Spring Break in Mexico! Using Howell’s indispensible “A Bird-Finding Guide to Mexico” (published in 1999, but still very accurate) along with information found in several recent trip reports, we had planned a 9-day birding trip to Oaxaca state, mapping out an ambitious circular route that would take us from Oaxaca City clockwise to Valle Nacional and Tuxtepec, Uxpanapa Rd. (just over the border in Veracruz state), Tehuantepec, Playa Zipolite, and back into Oaxaca City one week and 900 km later. Three days into the trip, however, we had to resort to Plan B when we were forced to return to Oaxaca after encountering roadblocks set up by political protesters in Valle Nacional. From there we completed a shorter, counterclockwise circuit, heading south to La Soledad and Playa Zipolite, then on to Tehuantepec and back to Oaxaca City.
We rented a car from Europcar, a Chevy Aveo that was a nice-sized sedan with the power and clearance to get us through the mountains and down some pretty steep and muddy dirt roads. We booked our first two nights’ accommodation in Oaxaca City in advance, but after that we found hotels as we went. Most of the places we stayed were fairly basic, but all had hot water and either fans or A/C in the rooms, and the majority had restaurants where we tended to eat dinner and, occasionally, a late breakfast. Although our itinerary felt very rushed, we had enough time in the Oaxaca Valley and along the Pacific coast at Playa Zipolite to find most of the endemic species we had hoped to see. Birding in the cloud forests above Valle Nacional and La Soledad was difficult and frustrating, however, and requires more time than we had allotted to see all of the specialties. Both of those sites are an hour’s drive from the closest lodging, and birding success in the cloud forests is very weather-dependent. At Valle Nacional we found ourselves in heavy fog resulting in near-zero visibility, while our one morning at La Soledad was hot and sunny with little bird activity as a result. At other sites that we were able to visit more than once we found striking differences in bird activity from one day to the next, even at the same time of day. To have the best possible chance of seeing most of the endemics, our advice would be to plan a more leisurely itinerary that allows all sites to be visited on two or more days.
Saturday 13 March: Our early morning flight out of LAX was packed with scantily-clad college students heading to Cancun and Cabo, and the party was already underway. Fortunately, we left it behind when we changed planes in Mexico City, and found ourselves and just a few other middle-aged gringos among a predominantly Mexican crowd on the connecting flight to Oaxaca. We arrived into Oaxaca City in the late afternoon, got ourselves lost in the city briefly, and eventually made it to our hotel at about 5:30 p.m. Posada de Chencho is a family-run hotel in a quiet area about a 10-minute walk south of the zócalo, and Sr. Chencho, the rather elderly owner, speaks quite good English. The hotel has an interior courtyard with several large trees, and in the fading afternoon light we found our first Dusky and Berylline Hummingbirds, a pair of White-throated Towhees, and an obviously feral Nanday Parakeet!
Sunday 14 March: Sr. Chencho couldn’t understand why we wanted to be at Monte Alban by dawn and was not very happy about getting up to unlock the courtyard gate for us at 5:30 a.m., but we insisted and made it there in time to hear Buff-collared Nightjars calling, followed by a dawn chorus of West Mexican Chachalacas from the valley below. We parked outside the gate, which doesn’t open until 8 a.m., and worked our way up the entrance road, seeing common species such as Blue Mockingbird and Rufous-capped Warbler along with the ubiquitous White-throated Towhees. A Boucard’s Wren was near the upper parking lot, and in the scrub around Tomb 7 we found three Slaty Vireos, Pileated Flycatcher, a pair of Black-vented Orioles, and numerous migrant warblers and flycatchers (throughout the trip we saw many Empidonax and Myiarchus flycatchers, but only occasionally spent the time necessary to ID them). Mid-morning we returned to the car and walked a track to the right of the gate, where we saw another pair of Boucard’s Wrens and one Oaxaca Sparrow. After a very pleasant brunch at the Visitor’s Center (during which a White-tailed Hawk flew past), we entered the ruins for some sight-seeing. No trees were fruiting, and Rock Wrens and Vermilion Flycatchers were about the only birds to be seen, but the ruins are very impressive and well worth the 51 peso entry fee.
