The first Christmas Bird Count in Tikal was conducted on 14 December 2006, organized by
Cayaya Birding, in collaboration with the Wildlife Conservation Society Guatemala, Tikal National
Park, and CONAP (National Council of Protected Areas), and supported by Hotel Jaguar Inn Tikal, PROEVAL RAXMU Bird Monitoring Program, Ornithological Society of Guatemala, and independent birding guides. It follows a brief report:
Participants
A total of 25 birders, most of them resident in Guatemala, participated in this first CBC in Tikal National Park. We were happy to welcome Helen and Paul Brose, who initiated Christmas Bird Counts on Lake Atitlán back in the 1970ies. The count benefited much from an excellent collaboration with ornithologists and birders of the Wildlife Conservation Society Guatemala and the staff of the Tikal National Park and CONAP Petén, freelance guides from Petén, and members of the Ornithological Society of Guatemala.
List of participants:
Roan Balas McNab, Aquiles Estuardo Hernández, Marcial Córdova Álvarez, Julio Madrid, Miguel Ángel Vásquez, Miguel Antonio Marín, Jeovany Tut Rodríguez, Luis Antonio Oliveros, Francisco Javier Aldana Lobos, Marlo Otoniel García Cipriano, Carlos Antonio López Juárez, Pablo Najarro Polanco, Eric Augusto Márquez Mazá, Estuardo Solórzano, Brian Keith McNab, Helen and Paul Brose, Robert, Tara, Nathan, Peter, John Paul & Ruth Cahill, Claudia Avendaño, and Knut Eisermann.
Noteworthy records
A total of 156 bird species was recorded during the first Christmas Bird
Count in Tikal on 14 December 2006. An additional 13 species were recorded during the count week. The number of recorded species and individuals was lower than expected because of unfavorable weather conditions. It was raining almost the whole day, and bird activity was unusually low with no dawn chorus at all.
The most noteworthy record was probably the Harpy Eagle (seen during count week by Miguel Acoste), which was released in Belize by The Peregrine Fund and which is being monitored by radio telemetry.
The Orange-breasted Falcon, a rare species throughout its range, is resident in Tikal where it nests in cavities on the ancient Mayan ruins. During CBC a young bird (fledged 2006) was seen by Claudia Avendaño, Miguel Marín, Helen and Paul Brose, Tara, Ruth and John Paul Cahill, and Estuardo Solórzano.
Other noteworthy records included an adult White Ibis, which was seen flying overhead a day after the count (Rob Cahill, Knut Eisermann, Claudia Avendaño). A Warbling Vireo was seen during the count by Brian McNab. This species winters in Guatemala mainly in the highlands, but there are several records from the Atlantic lowlands (Eisermann & Avendaño 2007). Olive-sided Flycatcher is a common transient in Guatemala, but it is rarely recorded during winter. One was seen by Knut Eisermann and Marcial Córdova (photo K. Eisermann).
The most abundant species was Montezuma Oropendula; 475 were counted on a roost by Claudia Avendaño, Miguel Marín, Helen and Paul Brose, Tara, Ruth and John Paul Cahill, and Estuardo Solórzano.
It follows a list of species and numbers of individuals recorded during the Christmas Bird Count (Nomenclature according to AOU 1998 and supplements, most recent update AOU 2006). Species recorded during count week are marked with (cw).
