Westwings Oaxaca Tour



		Oaxaca, Mexico Bird List
		February 10-23, 2007 $2495, all-inclusive from Oaxaca City, Mexico Ancient ruins and cultural attractions have made the valleys of Oaxaca a popular destination for adventurous travelers. But the diverse landscapes of this region hold even greater riches for the birder. With nearly 700 species of birds (including over 50 Mexican endemics), the state of Oaxaca has perhaps the most diverse avifauna of all of Mexico. Our tour provides the most complete coverage of Oaxaca of any birding tour, from the lowland rain forests of the Atlantic slope to the ruggedly beautiful Pacific coastline - and almost everything in between. Saturday, February 10 After our arrival in the ancient city of Oaxaca, we transfer to our elegant hotel, and, if time allows, enjoy a little birding at a nearby nature park. This evening, we enjoy a brief welcome social before retiring early in anticipation of the excitement of the morning. Sunday, February 11 We leave our hotel early, and spend the day birding in the central valleys of Oaxaca, where we will seek a host of endemics, including Dusky Hummingbird, Dwarf Vireo, Ocellated Thrasher and many others. Our setting will be the desert scrub forests which surround ancient ruins, allowing us to divide our time between searching for birds and examining the ancient culture of Oaxaca. This evening we go up into the nearby mountains to the small village of Benito Juarez, where comfortable cabins will be our home for the next two nights. Monday, February 12 A cool morning greets us in the high elevations of the Sierra Norte de Oaxaca. We find that the magical pine-oak forests which cover the mountains are filled with mixed flocks of birds, including the endemic Dwarf Jay. We also meet a friendly people, indigenous to these mountains, who have, through the cooperative efforts of several neighboring villages, transformed their forestry economy into one relying more on ecotourism, with a great network of hiking and mountain-biking trails through the mountains. These trails give us exceptional access to great birding. Tuesday, February 13 Today we spend a final morning in the mountains, seeking out mixed flocks, and filling our lists with more specialties of the northern Oaxaca highlands. We leave our friendly village late in the morning and bird our way through the mountains to the north, eventually dropping down on the Atlantic slope through cloud forests and into lowland rain forests around the town of Tuxtepec. Wednesday-Thursday, February 14-15 We spend two full days in Tuxtepec, one day birding the lower rain forests, and the other birding the cloud forests just above on the mountain slopes. With an elevational gradient from 300 feet to over 10,000 feet in only 60 miles, this area offers some of the richest birding in all of Oaxaca. It’s possible to see such diverse birds as Keel-billed Toucan and Red Warbler on the same day! These dripping forests seem a world away from the cool pines of the mountains, and the bird life we find is just as different. Friday, February 16 We leave Tuxtepec early this morning, and begin our journey back to Oaxaca City, birding as we go. We pass from lowland rain forest to montane rain forest to cloud forest to pine forest digging ever deeper into the avian riches of these amazing forests. We arrive this evening at our hotel in Oaxaca City. Saturday, February 17 Today we spend the entire day in the Oaxaca City area, seeking those Central Valley and mountain endemics that we haven’t seen yet. We also have a chance to visit some of the city’s fine museums and cultural attractions, and relax a bit before embarking on the final leg of our trip. Sunday - Wednesday, February 18-21 We begin the final leg of our tour this morning as we head south out of the city, and climb through the mountains which separate the central valley from the Pacific Ocean. Even though the pine woodlands of these mountains look similar to those of the Sierra Norte, we find that there are a number of birds, such as the Blue-capped Hummingbird, which are unique to these mountains. As we drop down to the coast, we pass through jungles and shade-coffee plantations, where