sign in sign up
<<
Home , Amazon kingfisher, Berylline hummingbird, Blue mockingbird, Bronzed cowbird, Bumblebee hummingbird, Cinnamon hummingbird

! ! ! ! !! !and!!

! March!17!–!April!5,!2015! Guided!by!Andrew!Spencer! All#photos#taken#by#the#guide# ! There’s!no!denying!that!!has!had!a!bad!rap!recently.!!Among!the!birding!community,! the!negative!news!coverage!has!drastically!decreased!visitation!the!past!few!years!to!what! was!once!one!of!the!most!popular!birding!destinations!south!of!the!border.!!And!while!the! concern!is!well!justified!for!certain!parts!of!Mexico,!the!states!of!Oaxaca!and!Chiapas!(as! well!as!the!Yucatan)!are!very!safe!and!make!a!wonderful!spot!to!visit!!!Not!only!does! Oaxaca!have!a!hefty!suite!of!localized!endemic!!and!a!dizzying!variety!of!! (and!thus!),!it!also!has!some!of!the!best!food!in!Mexico!(no!easy!feat!),!a!fascinating! mix!of!cultures,!and!worldPclass!archeological!sites.!!When!you!combine!that!with!the! extension!to!Chiapas,!where!the!birds!take!on!a!Central!America!flavor,!you!have!the! makings!of!a!great!trip.! ! Our!2015!setPdeparture!tour!got!to!sample!all!that!and!more!!!We!had!excellent!luck! throughout,!finding!nearly!all!our!target!species!without!too!much!trouble,!and!stumbling! on!a!number!of!harder!species!along!the!way.!!With!the!tour!timed!right!around!the!start!of! the!spring!rains!(which!we!experienced!a!bit!of),!the!birds!were!vocal!and!easier!to!find! than!during!a!dry!winter!trip.!!Votes!for!!of!the!Trip!included!species!as!varied!as!BlueP throated!Motmot,! Rosita’s!Bunting,!and! Fulvous!,!but!the! clear!winner!was!the! stunning!PinkPheaded! Warbler.!!In!the!end!we! scored!an!incredible! 498!species,!including! 41!warbler!species,!20! different!,!and!10! corvids!! ! Day$1:$Teotitlan$del$ Valle$ ! Our!first!morning!in!the! Oaxaca!Valley!dawned! clear!and!cool,!and!filled! with!birds!!!Our!first! birding!stop!of!the!trip! was!a!45!minute!drive! from!the!hotel,!and!we!were!barely!out!of!the!car!when!our!first!endemic!popped!up!in!the! form!of!a!stunning!Bridled$Sparrow!$$We!got!to!watch!a!small!group!of!these!handsome! birds!at!pointPblank!range!for!a!good!ten!minutes!before!the!rasping!calls!of!our!next! endemic,!Boucard’s$$drew!us!away.!!The!wrens!in!the!bag,!we!headed!back!to!the!car,! but!not!before!a!cooperative!Green$!distracted!us!for!a!short!viewing.!!! ! Working!our!way!up!the!road,!we!left!the!somewhat!disturbed!habitats!of!the!valley!floor! and!ascended!into!dense!thornscrub.!!As!most!of!the!Oaxaca!Valley!specialties!call!this! !home,!we!devoted!a!good!deal!of!the!morning!to!birding!the!road!here.!!Noisy! White@throated$Towhees!were!very!much!in!evidence!throughout,!and!glowing!Black@ vented$Orioles!were!frequently!seen!all!morning.!!The!majority!of!the!song!in!the!area! belonged!to!more!widespread!species,!but!that!didn’t!stop!us!from!enjoying!the!many! Black@headed$Grosbeaks$and!Bewick’s$Wrens!that!made!up!most!of!the!dawn!chorus.! ! A!fortuitous!bit!of!speculative!playback!brought!a!response!from!one!of!the!hardest!Oaxaca! specialties,!and!a!bit!of!searching!soon!had!us!enjoying!spectacular!views!of!the!diminutive! Dwarf$Vireo!!!This!RubyPcrowned!Kinglet!lookPalike!can!often!be!difficult!to!find,! especially!when!not!vocalizing,!so!I!at!least!was!relieved!to!find!it!so!early!in!the!trip!!! Immediately!afterwards!another!endemic!vocalized,!and!it!wasn’t!long!before!Pileated$ Flycatcher!was!also!being!ogled!by!all.! ! Our!superb!luck!had!left!us!with!only!a!few!goals!along!the!lower!parts!of!the!road,!and!we! had!barely!walked!another!100!meters!down!the!road!before!the!hardest!of!those!goals! began!to!sing!nearby.!!Another! individual!began!singing!on!an! adjacent!slope,!and!after!a!good!deal! of!searching!and!positioning!we!got! the!best!views!I’ve!ever!had!of! Ocellated$Thrasher!through!the! telescope.!!! ! Continuing!higher!up,!the!habitat! began!to!subtly!change!as!taller!! started!to!mix!into!the!scrub.!!Several! “Sumichrast’s”$Western$Scrub@Jays! were!seen!along!the!way,!but!our! main!target!in!this!habitat!was!a!bit! harder!to!find.!!Our!first!stop!gave!us! a!pair!of!Rufous@crowned$ Sparrows,!not!the!hoped!for!sparrow! species!but!still!nice!to!see.!!Just!up!the!road,!though,!we!scored!big!when!a!pair!of!Oaxaca$ Sparrows!came!zooming!into!the!tape!for!good!views!all!around!! ! Higher!still,!the!scrub!transitioned!into!pinePoak!woodland!and!a!different!suite!of!birds! became!apparent.!!A!calling!Elegant$!came!in!nicely,!while!mixed!flocks!had!goodies! such!as!our!first!Crescent@chested$and!Townsend’s$Warblers.!!Several!Greater$Pewees! called!from!the!tops!of!the!taller!,!and!a!nearby!Collared$Towhee$came!in!quite!well! for!a!good!comparison!to!the!more!abundant!Spotted$Towhees.! ! With!lunchtime!fast!approaching!we!started!back!down!towards!Teotitlan.!!A!last!birding! stop!at!a!small!reservoir!added!some!good!list!padding,!including!lots!of!Least$,!a! few!Ring@necked$Ducks!among!the!more!common!Ruddy$Ducks,!and!a!single!Common$ Gallinule.!!It!was!at!this!point!that!I!noticed!one!of!our!tires!had!gone!flat,!and!combined! with!some!other!vehicle!issues,!the!rest!of!our!plans!had!to!be!changed.!!So!it!was!back!to! Oaxaca!City,!where!the!rental!company!sorted!us!out!and!provided!a!new!van.!!While!this! did!mean!the!loss!of!our!afternoon,!we!went!the!rest!of!the!trip!completely!vehicle! problemPfree,!and!didn’t!even!miss!anything!for!the!lost!time!! ! Day$2:$Cerro$San$Felipe$and$$ ! Our!new!car!in!hand,!it!was!our!first!of!a!few!very!early!departures!to!head!up!to!Cerro!San! Felipe.!!Arriving!well!before!sunrise,!we!immediately!went!to!where!Tayler!and!I!had!found! a!Fulvous!Owl!a!few!days!before.!! Unfortunately!luck!was!not!with!us,! despite!good!conditions,!and!we!had!to! settle!for!a!distant!heard!only.! ! As!the!sun!started!to!rise!the!!forest! exploded!into!song.!!Most!of!the! cacophony!came!from!American$Robins,! but!a!few!Pine$Flycatchers$were!of!more! interest.!!Once!it!was!light!enough!to!see! details!we!started!down!the!road.!!It! didn’t!take!long!for!us!to!stumble!on!one! of!the!greatest!birds!in!all!of!Mexico!–! Red$Warbler.!!In!a!family!renowned!for! its!gaudy!members,!this!species!clearly! stands!head!and!shoulders!among!nearly! every!one!of!its!relatives.!!Needless!to! say,!it!was!a!good!way!to!start!the! morning!! ! Nearby!a!cooperative!Golden@browed$ Warbler!put!in!a!good!show,!while!a! somewhat!less!cooperative!Black$ !eventually!allowed!everyone! stellar!views.!!A!shy!Russet$Nightingale@ Thrush!hopping!down!the!road!tried!to! stay!just!around!the!bend!from!us,!but!a! bit!of!sneaking!on!our!part!soon!fixed! that!problem.! ! Our!main!goal!for!the!rest!of!the!morning! on!the!Cerro!was!a!certain!diminutive! ,!and!with!that!in!mind!we!began! walking!back!towards!the!highway!in!the! hopes!that!covering!more!ground!would!increase!our!chances.!!The!jay!never!cooperated! unfortunately,!but!it!wasn’t!long!before!another!of!our!hoped!for!species!did!–!a!noisy!pair! of!Strong@billed$Woodcreepers.!!This!widespread!species!is!very!local!and!uncommon!in! Mexico,!and!the!form!found!on!Cerro!San!Felipe!sounds!radically!different!than!almost! everywhere!else!in!its!range.!!Surely!a!split!waiting!to!happen!! ! Continuing!down,!we!found!a!few!!at!some!,!with!White@eared$ !dominating,!while!a!couple!of!Magnificent$Hummingbirds!were!found!as! well.!!Mixed!flocks!had!good!numbers!of!migrant!warblers,!including!Townsend’s$and! Hermit$Warblers,!along!with!residents!such!as!Crescent@chested$Warbler,$while!the! majority!of!the!empids!we!encountered!were!Hammond’s$Flycatchers.!!We!finally!found!a! single!Pine$Flycatcher!sitting!in!the!open,!though!not!everyone!got!on!it.! ! The!search!for!Dwarf!Jay!ended!with!some!good!views!of!Gray@barred$Wren!and!many! Steller’s$Jays$(of!the!bluePcrested!form),!but!none!of!their!dwarven!brethren.!!A!pair!of! Mountain$! rounded!out!the! morning’s!haul,!and! we!headed!back! down!the!hill! towards!Oaxaca.! ! After!lunch!we! headed!east!from! the!city!to!the!ruins! of!Yagul,!where!we! hoped!to!find!some! of!the!last!remaining! valley!specialties!in! the!dense! thornscrub.!!We!had! mixed!luck,!with!a! pair!of!Gray@ breasted$ Woodpeckers! being!very! uncooperative!and! seen!only!by!a!few.!! Several!Dusky$Hummingbirds!were!much!friendlier,!and!a!single!female!Beautiful$ Hummingbird!darted!in!and!out!from!the!mala#mujer!flowers!along!the!roadside.!!Amid! the!many!Chipping$Sparrows$along!the!entrance!road!was!our!first!Blue@black$Grassquit! of!the!tour.!$The!last!new!bird!of!the!day!was!our!only!White@tailed$Kite,!seen!from!the! road!on!our!way!back!to!the!city.! ! Day$3:$Cerro$San$Felipe$and$the$Matatlan$area$ ! Not!willing!to!take!no!for!an!answer,!we!again!awoke!at!some!ridiculous!hour!in!the! morning!to!return!to!Cerro!San!Felipe.!!This!time!we!tried!another!spot!for!the!owl,!and!our! luck!was!with!us!!!At!only!our!second!stop!we!almost!immediately!had!an!aggressive! response!from!a!pair!of!Fulvous$,!and!we!were!soon!looking!at!them!