Day 1: If time permits, after arrival we may do some birding on our hotel grounds, where species include Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Great Kiskadee, Yellow-winged Tanager, and even the recently established Monk Parakeet! Night in Veracruz.

Veracruz with Steve Howell was I believe my 12th Wings trip and I can easily say it was the birdiest. Whether it was the Broad-winged Hawk river in the sky, warblers in every tree and bush or 100’s of ducks fighting the wind over the ocean, there were so many birds. Mexico is a bird funnel for North American migrants in the fall. That said, it all depends on the weather, and we lucked out this year. - Kent A

Days 2–3: As with any migration tour, our daily plans will depend on the weather, but we’ll be checking beaches and coastal migrants traps for shorebirds and landbirds (sometimes including a pleasant variety of warblers, such as Mourning and Hooded), as well as relaxing in chairs to watch the raptor flights, which this early in the season are dominated by Broad-winged Hawks, with smaller numbers of Mississippi Kites, Turkey Vultures, and sundry other species. Resident birds of interest include Aplomado Falcon, Double-striped Thick-knee, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, and the recently split endemic Veracruz (née Rufous-naped) Wren, along with so-called South Texas specialties such as Brown Jay, Altamira Oriole, and Plain Chachalaca. Nights in Veracruz.

Days 4–7: We’ll spend another morning on the coastal plain and after lunch move inland to the state capital of Xalapa for four nights. From our base here we can explore pine-oak forest with flitting warbler flocks and skulking brushfinches; shady coffee-finca forest with Blue-capped Motmots and Bronze-winged Woodpeckers (plus a great diversity of colorful butterflies); plateau desert with thrashers, hummingbirds, and sparrows; and even high-elevation fir forest and bunch grass with resident (!) Golden-crowned Kinglets and the local endemic Striped Sparrow. Relict areas of drier grassy and scrub habitat are home to Mexican Sheartail, Botteri’s Sparrow, and the recently split Grass Wren, and anywhere we go we could run into southbound migrants, perhaps an Olive-sided Flycatcher sallying from a tall cactus, or a Canada Warbler sharing its tree with resident Crescent-chested and Olive Warblers. Nights in Xalapa.

Day 8: After a final morning of birding near Xalapa we’ll head back to the lowlands, stopping for any hawk flights, which by now will contain more Turkey Vultures and Swainson’s Hawks than only a week ago, and reaching our hotel in good time to rest and pack before a fine last dinner. Night in Veracruz.

Day 9: Depending on flight times, there may be opportunity for a little morning birding before transfer to the airport and flights homeward, after a rich and fun week exploring a tiny slice of Mexico.

• 2025 Narrative
• 2023 Narrative

2025 Narrative

Once again, this migration-centered tour was a great success, with a small group and fabulous birding, from quiet sandy beaches to cool montane conifer forests. Whether it was dizzying kettles of thousands of hawks or wave after wave of White-winged Doves and Scissor-tailed Flycatchers or a mixed flock with warblers, woodcreepers, trogons, vireos, and more, the great diversity of birdlife kept us busy—but in a good way. From flitting Red Warblers to fiery-eyed Curve-billed Thrashers; from sunlit Gray Silkies feeding on roadside berries to the undeniably ‘cute’ Tufted Flycatcher; from local endemics such as Strickland’s Woodpecker, Blue-capped Motmot, and Bearded Wood-Partridge to 28 species of warblers; from sun-downer beers to colorful butterflies in tropical shade-coffee forest; and from a cool sunny morning in high desert with singing thrashers to beaches with Reddish Egrets and Collared Plover it was a very special week, away from the madness of the so-called ‘developed’ world. The great range of habitats produced over 250 species in a week of unhurried birding, but all too soon it was over.