In the late afternoon we drove to Teotitlán del Valle, stopping briefly en route to marvel at “El Tule”, the enormous cypress tree that is the centerpiece of its namesake village. The reservoir at Teotitlán del Valle held lots of Least Grebes, Blue-winged Teal and Ruddy Ducks, along with a few Spotted and Least Sandpipers. We drove on past the reservoir for about 2 km, and from the sharp right-hand bend (Howell’s Km 9) walked the road in either direction, but the birding was fairly slow. We did, however, see a pair of Hepatic Tanagers and a Thick-billed Kingbird, and on the drive out Cathy got a quick glimpse of a Bridled Sparrow.
Monday 15 March: Sr. Chencho reluctantly opened the gate for us at 5:45 a.m., and we headed north towards La Cumbre. Although we had planned to stop briefly along Rte. 175 at the site known variously as “Garbage Gulch” or “the black tank”, we had difficulty locating the correct pull-out (the distances given in Howell do not correspond to the Km markers) and decided to continue on rather than back-tracking after we realized we had passed the spot. We drove in along the northwest side at La Cumbre, initially stopping at Km 2 where we encountered some Steller’s Jays and a couple of Grey-barred Wrens. We then parked at Km 3 and walked back along the road, almost immediately finding numerous Red Warblers among the flocks of common North American migrants. Arriving back at Km 2 we finally saw Mountain Trogon and Brown-backed Solitaire, both of which we had been hearing in the distance, as well as our first Golden-browed Warbler. Having encountered no more jays along the main road, we then walked a short distance down the side road at Km 3, and on the way back up finally ran across another flock of Steller’s Jays, these ones accompanied by one or two quiet and inconspicuous Dwarf Jays.
It was hot and quiet when we moved on at midday for the drive to Valle Nacional. A brief stop at the bridge at Km 161– where loud and dusty roadworks were in progress – produced a grand total of three species, although as luck would have it one of them was Violet-crowned Hummingbird. At several other stops along the way the roadsides were hot and no birds were stirring. We arrived into Valle Nacional, where we had planned to stay, at about 6 p.m., and found the town in the midst of a 4-day festival. The main street was closed and packed with carnival rides and vendor’s stalls, necessitating a circuitous detour to find the hotel – which turned out to be just a stone’s throw from the festivities. Deciding we would be unlikely to get much sleep there, we drove another hour to Tuxtepec, and checked into the Hotel Playa Bruja (400 pesos) for a two-night stay.
Tuesday 16 March: Leaving Tuxtepec very early, we drove straight back up to La Esperanza (Km 80) where we immediately encountered a flock of Unicolored Jays and met the omnipresent Common Bush-Tanagers. The roadside vegetation is very dense and birds are difficult to see here, but over the next two hours we found Ruddy Foliage-Gleaner, Spot-crowned Woodcreeper, Collared Trogon, Yellow-winged Tanager, and numerous Gray-breasted Wood-Wrens and Golden-browed Warblers. Slate-colored Solitaires were singing all around us, but we were unable to see any of them. At about 9 a.m. the cloud cover suddenly descended, and we found ourselves in dense fog, unable to see more than 10-15 feet. We drove (very cautiously!) up and out of the fog at about Km 87, but there was little bird activity, and eventually we gave up and headed back down, only leaving the fog behind at Km 60. We spent the afternoon along the Nueva Esperanza Rd. at Km 55, where heavy overcast and light drizzle resulted in a continuous, high level of bird activity. From the non-stop procession we picked up a variety of typical lowland species, including Keel-billed Toucan, Brown Jay, Violaceous Trogon, all three saltators, Crimson-collared Tanager and Red-throated Ant-Tanager, Black-cowled Oriole, Stripe-throated (Little) Hermit, Canivet’s Emerald and Azure-crowned Hummingbird, Thick-billed Seedeater, Yellow-faced Grassquit, Bananaquit, Yellow-billed Cacique, Rusty Sparrow, Piratic Flycatcher, Barred Antshrike, and Blue-black Grosbeak.