–!at!pointPblank! range!!!Even!though!it!came!early!in!the!trip!it!still!ranked!as!one!of!the!highlights!of!the! tour,!and!made!the! early!mornings!more! than!pay!off.! ! It!quickly!became! obvious!that!this!was! going!to!be!a!lucky! day.!!Working!our! way!up!from!the!owl,! we!had!barely!crested! the!top!of!the!hill!and! the!nasal!calls!of!a! Dwarf$Jay!echoed! through!the!pines!!!It! wasn’t!long!before!we! were!looking!at!a!trio! of!these!typically!shy! species,!and!at! wonderfully!close! range!!!Over!the! course!of!the!next! hour!we!found!several! groups!of!the!birds,! including!one!where! they!were!skulking! only!a!few!feet!from! the!ground!along!a! draw!–!behavior!I!had! not!previously! observed!from!the! species.!!! ! Some!more!Gray@ barred$Wrens!also! joined!in!the!fracas,!as! well!as!a!good!mix!of! the!species!we!had! seen!the!day!before.!! New!for!the!trip!were!a!Ruddy@capped$Nightingale@Thrush!and!an!Amethyst@throated$ Hummingbird.! ! With!our!last!remaining!target!species!from!the!Cerro!under!our!belt,!we!decided!to!leave! early!and!make!the!long!drive!to!the!eastern!side!of!the!Oaxaca!Valley!in!search!of!some!of! the!birds!we!had!missed!earlier.!!After!a!long!drive!we!found!ourselves!at!a!stunning,!! filled!canyon!right!off!the!highway.!!Barely!two!steps!from!the!car!and!our!primary!target! appeared!–!a!pair!of!noisy!Gray@breasted$Woodpeckers!!!This!cactusPloving!species! proved!to!be!quite!common!at!this!location.!!! ! A!pair!of!Bridled$Sparrows!livened!up!the!thornscrub,!while!playback!of!pygmyPowl! brought!in!angry!mobs!of!birds,!dominated!by!White@lored$Gnatcatchers.!!Hummingbirds! also!proved!quite!responsive,!and!it!wasn’t!long!before!our!second!target!of!the!sight,! Green@fronted$ Hummingbird,!put!in!an! appearance.!!The!form!here,! !rowleyi,!has!some! faint!cinnamon!on!the!sides! not!illustrated!in!the!field! guides.!!A!angry!Plain@ capped$Starthroat,!also! answering!the!call!of!the!owl,! rounded!out!our!haul.! ! The!final!stop!of!the!morning! was!along!a!cobblestone!road! up!to!some!radio!antennas.!! We!had!one!goal!species! here,!and!our!phenomenal! luck!continued,!as!we!had! barely!started!up!the!road! when!a!Lesser$Roadrunner! ran!across!it!and!sat!at!the! edge!! ! After!a!very!late!lunch,!we! headed!back!to!Oaxaca,!and! then!just!to!the!north!to! some!dry!draws,!looking!for! the!last!remaining!Oaxaca! Valley!specialty!we!still! needed.!!Unfortunately!our! luck!with!Slaty!Vireo!was!not! as!good,!but!we!did!find! another!Dwarf$Vireo,!and!had!quick!looks!at!a!Oaxaca$Sparrow!to!make!up!for!it.!!Our! first!visuals!of!“Dickey’s”$Audubon’s$Oriole!rounded!out!the!day’s!birding.!!! ! Day$4:$Oaxaca$to$Tuxtepec$ ! Another!day,!another!early!morning.!!Though!thankfully,!not!as!early!as!the!previous!two! mornings!!!Day!4!was!partly!a!travel!day,!as!we!relocated!our!base!of!operations!to!the! lowland!town!of!Tuxtepec.!!There!was!lots!of!birding!to!be!had!along!the!way,!and!we! passed!Cerro!San!Felipe!in!the!dark,!greeting!the!dawn!at!another!dry!valley!to!the!north.! ! Our!first!stop!in!said!valley!was!quite!birdy,!though!most!of!the!species!were!ones!we!had! already!seen.!!The!first!Thick@billed$Kingbird!of!the!trip!sang!from!a!far!away!perch,!but! the!real!highlight!of!the!location!was!a!surprise!Rusty@crowned$Ground@Sparrow!found! by!Wade.!!Not!a!species!I!expected!to!see!here!! ! Continuing!back!up!into!pine!forest,!a!few!roadside!stops!didn’t!give!us!much!new,!though! we!had!more!good!looks!at!Red$Warblers!and!Russet$Nightingale@Thrushes!to!keep!us! interested,!along! with!a!few! stunningly! patterned! butterflies!(see!the! Pine!Satyr!picture! to!the!left).!!At!a! brushy!cleared! area!near!the!final! ridge!we!found!a! difficult!to!see!pair! of!Hooded$ Yellowthroats! that!eventually!let! everyone!glimpse! them,!along!with!a! far!more! cooperative! Cinnamon@ bellied$ Flowerpiercer.!!A! loud!call!alerted!us! to!some!nearby!Long@tailed$Wood@Patridges,!though!unfortunately!the!call!was!all!most! of!us!got!(they!did!allow!a!brief!view!for!a!lucky!few).! ! After!an!early!lunch!at!the!last!restaurant!for!miles,!we!started!our!descent!into!the!humid! cloudforests!of!the!Gulf!Slope.!!It!was!quickly!obvious!that!the!birdlife!had!changed!along! with!the!habitat,!and!our!first!stop!gave!us!a!bunch!of!new!species.!!Among!these!were!a! cooperative!Black@headed$Nightingale@Thrush,!a!few!Unicolored$Jays,!and!lots!and!lots! of!heardPonly!SlatePcolored!Solitaires!that!stubbornly!avoided!a!visual.! ! Continuing!down,!we!stopped!at!a!particularly!thick!patch!of!woodland.!!The!time!of!day! was!working!against!us,!but!we!still!managed!good!views!of!Scaly@throated$Foliage@ gleaner!and!a!number!of!“Brown@headed”$Common$Chlorospingus!before!finally!having! some!superb!views!of!a!Slate@colored$Solitaire.! ! The!last!stop!in!the!cloudforest!also!proved!to!be!a!good!one,!with!several!male!Bumblebee$ Hummingbirds!singing!their!unique!highPpitched!whistle!of!a!song!from!exposed!perches,! while!a!somewhat!shier!Garnet@throated$Hummingbird$visited!some!flowers!nearby.! ! Our!last!bit!of!birding!for!the!day!was!where!the!cloudforest!began!to!transition!to!lowland! habitat.!!Here!a!slew!of!birds!came!by!quickly,!but!frustratingly!hidden.!!First!was!a!female! Red@capped$Manakin,!quickly!followed!by!a!Sulphur@rumped$Flycatcher!and!then!a! White@throated$Thrush.!!A!surprise!singing!Vermiculated!ScreechPOwl!refused!to!show! itself,!though!a!foraging!Stripe@throated$Hermit$was!a!bit!more!cooperative.! ! With!the!afternoon!drawing!to!a!close,!we!headed!in!to!Tuxtepec!for!the!night,!the!change! in!elevation!and!climate!very!apparent!when!we!stepped!out!of!the!car!at!our!hotel.!! ! Day$5:$Tuxtepec$area$ ! The!area!around!Tuxtepec!had!a!variety!of!lowland!habitats,!which,!while!mostly!degraded,! are!exceptionally!diverse.!!One!habitat!in!particular!was!our!goal!for!the!morning!–!forested! limestone!karst!hills.!!Given!the!difficulty!farming!this!habitat,!it!has!fared!a!bit!better!than! a!lot!of!the!other!forest!in!the!area.! ! Upon!arrival!at!my!favorite!patch! of!this!forest!we!had!a!singing! Yellow@bellied$Tyrannulet,!and!a! bit!of!playback!had!this!miniscule! flycatcher!perched!right!over!our! heads.!!Our!main!target!of!the! morning!chose!that!exact!moment! to!vocalize,!and!we!were!off!up!a! narrow!trail!nearby.!!With! shockingly!little!effort!we!were! looking!at!the!extremely!local! Sumichrast’s$Wren!sitting!on!a! rock!right!by!us!!!This!species!is! often!very!difficult!to!get!a!visual! of,!so!having!such!success!so!early! let!us!breathe!a!sigh!of!relief.! ! With!the!wren!in!the!bag,!we!spent! the!rest!of!the!morning!walking!the!road!through!the!forest!patch.!!Somewhat!surprising! was!a!small!group!of!flyover!Black@bellied$Whistling@Ducks;!less!surprising!were!the! many!flycatchers,!which!included!Boat@billed,$Piratic,$Sulphur@bellied,$and!Social$ Flycatchers.!!Good!numbers!of!hummingbirds!flitted!around,!with!all!the!ones!we!were! able!to!identify!being!White@bellied$and!Canivet’s$Emeralds.! ! Various!wintering!warblers!made!up!a!goodly!portion!of!what!we!saw!during!the!morning.!! A!single!Blue@winged$was!our!only!one!of!the!tour,!while!more!abundant!Black@throated$ Green,$Magnolia,$and!Hooded$Warblers!were!seen!as!well.!!A!small!side!trail!gave!us!a! couple!of!their!resident!cousins!in!the!form!of!Golden@crowned!and!Rufous@capped$ Warblers.$$A!distant!fruiting!!had!a!few!Collared$Aracaris!and!Keel@billed$Toucans,! while!a!closer!tree!was!full!to!the!brim!with!Clay@colored$Thrushes!and!Yellow@winged$ Tanagers.!! ! After!a!lunch!back!in!Tuxtepec,!and!a!short!break!during!the!heat!of!the!day,!we!visited! another!road!with!some!patches!of!forest.!!In!the!scrubbier!areas!we!found!our!first! Painted$Buntings,! along!with!large! numbers!of!Orchard$ Orioles!and!a!White@ eyed$Vireo.!!Our!first! Rufous@breasted$ Spinetail!gave!us!some! uncharacteristically! good!views.! ! Along!a!path!into!the! forest,!in!the!failing! daylight,!a!shy! Northern$Bentbill! eventually!allowed!the! whole!group!to!get!a! visual.!!A!loudly! vocalizing!“Northern”$ Royal$Flycatcher!was! less!cooperative,!with! only!brief!views,!and!a! single!Smoky@brown$Woodpecker!didn’t!behave!much!better.!!Back!out!on!the!road,!with! the!last!bit!of!daylight,!we!found!our!first!Crimson@collared$Tanagers.! ! Day$6:$Above$Valle$Nacional$and$Tuxtepec$area$ ! With!most!of!our!important!lowland!targets!out!of!the!way,!we!decided!to!spend!the! morning!in!the!lower!cloudforests!not!far!above!Valle!Nacional.!!We!started!in!some! scrubby!habitats!not!far!above!town,!where!a!cooperative!Buff@throated$Foliage@gleaner! was!our!only!new!species.!!Rain!began!to!fall!soon!after,!and!dogged!us!the!rest!of!the! morning.! ! Not!far!into!the!better!woodland,!we!found!our!only!Azure@crowned$Hummingbird!of!the! trip,!along!with!our!first!Rusty$Sparrow!and!only!Black@cowled$Oriole.!!Rain!continued!to! be!a!problem,!but!in!between!bouts!of!heavier!precip!we!managed!a!few!short!stops.!!One!of! these!produced!a!Violet$Sabrewing!and!decent!flock!activity!(but!with!no!new!species).!!A! atypically!cooperative!