Christmas Bird Count: Tikal 2007
Compilers: Knut Eisermann & Claudia Avendaño
Good weather conditions -no rain nor wind- promised good birding during the second Christmas Bird Count in Tikal on 18 December 2007, with the participation of 22 observers.
A total of 2440 birds of 171 species was detected. Tikal is a good site to see the rare Orange-breasted Falcon. Two birds were seen and photographed by Claudia Avendaño during this Christmas Bird Count. Also noteworthy was a Agami Heron seen in the eastern part of the National Park. Green Honeycreepers are rarely reported in Tikal. A pair seen in the western part of the National Park was noteworthy.
A small wetland in the north of the National Park was dry during the first Christmas Bird Count in 2006. In this year, shallow water with dense herbaceous growth was covering an area of about 7 ha, providing habitat to at least 4 Limpkins, 2 Ruddy Crakes, 2 Great Egrets, 4 Green Herons, and a Snail Kite.
The most abundant species was Montezuma Oropendula with 500 birds counted on a roost, followed by Vaux's Swift (108 ind.), White-crowned Parrot (100), and Red-lored Parrot (67). Because these species spend much time flying high over the canopy, their detectability is higher than in species of the forest interior. Of these, Wood Thrush was the most abundant one with 57 birds detected.
It follows a list of species and numbers of individuals recorded during the second Christmas Bird Count in Tikal (Nomenclature according to AOU 1998 and supplements, most recent update AOU 2007). Species recorded during count week are marked with (cw).
- TINAMIDAE
- Great Tinamou Tinamus major 5
- Slaty-breasted Tinamou Crypturellus boucardi 3
- CRACIDAE
- Plain Chachalaca Ortalis vetula 19
- Crested Guan Penelope purpurascens 22
- Great Curassow Crax rubra 8
- PHASIANIDAE
- Ocellated Turkey Meleagris ocellata 20
- ODONTOPHORIDAE
- Spotted Wood-Quail Odontophorus guttatus 1
- ARDEIDAE
- Bare-throated Tiger-Heron Tigrisoma mexicanum 1
- Great Egret Ardea alba 2
- Green Heron Butorides virescens 4
- Agami Heron Agamia agami 1
- CATHARTIDAE
- Black Vulture Coragyps atratus 41
- Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura 7
- ACCIPITRIDAE
- Snail Kite Rostrhamus sociabilis 1
- Roadside Hawk Buteo magnirostris 7
- Gray Hawk Buteo nitidus 2
- Short-tailed Hawk Buteo brachyurus 1
- Black Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus tyrannus 2
- Ornate Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus ornatus 3
- FALCONIDAE
- Barred Forest-Falcon Micrastur ruficollis 9
- Collared Forest-Falcon Micrastur semitorquatus 2
- Laughing Falcon Herpetotheres cachinnans 1
- Bat Falcon Falco rufigularis 4
- Orange-breasted Falcon Falco deiroleucus 2
- RALLIDAE
- Ruddy Crake Laterallus ruber 3
- Gray-necked Wood-Rail Aramides cajanea 4
- Purple Gallinule Porphyrio martinica 1
- ARAMIDAE
- Limpkin Aramus guarauna 5
- JACANIDAE
- Northern Jacana Jacana spinosa 1
- COLUMBIDAE
- Short-billed Pigeon Patagioenas nigrirostris 11
- Blue Ground-Dove Claravis pretiosa 2
- White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi 5
- Ruddy Quail-Dove Geotrygon montana 6
- PSITTACIDAE
- Olive-throated Parakeet Aratinga nana 16
- Brown-hooded Parrot Pionopsitta haematotis 14
- White-crowned Parrot Pionus senilis 100
- White-fronted Parrot Amazona albifrons 22
- Red-lored Parrot Amazona autumnalis 67
- Mealy Parrot Amazona farinosa 34
- CUCULIDAE
- Squirrel Cuckoo Piaya cayana 19
- STRIGIDAE
- Vermiculated Screech-Owl Megascops guatemalae 1
- Mottled Owl Ciccaba virgata 9
