Tropical Kingbird

A Tropical Kingbird posing nicely for me, Cancun, Mx; 12/25/10.

On Christmas morning I was sitting out on the deck (4th floor) of our room in Cancun, when I saw a Tropical Kingbird land on the tip of a palm tree right next to our deck only a few yards away. I hoped it would stay long enough for me to get my camera and get a decent shot. It obliged. Tropical Kingbirds are found throughout southern Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula as well as Central America and much of South America.  In the summers it may get into the U.S. only at the extreme southern borders of Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. These birds have a pale olive/gray head and back with a slightly darker eye line. Its wings and tail feathers are darker and set off with a white throat and yellow breast and belly.

Also on Christmas morning as I was hunting  birds while waiting for the shuttle to take us to the airport, I found this iguana watching me from bnehind a rock (Below).

Iguana of the day, Cancun, Mx; 12/25/10.

Tropical Mockingbird, Northern Mockingbird & Tailless Mockingbirds

A Tropical Mockingbird, Cancun, Mx; 12/19/10.

Another very common bird in the Cancun area is the Tropical Mockingbird, which is very similar to the Northern Mockingbird. Their appearances and songs are so similar it is hard to determine differences except for geographic locations. The Tropical Mockingbird ranges from Southern Mexico into Central America and the Northern parts of South America and into Brazil.

A Tropical Mockingbird, Puerto Morelos, Mx; 12/24/10.

The Northern Mockingbird which is found spread throughout the southern states up along the Appalachians and the eastern sea board will go as far south as southern Parts of Mexico, but is rarely found in the east Mexico of which the Yucatan Peninsula is part. I was assured by Luis Ku, a local bird expert that the Mockingbirds seen around the Cancun area are Tropical. While we were waiting for our boat to Isla Contoy, I started stalking a bird in the nearby trees. When I finally obtained a clear view of the bird, I thought I had found a new species of Mockingbird. When I took a picture of this guy, and looked at the photo in my playback mode, I noticed he lacked tail feathers. Cool! a Mexican Tailless Mockingbird! (Below). He flew from branch to branch and from tree to tree without any noticeable difficulty, but we departed on our trip before I could see if he could fly any reasonable long distances. After reading up on the topic, I found that birds can indeed fly without tail feathers, but with more difficulty since the tail acts as a rudder, so they have less control.  I was wondering how this guy lost his tail. It almost looks like it was chopped off.

A Tropical Mockingbird without a tail, Cancun, Mx; 12/21/10.

In the limited area of overlap in southern Mexico, the Tropical can be separated from the Northern by the lack of a whitish patch near the base of the primaries, which are more visible for the Northern when in flight and obviously non-existent in a Tropical ( http://10000birds.com/mockingbirds.htm ). When I visit Arizona during my Christmas break, I see many Northern Mockingbirds in and around Phoenix (Below), and saw some in Tennessee and the Carolinas early last summer.

Two photos of Northern Mockingbirds, Phoenix AZ; 12/25/09.

iguana of the day, Isla Contoy, Mx; 12/21/10.

Great Kiskadee

A pair of Great Kiskadees searching for food in a stream; Cancun, Mx; 12/19/10.

The Great Kiskadee (a member of the tyrannid flycatcher family) was the first bird I saw in Mexico that I would consider exotic or tropical. I was excited to something that is very different than the usual Northern Illinois birds. Except for very south Texas along the Rio Grande River, it is seldom seen in the U.S., Its range is common in tropical lowlands of Central and South America, preferring habitats of rivers, streams, and lakes bordered with dense vegetation. It also is found in open country and parks, and beacuse it has a very social nature it is extending both north and south of its usual range. Indeed, where I saw it first was on the grounds of the resort we were staying, and one of the groundkeepers said they like to eat the fish in the ponds (Above).

A Great Kiskadee drinking from a man-made stream on the grounds of a Cancun resort; 12/19/10.

