ANNOTATED BIRD LIST 

                                                                                    

                         Guerrero, Mexico March 30 – April 9, 2018

© 2018 Callyn Yorke                                                                               

KEY TO BIRD SURVEY LOCATIONS (see main text for details)

Zihuatanejo  (ZO)

Old Road Zihuatanejo – Ixtapa (OR)

Troncones (TR)

Manzanillo Beach (MB)

Parrot Track, Troncones (PT)

Boca de Lagunillas (BL)

Refugio de Potosi (RP)

Carizzo Lagoon (CL)

Laguna de Potosi (LP)

Los Morros (Barra de Potosi) (LM)

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KEY TO TERMINOLOGY and NUMERICAL USAGE

Male (m); Female (f); Immature (imm)

Aerial feeding (AER); Foliage Gleaning (GLN); Seed or fruit-eating (SE); Diving (DV).

Mixed Species Flock (MSF).

Nesting: construction or occupation (NST).

Numbers following each species entry, 1,2,3….  indicate the maximum number found during a single survey.

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TAXONOMY and SYSTEMATICS

American Ornithologists Union (2017, including 58th supplement): Checklist of Birds of North and Middle America.

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BIRDS NOTED

ANSERIFORMES

Anatidae

• Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors)  120 (m,f) gregarious on and near shore, CL (photo).

• Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata)  2 (f) in shallows and on shore, CL.

GALLIFORMES

Cracidae

• West Mexican Chachalaca (Ortalis poliocephala) 1 vocal; around pond, RP; 1 in hillside trees, ZO.

COLUMBIFORMES

Columbidae

• Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) 1 with other doves and pigeons in town TR.
• Feral Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) 10 flying around LP.
• Inca Dove (Columbina inca) 8 (NST) gregarious ZO; 6 LP; 3 RDP.
• Common Ground Dove (Columbina passerina) 4 TR; 2 OR.
• Ruddy Ground Dove (Columbina talpacoti) 4 gregarious,TR; 2 LP; 4 ZO (photo).

• White-tipped Dove (Leptotila verreauxi)  1 ZO.
• White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica)  6 ZO.

CUCULIFORMES

Cuculidae

• Groove-billed Ani (Crotophaga sulcirostris) 5  gregarious; foraging together on ground in parking area, LP.

CAPRIMULGIFORMES

Caprimulgidae

• Common Paraque (Nyctidromus albicollis)  2  on road, predawn near entrance of RP.

APODIFORMES

Trochilidae

• Plain-capped Starthroat (Heliomaster constantii)  5 (m,f) common at feeders, RP.
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) 1 (f) at feeder,  RP (photo).

• Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri) 1 (f) at feeder, RP.
• Doubleday’s Broad-billed Hummingbird (Cyanthus doubledayi) 2 ZO; 8 common at feeders, RP.
• Cinnamon Hummingbird (Amazilla rutila) 8 common at feeders, RP; 6 around flowering shrubs, ZO.

GRUIFORMES

Rallidae

• Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)  2 swimming near shore, CL.
• American Coot (Fulica americana) 20  gregarious close to shore, CL.

CHARADRIIFORMES

Recurvirostridae

• Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) 20 in pairs and loose flocks in shallows and on shore, CL.
• American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana)  30 gregarious on and near shore, CL.

Charadriidae

• Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) 2 (alt. plmg.)  edge of estuary-beach, TR (photo).

Jacanidae

• Northern Jacana (Jacana spinosa) 2 walking on shore, BL (photo).

Scolopacidae

• Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)  2  edge of estuary, LP.
• Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) 3 gregarious, foraging in sludge at edge of canal, ZO  (photo); 2 CL.
• Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri) 16, edge of lagoon and on shore, CL.
• Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) (alt. plmg.)  1 ZO; 1TR, 1 running on shore, CL.
• Willet (Tringa semipalmata) 6 LP; 2 TR.
• Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) 2 foraging in shallows near shore, CL.

• Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) 2 in shallows, CL.

