, Grace's, Black-and-white,
American Redstart, Ovenbird, Red-faced Warbler, and both Flame-colored Tanager
and Red-headed Tanager. We saw a singing Golden Vireo which looks a
lot like a female Wilson’s Warbler, and had a good look at our only Olivaceous
Woodcreeper for the trip. Farther on toward El Cora we had a another
stop with lots of birds including many warblers, mostly Nashville and Wilson’s,
a Painted Redstart, and several orioles including Black-vented Oriole, and
we heard what was probably a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl.
Past the banana plantation we saw our only Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush.
We then took a wrong turn and ended up in a nice little village of La Palito
where we saw our only Louisiana Waterthrush en route. Then as we approached
El Cora we got to see our only Elegant Trogon, and our second Russet-crowned
Motmot for the trip. We eventually found our way through El Cora (thanks to
some locals who broadcast directions over a P.A. system loud enough for everyone
in the valley to hear) and were back on pavement at dusk when we had both
Lesser Nighthawk and Pauraque again.
Other birds seen along Cerro de San Juan road included Short-tailed Hawk,
Red-tailed Hawk, Mexican Parrotlet, Groove-billed Ani, Broad-billed Hummingbird,
Mexican Woodnymph, Berylline Hummingbird, Calliope Hummingbird, Acorn Woodpecker,
Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Strickland’s Woodpecker, Lineated Woodpecker, Pale-billed
Woodpecker, Tufted Flycatcher, Greater Pewee, Thick-billed Kingbird, Great
Kiskadee, Rose-throated Becard, Green Jay, Black-throated Magpie-Jay, Common
Raven, Plumbeous Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Gray Silky-flycatcher, Eastern Bluebird,
Spotted Wren, House Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Lesser Goldfinch, House Finch,
Rufous-capped Warbler, Crescent-chested Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, Grayish
Saltator, Black-headed Grosbeak, Varied Bunting, Painted Bunting, Ruddy-breasted
Seedeater, Streak-backed Oriole, Hooded Oriole, Bullock's Oriole, Orchard
Oriole. (Nights at Villa Chuparosa in La Penita de Jaltemba).
February 6 (Wednesday) - Rincon de Guayabitos -
El Tuito - Barra de Navidad.
Today would be a long drive along the coast from La Penita de Jaltemba,
near Rincon de Guayabitos, south through Puerto Vallarta and on to Barra
de Navidad. We stopped briefly in mid-morning at El Tuito
which was described as a popular birder destination about a half hour south
of Puerto Vallarta. There were many birds here including Lilac-crowned
Parrots, another group of San Blas Jays, Stripe-headed Sparrow, Western Tanager,
and a Red-crowned Ant-Tanager. We also heard what was probably a Lesser Roadrunner
based on the range maps.
Farther south, about 40 kms north of Barra de Navidad, we made a mid-afternoon
stop at the Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve where we saw an Ivory-billed
Woodcreeper and our first Blue Bunting.
Other birds seen en route included Magnificent Frigatebird, Tricolored Heron,
Little Blue Heron, White-faced Ibis, Roadside Hawk, Crested Caracara, American
Coot, Northern Jacana, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Willet, Semipalmated
Plover, Ring-billed Gull, Laughing Gull, Royal Tern, Orange-fronted Parakeet,
Groove-billed Ani, Lesser Nighthawk, Lineated Woodpecker, Tufted Flycatcher,
Western Wood-Pewee, Social Flycatcher, Great Kiskadee, Rose-throated Becard,
Masked Tityra, Green Jay, Black-throated Magpie-Jay, Black-capped Vireo, Plumbeous
Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Brown-backed Solitaire, Blue Mockingbird, Black-throated
Gray Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Varied Bunting, Painted Bunting, Streak-backed
Oriole, and Bronzed Cowbird.