It's rather large for a flycatcher and often exhibits behavior more in tune with a kingfisher or a jay. Like all good flycatchers, it captures its share of flying insects while in flight, but it is forages for broader food items such as fish, tadpoles, a wide variety of fruits, and even is known to visit backyard feeding stations to eat bananas, cooked rice, and dog food. Its larger bill than most flycatchers enables it to handle these larger food items.
The Great Kiskadee has a white head with a black cap and eye-line. It sports a yellow patch in the middle of its black cap but is often concealed; however, I was able to get a few photographs with it visible (Below top). Its wings and tail are a chestnut-brown contrasting brilliantly with its white throat and bright yellow belly and underparts that are very noticeable while in flight (Below bottom).


In this Photograph, you can see the yellow patch on the black crown of this great Kiskadee, Cancun, Mx; 12/19/10.



A Great Kiskadee along the banks of a river in Puerto Morelos, Mx; 12/24/10.

It was once known as Derby Flycatcher, in honor of the Earl of Derby, but has been renamed to Kiskadee to mimic the sound  it utters "Kiss - ka - dee" or as some people say "Chris -to - fer."  As I was researching birds common to Mexico, I found that many have a black mask. I read that this may help reduce the intense bright glare of the tropical sun and aid in seeing and capturing its prey.

Interestingly, a group of Kiskadees are collectively known as a "shower" of Kiskadees.

iguana of the day, Isla Mujeres, Mx; 12/20/10.

Brown Pelican

A male Brown Pelican with its colorful head feathers, showing off for the camera, Cancun, Mexico; 12/19/10.

A Brown Pelican gliding low over the water in search of food, Isla Contoy, Mx; 12/21/10.

A Brown Pelican taking the plunge; Cancun, Mx, 12/19/10.



A Brown Pelican feasting after it traps its prey in its pouch, Isla Contoy, Mx; 12/21/10.

As the Great-tailed Grackles were common on land in the Yucatan, the Brown Pelican (Above, top) was its counterpart at shorelines. Everywhere we went that had a saltwater seacoast, there was bound to be a few Brown Pelicans present. I found them to be very interesting to observe. They fly low along the water searching for food (schools of small fish) (Above middle), then they soar up in the air and make a fantastic dive plunge (Above, bottom two pics) into the water hoping to capture its prey in its large pouch of a lower bill. They also like to roost on top of posts (Below, top), and almost anything flat that gives them a resting spot. Like the American White Pelican that I observed on the Mississippi River ( my 8/11 and 8/12 Posts: http://northernillinoisbirder.blogspot.com/2010/08/american-white-pelicans_12.html ), the Brown Pelicans seem to fly in unison, gliding gracefully and flapping their wings in unison.  One of our guides to Isla Contoy, called the Brown Pelicans, "The Mexican Air Force," because they are always present and  "on patrol" (Below bottom). 

 female Brown Pelican resting at Isla Mujeres, Mx; 12/20/10.



The "Mexican Air Force" on patrol duty keeping the shores of Mexico safe from intruders, Cancun, Mx; 12/19/10.

 Brown Pelicans are pretty much found along the entire Gulf Coast, along both coasts of the Baja Peninsula, and throughout the coastal islands of the Caribbean.



I found that during the winter season, most birds are not in their breeding season, but that is untrue for the Brown Pelicans' mating season, which starts in December and runs through August - a rather long breeding season as birds go. As you can see by the photos, during breeding season the male Brown Pelican's head feathers become a bright white and yellow with a deep red back of the neck.

Iguana of the day, Cancun, Mx; 12/19/10.



Great-tailed Grackle

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S DAY!



The Great-tailed Grackles were abundant in every place we visited in the Yucatan; Cancun, Mexico; 12/19/10.

Upon arriving in Cancun, Mexico, on Dec. 18, the first bird I encountered was the Great-tailed Grackle (Above), which at first I thought was the Boat-tailed Grackle, but was corrected by the locals. If I wasn't assured by several people that they were Great-tailed Grackles, I don't think I would be able to tell the difference by sight alone (Boat-tails are far less common down here and those that are present do not sport the pale iris).  The name for this member of the blackbird family is obvious - its large tail which is as long as the rest of its body length. The  male (above)  is completely black with a blue/purple iridescence to its feathers. The female (Below) is a grayish brown with a pale eyebrow and a dark cap. Both the male and female have a a pale iris which seems to glow in contrast to its dark body.

A female Great-tailed Grackle, Isla Mujeres, Mexico; 12/20/10.

