Pacific Mexico Birding Trip

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Paradise Birding Scouting Trip Summary, December 2014

During our whirlwind two-week scouting trip, we found 210 of the 607 species on the combined lists for the states of Colima and Jalisco. These included 26 regional endemics and 16 life-birds species for Steve. We saw at least one representative of 56 different families, including 21 warblers, 17 flycatchers, 10 hummingbirds, 8 each of woodpeckers and doves, and 7 each of wrens and vireos. Bird sizes ranged from the diminutive Bumblebee Hummer to the chunky chachalacas and the impressive magpie jays. Our most colorful birds included the Military Macaw, Elegant Trogan, and several songbirds, like the Red Warbler, Blue-headed Euphonia, and Orange-breasted Bunting. On the ocean we watched frigate birds, terns, pelicans and boobies diving for fish; at the wetlands we enjoyed Northern Jacanas, Wood Storks, Roseate Spoonbills and Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. Deep in the forests, we strained to see darting warblers and vireos between the branches, and in the wildflower meadows we were challenged to identify the 10 hummingbird species whizzing by.

Habitats were diverse and healthy ranging from Pacific seashore, estuary, wetlands and meadows to thorn forest and scrublands and high-elevation oak-conifer forests on the slopes of the Colima volcanos.

The only endangered species we were lucky enough to spot in the wild was the Lilac-crowned Parrot, but we were also disheartened to see a number of endangered species of parrots, parakeets and macaws kept in captivity—some well cared for, but some in deplorable conditions.

Although it is hard to choose favorite species from the entire trip, our top picks would include the Pale-billed Woodpecker (pictured above)—observed for over an hour foraging in the forest; a huge flock of endemic Orange-breasted Buntings in the coastal scrub; the Red Warbler, with its bright white cheek patch in the pine-oak forests; and a Green Violet-ear hummingbird sitting calmly on her nest amidst the cacophony of hummingbirds fiercely defending their patches of wildflowers on a steep mountain slope. 

We hope you will consider joining us in February, 205 for our Mexico Birding Tour. See our complete tour description here:

http://www.paradisebirding.com/birding-tours-Mexico.html

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Black-capped Vireo. This species is endangered in North America, its range now restricted to Texas (where we observe it annually on its breeding grounds during our Texas Hill Country birding tour) and a slice of Mexico south of Texas, where we observed it during this trip, foraging in a heavily forested river canyon near the small village of Suchitlan, north of Colima. It was a pleasure to see this Texas friend thriving in this healthy forest in Mexico and reminded us how important it is in conservation efforts to consider a species' entire range and habitat needs throughout the year.

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Our trip Flycatchers, from the top: Tufted Flycatcher, Vermilion Flycatcher, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Greater Pewee, Social Flycatcher, Dusky-capped Flycatcher.  In total we saw 17 species in the flycatcher family including phoebes, kiskadee, kingbirds and becards.

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From the top: Brown-backed Solitaire, Grey-silky Flycatcher, House Wren, Orange-billed Nightengale Thrush. Comala area

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Green Violet-ear Hummingbird sitting on her nest (top) on Colima volcanos. This beautiful little hummer was among a vast slope of blooming (in December!)  flowers including lupines, sunflowers, evening primroses, paintbrush and many tropical varieties that we could not identify. Dozens of hummers were whizzing by, chasing each other off of their individual patches of flowers.  At this location we were able to identify only a few of the MANY possible species as they were whizzing by so fast, never seeming to land or pause for a moment, including Cinnamon, Bumblebee, Ruby-throated, White-eared (pictured at bottom).

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More birds from the slopes of the Colima Volcanos in the National Park.  From the top: Blue-hooded Euphonia, Black-headed Siskin, Crescent-chested Warbler, Black-throated Grey Warbler, Rufous-capped Brush-Finch.

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A day on the east slope of the Colima volcanos at the National Park.  From the town of Cuidad Guzman we drove southwest and up the windy, gravel road which takes one up through the various habitats starting in the thorn scrub, then ascending through oak forests, pine forests, mixed conifer, then fir forests and finally one reaches tree line. With such a diverse habitat, we found it necessary to pull over every few minutes as we gained altitude to find a new mix of forest birds at each stop!  Going up we saw orioles, kinglets, tanagers, flycatchers, siskin, many warblers, nuthatches, hummingbirds, and acorn woodpeckers. A very beautiful and productive afternoon.

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Black-throated Grey Warbler

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A Red Warbler, one of the many resident warblers that we don't get to see in the states. We also enjoyed the resident Golden-browed, Crescent-chested, Slate-throated Redstart, Tropical Parula.

Christine was so inspired by the antics of the cute, little Red Warbler - that we got to observe feeding in a tree for 10 minutes - she created this fused glass wall hanging to remember him by!

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Black and White Warbler, which Christine likes to affectionately call the "bar code warbler"  . We enjoyed seeing all the warblers that we know from the states -where they breed in the spring - here in Mexico spending their winters. Other warblers we saw included the orange-crowned, Nashville, MacGillivray's, American Redstart, Yellow-rumped, Black-throated grey, Townsend's and Wilson's.  Altogether we saw 21 species of warblers on this brief trip to Mexico.

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Vulcan de Fuego, Colima. We were lucky to catch a few days where the wind direction was just right to expose the peak of the volcano. One day we drove up to the base of the south side of the volcano and could hear deep sounds of explosions above which was quite spooky and powerful! This volcano is 12,595 feet high and is one of the most active volcanos in Mexico and the Americas and is just one of a series of volcanos that make a belt across this latitude of Mexico. 

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Banded Quail

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Christine and her macaw friend watching birds at the feeders including (from the top) yellow-winged cacique, yellow-breasted chat, San Blas jay, black-throated magpie jay, greyish saltator, golden-cheeked woodpecker and plain-capped starthroat. Tough start to the morning!

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A couple of our favorite woodpeckers of the trip, the aptly named golden-cheeked woody which was our most ubiquitous woodpecker and the lineated woody-one of the largest.

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Vermillion flycatchers are common in the meadows and scrublands in Colima area with their brilliant red plumage standing out boldly, even on misty mornings of December.

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Russet-crowned Motmot near Colima

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Fresh made sangrias with sweet fruits and juice make a refreshing treat after a long day of travel, and a rich soup of tortilla strips, avocado and tomato complete the meal - in Ajijic, Mexico.