Bird Watching Guatemala Photoblog: May 2008

Mountain Trogon

Birding in highlands is a surprising experience, if you have been in lowlands you know how many different colored species you can observe in a couple of hours, but in the mountains it is just a challenge to look for birds, mostly green or blue, through the green trees.

My friends Bill Thompson III (left) and Simon Thompson birding in Cerro Alux

Can you see the bird?

Guatemala’s national bird is Resplendent Quetzal but no so many people have watched it, in most cases because they don’t know where and when to look for, but a lot of people has heard and seen a Mountain Trogon. In many communities the common name for this trogon is “Quetzalillo” which means little quetzal.

I really like the elegant form of these birds, the magic combination of colors, the unmistakable sound of the call, the adrenaline running in my blood when finally I can spot it and enjoy the sight.

Mountain Trogon

Posted by Maynor Ovando

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Labels: Bill Thompson, Birding, Guatemala, highlands, Mountain Trogon

Highlands

Photo by Maynor Ovando

Guatemala has a lot of good reasons to travel along. The diversity of landscapes is one of them. The size of the country allows taking a car and visiting a thorn scrub area in one hour ride and enjoying a perfect cloud forest two hours later.

I’ve been traveling and working in lowlands of Petén in the north of Guatemala but I live in Guatemala City in the middle of central highlands so I usually go birding and look for the regional endemic birds of northern Central America.

There’s like 35 five species you can find between Southern Mexico, Guatemala, Western Honduras and Western El Salvador and more than 30 are found in the highlands, birds like Blue-throated Motmot, Black-capped Swallow, Bushy-crested Jay, Pink-headed Warbler, Green-throated Mountain-gem, Bar-winged Oriole, Black-throated Jay, Rufous-collared Thrush or the mythical Horned Guan.

I will go birding in Alta Verapaz area in a few days to meet these jewels and I will post some pictures in a few days.

Green-throated Mountain-gem

Rufous-collared Thrush

Posted by Maynor Ovando

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Labels: bird pictures, Birding, Guatemala, highlands, Mountain-throated Mountain-gem, Rufous-collared Thrush

Birding pal

Lemuel looking for a Peregrine Falcon

Photo by Maynor Ovando

Lemuel Valle is a biologist, expert in mammals, extraordinary birding tour leader but above all is a really good friend. I met him in High School and we have been close friends since. As consultant he has worked with all environmental agencies and conservationist organizations in Guatemala like The Nature Conservancy, Defensores de la Naturaleza, FUNDAECO and many more. He has led many research teams around Guatemala for San Carlos University and Del Valle University.

We have shared many birding trips looking for regional endemic bird populations, including Pink-headed Warbler or Horned Guan as well as migrant species like Golden-cheeked Warbler and Cerulean Warbler. The best part is that we always get a story to tell with all the adventures we have.

Posted by Maynor Ovando

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Labels: biologist, Birding, Guatemala, Lemuel Valle, tour leader

Chichicua (Spilotes pullatus)

Tiger Rat Snake (Spilotes pullatus)

Chichicua is the common name for Tiger Rat Snake (Spilotes pullatus), member of Colubridae family, a well known snake in Guatemala. It’s an arboreal, non venomous snake who has a very distinctive behavior when feels in danger: expels a strong smell and inflates its neck vertically to seem lethal. That’s why when someone in Guatemala is really angry we say “angry like Chichicua…”

Lemuel handling the snake

During a visit to Uaxactún, we found this one crossing the road and Lemuel handled it to show us the beauty of the colors and the incredible way to self defense.

Benedicto taking some pictures

As you can see birding is just the perfect reason to go outdoors and enjoy nature in all ways...

Posted by Maynor Ovando

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Labels: Birding, Chichicua, Colubridae, Guatemala, pictures, snake, Spilotes pullatus, Tiger Rat Snake, travel

El Zotz

Mexican Funnel-eared Bat

Zotz is the Mayan Word for “bat”. The biggest bat colony in Guatemala lives in the caves found in this Nature Reserve and this is one of the species found here, Mexican Funnel-eared bat (Natalus stramineus). This bat is member of Natalidae family, an insect specialist eater wide spread from Mexico to Brazil.

There are many bat species in the area but the most incredible spectacle is to observe millions of these creatures going out from caves at sunset. Look at Bat Falcons and owls waiting around the cliff and predating the colony is absolutely amazing…

Natalus stramineus

Posted by Maynor Ovando

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Labels: Bat, El Zotz, Guatemala, Natalus stramineus, pictures

First report...?

Tawny-collared Nightjar

I’m posting these comments just after send a message to Guatemalan Ornithological Society to validate my identification of this bird: Tawny-collared Nightjar…
I saw the bird in El Zotz Biotope on May 18th 2008 with my friends Benedicto and Lemuel, I digiscoped this picture and some other with a Vortex 20-60x80 scope and a Canon Powershot A430 and Benedicto took some more with a Canon EOS Rebel.