Upon our arrival in Barra de Navidad we stopped to get a place to stay for
the night then drove to Barranca el Choncho just before dusk where we saw
our first West Mexican Chachalaca. (Night at Hotel Delfin, Barra de
Navidad)
February 7 (Thursday) - Barra de Navidad - Barranca
el Choncho
We started our morning birding along the ocean side village of Barra de
Navidad where we saw flocks of Black Skimmers, Royal Terns, and Laughing
Gulls. The rest of the morning was spent walking up Barranca el Choncho
about 15 kms outside of town and described in Howell’s guide. West
Mexican Chachalacas were common here. We also got our best look at
a Fan-tailed Warbler, and our only look at a Bright-rumped Attila.
At the top of the road in the small field there were was a mixed flock of
buntings including two female Orange-breasted Buntings. Other
birds included Red-billed Pigeon, Squirrel Cuckoo, Cinnamon Hummingbird, Citreoline
Trogon, Ivory-billed Woodcreeper, Social Flycatcher, San Blas Jay, Golden
Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Happy Wren, House Finch, Nashville Warbler, Tropical
Parula, Black-and-white Warbler, Stripe-headed Sparrow, Hepatic Tanager,
Blue Bunting, Varied Bunting, Painted Bunting, Baltimore Oriole, and Black-vented
Oriole.
Later that afternoon we continued our drive toward Colima and stopped at
Playa del Oro road which was described as a birding hot spot. Unfortunately
we arrived there during the heat of the day but wanted to drive the road just
to see what it was like. The road was not as bad as we had read so
we took it to the end to the coastal shoreline. There is an island off
shore where Red-billed Tropicbirds supposedly nest, so we set up our scope
but were only able to see white specks, which may very well have been the
tropicbirds but we just couldn’t be sure. We managed to see a Yellow-breasted
Chat on our way out but otherwise didn’t do the road justice.
Other birds along the way included Magnificent Frigatebird, Brown Booby,
White-tailed Kite, Gray Hawk, Roadside Hawk, Willet, Laughing Gull, and Bronzed
Cowbird. (Night at Hotel Colon, Ciudad Guzman)
February 8 & 9 (Friday & Saturday) - Volcán
Nieve (Parque Nacional Volcán - Nevado de Colima)
On our first day here we drove up to the pine-fir forest of Volcán
Nieve at daybreak, then worked our way down the mountain during the day.
The area is not described in Howell’s book, which instead refers to the adjacent
Volcán Fuego, but there were several trip reports recommending it.
We sure weren’t disappointed. First birds of the day were six Aztec
Thrushes just as we reached the pine-fir forest at first light. We slowly
proceeded to the top where there was a registration cabin where we were pleasantly
greeted with hot coffee, and where there is a clean tiled bathroom. There
is even a web site posted on a sign there: http://www.zapotlan.com/patronatonevado.htm.
Birds common at the higher elevation here included Yellow-eyed Junco, Mexican
Chickadee, Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets, and American Robin.
Also one of the best sights of the trip was a gorgeous male Olive Warbler
singing next to us in a fir tree. Other highlights included Dwarf Vireo
which looks a lot like a Ruby-crowned Kinglet; a close look at a female Hook-billed
Kite; several white-cheeked Red Warblers at minimum focus; Colima Warbler;
several Cinnamon-bellied Flower-piercers; and a Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo.
We got a look at a possible Russet Nightingale-Thrush in the understory but
were not able to positively identify it.
On our second day we started out at the lower elevation where our first
birds were a pair of Great Horned Owls that we watched hooting from the same
branch. Then we got good close looks at a Buff-breasted Flycatcher
and a Spotted Wren. Our main goal was to get the Mountain Trogon which
we missed our first day. Mission accomplished (!) as we got to see
at least three, including a pair along side the road in the pine-oak forest.