The birding slowed and we decided to leave, hoping to make it back to Tuxtepec before dark. Just outside of Valle Nacional, however, we encountered a long line of stopped traffic. Most people were out of their cars, suggesting no one was anticipating moving anytime soon. Paul walked forward and asked a policeman what was going on. He was unable to understand the explanation for the blockage (apparently not an accident), but did catch “más ó menos una hora” as the anticipated length of the delay. We turned around and blasted back to the Nueva Esperanza Rd. for another hour’s birding, but when we returned at dusk the traffic jam was still there and had just grown longer. Now the policeman informed us that the road would be closed overnight, and when we explained that we were staying in a hotel in Tuxtepec he directed us to an ecotourism lodge a few kilometers back up the road that rented cabañas, and suggested we try to spend the night there. We did, and learned from an English-speaking employee that it was a political protest that was blocking the road. The “Cabañas Ecoturisticas San Mateo Yetla” was in a pleasant spot along the river, and seemed like a nice place for birders to stay, especially small groups (600 pesos for a cabin to sleep four). Even without any of our luggage or toiletries, it was a relief to be able to shower and sleep in a bed rather than sit in the car all night! We drifted off to sleep listening to the village’s very out-of-tune brass band practicing nearby, one particularly tricky tuba lick repeated over and over and over…
Wednesday 17 March: We got up to find it raining steadily, but left the cabañas at 5:30 a.m., hoping the truck engines we had heard during the night meant the road was now open. It wasn’t. We drove down to the roadblock – logs and rocks and several dozen men sitting under beer tents in the middle of the road – and found a protester who spoke some English. He told us they were protesting the President, might or might not open the road sometime today, and just in case we were considering making a 750-km detour to reach the only other road in to Tuxtepec we should know that they had that blocked, too. As it got light, we realized that the villagers were going about their business as usual, and local taxis were doing a booming business picking people up and dropping them off on either side of the roadblock. Paul walked to the far side of the protest to check out the situation, and learned that there was a second roadblock on the other side of Valle Nacional. He also found a businessman who was about to make his way to Tuxtepec by public transportation and offered to take us with him. We parked the car, crossed the roadblock on foot, caught a rickshaw-taxi for the 5 km trip through Valle Nacional to the second barrier, walked around that, and found a taxi-van heading to Tuxtepec for 20 pesos (<$2) per person. Once in Tuxtepec we collected our luggage from the hotel, had breakfast, and then made our way back to Valle Nacional in reverse sequence, reaching the car by noon. The protesters were still there, so we turned around and drove 200 km back to Oaxaca.
The cloud forest was still shrouded in heavy fog and rain, but once we reached the high-elevation pine-oak forest the weather cleared. A spot near Llanos de las Flores, where we had stopped two days previously and seen absolutely nothing, was very productive, and we quickly picked up a number of species we had missed at La Cumbre, including Collared Towhee, Rufous-capped Brushfinch, White-eared Hummingbird, Mexican Chickadee and Yellow-eyed Junco. Descending into the Oaxaca Valley in late afternoon, we succeeded in finding “Garbage Gulch” (a pull-out best identified by graffiti-covered boulders and considerably less garbage than other nearby spots), and hiked up the overgrown path above the black tank. It was very quiet except for an Ocellated Thrasher singing from an invisible position at the top of the ridge. As we concluded reluctantly that we were not going to be able to see the thrasher, approaching black clouds and thunder sent us running for the car, which we reached just as the heavens opened up in a torrential downpour. We drove on into Oaxaca and, not daring to impose our early morning habit on Sr. Chencho again, went instead to the Fiesta Inn, which was expensive (1400 pesos!) but made for a comfortable end to an interesting day!
