Native Names of Mexican Birds
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This is a reproduction of a library book that was digitized by Google as part of an ongoing effort to preserve the information in books and make it universally accessible. https://books.google.com Stanford University Libraries 2 36105032347960 ation 139 MAY 1981 QL686 B57 FAL Native Names of Mexican Birds FERRES UN TO STANFORG A MAR 987 Fali wito Blok Ub . LIBRARY GEORGE MIKSCH SUTTON Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Department of the Interior Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Birkenstein , Lillian R Native names of Mexican birds . ( Resource publication - United States , Fish and Wildlife Service ; 138 ) Bibliography : p . Includes indexes . Supt . of Docs . no .: I 49.66 : 138 1. Birds -- Mexico -- Nomenclature ( Popular ) 2. Birds- Nomenclature ( Popular ) I. Tomlinson , Roy E. , joint author . II . Title . III . Series : United States . Fish and Wildlife Service . Resource publication United States , Fish and Wildlife Service ; 138 . 5914.A3 no . 138 [ QL686 ) 333.9545 80-606886 [ 598.2972'014 ) Cover — Collared Araçari ( Pteroglossus torquatus ) from Mexican Birds : First Impressions , by George Miksch Sutton . Copyright 1951 by the University of Oklahoma Press . Reprinted with the permission of the author . NOTE : Use of trade names does not imply U.S. Government endorsement of commercial products . UNIVE IVERSE HFORD Native Names of Mexican Birds LTERARIES Cross - referenced English / Spanish / Scientific Researched and Compiled by Lillian R. Birkenstein Roy E. Tomlinson FISH & U.S.WILDLIFE SERVICE TUNNI ANT UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE Resource Publication 139 Washington , D.C. • 1981 QL 6866 ii B57 CONTENTS Page Preface . 1 Introduction ... 3 List of Mexican Birds with English and Spanish Common Names .. 5 No. Family Name English / Spanish Names 100 TINAMIDAE Tinamous / Los Tinamús ( Falsas perdices ) .... 5 200 GAVIIDAE Loons / Los Somorgujos .... 5 300 PODICIPEDIDAE Grebes / Los Zambullidores .... 5 400 DIOMEDEIDAE Albatrosses / Los Albatros ( Álbatros ) .... 6 . 500 PROCELLARIIDAE Fulmars and shearwaters / Los Fulmaros y Los Petreles ... 6 600 HYDROBATIDAE Storm - petrels / Los Petreles .. 7 700 PHAETHONTIDAE Tropicbirds / Los Rabos de Junco ... 8 800 PELECANIDAE Pelicans / Los Pelícanos ..... 8 900 SULIDAE Gannets and Boobies / Las Bubias .. 8 1000 PHALACROCORACIDAE Cormorants / Los Cormoranes .. 9 1100 ANHINGADAE Darters ( Anhingas ) / Los Ahuizotes .... 9 1200 FREGATIDAE Frigatebirds ( Man - o ' - war birds ) / Las Fregatas ( Fragatas ) .... 9 1300 ARDEIDAE Herons and Bitterns / Las Garzas y Las Garcitas ... 9 1400 COCHLEARIIDAE Boat - billed Herons / Los Cucharones .. 11 11 1500 CICONIIDAE Storks / Los Jabirues y Los Cigüeñones .. 1600 THRESKIORNITHIDAE Ibises and Spoonbills / Los Ibis y Sus Afines .. 12 12 1700 PHOENICOPTERIDAE Flamingos / Los Flamencos .... 1800 ANATIDAE Swans , Geese , and Ducks / Los Cisnes , Los Gansos , y Los Patos .... 12 1900 CATHARTIDAE Vultures / Las Auras y Los Zopilotes ... 16 2000 ACCIPITRIDAE Hawks , Eagles , and Kites / Los Gavilanes , Las Aguilillas , Las Águilas , y Los Milanos . 