Other birds seen during our two-day foray included Sharp-shinned Hawk, Red-tailed
Hawk, Band-tailed Pigeon, Mourning Dove, Green Violet-ear, White-eared Hummingbird,
Magnificent Hummingbird, Calliope Hummingbird, Acorn Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker,
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Northern Flicker(H), White-striped Woodcreeper,
Ivory-billed Woodcreeper, Northern Beardless Tyrannulet, Tufted Flycatcher,
Vermilion Flycatcher, Cassin's Kingbird, Western Kingbird, Social Flycatcher,
Common Raven, Plumbeous Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Loggerhead Shrike, Gray Silky-flycatcher,
Eastern Bluebird, Brown-backed Solitaire, Blue Mockingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher,
Pygmy Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Gray-barred Wren, House Wren, Bushtit,
Black-headed Siskin, House Finch, Nashville, Crescent-chested, Yellow-rumped,
Black-throated Gray, Townsend's, Hermit, Grace's, and Black-and-white Warblers,
Painted Redstart, Slate-throated Redstart, Rufous-capped Warbler, Golden-browed
Warbler, Stripe-headed Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Collared Towhee, Canyon
Towhee, Rufous-capped Brush-Finch, Green-striped Brush Finch, Hepatic Tanager,
Red-headed Tanager, Yellow Grosbeak, Black-headed Grosbeak, Varied Bunting,
Streak-backed Oriole, Bullock's Oriole, and Black-backed Oriole.
Laguna Zapotlan in Ciudad Guzman. We made a couple of brief stops
here at the end of the day en route to our hotel. It’s a good place
to see Yellow-headed Blackbirds coming in to roost. Birds seen:
Mottled Duck, Gadwall, Northern Pintail, Cinnamon Teal, Northern Shoveler,
Great Egret, White-faced Ibis, Osprey, Virginia Rail (H), Common Moorhen,
American Coot, Northern Jacana, Black-necked Stilt, Killdeer, Lesser Nighthawk,
Tree Swallow, Red-winged Blackbird, Brewer's Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird.
We drove up a side road in Ciudad Guzman to get a look at Volcán
Fuego which had just started erupting! We passed what looked like a
very dingy Song Sparrow perched on a wire but didn’t give it a second thought
at the time, not knowing that it would have been out of range.
(Nights at Hotel Colon, Ciudad Guzman; great dinners at El Cuate, about
a km south of the hotel, highly recommended for typical food and cervesa
and very inexpensive).
February 10 (Sunday) - Ciudad Guzman - Mazamitla, -
Laguna de Chapala - Guadalajara.
On our last day we decided to take scenic Route 110 from Ciudad Guzman northward
toward Laguna de Chapala, just south of Guadalajara. A few kms to the
south of the town of Mazamitla we saw a couple large jays fly across the road
so we stopped to get a better look at what turned out to be Mexican Jays.
Even better though was the fortuitous stop led us to a dirt road through
a pine forest reserve where an hour-long walk produced Eastern Bluebird, Brown-backed
Solitaire, American Robin, Blue Mockingbird, White-breasted Nuthatch, House
Wren, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Slate-throated
Redstart, Rufous-capped Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, Canyon Towhee, Rusty-crowned
Ground-Sparrow, Black-headed Grosbeak, and Blue Grosbeak. Other birds
along the way included White-tailed Hawk, White-winged Dove, Groove-billed
Ani, Calliope Hummingbird, Great Kiskadee, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and Baltimore
Oriole.
Laguna de Chapala: Upon arriving at Laguna de Chapala, Mexico's largest
lake, roughly 88 kms long and 24 kms wide, located 48 kms of Guadalajara,
we made a brief stop along the southwest shore where we saw American White
Pelican, Caspian Tern, and American Pipit, and heard what might have been
Chihuahuan Ravens. We then drove to the busy village of Chapala where
we refueled with beer and ceviche while watching thousands of Yellow-headed
Blackbirds flying back and forth over the reeds.