Thursday 18 March: We returned to Monte Alban at dawn and went immediately to the scrubby hillside behind Tomb 7 (note that it is necessary to duck under a new barbed-wire fence to access the trails through the scrub). Here we finally got great looks at Ocellated Thrasher, an individual who sat on the treetops in full view and sang for over half an hour. In general, however, there was less bird activity this morning than there had been on Sunday, and apart from the thrasher we saw no new species and only heard Slaty Vireo and Pileated Flycatcher. Still no sign of Dwarf Vireo. We ate another satisfying breakfast at the Visitor’s Center, then left for the drive south into the Sierra Madre del Sur, stopping along the way to buy some alebrijes (colorful carved wooden animals) in the artisan’s village of San Martín Tilcajete. We arrived in San José del Pacífico in the late afternoon and rented a cabaña at the Pueste del Sol resort just outside the village. This is a great place to stay – pleasant cabañas (300 pesos without a fireplace, 600 with one) set on a steep hillside, each with a picture-window overlooking the valley far below. We finished the afternoon birding around the grounds and along the road, getting excellent looks at a pair of Bumblebee Hummingbirds. At dusk a Long-tailed Wood-Partridge called from the forest edge immediately adjacent to our cabin. Unfortunately, we were unable to see it, but did get several Mexican Whip-poor-wills in our spotlight. There was a festival on in the town, and we were promised it would be a loud and late night with fireworks and a special performance by a band brought in from Acapulco, but we took the precaution of putting in earplugs and slept soundly through the night without hearing a thing!
Friday 19 March: It was about a 45 min drive to reach the logging road near El Porvenir where White-throated Jays can be found, and we planned our departure from San José del Pacífico to be there at sunrise. Upon arrival, however, we discovered that there are actually three separate tracks leading into the forest between Km 157.5 and 158.5, and it wasn’t clear to us which one was “the” logging road. We opted for the lower one, at Km 158.5, which is the widest and has a green metal gate across it to keep vehicles out. An hour there produced no sign of jays, so we drove on another 25 km to La Soledad. Here we had more success following directions, easily finding the track 250 m north of La Soledad that is mentioned in Howell (there is no longer an obvious pull-out here, but we parked about 100 m down the road and had no trouble finding the track as we walked the roadside). We hiked down as far as the river, climbing over a fence that has been erected across the path about halfway down. Along the road and the track we picked up two male Blue-capped Hummingbirds,Happy Wren, Green Jay, White-throated Thrush, a pair of Grey-crowned Woodpeckers, and an unexpected Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, but bird activity died down quickly in the hot sunny morning. It was on this track that we encountered our first birder (one of only two we would meet), a Belgian whom we would subsequently run into again in the Oaxaca Valley. He told us he had seen White-throated Jay earlier in the week, but on the middle of the three tracks (at Km 158), rather than the track with the green gate. With the heat keeping the birds quiet in La Soledad, we decided to drive back up to this alternative White-throated Jay site. Birder number two, a Canadian, was already there, on his way out after an unsuccessful search for the jays. We did no better, but did add Chestnut-capped Brushfinch to our list.
La Soledad was shrouded in thick fog as we passed back through and no view was to be had from El Mirador, so we drove straight to Playa Zipolite and found a room at Hotel Shambhala, “Where the 60s never end” (400 pesos with shared bathroom). This adobe and thatch construction, resembling a cross between the set for “South Pacific” and Hobbiton, sits on the hill at the far western end of the beach, in a location that affords easy access to the birding tracks behind the beach. There is also an excellent view of the offshore stack from the Buddhist-themed hotel’s hilltop “Loma Meditacion”. We ended the day exploring the track mentioned in Howell that leads inland from a pre-school at the far western end of the village (note that the pre-school is difficult to see from the road, and a better landmark is a green roadsign just past the turn-off that reads “Ventanilla 5 km”). Here we had no trouble finding Russet-crowned Motmot, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, plenty of White-throated Magpie-Jays and Yellow-winged Caciques, a flock of White-fronted Parrots feeding in a fruiting tree, Citreoline Trogon, Spot-breasted Oriole, Cinnamon and Doubleday’s (Broad-billed) Hummingbirds, and our first male Orange-breasted Bunting, a trip favorite. Dinner at Shambhala’s vegetarian restaurant overlooking the beach would have been idyllic if not for the very loud hiphop music a nearby hotel was broadcasting for the benefit of the entire beachfront community, and once again we were happy to put in earplugs for the night!
