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MEXICO -- Morelos State

12 October - 11 December 2007

by Bev Scott and Murray Sullivan

Murray and I have been retired and living in the Yucatan Peninsula since October 2003.  Since that time we have traveled extensively in the peninsula and to Chiapas.  Murray is interested in nature photography, and I am an avid birder.

The primary purpose of our visit in Cuernavaca and the state of Morelos was to improve our Spanish language skills.  We enrolled in a school there for 5 of our 8 weeks stay, in lieu of the many excellent local schools in the nearby city of Merida.  We wanted to explore a new part of this wonderful country.

The decision was a last minute one and as such, I made no birding plans before the trip other than entering a checklist of the state into my Avisys birding software and briefly reviewing the species list using my copy of the Howell Field Guide to Mexico.  I also made a copy of relevant pages of the Howell “Bird-finding Guide to Mexico.  The trip list below includes all species seen while in the State.  An annoying (my fault) impediment to birding was that I forgot to bring my Nat/Geo North American Field Guide.  I have never birded west of the Rockies, so I had to make extensive field notes on some Warblers and Flycatchers, and then confirm our sightings only after returning to our home in the Yucatan.

With in-city observations and weekend forays by bus, we tallied 175 species.  I was very pleased to see 29 lifers of which 17 are considered Mexican Endemics (Howell) and in total a whopping 24 Mexican endemics.  The only heard species were West-Mexican Chachalaca, of which there were many but always heard in the distance, and Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, heard from our apartment.

Traveling Around

Morelos is one of the smallest states in Mexico.  Valleys at different elevations have a variety of microclimates, and many fruits, grains and vegetables have been cultivated here since pre-Hispanic times.  The natural flora is extremely diverse; coniferous tracts at 3000 meter elevations in the mountains of Lagunas de Zempoala National Park, the strange “folding rock” formations with mixed vegetation at 2000 meters elevation around Tepoztlán, to the arid valley south of Cuernavaca at 1000 meter elevation., scrub covered valley of Cañon de Lobos.  There are three primary archeological sites, at Cuernavaca, Tepoztlán and Xochicalco. 

In conjunction with other birding spots in central Mexico, you would likely fly into Mexico City.  Car rentals are readily available, but we found the local transportation to be adequate for our need in most cases.  We flew to Mexico City from Merida, Yucatan and then took a luxury 90 minute bus-ride from the airport to Cuernavaca ($108.pesos).  While in Cuernavaca we did all of our birding with a combination of local and distant buses and taxis.  On two occasions we hired our landlady’s son to drive us to drop off points.

The good news is that there are plenty of low-cost buses and taxis.  A bus fare from Downtown Cuernavaca to Tepoztlán is $12.50 pesos or $15, depending on whether it is an express bus or not.  Taxi fares range from $25p to $50p anywhere in the city.

If you have a rented car, gas stations are widely available throughout the state.  They are all government-owned Pemex stations, at a cost of about $8.50pesos per liter of regular fuel (during our travel time).

Costs & Money

The local currency is the Mexican Peso (MXP).  We recommend that you use cash.  Use your bankcard to get Mexican pesos at ATM machines.  Every city and almost every town has a bank with an ATM machine that will dispense pesos.  Most major bankcards are accepted.  Very few small neighbourhood restaurants, shops and groceries take major credit cards, especially in small towns and villages.  Gas stations take cash only. 

Here are some average costs of local ground transportation.  As mentioned above, we did not rent a car during our stay.  We found that for most access points for birding and other travel that buses and taxies worked very well.  Taxi prices are by regions and range from $25. to $50 pesos.  Always ask the driver the price before entering the taxi.  Our local friends suggest using only taxis marked as radio taxis.  Then, if the taxi driver gets a little lost, and they do, they will radio for directions.  Don’t let the taxi driver leave until you are sure that you have arrived where you have asked to be dropped.

The bus system in Cuernavaca and outlying areas is very good.  All of the buses are well marked with “Ruta” numbers.  Fare is $4.50 pesos for most central routes.  The ones that travel to the city’s border villages run about $10 to $15 pesos each way.
Accommodations

We spent the entire 8 weeks with a lovely Mexican lady, Josefina Cuellar Vasquez in the heart of Cuernavaca.  Josefina is a Mexican Mamá.  She provides either a room or apartments which are in or attached to her house.  Included in the great price of only $25.USD single or $40.USD double are three supurb meals every day.  And she was most accommodating, preparing a lunch or breakfast to go on the days we could leave to go birding.