The lake turned out to be a real pleasant surprise and a nice way to end
a great trip. It’s a great spot to observe ducks, terns, and a good
variety of shorebirds up close. Birds included American Wigeon, Green-winged
Teal, Northern Pintail, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Black-crowned
Night-Heron, White-faced Ibis, Roadside Hawk, Crested Caracara, Northern Jacana,
Long-billed Curlew, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Spotted Sandpiper,
Willet, Long-billed Dowitcher, Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Stilt
Sandpiper, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Semipalmated Plover, Killdeer,
Ring-billed Gull, Laughing Gull, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Lesser Goldfinch,
House Sparrow, and Brown-headed Cowbird. (Night at Hotel Universo,
Guadalajara)
The following birds were observed most days in proper habitat:
Neotropic Cormorant; Brown Pelican; Snowy Egret; Great Blue Heron; Great Egret;
Black Vulture; Turkey Vulture; Red-tailed Hawk; American Kestrel; Cattle
Egret; Common Moorhen; American Coot; Rock Dove; Common Ground-Dove; Inca
Dove; Acorn Woodpecker; Golden-cheeked Woodpecker; Vermilion Flycatcher; Tropical
Kingbird; Happy Wren; House Wren; Blue-gray Gnatcatcher; Northern Rough-winged
Swallow; House Sparrow; Orange-crowned Warbler; MacGillivray's Warbler; Wilson's
Warbler; Yellow-winged Cacique; Great-tailed Grackle; Lincoln's Sparrow;
Indigo Bunting.
Miscellaneous Notes:
Rental Car - We reserved a car over the internet but when we arrived
at the airport the price had doubled. They also said insurance is mandatory.
So we went back to the car rental section at the airport where several companies
competed for our business. None of them required insurance. We
signed up with Avis who offered a compact 4-door automatic Nissan Tsuro with
air and unlimited kms for $131 US per week. We were satisfied overall
with the car and the company.
Food - Breakfast places open too late - usually after 8 AM.
Dinner also started late with most restaurants opening after 7:30 PM.
We stopped at a good bakery in Ciudad Guzman near the Hotel Colon. They
actually started baking late Saturday night after 9 PM so we bought delicious
pastries there for our ride up the volcano the next morning. Food and
beer overall was very good and the orange juice was awesome.
Lodging - We had no problem finding places to stay and didn’t need
reservations, except for Villa Chuparosa, (e-mail: libbyeinem@hotmail.com),
probably due in part to the decline in tourism?
People - were always very friendly and helpful. We never once
had any fear or worry walking the streets. Our Spanish was very limited
(muy poco) but we got by just fine.
Roads - All the roads we took were relatively good. The road
up Volcán Nieve was particularly good. Playa del Oro was not
as bad as we were led to believe. Cerro de San Juan was good but dusty,
and the far end to El Cora was a bit rough and slow going.
Insects - were not bad at all. We got a few chigger bites during
our first day or two and there were a few mosquitoes along the coast, but
no problems anywhere else.
References - We used Howell’s Bird Finding Guide to Mexico,
the Howell and Webb Guide to the Birds of Mexico, National Geographic Birds
of North America, and several good trip reports from the internet.
Money - ATMs were widespread and easy to use. We were
not able to use the dollars we brought as the banks were not open at convenient
hours for birders. Total cost of our trip, excluding airfare, was less
than $500 US per person.
Internet Access - Commonly available in most towns and inexpensive
to use.
Trip List:
Least Grebe
Pied-billed Grebe
Magnificent Frigatebird
Blue-footed Booby
Brown Booby
Neotropic Cormorant
Anhinga
American White Pelican
Brown Pelican
American Wigeon
Gadwall
Green-winged Teal
Mallard
Mottled Duck
Northern Pintail
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Northern Shoveler
Tricolored Heron
Little Blue Heron
Snowy Egret
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Boat-billed Heron
White Ibis
White-faced Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill
Wood Stork
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Hook-billed Kite
White-tailed Kite
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Common Black-Hawk
Gray Hawk
Roadside Hawk
Short-tailed Hawk
White-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Crested Caracara
American Kestrel
Rufous-bellied Chachalaca (H)