Saturday 20 March: We returned to the track past the pre-school, and found considerably more activity there throughout the early morning. In addition to all of the species seen the previous evening, we added Happy, Rufous-naped, and Banded Wrens, White-lored Gnatcatcher, Golden-cheeked and Lineated Woodpeckers, Olive Sparrow, Blue Bunting, Streak-backed Oriole, Squirrel Cuckoo, and a female Red-breasted Chat. We especially enjoyed watching a pair of Russet-crowned Motmots and several Groove-billed Anis working together to turn over the leaf litter, presumably looking for ants and other insects. Before leaving Shambhala we spent a few minutes scoping the offshore rock from the “Loma Meditacion”, but only Brown Boobies and Magnificent Frigatebirds were to be seen. We spent the afternoon driving east along the coastal road to Tehuantepec. At several stops along the way there was a surprising amount of bird activity but no new species. Upon reaching Tehuantepec at about 5 p.m. we went straight to Km 244, the site Howell recommends for Sumichrast’s Sparrow. After a few minutes of searching and pishing along the edges of the power line cut here we succeeded in getting good looks at one individual. We returned to town and stayed at Hotel Guiexhoba, a quite upscale hotel (700 pesos) located right at the intersection of Rtes. 185 and 190. The hotel has a nice restaurant attached – although dinner seemed a bit overpriced, the breakfast we had the next morning was excellent value.
Sunday 21 March: Having found Sumichrast’s Sparrow the previous evening, we opted to spend the early morning searching for Rosita’s Bunting along Rte. 185 north of La Ventosa. A 2008 trip report mentioned finding this species along a side road at Km 229, and, not having the time to drive to Howell’s recommended site in Tapanatepec and back, we decided to look instead in that same area. A brand new cuota (toll road) now connects Tehuantepec to Tuxtla Gutierrez in the east and runs north to Matias Romero, considerably reducing the length of time required to reach La Ventosa. At Km 229 there is a side road on the left (as one drives north) that forks immediately, and the right hand (uphill) track leads into a quarry. This looked like an unpromising birding site, but as we started to turn around we spied several chachalacas in a large tree (they appeared to be Plain Chachalacas, although either species could occur here), and while looking at them we realized the tree was also full of small birds. These turned out to be mostly Orange-breasted and Indigo Buntings, although a couple of Sumichrast’s Sparrows were also present. Eventually we pulled three female-plumaged Rosita’s Buntings out of the mix, but were unable to find a male before a group of men who had arrived to do some quarrying started up a generator and we decided we’d better move on. We checked a few other side roads in the area, but the famous isthmus wind was howling by this time, making it difficult even to stand upright. We returned to Km 244 in Tehuantepec and spent another 1-1/2 hrs searching for Lesser Ground-Cuckoos. Although we heard several individuals at fairly close range we were unable to see them; as others have noted, there does not seem to be much active grazing at this site at present and the understory vegetation has become quite dense.
After a late breakfast back at the hotel, we hit the road for Oaxaca, making several productive stops in the course of the afternoon. A track at Km 124 produced Varied Bunting and another female Red-breasted Chat, and at Km 77, a scenic spot with lots of large cactus, we finally found Grey-breasted Woodpeckers and a very cooperative Green-fronted Hummingbird. We finished the day with spectacular views from the microwave towers at Km 55, where we saw several Rufous-crowned Sparrows, Boucard’s Wren, and heard another Ocellated Thrasher. Since we planned to bird the Teotitlán del Valle area again early the next morning, we decided to spend the night in the village of Tlacolula, and found a room at the very basic but perfectly adequate Hotel Calenda (200 pesos).
Monday 22 March: We were at the reservoir above Teotitlán del Valle at dawn, where Buff-collared Nightjars were calling and a few Lesser Nighthawks were flying over the water. We were hoping to see West Mexican Chachalacas, and although we heard numerous groups calling from the hillsides and valley, not a single one was visible. Working our way along the road above and below the bend at Km 9 we finally found Dwarf Vireo, along with Blue-hooded Euphonia, Golden Vireo, and Grey Silky-Flycatcher, species we had missed until now and had not anticipated seeing at this site. We also picked up several more Bridled Sparrows, Boucard’s Wrens and an Ocellated Thrasher. The last “new” bird of the trip was a Northern Mockingbird, reminding us that it was time to go home! Satisfied with a good morning’s birding, we returned to the hotel to pack and make our way to the airport for a mid-afternoon flight to Guadalajara and on home to Los Angeles.