- Black-and-white Owl Ciccaba nigrolineata 1
- CAPRIMULGIDAE
- Common Pauraque Nyctidromus albicollis 1
- Yucatan Poorwill Nyctiphrynus yucatanicus 1
- APODIDAE
- Vaux's Swift Chaetura vauxi 108
- Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift Panyptila cayennensis 8
- TROCHILIDAE
- Stripe-throated Hermit Phaethornis striigularis 9
- Scaly-breasted Hummingbird Phaeochroa cuvierii 1
- Wedge-tailed Sabrewing Campylopterus curvipennis 3
- Canivet's Emerald Chlorostilbon canivetii 2
- White-bellied Emerald Amazilia candida 4
- Rufous-tailed Hummingbird Amazilia tzacatl 10
- Purple-crowned Fairy Heliothryx barroti 1
- TROGONIDAE
- Black-headed Trogon Trogon melanocephalus 13
- Violaceous Trogon Trogon violaceus 12
- Collared Trogon Trogon collaris 5
- Slaty-tailed Trogon Trogon massena 13
- MOMOTIDAE
- Blue-crowned Motmot Momotus momota 12
- BUCCONIDAE
- White-whiskered Puffbird Malacoptila panamensis 2
- GALBULIDAE
- Rufous-tailed Jacamar Galbula ruficauda 7
- RAMPHASTIDAE
- Emerald Toucanet Aulacorhynchus prasinus 1
- Collared Aracari Pteroglossus torquatus 17
- Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus 48
- PICIDAE
- Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons 7
- Smoky-brown Woodpecker Veniliornis fumigatus 7
- Golden-olive Woodpecker Piculus rubiginosus 3
- Chestnut-colored Woodpecker Celeus castaneus 16
- Lineated Woodpecker Dryocopus lineatus 6
- Pale-billed Woodpecker Campephilus guatemalensis 24
- FURNARIIDAE
- Plain Xenops Xenops minutus 6
- Scaly-throated Leaftosser Sclerurus guatemalensis 4
- Tawny-winged Woodcreeper Dendrocincla anabatina 13
- Ruddy Woodcreeper Dendrocincla homochroa 6
- Olivaceous Woodcreeper Sittasomus griseicapillus 31
- Wedge-billed Woodcreeper Glyphorynchus spirurus 3
- Strong-billed Woodcreeper Xiphocolaptes promeropirhynchus 1
- Northern Barred-Woodcreeper Dendrocolaptes sanctithomae 11
- Ivory-billed Woodcreeper Xiphorhynchus flavigaster 24
- THAMNOPHILIDAE
- Barred Antshrike Thamnophilus doliatus 4
- Plain Antvireo Dysithamnus mentalis 1
- Dot-winged Antwren Microrhopias quixensis 12
- FORMICARIIDAE
- Black-faced Antthrush Formicarius analis 5
- TYRANNIDAE
- Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet Ornithion semiflavum 5
- Greenish Elaenia Myiopagis viridicata 5
- Ochre-bellied Flycatcher Mionectes oleagineus 5
- Sepia-capped Flycatcher Leptopogon amaurocephalus 4
- Northern Bentbill Oncostoma cinereigulare 26
- Eye-ringed Flatbill Rhynchocyclus brevirostris 10
- Yellow-olive Flycatcher Tolmomyias sulphurescens 9
- Stub-tailed Spadebill Platyrinchus cancrominus 25
- Royal Flycatcher Onychorhynchus coronatus 8
- Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher Terenotriccus erythrurus 7
- Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher Myiobius sulphureipygius 8
- Tropical Pewee Contopus cinereus 3
- Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Empidonax flaviventris 6
- Least Flycatcher Empidonax minimus 3
- Bright-rumped Attila Attila spadiceus 14
- Rufous Mourner Rhytipterna holerythra 5
- Dusky-capped Flycatcher Myiarchus tuberculifer 11
- Great Crested Flycatcher Myiarchus crinitus 10
- Brown-crested Flycatcher Myiarchus tyrannulus 9
- Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus 1
- Boat-billed Flycatcher Megarynchus pitangua 4
- Social Flycatcher Myiozetetes similis 29
- Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus 6
- Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii 1
- Thrush-like Schiffornis Schiffornis turdina 29
- Rufous Piha Lipaugus unirufus 4
