Mexico: Oaxaca at Christmastime

Day 1: The tour begins at 6:00 pm in Oaxaca City. Our comfortable hotel is perched on a hillside with a splendid view of Oaxaca City. A good restaurant, shuttle service to downtown, and a pool round out the important amenities. Night in Oaxaca City.

This is, by far, one of the best birding tours EVER for me. The location with its birding opportunities, the time of year (Christmas getaway!) and the general pace of the tour were great. Of course, all of this was made possible by Rich Hoyer who was a fantastic guide, sharing his love for this region of Mexico and his endless enthusiasm for the natural world. - Alane G.

Days 2-5: Our explorations will begin the morning of day 2. Each of our forays afield will concentrate on a particular habitat, with ample time to observe the common birds and seek out the rare or more retiring ones. Visiting thorn-scrub and arid oak forest north and southeast of town, we expect to see Dusky Hummingbird, Gray-breasted Woodpecker, Rufous-capped Warbler, Bridled Sparrow, and perhaps the very local Oaxaca Sparrow. Exploring the higher elevations on Cerro San Felipe north of town, with stops in pine-oak, fir, and cloud forests, we’ll look for Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo, Mountain Trogon, Gray-barred Wren, Cinnamon-bellied Flowerpiercer, Collared Towhee, and Rufous-capped Brushfinch. Warbler flocks should include migrant species from the north mingling with the local Crescent-chested and Red Warblers and Slate-throated Redstart. And of course we’ll search for Dwarf Jay, the specialty of Cerro San Felipe.

We’ll also bird near and in the famous ruins of Monte Albán and Yagul. Located on lower hills near the main valley, species here might include Pileated Flycatcher, Boucard’s Wren, Beautiful Hummingbird, and Gray Silky-flycatcher. There will even be some time to bird on the hotel grounds in your spare time, where White-throated Towhee, Tufted Flycatcher, and Slate-throated Redstart might mingle with the many migrant Nashville and Yellow-rumped Warblers.

Days 6-8: We’ll make a two-night, three-day side trip to Tuxtepec in the Gulf of Mexico lowlands. The distance to Tuxtepec is only 130 miles, but because of the winding mountain road and several birding stops along the way, we’ll reach our hotel in the late afternoon. The road above Valle Nacional passes through one of the finest stretches of cloud forest in Mexico. This road is rich in birds, virtually none of which can be found in the Oaxaca Valley. Here we may see White Hawk, Montezuma Oropendola, Slate-colored Solitaire, Azure-hooded and Unicolored Jays, Emerald-chinned Hummingbird, and many others characteristic of this more humid forest. Closer to Tuxtepec, we’ll enjoy birds of a rather tropical flavor, such as Band-backed and White-bellied Wrens, Yellow-tailed and Black-cowled Orioles, Keel-billed Toucan, Rufous-breasted Spinetail, and many other species that will boost our trip list. We even have a small chance of seeing the Mexico endemic Sumichrast’s Wren.

Days 9-10: We’ll have two nights and one final day based out of our Oaxaca City hotel to visit some new locations in the interior valleys or perhaps return to the pine-oak if any specialties still elude us. We usually drop down a few kilometers into the Tehuantepec drainage into a beautiful giant cactus woodland where White-lored Gnatcatcher, Nutting’s Flycatcher, Banded Wren, Russet-naped Wren, or Coppery-tailed Trogon could be trip additions. 

With the exception of our travel days to Tuxtepec, we finish birding most days with lunch and an afternoon stop or two to examine local rugs, textiles, and handicrafts in the open-air markets. On the way back to the hotel one of the days we may stop to ogle at a famously huge and ancient tree. On a couple days participants even will have time to honor the Mexican tradition of the afternoon siesta, or else take a personal trip to re-visit the nearby Monte Albán ruins or simply walk around town enjoying the architecture and absorbing the festive spirit of the season. 

The tour concludes in Oaxaca City on the morning of Day 10.

2025 Narrative

In Brief: Amazing food, festive holiday decorations, mind-boggling radish carvings, fascinating ruins, busy artisan markets, perfect weather, and superb companions were the highlights from this year's Oaxaca at Christmastime tour. We also saw some pretty awesome birds, nicely mixed with a good variety of other critters and botany during our eight days in the field. Topping the list of favorite birds were two owls: A Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl that at first sounded like a distant echo in a desert canyon materialized over our heads with an entourage of mobbing hummingbirds, warblers, and gnatcatchers. After our picnic breakfast in the dark fog of tall pine-oak forest the phantasm of a Fulvous Owl gave a few tantalizing songs before appearing in flight over the road and landing several times for fabulous views, a vision that will last a lifetime. We birded the dry interior valleys on several days, where a pair of the shockingly colorful Bridled Sparrow sat up on a cactus, fulfilling a long-awaited sighting. In the cool, humid pine-oak forests above town we couldn't get enough of the brilliant Red Warblers, and an improbably ornate Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo left a lasting memory.  

