2010 Tour Narrative
In Brief: “The male Red-breasted Chat is behind the male Rosita’s Bunting, next to the Banded Wren, below the Painted Bunting; oh, there’s a Green-fronted Hummingbird, near the Hepatic Tanager, just left of the White-lored Gnatcatchers….” This one example of flock synthesis typified the remarkable diversity and mixture of birds in southern Mexico: where else can you find 15 species of vireos and 18 wrens in such a small area? Answer: nowhere. One day we were in tropical scrub with handsome Belted Flycatchers and Russet-crowned Motmots, the next in bromeliad-draped montane forest watching Blue-throated Motmots and Pink-headed Warblers, the next in rain forest with Blue-crowned Motmots and the little-known Nava’s Wren—and all based out of one hotel! Then on to Giant Wrens, Lesser Ground Cuckoos, spectacular mountain vistas and cactus forests, flashy Bridled Sparrows and Red Warblers, elusive Dwarf Jays and Dwarf Vireos, and the haunting songs of Brown-backed Solitaires and a surprise Fulvous Owl. And so our ten days of birding in southern Mexico produced many wonderful birds, including 36 Mexican endemics and 38 regional endemics, plus a great time with a fun group.
In Detail: Our first morning we headed out to the spectacular Sumidero Canyon north of Tuxtla Gutierrez, where the day took off with ant swarm atteded by beautiful Red-breasted Chats, followed by Belted Flycatcher, Yellow Grosbeak, and Azure-crowned Hummingbird. After lunch and a siesta, we headed to the world famous Tuxtla Zoo, displaying only regional fauna and emphasizing environmental education. There were plenty of birds outside the cages, too (“Here’s another motmot!”), Great Curassows, chachalacas everywhere, Green Jays, and even Louisiana Waterthrush.
The next day we headed east to San Cristobal, a very different environment from Tuxtla, with humid pine-evergreen forest and striking landscapes that recall neighboring Guatemala. Morning birds included the stunning Pink-headed Warbler, plus Blue-throated Motmot, the little-known “Bromeliad” Pygmy Owl, bright Rufous-browed Wrens, and an attacking horde of Band-backed Wrens. After a picnic lunch, we headed back to Tuxtla. Our third day of birding featured a morning at Sumidero followed by an afternoon in some montane Atlantic Slope rainforest. Morning birds included a stunning male Highland Guan, a group of Singing Quail, and a surprise Brown Pelican. The afternoon option was quite a contrast, in montane rain forest with Slaty Solitaire singing, Long-tailed Sabrewing, and the very local Nava’s Wren showing very well.
After four days based out of Tuxtla we headed for the coast, by way of a wonderful morning of birding at El Ocote, where birds included Green Shrike-Vireo, a stunning Blue-crowned Motmot (our third motmot species in as many days), great views of singing Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner, and an elusive Slaty-breasted Tinamou. After a picnic, we headed through the dry Central Valley and over the continental divide, with stops that produced our first Rosita’s Buntings, a stunning male Red-breasted Chat, dazzling Canivet’s Emeralds, and a bonus King Vulture overhead. We arrived in good time to settle in and rest before an early dinner followed by a walk around town in search of ice cream.
The next day we headed to the coastal lowlands near Puerto Arista, where at our first stop there were birds everywhere, including the well-named Giant Wren, plus migrant Orchard Orioles, Dickcissels, and Western Kingbirds streaming by. Other birds in the morning included lines of Roseate Spoonbills, Spot-breasted Oriole, the enigmatic “non-Nutting’s Flycatcher,” and beautiful Scissor-tailed Flycatchers. The heat kicked in and a long siesta was appreciated, after which we birded the nearby hills and enjoyed great studies of Orange-breasted Buntings and Green-fronted Hummingbird.
A morning up in the hills inland of Arriaga included a “proto-passerine trilogy” of Squirrel Cuckoo, Citreoline Trogon, and Russet-crowned Motmot in one tree, plus more Rosita’s Buntings, the “real” Nutting’s Flycatcher, and lines of migrating Swainson’s Hawks battling the wind. After an early lunch at the hotel, we loaded and drove to Tehuantepec, with roadside Snail Kites and Double-striped Thick-knees. We arrived in time for a siesta, after which optional “owling” featured wonderful Buff-collared Nightjars.
An early start the next morning found us out in the thorn forest again, where birds included Sumichrast’s Sparrow, nice Rufous-naped Wrens and Doubleday’s Hummingbirds, and a skulking Lesser Ground-Cuckoo. We then made the long, winding, and spectacular drive up to the Oaxaca Valley, with stops to stretch (plus Bridled Sparrow and Gray-breasted Woodpecker) and to eat at a colorful restaurant with a mezcal production tour and Curve-billed Thrashers in the woodpile. After arriving in Oaxaca City we took the afternoon to relax and enjoy the setting of our new home for the last four nights.
Our first full day in new surroundings revealed how much the birds had changed from those of the Chiapas highlands: three new species of vireo at our first stop, Red Warblers instead of Pink-headed, stealthy Dwarf Jays, a handsome Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo, and stunning Elegant Euphonias and Red-headed Tanagers. Our next morning at Yagul was a striking contrast, amid beautiful cactus desert and spectacular vistas from the ruins. Bird activity picked up as the sun hit, and species here included Lesser Roadrunner, Dusky and Beautiful Hummingbirds, and great views of Boucard’s and Canyon Wrens. After lunch and a siesta we headed up to Cerro San Felipe for late afternoon birding and a picnic dinner. A wonderful evening chorus of Long-tailed Wood Partridges and Whip-poor-wills was followed by a slow spell and then gold—great views of Whiskered Screch-Owl and then a surprise Fulvous Owl!
On our last full day we started at a reservoir with lots of Least Grebes, then headed up through oak scrub to 9,500 feet in the humid pine-oak forests above Teotitlan. It was a perfect weather day with new birds all the time: Pileated Flycatcher, then a Blue Mockingbird, Chestnut-collared Swifts giving once-in-a-lifetime views, great warbler flocks with Hermit, Black-throated Gray, and Red-faced, a surprise White-striped Woodcreeper, 11th-hour West Mexican Chachalacas, and an all-too-brief Mountain Lion! We headed back to Oaxaca by mid-afternoon, in time to relax and pack before a fine last night dinner. All in all a great group of people and a great selection of birds—we’ll meet again.
- Steve Howell
Updated: April 2010