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The Changing Status of the Wood Duck (<I>Aix Sponsa</I>) in Mexico

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The Changing Status of the Wood Duck (<I>Aix Sponsa</I>) in Mexico STATUS UPDATE of a lone female noted by Evenden (1952) on a pond 117 kilometers south- Thechanging status of the west of Matamoros, along the road to Victoria, February 23, 1951. Since the establishment of Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs) in Mexico in the early 1970s, WoodDuck (Aix sponsa) Wood Ducks have been noted on two Tamaulipan counts. Since 1977, the in Mexico G6mez Farias CBC has recorded Wood Ducks on two of five counts: two birds on January 1, 1977 (Am. Birds 31:896, 1977) and two on January2, 1982 (Am. Birds 36:769, 1982). The Rio Corona CBC, first conducted in the winter of 1978-79, has recorded Wood Ducks on seven of its nine counts: two on De- cember 29, 1979 (Am. Birds 34:673, 1980); two on December27, 1980 (Am. Birds 35:740, 1981); two on January 1, 1983 (Am. Birds 37:784, 1983); a re- markable 17 individuals on December 31, 1983 (Am. Birds 38:819, 1984); four on December 29, 1984 (Am. Birds 39: 814, 1985); four on December28, 1985 (Am. Birds 40:1022, 1986); and ten on January3, 1987 (Am. Birds41 in press). Both the G6mez Farias and Rio Corona areas have been explored ornithologi- cally since the late 1930s, yet Wood Ducks remained unknown there until theserecent sightings. San Luls Potos[ Davis (1952) Photo/GeoffLeBaron (VIREO/L05/8/011). reported that a female Wood Duck was seen on three consecutivedays during the period December 27-31, 1951, Sartor O. Williams !!! along the Rio Axtla near Xilitla, in Duck (Aix sponsa) in Mexico is southeastern San Luis Potosl. A CBC HEunevenlyOCCURRENCE documentedOFTHE and WOODpoorly was established at the northeastern town understood.The speciesis listed as ca- of El Naranjo in 1972, where Wood sual in northern Mexico, with records Ducks have since been noted on six oc- only from Durango, Sinaloa, and the Christmas Bird Count casions: two on December 20, 1972 Distrito Federal, the latter two reports (Am. Birds 27:536, 1973);seven on De- well over 100 yearsold (A.O.U. 1983). data help clarify the cember 23, 1975 (Am. Birds 30:621, In the past 35 years, however. Wood current status of the 1976); one on December 28, 1976 (Am. Ducks have been noted with increasing Wood Duck in Mexico Birds 31:895, 1977);three on December frequencyand in increasingnumbers at 30, 1980 (Am. Birds 35:739, 1981); one variousMexican localities,including the on December 30, 1982 (Am. Birds 37: northeastern lowlands, the central pla- 783, 1983); and nine on December29, teau, and the west coast(Table 1). The 1985 (Am. Birds 40:1021, 1986). Al- purposeof this paper is to draw together though not located in a coastal state, scattered published and unpublished both the Xilitla and the El Naranjo information on the occurrence of Wood areas contain lowlands at the base of Ducks in Mexico on a state-by-stateba- the Sierra Madre Oriental. sis in order to clarify the distribution and current statusof the speciesin that Veracruz David N. Pashley (a country. doctoral student in the School of Fo- Tamaulipas This century's first restry, Wildlife, and Fisheriesat Loui- report of a Wood Duck in Mexico was Photo/S.J. Lans (VIREO/LI 1/1/001) sianaState University conducting avian 372 American Birds, Fall 1987 research •n the S•erra de los Tuxtlas re- was present at the same locality. Th•s March w•th all the other w•nterlng wa- gton of southeasternVeracruz) observed s•tewas one of my pnnc•pal waterfowl terfowl.Interestingly, Vfilada (1890-91' a female Wood Duck on December 4, study areaseach May through Septem- 260) closeshis account by expressing 5, and 10, 1984, on a pond 20 kilo- ber from 1973 to 1975 (Williams 1980); his personal doubts that the species•s meters north of Catemaco. This bird, Wood Ducks were unobserved on visits ever presentin the valley. alsoseen by Rosamond Coates-Estrada exceptthose mentioned. With the information at hand, it •s and Steve Howell, appeared with the Distrito Federal One of the two difficult to judge accuratelythe status passageof a strong cold front, as did very oldestreports for Mexico pertains of the Wood Duck in the Valley of several other waterbird speciesseldom to the Valley of Mexico, a closedbasin Mexico duringthose days. If specimens noted so far south (Pashley1987). The (elevation 2200 meters) containing wereobtained, their whereaboutstoday Tuxtlas region has been worked inten- Mexico City and Lago de Texcoco, and are unknown to me. I suspectthat Her- sivelyby ornithologistsand birdersfor includingparts of the stateof M6xico rera did indeed find a Wood Duck on many years,but lacks prior reports of and the Distrito