once again, we find a unique bird community. Finally, we reach the ocean, and the thorn-forest covered hills above the spectacular coastline. We travel along the shore for a few kilometers to the tiny fishing village of Mazunte, were we will stay in cabins near a secluded beach. For the next three days, we will relax between short excursions to look for birds in the thorn-forest, nearby mangrove lagoons, and the coffee plantations. A snorkeling (and “pelagic” birding) trip is also possible for those who want to try a little “underwater birding.” Thursday, February 22 All too soon, we must leave, and begin our journey back to Oaxaca City. We’ll be able to bird our way through the mountains, where the abundance of mixed-species flocks ensures that we’ll make slow progress this day, arriving at the city this afternoon. In the city, we’ll be able to sample the famous culture of the zocalo (town square). We’ll dine at a restaurant famous for its Oaxacan cuisine, then enjoy a little shopping and people-watching on the zocalo. Friday, February 23 Late morning departures allows us some time this morning to end our trip the way we started, searching for endemic birds amongst the ancient ruins of Oaxaca. Before long, we’re on our way back to the world we came from - one that seems far away from the bird-filled mountains, valleys and coast of Oaxaca. Arrival and Departure information: The tour begins in Oaxaca City in the afternoon of February 11, and ends in Oaxaca City on February 24. Flights should be scheduled to arrive as early as possible on the 11th, and depart in the morning on the 24nd. Westwings staff will meet you at the airport, or at your hotel, if you plan to arrive before the 11th - please call for exact coordinating information. We can make your flight reservations for you, if you wish. The tour price includes all transportation, meals, lodging and non-personal expenses during the tour. See the reservation form for further details on what’s included, and for additional Westwings, Inc. policies. If you have further questions regarding this trip, please call (866) 552-0221, or e-mail us at cbirds@westwings.com Back to Top
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	Bird List from the Oaxaca Tour This is the list birds which have been seen on this tour in recent years. A typical trip list from this tour will be about 350-375 species (we’ve seen as many as 407). Birds marked with an asterisk (*) are rare and not to be expected on most trips. Names and sequence are according to the current A.O.U. Checklist of North American Birds (7th Edition & 42nd Supplement), and only officially recognized full species are listed.
	Great Tinamou Little Tinamou Thicket Tinamou Slaty-breasted Tinamou Black-bellied Whistling-Duck American Wigeon Blue-winged Teal Cinnamon Teal Northern Shoveler Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal Lesser Scaup Ruddy Duck Plain Chachalaca West Mexican Chachalaca Crested Guan Great Currasow* Long-tailed Wood-Partridge Spotted Wood-Quail Least Grebe Pied-billed Grebe Eared Grebe Wedge-tailed Shearwater Sooty Shearwater Townsend’s Shearwater Black-vented Shearwater Audubon’s Shearwater Black Storm-Petrel Least Storm-Petrel Red-billed Tropicbird Masked Booby* Brown Booby American White Pelican Brown Pelican Neotropic Cormorant Anhinga Magnificent Frigatebird Bare-throated Tiger-Heron Great Blue Heron Great Egret Snowy Egret Little Blue Heron Tricolored Heron Reddish Egret Cattle Egret Green Heron Black-crowned Night-Heron Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Boat-billed Heron White Ibis White-faced Ibis Wood Stork Black Vulture Turkey Vulture Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture Osprey Gray-headed Kite Hook-billed Kite White-tailed Kite Snail Kite Northern Harrier Sharp-shinned Hawk Cooper s Hawk Northern Goshawk* White Hawk Gray Hawk Mangrove Black-Hawk Common Black-Hawk Great Black-Hawk Harris's Hawk Solitary Eagle* Roadside Hawk Broad-winged Hawk Short-tailed Hawk White-tailed Hawk Swainson's Hawk Zone-tailed Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Black Hawk-Eagle Ornate Hawk-Eagle* Barred Forest-Falcon Collared Forest-Falcon Crested Caracara