Great-tails are very common yearound throughout Mexico and into the Southwest U.S. (Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Southern Cal. and into Oklahoma and Nebraska).

Female Great-tailed Grackle and reflection; Cancun, Mexico; 12/19/10.

Female Great-tailed Grackle taking a drink; Cancun, Mexico; 12/25/10.

A male Great-tailed Grackle taking a bath in a local Cancun fountain; 12/21/10.

Iguana basking in the sun outside someone's front yard- Happy new year! Cancun, Mx; 12/19/10.

Mexico and Birds!

Happy New Year's Eve day!



Sunset from the boat returning from the nature preserve, Isla Contoy, Mexico; 12/21/10.

 Wow! Wow! Wow! Val and I were in Cancun, Mexico, for the week leading up to Christmas, and  I made a point to try to seek out as many birds in the area as I could with my time. And did I ever score!  Other than in Cancun where we stayed, we visited five other sites and between them all, I easily took over a thousand photos - many of them birds - and many birds that I have never seen before, much less even heard of before. I am one happy birder. As usual, by the time I sifted through all my frames, I deleted about 75% of them as they were either repeats of other photos or of such poor quality that they were not worth saving.


View of the Caribbean Sea from the deck of our room in Cancun, Mexico: 12/19/10.



I'll divide my birding exploits into five areas and then spend the next several weekends showing some of the better photographs. Also everywhere we went, there were sure to be some iguanas hanging about (Below).



An iguana showing off on Isla Mujeres, Mexico; 12/20/10.

As expected, being located just off the Caribbean Sea coast, many of the birds that I saw in Mexico were shore or water birds, but I am happy to report that I also saw lots of land birds new to me.

 * Denotes a new species of bird for me to add to my Life List.

1. Birds that I identified just around Cancun where we stayed: Brown Pelican*, Magnificent Frigate bird, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Egret, White Ibis*,  Osprey, Great Kiskadee*, Tropical Mockingbird*, Great-tailed Grackle*, Tropical Kingbird*, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker*, Bat Falcon*, Sandwich Tern*, Laughing Gull*, American Golden Plover*, Yellow Warbler, and Ruddy Ground Dove*; there were a couple of species of Orioles that I am still trying to make a positive ID, and several hummingbirds that eluded my camera and my ID skills.



The northeastern coast of Isla Mujeres, Mexico; 12/20/10.

2. Birds that I identified while visiting Isla Mujeres ("Island of Women," Above), a small island about a 1/2 hour ferry boat ride north of Cancun: Magnificent Frigatebirds, Brown Pelicans, Double-crested Cormorants, Great Egret, Great-tailed Grackles, Tropical Mockingbird, Laughing Gulls, Sanderling*, Ruddy Turnstone*, Least Sandpiper*.

3. Isla Contoy (Below top) is a fantastic island that is entirely preserved as a sanctuary for wildlife. We took a boat tour (about 90 minutes one way) to Isla Contoy which is the prime habitat for the Magnificent Frigatebird (Below bottom), but also is home for many other birds at various seasons of the year. Birds that I identified on Isla Contoy: Brown Pelican, Great-tailed Grackle, Double-crested Cormorant, Roseate Spoonbill*, Reddish Egret*, Great Blue Heron, Osprey, Ruddy Turnstone, Yellow Warbler, Palm Warbler, Great Egret, Tropical Mockingbird, as well as much marine life: jellyfish, manta ray, a school of sardines, sand shark, needlefish, and many hemit crabs and iguanas.



A view of Isla Contoy from the tower at the Preserve's headquarters, Mexico; 12/21/10.



Magnificent Frigatebirds swarmed the sky over Isla Contoy, Mexico; 12/21/10.



4. Birds I identified while visiting the famous Mayan city ruins, Chichen Itza [which is home to the great Kukulkan Pyramid (Below), one of the Modern Seven Wonders of the World] and the surrounding area: Great-tailed Grackle, Yellow-faced Grassquit*, Ovenbird*, and several hawks that I was unable to ID.

One of the "Modern Seven Wonders of the World," the Kukulkan Pyramid in the center of the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza, Mexico; 12/22/10.