Laridae

• Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla)  8 on shore with BLSK, LP.
• Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) 2  flying low over lagoon, CL.
• Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus) 2 on shore with BLSK, LP.
• Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger) 100 gregarious; on shore and flying over estuary  LP (photo).

PHAETHONTIFORMES

Phaethontidae

• Red-billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus)  3 circling rocks with BRBO,  LM.

CICONIIFORMES

Ciconidae

• Wood Stork (Mycteria americana)  1 (imm) foraging in canal ZO (photo); 3 (ad, imm) CL.

Fregatidae

• Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens)  3 circling bay near shore, ZO; 2 LP; 20 LM

SULIFORMES

Sulidae

• Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster)  120 gregarious; many perched together on rocks,  LM.

Phalacrocoracidae

• Neotropic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus)  4  gregarious ZO; 20 CL.

Anhingidae

• Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) 15 (ad, imm) gregarious,  CL; 3 LP.

PELECANIFORMES

Pelecanidae

• Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) 10 gregarious; flying offshore, ZO; 3 LP.

Ardeidae

• Great Egret (Ardea alba) 2  in canal, ZO.
• Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) 4 gregarious in canal, foraging for shrimp with WHIB, ZO ; 6 LP.
• Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor) 4 (some in alt. plmg.) wading in shallowsLP; 1 TR.
• Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) 1 flying low over lagoon, LP.
• Green Heron (Butorides virescens) 1 CL;1 TR; 1 ZO; 5 LP.
• Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea)  4  loosely gregarious, perched on snags, CL (photo); 4 walking around edge of mangrove, TR.

• Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) 2 LP.

Threskiornithidae

• White Ibis (Eudocimus albus)  3 gregarious; foraging on shrimp with SNEG in canal, ZO (photo).

• White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi)  1 walking on shore, CL

CATHARTIFORMES

Cathartidae

• Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)  2 CL.
• Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)  ubiquitous; circling above towns and farms.

ACCIPITRIFORMES

Pandionidae

• Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) 1 LP.

Accipitridae

• Common Black Hawk (Buteogallus anthracinus) 1 PT.
• Roadside Hawk (Rupornis magnirostris)  1 vocal  TR (photo); 1 RP.

STRIGIFORMES

Strigidae

• Ferruginous Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium brasilianum) 1 approachable to within about 20 ft., ZO.

TROGONIFORMES

Trogonidae

• Citreoline Trogon (Trogon citreolus)  1  vocal, fairly tame and approachable, PT; 1 ZO; 1 RP.

CORACIIFORMES

Motmotidae

• Russet-crowned Motmot (Momotus mexicanus) 1 flew from hillside thorn scub over roadway and into a tall garden tree, ZO.

Alcedinidae

• Green Kingfisher (Chloroceryle americana) 2  perched above estuary on beach, TR.

PICIFORMES

Picidae

• Golden-cheeked Woodpecker (Melanerpes chrysogenys) 2 usually in large trees, PT; 2 TR; 3 ZO; 1 RP.

PSITTACIFORMES

Psittacidae

• Orange-fronted Parakeet (Eupsittula canicularis) 4 gregarious, vocal; foraging on dried fruits and flower parts in deciduous tree, PT.
• White-fronted Parrot (Amazona albifrons) 2  a pair in the leafless canopy of a deciduous tree, PT.
• Yellow-headed Parrot (Amazona oratrix) 1 (clipped middle primary?) vocal perched in canopy; flying around hilltop thorn scrub, OR.

PASSERIFORMES

Furnariidae

• Ivory-billed Woodcreeper (Xiphorhynchus flavigaster) 1 low on tree trunk in brushy ravine, PT

Tyrannidae

• Elaenia sp.  1  OR.
• Gray Flycatcher (Empidonax wrightii) OR (photo).

• Pacific-slope Flycatcher (Empidonax difficilis) PT (photo).

• Brown-crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus tyrannulus) 2 PT (photo); 1 OR.

• Great Kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus) 1 vocal on exposed perches > 10 ft. agl. ZO; 1 edge of mangrove LP (photo).

• Social Flycatcher (Myiozetetes similis) 2   a pair foraging on berries (Rhamnus sp.) ZO (photo); 2 LP.

• Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus) ubiquitous; a vocal pair in close proximity, ZO (photo).

Tityridae

Rose-throated Becard (Pachyramphus aglaiae) (imm, ad) 1 PT; 1 CT; 1 OR (photo).

Vireonidae

• Bell’s Vireo (Vireo bellii)  1 vocal; middle level in thorn scrub trees TR (photo).

• Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus) 4 subcanopy of ornamental ZO, 1 OR, 2 TR (photo).

Corvidae

• White-throated Magpie Jay (Calocitta formosa) vocal, gregarious; vigilant and wary 2 OR; 3 RP.
• San Blas Jay (Cyanocorax sanblasianus)  3-4 vocal, wary; moving quickly through thorn scrub and subcanopy of large trees, PT (photo).

Hirundinidae

• Gray-breasted Martin (Progne chalybea)  5 often in small flocks flying over and sometimes landing on buildings in town  ZO (photo).

• Mangrove Swallow (Tachycineta albilinea)  4 flying low over lagoon, ZO.
• Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)  2  TR.
• Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) 1 flying low, back and forth over the beach, MB.

Troglodytidae

• Rufous-naped Wren (Campylorhynchos rufinucha)  4  gregarious; foraging on ground, OR.
• Happy Wren (Pheugopedius felix) 2 vocal;low to middle level of thorn scrub OR.
• White-bellied Wren (Uropsila leucogastra) 1  staying within 1-2 ft. agl in undergrowth, PT (photo).

Polioptilidae

• Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Poilioptila caerulea) 2 active in subcanopy of thorn forest, OR; TR (photo).

Turdidae

• Rufous-backed Robin (Turdus rufopalliatus) 10 often in and beneath fruiting trees with orioles, ZO.

Passeridae

• House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)  2 ZO.

Passerellidae

• Olive Sparrow (Arremonops rufivirgatus) 2 gregarious; a pair foraging in brush piles and on ground, OR (photo).

• Stripe-headed Sparrow (Peucaea ruficauda) 3  an individual in thorn scrub and a vocal pair at edge of ruderal field TR (photo).

Icteridae

• Yellow-winged Cacique (Cassiculus melanicterus) 4   nesting; active in a variety of garden trees in town ZO.
• Black-vented Oriole (Icterus wagleri) 2 (ad, imm) pairs and trios of adults and immatures in thorn scrub trees, RP.
• Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius)  8  gregarious in a variety of ornamental vegetation, ZO
• Streak-backed Oriole (Icterus pustulatus) 4  gregarious; active in fruiting shrubs and trees ZO.
• Bronzed Cowbird (Molothrus aeneus)  20 gregarious; males displaying to females that outnumbered males about 20:1, ZO.
• Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) 12  (m,f) vocal, gregarious, foraging on ground, ZO.

Parulidae

• Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis) 1 TR.
• Black-and-White Warbler (Mniotilta varia) 1 RP.
• MacGillivray’s Warbler (Geothlypis tolmei) 1 RP.
• Tropical Parula (Setophaga pitiayumi) 1 BL (photo).

• Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) 2 often in msf with orioles ZO, 2 RP, 2 LP.

Fringillidae

• Scrub Euphonia (Euphonia affinis) 2 TR (photo).

• Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) 2 TR.

Cardinalidae

• Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 1 PT.
• Yellow Grosbeak (Pheucticus chrysopeplus) 1 TR.
• Blue Bunting (Cyanocompsa parellina) 1 drinking at the pond in the afternoon, RP.
• Orange-breasted Bunting (Passerina leclancherii)  2 OR; 3 RP; 2 TR.
• Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris) 1 PT (photo) ; 2 (m,f) drinking at pond RP.

Thraupidae

• Blue-gray Tanager (Thraupis episcopus) 1 foraging on Rhamnus sp. berries, ZO.
• Blue-black Grassquit (Volatinia jacarina) 2 ( imm f) in ruderal roadside field, TR (photo).

• White-collared Seedeater (Sporophila torqueola) 3 gregarious in gardens and ruderal fields ZO; 2 TR (photo).

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