To view her property and accommodations, go to www.vacationrentals.com.  It’s under “Mexico – Central Mexico – Cuernavaca”  Her place is listed under “Josefina’s Garden Apartments”.  The property is filled with orchids, flowers and flowering trees.  On the days when we weren’t birding, we still managed to see several locally common species in her yard and the neighbourhood.  Her contact information is:

1era Priv. de Avila Camacho #12, Colonia Pradera, Cuernevaca, MORELOS  62170
Home:  777-311-1525   Juan (her son)  cell-777-313-3579

Political Situation, Safety and Health

Although we felt very safe walking about during our stay in Cuernavaca and area, there are some safety concerns.  Robbery is on the rise, probably due to in part to the rapidly expanding population and proximity to Mexico City.  We were cautioned to travel at night in the city only by radio taxi.  The countryside villages and towns felt very safe to us at all times of the day and locals seemed very pleased to offer assistance with directions and local information.

Another serious consideration is the driving conditions.  Driving in Cuernavaca and nearby Mexico City is very different from the Yucatan Peninsula.  Cuernavaca sits in the middle of an extensive valley surrounded on all sides by mountain ranges.  It is transgressed by many large, long, deep ravines.  There are few bridges so traffic is very congested most of the day in most of the city.  And, unbelievable as it sounds, there are virtually no stop-signs and extremely few traffic lights.  Drivers are very aggressive and move at times at break-neck speeds coming to screeching halts (sometimes) at intersections.  These facts, combined with the recent rapid growth in population, make city driving treacherous.

Health and safety – recommend you check with and follow guidelines set out by your government’s travel health website.  Most medical, dental and hospital care including medications is very inexpensive by North American standards, and the quality of care is generally very good to excellent.  Most medicine, including prescription products can be purchased over the counter in Mexico at drastically lowered prices.  Mosquitoes can be a problem even in the city, especially during the rainy season.

Weather

The city of Cuernavaca has been dubbed “The City of Eternal Spring” and indeed we weren’t disappointed.  The temperatures during our stay ranged from 14 to 17C at night and 23 to 27 in the daytime.  If you do travel in the fall as we did, be sure to have several layers for birding trips.  There was frost on the trees in Zempoala in the morning, and one extremely windy morning at the top of the mountain in San Juan Tlacotenco the temperature had dropped to about 2C.

References:

Books:

Bird Finding Guide to Mexico – Steve N. G. Howell.  Excellent instructions for the areas listed.  I copied only the pages relevant to the state of Morelos and surrounding states.  The site checklists are especially useful.  Just be aware that they represent the accumulated results of many months fieldwork by Howell over a period of 17 years, and so for some sites, especially forest sites, you should not expect to see more than some of the species listed.

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America

Unless you are very familiar with all of the North American species, including their winter plumages, this, or a similar N. American field guide is essential on a trip to Mexico as it covers many of the migrants not covered by the Mexican field guides.

A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America - Howell and Webb. 

This is the standard guide, and very good indeed, but too big to carry about in the field.  Please note that it doesn’t generally illustrate North American species.

Lonely Planet: Mexico - John Noble, et al

"Mexico is an experience that offers a multitude of cultures, cuisine, environments, handicrafts, art and history." This vast country covers an area of almost 2 million square km encompassing mountains, plains, deserts and beaches.." This book gives you everything you need to get around in Mexico, except the flora and fauna.
 
Maps:

We used two different maps.  “Guia Roji” (the Red Guide) is available at all book stores in Mexico in spiral-bound format.  The others are fold-out state maps distributed by “Salomón Huerta Ibarra” (beige cover with navy-blue writing) good for their city map inserts and attractions.  These, together with the maps in Howell were more than adequate for finding and getting around most sites.   We’ve found that the most reliable place for maps in most major cities in Mexico is Sanborn’s department store.  Ask any local person and they will tell you how to get there.  Cuernavaca has 4 stores.  At most of the tourists kiosks and some of the stores, there are available good maps of the city centre and other cites of interest in the city.