In the course of the trip we saw about 200 species, including 46 Mexican endemics, and heard several others. As a result of the roadblock in Valle Nacional and subsequent detour we missed both of the Atlantic slope lowland forest sites we had intended to visit (Tuxtepec and Uxpanapa Rd.). Since those sites hold a couple of restricted-range Mexican endemics (most notably Nava’s and Sumichrast’s Wrens), we’ll just have to plan a future spring break trip to Veracruz or Chiapas!
Complete trip list (bold = Mexican endemic):
OA: Oaxaca City; MA: Monte Alban; TV: Teotitlan del Valle; CU: La Cumbre; VH: Valle Nacional, high; VL: Valle Nacional, low; LF: Llanos de las Flores; SJ: San Jose del Pacifico; SO: La Soledad; PZ: Playa Zipolite; TE: Tehuantepec
Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors): TV
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis): TV
Plain Chachalaca (Ortalis vetula): Rte 185 Km 229
West Mexican Chachalaca (Ortalis poliocephala) (heard only): MA, TV
Long-tailed Wood-Partridge (Dendrortyx macroura) (heard only): SJ
Least Grebe (Tachybaptus dominicus): TV
Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster): PZ
Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens): PZ
Great Egret (Ardea alba): TX
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula): TV
Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis): OA, VL
Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus): common everywhere
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura): common everywhere
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus): PZ
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus): TV
Crane Hawk (Geranospiza caerulescens): PZ
Grey Hawk (Buteo nitidus): SO
White-tailed Hawk (Buteo albicaudatus): MA
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis): a few seen around Oaxaca Valley
Crested Caracara (Caracara cheriway): OA, TV, TE
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius): Rte 190 Km 77
American Coot (Fulica americana): TV
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius): TV
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla): TV
Rock Pigeon (Columba livia): in towns
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura): TE
White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica): MA, TV, TE
Inca Dove (Columbina inca): MA, TV, TE
White-tipped Dove (Leptotila verreauxi): TV, PZ
White-crowned Parrot (Pionus senilis): VH
White-fronted Parrot (Amazona albifrons): PZ
Squirrel Cuckoo (Piaya cayana): PZ
Groove-billed Ani (Crotophaga sulcirostris): PZ
Lesser Ground-Cuckoo (Morococcyx erythropygus) (heard only): TE
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium brasilianum): PZ
Lesser Nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis): TV
Pauraque (Nyctidromus albicollis): VL
Buff-collared Nightjar (Caprimulgus ridgwayi) (heard only): MA, TV
Mexican Whip-poor-will (Caprimulgus arizonae): SJ
White-collared Swift (Streptoprocne zonaris): VL
Stripe-throated (Little) Hermit (Phaethornis striigularis): VL
Green Violetear (Colibri thalassinus): SJ
Canivet's Emerald (Chlorostilbon canivetii): VL
Dusky Hummingbird (Cynanthus sordidus): OA, MA
Broad-billed (Doubleday’s) Hummingbird (Cynanthus latirostris): PZ, TE
White-eared Hummingbird (Hylocharis leucotis): LF, SJ
Cinnamon Hummingbird (Amazilia rutila): PZ
Azure-crowned Hummingbird (Amazilia cyanocephala): VL
Violet-crowned Hummingbird (Amazilia violiceps): Rte. 175 Km 161
Green-fronted Hummingbird (Amazilia viridifrons): Rte 190 Km 77
Berylline Hummingbird (Amazilia beryllina): OA, SO
Blue-capped Hummingbird (Eupherusa cyanophrys): SO
Long-billed Starthroat (Heliomaster longirostris): Rte. 185 Km 229
Bumblebee Hummingbird (Atthis heloisa): SJ, SO
Citreoline Trogon (Trogon citreolus): PZ
Violaceous Trogon (Trogon violaceus): VL
Mountain Trogon (Trogon mexicanus): CU
Collared Trogon (Trogon collaris): VH
Amazon Kingfisher (Chloroceryle amazona): VL
Russet-crowned Motmot (Momotus mexicanus): PZ
