A Bird-Finding Guide to Mexico

by Howell, Steve N. G.

• ISBN13: 9780801485817
• ISBN10: 0801485819
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-01-01
• Publisher: Cornell Univ Pr

Summary

With a rich variety of stunning avifauna, Mexico provides the first taste of the Neotropics for many birders. At last here is a guide to Mexico's best birdwatching sites, from Baja California to the Yucatan Peninsula. Steve N. G. Howell, coauthor of the widely acclaimed A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America, has selected over 100 sites where birders may see more than 950 species, including virtually all of the endemics and regional specialties. Useful for both the business traveler in Mexico City with only a morning to spare and the serious birder planning a three-month trip across the country, this indispensable book tells where to go and what to look for. * covers all of Mexico and includes all of the top birding spots. * presents key information on over 100 sites, where more than 950 bird species can be seen. * provides lists of the birds at the most popular sites. * gives general information about each region of the country, along with a map showing the location of its sites; additional maps show greater detail at selected sites. * supplies listings of all endemics and sought-after species with key sites where they can be seen. * includes advice on how best to find and view birds. * suggests itineraries for birding holidays. * offers valuable tips on travel and birdwatching in Mexico.

Table of Contents

Maps	xii	(2)
Abbreviations	xiv	(1)
Spanish Terms	xv	(1)
Preface	xvi	(1)
Acknowledgments	xvii
INTRODUCTION	1	(20)
Birding Ethics	2	(1)
How to Use This Book	2	(5)
Introduction/Key Species	2	(1)
Access	2	(1)
Birding Sites	3	(1)
Bird Lists	3	(1)
Taxonomy and Nomenclature	4	(3)
Things to Know before You Go	7	(14)
Entry Requirements	8	(1)
Driving into Mexico	8	(1)
Maps	9	(1)
Car Rental	9	(1)
Driving and Roads	10	(1)
Birding from the Highway	11	(1)
Buses and Camping/Dossing	12	(1)
Time Zones	13	(1)
Money	13	(1)
Language	13	(1)
People and the Land	14	(1)
Climate and Timing Your Trip	15	(1)
Food and Water	15	(1)
Other Health	16	(1)
Other Wildlife	16	(1)
Additional Literature	17	(4)
CHAPTER 1: Baja California	21	(32)
Site 1.1 Tijuana to Ensenada (Rosarito Creek, Rio, Descanso, Rio Guadalupe)	25	(3)
Site 1.2 Ensenada (Harbor and Pelagic Trips)	28	(1)
Site 1.3 Estero Punta Banda/La Bufadora	29	(3)
Site 1.4 Laguna Hanson	32	(3)
Site 1.5 Ojos Negros/Leyes de Reforma	35	(2)
Site 1.6 Mexicali to San Felipe	37	(1)
Site 1.7 The Sierra San Pedro Martir	38	(3)
Site 1.8 Bahia San Quintin/Laguna Figueroa	41	(3)