Photographs:

Murray took a series of photos of much of the countryside we saw while birding.  On this trip he didn’t bring his long lens, so we unfortunately do not have any bird photos.  You can view photos on-line at www.webshots.com  there is a “search for” line with a drop-down arrow.  Click the down arrow and select “member search”.  Then go to the “Find a member” area (bottom of page) with the blank box beside it and type in “bevscott107”, and click Search.  The next page that appears will contain the underlined name “bevscott107” below the Search Results.  Clicking on this will bring you to our photo albums.  Near the top of this page you can choose to sort the albums by Newest first.  Cuernavaca albums include “Morelos” in the titles.

Sites Visited

Tepoztlán foothills and mountainsides

Following are the words of Ecologist Jarmo Jalava about Tepoztlán and environ, where we spent most of our time birding.

“Soulbird Journeys begin in the colourful, historic town of Tepoztlán in the “Central Volcanic Belt” south of Mexico City. Tepoztlán sits in the cauldron of a long-extinct volcano, and is surrounded by spectacular vertical cliffs and craggy mountaintops.

At an elevation of over 1,700 metres, the climate is invariably pleasant. Winters are perpetually sunny and dry, with mild days and cool nights; the spring months are very warm and dry; while summer and autumn are lush, green, moist and warm, with cascading waterfalls and rushing mountain streams.

Tepoztlán is technically within the Tepozteco National Park, which is part of the Chichinautzin Biological Corridor, a 66,000 hectare protected zone that also includes Lagunas de Zempoala National Park. Great biodiversity and endemism is found in this huge natural area. Species endemic to the region include: Volcano Rabbit, “Zacatuche”, one of the smallest rabbits in the world; Mexican Volcano Mouse; Long-tailed Wood-Partridge; Sierra Madre Sparrow, one of the rarest and most local birds in the world; and “Ajolote”—an aquatic salamander.”

If you want the easiest and surest way to find the best areas, and most of the target birds of this area, you can contact Jarmo Jalava.  Jarmo is a Canadian Ecologist who lives with his family in Tepoztlán.  He leads 1/2 day to 1 week birding and nature excursions in the area and the state.  You can learn more about him and the area at www.soulbirdjourneys.com or www.jarmojalava.com

If you decide to go it alone, we suggest that you take a bus from Cuernavaca to Tepoztlán ($25 - $30 pesos).  Ask a taxi driver in Tepoztlán to take you to the beginning of “Camino a Tonatico” ($25 to $40 pesos – ask before entering taxi).  There will be a walled property on one side with a cultivated field on the mountainside of this narrow dirt road.  We recommend walking this road east bound and continuing on the road closest to the mountains and head constantly to higher elevations up the mountainside keeping for as long as you like.  There are side-roads running off to the right with the mountains on your left.  You can back-track at any time.  We found that there were frequently taxis on these roads that you could flag down. 

San Juan Tlacotenco village and surrounding area

When you arrive in central Tepoztlán, have a taxi driver take you to the village of San Juan Tlacotenco ($35 to $50 pesos – ask before entering the taxi).  This is about a 15 minute trip out of town and up the nearby mountain to a higher elevation, probably around 2,200 meters.  We had lots of luck everywhere we birded, in the village or heading up and away to the right on the footpath toward Santo Domingo, or by walking the main road back down the mountain.

Another path you can take in either direction is the former train track that intersects the main road about 2 kilometers down from the village.

Lagunas de Zempoala National Park

A small piece of Zempoala National Park is in the State of Morelos, with the major part in the State of Mexico.  To access this area we took Hwy 95 north out of the city and continued to the turn off which heads north-west and up into the mountains towards the city of Toluca in the State of Mexico.  The total distance from the centre of Cuernavaca is about 25 kilometers.  For our trips there we paid Juan, our host’s son to drive us to the park entrance and then we flagged down the Cuernavaca – Toluca bus for our return trips.  The fare was $38 pesos (about $4.00CAD or $3.50USD).  The bus returned to the station in downtown Cuernavaca in about 45 minutes.