$Waterthrush!sauntered!along!the!road!at!one!point,! giving!us!our!only!visuals!of!this!species.! ! As!the!rain!became!heavier!and!more!persistent,!it!became!apparent!that!the!morning!was! turning!into!a!washout.!!At!one!last!stop!before!giving!up!I!decided!to!play!Tawny@ throated$Leaftosser!on!the!off!chance!there!was!one!nearby,!and!I!was!shocked!when!one! immediately!answered!!!A!little!more!work!and!there!it!was,!one!of!a!pair!giving!us!some! stunning!views!at!pointPblank!range.!!Then!the!rain!began!in!earnest,!and!the!morning!was! over…! ! Back!in!Tuxtepec,!we!enjoyed!a!leisurely!lunch!and!a!bit!of!a!break,!waiting!for!the!rain!to! stop.!!Thankfully!it!did,!and!we!ventured!out!to!another!lowland!site!near!town!for!the! afternoon.!!On!the!way!we!found!a!single!Snail$Kite!along!a!river,!but!little!else!until!we!got! well!out!of!town.! ! Once!we!got!into!better!habitat! the!birding!picked!up.!!An! exceptionally!cooperative! Rufous@breasted$Spinetail! started!things!out.!!Several! Tropical$Pewees!sat!along!the! road,!along!with!a!few!Painted$ Buntings!and!our!only!Variable$ Seedeater.!!In!an!area!with! more!!we!found!vocal! Ivory@billed$Woodcreeper,!and! then!a!pair!of!Yellow@tailed$ Orioles.!!A!singing!Collared! ForestPFalcon!frustratingly! remained!hidden!though.! ! We!were!about!to!head!back!to! town!when!I!heard!the!very!distant!song!of!a!$.!!Given!the!distance,!I!didn’t! really!have!much!hope!it!would!come!in!to!my!tape,!so!I!was!as!surprised!as!anyone!when!it! flew!in!way!over!our!heads!(and!much!further!off!the!ground!than!I’ve!seen!the!species! before)!!!The!bird!perched!in!the!open!several!times,!and!we!had!what!could!only!be!called! walkPaway!views!of!this!normally!shy!and!hard!to!find!species.! ! Day$7:$Tuxtepec$to$Oaxaca$ ! With!a!long!drive!back!to!Oaxaca!ahead!of!us,!we!again!left!the!hotel!early,!hoping!to!get! back!into!the!better!cloudforest!about!Valle!Nacional!during!dawn!chorus.!!The!weather! gods!were!smiling,!thankfully,!and!we!arrived!at!the!leaftosser!spot!from!the!day!before!to! perfect!conditions,!and!birds!everywhere!! ! The!same!pair!of!Tawny@throated$Leaftossers!were!found!again,!along!with!several!vocal! Ruddy$Foliage@gleaners$!that!played!tough!to!get!but!eventually!gave!us!good!visuals.!! Flock!activity!was!absolutely!stupendous,!and!among!the!more!common!birds!we!found!a! single!Plain$Xenops!and!a!very!cooperative!Eye@ringed$Flatbill.!!On!a!hunch,!I!played! Spotted$Woodcreeper,!and!immediately!one!responded!!!The!form!here!sounds! shockingly!different!from!those!further!south,!and!I!would!bet!is!another!good!split.!! Unfortunately!a!single!Stripe@tailed$Hummingbird!was!not!as!cooperative,!and!zoomed! off!before!most!could!get!on!it.! ! There!weren’t!too!many!target!species!left!at!this!elevation,!but!one!of!them!had!been! eluding!us!for!quite!a!while.!!So!I!was!quite!pleased!when!several!Azure@hooded$Jays!gave! their!raucous!calls!from!up!the!road!!!With!a!bit!of!work!we!all!had!excellent!views.!!The! biggest!surprise!of!the!morning!was!found!right!nextPdoor,!though,!when!Tayler!spotted!a! female!Golden@cheeked$Warbler!moving!with!a!small!flock!in!the!canopy.!!Not!a!bird!I! expected!to!see!in!the!area!! ! Higher!up!the!highway!we!found! several!more!Unicolored$Jays,!while! some!BluePcrowned!Chlorophonias! remained!frustratingly!out!of!sight.!! Our!only!Crested$Guans!of!the!tour! were!moving!through!the!trees!in!the! same!area.!!Higher!still,!back!in!the! pine!forests,!we!walked!a!side!track! that!gave!us!a!repeat!performance! from!a!flock!of!Dwarf$Jays!and!Gray@ barred$Wrens,!as!well!as!a!invisible! flock!of!highPflying!Barred!Parakeets.! ! Cresting!the!ridge,!we!descended!into! the!drier!pine!forests!to!the!south.!!I! stopped!at!a!spot!that!had!been! productive!a!few!days!previously,!and! proved!to!be!productive!again!when!a! Chestnut@sided$Shrike@Vireo!flew!in! to!a!tree!right!above!us.!!A!distant! singing!White@striped$Woodcreeper! ceased!to!be!distant!with!a!bit!of! playback,!and!made!for!a!good!end!to! our!pine!forest!birding!for!the!day.! ! Our!last!bit!of!birding!before!getting! back!to!Oaxaca!was!in!the!same!dry! valley!we!had!checked!out!a!few!days! previously.!!At!one!roadside!stop!here!we!had!some!quick!views!of!our!only!Violet@ crowned$Hummingbird,!along!with!a!couple!of!Boucard’s$Wrens.!But!the!best!was!yet!to! come,!when!taking!a!short!trip!up!a!side!road!finally!gave!us!the!last!of!the!Oaxaca!Valley! specialties!in!the!form!of!the!most!ridiculously!cooperative!Slaty$Vireo!I!have!ever!seen! (see!the!cover!photo)!!!It!was!the!perfect!way!to!end!the!day,!to!say!the!least.! Day$8:$Oaxaca$to$San$Jose$del$Pacifico$ ! With!Slaty!Vireo!in!the!bag,!the!pressure!was!off!for!our!morning!at!Monte!Alban.!!Even!so,! we!arrived!at!the!ruins!early,!in!the!hopes!of!seeing!BuffPcollared!Nightjar.!!Unfortunately,! we!had!to!settle!for!heard!only!encounters,!but!as!dawn!chorus!heated!up!it!quickly!became! apparent!that!the!breeding!season!was!in!full!swing!!!Several!more!Slaty$Vireos!were! heard,!and!another!seen,!along!with!our!first!Orange@billed$Nightingale@Thrush,!several! Blue$,!many!Dusky$Hummingbirds,$and!a!singing!Western$Wood@Pewee.! ! Back!by!the!car!we!enjoyed!an!excellent!close!encounter!with!a!Golden$Vireo!before! moving!up!into!the!ruins!themselves.!!As!we!arrived!right!at!opening!we!were!privileged!to! have!these!remarkable!temples,!palaces,!and!plazas!all!to!ourselves!for!over!half!an!hour!!! Even!the!most!jaded!birder!could!not!help!but!be!amazed!by!architecture!that!makes!up! Monte!Alban.! ! And!there!are!even!birds!in!the!complex!!!We!heard!more!Slaty!Vireos!right!from!one!of!the! temples,!along!with!several!Rock$and!Canyon$Wrens,!several!Rufous@capped$Warblers,! and!flocks!of!migrant!sparrows.!

! We!returned!to!Oaxaca!for!an!early!lunch!and!then!it!was!southward!towards!the!coast.!! Our!goal!for!the!night!was!high!up!in!the!Sierra!de!Mihuatlan,!and!we!arrived!with!enough! time!for!a!couple!hours!of!birding.!!Around!the!cabins!where!we!were!to!spend!the!night!we! found!good!numbers!of!Gray$Silky@Flycatchers!along!with!oodles!of!migrant!warblers.!!A! track!nearby!had!yet!more!warblers,!several!Brown$Creepers!and!Red$Warblers,!both! Ruddy@capped!and!Russet$Nightingale@Thrushes,!and!a!skulking!Blue$.!! Some!loudly!calling!LongPtailed!WoodPPartridges!remained!just!out!of!visual!range,!and! with!heavy!rain!approaching!we!called!it!a!day.! ! Day$9:$Sierra$de$Mihuatlan$to$Puerto$Angel$ ! We!knew!we!were!starting!the!morning!out!right!when!the!very!first!bird!we!saw!was!a! Mexican$Whip@poor@will$right!by!the!door!to!Michael’s!cabin!!!A!quick!breakfast!and!a!bit! of!a!drive!later!and!we!were!birding!a!small!track!into!humid!pinePoak!woodland.!!Activity! was!good,!and!scouring!the!flocks!produced!our!first!Nashville$and!Chestnut@sided$ Warblers!amid!the!many!Slate@throated$Redstarts$and!“White@fronted”!Common$ Chlorosphingus.!!After!many!flyby!hummingbird!species!we!finally!found!a!perched! Garnet@throated$Hummingbird!that!cooperated!beautifully.! ! Our!biggest!coup!came!in!the!form!of!a!singing!Gray@collared$Becard,!a!local!species!that! is!often!tough!to!find.!!Lots!of!searching!for!the!even!rarer!WhitePthroated!Jay!turned!up! empty,!though.! ! At!another!track!just!down!the!hill!we!scored!another!of!our!main!targets!of!the!morning,! the!endemic!Blue@capped$Hummingbird,!visiting!some!heliconia!blooms.!!A!fruiting!tree! had!a!large!flock!of!White@throated$Thrushes,!while!a!noisy!Black@headed$Saltator!sang! nearby.!!Also!vocal!were! an!Eye@ringed$Flatbill! and!Ruddy$Foliage@ gleaner,!both!of!which! came!in!well!for!good! views.!! ! Our!lunch!stop!was!at!a! small!roadside!restaurant! in!a!place!that!was!once! an!overlook.!!Growing! vegetation!has!obscured! the!viewpoint,!but!we! weren’t!complaining! since!that!same! vegetation!contained!our! first!Fan@tailed$Warbler,! see!from!the!window!as! we!ate!! ! Just!below!the!restaurant!we!stopped!at!another!track,!where!we!quickly!added! Swainson’s$Thrush,$Acorn$Woodpecker,$and!Grace’s$Warbler!to!the!trip!list.!!A!couple! of!noisy!Sulphur@bellied$Flycatchers$were!quickly!forgotten!when!a!Gray@crowned$ Woodpecker!flew!in!to!a!close!pine!tree.!!! ! The!last!bit!of!birding!in!the!mountains!came!along!the!Pluma!!road,!where!a!rather! remarkable!number!of!Red@legged$Honeycreepers!came!in!to!mob!the!pygmyPowl!tape.!!A! flyPby!Zone@tailed$Hawk!allowed!some!super!visuals!as!it!soared!at!eyePlevel,!and!a!singing! Tropical$Parula!was!our!first.!!We!were!quite!happy!to!add!a!pair!of!noisy!Happy$Wrens! to!our!list!as!well,!even!if!the!wrens!themselves!didn’t!sound!all!that!happy!!!And!a!couple!of! croaking!“Wagler’s”$Emerald$Toucanets$(above)!showed!themselves!quite!well!at!a! fruiting!tree.! ! Finally!arriving!at!the!coast,!we!checked!into!the!hotel!and!then!spent!the!last!hour!or!so!of! daylight!in!some!nearby!thornscrub.!!Activity!was!fairly!slow,!but!even!so!we!added!a!lot!of! new!species!that!included!a!cooperative!Citreoline$Trogon,!several!Cinnamon$ Hummingbirds,!and!our!first!of!many!peerless!Orange@breasted$Bunting.!!! ! Day$10:$Puerto$Angel$pelagic$ and$$ ! The!early!AM!found!us!back!in! the!thornscrub!near!Zipolite,! this!time!with!better!bird! activity.!!In!addition!to!another! Citreoline$Trogon!and!many! more!Orange@breasted$ Buntings,!we!also!scored! “Sclater’s”$Rufous@naped!and! Banded$Wrens,!an!impossibly! bright!Spot@breasted$Oriole,! and!a!personal!favorite!of!the! morning,!a!pair!of!Russet@ crowned$Motmots.!!A!couple! of!noisy!flocks!of!Orange@ fronted$Parakeets!rounded! out!the!haul,!and!it!was!back!to! Puerto!Angel!for!our!boat!trip! onto!the!Pacific.! ! As!we!left!the!beach!at!Puerto! Angel!the!sea!was!a!bit!rough,! and!I!was!worried!for!the!rest! of!the!trip.!!Thankfully,!once! we!got!out!of!the!harbor!the! waters!calmed,!and!we!had! smooth!sailing!from!thereon! out.!!The!first!birds!were!all!typical!inshore!species,!including!Brown$Pelican,$Magnificent$ Frigatebird,$and!Laughing$Gull.!!It!wasn’t!long!before!we!saw!our!first!true!pelagic! species,!in!the!form!of!a!Black$Storm@Petrel!and!a!few!Wedge@tailed$Shearwaters.!!Good! numbers!of!Green!Sea!!floated!by!the!boat,!some!with!a!gull!riding!point,!and!a!few! breaching!manta!rays!added!a!bit!of!spice!! ! What!followed!next!was!easily!one!of!the!highlights!of!the!trip,!and!it!wasn’t!even!a!bird!!! First!a!few,!then!dozens,!and!then!hundreds!of!!started!breaching!all!around,!some! even!spinning!in!midPair!during!their!full!body!leaps!!!Everywhere!you!looked!there!were! dolphins!out!of!the!water!