There were some outstanding finds on our two-night side trip to the cloud forest and tropical lowlands of northern Oaxaca state, including a single, furtive Tody Motmot that required an intense amount of patience and teamwork for everyone to see well, and the surprising appearance of a rare Sungrebe that took its time paddling across the Valle Nacional River, allowing for extended scope views. Joining us on nearly every day of the tour, but still top favorites, were cheerful and trusty Rufous-capped Warblers chipping and singing from close range, and the highly underrated Turkey Vultures, missed up north during our colder winters and valued for their environmental services. Other sightings that left a lasting impression from the highlands included flocks of Gray Silky-flycatchers as we waited in line for the Night of the Radishes, a flock of Dwarf Jays that showed well, a small covey of Long-tailed Wood-Partridges at a new stakeout, two perfectly posed White-throated Magpie-Jays, colorful Slate-throated Redstarts with tails all a-spread, and a confiding pair of Oaxaca Sparrows on the last day. From the Tuxtepec side trip, a stoic Green Heron perched below the bridge we were standing on, an Aplomado Falcon hunted around a burning sugar cane field, candy corn-billed Montezuma Oropendolas uttered their incredible display songs, an Ochre-bellied Flycatcher filled in an old, gaping hole in a checklist, an intensely red White-winged Tanager appeared out of nowhere, and a lovely Broad-winged Hawk, perched at eye-level, caused us to stop and discover one of the birdiest mornings of the tour. 

In Detail: Our first morning began below Monte Alban ruins, where Ruby-throated and Berylline Hummingbirds fought over the tree morning glory flowers. We coaxed out our first Rufous-capped Warblers, a bird that would become a trusty companion throughout the tour. Most people got a glimpse of a furtive Slaty Vireo, a hard bird this time of year, while everyone saw well the Zone-tailed Hawk that flew around the top of the hill all morning long. Only after seeing it several times did we finally manage to see a real Turkey Vulture. After lunch we made our way to the Zocalo where we waited in line for only a little less than two hours for the privilege of unblocked views of the amazing radish displays. During the wait, we were entertained by several species of birds in the trees, the most memorable being Gray Silky-flycatchers which offered great views and eventually flew off in big flocks to find their nightly roost. 

Hearing about the opportunity to see Long-tailed Wood-Partridge coming to seed being scattered behind a roadside restaurant, we decided to give it shot. It was a convenient place to pitch our picnic breakfast in any event, but our breakfast was interrupted when proprietor Jacobo whispered to us that the birds had arrived. It was a treat to be the first birders to see this species at a known stakeout. The area was good for birding, giving us good comparisons of Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch and Collared Towhee, and here we saw our first of several stunning Red Warblers. We relocated higher up the mountain to a very mossy oak and pine forest where we caught up with a mixed flock of larger birds containing two highly sought-after birds. We ended up with great views of several Dwarf Jays, while the Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo sat fully exposed for scope views when it was still a bit foggy and backlit. Nonetheless, its exotic patterns and colors were there to appreciate. A much rarer species in the same flock was Strong-billed Woodcreeper, represented by a pair. Lunch at Restaurante Colibrí was delicious, highlighted by Blue-throated Mountain-gem and our best views of Steller's Jays. 

Breakfast on our third day was at the incredibly birdy Piedra Azul reservoir, thanks to high water levels. After padding the list with so many water birds which we were already mostly familiar with, we concentrated on the more tropical avifauna, which included a few Streak-backed Orioles, a subtle Greenish Elaenia, and a Blue Mockingbird that showed well. Just up the road from the reservoir we surprised a family group of West Mexican Chachalacas that scampered across the road in front of our van. A bit higher up the mountain we were teased by a pair of Oaxaca Sparrows that most people at least glimpsed, while even higher up we found a mixed flock in the oaks that contained our first Golden Vireo. Just before lunch, we lured in a rarely seen White-striped Woodcreeper, while a female Mountain Trogon made a brief showing. The evening highlight was our picnic dinner high in the forest of La Cumbre, followed by the magical showing of a single Fulvous Owl. 

