Christmas Bird Count: Tikal 2011
Compilers: Knut Eisermann & Claudia Avendaño
A total of 17 observers in 5 groups gathered for the sixth Christmas Bird Count in the Tikal National park, conducted on 14 December 2011. Weather was favorable, with cloud cover 0-100% with short soft rain showers and little or no wind.
A total of 1935 birds of 171 species was recorded. In addition, four more species were observed during the count week. The most abundant species with at least 25 detected individuals were (in descending order of abundance): Montezuma Oropendola, Magnolia Warbler, Brown Jay, White-crowned Parrot, Lesser Greenlet, Keel-billed Toucan, Red-lored Parrot, Wood Thrush, Mealy Parrot, American Redstart, Gray Catbird, Northern Bentbill, Thrush-like Schiffornis, Melodious Blackbird, Pale-billed Woodpecker, Masked Tityra, Yellow-throated Euphonia, Collared Aracari, Spot-breasted Wren, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Social Flycatcher, and Black-and-white Warbler.
Noteworthy was a Crested Eagle which was seen near the center of the archeological site, two Swainson's Warblers, two Lovely Cotingas, and a Gray-headed Kite. Two Orange-breasted Falcons were seen in Tikal's center.
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 sixth Christmas Bird Count in Tikal (Nomenclature according to AOU 1998 and supplements, most recent update AOU 2011). Species recorded during the count week are marked with (cw).
- Tinamidae
- Great Tinamou Tinamus major 2
- Slaty-breasted Tinamou Crypturellus boucardi 1
- Cracidae
- Plain Chachalaca Ortalis vetula 19
- Crested Guan Penelope purpurascens 16
- Phasianidae
- Ocellated Turkey Meleagris ocellata 14
- Ardeidae
- Bare-throated Tiger-Heron Tigrisoma mexicanum 1
- Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias 2
- Green Heron Butorides virescens 5
- Boat-billed Heron Cochlearius cochlearius 5
- Cathartidae
- Black Vulture Coragyps atratus 6
- Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura 8
- King Vulture Sarcoramphus papa 4
- Accipitridae
- Gray-headed Kite Leptodon cayanensis 1
- White Hawk Leucopternis albicollis 1
- Roadside Hawk Buteo magnirostris 10
- Crested Eagle Morphnus guianensis 1
- Black Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus tyrannus 1
- Falconidae
- Barred Forest-Falcon Micrastur ruficollis 2
- Collared Forest-Falcon Micrastur semitorquatus 2
- Laughing Falcon Herpetotheres cachinnans 2
- Bat Falcon Falco rufigularis 6
- Orange-breasted Falcon Falco deiroleucus 2
- Rallidae
- Ruddy Crake Laterallus ruber 4
- Gray-necked Wood-Rail Aramides cajanea 1
- Purple Gallinule Porphyrio martinica 1
- Jacanidae
- Northern Jacana Jacana spinosa 2
- Columbidae
- Pale-vented Pigeon Patagioenas cayennensis 1
- Short-billed Pigeon Patagioenas nigrirostris 7
- Blue Ground-Dove Claravis pretiosa 1
- White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi 1
- Gray-headed Dove Leptotila plumbeiceps 2
- Ruddy Quail-Dove Geotrygon montana 1
- Psittacidae
- Olive-throated Parakeet Aratinga nana 2
- Brown-hooded Parrot Pyrilia haematotis 17
- White-crowned Parrot Pionus senilis 50
- White-fronted Parrot Amazona albifrons 9
- Red-lored Parrot Amazona autumnalis 44
- Mealy Parrot Amazona farinosa 38
- Cuculidae
- Squirrel Cuckoo Piaya cayana 22
- Pheasant Cuckoo Dromococcyx phasianellus 1
- Strigidae
- Vermiculated Screech-Owl Megascops guatemalae 1
- Mottled Owl Ciccaba virgata 9
- Caprimulgidae
- Common Pauraque Nyctidromus albicollis 3
- Apodidae
- White-collared Swift Streptoprocne zonaris 3
- Vaux's Swift Chaetura vauxi 1
- Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift Panyptila cayennensis 4
- Trochilidae
- Long-billed Hermit Phaethornis longirostris 1
- Stripe-throated Hermit Phaethornis striigularis 10
- Wedge-tailed Sabrewing Campylopterus curvipennis 1
- Canivet's Emerald Chlorostilbon canivetii cw
- White-bellied Emerald Amazilia candida 5
- Rufous-tailed Hummingbird Amazilia tzacatl 11
- Purple-crowned Fairy Heliothryx barroti 16
- hummingbird 1
- Trogonidae
- Slaty-tailed Trogon Trogon massena 8
- Black-headed Trogon Trogon melanocephalus 17
- Gartered Trogon Trogon caligatus 5
- Collared Trogon Trogon collaris 2
- Momotidae
- Blue-crowned Motmot Momotus momota 11
- Alcedinidae
- Ringed Kingfisher Megaceryle torquata 1
- Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon 1
- Galbulidae
- Rufous-tailed Jacamar Galbula ruficauda 10
- Ramphastidae
- Collared Aracari Pteroglossus torquatus 26
- Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus 48
- Picidae
- Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons 6
- Smoky-brown Woodpecker Veniliornis fumigatus 3
- Golden-olive Woodpecker Colaptes rubiginosus 6
- Chestnut-colored Woodpecker Celeus castaneus 9
- Lineated Woodpecker Dryocopus lineatus 7
- Pale-billed Woodpecker Campephilus guatemalensis 29
- Thamnophilidae
- Barred Antshrike Thamnophilus doliatus cw
- Plain Antvireo Dysithamnus mentalis 6
- Dot-winged Antwren Microrhopias quixensis 2
- Formicariidae
- Black-faced Antthrush Formicarius analis 10
- Furnariidae
- Scaly-throated Leaftosser Sclerurus guatemalensis 4
- Plain Xenops Xenops minutus 7
- Tawny-winged Woodcreeper Dendrocincla anabatina 13
- Ruddy Woodcreeper Dendrocincla homochroa 10
- Olivaceous Woodcreeper Sittasomus griseicapillus 25
- Wedge-billed Woodcreeper Glyphorynchus spirurus 1
- Northern Barred-Woodcreeper Dendrocolaptes sanctithomae 4
- Ivory-billed Woodcreeper Xiphorhynchus flavigaster 14
- Tyrannidae
- Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet Ornithion semiflavum 1
- Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet Camptostoma imberbe 4
- Greenish Elaenia Myiopagis viridicata 5
- Ochre-bellied Flycatcher Mionectes oleagineus 3
- Sepia-capped Flycatcher Leptopogon amaurocephalus 1
- Northern Bentbill Oncostoma cinereigulare 33
- Eye-ringed Flatbill Rhynchocyclus brevirostris 16
- Yellow-olive Flycatcher Tolmomyias sulphurescens 12
- Stub-tailed Spadebill Platyrinchus cancrominus 19
- Royal Flycatcher Onychorhynchus coronatus 6
- Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher Terenotriccus erythrurus 2
- Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher Myiobius sulphureipygius 7
- Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Empidonax flaviventris 8
- Least Flycatcher Empidonax minimus 4
- Bright-rumped Attila Attila spadiceus 14
- Yucatan Flycatcher Myiarchus yucatanensis cw
- Dusky-capped Flycatcher Myiarchus tuberculifer 18
- Great Crested Flycatcher Myiarchus crinitus 9
- Brown-crested Flycatcher Myiarchus tyrannulus 7
- Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus 1
- Boat-billed Flycatcher Megarynchus pitangua 14
- Social Flycatcher Myiozetetes similis 25
- Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus 6
- Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii 1
- Tityridae
- Thrush-like Schiffornis Schiffornis turdina 32
- Masked Tityra Tityra semifasciata 29
- Black-crowned Tityra Tityra inquisitor 1
- Cotingidae
- Lovely Cotinga Cotinga amabilis 2
- Pipridae
- White-collared Manakin Manacus candei 1
- Red-capped Manakin Pipra mentalis 18
- Vireonidae
- White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus 23