–!a!truly!remarkable!sight!!!A!decent!number!of!birds!were!in!the! mix!as!well,!mostly!Wedge@tailed$Shearwaters,!but!with!good!numbers!of!Black!and!a!few! Least$Storm@Petrels,!and!lots!of!Red@necked$and!Red$Phalaropes.!!A!single!flyby!Black@ vented$Shearwater!was!the!only!other!tubenose!that!put!in!an!appearance,!but!both! Brown$and!a!single!distant!Masked$Booby$were!seen,!as!well!as!many!Black$!and!a! few!Sabine’s$Gulls.! ! With!the!afternoon!heat!picking!up,!and!the!bird!activity!dropping!sharply,!we!headed!back! to!port.!!Back!at!the!hotel!we!enjoyed!a!bit!of!a!break!during!the!hot!part!of!the!day,!and! then!it!was!back!out!for!a!few!more!hours.!!This!time!we!headed!east!along!the!road,!and! checked!out!some!roadside!thornscrub.!!Birding!overall!was!slow!(typical!for!the!afternoon! in!this!habitat),!but!we!did!have!good!views!of!White@fronted$,!Yellow@winged$ Cacique,!a!rather!astounding!number!of!Orchard$Orioles,!and!finally,!after!much! searching,!a!single!$ Pygmy@Owl.!!A!sumptuous! seafood!dinner!in!the!resort! town!of!Huatulco!ended!the! day.! ! Day$11:$Huatulco$area$to$ San$Jose$del$Pacifico$ ! Our!last!morning!of!birding! in!thornscrub!(for!the!main! tour!at!least)!was!spent!back! around!Huatulco.!!The!forest! here!is!taller!(and!more! extensive)!than!that!around! Zipolite,!giving!the!area!a! slightly!different!feel.!!We! started!with!a!good!number! of!Northern$Beardless@ Tyrannulets!and!Nutting’s$ Flycatchers,!which!came!in! to!check!out!a!pygmyPowl!imitation.!!Hot!on!their!heels!were!a!couple!of!“Doubleday’s”$ Broad@billed$Hummingbirds!and!more!gaudy!Orange@breasted$Buntings,!and!even!a! couple!of!Russet@crowned$Motmots.! ! Working!our!way!down!the!road!we!stumbled!on!a!couple!of!Blue$Buntings,!while!a!farPoff! calling!Collared!ForestPFalcon!refused!to!play!(as!did!a!closer!Colima!PygmyPOwl).!!An! angry!Citreoline$Trogon!did!perch!out!nicely,!though,!along!with!several!Streak@backed$ Orioles.!!Then!Tayler!picked!up!on!a!buntingPlike!song!that!wasn’t!quite!right,!and!some! playback!brought!in!a!very!angry!Red@breasted$Chat$(see!above)!!!Once!considered!a! warbler,!but!now!generally!placed!with!cardinals,!this!species!is!sometimes!difficult!to!find! in!the!area.!!! ! As!the!morning!heated!up,!we!began!to!ascend!back!towards!the!Sierra!de!Mihuatlan.!! Along!the!Pluma!Hidalgo!road!we!found!several!good!flocks,!with!goodies!such!as!Golden$ and!Blue@headed$Vireos,$a!surprise!Ochre@bellied$Flycatcher,$several!warbler!species,! and!even!a!“Mexican”$Squirrel$Cuckoo.!!Some!flowers!produced!our$only!Golden@ crowned$Emerald!as!well!as!some!more!common!species.! ! Higher!still,!the!birding!began!to!slow,!but!we!still!eked!out!a!few!new!things.!!Among!them! was!a!nicely!perched!$Falcon,!while!a!female!Blue@capped$Hummingbird!was!a!nice! addition!for!the!day.! ! After!another!lunch!at!our!favorite!mirador!restaurant,!we!worked!our!way!back!into!the! pine!forests,!with!the!intention!of!birding!the!highlands!some!during!the!afternoon.!! Unfortunately!Mother!Nature!had!other!ideas,!and!heavy,!persistent!rain!put!the!kaibosh!on! that!idea.!!At!least!it!gave! us!a!good!excuse!to!rest! for!an!afternoon!!! ! Day$12:$San$Jose$del$ Pacifico$to$Oaxaca$ ! After!all!the!rain!the!day! before,!the!morning! dawned!clear!and!cool.!! We!spent!the!early!hours! walking!a!track!through! gorgeous!pinePoak! woodland!near!San!Jose! del!Pacifico,!enjoying!the! distinctive!fragrance!of! the!forest!and!the!dawn! chorus!surrounding!us.! ! Since!we’d!already!birded!the!habitat!fairly!well,!we!didn’t!add!much!new,!but!seeing!old! favorites!such!as!Golden@browed$and!Red$Warblers,!Rufous@capped$Brush@Finch,!and! the!dapper!Chestnut@sided$Shrike@Vireo!was!a!good!way!to!spend!some!birding!time!!!A! couple!of!vigorously!vocalizing!Pine$Flycatchers!allowed!much!better!views!than!the!birds! from!north!of!Oaxaca,!while!a!single!Black$Thrush!was!a!bit!less!accommodating.!!We!did! score!one!new!species!on!the!first!track!we!walked!in!the!form!of!a!pair!of!Red$Crossbills.! ! Heading!to!another!track!through!slightly!drier!forest,!we!saw!many!of!the!same!species.!! But!a!pair!of!White@striped$Woodcreepers!were!likely!more!in!favor!if!the!drier!woods,! while!more!Red$Crossbills!gave!us!a!better!view.!!Another!new!species!for!the!trip,!Black@ headed$Siskin,!played!hard!to!get!but!eventually!allowed!us!all!to!see!it!well.! ! After!a!quick!early!lunch!it!was!back!to!Oaxaca.!!Our!original!plans!to!get!back!in!time!for! some!afternoon!birding!were!thwarted!when!we!had!to!take!a!long!detour!around!a!road! blockage!on!the!highway!(what!exactly!was!blocking!the!highway!I!never!learned!for! certain!–!I’m!just!glad!there!was!a!way!around!it)!!!A!quick!pit!stop!gave!us!our!last! Boucard’s$Wrens!of!the!tour,!but!not!much!else.! ! Day$13:$Oaxaca$to$Mapastepec$ ! With!the!end!of!the!main!Oaxaca!tour!and!the!beginning!of!the!Isthmus!extension!came!the! longest!drive!of!the!trip,!as!we!made!our!way!all!the!way!to!the!Chiapan!lowlands.!! Thankfully!the!drive! was!punctuated!by! several!birding!stops!! ! The!first!of!these!was! just!off!the!highway,! about!two!hours!out! of!Oaxaca,!in!an!area! with!dense! thornscrub.!!We!had! barely!exited!the!car! when!a!large,!dark! raptor!flying! overhead!proved!to! be!a!darkPphase! Hook@billed$Kite,! something!I’d!seen! only!a!few!times! before.!!West$ Mexican$$ was!abundant!by! voice,!and!White@ throated$@Jays!decorated!a!distant!pipe!cactus!like!Christmas!tree!ornaments.!!The! primary!goal!of!the!site!was!achieved!soon!after,!when!a!noisy!pair!of!Cinnamon@tailed$ Sparrows!showed!well!at!close!range.! ! Further!investigation!of!the!thornscrub!revealed!a!stunning!male!Varied$Bunting!singing! up!a!storm,!while!a!nearby!fruiting!tree!had!good!numbers!of!Yellow@winged$Cacique$and! Golden@cheeked$Woodpeckers.!!Some!pygmyPowl!playback!brought!in!a!pair!of!angry! White@lored$Gnatcatchers$and!a!Brown@crested$Flycatcher,!but!not!much!else.! ! Moving!onwards!and!on!to!the!Isthmus!of!,!the!wind!picked!up!to!the!point!of!a! howling!gale.!!Our!next!birding!stop!was!at!a!large!lagoon!just!off!the!Pacific,!and!the!wind! made!the!birding!a!bit!difficult!to!say!the!least!!!We!failed!to!find!the!landbirds!we!were! hoping!for!in!the!area,!but!the!lagoon!itself!was!chock!full!of!various!waterbirds.!!Large! numbers!of!Reddish$Egrets!were!a!mix!of!white!and!dark!phase!individuals,!and!good! numbers!of!American$White$Pelicans!and!a!couple!of!Roseate$Spoonbills!were!new.!! Shorebirds!included!a!few!Whimbrel$and!Willets,!while!the!!flock!had!Sandwich,$ Royal,!and!Elegant$Terns.! ! As!we!drove!eastward,!the!winds!died!somewhat!as!we!left!the!Isthmus!proper.!!The!only! White@tailed$Hawk!we!lucked!onto!for!the!whole!trip!flew!over!us!near!the!Chiapas! border,!but!little!else!was!seen!before!we!pulled!into!Mapastepec!and!checked!in!to!our! hotel.! ! With!a!couple!of!hour! of!daylight!left,!we! decided!to!get!a!jump! on!the!birding!the! Soconusco!Plain.!! Open!secondary! habitat!above!town! was!fairly!slow! overall,!but!we!did! score!a!Paltry$ Tyrannulet,!several! Yellow@winged$ Tanagers,!and! Rufous@naped$Wren.!! At!the!end!of!the!road! the!habitat!improved! somewhat,!as!did!the! birding.!!A!female! Long@tailed$Manakin! was!our!only!visual!of!the!species!for!the!trip,!and!“Chestnut@capped”$Rufous@capped$ Warbler!was!wonderfully!common.!!Noisy!Plain$Wrens!played!hidePandPseek!with!us,!but! in!the!end!lost!the!game!when!we!had!a!good!view!of!one.!!At!the!very!end!of!usable! daylight!a!singing!Prevost’s$Ground@Sparrow$delighted!us!all,!making!a!good!end!to!a!long! day.!! ! Day$14:$Mapastepec$to$Tuxtla$Gutierrez$ ! For!our!morning!around!Mapastepec!we!returned!to!the!same!road!we!had!birded!the! afternoon!before.!!Activity!was!way!higher,!though,!and!we!soon!found!one!of!our!targets! sitting!right!over!the!road!–!a!single!White@bellied$Chachalaca!in!a!fruiting!tree.!!Good! numbers!of!noisy!psittacids!flew!by,!and!we!managed!to!pick!out!several!of!the!rare! Yellow@naped$,!as!well!as!lots!of!Orange@chinned$Parakeets.! ! We!finally!found!the!most!important!target!of!the!morning!at!the!edge!of!a!large!pasture,! when!we!heard!the!comical!voice!of!a!pair!of!Giant$Wrens.!!Thankfully!they!allowed!us!a! decent!view,!even!if!they!didn’t!want!to!come!in!too!close.!!A!couple!of!large!flocks!of! Scissor@tailed$Flycatchers$in!the!same!area!were!clearly!on!their!path!northward!