Birding West Mexico Endemics

Wednesday, January 31: El Tuito area roads/Rancho Primavera
Rancho Primavera

Bird road to Mayo-Tehuamixtle and Bioto Road

BIRD of the DAY: Citreoline Trogon

Of course our day began with early birding at Rancho Primavera where we always seemed surrounded by birds. A perfect start to another day of discovery.



Right after our early breakfast we explored the road to Mayto-Tehuamixtle Calle Iturbide and the Cabo Corrientes ponds. Road birding requires more patience and spotting skills than feeder birding. But with our 20 eyes we did find some new species at our first stop which had a pond.



Mid-morning we moved on to a sandy section of the Bioto road. Our target was White-throated Magpie Jays, and those in the jeep saw some, but we did not. A consolation were a Lilac-crowned Parrot and another Citreoline Trogon. We were hoping to spot some Blue Buntings in the fields – Patricia finally spotted one near the road and Chris2 helped ID some under a tree on a far side of the field. Then we moved down the road for more discoveries, including a Zone-tailed Hawk, Squirrel Cuckoo, another Colima Pygmy Owl, Ivory-billed Woodcreeper, Varied Bunting and Scrub Euphonia.



We drove into El Tuito for lunch. Then some us visited the creative art and craft store, Galeria Coppelia, featuring work from local artists. Pauline and Barbara brought home small handmade wooden boxes hand painted with colourful birds.

Back at Ranch Primavera, Barbara and Bill decided to take a final hike to the pond as the sun was setting. An American Coot and a Least Grebe glided in close. We saw the kingfishers, herons, ducks and woodpeckers again, but this time in better light.



It was our farewell dinner – listing, wine and speeches… THANKS to Luis and Chris for a professional action-packed birding trip to western Mexico.




Bill: 62 lifers!
Total bird count: 236

January 31 Birds
Calle Iturbide, Cabo Corrientes MX-JAL (20.3153,-105.3287), Jalisco, MX
Jan 31, 2018 8:20 AM
Protocol: Incidental
42 species

Neotropic Cormorant 1
Great Egret 1
Cattle Egret 2
Black Vulture 1
Turkey Vulture 3
Cooper's Hawk 1
Gray Hawk 1
American Coot 1
Inca Dove 1
Ruddy Ground-Dove 2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Broad-billed Hummingbird 1
Cinnamon Hummingbird 1
Acorn Woodpecker 2
Golden-cheeked Woodpecker 1
Greenish Elaenia 1
White-throated Flycatcher 1
Vermilion Flycatcher 1
Nutting's Flycatcher 1
Great Kiskadee 1
Social Flycatcher 1
Tropical Kingbird 2
Thick-billed Kingbird 1
Warbling Vireo 1
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 7
Violet-green Swallow 4
Barn Swallow 7
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2
Blue Mockingbird 1
Orange-crowned Warbler 1
Nashville Warbler 1
MacGillivray's Warbler 1
Yellow Warbler 1
Black-throated Gray Warbler 1
Wilson's Warbler 1
Grayish Saltator 2
Summer Tanager 1
Yellow-winged Cacique 1
Streak-backed Oriole 1
Bronzed Cowbird 100
Great-tailed Grackle 10
Lesser Goldfinch 3

Camino Bioto, Jalisco, MX
Jan 31, 2018 9:12 AM
Protocol: Incidental
46 species (+1 other taxa)

West Mexican Chachalaca 2
Black Vulture 4
Turkey Vulture 6
Band-tailed Pigeon 2
Ruddy Ground-Dove 1
White-tipped Dove 1
Squirrel Cuckoo 3
Colima Pygmy-Owl 3
Broad-billed Hummingbird 1
Cinnamon Hummingbird 5
Citreoline Trogon 1
Golden-fronted Woodpecker 2
Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1
Pale-billed Woodpecker 1
Lilac-crowned Parrot 1
Military Macaw 1
Ivory-billed Woodcreeper 1
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet 3
Greater Pewee 2
Pacific-slope/Cordilleran Flycatcher (Western Flycatcher) 1
Dusky-capped Flycatcher 1
Social Flycatcher 2
Thick-billed Kingbird 1
Masked Tityra 1
Golden Vireo 3
Bell's Vireo 1
Plumbeous Vireo 1
Warbling Vireo 1
White-throated Magpie-Jay 8
Happy Wren 2
Sinaloa Wren 1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 5
Rufous-backed Robin 1
Orange-crowned Warbler 2
Nashville Warbler 2
MacGillivray's Warbler 1
Yellow Warbler 1
Wilson's Warbler 4
Grayish Saltator 1
Yellow-breasted Chat 1
Summer Tanager 1
Yellow Grosbeak 1
Blue Bunting 5
Varied Bunting 2
Yellow-winged Cacique 1
Streak-backed Oriole 1
Scrub Euphonia 1

Selva El Tuito--Rancho Primavera (acceso restringido), Jalisco, MX
Jan 31, 2018 5:25 PM - 5:32 PM
Protocol: Stationary
26 species

Great Blue Heron 1
Cattle Egret 10
Turkey Vulture 1
White-tipped Dove 1
Groove-billed Ani 2
Vaux's Swift 1
Plain-capped Starthroat 2
Broad-billed Hummingbird 1
Cinnamon Hummingbird 2
Golden-cheeked Woodpecker 2
Golden-fronted Woodpecker 2
Ladder-backed Woodpecker 1
American Kestrel 1
Orange-fronted Parakeet 6
Vermilion Flycatcher 1
Great Kiskadee 2
Social Flycatcher 2
Tropical Kingbird 5
Golden Vireo 1
Black-capped Vireo 1
Warbling Vireo 1
Black-throated Magpie-Jay 10
Common Raven 2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 10
Violet-green Swallow 9
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1