West Mexican Chachalaca
Virginia Rail (H)
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Northern Jacana
Whimbrel
Long-billed Curlew
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Spotted Sandpiper
Willet
Long-billed Dowitcher
Western Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Stilt Sandpiper
American Oystercatcher
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Semipalmated Plover
Killdeer
Heermann's Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Laughing Gull
Caspian Tern
Royal Tern
Common Tern
Brown Noddy
Black Skimmer
Rock Dove
Band-tailed Pigeon
Red-billed Pigeon
Mourning Dove
White-winged Dove
Inca Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Military Macaw
Orange-fronted Parakeet
Mexican Parrotlet
White-fronted Parrot
Lilac-crowned Parrot
Squirrel Cuckoo
Groove-billed Ani
Lesser Roadrunner (H)
Great Horned Owl
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (H)
Northern Potoo
Lesser Nighthawk
Pauraque
Green Violet-ear
Broad-billed Hummingbird
Mexican Woodnymph
White-eared Hummingbird
Berylline Hummingbird
Cinnamon Hummingbird
Violet-crowned Hummingbird
Magnificent Hummingbird
Plain-capped Starthroat
Calliope Hummingbird
Bumblebee Hummingbird
Citreoline Trogon
Mountain Trogon
Elegant Trogon
Belted Kingfisher
Green Kingfisher
Russet-crowned Motmot
Acorn Woodpecker
Golden-cheeked Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Strickland’s Woodpecker
Northern Flicker (H)
Lineated Woodpecker
Pale-billed Woodpecker
Olivaceous Woodcreeper
Ivory-billed Woodcreeper
White-striped Woodcreeper
Northern Beardless Tyrannulet
Tufted Flycatcher
Greater Pewee
Western Wood-Pewee
Least Flycatcher
Pine Flycatcher
Pacific-slope (Western) Flycatcher
Yellowish Flycatcher
Buff-breasted Flycatcher
Vermilion Flycatcher
Nutting’s Flycatcher
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Brown-crested Flycatcher
Tropical Kingbird
Cassin's Kingbird
Thick-billed Kingbird
Western Kingbird
Bright-rumped Attila
Social Flycatcher
Great Kiskadee
Rose-throated Becard
Masked Tityra
Mexican Jay
San Blas Jay
Green Jay
Black-throated Magpie-Jay
Sinaloa Crow
Chihuahuan Raven (H)
Common Raven
Black-capped Vireo
Dwarf Vireo
Golden Vireo
Plumbeous Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Loggerhead Shrike
Gray Silky-flycatcher
Aztec Thrush
Eastern Bluebird
Brown-backed Solitaire
Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush
Rufous-backed Robin
American Robin
Blue Mockingbird
Northern Mockingbird
Curve-billed Thrasher
Pygmy Nuthatch
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Spotted Wren
Gray-barred Wren
Happy Wren
House Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Bushtit
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Mexican Chickadee
House Sparrow
American Pipit
Black-headed Siskin
Lesser Goldfinch
House Finch
Olive Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Colima Warbler
Lucy's Warbler
Northern Parula
Tropical Parula
Crescent-chested Warbler
Yellow (Mangrove)Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Townsend's Warbler
Hermit Warbler
Grace's Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Louisiana Waterthrush
MacGillivray's Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Red-faced Warbler
Red Warbler
Painted Redstart
Slate-throated Redstart
Fan-tailed Warbler
Rufous-capped Warbler
Golden-browed Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
Lincoln's Sparrow
Yellow-eyed Junco
Chipping Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Stripe-headed Sparrow
Collared Towhee
Canyon Towhee
Rusty-crowned Ground-Sparrow
Rufous-capped Brush-Finch
Green-striped Brush-Finch
Flame-colored Tanager
Red-crowned Ant-Tanager
Hepatic Tanager
Summer Tanager
Western Tanager
Red-headed Tanager
Grayish Saltator
Cinnamon-bellied Flower-piercer
Yellow Grosbeak
Black-headed Grosbeak
Blue Bunting
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Varied Bunting
Painted Bunting
Orange-breasted Bunting
Ruddy-breasted Seedeater
Yellow-winged Cacique
Streak-backed Oriole
Hooded Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Bullock's Oriole
Black-backed Oriole
Orchard Oriole
Black-vented Oriole
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Red-winged Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Brewer's Blackbird
Bronzed Cowbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Total Species = 260
Respectfully submitted,
Frank Murphy, Albany, NY USA
thrush@nycap.rr.com
Frani Lowe, Minneapolis, MN USA
Scott Marshall, St. Louis, MO USA