–!next! stop,!!!!A!couple!of!the!incomparable!Turquoise@browed$Motmots!were!also! hanging!out!at!the!edges!of!the!same!pasture.! ! Arriving!back!at!the!end!of!the!road,!we!hiked!up!the!trail!into!the!shade!coffee!plantations! we!had!birded!previously.!!Several!flocks!had!many!of!the!same!species!we!had!already! seen,!though!better!looks!at!Northern$Bentbill!and!Ochre@bellied$Flycatcher!were! appreciated.!!A!single!Violet$Sabrewing,!and!several!Berylline$Hummingbirds!were!the! only!hummer!species! we!managed!to!identify,! and!we!stumbled!onto! several!pairs!of! Prevost’s$Ground@ Sparrows.!!The!real! highlight!of!the! morning,!though,!came! when!I!rounded!a!bend! in!the!trail!and!flushed! a!large!raptor.!!Lifting! my!bins,!I!was!rather! shocked!to!find!myself! looking!right!into!the! eyes!of!an!immature! Collared$Forest@ Falcon!!!Luckily!it! stayed!long!enough!for! most!of!us!to!get!on!it.! ! At!literally!the!farthest! point!we!walked!up!the!trail!some!speculative!playback!finally!paid!off!when!a!pair!of! White@eared$Ground@Sparrows!came!bombing!in!!!Here!at!the!very!northern!end!of!its! range,!this!species!is!quite!uncommon!and!was!a!much!welcomed!surprise!for!the!trip!list.!! I!was!also!struck!by!how!different!they!looked!than!birds!in!Costa!Rica!–!perhaps!a!future! split?! ! With!the!morning!heating!up!and!lunchtime!rapidly!approaching,!we!descended!back!into! Mapastepec.!!A!quick!lunch!later!and!we!were!on!the!road!again.!!Our!eventual!goal!of! Tuxtla!Gutierrez!was!a!few!hours!away,!but!we!still!had!a!bit!of!time!to!check!out!some! wetlands!and!!on!the!way.! ! At!a!mangrovePfringed!lagoon!we!spent!some!time!sorting!through!hundreds!of!shorebirds,! picking!out!Least,$Semipalmated,$Western,!and!Stilt$Sandpipers,!as!well!as!some!of!their! larger!cousins!such!as!Marbled$ Godwit,$Greater$and!Lesser$ Yellowlegs,!and!Whimbrel.$$The!flocks! of!terns!and!gulls!were!mostly!too!far!to! identify,!unfortunately,!but!some! Lesser$Scaup!were!new.! ! As!the!road!moved!into!taller! mangroves!and!pasture!edges!we!found! another!White@bellied$Chachalaca.!!I! decided!to!try!some!speculative! playback,!and!while!the!first!few! species!didn’t!answer,!when!I!tried! $Cuckoo!one!bombed!right! in!!!Almost!immediately!after!a!Lesser$ Ground@Cuckoo!started!vocalizing,!and! over!the!next!ten!minutes!we!got!to! watch!both!birds!get!closer!and!closer! until!they!were!sitting!mere!feet!apart! in!the!same!tree!!!Not!a!species!pair!I! ever!thought!I’d!see!next!to!each!other.! ! After!our!cuckoo!success!it!was!time!to! head!on.!!The!rest!of!the!afternoon!was! spent!driving!to!Tuxtla!Gutierrez,! where!we!arrived!just!in!time!for! dinner.! ! Day$15:$El$Sumidero$and$El$Ocote$ ! With!our!morning’s!birding!a!mere!15! minutes!from!our!hotel!in!Tuxtla,!we! had!the!rare!opportunity!to!“sleep!in”,! at!least!by!recent!standards!!!Even!with!this!luxury,!we!found!ourselves!standing!in!the! dense!scrub!along!the!El!Sumidero!road!at!dawn,!serenaded!by!the!dawn!chorus!while!the! city!slept!below!us.! ! Among!said!dawn!chorus!we!managed!to!pick!out!a!few!new!birds,!among!them!a!couple!of! “Golden”$Yellow$Grosbeaks!and!our!first!visuals!of!Plain$.!!A!couple!of! Berylline$Hummingbirds!fed!on!some!roadside!flowers,!while!a!small!mixed!flock!had!a! handsome!Varied$Bunting!and!a!few!Brown@crested$Flycatchers.!!Up!a!small!side!trail! we!found!a!male!Red@breasted$Chat!in!some!dense!bamboo,!but!some!singing!Singing$ !remained!just!singing!and!not!seen!quail.! ! Activity!died!off!surprisingly!quickly,!even!before!the!morning!heated!up,!testament!to!the! drier!conditions!in!Chiapas!than!in!Oaxaca.!Even!so,!a!roadside!stop!in!somewhat!open! habitat!proved!somewhat!sparrowPy,!in!the!form!of!several!Olive$Sparrows!and!a!single! Rusty$Sparrow.!!An!unusually!cooperative!Canivet’s$Emerald!perched!for!some!photos!in! the!same!are!as!well.! ! Just!down!the!road!I!heard!a!distinctive!song,!and!a!bit!of!playback!allowed!Michael!to!grip! back!on!a!miss!from!earlier!in!the!trip!when!a!very!angry!Pheasant$Cuckoo$nearly!took!our! heads!off.!!It!proceeded!to!sit!in!a!tree!at!close!range,!providing!the!best!views!any!of!us!had! ever!had!at!this!uncommon!bird.!!! ! As!we!ascended!the!road!the! habitat!became!taller!and!slightly! more!humid,!and!the!avifauna! changed!accordingly.!!Our!next! birding!stop!was!along!a!short! loop!trail,!and!while!the!activity! had!slowed!considerably,!we!still! found!a!good!variety.!!A!goodP sized!antswarm!was!the! undoubted!highlight,!as!it!was! attended!by!an!eclectic!mix!of! birds!that!included!a!female!Gray@ collared$Becard,!many!Fan@ tailed!and!several!Magnolia$ Warblers,!Red@throated$Ant@ Tanager,!and!Orange@billed$ Nightingale@Thrush.$$A!pair!of! vocal!Belted$Flycatchers!just! down!the!trail!also!livened!up!the! walk,!and!we!got!good!views!of! this!Sumidero!specialty.! ! The!remainder!of!the!morning!was! spent!soaking!in!the!spectacular! views!of!the!Sumidero!Canyon,! easily!one!of!the!most!scenic! places!we!visited!on!the!tour.! ! After!lunch!and!a!bit!of!a!midPday!break,!we!decided!to!head!to!El!Ocote!to!give!ourselves! another!shot!at!some!uncommon!birds.!!As!expected!for!an!afternoon!visit,!it!was!fairly! slow,!but!not!entirely!unproductive.!!Several!Keel@billed$Toucans!and!Montezuma$ Oropendolas!were!the!first!we’d!seen!in!several!days,!while!less!cooperative!flyPby!Long@ tailed$Sabrewings!were!new!entirely.!!A!heard!only!SlatyPbreasted!!remained!just! that!–!heard!only.!!Most!of!the!rest!of!what!we!saw!were!birds!we!had!seen!near!Tuxtepec,! and!overall!flock!activity!was!abysmal!and!song!levels!not!much!higher.! ! Thankfully!one!of!the!species! that!DID!sing!was!our!main! target!for!the!site,!the! extremely!local!Nava’s$Wren.!! And!more!thankfully!still!was! the!fact!that!this!particular! Nava’s!Wren!must!have!been! the!most!cooperative!member! of!its!species!on!the!planet!!!To! say!we!had!good!views!would! be!an!understatement!of! massive!proportions!to!say!the! least.! ! The!wren!in!the!bag,!it!was! back!to!Tuxtla!for!an!early! night!–!the!next!morning!was! to!be!an!early!one!indeed.! ! Day$16:$San$Cristobal$de$Las$ Casas$ ! The!plan!for!the!day!was!to!head!east!from!Tuxtla!to!the!higher!elevations!of!San!Cristobal! de!Las!Casas.!!The!pine!forests!around!here!are!the!northernmost!extent!of!a!number!of! Guatemalan!species,!including!some!of!most!desired!birds!on!the!tour.!!Given!that!a!couple! of!the!specialties!were!owls,!we!left!Tuxtla!at!a!rather!early!hour!in!the!hopes!of!coming!to! grips!with!them.! ! Unfortunately,!despite!our!best!intentions,!the!best!we!got!was!a!close!singing!Bearded! ScreechPOwl!that!refused!to!show!itself!before!the!sun!started!coming!up.!!A!multitude!of! singing!Highland!Guans!likewise!remained!heard!only,!but!it!didn’t!take!long!for!us!to!get! visuals!of!Rufous@browed$Wren!and!Rufous@collared$Thrush,$both!species!possible! nowhere!else!on!this!itinerary.! ! The!same!stretch!of!road!was!quite!productive,!with!good!flock!activity!and!lots!of!song.!! Some!flowers!attracted!a!single!Amethyst@throated$Hummingbird,!while!a!bit!of!dense! brush!had!some!Rufous@collared$Sparrows!and!a!White@naped$Brush@Finch.!!A!loud!call! up!the!slope!alerted!us!to!the!presence!of!another!specialty!of!the!area,!Black@throated$ Jay,!and!a!bit!of!playback!brought!a!small!flock!in!close!for!good!views.!!Unfortunately! playback!did!not!bring!in!a!vocalizing!“Guatemalan”!Northern!PygmyPOwl!in!the!same!area,! though!it!did!bring!in!lots!of!Yellow@eyed$Juncos!and!“Guatemalan”$Common$ Chlorospingus.! ! Finishing!up!at!our!owling!site,!we!moved!to!the!famed!Ocosingo!Road.!!Sitting!in!the!midst! of!truly!gorgeous!humid!pinePoak!woodland,!the!road!has!in!the!past!been!off!limits!to! birders!due!to!issues!with!locals.!!Luckily!for!us,!Alberto!(our!local!guide!for!the!San! Cristobal!area)!had! recently!worked!out!an! arrangement!with!the! community!in!the!area,! and!we!were!able!to!visit! without!any!concerns.! ! It!was!no!secret!what!our! main!target!at!the!site! was,!and!I’m!happy!to! say!we!didn’t!even!have! to!work!that!hard!before! we!were!all!gaping!in! awe!at!a!pair!of!Pink@ headed$Warblers,!one! of!the!most!stunning! birds!in!all!of!Mexico!!! The!same!flock!that!held! the!PinkPheads!also!had! several!Townsend’s$and!Hermit$Warblers,!as!well!as!the!only!Yellowish$Flycatchers!we! were!to!find.! ! With!the!warbler!found!we!moved!on!to!another!road!nearby,!where!we!scanned!more! open!country!for!several!other!local!specialties.!!It!didn’t!take!long!to!find!a!small!group!of! Black@capped$Swallows!sitting!on!a!wire.!!It!took!somewhat!longer!to!find!a!single!Black@ capped$Siskin,!and!longer!still!to!find!the!ultraPdistinctive!“Plain”$Pine$Siskin!(surely!a! good!split),!but!find!them! we!did!!!A!somewhat!shy! Yellow@backed$Oriole,! and!a!couple!of! “Guatemalan”$Northern$ Flickers!rounded!out!our! haul.! ! At!this!point!we!found! ourselves!with!precious! few!targets!left!in!the!area.!! Taking!stock!of!what!we! still!needed,!we!made!way! to!the!Huitipec!Reserve!to! search!out!the!remaining! quarries.!!Again!luck!was! with!us,!and!we!rather! quickly!found!the!difficult! Blue@throated$Motmot.!!What!is!normally!the!easier!Blue@and@white$Mockingbird! played!hard!to!get,!but!eventually!everyone!had!at!least!reasonable!views.!!The!last! remaining!goal!species!was!also!the!hardest!to!get!a!visual!of,!and!we!worked!hard!at!it,!but! in!the!end!everyone!even!managed!a!visual!of!a!small!covey!of!Singing$Quail!that!were! noisily!singing!but!not!so!cooperatively!showing.! ! Celebrating!our!luck!of!the!morning,!we!returned!to!San!Cristobal!for!a!