Keel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus): VL
Golden-cheeked Woodpecker (Melanerpes chrysogenys): PZ
Gray-breasted Woodpecker (Melanerpes hypopolius): Rte 190 Km 77
Golden-fronted Woodpecker (Melanerpes aurifrons): VL, Rte. 185 Km 229
Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Picoides scalaris): MA
Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus): CU
Grey-crowned Woodpecker (Colaptes auricularis): SO
Lineated Woodpecker (Dryocopus lineatus): PZ
Ruddy Foliage-gleaner (Automolus rubiginosus): VH
Spot-crowned Woodcreeper (Lepidocolaptes affinis): VH, SJ
Barred Antshrike (Thamnophilus doliatus): VL
Greenish Elaenia (Myiopagis viridicata): SO
Pileated Flycatcher (Xenotriccus mexicanus): MA
Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus): PZ
Dusky Flycatcher (Empidonax oberholseri): MA
“Western” Flycatcher (Empidonax sp.): SO
Greater Pewee (Contopus pertinax): SO
Say's Phoebe (Sayornis saya): MA
Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus): OA, MA, TV
Piratic Flycatcher (Legatus leucophaius): VL
Social Flycatcher (Myiozetetes similis): VL, SO
Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher (Myiodynastes luteiventris): SO
Boat-billed Flycatcher (Megarynchus pitangua): VL, SO
Cassin's Kingbird (Tyrannus vociferans): OA, MA, TV
?Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus): VL, TE
Thick-billed Kingbird (Tyrannus crassirostris): TV
Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis): MA
Dusky-capped Flycatcher (Myiarchus tuberculifer): VL, SO, PZ
Nutting's Flycatcher (Myiarchus nuttingi): MA
Brown-crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus tyrannulus): PZ
Rose-throated Becard (Pachyramphus aglaiae): CU, VL, PZ
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis): MA, TV, VL, TX
Violet-green Swallow (Tachycineta thalassina): TV, CU
Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota): TE
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula): TV, CU
Grey Silky-Flycatcher (Ptilogonys cinereus): TV
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum): TV, SJ
Grey-barred Wren (Campylorhynchus megalopterus): CU
Rufous-naped Wren (Campylorhynchus rufinucha): PZ, TE
Boucard's Wren (Campylorhynchus jocosus): MA, TV, Rte 190 Km 55
Rock Wren (Salpinctes obsoletus): MA
Canyon Wren (Catherpes mexicanus): MA, TV
Happy Wren (Thryothorus felix): SO, PZ, Rte 190 Km 124
Banded Wren (Thryothorus pleurostictus): PZ, TE, Rte 190 Km 124
Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii): MA, TV
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon): LF
Gray-breasted Wood-Wren (Henicorhina leucophrys): VH, SO
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos): TV
Ocellated Thrasher (Toxostoma ocellatum): MA, TV
Blue Mockingbird (Melanotis caerulescens): MA, TV
Brown-backed Solitaire (Myadestes occidentalis): CU, LF, SJ, SO
Slate-colored Solitaire (Myadestes unicolor) (heard only): VH
Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus): MA
White-throated Thrush (Turdus assimilis): SO
Rufous-backed Robin (Turdus rufopalliatus): PZ
American Robin (Turdus migratorius): TV, LF
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea): MA, SO, PZ
White-lored Gnatcatcher (Polioptila albiloris): PZ, TE
Bushtit (Psaltriparus minimus): MA, SJ
Mexican Chickadee (Poecile sclateri): LF, SJ
Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri): CU, LF
White-throated Magpie-Jay (Calocitta formosa): PZ, TE
Green Jay (Cyanocorax yncas): SO
Brown Jay (Cyanocorax morio): VL
Dwarf Jay (Cyanolyca nana): CU
Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica): TV, Rte 190 Km 55
Unicolored Jay (Aphelocoma unicolor): VH
Common Raven (Corvus corax): MA, TE
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus): OA, MA, TV
Slaty Vireo (Vireo brevipennis): MA
White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus): VL
Bell's Vireo (Vireo bellii): PZ
Dwarf Vireo (Vireo nelsoni): TV
Cassin's Vireo (Vireo cassinii): LF, SO
Hutton's Vireo (Vireo huttoni): CU, SJ
