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Veracruz, Mexico
River of Raptors . . .y mas! (and more!)
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Sept. 24 - Oct. 7, 2006
$2595, all-inclusive from Veracruz City, Mexico
Tour limit: 8 people with 2 guides
The coastal plain along the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz is the site of one of the greatest natural spectacles in the birding world. Each autumn, millions of birds of prey traverse this narrow corridor in the world’s greatest raptor migration. We’ll spend some time at the observation sites of the Veracruz River of Raptors Project to watch the raptors (over 450,000 Broad-winged Hawks in a
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| single day can be seen at peek times), and also visit some of the other excellent birding sites in the state of Veracruz. Tour price includes a contribution to Pronatura Veracruz, to support their conservation work.
September 24 We arrive at Veracruz City this evening, and meet our driver for the short trip to Cardel, where we check into the hotel we’ll be staying in for the next three nights. Overnight Cardel.
September 25-26 For the next two days we’ll enjoy both the great birding and the spectacular raptor migration
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Birding along the beach at the La Mancha biological station north of Cardel.
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| which can be found on the coastal plain of Veracruz. Early morning outings to the beaches, mangroves and remnant jungles near our hotel will give us a chance to see many birds, such as Aplomado Falcon, Double-striped Thick-knee, many other waders and shorebirds, and endemic specialties such as the Mexican Sheartail. Late in the morning, and through the mid-day time, we’ll go up on the roof of our |
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“Thanks to you and Julio for a wonderful two weeks - I wanted it to never end! Birding in Mexico is a neat experience - and thanks for including some other cultural things. It was great to experience the river of raptors - and to understand the story of migration a little better. Thanks again for a great time!”
Prunela WilliamsHope Mills, NC
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| hotel and join the observers from Pronatura Veracruz to watch the daily passage of thousands of raptors. Late afternoon and evening will give us a chance to do more birding, or to visit some of the many cultural sites in the area, such as the Totonac ruins at Zempoala and one of the early homes of the conquistador Hernan Cortez and an early church at la Antigua. Overnights Cardel.
September 27-30 After some early
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morning birding, we depart for the mountains of the interior of Veracruz, and the statecapital of Xalapa. On the way, we’ll stop by Pronatura’s second count site in the town of Chichicaxtle, on a two-story observation tower constructed in the town’s soccer field. While in Xalapa, we have an opportunity to bird in the mountains, shade-coffee plantations and parks near the city. We’ll take a trip |
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Orizaba, Mexico’s highest point, provides a stunning backdrop as we bird the Valley of Perote.
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into pine and fir forests on the slopes of the volcano Cofre del Perote, search for mixed-species flocks in the pine-oak cloud forests of las Minas, and spend an evening with Bat Falcons, swifts and other birds at the spectacular waterfalls at Xico. In the afternoons, we’ll enjoy some of the cultural features of Xalapa, such as the famous Museum of Anthropology, one of Mexico’s finest museums. Overnights Xalapa.
October 1-3 This morning we leave the hills of Xalapa and journey to the tropical forests of the Catemaco region. Here, at the northern-most extension of tropical rain forest in the Americas, we’ll stay in a village exquisitely located on the shores of an ancient crater lake at a point where the Tuxtla highlands meet the Sierra Santa Marta just twelve miles from the gulf coast. For the next two days, many birding sites in a variety of habitats including rain forests, wetlands, coastal shores and cloud forests will keep us busy. Over 400 species of birds have been recorded in this relatively compact area. Overnights Catemaco.
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A pair of Black-and-white Owls make a rare daytime appearance near Catemaco.
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| October 4-5 After some final early-morning birding in the rain forest, we journey up the coastal plain, enjoying the birds of the fields and wetlands enroute to Cardel. We have another opportunity to experience the raptor migration, and to see how it has changed in the week since we were last there. While in Cardel, we’ll also visit a shade-coffee plantation with great birds in the foothills west of the town. Overnights Cardel.
October 6 We depart early this morning to visit the shade-coffee farms of the village of Amatlan, home of the rare and local Sumichrast’s Wren, and many other birds. In the afternoon, we return to Veracruz City and check into the Hotel Colonial, located on the historic Zocalo (town square). We’ll have a chance for shopping, a visit the famous aquarium, or simply enjoying the colorful life of the Zocalo. Overnight Veracruz City.
October 7 After breakfast, transfer to the Veracruz airport for your flight home, filled with memories of the River of Raptors and other great birds of Veracruz.
Arrival and Departure information: The tour begins in Veracruz City on September 24, and ends in Veracruz City on October 7. Please make flight arrangements to arrive in Veracruz City on the 24th, and depart from Veracruz City
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Raptors aren’t the only migrants that concentrate along the Veracruz coast, we usually see large flocks of elegant Fork-tailed Flycatchers.
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on the morning of October 7. If you wish, we can make flight reservations for you. A Westwings, Inc. representative will meet you at the airport. The tour price includes all transportation, meals, lodging, admission fees and guides during the tour. Tips for meals (but not for drivers, other service personnel or guides) are included. See the reservation form for further details and for additional Westwings, Inc. policies. |
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Veracruz has some great resident raptors as well, like this Black-collared Hawk in the wetlands near Tlacotalpan.