(very)!late!lunch,! and!then!decided!to!take!the!rest!of!the!day!off!back!in!Tuxtla!for!some!muchPdeserved!rest.! ! Day$17:$El$Ocote$to$Arriaga$ ! For!our!last!morning!out!of!Tuxtla!Gutierrez!we!returned!to!El!Ocote,!and!with!the!wren! already!seen!we!were!free!to!see!what!else!we!could!find.!!By!far!our!best!luck!came!along!a! small!trail!into!the!forest,!where!a!loud!song,!some!careful!positioning,!and!a!bit!of!playback! gave!us!some!of!the!best!views!I’ve!ever!had!of!a!“Mexican”$Black@faced$Antthrush!!!And! if!that!wasn’t!enough,!we!had!barely!turned!around!from!the!antthrush!when!an!equally! cooperative!Stub@tailed$Spadebill!seemed!to!take!its!place!! ! Back!down!by!the!road,!we!found!a!large!flock!that!just!seemed!to!ooze!new!species.!!First!it! was!a!pair!of!White@bellied$Wrens,!then!a!Worm@eating$Warbler,!and!then!a!Green$ Shrike@Vireo.!!Not!a!bad!haul!for!barely!moving!an!inch!!!Also!in!the!same!area!were!a! Wood$Thrush!and!another!Gray@collared$Becard.! ! We!had!pretty!much! tapped!out!on!possible! additions!to!the!list!at! Ocote,!but!one!of!them! was!singing!up!the! hillside.!!I!wasn’t! expecting!much!luck,!so! no!one!was!happier!than!I! when!a!male!Highland$ !flew!right!over!the! road,!and!what’s!more! right!when!everyone!was! looking!in!the!right!area!!! A!flyover!flock!of!Green$ Parakeets,!and!a!single! Tropical$Gnatcatcher! rounded!out!the!haul!for! the!morning.! ! From!El!Ocote!we!headed! down!to!Arriaga,!our!base!for!the!night,!checked!in,!had!lunch,!and!took!a!break!during!the! oppressive!heat.!!Then!it!was!out!into!the!field!again,!this!time!returning!to!Puerto!Arista! for!a!longer!visit.!The!heat!kept!a!lot!of!the!activity!at!bay,!but!we!still!found!some!things!to! look!at.!!Among!the!most!significant!of!these!was!our!only!Stripe@headed$Sparrows!of!the! tour,!and!our!first!Pacific$Parakeets$and!Ringed$Kingfisher.! ! The!wetlands!also!had!a!few!things!to!see,!and!we!added!Redhead!and!Wood$$to!the! trip!list,!in!addition!to!more!views!of!the!various!shorebirds,!ducks,!and!terns!we!had! already!seen.!!A!brushy!hedgerow!had!a!pair!of!Giant$Wrens$(which!were!strangely!silent! for!this!normally!noisy!bird).!!Just!about!the!last!bird!of!the!day!was!a!displaying!pair!of! Bare@throated$Tiger@Herons!along!a!small!creek,!also!new!for!the!trip.! ! Day$18:$Arriaga$to$Oaxaca$ ! Our!last!morning!of!birding!in!Mexico!had!one!goal,!and!one!goal!only.!!But!what!a!goal!it! was!!!Thankfully!that!goal!was!both!close!to!our!hotel,!and!relatively!easy!to!find.!!Just! about!the!very!first!bird!at!our!very!first!stop!was!our!target,!the!peerless!Rose@bellied$ Bunting!!!We!got!to!have!our!fill!of!this!stunning!blue!and!pink!beauty!as!it!sang!from! perches!mere!feet!from!us!in!the!thornscrub!lining!a!small!gully.! ! The!same!gully!was!birdy!overall,!and!we!also!found!both!Orange@breasted!and!Painted$ Buntings!to!round!out!our!bunting!haul.!!A!female!Red@breasted$Chat!and!rather!angry! Northern$Beardless@Tyrannulet!came!in!to!investigate!some!pygmyPowl!tooting,!and!a! noisy!flock!of!Pacific$Parakeets!screamed!overhead.!!With!good!looks!at!a!Russet@ crowned$Motmot!we!decided!that!since!we!had!scored!our!main!goal!of!the!morning!we! would!start!the!long!drive!back!to!Oaxaca.! ! Our!only!bit!of!birding!along!the!trip!back!came!at!a!small!roadside!pond,!where!we!added! the!last!new!species!to!the!list,!Northern$.!!Then!it!was!through!the!blustery!gales!of! the!Isthmus!and!back!into!the!dry,!cactus!studded!Oaxaca!Valley.!!Celebrating!a!successful! trip!in!style,!we!headed!out!for!one!last!dinner!of!!–!the!perfect!way!to!end!a!trip!to!the! best!part!of!a!wonderful!country!! ! ! ! Trip$List$ $ Bird##follows#Clements,#J.#F.,#T.#S.#Schulenberg,#M.#J.#Iliff,#B.L.#Sullivan,#C.#L.#Wood,#and# D.#Roberson.#2012.#The#eBird/Clements#checklist#of#birds#of#the#world:#Version#6.9#(2014).# $ A!total!of!498!species!were!recorded,!of!which!22!were!heard!only!(marked!“h”!below).!! Species!marked!with!an!“E”!are!endemic!to!Mexico.! ! ! TINAMIFORMES:$Tinamidae$ h! ! Little!Tinamou! Crypturellus#soui# # h! SlatyPbreasted!Tinamou! Crypturellus#boucardi# h! Thicket!Tinamou! Crypturellus#cinnamomeus# :$$ ! BlackPbellied!WhistlingPDuck! Dendrocygna#autumnalis# # ! BluePwinged!Teal! Anas#discors# ! Northern!Shoveler! Anas#clypeata# ! Redhead! Aythya#americana# ! RingPnecked!Duck! Aythya#collaris# ! Lesser!Scaup! Aythya#affinis# ! Ruddy!Duck! Oxyura#jamaicensis# ! :$$ ! Plain!Chachalaca! Ortalis#vetula# # ! West!Mexican!Chachalaca!(E)! Ortalis#poliocephala# ! WhitePbellied!Chachalaca! Ortalis#leucogastra# ! Crested!Guan! Penelope#purpurascens# ! Highland!Guan! Penelopina#nigra# ! GALLIFORMES:$Odontophoridae$ ! LongPtailed!WoodPPartridge!(E)! Dendrortyx#macroura# # h! ! Spotted!WoodPQuail! Odontophorus#guttatus# Singing!Quail! Dactylortyx#thoracicus# ! PODICIPEDIFORMES:$Podicipedidae$ ! Least!! Tachybaptus#dominicus# # ! PiedPbilled!Grebe! Podilymbus## ! :$$ ! WedgePtailed!Shearwater! Puffinus#pacificus# # ! BlackPvented!Shearwater! Puffinus#opisthomelas# ! PROCELLARIIFORMES:$Hydrobatidae$ ! Black!StormPPetrel! Oceanodroma#melania# # ! Least!StormPPetrel! Oceanodroma#microsoma# ! CICONIIFORMES:$Ciconiidae$ ! # Wood!Stork! Mycteria#americana# ! :$Fregatidae$ ! Magnificent!Frigatebird! Fregata#magnificens# # ! SULIFORMES:$Sulidae$ ! Masked!Booby! Sula#dactylatra# # ! Brown!Booby! Sula#leucogaster# ! SULIFORMES:$Phalacrocoracidae$ ! Neotropic!Cormorant! Phalacrocorax#brasilianus# # ! DoublePcrested!Cormorant! Phalacrocorax#auritus# ! SULIFORMES:$Anhingidae$ ! Anhinga! Anhinga#anhinga# # ! :$Pelecanidae$ ! American!White!Pelican! Pelecanus#erythrorhynchos# # ! Brown!Pelican! Pelecanus#occidentalis# ! PELECANIFORMES:$Ardeidae$ ! BarePthroated!TigerPHeron! Tigrisoma#mexicanum# # ! Great!Blue!Heron! Ardea#herodias# ! Great!Egret! Ardea#alba# ! Snowy!Egret! Egretta#thula# ! Little!Blue!Heron! Egretta#caerulea# ! Tricolored!Heron! Egretta#tricolor# ! Reddish!Egret! Egretta#rufescens# ! !Egret! Bubulcus#ibis# ! Green!Heron! Butorides#virescens# ! PELECANIFORMES:$Threskiornithidae$ ! White!Ibis! Eudocimus#albus# # ! Roseate!Spoonbill! Platalea#ajaja# ! :$Cathartidae$ ! Black!Vulture! Coragyps#atratus# # ! !Vulture! Cathartes#aura# ! ACCIPITRIFORMES:$Pandionidae$ ! Osprey! Pandion#haliaetus# # ! ACCIPITRIFORMES:$Accipitridae$ ! WhitePtailed!Kite! Elanus#leucurus# # ! HookPbilled!Kite! Chondrohierax#uncinatus# ! GrayPheaded!Kite! Leptodon#cayanensis# ! Snail!Kite! Rostrhamus#sociabilis# ! Cooper's!Hawk! Accipiter#cooperii# ! Common!Black!Hawk! Buteogallus#anthracinus# ! Roadside!Hawk! Rupornis#magnirostris# ! WhitePtailed!Hawk! Geranoaetus#albicaudatus# ! BroadPwinged!Hawk! Buteo#platypterus# ! Gray!Hawk! Buteo#plagiatus# ! ShortPtailed!Hawk! Buteo#brachyurus# ! Swainson's!Hawk! Buteo#swainsoni# ! ZonePtailed!Hawk! Buteo#albonotatus# ! RedPtailed!Hawk! Buteo#jamaicensis# ! :$Rallidae$ ! Common!Gallinule! Gallinula#galeata# # ! American!Coot! Fulica#americana# ! GRUIFORMES:$Heliornithidae$ ! :$Recurvirostridae$ # ! BlackPnecked!Stilt! Himantopus#mexicanus# # ! American!Avocet! Recurvirostra#americana# ! CHARADRIIFORMES:$Haematopodidae$ ! American!Oystercatcher! Haematopus#palliatus# # ! CHARADRIIFORMES:$Charadriidae$ ! Killdeer! Charadrius#vociferus# # ! CHARADRIIFORMES:$$ ! Northern!Jacana! Jacana#spinosa# # ! CHARADRIIFORMES:$Scolopacidae$ ! Spotted!Sandpiper! Actitis#macularius# # ! Greater!Yellowlegs! Tringa#melanoleuca# ! Willet! Tringa#semipalmata# ! Lesser!Yellowlegs! Tringa#flavipes# ! Whimbrel! Numenius#phaeopus# ! Marbled!Godwit! Limosa#fedoa# ! Stilt!Sandpiper! Calidris#himantopus# ! Least!Sandpiper! Calidris#minutilla# ! Semipalmated!Sandpiper! Calidris#pusilla# ! Western!Sandpiper! Calidris#mauri# ! RedPnecked!Phalarope! Phalaropus#lobatus# ! Red!Phalarope! Phalaropus#fulicarius# ! CHARADRIIFORMES:$Stercorariidae$ ! Pomarine!Jaeger! Stercorarius#pomarinus# # ! Parasitic!Jaeger! Stercorarius#parasiticus# ! CHARADRIIFORMES:$Laridae$ ! Laughing!Gull! Leucophaeus#atricilla# # ! Franklin's!Gull! Leucophaeus#pipixcan# ! Sabine's!Gull! Xema#sabini# ! GullPbilled!Tern! Gelochelidon#nilotica# ! Caspian!Tern! Hydroprogne#caspia# ! Black!Tern! Chlidonias#niger# ! Royal!Tern! Thalasseus#maximus# ! Elegant!Tern! Thalasseus#elegans# ! Sandwich!Tern! Thalasseus#sandvicensis# ! Black!Skimmer! Rynchops#niger# ! COLUMBIFORMES:$$ ! Rock!Pigeon!(I)! Columba#livia# # ! RedPbilled!Pigeon! Patagioenas#flavirostris# ! BandPtailed!Pigeon! Patagioenas#fasciata# ! ShortPbilled!Pigeon! Patagioenas#nigrirostris# ! Eurasian!CollaredPDove!(I)! Streptopelia#decaocto# ! Inca!Dove! Columbina#inca# ! Common!GroundPDove! Columbina#passerina# ! Ruddy!GroundPDove! Columbina#talpacoti# ! Blue!GroundPDove! Claravis#pretiosa# ! Ruddy!QuailPDove! Geotrygon#montana# ! WhitePtipped!Dove! Leptotila#verreauxi# ! GrayPheaded!Dove! Leptotila#plumbeiceps# h! ! WhitePfaced!QuailPDove! Zentrygon#albifacies# WhitePwinged!Dove! Zenaida#asiatica# ! Mourning!Dove! Zenaida#macroura# ! CUCULIFORMES:$Cuculidae$ ! Squirrel!Cuckoo! Piaya#cayana# # ! "Mexican"!Squirrel!Cuckoo! Piaya#cayana#mexicana# ! Mangrove!Cuckoo! Coccyzus#minor# h! ! Striped!Cuckoo! Tapera#naevia# Pheasant!Cuckoo! Dromococcyx#phasianellus# ! Lesser!GroundPCuckoo! Morococcyx#erythropygus# ! Lesser!Roadrunner! Geococcyx#velox# ! GroovePbilled!Ani! Crotophaga#sulcirostris# ! STRIGIFORMES:$Strigidae$ h! ! Bearded!ScreechPOwl! Megascops#barbarus# # h! Vermiculated!ScreechPOwl! Megascops#guatemalae# h! Northern!