Christmas Bird Count: Tikal 2009
Compilers: Knut Eisermann & Claudia Avendaño
The fourth edition of the Christmas Bird Count in Tikal took place on 21 December 2009. A total of 36 observers in eight groups counted birds in the National Park. The weather was not favorable; it was raining in the night and in the morning.
A total of 2256 birds of 172 species were recorded. In addition, 14 more species were observed during the count week. The most abundant species with at least 40 detected individuals were Montezuma Oropendula with 400 individuals on a roost, followed by Magnolia Warbler, Stub-tailed Spadebill, Wood-Thrush, Brown Jay, Red-throated Ant-Tanager, Keel-billed Toucan, and Ocellated Turkey. The most abundant Nearctic-Neotropical migratory birds were Magnolia Warbler, Wood Thrush, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, American Redstart, Hooded Warbler, Gray Catbird, and Kentucky Warbler.
Noteworthy was a Crested Eagle which was seen in the western part of the Tikal National Park. This species is not often recorded in Tikal due to its concealing behavior. A single Mottled Owl was the only owl recorded during the count (because of the rain). Black-and-white Owl and Vermiculated Screech-Owl were observed in the count week.
The Tikal National Park is part of the Maya-Lacandon Important Bird Area (IBA GT001) and this Christmas Bird Count helps to monitor bird populations in this IBA.
It follows a list of species and numbers of individuals recorded during the fourth Christmas Bird Count in Tikal (Nomenclature according to AOU 1998 and supplements, most recent update AOU 2009). Species recorded during the count week are marked with (cw).
- TINAMIDAE
- Great Tinamou Tinamus major 7
- Thicket Tinamou Crypturellus cinnamomeus 2
- Slaty-breasted Tinamou Crypturellus boucardi 2
- ANATIDAE
- Blue-winged Teal Anas discors (cw)
- CRACIDAE
- Plain Chachalaca Ortalis vetula 15
- Crested Guan Penelope purpurascens 25
- Great Curassow Crax rubra 9
- PHASIANIDAE
- Ocellated Turkey Meleagris ocellata 40
- ARDEIDAE
- Bare-throated Tiger-Heron Tigrisoma mexicanum 1
- Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea 3
- Green Heron Butorides virescens 1
- CATHARTIDAE
- Black Vulture Coragyps atratus 9
- Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura 5
- King Vulture Sarcoramphus papa 3
- ACCIPITRIDAE
- Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii 1
- Crane Hawk Geranospiza caerulescens 1
- Roadside Hawk Buteo magnirostris 12
- Gray Hawk Buteo nitidus 1
- Crested Eagle Morphnus guianensis 1
- Black Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus tyrannus 2
- Ornate Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus ornatus (cw)
- FALCONIDAE
- Barred Forest-Falcon Micrastur ruficollis 4
- Collared Forest-Falcon Micrastur semitorquatus 1
- Laughing Falcon Herpetotheres cachinnans 3
- Bat Falcon Falco rufigularis 1
- Orange-breasted Falcon Falco deiroleucus 2
- RALLIDAE
- Ruddy Crake Laterallus ruber 3
- Gray-necked Wood-Rail Aramides cajanea 8
- COLUMBIDAE
- Pale-vented Pigeon Patagioenas cayennensis 1
- Short-billed Pigeon Patagioenas nigrirostris 4
- White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi 3
- Ruddy Quail-Dove Geotrygon montana 2
- PSITTACIDAE
- Olive-throated Parakeet Aratinga nana 2
- Brown-hooded Parrot Pyrilia haematotis 16
- White-crowned Parrot Pionus senilis 35
- White-fronted Parrot Amazona albifrons 8
- Red-lored Parrot Amazona autumnalis 35
- Mealy Parrot Amazona farinosa 19
- CUCULIDAE
- Squirrel Cuckoo Piaya cayana 19
- Pheasant Cuckoo Dromococcyx phasianellus 1
- Groove-billed Ani Crotophaga sulcirostris 4
- STRIGIDAE
- Vermiculated Screech-Owl Megascops guatemalae (cw)
- Mottled Owl Ciccaba virgata 1
- Black-and-white Owl Ciccaba nigrolineata (cw)
- CAPRIMULGIDAE
- Common Pauraque Nyctidromus albicollis (cw)
- NYCTIBIIDAE