Everyone arrived safely into hot sunny weather, and early arrivals had time for a little birding near the hotel, where the recently established Monk Parakeets showed well, alongside Golden-fronted Woodpeckers, Great Kiskadees, numerous tail-less Great-tailed Grackles, and a notable fallout of migrant warblers. The intro meeting and dinner were followed for a good sleep. After an early breakfast, our first morning found us along a quiet beach road where swarm after swarm of migrating White-winged Doves passed over southward, along with flocks of Dickcissels and Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, and a scattering of other species ranging from White Ibis to Painted Bunting. Residents included some obliging Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls, the endemic Veracruz [Rufous-naped] Wren, and a handsome young male Barred Antshrike, while migrants ranged from Fulvous Whistling Duck to truly abundant Yellow-breasted Chats. Particularly notable was a LOW and BIG hawk flight right behind the beach, many thousands of Broad-winged Hawks (with up to five dark morphs in view at one time!) and hundreds of Mississippi Kites with smaller numbers of Turkey Vultures, Ospreys, Northern Harriers, and American Kestrels. The heat kicked in by mid-morning so we headed to the famous Cardel hawk migration watchpoint atop the Hotel Bienvenido, where Pronatura Veracruz is into its 35th year of counting the world famous ‘River of Raptors.’ Our timing was good: we stepped into the river mid-stream and before lunch had experienced tens of thousands of Broad-winged Hawks (almost 250,000 logged during the day!)—but much higher overhead (putting the speck into spectacle) than our earlier beach flight, along with kettles of Anhingas and sundry other species. After lunch and a welcome siesta we explored south of Veracruz City, where waterbirds included Reddish Egret and Black-necked Stilts in the surf along the beach, plus a dashing Merlin, our first Northern Jacanas and Limpkins, and a locally scarce Lark Sparrow. 

Another early start took us to a different beach spot, where we soon appreciated the potential for great daily variation in migration—today no White-winged Doves! But by poking around we found a nice variety of waterbirds, headlined by the steadily declining Collared Plover, plus a textbook side-by-side comparison of Great Kiskadee with Boat-billed and Social Flycatchers, and a scattering of migrants. At another beach spot we enjoyed a roost with Sandwich Terns and Black Skimmers, before heading once more to Cardel—via stops to gasp at a spectacular hawk kettling flight right overhead along the highway! After a siesta we tried a new route and were rewarded with superb views of the understated Plain-breasted Ground Dove alongside a pair of Ruddy Ground Doves, fabulous but cryptic Double-striped Thick-knees, a Bare-throated Tiger Heron, and those amazing sunlit Purple Gallinules feeding up in grass stalks amid purple flowers! Not bad for a relaxed afternoon.

Our last lowland morning we visited a marshy savanna area south of Veracruz, which produced an exciting mix of birds that ranged from beautiful Aplomado Falcons to elegant Fork-tailed and Scissor-tailed Flycatchers side-by-side, plus more thick-knees, a massive Ringed Kingfisher, a Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, a couple of late-migrating Purple Martins, and puzzling mockingbirds, including (presumed) hybrid Tropical x Northern. Then it was on to our base in Xalapa for the next four nights, at 1400 meters elevation and within easy reach of varied highland and foothill habitats. After a settling in and a siesta, our afternoon excursion to a relict patch of drier scrub paid off—finally—with nice views of the very local Mexican Sheartail (a male!), plus a swarming flock of Bronzed Cowbirds.

Our first ‘highland’ day we birded an area of shade coffee surrogate forest, rich in birds and even more so in spectacular butterflies. Azure-crowned Hummingbirds proved common, and the striking switch from Yellow Warblers of previous days to Wilson’s Warblers for the coming days indicated our shift from tropical to subtropical environments. Great looks at Common Squirrel Cuckoos and Montezuma Oropendolas were enjoyed, and with some patience we also found the local endemic Blue-capped Motmot and ‘Bronze-winged’ Woodpecker (aka Golden-olive Woodpecker) before becoming distracted by a wealth of colorful butterflies. A pleasant relaxing lunch overlooking the spectacular Teocelo waterfall was followed by an encounter with a truly huge and nightmarish ‘demon beetle’ before we headed back for a siesta. In late afternoon we sampled some relict native grassland and scrub, where birds included Botteri’s Sparrow, cute Black-crested Titmouses/Titmice, and a surprise Say’s Phoebe. 