(Guatemalan)!PygmyPOwl! Glaucidium#gnoma# Colima!PygmyPOwl!(E)! Glaucidium#palmarum# ! Ferruginous!PygmyPOwl! Glaucidium#brasilianum# h! ! Mottled!Owl! Ciccaba#virgata# Fulvous!Owl! #fulvescens# ! :$Caprimulgidae$ ! Lesser!Nighthawk! Chordeiles#acutipennis# # ! Common!Pauraque! Nyctidromus#albicollis# h! ! BuffPcollared!Nightjar! Antrostomus#ridgwayi# Mexican!WhipPpoorPwill! Antrostomus#arizonae# ! :$Apodidae$ ! ChestnutPcollared!Swift! Streptoprocne#rutila# # ! WhitePcollared!Swift! Streptoprocne#zonaris# ! Vaux's!Swift! Chaetura#vauxi# ! APODIFORMES:$Trochilidae$ ! LongPbilled!Hermit! Phaethornis#longirostris# # ! LongPbilled!(Mexican)!Hermit! Phaethornis#longirostris#mexicanus# ! StripePthroated!Hermit! Phaethornis#striigularis# ! Green!Violetear! Colibri#thalassinus# ! GreenPbreasted!Mango! Anthracothorax#prevostii# ! Magnificent!Hummingbird! Eugenes#fulgens# ! PlainPcapped!Starthroat! Heliomaster#constantii# ! AmethystPthroated!Hummingbird! Lampornis#amethystinus# ! BluePthroated!Hummingbird! Lampornis#clemenciae# ! GarnetPthroated!Hummingbird! Lamprolaima#rhami# ! Beautiful!Hummingbird!(E)! Calothorax#pulcher# ! RubyPthroated!Hummingbird! Archilochus#colubris# ! Bumblebee!Hummingbird!(E)! Atthis#heloisa# ! BroadPtailed!Hummingbird! #platycercus# ! GoldenPcrowned!Emerald!(E)! Chlorostilbon#auriceps# ! Canivet's!Emerald! Chlorostilbon#canivetii# ! Dusky!Hummingbird!(E)! #sordidus# ! BroadPbilled!(Doubleday's)!Hummingbird! Cynanthus#latirostris#doubledayi# ! LongPtailed!Sabrewing!(E)! Campylopterus#excellens# ! Violet!Sabrewing! Campylopterus#hemileucurus# ! StripePtailed!Hummingbird! Eupherusa#eximia# ! BluePcapped!Hummingbird!(E)! Eupherusa#cyanophrys# ! WhitePbellied!Emerald! #candida# ! AzurePcrowned!Hummingbird! Amazilia#cyanocephala# ! VioletPcrowned!Hummingbird! Amazilia#violiceps# ! Berylline!Hummingbird! Amazilia#beryllina# ! RufousPtailed!Hummingbird! Amazilia#tzacatl# ! BuffPbellied!Hummingbird! Amazilia#yucatanensis# ! Cinnamon!Hummingbird! Amazilia#rutila# ! GreenPfronted!Hummingbird! Amazilia#viridifrons# ! WhitePeared!Hummingbird! Hylocharis#leucotis# ! TROGONIFORMES:$Trogonidae$ ! BlackPheaded!Trogon! Trogon#melanocephalus# # ! Citreoline!Trogon!(E)! Trogon#citreolus# ! Gartered!Trogon! Trogon#caligatus# ! Elegant!Trogon! Trogon#elegans# ! Mountain!Trogon! Trogon#mexicanus# ! Collared!Trogon! Trogon#collaris# ! :$Momotidae$ ! BluePthroated!Motmot! Aspatha#gularis# # ! RussetPcrowned!Motmot! Momotus#mexicanus# ! BluePcrowned!Motmot! Momotus#coeruliceps# ! TurquoisePbrowed!Motmot! Eumomota#superciliosa# ! CORACIIFORMES:$Alcedinidae$ ! Ringed!Kingfisher! Megace# ryle#torquata# ! Belted!Kingfisher! #alcyon# ! Amazon!Kingfisher! Chloroceryle#amazona# ! Green!Kingfisher! Chloroceryle#americana# ! GALBULIFORMES:$Bucconidae$ ! :$Ramphastidae$ # ! Emerald!Toucanet! Aulacorhynchus#prasinus# # ! Emerald!(Wagler's)!Toucanet! Aulacorhynchus#prasinus#wagleri# ! Collared!Aracari! Pteroglossus#torquatus# ! KeelPbilled!Toucan! Ramphastos#sulfuratus# ! PICIFORMES:$Picidae$ ! Acorn!Woodpecker! Melanerpes#formicivorus# # ! BlackPcheeked!Woodpecker! Melanerpes#pucherani# ! GoldenPcheeked!Woodpecker!(E)! Melanerpes#chrysogenys# ! GrayPbreasted!Woodpecker!(E)! Melanerpes#hypopolius# ! GoldenPfronted!(Velasquez's)! Woodpecker! Melanerpes#aurifrons# ! YellowPbellied!Sapsucker! Sphyrapicus#varius# ! LadderPbacked!Woodpecker! Picoides#scalaris# ! SmokyPbrown!Woodpecker! Picoides#fumigatus# ! Hairy!Woodpecker! Picoides#villosus# ! GoldenPolive!Woodpecker! Colaptes#rubiginosus# ! GrayPcrowned!Woodpecker!(E)! Colaptes#auricularis# ! Northern!Flicker! Colaptes#auratus# ! Lineated!Woodpecker! Dryocopus#lineatus# ! PalePbilled!Woodpecker! Campephilus#guatemalensis# ! :$Falconidae$ h! ! Barred!ForestPFalcon! Micrastur#ruficollis# # Collared!ForestPFalcon! Micrastur#semitorquatus# ! Crested!Caracara! Caracara#cheriway# ! Laughing!Falcon! Herpetotheres#cachinnans# ! American!Kestrel! Falco#sparverius# ! Merlin! Falco#columbarius# ! Bat!Falcon! Falco#rufigularis# ! PSITTACIFORMES:$$ h! ! Barred!Parakeet! Bolborhynchus#lineola# # OrangePchinned!Parakeet! Brotogeris#jugularis# ! BrownPhooded!Parrot! Pyrilia#haematotis# ! WhitePcrowned!Parrot! Pionus#senilis# ! RedPlored!Parrot! Amazona#autumnalis# ! YellowPnaped!Parrot! Amazona#auropalliata# ! WhitePfronted!Parrot! Amazona#albifrons# ! Mealy!Parrot! Amazona#farinosa# ! OlivePthroated!Parakeet! Eupsittula#nana# ! OrangePfronted!Parakeet! Eupsittula#canicularis# ! Green!Parakeet! #holochlorus# ! Pacific!Parakeet! Psittacara#strenuus# ! PASSERIFORMES:$Thamnophilidae$ ! Barred!Antshrike! Thamnophilus#doliatus# # ! PASSERIFORMES:$Grallariidae$ ! PASSERIFORMES:$Formicariidae$ # ! BlackPfaced!(Mexican)!Antthrush! Formicarius#analis#moniliger# # ! PASSERIFORMES:$Furnariidae$ ! TawnyPthroated!Leaftosser! Sclerurus#mexicanus# # ! Olivaceous!Woodcreeper! Sittasomus#griseicapillus# ! StrongPbilled!Woodcreeper! Xiphocolaptes#promeropirhynchus# ! IvoryPbilled!Woodcreeper! Xiphorhynchus#flavigaster# ! Spotted!Woodcreeper! Xiphorhynchus#erythropygius# ! StreakPheaded!Woodcreeper! Lepidocolaptes#souleyetii# ! WhitePstriped!Woodcreeper!(E)! Lepidocolaptes#leucogaster# ! SpotPcrowned!Woodcreeper! Lepidocolaptes#affinis# ! Plain!Xenops! Xenops#minutus# ! ScalyPthroated!FoliagePgleaner! Anabacerthia#variegaticeps# ! Ruddy!FoliagePgleaner! Clibanornis#rubiginosus# ! BuffPthroated!FoliagePgleaner! Automolus#ochrolaemus# ! RufousPbreasted!Spinetail! Synallaxis#erythrothorax# ! PASSERIFORMES:$Tyrannidae$ ! YellowPbellied!Tyrannulet! Ornithion#semiflavum# # ! Northern!BeardlessPTyrannulet! Camptostoma#imberbe# ! Greenish!Elaenia! Myiopagis#viridicata# ! YellowPbellied!Elaenia! Elaenia#flavogaster# ! OchrePbellied!Flycatcher! Mionectes#oleagineus# ! Paltry!Tyrannulet! Zimmerius#vilissimus# ! Northern!Bentbill! Oncostoma#cinereigulare# h! ! SlatePheaded!TodyPFlycatcher! Poecilotriccus#sylvia# h! Common!TodyPFlycatcher! Todirostrum#cinereum# EyePringed!Flatbill! Rhynchocyclus#brevirostris# ! YellowPolive!Flycatcher! Tolmomyias#sulphurescens# ! StubPtailed!Spadebill! Platyrinchus#cancrominus# ! (Northern)!Royal!Flycatcher! Onychorhynchus#coronatus# ! SulphurPrumped!Flycatcher! Myiobius#sulphureipygius# ! Belted!Flycatcher! Xenotriccus#callizonus# ! Pileated!Flycatcher!(E)! Xenotriccus#mexicanus# ! Tufted!Flycatcher! Mitrephanes#phaeocercus# ! Greater!Pewee! Contopus#pertinax# ! Western!WoodPPewee! Contopus#sordidulus# ! Tropical!Pewee! Contopus#cinereus# ! YellowPbellied!Flycatcher! #flaviventris# ! Least!Flycatcher! Empidonax#minimus# ! Hammond's!Flycatcher! Empidonax#hammondii# ! Gray!Flycatcher! Empidonax#wrightii# ! Dusky!Flycatcher! Empidonax#oberholseri# ! Pine!Flycatcher! Empidonax#affinis# ! "Western"!Flycatcher! Empidonax#difficilis/occidentalis# ! Yellowish!Flycatcher! Empidonax#flavescens# ! Black!Phoebe! Sayornis#nigricans# ! Say's!Phoebe! Sayornis#saya# ! Vermilion!Flycatcher! Pyrocephalus#rubinus# h! ! BrightPrumped!Attila! Attila#spadiceus# DuskyPcapped!Flycatcher! Myiarchus#tuberculifer# ! AshPthroated!Flycatcher! Myiarchus#cinerascens# ! Nutting's!Flycatcher! Myiarchus#nuttingi# ! Great!Crested!Flycatcher! Myiarchus#crinitus# ! BrownPcrested!Flycatcher! Myiarchus#tyrannulus# ! Great!Kiskadee! Pitangus#sulphuratus# ! BoatPbilled!Flycatcher! Megarynchus#pitangua# ! Social!Flycatcher! Myiozetetes#similis# ! SulphurPbellied!Flycatcher! Myiodynastes#luteiventris# ! Tropical!Kingbird! Tyrannus#melancholicus# ! Couch's!Kingbird! Tyrannus#couchii# ! Cassin's!Kingbird! Tyrannus#vociferans# ! ThickPbilled!Kingbird! Tyrannus#crassirostris# ! Western!Kingbird! Tyrannus#verticalis# ! ScissorPtailed!Flycatcher! Tyrannus#forficatus# ! PASSERIFORMES:$Cotingidae$ ! PASSERIFORMES:$Pipridae$ # ! LongPtailed!Manakin! Chiroxiphia#linearis# # ! RedPcapped!Manakin! Ceratopipra#mentalis# ! PASSERIFORMES:$Tityridae$ ! BlackPcrowned!Tityra! Tityra#inquisitor# # ! Masked!Tityra! Tityra#semifasciata# ! GrayPcollared!Becard! Pachyramphus#major# ! RosePthroated!Becard! Pachyramphus#aglaiae# ! PASSERIFORMES:$Laniidae$ ! Loggerhead!Shrike! Lanius#ludovicianus# # ! PASSERIFORMES:$Vireonidae$ ! Slaty!Vireo!(E)! Vireo#brevipennis# # ! WhitePeyed!Vireo! Vireo#griseus# ! Bell's!Vireo! Vireo#bellii# ! Dwarf!Vireo!(E)! Vireo#nelsoni# ! Plumbeous!Vireo! Vireo#plumbeus# ! Cassin's!Vireo! Vireo#cassinii# ! BluePheaded!Vireo! Vireo#solitarius# ! Hutton's!Vireo! Vireo#huttoni# ! Golden!Vireo!(E)! Vireo#hypochryseus# ! Warbling!Vireo! Vireo#gilvus# ! YellowPgreen!Vireo! Vireo#flavoviridis# ! Lesser!Greenlet! Hylophilus#decurtatus# ! ChestnutPsided!ShrikePVireo! Vireolanius#melitophrys# ! Green!ShrikePVireo! Vireolanius#pulchellus# ! RufousPbrowed!Peppershrike! Cyclarhis#gujanensis# ! PASSERIFORMES:$$ ! Dwarf!Jay!(E)! #nanus# # ! BlackPthroated!Jay! Cyanolyca#pumilo# ! AzurePhooded!Jay! Cyanolyca#cucullata# ! WhitePthroated!MagpiePJay! Calocitta#formosa# ! Brown!Jay! Psilorhinus#morio# ! Green!Jay! #yncas# ! Steller's!Jay! #stelleri# ! Western!ScrubPJay! #californica# ! Unicolored!Jay! Aphelocoma#unicolor# ! Common!Raven! #corax# ! PASSERIFORMES:$Hirundinidae$ ! BlackPcapped!Swallow! Atticora#pileata# # ! Northern!RoughPwinged!Swallow! Stelgidopteryx#serripennis# ! N.!