The park entrance is situated between two small lakes.  Zempoala National Park with an average altitude of 2,900 meters belongs to the so-called Chichinautzin Biological Corridor.  It has 7 lakes and covers an area of almost 4700 hectares.  When we arrived at 7:15am the air was cool and damp.  Murray was chilly with only his shorts and a windbreaker covering his t-shirt.  The peaks were shrouded with clouds, and except for the occasional car or truck that passed by, it was very quiet.  Although there are 7 lakes in the park, we saw only two of them in the area we walked.

We followed a narrow dirt path to the right of the entrance gate with the mountains rising sharply on our left and the lake edge on our right.  The entire area is covered mostly with tall conifers with wildflowers growing here and there.  We then returned to the park entrance at the highway and proceeded along the cobblestone road with another lake on our left and the hills on our right.  This took us slowly down to a flat, grassy, partially flooded area where about a dozen well-groomed horses were grazing in the dry flat areas and along the pathways.  On the other side of the lake are several temporary tin-covered kiosks used on weekends when there are many tourists.  For this reason we recommend birding the park mid-week.  On the two occasions we were there, only a few carloads of visitors showed up and stayed for only a few minutes.

Species of note here were Pygmy Nuthatch, Strickland’s Woodpecker, the endemic Rufous-crowned Brushfinch and most important 2 Sierra Madre Sparrows.  This is an excerpt from my field notes.  “… extremely similar to Song Sparrow, tail proportionately shorter than Song Sparrow; bird much smaller than the Yellow-rumped warblers that were at times feeding on the ground beside them; at a distance of less than 5 meters at times; retreated to the low grassy areas along the stream running through the grazing land close to the footpath.  Seen on both visits between the end of the cobblestone road where it meets the beginning of the grazing area and along the bottom of the mountainside close to the footpath; neither chipped or sang during a total of 10 minutes of observations on 2 visits.

Cañon de Lobos foot-trail (Howell birdfinding Guide (8.6)

Howells Birdfinding Guide to Mexico gives very exact and still valid directions for accessing the starting point of this trail.  You can take a taxi to the access point from Cuernavaca for about $50 to $70 pesos.  We do not recommend leaving a car on the side of the highway.  Note:  be sure to continue on the highway past the town entrance of Amador Salazar and continue on for a few kms. until you reach the bottom of a long steep winding hill and see the large metal guard-rail at the sharp left-turning bend in the highway.  The best way to enter the trail is to follow the cleared foot-path at the beginning of the guard-rail.  Follow it for about 50 meters along the side of the highway until it takes a sharp turn right, heading away from the highway and up the right side of the canyon.

Then you can take the trail for about 5 or 6 kilometers heading in a straight, easily recognizable direction until you reach the village of Las Fuentes?? on the other side of the canyon.  From here you can get the bus to central Cuernavaca (Ruta 7, $12 pesos, about 40 minutes with tons of stops before reaching the centre of the city).  This will give you 2 to 3 hours of good birding depending on your speed, without back-tracking.  Alternatively, you can back-track to the highway, cross the southbound lanes and climb the 50 meters or so up to the northbound lanes and flag down a bus or taxi that will get you back toward town. 

Birds of note seen here were Elegant Trogon, Happy Wren, the only Pileated Flycatchers (2) we saw and heard in the state, Slate-blue Seedeater, Golden-crowned Emerald, Rusty-crowned Ground-Sparrow and Black-chested Sparrow.

Central Cuernavaca

Any of the many parks can be good early in the morning and before sunset.  We had good luck with wintering species, although in low numbers, at most of the parks, noted below on the list.  Watch and listen for Green Parakeet, White-fronted and Red-lored Parrots.  We saw and heard them almost every morning and afternoon from our apartment.

Species List

Taxonomy is largely based on "A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America" by Howell and Webb (1995).
Please note – a ‘C’ indicates that the species is readily found in suitable habitat(does not reflect checklist but rather my sightings); ‘E‘ considered a Mexican endemic and ‘ES’ an endemic sub-species in Howell; I have generally noted where limited numbers of individuals or flocks were seen. The letter 'h' indicates the bird was heard only. 

Location indicators are:

“Z” – Lagunas de Zempoala Nat’l Park;
“T” – Tepoztan;
"X" – Xochicalco Ruins area;
“S” – San Juan Tlacotenco;
“L” – Cañon de Lobos;
“CUE” – Cuernavaca city centre.