- Mangrove Vireo Vireo pallens 1
- Yellow-throated Vireo Vireo flavifrons 13
- Tawny-crowned Greenlet Hylophilus ochraceiceps 8
- Lesser Greenlet Hylophilus decurtatus 49
- Corvidae
- Brown Jay Psilorhinus morio 61
- Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas 1
- Hirundinidae
- Northern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis 17
- Troglodytidae
- Spot-breasted Wren Thryothorus maculipectus 26
- Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus 2
- White-bellied Wren Uropsila leucogastra 4
- White-breasted Wood-Wren Henicorhina leucosticta 13
- Polioptilidae
- Long-billed Gnatwren Ramphocaenus melanurus 13
- Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea 8
- Tropical Gnatcatcher Polioptila plumbea 2
- Turdidae
- Swainson's Thrush Catharus ustulatus 1
- Wood Thrush Hylocichla mustelina 42
- Clay-colored Thrush Turdus grayi 1
- White-throated Thrush Turdus assimilis 1
- Mimidae
- Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis 35
- Parulidae
- Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla 5
- Worm-eating Warbler Helmitheros vermivorum 10
- Louisiana Waterthrush Parkesia motacilla 3
- Northern Waterthrush Parkesia noveboracensis 6
- waterthrush Parkesia sp. 2
- Golden-winged Warbler Vermivora chrysoptera 1
- Blue-winged Warbler Vermivora cyanoptera 5
- Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia 25
- Swainson's Warbler Limnothlypis swainsonii 2
- Tennessee Warbler Oreothlypis peregrina 1
- Kentucky Warbler Geothlypis formosa 18
- Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas 3
- Hooded Warbler Setophaga citrina 22
- American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla 36
- Magnolia Warbler Setophaga magnolia 63
- Yellow Warbler Setophaga petechia 1
- Chestnut-sided Warbler Setophaga pensylvanica 6
- Yellow-rumped Warbler Setophaga coronata 1
- Yellow-throated Warbler Setophaga dominica 1
- Black-throated Green Warbler Setophaga virens 13
- Golden-crowned Warbler Basileuterus culicivorus 6
- Wilson's Warbler Cardellina pusilla 6
- Yellow-breasted Chat Icteria virens 6
- Thraupidae
- Gray-headed Tanager Eucometis penicillata 2
- Black-throated Shrike-Tanager Lanio aurantius 15
- Yellow-winged Tanager Thraupis abbas 6
- Genus Incertae Sedis
- Black-headed Saltator Saltator atriceps 2
- Emberizidae
- White-collared Seedeater Sporophila torqueola 5
- Green-backed Sparrow Arremonops chloronotus 2
- Cardinalidae
- Rose-throated Tanager Piranga roseogularis 2
- Summer Tanager Piranga rubra 13
- Red-crowned Ant-Tanager Habia rubica 15
- Red-throated Ant-Tanager Habia fuscicauda 23
- Gray-throated Chat Granatellus sallaei cw
- Blue-black Grosbeak Cyanocompsa cyanoides 1
- Blue Bunting Cyanocompsa parellina 3
- Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea 1
- Icteridae
- Melodious Blackbird Dives dives 30
- Black-cowled Oriole Icterus prosthemelas 10
- Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula 4
- Yellow-billed Cacique Amblycercus holosericeus 2
- Montezuma Oropendola Psarocolius montezuma 228
- Fringillidae
- Scrub Euphonia Euphonia affinis 2
- Yellow-throated Euphonia Euphonia hirundinacea 28
- Olive-backed Euphonia Euphonia gouldi 13
References
AOU (1998) The American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds. 7th edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.
AOU (2011) Fifty-second supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union check-list of North American birds. Auk 128: 600-613.
To see results of all Christmas Bird Counts throughout the Americas visit http://birds.audubon.org/christmas-bird-count.