5. Val and I took a fantastic tour into the Yucatan jungle and marsh (near Puerto Morelos) for the sole purpose of photographing birds (Below). We had a fantastic guide named Luis Ku who is an expert on the birds that live in the Yucatan Peninsuala, whether they are endemic to the area or spend their winters there. In a matter of just a couple of hours, Luis identified over 50 species of birds. Of these, 26 were new to me to add to my Life List. The birds that he identified were as follows: Green Jay#, Wilsons Warbler#, Yellow-tailed Oriole#, Yucatan Flycatcher*, Summer Tanager#,  Clay-colored Robin*, Anhinga*, Tri-colored Heron*, Green Heron, Great Blue Heron, Little Blue Heron*, Glossy Ibis(I saw this one, Luis didn't see it)*, American Coot, Northern Jacana*, Black-necked Stilt, Belted Kingfisher, Double-crested Cormorant, Plain Chachalaca*, Yellow-headed Vulture*, Bat Falcon, Ferruginous Pygmy Owl*, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Buff-breasted Hummingbird#, Black-headed Trogon*, Painted Bunting*, Black-throated Green Warbler, Yucatan Woodpecker*, Golden-fronted Woodpecker#, Rose-throated Becard*, White-eyed Vireo, Barn Swallow, Gray Catbird, Black Catbird*, American Redstart, Yellow-faced Grassquit, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Blue Bunting*, Melodious Blackbird*, Green-backed Sparrow*, Great-tailed Grackle, Northern Parula, Brown Jay*, Tropical Mockingbird, Great Kiskadee, Killdeer, Northern Waterthrush*, Cavinet Emerald hummingbird*, Yellow-throated Euphonia*, Least Sandpiper, Olive-throated Parakeet*, Turquois-browed Motmot*, Greenish Elaenia*, and Crouch's Kingbird*. Whew!

# Denotes birds Luis saw and identified, but I did not see or cannot identify on my photographs.

In one photograph I captured a Double-crested Cormorant (flying towrds me),  in the background was a Tri-colored Heron (back right), a Green Heron (back center) and a juvenile Northern Jacana (behind the Green Heron), Puerto Morelos, Mexico; 12/24/10.

Did I mention that there were crocodiles present in the many areas we visited? This one was waiting in the shallow water beneath the deck of a restaurant where we were having dinner in Cancun. Presumably, it wanted dinner also; 12/23/10.

I am looking forward to posting picures of birds from Mexico, starting tomorrow...hope you can visit.

Chloe Wigeon and American Wigeon

A pair of Chloe Wigeons, Regents Park, London, UK; 4/10/10.

Another water bird we saw at Regents Park in London was the Chloe Wigeon (Above). It is one of three species of wigeons, which are considered dabbling ducks, not diving ducks (such as the Tufted Duck in my 12/19 post.) Unlike other Wigeons, the genders are similar (though the male is often slightly brighter) and pairs are monogamous. This bird has a metallic greenish or blueish [depending how the light hits it (below)] head, and a gray bill with a black tip. Its breast is barred black and white and its sides are orangish brown. It has white cheeks and a white forehead and also white on its wings.
This duck is found in South America, on freshwater lakes, marshes, lagoons and slow flowing rivers. It breeds on the Falkland Islands, Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile. It migrates to southeastern Brazil for the winters. I am assuming that this pair we saw in Regents Park are either escapees from a private zoo or are permanent residents that the Park owns and cares for.

The same pair of Chloe Wigeons, but as the light hits it from a slightly different angle, the feathers on its head appears blueish; Regents Park, London, UK; 4/10/10.



A male American Wigeon in flight, Phoenix, AZ; 12/29/09.

The Chloe Wigeons from South America are very similar to the American Wigeons (Male, Above), which are common throughout Canada and the upper north west of the U.S. in summers and migrates down to the southern half of the U.S. and into Mexico during the winters.  I saw my fist American Wigeons a year ago while staying in Phoenix, AZ. There was quite a large flock (Below) of these birds hanging around a local park.

A flock of American Wigeons take to the safety of a lake in a Phoenix park, AZ; 12/25/09.

Female American Wigeon, Phoenix, AZ; 12/29/10.