Christmas Bird Count: Antigua 2012

The fourth CBC Antigua Guatemala was carried out on 19 December 2012. A total of 17 observers in four groups counted birds in in Finca El Pilar, Finca Filadelfia, at Cerro Alux, and at Agua volcano. A calm night made for good night birding.

A total of 1081 birds of 122 species was detected. In addition, one more species was recorded during the count week. The most abundant birds with at least 20 detected individuals were (in descending order of abundance): Green Violetear, Band-backed Wren, Pacific Parakeet, Black-capped Swallow, Wilson's Warbler, Great-tailed Grackle, Black-headed Siskin, Bushy-crested Jay, Townsend's Warbler, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Rufous-collared Robin, Gray Silky-flycatcher, Blue-and-white Mockingbird, and Black Vulture.

Notable was a Golden-cheeked Warbler; a photograph of a male furnishes a winter record for Antigua and the first record for the Antigua CBC. Several range-restricted bird species of the north Central American highlands were recorded during the CBC, including Fulvous Owl, Pink-headed Warbler, Rufous Sabrewing, Green-throated Mountain-gem, Blue-throated Motmot, Bushy-crested and Black-throated Jay, Black-capped Swallow, Rufous-browed Wren, Rufous-collared Robin, Blue-and-white Mockingbird, and Black-capped Siskin.

Antigua is part of the Antigua Guatemala Important Bird Area (IBA GT016) 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 Antigua Guatemala (Nomenclature according to AOU 1998 and supplements, most recent update AOU 2012). Species recorded during the count week are marked with (cw).