SPECIES

Scientific

Español

Locations

Pied-billed Grebe

Podilymbus podiceps

Zambullidor Piquipinto

5+ only at Z

Great Blue Heron

Ardea herodias

Garzón Cenizo

1 Z

Cattle Egret

Bubulcus ibis

Garza Ganadera

12 X

Green Heron

Butorides virescens

Garza Verde

CUE at Parque

Black Vulture

Coragyps atratus

Zopilote Negro

C

Turkey Vulture

Cathartes aura

Aura Cabecirroja

C

Osprey

Pandion haliaetus

Gavilán Pescador

1 Z

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Accipiter striatus

Gavilán Pajarero

1 CUE

Gray Hawk

Asturina nitida

Aguililla Gris

1 L

Short-tailed Hawk

Buteo brachyurus

Aguililla Colicorta

1 T - Unexpected

White-tailed Hawk

Buteo albicaudatus

Aguililla Coliblanca

1 CUE

Red-tailed Hawk

Buteo jamaicensis

Aguililla Coliroja

1 sighting each visit at X, T, S, L, Z

Crested Caracara

Caracara cheriway

Caracara Común

1 X

American Kestrel

Falco sparverius

Cernícalo Americano

3 S, T

E West Mexican Chachalaca

Ortalis poliocephala

Chachalaca Mexicana

H – X, T

American Coot

Fulica americana

Gallareta Americana

5 Z

Rock Pigeon

Columba livia

Paloma Doméstica

C

Mourning Dove

Zenaida macroura

Paloma Huilota

5 T

Inca Dove

Columbina inca

Tórtola Colilarga

C

White-tipped Dove

Leptotila verreauxi

Paloma Arroyera

1 L, T

ES Green Parakeet

Aratinga (holochlora?) strenua

Perico Verde Mexicano

24 CUE, saw flock every day - Unexpected

White-fronted Parrot

Amazona albifrons

Loro Frentiblanco

22 CUE, saw flock every day - Unexpected

Red-lored Parrot

Amazona autumnalis

Loro Cachete-amarillo

11 CUE, saw flock and roosting spot many times - Unexpected

Squirrel Cuckoo

Piaya cayana

Cuco Ardilla

2 CUE, L

Groove-billed Ani

Crotophaga sulcirostris

Garrapatero Pijuy

3 T

Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl

Glaucidium brasilianum

Tecolotito Común

1 h – CUE from apartment, early in morning

Black Swift

Cypseloides niger

Vencejo Negro

?? CUE no scope, over city at dusk every day

E White-naped Swift

Streptoprocne semicollaris

Vencejo Nuquiblanco

80+ CUE

White-throated Swift

Aeronautes saxatalis

Vencejo Gorjiblanco

18+ CUE, T

Vaux's Swift

Chaetura vauxi

Vencejo de Vaux

20+ CUE

Green Violet-ear

Colibri thalassinus

Orejavioleta Verde

1 S, T,

E Golden-crowned [Fork-tailed] Emerald

Chlorostilbon auriceps

Esmeralda Mexicana

1 L

White-eared Hummingbird

Hylocharis leucotis

Colibri Orejiblanco

C

E Violet-crowned Hummingbird

Agyrtria violiceps

Colibri Corona-violeta

C

Berylline Hummingbird

Saucerottia beryllina

Colibri de Berilo

1 S, 2 T

Blue-throated Hummingbird

Lampornis clemenciae

Colibri-serrano Gorjiazul

1 T

Magnificent Hummingbird

Eugenes fulgens

Colibri Magnífico

1 S, T

Lucifer Hummingbird

Calothorax lucifer

Tijereta Norteña

1, S, T

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Archilochus colubris

Colibri Gorjirrubi

1 X, 3 T, 1 S

Broad-tailed Hummingbird

Selasphorus platycercus

Zumbador Coliancho

1 S

Rufous Hummingbird

Selasphorus rufus

Zumbador Rufo

C at T and S

Elegant Trogon

Trogon elegans

Trogon Elegante

1 L

E Russet-crowned Motmot

Momotus mexicanus

Momoto Coronicafé

4 X, C at T, 1 S

Belted Kingfisher

Ceryle alcyon

Martin-pescador Norteño

1 Z

Acorn Woodpecker

Melanerpes formicivorus

Carpintero Arlequín

6 S, 1 T

E Golden-cheeked Woodpecker

Melanerpes chrysogenys

Carpintero Cachetidorado

C

E Gray-breasted Woodpecker

Melanerpes hypopolius

Carpintero Pechigris

1 T, 1 L

Ladder-backed Woodpecker

Picoides scalaris

Carpintero Listado

2 T

E Strickland’s [Brown-barred] Woodpecker

Picoides stricklandi

Carpintero de Strickland

2 Z

Ivory-billed Woodcreeper

Xiphorhynchus flavigaster

Trepatroncos Piquiclaro

1 L

Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet

Camptostoma imberbe

Mosquerito Lampino Norteño