- Northern Potoo Nyctibius jamaicensis (cw)
- APODIDAE
- Vaux's Swift Chaetura vauxi 34
- Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift Panyptila cayennensis 4
- TROCHILIDAE
- Long-billed Hermit Phaethornis longirostris 1
- Stripe-throated Hermit Phaethornis striigularis 8
- Scaly-breasted Hummingbird Phaeochroa cuvierii 1
- Wedge-tailed Sabrewing Campylopterus curvipennis 6
- Canivet's Emerald Chlorostilbon canivetii (cw)
- White-bellied Emerald Amazilia candida 5
- Rufous-tailed Hummingbird Amazilia tzacatl 18
- Buff-bellied Hummingbird Amazilia yucatanensis 1
- Purple-crowned Fairy Heliothryx barroti 12
- TROGONIDAE
- Slaty-tailed Trogon Trogon massena 11
- Black-headed Trogon Trogon melanocephalus 16
- Violaceous Trogon Trogon violaceus 13
- Collared Trogon Trogon collaris 2
- MOMOTIDAE
- Tody Motmot Hylomanes momotula 1
- Blue-crowned Motmot Momotus momota 5
- BUCCONIDAE
- White-necked Puffbird Notharchus hyperrhynchus 3
- White-whiskered Puffbird Malacoptila panamensis 6
- GALBULIDAE
- Rufous-tailed Jacamar Galbula ruficauda 10
- RAMPHASTIDAE
- Emerald Toucanet Aulacorhynchus prasinus 2
- Collared Aracari Pteroglossus torquatus 33
- Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus 46
- PICIDAE
- Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons 5
- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius 1
- Smoky-brown Woodpecker Veniliornis fumigatus 8
- Golden-olive Woodpecker Colaptes rubiginosus 3
- Chestnut-colored Woodpecker Celeus castaneus 3
- Lineated Woodpecker Dryocopus lineatus 12
- Pale-billed Woodpecker Campephilus guatemalensis 21
- FURNARIIDAE
- Rufous-breasted Spinetail Synallaxis erythrothorax 1
- Plain Xenops Xenops minutus 5
- Scaly-throated Leaftosser Sclerurus guatemalensis 2
- Tawny-winged Woodcreeper Dendrocincla anabatina 21
- Ruddy Woodcreeper Dendrocincla homochroa 19
- Olivaceous Woodcreeper Sittasomus griseicapillus 20
- Wedge-billed Woodcreeper Glyphorynchus spirurus 4
- Strong-billed Woodcreeper Xiphocolaptes promeropirhynchus 2
- Northern Barred-Woodcreeper Dendrocolaptes sanctithomae 8
- Ivory-billed Woodcreeper Xiphorhynchus flavigaster 19
- THAMNOPHILIDAE
- Barred Antshrike Thamnophilus doliatus 2
- Plain Antvireo Dysithamnus mentalis 1
- Dot-winged Antwren Microrhopias quixensis 15
- FORMICARIIDAE
- Black-faced Antthrush Formicarius analis 8
- TYRANNIDAE
- Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet Ornithion semiflavum 3
- Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet Camptostoma imberbe 1
- Greenish Elaenia Myiopagis viridicata 4
- Ochre-bellied Flycatcher Mionectes oleagineus 2
- Sepia-capped Flycatcher Leptopogon amaurocephalus 5
- Northern Bentbill Oncostoma cinereigulare 14
- Slate-headed Tody-Flycatcher Poecilotriccus sylvia 1
- Eye-ringed Flatbill Rhynchocyclus brevirostris 10
- Yellow-olive Flycatcher Tolmomyias sulphurescens 12
- Stub-tailed Spadebill Platyrinchus cancrominus 59
- Royal Flycatcher Onychorhynchus coronatus 11
- Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher Terenotriccus erythrurus 7
- Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher Myiobius sulphureipygius 9
- Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Empidonax flaviventris 12
- Least Flycatcher Empidonax minimus 9
- Bright-rumped Attila Attila spadiceus 12
- Rufous Mourner Rhytipterna holerythra 1
- Yucatan Flycatcher Myiarchus yucatanensis 3
- Dusky-capped Flycatcher Myiarchus tuberculifer 15
- Great Crested Flycatcher Myiarchus crinitus 5
- Brown-crested Flycatcher Myiarchus tyrannulus 7
- Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus 3
- Boat-billed Flycatcher Megarynchus pitangua 2
- Social Flycatcher Myiozetetes similis 15
- Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus 1
- Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii 1
- Thrush-like Schiffornis Schiffornis turdina 25