Our first true highland day started out decidedly cold, but then the sun soon warmed things up. We began in cloud forest at Las Minas, where Bearded Wood-Partridges and a Barred Forest Falcon called from below us in the canyon as White-throated Swifts zipped overhead, and beautiful sunlit Gray Silkies (aka Silky-flycatchers) fed in roadside trees. Other notables included Elegant Euphonia, Bumblebee Hummingbird, juvenile Cinnamon-bellied Flowerpiercers, perky Mexican Chickadees, and a juvenile White-throated Flycatcher. Moving to higher elevation on Cofre de Perote we enjoyed a picnic lunch in cool fir forest full of the vocally distinct local Golden-crowned Kinglets before the cloud reduced visibility to 100 feet! Fortunately a short drop in elevation brought us back into sun, where we found Transvolcanic (née Mexican) Jays, Striped Sparrow, and an educational but sadly deceased roadkill Collared Towhee x Spotted Towhee hybrid. But still no Red Warblers... Our last stop started out quietly, but then a Strickland’s Woodpecker led us to some White-breasted Nuthatches and a Pine Flycatcher, and an Olive Warbler, and, finally, an 11th-hour stunning Red Warbler, which rounded out a full day.

The second highland day we started in the cool valley floor near Perote, with fiery-eyed Curve-billed Thrashers, before ascending into sun-bathed hillsides of Joshua tree desert, a very different habitat from the rest of the tour. Morning birds ranged from Woodhouse’s Scrub Jays eating cactus fruits to a preening adult with juvenile Ocellated Thrasher, plus Lucifer Hummingbirds, Rock Wren, Loggerhead Shrike, and the recently split Lilian’s (aka Chihuahuan) Meadowlark. After a filling roadside lunch stop we birded in some pine-oak forest where persistence was rewarded with a flock that included a stunning male Mountain Trogon, cute Tufted Flycatcher, and Spot-crowned Woodcreepers, plus sundry vireos and warblers. Our last stop in a relict cloud forest reserve was quiet, as expected in late afternoon, but still produced a nice little Olivaceous Woodcreeper, two bizarre Caca de Luna aggregations, and some impressive tree ferns. Just another diverse day of birding in Mexico.

The next morning we revisited the cloud forest near Xalapa and enjoyed a relaxed walk through the beautiful forest, along with a great diversity of birds, starting with White-naped Brushfinch and ending with Blue-capped Motmot. ‘In-between’ highlights included Collared and Gartered Trogons, Berylline Hummingbird, Brown-capped Vireo, Acorn Woodpeckers, and numerous warblers including migrant Louisiana Waterthrushes and a nice Blue-winged along with resident Golden-crowned, Golden-browed, and Rufous-capped. After lunch we visited the raptor observatory at Chichicaxtle for some shopportunities and information about Pronatura’s long-term monitoring work. Relaxing on chairs in the shade was a nice way to wind down the tour as Blue-gray and Yellow-winged Tanagers showed in the eye-level flowers, but sadly the weather was not conducive to a good raptor flight. 

Flight times allowed a little time for last morning birding near the hotel, but all too soon it was time to leave, after a great week of migration, from beaches to mountains; plus numerous resident bird species, friendly people, fine company, and delicious cuisine. Thanks to all for making this a wonderful trip.

 - Steve Howell

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2023 Narrative

In Brief: Our revival of this migration-centered tour was a great success, with a small group and fabulous birding, from quiet beaches to cool montane conifer forests. Whether it was dizzying kettles of thousands of hawks or a coastal fallout of migrants everywhere we looked (from American Bittern to Dickcissel to abundant Yellow-breasted Chats), the great diversity of birdlife kept us busy—but in a good way. From dust-bathing Northern Bobwhites to flitting Red Warblers; from local endemics such as Strickland’s Woodpecker, Blue-capped Motmot, and Bearded Wood-Partridge to 22 species of migrant warblers (plus six residents!) and Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls at every turn; from sun-downer beers to colorful butterflies in tropical forest; and from a calm sunny morning in high desert with singing thrashers to a blustery beach afternoon with hundreds of migrant waterbirds it was a very special week, away from the madness of the so-called ‘developed’ world. The great range of habitats produced almost 300 species in a week of unhurried birding, but all too soon it was over.