- Rose-throated Becard Pachyramphus aglaiae 2
- Masked Tityra Tityra semifasciata 16
- Black-crowned Tityra Tityra inquisitor 4
- PIPRIDAE
- Red-capped Manakin Pipra mentalis 19
- VIREONIDAE
- White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus 12
- Yellow-throated Vireo Vireo flavifrons 16
- Warbling Vireo Vireo gilvus 1
- Tawny-crowned Greenlet Hylophilus ochraceiceps 15
- Lesser Greenlet Hylophilus decurtatus 36
- Green Shrike-Vireo Vireolanius pulchellus 2
- CORVIDAE
- Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas 2
- Brown Jay Cyanocorax morio 50
- HIRUNDINIDAE
- Gray-breasted Martin Progne chalybea 1
- Northern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis 15
- TROGLODYTIDAE
- Spot-breasted Wren Thryothorus maculipectus 19
- Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus 1
- White-bellied Wren Uropsila leucogastra 3
- White-breasted Wood-Wren Henicorhina leucosticta 19
- SYLVIIDAE
- Long-billed Gnatwren Ramphocaenus melanurus 11
- Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea 13
- Tropical Gnatcatcher Polioptila plumbea 8
- TURDIDAE
- Swainson's Thrush Catharus ustulatus 6
- Wood Thrush Hylocichla mustelina 57
- Clay-colored Robin Turdus grayi 12
- MIMIDAE
- Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis 30
- PARULIDAE
- Blue-winged Warbler Vermivora pinus 1
- Golden-winged Warbler Vermivora chrysoptera 2
- Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia 3
- Chestnut-sided Warbler Dendroica pensylvanica 4
- Magnolia Warbler Dendroica magnolia 47
- Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata 2
- Black-throated Green Warbler Dendroica virens 3
- Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia 35
- American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla 28
- Worm-eating Warbler Helmitheros vermivorum 12
- Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla 3
- Northern Waterthrush Seiurus noveboracensis 2
- Kentucky Warbler Oporornis formosus 30
- Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas 3
- Hooded Warbler Wilsonia citrina 10
- Golden-crowned Warbler Basileuterus culicivorus 8
- Yellow-breasted Chat Icteria virens 6
- Gray-throated Chat Granatellus sallaei 2
- Genus INCERTAE SEDIS
- Bananaquit Coereba flaveola 1
- THRAUPIDAE
- Gray-headed Tanager Eucometis penicillata 9
- Black-throated Shrike-Tanager Lanio aurantius 20
- Red-crowned Ant-Tanager Habia rubica 18
- Red-throated Ant-Tanager Habia fuscicauda 28
- Summer Tanager Piranga rubra 15
- Yellow-winged Tanager Thraupis abbas 2
- Green Honeycreeper Chlorophanes spiza 2
- EMBERIZIDAE
- White-collared Seedeater Sporophila torqueola 12
- Green-backed Sparrow Arremonops chloronotus 2
- CARDINALIDAE
- Black-headed Saltator Saltator atriceps 1
- Blue Bunting Cyanocompsa parellina 2
- ICTERIDAE
- Melodious Blackbird Dives dives 11
- Black-cowled Oriole Icterus prosthemelas 10
- Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula 2
- Montezuma Oropendola Psarocolius montezuma 500
- FRINGILLIDAE
- Scrub Euphonia Euphonia affinis 5
- Yellow-throated Euphonia Euphonia hirundinacea 23
- Olive-backed Euphonia Euphonia gouldi 8
References
AOU (1998) The American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds. 7th edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.
AOU (2007) Forty-eighth supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union check-list of North American birds. Auk 124: 1109-1115.
To see results of all Christmas Bird Counts throughout the Americas visit http://birds.audubon.org/christmas-bird-count
The code of the Tikal CBC is GMTK.
