21 - 27 March 2000

by Jim Sinclair

Weather was similar each day with lows around 70 degrees and highs around 90 degrees.  The majority of the birding was done early in the morning along the road in the northwest corner of the island.  One morning was spent at Punta Sur Park and midday trips were made to the San Gervasio ruins and to Chankanaab National Park.  Following is a list of 80 species with comments
where appropriate:

Trip List:

Pied-billed Grebe
Brown Pelican
Double-crested Cormorant
Magnificent Frigatebird
Great Blue Heron
Cattle Egret
Reddish Egret
White Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill
Blue-winged Teal
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey- common at Punta Sur
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Black-bellied Plover
Wilson’s Plover
Semi-palmated Plover
Black-necked Stilt
Northern Jacana
Solitary Sandpiper
Ruddy Turnstone
Caspian Tern
Royal Tern
Caribbean Dove
White-winged Dove
Common Ground Dove
Ruddy Ground Dove-mating
Yucatan Parrot
Mangrove Cuckoo
Chimney Swift
Green Breasted Mango
Cozumel Emerald
Ruby-throated Hummingbird- although listed as hypothetical on Cozumel by
Howell and Webb I observed two males and one female plus found a badly
tattered male speciman at Punta Sur.
Belted Kingfisher
Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet- although Howell and Webb do not have this bird within 120 miles of Cozumel I had very close looks at a singing bird.
Yucatan Flycatcher
Tropical Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird- one, early migrant?
Mangrove Swallow
Barn Swallow
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher- check out the cozumelae subspecies as its distinctive nature would seem to me to make it a future candidate for a split.
Gray Catbird
Black Catbird
Tropical Mockingbird
Mangrove Vireo
Cozumel Vireo- common, distinctive unvireo like song.  Also has wren-like alarm call.
Yucatan Vireo
Rufous-browed Peppershrike- great bird!
Blue-winged Warbler
Northern Parala
Yellow Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Black and White Warbler
American Redstart
Worm-eating Warbler
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Kentucky Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Prairie Warbler
Palm Warbler
Bananaquit-ubiquitous
Summer Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Indigo Bunting
Painted Bunting
White-collared Seedeater
Yellow-faced Grassquit
Savannah Sparrow- one
Red-winged Blackbird- one
Great-tailed Grackle
Hooded Oriole
Stripe-headed Tanager

I missed both the wren and the thrasher despite birding in habitat that looked good for either or both.

Jim Sinclair
sinclear@aol.com