TINAMIDAE
- Great Tinamou Tinamus major 5
- Little Tinamou Crypturellus soui 1
- Plain Chachalaca Ortalis vetula 3
CRACIDAE
- Crested Guan Penelope purpurascens 6
- Great Curassow Crax rubra 4
PHASIANIDAE
- Ocellated Turkey Meleagris ocellata 53
- Great Egret Ardea alba 1
ARDEIDAE
- Green Heron Butorides virescens 2
THRESKIORNITHIDAE
- White Ibis Eudocimus albus (cw)
CICONIIDAE
- Wood Stork Mycteria americana (cw)
CATHARTIDAE
- Black Vulture Coragyps atratus 25
- Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura 8
- King Vulture Sarcoramphus papa 3
ACCIPITRIDAE
- Bicolored Hawk Accipiter bicolor (cw)
- White Hawk Leucopternis albicollis (cw)
- Roadside Hawk Buteo magnirostris 10
- Harpy Eagle Harpia harpyja (cw)
- Ornate Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus ornatus 1
FALCONIDAE
- Laughing Falcon Herpetotheres cachinnans 8
- Bat Falcon Falco rufigularis 1
- Orange-breasted Falcon Falco deiroleucus 1
RALLIDAE
- Gray-necked Wood-Rail Aramides cajanea 4
ARAMIDAE
- Limpkin Aramus guarauna 1
SCOLOPACIDAE
- Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius 1
COLUMBIDAE
- Short-billed Pigeon Patagioenas nigrirostris 10
- White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi 1
- Gray-headed Dove Leptotila plumbeiceps (cw)
- Ruddy Quail-Dove Geotrygon montana 6
PSITTACIDAE
- Olive-throated Parakeet Aratinga nana 3
- Brown-hooded Parrot Pionopsitta haematotis 30
- White-crowned Parrot Pionus senilis 42
- White-fronted Parrot Amazona albifrons 5
- Red-lored Parrot Amazona autumnalis 19
- Mealy Parrot Amazona farinosa 16
CUCULIDAE
- Squirrel Cuckoo Piaya cayana 19
- Groove-billed Ani Crotophaga sulcirostris 8
STRIGIDAE
- Vermiculated Screech-Owl Megascops guatemalae 1
- Mottled Owl Ciccaba virgata 4
- Black-and-white Owl Ciccaba nigrolineata (cw)
APODIDAE
- Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift Panyptila cayennensis (cw)
TROCHILIDAE
- Long-billed Hermit Phaethornis longirostris 1
- Stripe-throated Hermit Phaethornis striigularis 8
- Wedge-tailed Sabrewing Campylopterus curvipennis 3
- White-bellied Emerald Amazilia candida 4
- Rufous-tailed Hummingbird Amazilia tzacatl 7
- Buff-bellied Hummingbird Amazilia yucatanensis (cw)
- Purple-crowned Fairy Heliothryx barroti 3
TROGONIDAE
- Black-headed Trogon Trogon melanocephalus 4
- Violaceous Trogon Trogon violaceus 8
- Collared Trogon Trogon collaris 1
- Slaty-tailed Trogon Trogon massena 6
MOMOTIDAE
- Tody Motmot Hylomanes momotula 1
- Blue-crowned Motmot Momotus momota 9
BUCCONIDAE
- White-whiskered Puffbird Malacoptila panamensis 1
GALBULIDAE
- Rufous-tailed Jacamar Galbula ruficauda 9
RAMPHASTIDAE
- Collared Aracari Pteroglossus torquatus 26
- Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus 25
PICIDAE
- Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons 10
- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius 1
- Smoky-brown Woodpecker Veniliornis fumigatus 2
- Chestnut-colored Woodpecker Celeus castaneus 9
- Lineated Woodpecker Dryocopus lineatus 3
- Pale-billed Woodpecker Campephilus guatemalensis 13
FURNARIIDAE
- Plain Xenops Xenops minutus 8
- Scaly-throated Leaftosser Sclerurus guatemalensis 1
- Tawny-winged Woodcreeper Dendrocincla anabatina 8
- Ruddy Woodcreeper Dendrocincla homochroa 7
- Olivaceous Woodcreeper Sittasomus griseicapillus 30
- Strong-billed Woodcreeper Xiphocolaptes promeropirhynchus 2
- Northern Barred-Woodcreeper Dendrocolaptes sanctithomae 3
- Ivory-billed Woodcreeper Xiphorhynchus flavigaster 25
THAMNOPHILIDAE
- Barred Antshrike Thamnophilus doliatus 5
- Plain Antvireo Dysithamnus mentalis 3
- Dot-winged Antwren Microrhopias quixensis 4
FORMICARIIDAE
- Black-faced Antthrush Formicarius analis 3
TYRANNIDAE
- Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet Ornithion semiflavum 4
- Greenish Elaenia Myiopagis viridicata 5
- Ochre-bellied Flycatcher Mionectes oleagineus 8
- Sepia-capped Flycatcher Leptopogon amaurocephalus 4
- Northern Bentbill Oncostoma cinereigulare 10
- Slate-headed Tody-Flycatcher Poecilotriccus sylvia 2
- Eye-ringed Flatbill Rhynchocyclus brevirostris 9
- Yellow-olive Flycatcher Tolmomyias sulphurescens 14
- Stub-tailed Spadebill Platyrinchus cancrominus 18
- Royal Flycatcher Onychorhynchus coronatus 9
- Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher Terenotriccus erythrurus 1
- Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher Myiobius sulphureipygius 7
- Olive-sided Flycatcher Contopus cooperi 1
- Tropical Pewee Contopus cinereus 3
- Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Empidonax flaviventris 1
- Least Flycatcher Empidonax minimus 5
- Bright-rumped Attila Attila spadiceus 4
- Dusky-capped Flycatcher Myiarchus tuberculifer 14
- Great Crested Flycatcher Myiarchus crinitus 2
- Brown-crested Flycatcher Myiarchus tyrannulus 8
- Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus 2
- Boat-billed Flycatcher Megarynchus pitangua 3
- Social Flycatcher Myiozetetes similis 14
- Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus 4
- Thrush-like Schiffornis Schiffornis turdina 29
- Rufous Piha Lipaugus unirufus 3
- Gray-collared Becard Pachyramphus major 2
- Masked Tityra Tityra semifasciata 14
- Black-crowned Tityra Tityra inquisitor 3
PIPRIDAE
- White-collared Manakin Manacus candei 2
- Red-capped Manakin Pipra mentalis 7
VIREONIDAE
- White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus 14
- Yellow-throated Vireo Vireo flavifrons 4
- Warbling Vireo Vireo gilvus 1
- Tawny-crowned Greenlet Hylophilus ochraceiceps 8
- Lesser Greenlet Hylophilus decurtatus 25
- Green Shrike-Vireo Vireolanius pulchellus 2
CORVIDAE
- Brown Jay Cyanocorax morio 62
- Yucatan Jay Cyanocorax yucatanicus 9
HIRUNDINIDAE
- Northern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis 5
TROGLODYTIDAE
- Spot-breasted Wren Thryothorus maculipectus 21
- White-bellied Wren Uropsila leucogastra 4
- White-breasted Wood-Wren Henicorhina leucosticta 11
SYLVIIDAE
- Long-billed Gnatwren Ramphocaenus melanurus 7
- Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea 4
- Tropical Gnatcatcher Polioptila plumbea 7
TURDIDAE
- Swainson’s Thrush Catharus ustulatus 1
- Wood Thrush Hylocichla mustelina 48
- Clay-colored Robin Turdus grayi 5
MIMIDAE
- Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis 24
BOMBYCILLIDAE
- Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum 5
PARULIDAE
- Blue-winged Warbler Vermivora pinus (cw)
- Golden-winged Warbler Vermivora chrysoptera 1
- Tennessee Warbler Vermivora peregrina 1
- Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia 1
- Chestnut-sided Warbler Dendroica pensylvanica 1
- Magnolia Warbler Dendroica magnolia 51
- Yellow-rumped Warbler Dendroica coronata 1
- Black-throated Green Warbler Dendroica virens 6
- Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia 24
- American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla 25
- Worm-eating Warbler Helmitheros vermivorum 7
- Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla 2
- Northern Waterthrush Seiurus noveboracensis 3
- Kentucky Warbler Oporornis formosus 40
- Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas 3
- Hooded Warbler Wilsonia citrina 5
- Wilson’s Warbler Wilsonia pusilla (cw)
- Golden-crowned Warbler Basileuterus culicivorus 14
- Yellow-breasted Chat Icteria virens 3
- Gray-throated Chat Granatellus sallaei 2
THRAUPIDAE
- Gray-headed Tanager Eucometis penicillata 13
- Black-throated Shrike-Tanager Lanio aurantius 15
- Red-crowned Ant-Tanager Habia rubica 35
- Red-throated Ant-Tanager Habia fuscicauda 38
- Summer Tanager Piranga rubra 13
- Blue-gray Tanager Thraupis episcopus (cw)
- Yellow-winged Tanager Thraupis abbas 1
EMBERIZIDAE
- White-collared Seedeater Sporophila torqueola 4
- Green-backed Sparrow Arremonops chloronotus 7
- Black-headed Saltator Saltator atriceps 4
CARDINALIDAE
- Black-faced Grosbeak Caryothraustes poliogaster 10
- Blue Bunting Cyanocompsa parellina 1
- Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea 1
ICTERIDAE
- Melodious Blackbird Dives dives 8
- Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus (cw)
- Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus aeneus (cw)
- Giant Cowbird Molothrus oryzivorus 1
- Black-cowled Oriole Icterus prosthemelas 18
- Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula 2
- Yellow-billed Cacique Amblycercus holosericeus 1
- Montezuma Oropendola Psarocolius montezuma 475
FRINGILLIDAE
- Scrub Euphonia Euphonia affinis 4
- Yellow-throated Euphonia Euphonia hirundinacea 14
- 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 (2006) Forty-seventh supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union check-list of North American birds. Auk 123: 926-936.
Eisermann, K. & C. Avendaño (2007) Lista comentada de las aves de Guatemala - Annotated checklist of the birds of Guatemala. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain.
To see results of all Christmas Bird Counts throughout the Americas visit http://cbc.audubon.org/cbccurrent/current_table.html
The code of the Tikal CBC is GMTK.
