22 - 27 October 1997
by Mark Lockwood
My wife and I spent six days visiting archeological sites and birding in Quintana Roo and Yucatan during late October 1997. The primary reason for the trip was to visit Tulum, Coba and Chichen Itza. Therefore, the species list is smaller that what one might expect on a strictly birding trip to the region
We arrived about noon on 22 October at Cancun, rented a car and drove south toward Akumal. The primary birding location of the day was the Dr. Alfredo Barrera Marin Botanical Garden located on the south side of Puerto Morales. There is a nominal entrance fee and is well worth the stop. The botanical garden covers about 60 ha, with the vast majority of that being forested. There is approximately 2 km of trails. We stayed at Vias Mayas in Akumal. The accommodations were nice, but the food was expensive and the worst of the trip. The grounds of Vias Mayas offered little in the way of bird habitat and we saw very little within the grounds. The best bird we observed at the hotel by far was a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl.
On the 23rd we traveled to Tulum in the morning. It is very important to reach the archeological sites as early as possible in the mornings to avoid crowds. Tulum overlooks the Caribbean and is basically surrounded by mangroves. From the parking lot to the ruins there is good habitat, although all we saw were Yucatan Jays. There is a road that leads from the bus turnaround at the ruins southward. We visited the ruins first and birded this road from about 10 am to noon. Even this late in the morning, it offered fairly good birding.
We traveled to Coba on the 24th. We did not take the time to bird around Lake Coba, however Ruddy Crakes can be found there. The birding within the ruins was good, although species diversity was lower than expected. Climbing the tall pyramid offers an excellent view of the canopy. The only bird of note we observed from there was a White-tailed Kite. After birding the archeological site we travel to Chichen Itza.
We stayed three nights at the Hacienda Chichen, which I highly recommend. It borders the archeological site and there are trails from the hotel into Old Chichen, which contains unexcavated sites. This area has great promise for birding, however we found the areas surround the hotel to have the best diversity of birds. We spent one morning at Chichen Itza and one day (the 26th) on a day trip to the Rio Lagartos area; otherwise we birded the area surrounding the hotel.
The trip to Rio Lagartos was nice, but we were unable to locate most of the northernmost Yucatan Peninsula specialties. We did find a male Mexican Sheartail and saw about 300 Greater Flamingos, but were unable to find any of the other target birds. Apparently, the area north of Merida is better for these birds, or we just had bad luck.
We birded the botanical garden at Puerto Morales on our last morning before returning to Austin. Below is an annotated list of the species observed during the trip.
Itinerary in Brief:
22 Oct.- Traveled from Cancun to Akumal, birding for two hours at the Jardin Botanical Garden (JBG), Puerto Morales
23 Oct.- Birded Tulum in the morning and around Akumal in the afternoon.
24 Oct.- Traveled to Chichen Itza via Coba, birded ruins at Coba and grounds of Hacienda Chichen.
25 Oct.- Birded Chichen Itza and Hacienda Chichen, including Old Chichen (forest adjoining ground of the hotel that includes some ruins).
26 Oct.- Day trip to Rio Lagartos area, including Las Coloradas and San Felipe) some birding around Hacienda Chichen in late afternoon.
27 Oct.- Traveled to Cancun, birded Jardin Botanical Gardens for three hours in the morning.
Species List:
| SPECIES | WHERE OBSERVED |
| Pied-billed Grebe | two at Coba on the 24th |
| American White Pelican | five near San Felipe on the 26th |
| Brown Pelican | common at Puerto Morales, Tulum and the Rio Lagartos region |
| Double-crested Cormorant | three at Akumal on the 22nd |
| Neotropic Cormorant | one at Lake Coba on the 24th |
| Magnificent Frigatebird | common at Puerto Morales, Tulum and the Rio Lagartos region |
| Great Blue Heron | one at Akumal on the 23rd |
| Great Egret | common in freshwater marshes |
| Little Blue Heron | four near Rio Lagartos on the 26th |
| Tricolored Heron | one at San Felipe on the 26th |
| Reddish Egret | one near Rio Lagartos on the 26th |