Site 1.9 San Quintin to La Paz	44	(3)
Site 1.10 San Jose del Cabo/Cabo San Lucas	47	(3)
Site 1.11 Miraflores/Boca de la Sierra	50	(1)
Site 1.12 Sierra de la Laguna	51	(2)
CHAPTER 2: Northwestern Mexico	53	(16)
Site 2.1 Puerto Penasco, Sonora	56	(3)
Site 2.2 Bajia Kino (Kino Bay), Sonora	59	(1)
Site 2.3 The Sahuaripa Road, Sonara	60	(1)
Site 2.4 Alamos, Sonara	61	(2)
Site 2.5 Agua Prieta, Sonora	63	(1)
Site 2.6 Janos, Chihuahua	64	(2)
Site 2.7 Cascadas de Cusarare (Barranca del Cobre), Chihuahua	66	(3)
CHAPTER 3: The Monterrey/Saltillo Area	69	(13)
Site 3.1 Cola de Caballo/Highrise, Nuevo Leon	72	(3)
Site 3.2 Presa El Tulillo, Coahuila	75	(1)
Site 3.3 Tanque de Emergencia/Hedionda Grande, Coahuila	76	(2)
Site 3.4 San Antonio de las Alazanas, Coahuila	78	(1)
Site 3.5 Cerro El Potosi, Nuevo Leon	79	(3)
CHAPTER 4: The Northeastern Gulf Slope	82	(13)
Site 4.1 Mouth of the Rio Bravo/Rio Grande, Tamaulipas	85	(1)
Site 4.2 La Pesca, Tamaulipas	86	(1)
Site 4.3 Presa Vicente Guerrero, Tamaulipas	87	(1)
Site 4.4 Gomez Farias, Tamaulipas	88	(1)
Site 4.5 El Naranjo, San Luis Potosi	89	(6)
CHAPTER 5: Mazatlan and the Durango Highway	95	(12)
Site 5.1 Mazatlan Airport, Sinaloa	98	(1)
Site 5.2 Mazatlan (Booby Rocks), Sinaloa	98	(1)
Site 5.3 The La Noria Road, Sinaloa	99	(1)
Site 5.4 The Durango Highway, Sinaloa/Durango	100	(3)
Site 5.5 The Panuco Road, Sinaloa	103	(1)
Site 5.6 Barranca Rancho Liebre, Sinaloa	104	(3)
CHAPTER 6: San Blas, Nayarit	107	(20)
Site 6.0 Puerto Vallarta, Jaliso	110	(2)
Site 6.1 San Blas, Nayarit	112	(9)
6.1a Sewer Ponds Trail	113	(1)
6.1b Peso Island	113	(1)
6.1c San Blas Fort	114	(1)
6.1d River Boat Trips	115	(1)
6.1e Ocean Boat Trips	115	(1)
6.1f The Shrimp Ponds Road	116	(1)
6.1g Matanchen Bay	116	(2)
6.1h Singayta	118	(3)
Site 6.2 La Bajada, Nayarit	121	(2)
Site 6.3 El Mirador del Aguila, Nayarit	123	(1)
Site 6.4 Cerro de San Juan, Nayarit	123	(4)
CHAPTER 7: Colima and Jaliso	127	(27)
Site 7.0 El Tuito, Jalisco	130	(1)
Site 7.1 Manzanillo Airport Marshes, Colima	130	(2)
Site 7.2 The Playa de Oro Road, Colima	132	(2)
Site 7.3 Manzanillo (Piedra Blanca, Power Station Outflow), Colima	134	(1)
Site 7.4 Barranca el Choncho, Jalisco	135	(2)
Site 7.5 Autlan/Puerto Los Mazos, Jalisco	137	(3)
Site 7.6 Autlan to Ciudad Guzman, Jalisco	140	(3)
Site 7.7 Ciudad Guzman/Laguna Sayula, Jalisco	141	(3)
Site 7.8 Volcan de Fuego, Jalisco	144	(4)
Site 7.9 Ciudad Colima to La Maria Colima	148	(4)
Site 7.10 Microondas La Cumbre, Colima	152	(2)
CHAPTER 8: Central Mexico	154	(25)
Site 8.1 UNAM Botanical Garden, D.F	158	(1)
Site 8.2 Bosque de Talpan (Pedregal) D.F.	159	(1)
Site 8.3 Popocatepetl, Mexico	159	(1)
Site 8.4 La Cima, D.F.	160	(1)