Laughing Falcon American Kestrel Merlin Aplomado Falcon Bat Falcon Peregrine Falcon Ruddy Crake Virginia Rail Sora Purple Gallinule Common Moorhen American Coot Limpkin Collared Plover Snowy Plover Wilson's Plover Semipalmated Plover Black-necked Stilt American Avocet Northern Jacana Greater Yellowlegs Solitary Sandpiper Willet Wandering Tattler Spotted Sandpiper Sanderling Semipalmated Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Common Snipe Red-necked Phalarope Pomarine Jaeger Laughing Gull Caspian Tern Royal Tern Elegant Tern Forster's Tern Black Tern Rock Pigeon Pale-vented Pigeon Red-billed Pigeon Band-tailed Pigeon Short-billed Pigeon White-winged Dove		Mourning Dove Inca Dove Common Ground-Dove Ruddy Ground-Dove Blue Ground-Dove White-tipped Dove Gray-fronted Dove White-faced Quail-Dove Ruddy Quail-Dove Olive-throated Parakeet Orange-fronted Parakeet Barred Parakeet Brown-hooded Parrot White-crowned Parrot White-fronted Parrot Red-lored Parrot Mealy Parrot Squirrel Cuckoo Lesser Ground-Cuckoo Lesser Roadrunner Groove-billed Ani Barn Owl Flammulated Owl Vermiculated Screech-Owl Great Horned Owl Central American Pygmy-Owl Colima Pygmy-Owl Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl Mottled Owl Northern Saw-whet Owl Lesser Nighthawk Pauraque Buff-collared Nightjar Whip-poor-will Chestnut-collared Swift White-collared Swift Chimney Swift Vaux's Swift White-throated Swift Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift Long-billed Hermit Stripe-throated Hermit Wedge-tailed Sabrewing Violet Sabrewing Green-breasted Mango Green Violet-ear Stripe-tailed Hummingbird Golden-crowned Emerald Canivet's Emerald Dusky Hummingbird Broad-billed Hummingbird White-eared Humingbird White-bellied Emerald Azure-crowned Hummingbird Berylline Hummingbird Rufous-tailed Hummingbird Buff-bellied Hummingbird Cinnamon Hummingbird Green-fronted Hummingbird Violet-crowned Hummingbird Blue-capped Hummingbird Amethyst-throated Hummingbird Blue-throated Hummingbird Garnet-throated Hummingbird Magnificent Hummingbird Long-billed Starthroat Plain-capped Starthroat Sparkling-tailed Hummingbird Beautiful Hummingbird Ruby-throated Hummingbird Black-chinned Hummingbird Bumblebee Hummingbird Black-headed Trogon Citreoline Trogon Violaceous Trogon Mountain Trogon Elegant Trogon Collared Trogon Tody Motmot Russet-crowned Motmot Blue-crowned Motmot Ringed Kingfisher Belted Kingfisher Amazon Kingfisher Green Kingfisher Emerald Toucanet Collared Aracari Keel-billed Toucan Acorn Woodpecker Black-cheeked Woodpecker Golden-cheeked Woodpecker Gray-breasted Wooodpecker Golden-fronted Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Ladder-backed Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Smoky-brown Woodpecker Golden-olive Woodpecker Gray-crowned Woodpecker Northern Flicker Lineated Woodpecker Pale-billed Woodpecker Rufous-breasted Spinetail Scaly-throated Foliage-gleaner Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner Ruddy Foliage-Gleaner Plain Xenops Olivaceous Woodcreeper Strong-billed Woodcreeper Ivory-billed Woodcreeper Spotted Woodcreeper White-striped Woodcreeper Streak-headed Woodcreeper Spot-crowned Woodcreeper Barred Antshrike Black-faced Antthrush Northern Beardless Tyrannulet Greenish Elaenia Yellow-bellied Elaenia Ochre-bellied Flycatcher Slate-headed Tody-Flycatcher Eye-ringed Flatbill Pileated Flycatcher Tufted Flycatcher Olive-sided Flycatcher	Greater Pewee Tropical Pewee Western Wood-Pewee Acadian Flycatcher Willow Flycatcher White-throated Flycatcher Least Flycatcher Hammond's Flycatcher Dusky Flycatcher Gray Flycatcher Pine Flycatcher Pacific-slope Flycatcher Cordilleran Flycatcher Black Phoebe Eastern Phoebe Say's Phoebe Vermillion Flycatcher Bright-rumped Attila Dusky-capped Flycatcher Ash-throated Flycatcher Nutting's Flycatcher Brown-crested Flycatcher Flammulated Flycatcher Great Kiskadee Boat-billed Flycatcher Social Flycatcher Tropical Kingbird Couch's Kingbird Cassin's Kingbird Thick-billed Kingbird Western Kingbird Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Gray-collared Becard Rose-throated Becard Masked Tityra White-collared Manakin Loggerhead Shrike Slaty Vireo White-eyed Vireo Bell s Vireo