| Cattle Egret | common at Tulum and Rio Lagartos |
| Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | two each evening at Akumal |
| White Ibis | four at Akumal on the 22nd and two near Rio Lagartos |
| Black Vulture | abundant, seen in large numbers at all locations |
| Turkey Vulture | far fewer that Black Vultures, but seen at all locations |
| Greater Flamingo | about 300 in the lagoon directly south of Las Coloradas and one imm. at San Felipe on the 26th |
| Osprey | four at Akumal on the 22-23, including one apparent P. h. ridgwayi (white headed) |
| Hook-billed Kite | one male at Chichen Itza on the 25th |
| White-tailed Kite | one adult at Coba on the 23rd |
| Crane Hawk | one adult at JBG on the 22nd |
| Gray Hawk | commonly observed en route between sites |
| Roadside Hawk | one near Old Chichen on the 25th and 26th |
| Short-tailed Hawk | one near Coba (23rd) and one near JBG (27th) |
| White-tailed Hawk | two imm. near Rio Lagartos on the 26th |
| Zone-tailed Hawk | one at Coba (23rd) and one near Tizimin (26th) |
| Crested Caracara | five near Rio Lagartos on the 26th |
| American Kestrel | one or two seen daily |
| Merlin | one near Las Coloradas (26th) and one near Cancun (27th) |
| Peregrine Falcon | one near Rio Lagartos on the 26th |
| Plain Chachalaca | several heard near Hacienda Chichen on the 24th and about five seen en route to Cancun on the 27th |
| Snowy Plover | 20 to 30 near Las Coloradas on the 26th |
| Wilson's Plover | five near Las Coloradas on the 26th |
| Black-necked Stilt | three near Rio Lagartos on the 26th |
| Greater Yellowlegs | two near Las Coloradas |
| Willet | 10+ near Las Coloradas |
| Spotted Sandpiper | one at Akumal on the 23rd |
| Ruddy Turnstone | three at Akumal on the 22nd |
| Western Sandpiper | 15+ near Las Coloradas |
| Least Sandpiper | 30+ near Las Coloradas |
| Dunlin | 20+ near Las Coloradas |
| Stilt Sandpiper | three near Las Coloradas |
| Laughing Gull | four at San Felipe on the 26th |
| Herring Gull | two at Las Coloradas |
| Gull-billed Tern | one at Las Coloradas |
| Royal Tern | several at Akumal |
| Rock Dove | common in towns |
| Red-billed Pigeon | 10-15 daily at Chichen Itza |
| White-winged Dove | two at Coba on the 24th |
| Zenaida Dove | three near Las Coloradas on the 26th |
| Common Ground-Dove | two near Las Coloradas on the 26th |
| Ruddy Ground-Dove | common in disturbed areas, especially near Coba and the grounds of Hacienda Chichen |
| White-tipped Dove | three at Hacienda Chichen on the 25th |
| Olive-throated Parakeet | 2 near JBG (22nd) and 6 at Coba (24th) |
| White-fronted Parrot | six at Hacienda Chichen on the 25th and four on the 26th, flocks of unidentified Amazona were seen around Chichen and en route of Cancun |
| Squirrel Cuckoo | singles at JGB and Coba, several were seen around |
| Chichen Itza | |
| Groove-billed Ani | common |
| Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl | one at Akumal (23rd) and JBG (27th) |
| Vaux's Swift | abundant at Chichen Itza with 20+ daily |
| Cinnamon Hummingbird | singles at Hacienda Chichen, Chichen Itza and JBG |
| Mexican Sheartail | a male near Las Coloradas on the 26th |
| Black-headed Trogon | one at Coba (24th) and two at JBG (27th) |
| Violaceous Trogon | one at Chichen Itza on the 25th |
| Blue-crowned Motmot | two at Chichen Itza (25th) and Hacienda Chichen (26th) |
| Turquoise-browed Motmot | one at JBG (22nd) and 2-3 at Hacienda Chichen daily |
| Belted Kingfisher | one near Akumal on the 22nd |
| Collared Aracari | two at Hacienda Chichen on the 24th |
| Keel-billed Toucan | one flew over the road near JBG on the 27th |
| Red-vented Woodpecker | two at JBG (both visits), and one at Tulum |
| Golden-fronted Woodpecker | common at all sites except Rio Lagartos |
| Golden-olive Woodpecker | one at JBG on the 27th |
| Lineated Woodpecker | two at Akumal (23rd), one at JBG (27th) |
| Pale-billed Woodpecker | two at JBG on the 22nd |
| Northern Barred-Woodcreeper | one at JBG on the 27th |
| Ivory-billed Woodcreeper | three at Coba (25th) and JBG (27th) |
| Caribbean Elaenia | two at JBG on the 22nd |
| Eastern Wood-Pewee | common in open habitats |
| Tropical Pewee | one or possibly two at Hacienda Chichen |
| "Traill's" Flycatcher | one at Hacienda Chichen on the 26th |
| Least Flycatcher | observed at JGB (22nd), Akumal, Tulum and Hacienda Chichen |
| Yucatan Flycatcher | one at Hacienda Chichen (25th) |