I can’t wait for the confirmation… meanwhile I will gather all the info to complete this report.

Posted by Maynor Ovando

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Labels: bird pictures, Birding, El Zotz, Guatemala, Tawny-collared Nightjar

Birding and friends

Photo by Maynor Ovando

Benedicto and Lemuel

Friendship is the best part of birding. Look at a Vermillion Flycatcher’s nest is not the same thing if you can’t share the experience and fortunately I almost always travel with my friends Benedicto and Lemuel.

In the future they will share pictures and comments in this space, so this is an informal way to introduce this wonderful guys to you.

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Labels: Birding, Guatemala, pictures, Vermillion Flycatcher

Nice sightings

Indigo Bunting

As I told you on the last days, during my visit to El Zotz I found some bird species I supposed were far away Guatemala, but nature has always surprises and I’m glad to have the opportunity to watch them…

This is the best picture I took of a Indigo Bunting my little friend who convinced me that not always the things happened as people say.

Posted by Maynor Ovando

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Labels: Birding, Guatemala, Indigo Bunting, migrant birds, pictures, Zotz

News from Ceibal

Black-headed Trogon

I'm back from Ceibal in Flores City, Peten. I've been three days traveling from Sayaxche to El Zotz Biotope and it's very impressive find so many different birds around, including my Magnolia Warblers friends, Indigo Buntings and some Northern Watertrhushes... I'll show some pictures in the nexts days, but definitely there are a lot of birds I wouldn't believe.

I think my bird list in these days is about 120 species, including 5 lifers… Just great!

Posted by Maynor Ovando

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Resident birds

Great-tailed Grackle

Each time you decide to go birding, even if you think you are not, you wish to see unusual species… and nothing else, but one of the most rewarding experience is to check out for common species. Guatemala City is a place nested in highlands, five thousand feet level, and sometimes in the proper time you can find something extraordinary like a Red Crossbill but when you put your attention in how many species are living near your house you hardly believe it at first time.

Walking and looking 2 hours in the small parks thru Historic Center I listed 21 species:

Great-tailed Grackle
Melodious Blackbird
Bronzed Cowbird
Clay-colored Robin
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
House Sparrow
Rufous-collared Sparrow
White-winged Dove
Rock Dove
Azure-crowned Hummingbird
White-eared Hummingbird
Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture
Gray-silky Flycatcher
Social Flycatcher
Blue-gray Tanager
Yellow-winged Tanager
House Wren
Black-headed Siskin
Pacific Parakeet
Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Visiting forested parks bordering the city you can have a lot more… and I will tell you soon my experience in Cayalá and Cerro Alux…

Posted by Maynor Ovando

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Labels: bird list, Birding, Great-tailed Grackle, Guatemala, Resident birds

Migratory birds

Wood Thrush

I'm going to Ceibal tomorrow morning and I have a big expectation to looking for birds that are not supposed to be here in Guatemala at this time… I’ve been seen some Magnolia Warblers and a pair of Black-and-White Warblers so I’ll check if they’re still here. A friend of mine Eduardo Galicia from Mexico told me about some juvenile birds that stay in winter territories because they won’t breed…

Maybe they are in this situation.

Anyway I’ll have wide opened my eyes to watch for them and I will tell you in a couple of days…

Posted by Maynor Ovando

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Labels: Birding, Ceibal, Guatemala, migrant birds, Wood Thrush

Hummingbird feeders...

Amethyst-throated Hummingbird

Photo by Maynor Ovando

There are 38 Hummingbird species in Guatemala, from little jewells like Black-crested Coquette to the huge Violet Sabrewing and each time more people are interested in the use of feeders to observe these marvels of nature.

If you want to use them, nectar recipe is simple: one part of sugar and four parts of water, boil this mix to eliminate bacteria and mold. Cool and fill the feeder and please don't add any color dye...

Posted by Maynor Ovando

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Labels: Amethyst-throated Hummingbird, Birding, feeders, Guatemala, Hummingbird, nectar recipe

Birding in Ceibal

El Ceibal

Photo by Maynor Ovando

Traveling and birding in Guatemala is an extraordinary experience, you can visit shores in the Pacific or Atlantic Ocean, visit semi-arid forest, cloud forest in the highlands or explore Tropical Rainforest lowlands in the Maya Biosphere Reserve. During regular visits to El Ceibal archeological site we have had the opportunity to enjoy the amazing sort of birds that live in southern Peten area. This place is bordered by La Pasión River and this makes great to look for shore and aquatic birds, herons and more.

La Pasión River
Photo by Maynor Ovando

If you want to have a great birding journey include a visit to this place and be prepared to have views like these:

Yellow-crowned Night-heron

Rufous-tailed Jacamar

Posted by Maynor Ovando

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Copyright® 2,008
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Labels: archaeology, Birding, Ceibal, Guatemala, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Yellow-crowned Night-heron