EL NARANJO, SAN LOUIS POTOSI & LIST 
MEXICO

Region (Compass)

Lat:00o00´S/00o00´W ha topography msl 
Protected/registered status 
Best Time for visit (25-28th September, 2004)

 

Birding Site Guide

To get here we took a bus from Tampico on the coast to Ciudad Mante and from there another bus to El Naranjo. It is a small town with one main unpaved street that can be very dusty or muddy depending. There are a couple of places to stay and eat. Birding is quite spread out but there are a few minibuses, or you can hitch if you do not have your own transport. It is worth spending a few days in the area as there are some fantastic birds. The first spot worth visiting is the small marsh at the junction. Here, Altamira Yellowthroat is easy. It seems to be private property but the landowner did not seem to be too angry when he caught me! If you see anyone, ask permission. From the junction, it is 6km to El Meco which is the best place to see parrots. Minibuses leave El Naranjo for El Meco regularly. I saw a pair of Yellow-headed Parrots flying over the town in the morning and Red-crowned Parrots a bit further along. You can also see Tamaulipas Crow around here. The walk from El Meco to El Salto has good birding. Back at El Naranjo, cross the bridge and follow the road up the hill and past the small village of Sabinito. Further on at about 10.00 I saw many Military Macaws just before the 155km marker and a small catholic shrine. 90 species including 35 lifers. 


Species seen 

  • Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus
  • Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias
  • Great Egret Ardea alba
  • Snowy Egret Egretta thula
  • Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
  • Green Heron Butorides virescens
  • Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
  • White-faced Ibis ? Plegadis chihi
  • Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis
  • Black Vulture Coragyps atratus
  • Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
  • Common Black-Hawk Buteogallus anthracinus
  • Roadside Hawk Buteo magnirostris
  • (Northern) Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway
  • Collared Forest-Falcon Micrastur semitorquatus
  • American Kestrel Falco sparverius
  • Aplomado Falcon Falco femoralis
  • Plain Chachalaca Ortalis vetula
  • Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus
  • Singing Quail h? Dactylortyx thoracicus
  • Wilson's Snipe Gallinago delicata
  • Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularia
  • Rock Dove Columba livia Introduced species
  • Red-billed Pigeon Patagioenas flavirostris
  • Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
  • White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica
  • Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina
  • Inca Dove Columbina inca
  • White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi
  • Military Macaw Ara militaris Vulnerable
  • White-crowned Parrot Pionus senilis
  • Red-crowned Parrot Amazona viridigenalis Endemic Endangered
  • Yellow-headed Parrot Amazona oratrix Endangered
  • Squirrel Cuckoo Piaya cayana
  • Mottled Owl h? Ciccaba virgata
  • Vaux's Swift Chaetura vauxi
  • Wedge-tailed Sabrewing ? Campylopterus curvipennis
  • Buff-bellied Hummingbird Amazilia yucatanensis
  • Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris
  • Green Kingfisher Chloroceryle americana
  • Blue-crowned Motmot Momotus momota
  • Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons
  • Golden-olive Woodpecker Piculus rubiginosus
  • Lineated Woodpecker ? Dryocopus lineatus
  • Spot-crowned Woodcreeper Lepidocolaptes affinis
  • Olive-sided Flycatcher Contopus cooperi
  • Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans
  • Say's Phoebe Sayornis saya
  • Brown-crested Flycatcher ? Myiarchus tyrannulus
  • Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus
  • Boat-billed Flycatcher Megarynchus pitangua
  • Social Flycatcher Myiozetetes similis
  • Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii
  • Cassin's Kingbird ? Tyrannus vociferans
  • Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
  • Ruby-crowned Kinglet ? Regulus calendula
  • Spot-breasted Wren Thryothorus maculipectus
  • Clay-colored Robin Turdus grayi
  • Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea
  • Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus
  • Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas
  • Brown Jay Cyanocorax morio
  • Tamaulipas Crow Corvus imparatus Endemic
  • Warbling Vireo Vireo gilvus
  • Tropical Parula Parula pitiayumi
  • Townsend's Warbler Dendroica townsendi
  • Louisiana Waterthrush Seiurus motacilla
  • Altamira Yellowthroat Geothlypis flavovelata Endemic Vulnerable
  • Wilson's Warbler Wilsonia pusilla
  • Golden-crowned Warbler Basileuterus culicivorus
  • Red-throated Ant-Tanager ? Habia fuscicauda
  • Summer Tanager Piranga rubra
  • Blue-gray Tanager Thraupis episcopus
  • Yellow-winged Tanager Thraupis abbas
  • Yellow-throated Euphonia Euphonia hirundinacea
  • White-collared Seedeater ? Sporophila torqueola
  • Rusty Sparrow ? Aimophila rufescens
  • Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus
  • Black-headed Saltator Saltator atriceps
  • Blue Grosbeak ? Passerina caerulea
  • Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus
  • Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna
  • Melodious Blackbird Dives dives
  • Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus
  • Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus aeneus
  • Altamira Oriole Icterus gularis
  • Hooded Oriole Icterus cucullatus
  • Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula
  • Audubon's Oriole Icterus graduacauda
  • House Sparrow Passer domesticus Introduced species


Other Fauna 
A total of -- species of mammals. 

There are -- recorded species of amphibians and reptiles. 

Flora 

Author: Charles Hesse 

 

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