TZISCAO TO SAN CRISTOBAL, OCOSINGO ROAD & LIST

MEXICO

(), ()

00^o00´/00^o00´ ha 
Protected/registered status 
Best Time for visit (02nd & 03rd January 2007)

Birding Site Guide

January 2: more bad weather near San Cristobal: Morning saw us rising to heavy showers and strong wind, and after a short debate we decided to cut our losses and head straight for San Cristobal and the Ocosingo Road. A few stops along the way gave us our first Rufous-collared Sparrows and along the Ocosingo Road, Rufous-collared Thrushes. No luck with the weather though as it was fairly cold, wet and windy here as well, so we headed into town, booked us lodgings at the Hostel Posada Mayambe (50 pesos for a bed in a bunk room), a basic but clean backpacker’s place. We then took a stroll around the city, did some tourist shopping and splashed out on some good food. 
January 3: Ocosingo Highway near San Cristobal: Another day of wind, rain and cold! First, we went out to the km 2 spot along the Ocosingo highway described in Howell. In between the rain and the cloud banks birding was difficult, and though the birds were very active the trick was trying to identify them in the atrocious light. The weather would remain fickle throughout the morning, with just a few short spells of good visibility. Despite all our efforts not a single pink-headed warbler was seen. What we did find among the many flocks of warblers were a single cracking male Golden-cheeked Warbler, a Red-faced Warbler, many Olive Warblers, 2 (Guatemalan) Northern Flickers, the Guatemalan race of the Yellow-eyed Junco, a large flock of Pine Siskins, a single Merlin, 2 Rufous-browed Wrens, Strong-billed Woodcreepers, a single Yellow-green Vireo, 8 Yellow-backed Orioles, Red Crossbill and plenty of Rufous-collared Thrushes.

 Our short afternoon visit to Cerro-Huitepec gave us our only Blue-and-white Mockingbird for the trip, but little else. We then left San Cristobal and headed for Tuxtla-Guttierez were we booked into the Hotel Casa Blanca near the Zocalo (240 pesos for a double). Green Parakeets are common in the city center early in the morning.

Species seen

• Rufous-collared Robin Turdus rufitorques
• Mountain Trogon Trogon mexicanus
• Rufous-collared Sparrow Zonotrichia capensis septentrionalis
• Yellow-eyed Junco Junco phaeonotus
• Merlin Falco columbarius columbarius
• Magnificent Hummingbird Eugenes fulgens
• White-eared Hummingbird Hylocharis leucotis
• Amethyst-throated Hummingbird Lampornis amethystinus
• Garnet-throated Hummingbird Lamprolaima rhami
• Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus
• Strong-billed Woodcreeper Xiphocolaptes promeropirhynchus
• Band-backed Wren Campylorhynchus zonatus
• Rufous-browed Wren Troglodytes rufociliatus
• Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis
• Greater Pewee Contopus pertinax
• Brown Creeper Certhia americana
• Blue-and-white Mockingbird Melanotis hypoleucus
• Steller's Jay Cyanocitta stelleri
• Unicoloured Jay Aphelocoma unicolor
• Cassin's Vireo Vireo cassinii
• Hutton's Vireo Vireo huttoni
• Yellow-green Vireo Vireo flavoviridis
• Crescent-chested Warbler Parula superciliosa
• Townsend's Warbler Dendroica townsendi
• Hermit Warbler Dendroica occidentalis
• Golden-cheeked Warbler Dendroica chrysoparia
• Red-faced Warbler Cardellina rubrifrons
• Olive Warbler Peucedramus taeniatus
• Pine Siskin Carduelis pinus macroptera
• Common Crossbill Loxia curvirostra stricklandi
• Yellow-backed Oriole Icterus chrysater
• Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii
• Spotted Towhee Pipilo maculatus

For a full Excel species trip list please contact the authors:

Regis Nossent: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Filip Beeldens: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

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