Dwarf Vireo Yellow-throated Vireo Plumbeous Vireo Cassin's Vireo Blue-headed Vireo Hutton's Vireo Golden Vireo Warbling Vireo Brown-capped Vireo Lesser Greenlet Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo Rufous-browed Peppershrike Steller's Jay White-throated Magpie-Jay Green Jay Brown Jay Azure-hooded Jay Dwarf Jay Western Scrub-Jay Unicolored Jay Common Raven Horned Lark Gray-breasted Martin Tree Swallow Mangrove Swallow Violet-green Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Cave Swallow Barn Swallow Mexican Chickadee Bridled Titmouse Bushtit White-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Band-backed Wren Gray-barred Wren Rufous-naped Wren Boucard's Wren Rock Wren Canyon Wren Spot-breasted Wren Banded Wren Happy Wren Bewick's Wren House Wren Marsh Wren White-bellied Wren White-breasted Wood-Wren Gray-breasted Wood-Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Long-billed Gnatwren Blue-gray Gnatcatcher White-lored Gnatcatcher Eastern Bluebird Brown-backed Solitaire Slate-colored Solitaire Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush Russet Nightingale-Thrush Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush Swainson s Thrush Hermit Thrush Black Robin Clay-colored Robin White-throated Robin Rufous-backed Robin American Robin Aztec Thrush Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Tropical Mockingbird Ocellated Thrasher Curve-billed Thrasher Blue Mockingbird American Pipit Cedar Waxwing Gray Silky-flycatcher Olive Warbler Blue-winged Warbler Tennessee Warbler Orange-crowned Warbler Nashville Warbler Virginia's Warbler	Crescent-chested Warbler Northern Parula Tropical Parula Yellow Warbler Magnolia Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Gray Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Townsend's Warbler Hermit Warbler Yellow-throated Warbler Grace's Warbler Black-and-white Warbler American Redstart Worm-eating Warbler Ovenbird Northern Waterthrush Louisiana Waterthrush Mourning Warbler MacGillivray's Warbler Common Yellowthroat Hooded Yellowthroat Gray-crowned Yellowthroat Hooded Warbler Wilson's Warbler Red-faced Warbler Red Warbler Painted Redstart Slate-throated Redstar tFan-tailed Warbler Golden-crowned Warbler Rufous-capped Warbler Golden-browed Warbler Yellow-breasted Chat Red-breasted Chat Bananaquit Common Bush-Tanager Red-crowned Ant-Tanager Red-throated Ant-Tanager Hepatic Tanager Summer Tanager Western Tanager Flame-colored Tanager White-winged Tanager Crimson-collared Tanager Blue-gray Tanager Yellow-winged Tanager Golden-hooded Tanager Red-legged Honeycreeper Blue-black Grassquit White-collared Seedeater Ruddy-breasted Seedeater Thick-billed Seed-Finch Yellow-faced Grassquit Cinnamon-bellied Flowerpiercer White-naped Brush-Finch Rufous-capped Brush-Finch Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch Olive Sparrow Collared Towhee Spotted Towhee White-throated Towhee Canyon Towhee Bridled Sparrow Cinnamon-tailed Sparrow Botteri s Sparrow Rufous-crowned Sparrow Rusty Sparrow Oaxaca Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Clay-colored Sparrow Black-chinned Sparrow Lark Sparrow Grasshopper Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Lincoln s Sparrow Yellow-eyed Junco Grayish Saltator Buff-throated Saltator Black-headed Saltator Black-faced Grosbeak Northern Cardinal Rose-breasted Grosbeak Black-headed Grosbeak Blue-black Grosbeak Blue Bunting Blue Grosbeak Lazuli Bunting Indigo Bunting Varied Bunting Orange-breasted Bunting Painted Bunting Red-winged Blackbird Eastern Meadowlark Melodious Blackbird Great-tailed Grackle Bronzed Cowbird Brown-headed Cowbird Black-vented Oriole Black-cowled Oriole Orchard Oriole Hooded Oriole Yellow-tailed Oriole Streak-backed Oriole Bullock's Oriole Spot-breasted Oriole Altamira Oriole Audubon’s Oriole Baltimore Oriole Black-backed Oriole Scott's Oriole Yellow-billed Cacique Yellow-winged Cacique Chestnut-headed Oropendola Montezuma Oropendola Scrub Euphonia Yellow-throated Euphonia Elegant Euphonia Blue-crowned Chlorophonia House Finch Red Crossbill Black-headed Siskin Lesser Goldfinch House Sparrow
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Bird List from the Oaxaca Tour