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Bird List for the Veracruz Tour
This is the list of birds that have been seen on this tour in recent years. A typical trip list from this tour will be about 330-350 species. Birds marked with an asterisk (*) are rare and not to be expected on most trips.
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Slaty-breasted Tinamou
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
Fulvous Whistling-Duck
Muscovy Duck
Mottled Duck*
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Merganser sp.*
Plain Chachalaca
Bearded Wood-Partridge
Northern Bobwhite
Spotted Wood-Quail
Singing Quail
Least Grebe
Pied-billed Grebe
Eared Grebe
American White Pelican
Brown Pelican
Neotropic Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Anhinga
Magnificent Frigatebird
Pinnated Bittern
Least Bittern
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
Roseate Spoonbill
Wood Stork
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture
Greater [American] Flamingo*
Osprey
Hook-billed Kite
White-tailed Kite
Snail Kite
Mississippi Kite
Black-collared Hawk
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper s Hawk
Northern Goshawk*
Crane Hawk
White Hawk
Gray Hawk
Common Black-Hawk
Great Black-Hawk
Harris's Hawk
Solitary Eagle*
Roadside Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Short-tailed Hawk
Swainson’s Hawk
White-tailed Hawk
Zone-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Golden Eagle*
Black Hawk-Eagle
Barred Forest-Falcon
Collared Forest-Falcon
Crested Caracara
Laughing Falcon
American Kestrel
Merlin
Aplomado Falcon
Bat Falcon
Peregrine Falcon
Ruddy Crake
Gray-necked Wood-Rail
Sora
Purple Gallinule
Common Moorhen
American Coot
Limpkin
Double-striped Thick-knee
Black-bellied Plover
Collared Plover
Wilson s Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Piping plover
Killdeer
American Oystercatcher
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Northern Jacana
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Least Sandpiper
Baird’s Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Dunlin
Stilt Sandpiper
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Short-billed Dowitcher
Wilson’s Snipe
Wilson's Phalarope
Parasitic Jaeger*
Laughing Gull
Franklin's Gull
Gull-billed Tern
Solitary Sandpiper
Willet
Spotted Sandpiper
Whimbrel
Long-billed Curlew
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Marbled Godwit
Ruddy Turnstone
Sanderling
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Caspian Tern
Royal Tern
Sandwich Tern
Common Tern
Forster's Tern
Least Tern
Black Tern
Black Skimmer
Rock Pigeon
Red-billed Pigeon
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
Inca Dove
Common Ground-Dove
Plain-breasted Ground-Dove
Ruddy Ground-Dove
Blue Ground-Dove
White-tipped Dove
Gray-headed Dove
White-faced Quail-Dove
Ruddy Quail-Dove
Olive-throated Parakeet
Brown-hooded Parrot
White-crowned Parrot
White-fronted Parrot
Red-lored Parrot
Mealy Parrot
Yellow-headed Parrot
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Squirrel Cuckoo
Lesser Roadrunner
Groove-billed Ani
Barn Owl
Vermiculated Screech-Owl
Great Horned Owl
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl
Burrowing Owl
Mottled Owl
Black-and-White Owl
Striped Owl
Lesser Nighthawk
Common Nighthawk
Common Pauraque
Chuck-will’s Widow
Whip-poor-will
Chestnut-collared Swift
White-collared Swift
Vaux's Swift
White-throated Swift
Great Swallow-tailed Swift*
Long-billed Hermit
Stripe-throated Hermit
Wedge-tailed Sabrewing
Long-tailed Sabrewing
Violet Sabrewing
Green-breasted Mango
Black-crested Coquette
Canivet's Emerald
Broad-billed Hummingbird
White-eared Hummingbird
White-bellied Emerald
Azure-crowned Hummingbird
Berylline Hummingbird
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Buff-bellied Hummingbird
Amethyst-throated Hummingbird
Blue-throated Hummingbird
Long-billed Starthroat
Sparkling-tailed Woodstar
Mexican Sheartail
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Bumblebee Hummingbird
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Black-headed Trogon
Violaceous Trogon
Mountain Trogon
Collared Trogon
Slaty-tailed Trogon
Blue-crowned Motmot
Ringed Kingfisher
Belted Kingfisher
Amazon Kingfisher
Green Kingfisher
American Pygmy Kingfisher
Emerald Toucanet
Collared Aracari
Keel-billed Toucan
Acorn Woodpecker
Buff-throated Foliage-Gleaner
Plain Xenops
Tawny-winged Woodcreeper
Olivaceous Woodcreeper
Wedge-billed Woodcreeper
Northern Barred Woodcreeper
Ivory-billed Woodcreeper
Streak-headed Woodcreeper
Spot-crowned Woodcreeper
Barred Antshrike
Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet
Northern Beardless Tyrannulet
Greenish Elaenia
Yellow-bellied Elaenia
Ochre-bellied Flycatcher
Common Tody-Flycatcher
Eye-ringed Flatbill
Yellow-olive Flycatcher
Stub-tailed Spadebill
Tufted Flycatcher
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Greater Pewee
Western Wood-Pewee
Eastern Wood-Pewee
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Black-cheeked Woodpecker
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Smoky-brown Woodpecker