In Detail: Everyone arrived safely into hot sunny weather, with time the first afternoon for a little light birding near the hotel, where the recently established Monk Parakeets showed well, alongside Golden-fronted Woodpeckers, Great Kiskadees, and numerous tail-less Great-tailed Grackles. The intro meeting and dinner were followed by a good sleep. After an early breakfast, our first morning found us at a quiet beach road where swarm after swarm of migrating White-winged Doves passed over southward, along with flocks of Dickcissels and a scattering of other species ranging from White Ibis to Magnolia Warbler. Residents included some obliging Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls, both Common Black and Great Black Hawks, the endemic Veracruz [Rufous-naped] Wren, Black-headed and Cinnamon-bellied Saltators, and Rose-throated Becard, while migrants ranged from Mississippi Kites and countless swallows (4 species) to an elusive Alder Flycatcher and abundant Yellow-breasted Chats. The heat kicked in by mid-morning so we headed to the famous Cardel hawk migration watchpoint atop the Hotel Bienvenido, where Pronatura Veracruz is into its 33rd year of counting the world famous ‘River of Raptors.’ Our timing was good: we stepped into the river mid-stream and before lunch almost drowned in tens of thousands of Broad-winged Hawks (of 220,000 logged during the day!), along with spectacular kettles of Anhingas and sundry other species. After lunch and a welcome siesta we explored south of Veracruz City and, despite hordes of beach-going locals, we found beautiful Scissor-tailed and Fork-tailed Flycatchers side-by-side, along with a variety of waterbirds such as Fulvous Whistling-Duck and Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, plus some wonderful Double-striped Thick-knees and a stunning sunset—not bad for the first day!

Another early start took us to another beach spot, where we soon appreciated the potential for great daily variation in migration—today no White-winged Doves! But by poking around we found a nice variety of shorebirds, headlined by the steadily declining (thanks to humans) Collared Plover, plus Aplomado Falcon and a scattering of migrants. At another beach spot we enjoyed a tern roost with hundreds of Sandwich Terns among which we picked out 3 uncommon Common Terns, along with Black Skimmers and a Reddish Egret. The hot-weather trend continued so we adjourned once more to Cardel and got to watch the steady build up from no hawks to thousands, with kettles appearing and disappearing as if by magic. Most were Broad-winged as expected on this date, plus a handful of Swainson’s Hawks and a beautifully low and showy Zone-tailed Hawk, along with hundreds of American White Pelicans and Anhingas. In the afternoon we moved inland to the Chichicaxtle observation tower where, with a pleasing number of locals as well as visiting foreign birders, we watched thousands upon thousands of Broad-wings streaming and kettling over, among which we picked out some dark-morph birds plus a single Hook-billed Kite. The adjacent trees held migrant Baltimore Orioles, a Couch’s Kingbird, and a handsome Yellow-winged Tanager.

We had hoped on one of the lowland days for overnight rain to ground some migrants and—amazingly—that is what happened! Our morning at a marshy savanna area south of Veracruz produced an exciting mix of birds (100 species in 4.5 hours!) all over the place—from a remarkable total of 6 American Bitterns showing well to an undoubted underestimate of 80 Yellow-breasted Chats. Plus Wilson’s Snipes in the open, Blue Grosbeaks and Dickcissels on roadside grasses, numerous Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, and warblers, orioles, flycatchers, and vireos every few feet! Residents included singing Plain-breasted Ground-Doves, cryptic Double-striped Thick-knees, hunting Aplomado Falcons, and both Tropical (a recent range expansion) and Northern Mockingbirds. The mix of northern and southern species in this region was nicely exemplified by a male Northern Cardinal perched alongside a male Barred Antshrike! Then it was on to our base in Xalapa for the next four nights, at 1400 m elevation and within easy reach of varied highland and foothill habitats.