Site 8.5 Coajomulco, Morelos	161	(2)
Site 8.6 Cannon de Lobos, Morelos	163	(1)
Site 8.7 Laguna San Felipe, Puebla	164	(3)
Site 8.8 Almolya del Rio (Lerma Marshes), Mexico	167	(2)
Site 8.9 Temascaltepec, Mexico	169	(5)
Site 8.10 Tacambaro, Michoacan	174	(3)
Site 8.11 Tlanchinol, Hidalgo	177	(2)
CHAPTER 9: The Sierra de Atoyac, Guerrero	179	(9)
Site 9.1 Acapulco, Guerrero	182	(1)
Site 9.2 The Sierra de Atoyac, Guerrero	182	(6)
CHAPTER 10: Veracruz	188	(27)
Site 10.1 Tecolutla	191	(2)
Site 10.2 Coatepec	193	(3)
Site 10.3 Amatlan	196	(2)
Site 10.4 Colonia Francisco Barrios	198	(2)
Site 10.5 Las Barrancas	200	(1)
Site 10.6 The Sierra de Los Tuxtlas	201	(8)
Site 10.7 Uxpanapa Road	209	(3)
Site 10.8 Las Choapas	212	(3)
CHAPTER 11: Oaxaca	215	(27)
Site 11.1 Monte Alban	218	(3)
Site 11.2 Teotitlan de Valle	221	(1)
Site 11.3 Yagul	222	(1)
Site 11.4 Route 175 North	223	(2)
Site 11.5 Cerro San Felipe (La Cumbre)	225	(2)
Site 11.6 Oaxaca City to Tuxtepec	227	(1)
Site 11.7 Valle Nacional	228	(2)
Site 11.8 Tuxtepec	230	(3)
Site 11.9 La Soledad	233	(2)
Site 11.10 Puerto Angel/Playa Zipolite	235	(2)
Site 11.11 Puerto Ezcondido	237	(1)
Site 11.12 Oaxaca City to Tehuantepec	237	(1)
Site 11.13 Tehunatepec	238	(1)
Site 11.14 La Ventosa Lagoon	239	(1)
Site 11.15 Tapanatepec Foothills	240	(2)
CHAPTER 12: Central and Southern Chiapas	242	(25)
Site 12.1 El Sumidero	245	(2)
Site 12.2 Arriaga Foothills	247	(1)
Site 12.3 Puerto Arista/Boca del Cielo	247	(3)
Site 12.4 Mapastepec Microwave Valley	250	(2)
Site 12.5 Union Juarez	252	(2)
Site 12.6 The Motozintla Road	254	(1)
Site 12.7 Lagos de Montebello	254	(4)
Site 12.8 San Cristobal de las Casas	258	(3)
Site 12.9 El Triunfo	261	(6)
CHAPTER 13: Northern Chiapas	267	(16)
Site 13.1 Palenque, Chiapas	270	(4)
Site 13.2 The San Manuel Road, Chiapas	274	(1)
Site 13.3 The La Libertad Road, Chiapas	274	(1)
Site 13.4 The Usumacinta Marshes, Chiapas/Campeche	275	(2)
Site 13.5 Bonampak, Chiapas	277	(1)
Site 13.6 Yaxchilan, Chiapas	278	(5)
CHAPTER 14: The Yucatan Peninsula	283	(32)
Site 14.1 Jardin Botanico Dr. Alfredo Barrera M., Quintana Roo	286	(1)
Site 14.2 Coba, Quintana Roo	287	(2)
Site 14.3 Felipe Carrillo Puerto (Vigia Chico Road), Quintana Roo	289	(3)
Site 14.4 Rio Lagartos/Las Colaradas, Yucatan	292	(4)
Site 14.5 Chichen, Itza, Yucatan	296	(2)
Site 14.6 Progreso/Dzilam de Bravo, Yucatan	298	(3)
Site 14.7 Dzibilchaltun, Yacatin	301	(2)
Site 14.8 Celestun, Yucatan	303	(3)
Site 14.9 Uxmal, Yucatan	306	(2)
Site 14.10 Isla Cozumel, Quintana Roo	308	(7)
Literature Cited	315	(2)
APPENDIX A: Checklist of Species Included	317	(37)
APPENDIX B: Sites for Endemics and Species of Interest	354	(9)
Index	363