1. Odontophoridae
2. Buffy-crowned Wood-Partridge Dendrortyx leucophrys 4
3. Cathartidae
4. Black Vulture Coragyps atratus 21
5. Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura 5
6. Accipitridae
7. Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus 1
8. White-breasted Hawk Accipiter striatus chionogaster 1
9. Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis 4
10. Columbidae
11. Rock Pigeon Columba livia 5
12. Band-tailed Pigeon Patagioenas fasciata 18
13. White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica 5
14. Inca Dove Columbina inca 6
15. White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi 7
16. Cuculidae
17. Squirrel Cuckoo Piaya cayana 3
18. Strigidae
19. Whiskered Screech-Owl Megascops trichopsis 5
20. Northern Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium gnoma 2
21. Mottled Owl Ciccaba virgata 4
22. Fulvous Owl Strix fulvescens 3
23. Caprimulgidae
24. Mexican Whip-poor-will Antrostomus arizonae 3
25. Apodidae
26. Vaux's Swift Chaetura vauxi 10
27. Trochilidae
28. Green Violetear Colibri thalassinus 56
29. Magnificent Hummingbird Eugenes fulgens 6
30. Green-throated Mountain-gem Lampornis viridipallens 7
31. Amethyst-throated Hummingbird Lampornis amethystinus 7
32. Garnet-throated Hummingbird Lamprolaima rhami 1
33. Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris 28
34. Broad-tailed Hummingbird Selasphorus platycercus 2
35. Rufous Sabrewing Campylopterus rufus 7
36. Violet Sabrewing Campylopterus hemileucurus 1
37. Azure-crowned Hummingbird Amazilia cyanocephala 13
38. Berylline Hummingbird Amazilia beryllina 2
39. Blue-tailed Hummingbird Amazilia cyanura 1
40. White-eared Hummingbird Hylocharis leucotis 19
41. Trogonidae
42. Collared Trogon Trogon collaris 3
43. Momotidae
44. Blue-throated Motmot Aspatha gularis 4
45. Ramphastidae
46. Emerald Toucanet Aulacorhynchus prasinus 3
47. Picidae
48. Acorn Woodpecker Melanerpes formicivorus 20
49. Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons 3
50. Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus 4
51. Golden-olive Woodpecker Colaptes rubiginosus 3
52. Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus 7
53. Falconidae
54. Barred Forest-Falcon Micrastur ruficollis 2
55. Psittacidae
56. Pacific Parakeet Aratinga strenua 50
57. Orange-fronted Parakeet Aratinga canicularis 1
58. Furnariidae
59. Spot-crowned Woodcreeper Lepidocolaptes affinis 5
60. Tyrannidae
61. Tufted Flycatcher Mitrephanes phaeocercus 7
62. Greater Pewee Contopus pertinax 8
63. Hammond's Flycatcher Empidonax hammondii 2
64. Buff-breasted Flycatcher Empidonax fulvifrons 1
65. Empidonax sp. 1
66. Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans 1
67. Dusky-capped Flycatcher Myiarchus tuberculifer 9
68. Boat-billed Flycatcher Megarynchus pitangua 5
69. Social Flycatcher Myiozetetes similis 2
70. Tityridae
71. Rose-throated Becard Pachyramphus aglaiae 4
72. Vireonidae
73. Blue-headed Vireo Vireo solitarius 4
74. Hutton's Vireo Vireo huttoni 2
75. Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo Vireolanius melitophrys 1
76. Rufous-browed Peppershrike Cyclarhis gujanensis 2
77. Corvidae
78. Black-throated Jay Cyanolyca pumilo 5
79. Bushy-crested Jay Cyanocorax melanocyaneus 36
80. Steller's Jay Cyanocitta stelleri 18
81. Hirundinidae
82. Black-capped Swallow Notiochelidon pileata 50
83. Northern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis cw
84. Aegithalidae
85. Bushtit Psaltriparus minimus 8
86. Troglodytidae
87. House Wren Troglodytes aedon 5
88. Rufous-browed Wren Troglodytes rufociliatus 9
89. Band-backed Wren Campylorhynchus zonatus 54
90. Spot-breasted Wren Pheugopedius maculipectus 2
91. Rufous-and-white Wren Thryophilus rufalbus 2
92. Plain Wren Cantorchilus modestus 4
93. Gray-breasted Wood-Wren Henicorhina leucophrys 3
94. Turdidae
95. Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis 9
96. Brown-backed Solitaire Myadestes occidentalis 19
97. Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush Catharus aurantiirostris 1
98. Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush Catharus frantzii 7
99. Clay-colored Thrush Turdus grayi 9
100. Rufous-collared Robin Turdus rufitorques 27
101. Mimidae
102. Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis 2
103. Blue-and-white Mockingbird Melanotis hypoleucus 22
104. Ptilogonatidae
105. Gray Silky-flycatcher Ptilogonys cinereus 23
106. Peucedramidae
107. Olive Warbler Peucedramus taeniatus 3
108. Parulidae
109. Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla 3
110. Worm-eating Warbler Helmitheros vermivorum 1
111. Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia 8
112. Crescent-chested Warbler Oreothlypis superciliosa 5
113. Tennessee Warbler Oreothlypis peregrina 12
114. Nashville Warbler Oreothlypis ruficapilla 3
115. MacGillivray's Warbler Geothlypis tolmiei 7
116. Magnolia Warbler Setophaga magnolia 1
117. Townsend's Warbler Setophaga townsendi 31
118. Golden-cheeked Warbler Setophaga chrysoparia 1
119. Black-throated Green Warbler Setophaga virens 4
120. Rufous-capped Warbler Basileuterus rufifrons 1
121. Golden-browed Warbler Basileuterus belli 6
122. Wilson's Warbler Cardellina pusilla 48
123. Red-faced Warbler Cardellina rubrifrons 1
124. Pink-headed Warbler Cardellina versicolor 6
125. Slate-throated Redstart Myioborus miniatus 12
126. Thraupidae
127. Yellow-winged Tanager Thraupis abbas 1
128. Emberizidae
129. White-collared Seedeater Sporophila torqueola 1
130. Cinnamon-bellied Flowerpierce Diglossa baritula 5
131. Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch Arremon brunneinucha 5
132. White-naped Brush-Finch Atlapetes albinucha 4
133. Spotted Towhee Pipilo maculatus 1
134. Prevost's Ground-Sparrow Melozone biarcuata 2
135. Rufous-collared Sparrow Zonotrichia capensis 6
136. Yellow-eyed Junco Junco phaeonotus 3
137. Common Bush-Tanager Chlorospingus ophthalmicus 16
138. Cardinalidae
139. Summer Tanager Piranga rubra 1
140. Western Tanager Piranga ludoviciana 10
141. Flame-colored Tanager Piranga bidentata 2
142. Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus 3
143. Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea 1
144. Icteridae
145. Melodious Blackbird Dives dives 5
146. Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus 45
147. Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus aeneus 10
148. Black-vented Oriole Icterus wagleri 3
149. Bar-winged Oriole Icterus maculialatus 3
150. Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula 7
151. Fringillidae
152. Elegant Euphonia Euphonia elegantissima 4
153. Black-capped Siskin Spinus atriceps 2
154. Black-headed Siskin Spinus notatus 39
155. Lesser Goldfinch Spinus psaltria 5
156. Hooded Grosbeak Coccothraustes abeillei 7
157. Passeridae
158. House Sparrow Passer domesticus 11