16 2100 PANDIONIDAE Ospreys / Los Gavilanes Pescadores .. 19 2200 FALCONIDAE Falcons / Los Halcones y Sus Afines .. 19 2300 CRACIDAE Guans and Chachalacas / Los Hocos , Las Chachalacas , y Las Pavas ... 20 2400 PHASIANIDAE Partridges , Quails , and Pheasants / Las Perdices , Las Codornices , y Los Faisanes . 21 iii CONTENTS Continued . Page No. Family Name English / Spanish Names 2500 MELEAGRIDIDAE Turkeys / Los Guajolotes ... 23 2600 GRUIDAE Cranes / Las Grullas ... 23 2700 ARAMIDAE Limpkins / Las Totolacas . 23 2800 RALLIDAE Rails and Gallinules / Las Gallinas de Agua y Las Gallaretas .. 23 2900 HELIORNITHIDAE Sungrebes ( Finfoots ) / Las Aves de Sol ... 25 3000 EURYPYGIDAE Sunbitterns / Los Pavitos de Agua .. 25 3100 JACANIDAE Jacanas / Los Cirujanos .. 25 3200 HAEMATOPODIDAE Oystercatchers / Los Ostreros ... 25 3300 CHARADRIIDAE Plovers / Los Chichicuilotes y Las Avefrias .. 26 3400 SCOLOPACIDAE Sandpipers / Las Agachonas ... 26 3500 RECURVIROSTRIDAE Avocets and Stilts / Las Avocetas y Las Zancudas ... 29 3600 PHALAROPODIDAE Phalaropes / Los Chorlillos .... 29 3700 BURHINIDAE Thick - knees ( Stone Curlews ) / Los Alcaravanes . 29 3800 STERCORARIIDAE Skuas and Jaegers / Los Salteadores .. 29 3900 LARIDAE Gulls and Terns / Las Gaviotas y las Golondrinas Marinas ( Golondrinas del Mar ) ..... 30 4000 RYNCHOPIDAE Skimmers / Los Rayadores .... 32 4100 ALCIDAE Auklets and Murrelets / Los Patos de Noche ( Nocturnos ) ...... 32 4200 COLUMBIDAE Doves and Pigeons / Las Huilotas y Las Palomas . 32 4300 PSITTACIDAE Macaws , Parrots , and Parakeets / Las Guacamayas , Los Loros , y Los Pericos ... 35 4400 CUCULIDAE Cuckoos , Anis , and Roadrunners / Los Garrapateros , Los Plateros , y Los Correcaminos ... 36 4500 TYTONIDAE Barn Owl / La Lechuza .. 37 4600 STRIGIDAE Owls / Los Tecolotes . 38 4700 NYCTIBIIDAE Potoos / Los Jojús .... 40 4800 CAPRIMULGIDAE Goatsuckers / Las Chotacabras .. 40 4900 APODIDAE Swifts / Los Vencejos ....... 41 5000 TROCHILIDAE Hummingbirds / Los Chupaflores y los Ermitaños .. 42 iv CONTENTS Continued . Page No. Family Name English / Spanish Names 5100 TROGONIDAE Trogons / Los Trogones y Los Quetzales ... 46 5200 ALCEDINIDAE Kingfishers / Los Martines Pescadores .. 47 5300 MOMOTIDAE Motmots / Los Bobos y Los Turcos .. 47 5400 GALBULIDAE Jacamars / El Pico Largo . 48 5500 BUCCONIDAE Puffbirds / Las Aguantapiedras ... 48 5600 RAMPHASTIDAE Toucans / Los Tucanes .. 48 5700 PICIDAE Woodpeckers / Los Carpinteros .. 49 5800 DENDROCOLAPTIDAE Neotropical Woodcreepers ( Woodhewers ) / Los Trepatroncos .. 51 5900 FURNARIIDAE Ovenbirds / Los Trepadores ... 52 6000 FORMICARIIDAE Antbirds / Los Hormigueros .. 52 6100 PIPRIDAE Manakins / Los Turquitos ... 53 6200 COTINGIDAE Cotingas / Las Cotingas ..... 53 6300 TYRANNIDAE Tyrant Flycatchers / Las Papamoscas y Los Madrugadores .... 54 6400 ALAUDIDAE Larks / Las Alondras ... 59 6500 HIRUNDINIDAE Swallows / Las Golondrinas y Los Martines .... 59 6600 CORVIDAE Crows and Jays / Los Cuervos y Las Urracas ... 60 6700 PARIDAE Titmice , Verdins , and Bushtits / Las Mascaritas , Los Copetoncitos , y Los Sastrecitos .. 62 6800 SITTIDAE Nuthatches / Los Saltapalos ... 63 6900 CERTHIIDAE Holarctic Creepers / Los Carpinteritos ..... 