Golden-olive Woodpecker
Chestnut-colored Woodpecker
Lineated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Scaly-throated Foliage-Gleaner
Tropical Pewee
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Acadian Flycatcher
Alder Flycatcher
Willow Flycatcher
Least Flycatcher
Hammond's Flycatcher
Pine Flycatcher
Cordilleran Flycatcher
Yellowish Flycatcher
Black Phoebe
Eastern Phoebe
Say's Phoebe
Vermillion Flycatcher
Bright-rumped Attila
Dusky-capped Flycatcher
Great-crested Flycatcher
Brown-crested Flycatcher
Great Kiskadee
Boat-billed Flycatcher
Social Flycatcher
Streaked Flycatcher
Tropical Kingbird
Couch's Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Fork-tailed Flycatcher
Gray-collared Becard
Rose-throated Becard
Masked Tityra
Red-capped Manakin
Loggerhead Shrike
White-eyed Vireo
Bell’s Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Plumbeous Vireo
Cassin's Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Hutton's Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Brown-capped Vireo
Philadelphia Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Yellow-green Vireo
Lesser Greenlet
Green Shrike-Vireo
Steller's Jay
Green Jay
Brown Jay
Western Scrub-Jay
Mexican Jay
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Gray-breasted Martin
Tree Swallow
Mangrove Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Bank Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Mexican Chickadee
Black-crested Titmouse
Bushtit
White-breasted Nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Band-backed Wren
Rufous-naped Wren
Rock Wren
Canyon Wren
Sumichrast's Wren
Spot-breasted Wren
Bewick's Wren
House Wren
Sedge Wren
Marsh Wren
White-bellied Wren
White-breasted Wood-Wren
Gray-breasted Wood-Wren
American Dipper
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Long-billed Gnatwren
Eastern Bluebird
Brown-backed Solitaire
Russet Nightingale-Thrush
Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush
Blue Mockingbird
American Pipit
Gray Silky-flycatcher
Olive Warbler
Blue-winged Warbler
Golden-winged Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Virginia's Warbler
Crescent-chested Warbler
Northern Parula
Tropical Parula
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
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Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Townsend's Warbler
Hermit Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Grace's Warbler
Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush
Wood Thrush
Black Robin
Clay-colored Robin
White-throated Robin
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Northern Mockngbird
Tropical Mockingbird
Curve-billed Thrasher
Prairie Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Prothonotary Warbler
Worm-eating Warbler
Ovenbird
Northern Waterthrush
Louisiana Waterthrush
Kentucky Warbler
Mourning Warbler
MacGillivray's Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Yellowthroat
Gray-crowned Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Canada Warbler
Red Warbler
Painted Redstart
Slate-throated Redstart
Fan-tailed Warbler
Golden-crowned Warbler
Rufous-capped Warbler
Golden-browed Warbler
Yellow-breasted Chat
Bananaquit
Common Bush-Tanager
Black-throated Shrike-Tanager
Red-crowned Ant-Tanager
Red-throated Ant-Tanager
Hepatic Tanager
Summer Tanager
Scarlet Tanager
Western Tanager
Flame-colored Tanager
White-winged Tanager
Crimson-collared Tanager
Blue-gray Tanager
Yellow-winged Tanager
Red-legged Honeycreeper
Blue-black Grassquit
White-collared Seedeater
Thick-billed Seed-Finch
Yellow-faced Grassquit
Cinnamon-bellied Flowerpiercer
White-naped Brush-Finch
Rufous-capped Brush-Finch
Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch
Collared Towhee
Canyon Towhee
Botteri s Sparrow
Rufous-crowned Sparrow
Rusty Sparrow
Striped Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Lincoln’s Sparrow
Yellow-eyed Junco
Grayish Saltator
Buff-throated Saltator
Black-headed Saltator
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Blue-black Grosbeak
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Varied Bunting
Painted Bunting
Dickcissel
Bobolink*
Red-winged Blackbird
Eastern Meadowlark
Melodious Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Bronzed Cowbird
Black-cowled Oriole
Orchard Oriole
Hooded Oriole
Yellow-tailed Oriole
Bullock's Oriole
Altamira Oriole
Audubon’s Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Black-backed Oriole
Yellow-billed Cacique
Chestnut-headed Oropendola
Montezuma Oropendola
Scrub Euphonia
Yellow-throated Euphonia
Elegant Euphonia
Olive-backed Euphonia
House Finch
Red Crossbill
Pine Siskin
Black-headed Siskin
Lesser Goldfinch
Evening Grosbeak
House Sparrow
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For general questions and information email cbirds@westwings.com: For reservation status or account information email assistant@westwings.com: Or contact us by phone toll free at 866-552-0221: Our local number is 801-487-9453
Please send reservation forms and other mail to
Westwings, Inc.
P.O. Box 521720
Salt Lake City UT, 84152
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