| Great Kiskadee | four at Akumal and several in the Chichen Itza area |
| Boat-billed Flycatcher | observed at Coba and Chichen Itza area |
| Social Flycatcher | common at all sites except the Rio Lagartos area |
| Tropical Kingbird | abundant |
| Rose-throated Becard | female at Coba (24th and male at JBG (27th) |
| Masked Tityra | six at Coba, four at Hacienda Chichen, and three at Chichen Itza |
| White-eyed Vireo | common at JBG, Coba and the Chichen Itza area |
| Mangrove Vireo | one at JBG on the 27th |
| Yellow-throated Vireo | three at JBG on the 22nd and one on the 27th |
| Red-eyed Vireo | three at Coba on the 24th |
| Yucatan Vireo | two at Tulum on the 23rd and two at JBG on the 27th |
| Lesser Greenlet | singles at JBG on the 22nd and 27th |
| Rufous-browed Peppershrike | singles at Coba, Chichen Itza, and JBG (27th) |
| Green Jay | common at JBG, Coba and the Chichen Itza area |
| Brown Jay | ten outside Coba (24th) and 15+ en route to Cancun on the 27th |
| Yucatan Jay | six at Tulum (23rd), four at Coba (24th) and two near Chichen Itza (25th) |
| Mangrove Swallow | two at Las Coloradas on the 26th |
| (Ridgway's) N. Rough-winged Swallow | 10+ at Akumal on 22nd and at last two at Hacienda Chichen on 26th |
| Bank Swallow | one at Las Coloradas on 26th |
| Cave Swallow | 30+ at Chichen Itza on the 25th |
| Spot-breasted Wren | three at JBG the 22nd, on at Coba the 24th and another at JBG on the 27th |
| White-bellied Wren | on at JBG on the 22nd and Coba on the 24th |
| House Wren | common around Hacienda Chichen |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | one at Chichen Itza (25th) and JBG (27th) |
| Wood Thrush | two at Coba on the 24th |
| Clay-colored Robin | five at Coba (25th) and many in the Chichen Itza area |
| Gray Catbird | uncommon in disturbed habitats |
| Tropical Mockingbird | abundant in open habitats, the most commonly observed species |
| Blue-winged Warbler | singles at JBG (22nd & 27th) and Coba (25th) |
| Tennessee Warbler | three at Hacienda Chichen on the 25th |
| Northern Parula | one at Chichen Itza on the 25th |
| Yellow Warbler | one at Akumal on the 23rd |
| Chestnut-sided Warbler | one at Chichen Itza on the 25th |
| Magnolia Warbler | common |
| Black-throated Green Warbler | several in the Chichen Itza area and two at JBG on the 27th |
| Yellow-throated Warbler | common at Akumal, Tulum and Chichen Itza |
| Palm Warbler | four at Akumal and two at Tulum on the 23rd |
| Black-and-white Warbler | common |
| American Redstart | common |
| Prothonotary Warbler | singles at Coba and Hacienda Chichen |
| Worm-eating Warbler | single at JBG on the 27th |
| Ovenbird | common |
| Louisiana Waterthrush | one at JBG on the 22nd |
| Northern Waterthrush | one at Coba on the 24th |
| Kentucky Warbler | one at JBG on the 22nd |
| Common Yellowthroat | singles at JBG, Coba, and Hacienda Chichen |
| Hooded Warbler | common |
| Red-legged Honeycreeper | female at Coba on the 24th |
| Scrub Euphonia | three at Chichen Itza on the 25th |
| Yellow-throated Euphonia | five at Coba (24th) and two at JBG on the 27th |
| Yellow-winged Tanager | two at Coba (24th) and seven at Chichen Itza (25th) |
| Red-throated Ant-Tanager | female at JBG (22nd) and 10+ at Coba on the 24th |
| Rose-throated Tanager | females at Coba (24th) and JBG (27th) |
| Summer Tanager | female at Hacienda Chichen on the 25th |
| Yellow-faced Grassquit | 15+ daily at Hacienda Chichen |
| White-collared Seedeater | two at Lake Coba on the 24th |
| Grayish Saltator | three at Coba (24th) and five in Chichen Itza area on the 25th |
| Black-headed Saltator | 15+ at Coba on the 24th |
| Northern Cardinal | five between Tulum and Coba |
| Indigo Bunting | common in open habitats |
| Red-winged Blackbird | one male at Rio Lagartos |
| Melodious Blackbird | common |
| Great-tailed Grackle | abundant |
| Bronzed Cowbird | one flock of six outside Coba |
| Black-cowled Oriole | single at Tulum (23rd), five at Coba (24th), two at Chichen Itza (25th) and one at JBG (27th) |
| Orchard Oriole | one male at Hacienda Chichen on 26th |
| Hooded Oriole | common |
| Yellow-backed Oriole | one adult at Coba on the 24th |
| Yellow-tailed Oriole | one adult near Coba on the 24th |
| Orange Oriole | three near Coba and two others at the archeological site on the 24th |
| Altamira Oriole | common at Tulum, Coba and Chichen Itza area |
Mark Lockwood
(mwlockwood@juno.com)