- Rufous Piha Lipaugus unirufus 3
- Rose-throated Becard Pachyramphus aglaiae 3
- Masked Tityra Tityra semifasciata 14
- Black-crowned Tityra Tityra inquisitor 1
- PIPRIDAE
- White-collared Manakin Manacus candei 1
- Red-capped Manakin Pipra mentalis 26
- VIREONIDAE
- White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus 21
- Mangrove Vireo Vireo pallens 1
- Yellow-throated Vireo Vireo flavifrons 9
- Tawny-crowned Greenlet Hylophilus ochraceiceps 15
- Lesser Greenlet Hylophilus decurtatus 34
- CORVIDAE
- Brown Jay Cyanocorax morio 52
- HIRUNDINIDAE
- Northern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis 11
- TROGLODYTIDAE
- Spot-breasted Wren Thryothorus maculipectus 31
- Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus (cw)
- White-bellied Wren Uropsila leucogastra 3
- White-breasted Wood-Wren Henicorhina leucosticta 11
- SYLVIIDAE
- Long-billed Gnatwren Ramphocaenus melanurus 9
- Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea 38
- Tropical Gnatcatcher Polioptila plumbea 3
- Polioptila sp. 1
- TURDIDAE
- Swainson?s Thrush Catharus ustulatus 2
- Wood Thrush Hylocichla mustelina 53
- Clay-colored Thrush Turdus grayi 4
- White-throated Thrush Turdus assimilis (cw)
- MIMIDAE
- Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis 33
- PARULIDAE
- Blue-winged Warbler Vermivora pinus 5
- Golden-winged Warbler Vermivora chrysoptera (cw)
- Tennessee Warbler Vermivora peregrina 5
- Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia 2
- Chestnut-sided Warbler Dendroica pensylvanica 8
- Magnolia Warbler Dendroica magnolia 64
- Black-throated Green Warbler Dendroica virens 15
- Yellow-throated Warbler Dendroica dominica (cw)
- Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia 27
- American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla 37
- Worm-eating Warbler Helmitheros vermivorum 9
- Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla 14
- Northern Waterthrush Seiurus noveboracensis 10
- Louisiana Waterthrush Seiurus motacilla (cw)
- Kentucky Warbler Oporornis formosus 32
- Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas 2
- Hooded Warbler Wilsonia citrina 34
- Wilson?s Warbler Wilsonia pusilla 3
- Golden-crowned Warbler Basileuterus culicivorus 16
- Yellow-breasted Chat Icteria virens 1
- THRAUPIDAE
- Gray-headed Tanager Eucometis penicillata 12
- Black-throated Shrike-Tanager Lanio aurantius 14
- Yellow-winged Tanager Thraupis abbas 3
- Green Honeycreeper Chlorophanes spiza 1
- Red-legged Honeycreeper Cyanerpes cyaneus 1
- Genus INCERTAE SEDIS
- Black-headed Saltator Saltator atriceps 9
- EMBERIZIDAE
- White-collared Seedeater Sporophila torqueola 2
- Green-backed Sparrow Arremonops chloronotus 6
- CARDINALIDAE
- Rose-throated Tanager Piranga roseogularis 2
- Summer Tanager Piranga rubra 13
- Red-crowned Ant-Tanager Habia rubica 37
- Red-throated Ant-Tanager Habia fuscicauda 51
- Gray-throated Chat Granatellus sallaei 2
- Blue-black Grosbeak Cyanocompsa cyanoides 1
- Blue Bunting Cyanocompsa parellina 14
- Painted Bunting Passerina ciris 1
- ICTERIDAE
- Melodious Blackbird Dives dives 9
- Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus aeneus (cw)
- Black-cowled Oriole Icterus prosthemelas 14
- Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula 2
- Yellow-billed Cacique Amblycercus holosericeus (cw)
- Montezuma Oropendola Psarocolius montezuma 400
- FRINGILLIDAE
- Yellow-throated Euphonia Euphonia hirundinacea 6
- Olive-backed Euphonia Euphonia gouldi 14
References
AOU (1998) The American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds. 7th edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.
AOU (2009) Fiftieth supplement to the AOU check-list of North American birds. Auk 126: 705-714.
To see results of all Christmas Bird Counts throughout the Americas visit http://birds.audubon.org/christmas-bird-count.