1 CUE, 1 S, 1 L

Greenish Elaenia

Myiopagis viridicata

Elenia Verdosa

C

E Pileated Flycatcher

Xenotriccus mexicanus

Mosquero del Balsas

2 L

Tufted Flycatcher

Mitrephanes phaeocercus

Mosquero Penachudo

1 L, C at S, Z,

Greater Pewee

Contopus pertinax

Pibí Mayor

C

Western Wood-Pewee

Contopus sordidulus

Pibí Occidental

1 S

Dusky Flycatcher

Empidonax oberholseri

Mosquero Oscuro

C T, L,

Pine Flycatcher

Empidonax affinis

Mosquero Pinero

1 T, 1 S

Cordilleran Flycatcher

Empidonax occidentalis

Mosquero Barranqueño

C

Buff-breasted Flycatcher

Empidonax fulvifrons

Mosquero Pechicanelo

C

Black Phoebe

Sayornis nigricans

Mosquero Negro

2 CUE Parque Chapultapec, 4 Z

Vermilion Flycatcher

Pyrocephalus rubinus

Mosquero Cardenal

C

Dusky-capped Flycatcher

Myiarchus tuberculifer

Copetón Triste

C

Ash-throated Flycatcher

Myiarchus cinerascens

Copetón Gorjicenizo

C

Nutting’s Flycatcher

Myiarchus nuttingi

Copetón de Nutting

1 L

Brown-crested Flycatcher

Myiarchus tyrannulus

Copetón Tirano

C

Great Kiskadee

Pitangus sulphuratus

Luis Grande

C

Social Flycatcher

Myiozetetes similis

Luis Gregario

C

Tropical Kingbird

Tyrannus melancholicus

Tirano Tropical

2 Cue, 1 T

Cassin’s Kingbird

Tyrannus vociferans

Tirano de Cassin

C

Thick-billed Kingbird

Tyrannus crassirostris

Tirano Piquigrueso

C

Western Kingbird

Tyrannus verticalis

Tirano Occidental

2 X Unexpected

Rose-throated Becard

Pachyramphus aglaiae

Cabezón Degollado

1 S, 1 T

Purple Martin

Progne subis

Martín Azul

1 CUE

Violet-green Swallow

Tachycineta thalassina

Golondrina Cariblanca

10 T, 1 S

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Stelgidopteryx serripennis

Golondrina-aliserraada Norteña

C

Cave Swallow

Petrochelidon fulva

Golondrina Pueblera

1 L

Barn Swallow

Hirundo rustica

Golondrina Ranchera

C

American Pipit

Anthus rubescens

Bisbita Americana

20 Z

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Regulus satrapa

Reyezuelo Corona-dorada

16 Z

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Regulus calendula

Reyezuelo Sencillo

C

Gray Silky-flycatcher

Ptilogonys cinereus

Capulinero Gris

C

E Boucard’s Wren

Campylorhynchus jocosus

Matraca del Balsas

3 T, 1 S

Canyon Wren

Catherpes mexicanus

Saltapared Barranquero

C

E Happy Wren

Thryothorus felix

Saltapared Feliz

2 S,1 L, 1 T

Bewick’s Wren

Thryomanes bewickii

Saltapared de Bewick

C

Brown-throated [House] Wren

Troglodytes (aedon?) brunneicolis

Saltapared-continental Gorjicafé

3 Z

House Wren

Troglodytes aedon

Saltapared-continental Norteño

C

Curve-billed Thrasher

Toxostoma curvirostre

Cuitlacoche Piquicurvo

1 each at CUE, T, S

Crissal Thrasher

Toxostoma crissale

Cuitlacoche Crisal

1 unexpected at X

E Blue Mockingbird

Melanotis caerulescens

Mulato Azul

C

Eastern Bluebird

Sialia sialis

Azulejo Gorjicanelo

6 at S

Brown-backed Solitaire

Myadestes occidentalis

Clarín Jilguero

1 seen at S, heard often in highlands

Swainson's Thrush

Catharus ustulatus

Zorzalito de Swainson

1 S

White-throated Thrush

Turdus assimilis

Zorzal Gorijiblanco

1 S

E Rufous-backed Robin

Turdus rufopalliatus

Zorzal Dorsirrufo

C

American Robin

Turdus migratorius

Zorzal Petirrojo

2 S, 2 Z

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Polioptila caerulea

Perlita Grisilla

C

Bushtit

Psaltriparus minimus

Sastrecillo

C at S and Z

Mexican Chickadee

Poecile sclateri

Paro Mexicano

C at S, T, Z

Bridled Titmouse

Baeolophus wollweberi

Paro Embridado

3 S

White-breasted Nuthatch

Sitta carolinensis

Saltapalos Pechiblanco

2 S, 2 Z

Pygmy Nuthatch

Sitta pygmaea

Saltapalos Enano

8 Z, 2 S

Brown Creeper

Certhia americana

Trepador Americano

1 Z

Loggerhead Shrike

Lanius ludovicianus

Lanio Americano

X, T, L

Steller's Jay (coronata)