63 7000 CHAMAEIDAE Wrentits / Las Cameas . 63 7100 CINCLIDAE Dippers / Los Tordos Acuáticos .. 64 7200 TROGLODYTIDAE Wrens / Los Saltaparedes ..... 64 7300 MIMIDAE Mockingbirds and Thrashers / Los Centzontles y Los Cuitlacoches .... 66 7400 TURDIDAE Thrushes , Solitaires , and Bluebirds / Las Primaveras , Los Jilgueros , y Las Venturas ..... 68 7500 SYLVIIDAE Gnatcatchers and Kinglets / Las Pispirrias y Los Reyezuelos ... 70 7600 MOTACILLIDAE Wagtails and Pipits / Las Alondras de Agua . 71 v CONTENTS Continued . Page No. Family Name English / Spanish Names 7700 BOMBYCILLIDAE Waxwings / Los Chinitos ... 71 7800 PTILOGONATIDAE Silky - flycatchers / Los Jilgueros Negros . 71 7900 LANIIDAE Shrikes / Los Verdugos ... 72 8000 STURNIDAE Starlings / Los Estorninos .. 72 8100 CYCLARHIDAE Peppershrikes / Los Alegrines . 72 8200 VIREOLANIIDAE Shrike - vireos / Los Follajeros .... 72 8300 VIREONIDAE Vireos / Los Vireos .... 73 8400 COEREBIDAE Honeycreepers / Los Mieleros ... 74 8500 PARULIDAE Wood - warblers / Los Gusaneros y los Verdines .... 75 8600 PLOCEIDAE Weaver Finches / Los Tejedores .... 80 8700 ICTERIDAE Blackbirds and Orioles / Los Tordos y Las Calandrias . 80 8800 THRAUPIDAE Tanagers and Euphonias / Las Monjitas y Las Tángaras .. 83 8900 FRINGILLIDAE Finches , Sparrows , Grosbeaks , and Buntings / Los Gorriones , Los Saltones , y Los Zacatoneros .. 85 Index to Common Mexican Names .. 95 Index to Common English Names ...... 137 Acknowledgments .. 151 References ... 153 Appendix : Figure 1 - Map of Mexico with States Listed Alphabetically . 155 Mexican State and Indigenous Language Abbreviations ... 156 Terms Used in Describing Birds ..... 157 Figure 2 - Sketch of a Bird with Body Parts Listed . 159 Frontispiece . Pre - Columbian natives of Mexico considered the hummingbird as sacred and depicted it and other birds profusely in their art work . The figurines shown above are from the Chichimecan tribe in Guanajuato ( Top ) and the Tarascan tribe in Michoachan . ( Photos by C. H. Thompson and Ricardo Vidargas ) 1 PREFACE Ornithologists and birdwatchers need a definitive treatise to consult when confronted with unfamiliar common names of birds in Mexico . As in the United States , people of Mexico use colloquial names when referring to local birds . Considering the large expanses of land and the diverse ethnic origins of the people , the common bird names often differ from one locality to another ; and in some cases , several different names are used for the same species . These names are of Spanish or Indian origin or Hispanic modifications of the original Indian dialect . The use of multiple common names for one or more species is confusing to visiting foreigners , as well as to residents of Mexico . Several bird guides exist that give Mexican common names , but they make no attempt to assign more than one name to a species , to show where one common name is used for several species , or to designate the localities in which the names are used . This publication has been compiled to fill this void in the Mexican bird literature . Coauthor Birkenstein began to accumulate common names in an extensive cross - referenced file after she moved to Mexico in 1951 . She is an avid birdwatcher