(Ridway's)!RoughPwinged!Swallow! Stelgidopteryx#serripennis#ridgwayi# ! GrayPbreasted!Martin! Progne#chalybea# ! Mangrove!Swallow! Tachycineta#albilinea# ! VioletPgreen!Swallow! Tachycineta#thalassina# ! Barn!Swallow! Hirundo#rustica# ! PASSERIFORMES:$Paridae$ ! Mexican!Chickadee! Poecile#sclateri# # ! Bridled!Titmouse! Baeolophus#wollweberi# ! PASSERIFORMES:$Aegithalidae$ ! Bushtit! Psaltriparus#minimus# # ! PASSERIFORMES:$Sittidae$ h! ! WhitePbreasted!Nuthatch! Sitta#carolinensis# # PASSERIFORMES:$Certhiidae$ ! Brown!Creeper! Cer# thia#americana# ! PASSERIFORMES:$Troglodytidae$ ! # Rock!Wren! Salpinctes#obsoletus# ! Canyon!Wren! Catherpes#mexicanus# ! Sumichrast's!Wren!(E)! Hylorchilus#sumichrasti# ! Nava's!Wren!(E)! Hylorchilus#navai# ! House!Wren! Troglodytes#aedon# ! RufousPbrowed!Wren! Troglodytes#rufociliatus# ! Bewick's!Wren! Thryomanes#bewickii# ! BandPbacked!Wren! Campylorhynchus#zonatus# ! GrayPbarred!Wren!(E)! Campylorhynchus#megalopterus# ! Giant!Wren!(E)! Campylorhynchus#chiapensis# ! RufousPnaped!Wren! Campylorhynchus#rufinucha# ! "Sclater's"!RufousPnaped!Wren!(E)! Campylorhynchus#rufinucha#humilis# ! Boucard's!Wren!(E)! Campylorhynchus#jocosus# ! SpotPbreasted!Wren! #maculipectus# ! Happy!Wren!(E)! Pheugopedius#felix# ! Plain!Wren! Cantorchilus#modestus# ! Banded!Wren! Thryophilus#pleurostictus# ! WhitePbellied!Wren! Uropsila#leucogastra# ! WhitePbreasted!WoodPWren! Henicorhina#leucosticta# ! GrayPbreasted!WoodPWren! Henicorhina#leucophrys# ! PASSERIFORMES:$Polioptilidae$ ! LongPbilled!Gnatwren! Ramphocaenus#melanurus# # ! BluePgray!Gnatcatcher! Polioptila#caerulea# ! WhitePlored!Gnatcatcher! Polioptila#albiloris# ! Tropical!Gnatcatcher! Polioptila#plumbea# ! PASSERIFORMES:$Regulidae$ ! RubyPcrowned!Kinglet! Regulus#calendula# # ! PASSERIFORMES:$Turdidae$ ! Eastern!! Sialia#sialis# # ! BrownPbacked!Solitaire! Myadestes#occidentalis# ! SlatePcolored!Solitaire! Myadestes#unicolor# ! OrangePbilled!NightingalePThrush! Catharus#aurantiirostris# ! Russet!NightingalePThrush!(E)! Catharus#occidentalis# ! RuddyPcapped!NightingalePThrush! Catharus#frantzii# ! BlackPheaded!NightingalePThrush! Catharus#mexicanus# ! Swainson's!Thrush! Catharus#ustulatus# ! Hermit!Thrush! Catharus#guttatus# ! Wood!Thrush! Hylocichla#mustelina# ! Black!Thrush! Turdus#infuscatus# ! ClayPcolored!Thrush! Turdus#grayi# ! WhitePthroated!Thrush! Turdus#assimilis# ! RufousPbacked!Robin!(E)! Turdus#rufopalliatus# ! RufousPcollared!Robin! Turdus#rufitorques# ! American!Robin! Turdus#migratorius# ! PASSERIFORMES:$Mimidae$ ! Blue!Mockingbird!(E)! #caerulescens# # ! BluePandPwhite!Mockingbird! Melanotis#hypoleucus# ! Gray!Catbird! Dumetella#carolinensis# ! CurvePbilled!Thrasher! Toxostoma#curvirostre# ! Ocellated!Thrasher!(E)! Toxostoma#ocellatum# ! Northern!Mockingbird! #polyglottos# ! PASSERIFORMES:$Alaudidae$ ! Horned!Lark! Eremophila#alpestris# # ! PASSERIFORMES:$Motacillidae$ ! American!Pipit! Anthus#rubescens# # ! PASSERIFORMES:$Ptiliogonatidae$ ! Gray!SilkyPflycatcher! Ptiliogonys#cinereus# # ! PASSERIFORMES:$Peucedramidae$ ! Olive!Warbler! Peucedramus#taeniatus# # ! PASSERIFORMES:$Parulidae$ ! Ovenbird! Seiurus#aurocapilla# # ! WormPeating!Warbler! Helmitheros#vermivorum# ! Louisiana!Waterthrush! Parkesia#motacilla# ! Northern!Waterthrush! Parkesia#noveboracensis# ! BluePwinged!Warbler! Vermivora#cyanoptera# ! BlackPandPwhite!Warbler! Mniotilta#varia# ! CrescentPchested!Warbler! Oreothlypis#superciliosa# ! Tennessee!Warbler! Oreothlypis#peregrina# ! OrangePcrowned!Warbler! Oreothlypis#celata# ! Nashville!Warbler! Oreothlypis#ruficapilla# ! Virginia's!Warbler! Oreothlypis#virginiae# ! GrayPcrowned!Yellowthroat! Geothlypis#poliocephala# ! MacGillivray's!Warbler! Geothlypis#tolmiei# ! Common!Yellowthroat! Geothlypis#trichas# ! Hooded!Yellowthroat!(E)! Geothlypis#nelsoni# ! Hooded!Warbler! #citrina# ! American!Redstart! Setophaga#ruticilla# ! Northern!Parula! Setophaga#americana# ! Tropical!Parula! Setophaga#pitiayumi# ! Magnolia!Warbler! Setophaga#magnolia# ! Yellow!Warbler! Setophaga#petechia# ! ChestnutPsided!Warbler! Setophaga#pensylvanica# ! YellowPrumped!Warbler! Setophaga#coronata# ! Grace's!Warbler! Setophaga#graciae# ! BlackPthroated!Gray!Warbler! Setophaga#nigrescens# ! Townsend's!Warbler! Setophaga#townsendi# ! Hermit!Warbler! Setophaga#occidentalis# ! GoldenPcheeked!Warbler! Setophaga#chrysoparia# ! BlackPthroated!Green!Warbler! Setophaga#virens# ! FanPtailed!Warbler! #lachrymosus# ! RufousPcapped!Warbler! Basileuterus#rufifrons# ! RufousPcapped!(ChestnutPcapped)! Warbler! Basileuterus#rufifrons#delattrii# ! GoldenPbrowed!Warbler! Basileuterus#belli# ! GoldenPcrowned!Warbler! Basileuterus#culicivorus# ! Wilson's!Warbler! #pusilla# ! RedPfaced!Warbler! Cardellina#rubrifrons# ! Red!Warbler!(E)! Cardellina#rubra# ! PinkPheaded!Warbler! Cardellina#versicolor# h! ! Painted!Redstart! Myioborus#pictus# SlatePthroated!Redstart! Myioborus#miniatus# ! YellowPbreasted!Chat! Icteria#virens# ! PASSERIFORMES:$Thraupidae$ ! CrimsonPcollared!Tanager! Ramphocelus#sang# uinolentus# ! BluePgray!Tanager! Thraupis#episcopus# ! YellowPwinged!Tanager! Thraupis#abbas# ! RedPlegged!Honeycreeper! Cyanerpes#cyaneus# ! CinnamonPbellied!Flowerpiercer! Diglossa#baritula# ! BluePblack!Grassquit! Volatinia#jacarina# ! Variable!Seedeater! Sporophila#corvina# ! WhitePcollared!Seedeater! Sporophila#torqueola# ! Bananaquit! Coereba#flaveola# ! YellowPfaced!Grassquit! Tiaris#olivaceus# ! BuffPthroated!Saltator! Saltator#maximus# ! BlackPheaded!Saltator! Saltator#atriceps# ! Grayish!Saltator! Saltator#coerulescens# ! PASSERIFORMES:$Emberizidae$ ! ChestnutPcapped!BrushPFinch! Arremon#brunneinucha# # h! ! OrangePbilled!Sparrow! Arremon#aurantiirostris# Olive!Sparrow! Arremonops#rufivirgatus# ! WhitePnaped!BrushPFinch! Atlapetes#albinucha# ! RufousPcapped!BrushPFinch!(E)! Atlapetes#pileatus# ! Collared!Towhee!(E)! Pipilo#ocai# ! Spotted!Towhee! Pipilo#maculatus# ! Rusty!Sparrow! Aimophila#rufescens# ! RufousPcrowned!Sparrow! Aimophila#ruficeps# ! Oaxaca!Sparrow!(E)! Aimophila#notosticta# ! WhitePeared!GroundPSparrow! Melozone#leucotis# ! Prevost's!GroundPSparrow! Melozone#biarcuata# ! RustyPcrowned!GroundPSparrow!(E)! Melozone#kieneri# ! WhitePthroated!Towhee!(E)! Melozone#albicollis# ! CinnamonPtailed!(Sumichrast's)!Sparrow! (E)! Peucaea#sumichrasti# ! StripePheaded!Sparrow! Peucaea#ruficauda# ! Bridled!Sparrow!(E)! Peucaea#mystacalis# ! Chipping!Sparrow! Spizella#passerina# ! Lark!Sparrow! Chondestes#grammacus# ! Lincoln's!Sparrow! Melospiza#lincolnii# ! RufousPcollared!Sparrow! Zonotrichia#capensis# ! YellowPeyed!Junco! Junco#phaeonotus# ! "Guatemalan"!Common!Chlorospingus! Chlorospingus#f.#postocularis# ! "BrownPheaded"!Common!Chlorospingus! Chlorospingus#f.#ophthalmicus# ! "WhitePfronted"!Common!Chlorospingus! Chlorospingus#f.#albifrons# ! PASSERIFORMES:$Cardinalidae$ ! Summer!Tanager! Piranga#rubra# # ! Western!Tanager! Piranga#ludoviciana# ! Hepatic!Tanager! Piranga#flava# ! FlamePcolored!Tanager! Piranga#bidentata# ! WhitePwinged!Tanager! Piranga#leucoptera# ! RedPcrowned!AntPTanager! Habia#rubica# ! RedPthroated!AntPTanager! Habia#fuscicauda# ! BlackPfaced!Grosbeak! Caryothraustes#poliogaster# ! Northern!Cardinal! Cardinalis#cardinalis# ! Yellow!Grosbeak! Pheucticus#chrysopeplus# ! RosePbreasted!Grosbeak! Pheucticus#ludovicianus# ! BlackPheaded!Grosbeak! Pheucticus#melanocephalus# ! RedPbreasted!Chat!(E)! Granatellus#venustus# ! BluePblack!Grosbeak! Cyanocompsa#cyanoides# ! Blue!Bunting! Cyanocompsa#parellina# ! Blue!Grosbeak! Passerina#caerulea# ! Indigo!Bunting! Passerina#cyanea# ! RosePbellied!(Rosita's)!Bunting!(E)! Passerina#rositae# ! OrangePbreasted!Bunting!(E)! Passerina#leclancherii# ! Varied!Bunting! Passerina#versicolor# ! Painted!Bunting! Passerina#ciris# ! PASSERIFORMES:$Icteridae$ ! RedPwinged!Blackbird! Agelaius#phoeniceus# # ! Eastern!Meadowlark! Sturnella#magna# ! Melodious!Blackbird! Dives#dives# ! GreatPtailed!Grackle! Un# ! Bronzed!! Molothrus#aeneus# ! BrownPheaded!Cowbird! Molothrus#ater# ! BlackPvented!Oriole! Icterus#wagleri# ! BlackPcowled!Oriole! Icterus#prosthemelas# ! Orchard!Oriole! Icterus#spurius# ! Hooded!Oriole! Icterus#cucullatus# ! YellowPtailed!Oriole! Icterus#mesomelas# ! StreakPbacked!Oriole! Icterus#pustulatus# ! Bullock's!Oriole! Icterus#bullockii# ! SpotPbreasted!Oriole! Icterus#pectoralis# ! Altamira!Oriole! Icterus#gularis# ! YellowPbacked!Oriole! Icterus#chrysater# ! Audubon's!(Dickey's)!Oriole! Icterus#graduacauda#dickeyae# ! Baltimore!Oriole! Icterus#galbula# ! Scott's!Oriole! Icterus#parisorum# h! ! YellowPbilled!Cacique! Amblycercus#holosericeus# YellowPwinged!Cacique!(E)! Cassiculus#melanicterus# h! ! ChestnutPheaded!Oropendola! Psarocolius#wagleri# Montezuma!Oropendola! Psarocolius#montezuma# ! PASSERIFORMES:$Fringillidae$ ! Scrub!Euphonia! Euphonia#affinis# # ! YellowPthroated!Euphonia! Euphonia#hirundinacea# ! Elegant!Euphonia! Euphonia#elegantissima# ! OlivePbacked!Euphonia! Euphonia#gouldi# h! ! BluePcrowned!Chlorophonia! Chlorophonia#occipitalis# House!Finch! Haemorhous#mexicanus# ! Red!Crossbill! Loxia#curvirostra# ! "Plain"!Pine!Siskin! Spinus#pinus#perplexus# ! BlackPcapped!Siskin! Spinus#atriceps# ! BlackPheaded!Siskin! Spinus#notatus# ! Lesser!Goldfinch! Spinus#psaltria# ! PASSERIFORMES:$Passeridae$ ! House!Sparrow!(I)! Passe# r#domesticus# ! ! ! !