Cyanocitta stelleri

Chara de Steller

3 Z

Common Raven

Corvus corax

Cuervo Grande

CUE, S, T

Black-capped Vireo

Vireo atricapillus

Vireo Gorrinegro

1 T

Cassin’s Vireo

Vireo cassinii

Vireo de Cassin

2 S

Warbling Vireo

Vireo gilvus

Vireo Gorjeador

1 CUE, 4 T, 1 CUE at Parque Chapultapec, 1 L

E Golden Vireo

Vireo hypochryseus

Vireo Dorado

C

Olive Warbler

Peucedramus taeniatus

Chipe Ocotero

3 Z, 2 S

Orange-crowned Warbler

Vermivora celata

Chipe Corona-naranja

3 S

Nashville Warbler

Vermivora ruficapilla

Chipe de Nashville

C

Virginia’s Warbler

Vermivora virginiae

Chipe de Virginia

1 T

Colima Warbler

Vermivora crissalis

Chipe Colimense

1 S

Crescent-chested Warbler

Parula superciliosa

Chipe Cejiblanco

4 sitings S

Northern Parula

Parula Americana

Parula Norteña

2 males S, unexpected

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Dendroica coronata

Chipe Rabadilla-amarilla

C auduboni (memorabilis) CUE

Black-throated Gray Warbler

Dendroica nigrescens

Chipe Negrigris

C

Black-throated Green Warbler

Dendroica virens

Chipe Dorsiverde

2 S

Townsend’s Warbler

Dendroica townsendi

Chipe de Townsend

C

Grace's Warbler

Dendroica graciae

Chipe de Grace

3 sitings only, CUE and T

Black-and-white Warbler

Mniotilta varia

Chipe Trepador

C

American Redstart

Setophaga ruticilla

Pavito Migratorio

3 CUE

Ovenbird

Seiurus aurocapillus

Chipe-suelero Coronado

1 L

Northern Waterthrush

Seiurus noveboracensis

Chipe-suelero Charquero

1 Z

MacGillivray’s Warbler

Oporornis tolmiei

Chipe de Tolmie

C

Gray-crowned Yellowthroat

Geothlypis poliocephala

Masscarita Piquigruesa

1 T

Hooded Warbler

Wilsonia citrine

Chipe Encapuchado

1 female CUE Parque Chapultapec

Wilson’s Warbler

Wilsonia pusilla

Chipe de Wilson

C

Red-faced Warbler

Cardellina rubrifrons

Chipe Carirrojo

C

E Red Warbler

Ergaticus rubber

Chipe Rojo

C

Painted Redstart

Myioborus pictus

Pavito Aliblanco

1 S, 1 T

Slate-throated Redstart

Myioborus miniatus

Pavito Gorjigris

C

Rufous-capped Warbler

Basileuterus rufifrons

Chipe Gorrirrufo

3 S, 4 L

Golden-browed Warbler

Basileuterus belli

Chipe Cejidorado

1 S, 2 Z

Yellow-breasted Chat

Icteria virens

Gritón Pechiamarillo

1 T, 1 L

Hepatic Tanager

Piranga flava

Tángara Encinera

1 T, 2 S

Summer Tanager

Piranga rubra

Tángara Roja

2 CUE, 1 L, 1 T

Western Tanager

Piranga ludoviciana

Tángara Occidental

C

Scrub Euphonia

Thraupis abbas

Eufonia Gorjinegro

1 T

Yellow-throated Euphonia

Euphonia hirundinacea

Eufonia Gorjiamarillo