Our morning at Yagul was peaceful. While Mexican Cottontails crossed the road free of traffic, Bridled Sparrows perched on their prickly pear cactus, and Boucard's Wren sat up on the organ pipe-like Myrtillocactus. After admiring the splendid setting of the ruins and its famous ball court, we dropped into the Tehuantepec watershed where several new birds awaited us. We connected almost immediately with two pairs of White-lored Gnatcatchers, and we would see several more farther up the wash. A single Orange-breasted Bunting elicited gasps as the birders' binoculars locked on it one-by-one. Farther up the canyon an echo of a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl became the real thing, accompanied by several mobbing birds. A Plain-capped Starthroat in the blooming kapok trees was a rare bird for the tour list. As we left, a group of White-throated Magpie-Jay flew down the canyon and passed in front of us. As we were almost back at the vehicle, a female Coppery-tailed Trogon appeared in the stately rock fig growing out of the cliff. The courtyard of Rancho Zapata where we had lunch was pretty birdy, and we finished the day's outing at the Mitla ruins and its bustling market. Dinner at Las Quince Letras was nearly everyone's favorite to date. 

We set out early for our drive to Tuxtepec, starting at a pullout where some glimpsed bits and pieces of a very shy Ocellated Thrasher. Most of the group got much better views of a Slaty Vireo here, while a Painted Bunting was a fun find. Down on the Rio Grande River where we had picnic breakfast, lots of birds were around, including Cinnamon-rumped Seedeaters sitting up handsomely, and a Rusty-crowned Ground-Sparrow that responded to trolling efforts. We scored the expected Violet-crowned Hummingbird while overlooking the river, where a Spotted Sandpiper teetered on a rock and two male Green Kingfishers sorted out their differences. The high cloud forests above Valle Nacional were very quiet, but we managed to see two pairs of the extraordinarily blue Unicolored Jays. A pair of Rusty Sparrows were a good find in a grassy area, while some good bird action at a lower elevation was highlighted by an Ochre-bellied Flycatcher. We arrived in Tuxtepec as the region's many Black Vultures were gathering to roost for the night on the powerline towers. 

We birded a new area this year, between Jacaltepec and Vega del Sol, and we weren't disappointed. The numbers of wintering wood-warblers, vireos, flycatchers, and other local birds kept us busy all morning long. While we did hear the very local Sumichrast's Wren, a single Tody Motmot in a super dense curtain of vegetation was the prize bird. We also had several White-bellied Emeralds and from the bridge enjoyed a Green Heron below us and a Northern Neotropical River Otter dozing on a rock. We went to a different bridge in the afternoon where an Amazon Kingfisher and a Sungrebe were excellent finds, the latter our first sighting on this tour in 29 years. A confusing warbler turned out to be a vagrant Blackpoll Warbler, only the fourth record for Oaxaca and one of the most unexpected birds ever found on this tour. Down the road we passed a field of sugar cane that was being burned in preparation for harvest, discovering an Aplomado Falcon taking advantage of the abundance of flushed prey.

Our drive back to Tuxtepec began with a great sighting of a Broad-winged Hawk perched at eye level next to the road. Since it was rather close to where we were going to have breakfast anyway, we got out to get good looks, only to be washed over by a cascade of wonderful bird sightings. Black-crested Coquette was foraging in a tree alongside a White-bellied Emerald, while a Canivet's Emerald was in roadside flowers. Big and showy were Montezuma Oropendolas and a Keel-billed Toucan.  

Farther up the road we spent time with two White-faced Quail-Doves, one seen only by a couple of people when it flushed, but it and a second bird were heard singing back in response to playback. In the process we discovered a Western Flycatcher, a very uncommon bird here, new for the all-time list. We made one last attempt for the Ocellated Thrasher at the same spot instead getting views of a pair of furtive Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrushes.

Our last day of birding was just outside of Oaxaca City at the very base of the foothills. While we had our picnic breakfast, Rivoli's Hummingbirds alternated with Berylline Hummingbirds in the tree morning glories while a White-tailed Kite perched distant on a power line. Down the trail we found a female Beautiful Hummingbird that mostly stayed behind the branches. A pair of Oaxaca Sparrows was great to finally get good looks at, followed by a busy mixed flock that contained a pair of Dwarf Vireos, Golden Vireo, and a wonderful tail-swishing Slate-throated Redstart.

-          Rich Hoyer 

Back to Narratives