Our first highland day we began in cloud forest at Las Minas, where birding was good despite the sunny ‘tourist weather’—although that did mean things quickly got rather quiet. The first few hours, however, featured great audio of the very local endemic Bearded Wood-Partridge, plus flocks of warblers including Red and Crescent-chested, plus showy Gray-barred Wrens, handsome Emerald Toucanets, and stealthy Black Thrushes. Spectacular, low-flying White-throated Swifts entertained as the local Peregrine Falcons and Red-tailed Hawks circled overhead, a stunning male Elegant Euphonia burbled forth from his mistletoe hide-out, and Bumblebee and Garnet-throated Hummingbirds visited roadside flowers. Moving to higher elevation on Cofre de Perote we found the controversially split Transvolcanic Jay and the poorly known, highly local, and tiny-billed Strickland’s Woodpecker, as well as Collared Towhees, Striped Sparrows, more Red Warblers, and numerous ‘Southeast Arizona specialties’ such as Olive Warbler, Mexican Chickadee, and Yellow-eyed Junco. Not to mention those resident ‘Aztec’ Golden-crowned Kinglets—so we won’t.

The second highland day started in cool valley fog near Perote, but as if by magic the fog quickly dissipated to reveal a silvery and then golden sun-bathed hillside of Joshua tree desert where we enjoyed birding in a very different habitat from the rest of the tour. The adjacent relict grasslands held Lilian’s (aka Chihuahuan by the geographically bewildered) Meadowlarks and swarming flocks of Horned Larks, while the rocky slopes produced Curve-billed and Ocellated Thrashers, Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay, and Rufous-crowned Sparrow. Looping back through the slopes of Cofre de Perote we enjoyed more Red Warblers and located the understated Pine Flycatcher before a filling roadside lunch stop. Afternoon birding at La Joya started out quiet but then things came unglued as we hit a mega-flock that absorbed 90+ minutes—at least 30 species and perhaps 100 or more individual birds, ranging from Mountain Trogon to Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and dominated by 13 warbler species (5 residents and 8 migrants). Phew! After that we were ready for a siesta followed by a good dinner to round off ‘just another amazing day’ of birding in Mexico.

Helping to fill in the range of habitats, the next day we visited foothill coffee plantations and tropical forest, starting with a spectacular Collared Forest Falcon and ending the day with a surprise roosting Northern Potoo. In between we enjoyed varied migrant warblers (including both Mourning and MacGillivray’s, plus an obliging Louisiana Waterthrush); a group of Red-legged Honeycreepers mobbing yet another Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, along with a Bananaquit and several Azure-crowned Hummingbirds; the ‘deafening’ song of Wedge-tailed Sabrewings; a beautifully sunlit Keel-billed Toucan; and, with some work, the local endemic Blue-capped Motmot and Bronze-winged Woodpecker.

For our last morning we sampled some relict native grassland and scrub, with clear skies and great views inland of Cofre de Perote and the decreasingly snow-capped Pico de Orizaba. Birds ranged from a covey of dust-bathing beauties (the colorful local race of Northern Bobwhite) to the very local Mexican Sheartail, along with resident Botteri’s Sparrows, Grass Wrens, and Black-crested Titmouses/Titmice, plus migrant Painted Buntings and yet more (!) Yellow-breasted Chats and Wilson’s Warblers. From hot and still, the day quickly turned to blustery and overcast, which meant that migrating raptors weren’t much in evidence so we opted for a siesta and late afternoon coastal birding. Good decision! The winds picked up to 40+ knots with lightning and thunder, and at nearby beaches we enjoyed the spectacle of hundreds of herons, egrets, ducks, and terns battling the gale over the breaking surf—another aspect of migration, and one rarely observed so graphically. A fine last supper punctuated by lightning as the rain finally broke through made for an atmospheric conclusion to this diverse tour.       

Flight times meant another early breakfast and departure, and all too soon it was time to leave, after a great week of migration, from beaches to mountains; plus numerous resident bird species, friendly people, good company, and fine cuisine. Thanks to all for making this a wonderful trip.

- Steve Howell 

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