2 1 male and 1 female, CUE at Jardin Borda

Elegant Euphonia

Euphonia elegantissima

Eufonia Capucha-azul

C at T and S

Blue-black Grassquit

Volatinia jacarina

Semillero Brincador

1 or 2 ea at T, L

White-collared Seedeater

Sporophila torqueola

Semillero Collarejo

2 CUE, 4 T

E [Slate] Blue Seedeater

Amaurospiza relicta (or concolor?)

Semillero Azuligris

1 male at L, NOTE relicta

E Rufous-capped Brush-Finch

Atlapetes pileatus

Saltón Gorrirrufo

2 Z

E Rusty-crowned Ground-Sparrow

Melozone kieneri

Rascador Coronirrufo

1 L

Green-tailed Towhee

Pipilo chlorurus

Rascador Coliverde

1 L unexpected

Eastern (Rufous-sided) towhee

Pipilo erythrophthalmus

Rascador Ojirrojo

1 L, 1 S

Canyon Towhee

Pipilo fuscus

Rascador Arroyero

3 sitings of a few birds at S

E Black-chested Sparrow

Aimophila humeralis

Zacatonero Pechinegro

C at X, T, L

Stripe-headed Sparrow

Aimophila ruficauda

Zacatonero Cabecirrayada

C at T, 4 at L

Rusty Sparrow

Aimophila rufescens

Zacatanero Rojizo

1 L

E Striped Sparrow

Oriturus superciliosus

Zacatonero Rayado

12 Z

Chipping Sparrow

Spizella passerina

Gorrión Cejiblanco

6 S, 1 T

Clay-coloured Sparrow

Spizella pallida

Gorrión Pálido

8 T

E Sierra Madre Sparrow

Xenospiza baileyi

Gorrión Serrano

2 Z (see notes in location descriptions)

Lincoln’s Sparrow

Melospiza lincolnii

Gorrión de Lincoln

1 S, 1 T

Yellow-eyed Junco

Junco phaeonotus

Junco Ojilumbre

28 Z

Black-headed Grosbeak

Pheucticus melanocephalus

Picogrueso Tigrillo

C several sightings at L, T, S

Indigo Bunting

Passerina cyanea

Colorín Azul

3 T

Varied Bunting

Passerina versicolor

Colorín Morado

2 L

Painted Bunting

Passerina ciris

Colorín Sietecolores

2 males X

ES Red-winged Blackbird

Agelaius phoeniceus

Tordo Sargento

42 at Z

Great-tailed Grackle

Quiscalus mexicanus

Zanate Mayor

C

Streak-backed Oriole

Icterus pustulatus

Bolsero Dorsirrayado

C

Orchard Oriole

Icterus spurius

Bolsero Castaño

3 T

Hooded Oriole

Icterus cucullatus

Bolsero Cuculado

6 sightings T, 1 CUE

Baltimore Oriole

Icterus galbula

Bolsero de Baltimore

2 T

Bullock’s Oriole

Icterus bullockii

Bolsero de Bullock

C S, T, L,

Black-vented Oriole

Icterus wagleri

Bolsero de Wagler

1 T

House Finch

Carpodacus mexicanus

Fringílido Mexicano

C

Lesser Goldfinch

Carduelis psaltria

Dominico Dorsioscuro

C

E Hooded Grosbeak

Coccothraustes abeillei

Pepitero Encapuchado

2 Z

House Sparrow

Passer domesticus

Gorrión Domestico

C

"Beverley Scott"
<ttbascott@hotmail.com>

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