Golden Vireo (Vireo hypochryseus): TV
Lesser Greenlet (Hylophilus decurtatus): VL
Yellow-throated Euphonia (Euphonia hirundinacea): VL
Elegant (Blue-hooded) Euphonia (Euphonia elegantissima): TV
House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus): MA, TV
Lesser Goldfinch (Carduelis psaltria): OA, MA, TV, VL
Blue-winged Warbler (Vermivora pinus): VL
Orange-crowned Warbler (Vermivora celata): MA, CU, LF, SJ
Nashville Warbler (Vermivora ruficapilla): VL, SJ, SO
Virginia's Warbler (Vermivora virginiae): MA
Crescent-chested Warbler (Parula superciliosa): CU, LF, SJ
Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia): PZ, TE
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata): MA, TV, CU, LF, SJ
Black-throated Gray Warbler (Dendroica nigrescens): OA
Black-throated Green Warbler (Dendroica virens): VL
Townsend's Warbler (Dendroica townsendi): CU, SJ, SO
Hermit Warbler (Dendroica occidentalis): CU, LF
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia): MA, VL, SO, PZ
Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla): TE
MacGillivray's Warbler (Oporornis tolmiei): MA, VL, SJ
Wilson's Warbler (Wilsonia pusilla): MA, CU, LF, SJ, SO PZ
Red Warbler (Ergaticus ruber): CU, LF, SJ, SO
Painted Redstart (Myioborus pictus): Rte 190 Km 55
Slate-throated Redstart (Myioborus miniatus): CU, SJ, SO
?Golden-crowned Warbler (Basileuterus culicivorus): SO
Rufous-capped Warbler (Basileuterus rufifrons): MA, TV, VL
Golden-browed Warbler (Basileuterus belli): CU, VH, VL, SO
Red-breasted Chat (Granatellus venustus): PZ, Rte 190 Km 124
Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola): VL
Common Bush-Tanager (Chlorospingus ophthalmicus): VH, SO
Red-throated Ant-Tanager (Habia fuscicauda): VL
Hepatic Tanager (Piranga flava): TV
Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra): SO
Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana): MA, VL, SJ
Crimson-collared Tanager (Ramphocelus sanguinolentus): VL
Yellow-winged Tanager (Thraupis abbas): VH, VL
Thick-billed Seed-Finch (Oryzoborus funereus): VL
Yellow-faced Grassquit (Tiaris olivaceus): VL
Rufous-capped Brush-Finch (Atlapetes pileatus): LF
Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch (Arremon brunneinucha): SO
Olive Sparrow (Arremonops rufivirgatus): PZ
Collared Towhee (Pipilo ocai): LF
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus): SJ, Rte 180 Km 55
White-throated Towhee (Pipilo albicollis): OA, MA, TV
Bridled Sparrow (Aimophila mystacalis): TV
Cinnamon-tailed (Sumichrast’s) Sparrow (Aimophila sumichrasti): TE
Rufous-crowned Sparrow (Aimophila ruficeps): MA
Oaxaca Sparrow (Aimophila notosticta): MA, Rte 190 Km 55
Rusty Sparrow (Aimophila rufescens): VL
Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina): MA, TV
Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii): TV, VL
Yellow-eyed Junco (Junco phaeonotus): LF, SJ
Grayish Saltator (Saltator coerulescens): VL
Buff-throated Saltator (Saltator maximus): VL
Black-headed Saltator (Saltator atriceps): VL
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus): VL
Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus): TV, SJ
Blue Bunting (Cyanocompsa parellina): PZ
Blue-black Grosbeak (Cyanocompsa cyanoides): VL
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea): VL, Rte 185 Km 229
Rose-bellied (Rosita’s) Bunting (Passerina rositae): Rte 185 Km 229
Orange-breasted Bunting (Passerina leclancherii): PZ, TE
Varied Bunting (Passerina versicolor): Rte 190 Km 124
Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus): OA, TV, VL, PZ, TE
Bronzed Cowbird (Molothrus aeneus): MA, TV, VL
Spot-breasted Oriole (Icterus pectoralis): PZ
Streak-backed Oriole (Icterus pustulatus): MA, PZ, TE
?Altamira Oriole (Icterus gularis): PZ
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula): VL
Black-cowled Oriole (Icterus prosthemelas): VL
Black-vented Oriole (Icterus wagleri): MA, TV, SJ
Yellow-billed Cacique (Amblycercus holosericeus): VL
Yellow-winged Cacique (Cacicus melanicterus): PZ