Federal. Sfinchez Texcocoin Augustof one year and cor- Wood Ducks. (1878) appearsto have been the first to rectly recognizedit as something un- Coahuila Taylor (1966) saw two ascribethe Wood Duck to the area, list- usual, at least at that season.However, Wood Ducks on December 28, 1964, ing it without comment for the Valley he probably listed the specieswith the at Posos de la Becerra, 16 kilometers of Mexico. Next, Herrera (1887) in- more common North American m•- southwestof Cuatro Ci6negasin the cluded the Wood Duck along with 15 grantswith no actualevidence of regular ChnhuahuanDesert region of central other speciesof waterfowlgenerally said winter occurrence.It is noteworthythat Coahuila. de Leon (1987) took a female to arrive in the valley in the fall and to Sfinchez,Herrera, and Villada all pro- Wood Duck on November 31, 1986, leave in the spring.Villada (1890-91), dded Nfihuatl (Aztec) names for the one kilometer southeastof Hipolito. who apparentlynever saw the species, common or conspicuous waterfowl Durango Hubbard and Crossin creditsHerrera with consideringit "ac- species,but none gave such a name for cidental" on Texcoco in August while (1974) reportedtaking a femaleon April the Wood Duck. This suggeststhat the 3, 1972, at Rio Mesquital (elevation arriving in October and leaving in specieswas not well known to the in- 1350 meters), 72 kilometers south- Table 1. Wood Duck reports from Mexico, 1951-1987. southeastof Durango; the specimen showedno signsof havingbeen in cap- Date # of Birds Location(Map ReferenceNo.) t•mty. On June 12-13, 1986, Melissa J. 1950s and 1960s Renfro and I observed and photo- Feb. 23, 1951 117 km SW Matamoros, TAMS (1) graphedtwo Wood Ducks at PresaSan Dec. 27-31, 1951 Xilitla, SLP (5) Bartolo (elevation 1940 meters),a shal- Feb. 1961 Agua Prieta, SON (12) low reservoirwith standingtimber lo- Dec. 28, 1964 16 km SW CuatroCi6negas, COAH (7) cated in central Durango,just east of 1970s Canatlfin and about 60 kilometers north Apr. 3, 1972 1 Rio Mesquital,DGO (9) of Durango. These birds, both males, Dec. 20, 1972 2 E1 Naranjo, SLP (4) were wary and capableof flight. I had June 8 &July 15-16, 1974 1 1.5 km E. Lag Cajititlfin,JAL (10) ms,ted this reservoir, as well as nearby Dec. 23, 1975 7 E1 Naranjo, SLP (4) Laguna de Santiaguillo, on numerous Dec. 28, 1976 1 E1 Naranjo, SLP (4) 2 occasionsfrom 1973 to 1978 and again Jan. 1, 1977 G6mez Farlas,TAMS (3) Dec. 29, 1979 2 Rio Corona,TAMS (2) •n 1981 without recording Wood Ducks. 1980s Dec. 27, 1980 2 Rio Corona,TAMS (2) Jalisco On the morning of June Dec. 30, 1980 3 E1 Naranjo, SLP (4) 8, 1974, I observed and photographed Jan. 2, 1982 2 G6mez Fadas,TAMS (2) a male Wood Duck on a smallpond 1.5 Dec. 30, 1982 1 E1 Naranjo, SLP (4) kilometerseast of Lagunade Cajititlfin Jan. 1, 1983 2 Rio Corona,TAMS (2) (elevation 1500 meters), about 30 ki- Feb. 6, 1983 4 Villa Hidalgo, SON (13) lometers south-southeast of Guadala- Dec. 30, 1983 2 San Blas, NAY (21) Dec. 31, 1983 17 jara. This bird, which wasfeeding in the Rio Corona,TAMS (2) Dec. 4-5 & 10, 1984 1 20 km N Catemaco, VC (6) shallows when first observed, seemed Dec. 29, 1984 4 Rio Corona,TAMS (2) qmte wary and, when eventually dis- Nov. 26-Dec. 4, 1985 1 Cuemanco, DF (11) turbed, took wing with three Mexican Dec. 28, 1985 4 Rio Corona,TAMS (2) Ducks (Ariasplatyrhynchos diazi) and Dec. 29, 1985 9 E1 Naranjo, SLP (4) flew to the safetyof an extensivewater- Jan. 6, 1986 1 Tonichi, SON (18) 2 hyacinth mat that covered much of the Feb. 7, 1986 San Antonio de Huerte, SON (17) Feb. 11, 1986 3 13 km S Onabas,SON (19) nearby lake. Color slidesof the Wood June 12-13, 1986 2 Presa San Bartolo, DGO (8) Duck, in companywith Mexican Ducks Nov. 31, 1986 [Nov. 30 or Dec. 17] 1 Hipolito, COAH (7a) and Northern Jacanas(Jacana spinosa), Dec. 14, 1986 1 Natora, SON (16) showit to be in apparentlytypical spring Dec. 18, 1986 1 LagodeChalco, DF (11) plumage.On the morningsof July 15- Dec. 21, 1986 3 Aros/Yaqui confluence,SON (15) 16 of the same year, a male Wood Jan. 3, 1987 lO Rio Corona,TAMS (2) Mar. 25, 1987 2 13 km S Granados,SON (14) Duck, presumablythe sameindividual, Volume 41, Number 3 373 d•genous population and hence may never have occurred regularly •n the AZ NM valley.Furthermore, Villada (1890-91: 256) statedthat the noted naturalistA. Dug•s believedthat the Nfihuatl name "Ixtactzonyayauhqui" (which practi- TX callyall recentcompendia ascribe to the SON Wood Duck) most probablyapplied to the Bufllehead(Bucephala albeola), a • CHIH specieswhich is now, asit probablywas then, much more common than the COAH Wood Duck in Mexico in the winter. 7 Wilson (1986) recorded an adult male Wood Duck in a small pond east DGO of Cuemanco, presentfrom November 26 through December 4, 1985.
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