EL CANYON DEL SUMIDERO & LIST 
MEXICO

CHIAPAS (Compass)

Lat:00o00´S/00o00´W ha topography msl 
Protected/registered status 
Best Time for visit

Birding Site Guide

Charles Hesse 25th November, 2004. This site is just outside Tuxtla and it is just 5-6km from the centre to the national park entrance where a 10 peso entrance fee is payable. Colectivos go much of the way, or you can take a taxi. There are distance markers along the way which correspond to descriptions in the site guide. The lower parts are OK for birding but the best areas are after km16. It is best to have your own transport but not impossible otherwise. Hitching is possible and there are also some short cuts which save a lot of time. The road is very winding so any trails leading up will probably pop out on the road again. There are several miradors along the way with spectacular views. I found the near-threatened Belted Flycatcher at km18. Learn its call and listen out for it. I saw Blue-and-white Mockingbird near here and also Jaguarondi. 55 species including 5 lifers.


Species seen 

  • Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis
  • Black Vulture Coragyps atratus
  • Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
  • Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus
  • Plain Chachalaca Ortalis vetula
  • Red-billed Pigeon Patagioenas flavirostris
  • White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica
  • White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi
  • Green Parakeet h?? Aratinga holochlora
  • Squirrel Cuckoo Piaya cayana
  • Lesser Ground-Cuckoo Morococcyx erythropygus
  • Lesser Roadrunner Geococcyx velox
  • Canivet's Emerald Chlorostilbon canivetii
  • Buff-bellied Hummingbird Amazilia yucatanensis
  • Green-fronted Hummingbird Agyrtria viridifrons
  • Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris
  • Collared Trogon Trogon collaris
  • Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons
  • Ivory-billed Woodcreeper ? Xiphorhynchus flavigaster
  • Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet Camptostoma imberbe
  • Belted Flycatcher Xenotriccus callizonus Near-threatened
  • Least Flycatcher Empidonax minimus
  • Nutting's Flycatcher Myiarchus nuttingi
  • Brown-crested Flycatcher Myiarchus tyrannulus
  • Boat-billed Flycatcher Megarynchus pitangua
  • Social Flycatcher Myiozetetes similis
  • Couch's Kingbird Tyrannus couchii
  • Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis
  • Northern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis
  • Banded Wren Thryothorus pleurostictus
  • Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis
  • Blue-and-white Mockingbird Melanotis hypoleucus
  • Clay-colored Robin Turdus grayi
  • Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea
  • White-throated Magpie-Jay Calocitta formosa
  • Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas
  • White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus
  • Yellow-throated Vireo Vireo flavifrons
  • Warbling Vireo Vireo gilvus
  • Nashville Warbler Vermivora ruficapilla
  • Magnolia Warbler Dendroica magnolia
  • Black-throated Green Warbler Dendroica virens
  • Wilson's Warbler Wilsonia pusilla
  • Red-breasted Chat Granatellus venustus Endemic
  • Western Tanager Piranga ludoviciana
  • Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus
  • Rusty Sparrow Aimophila rufescens
  • Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea
  • Varied Bunting Passerina versicolor
  • Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus
  • Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus aeneus
  • Streak-backed Oriole Icterus pustulatus
  • Black-vented Oriole Icterus wagleri
  • Yellow-billed Cacique Amblycercus holosericeus
  • Lesser Goldfinch Carduelis psaltria

 

Regis Nossent & Filip Beeldens 02nd & 03rd January 2007. The Sumidero Canyon is quite spectacular, and though we made the mistake to bird the lowers slopes first in the early morning, finding the low forest on the ridge mostly quiet when we got there we still did see quite a few new birds, including a single female Blue Seedeater, an obliging Azure-crowned Hummingbird, a Plain-capped Starthroat, lots of Canivet’s Emeralds, Beryline and Buff-bellied Hummingbirds, White-throated Magpie-Jays, White-lored Gnatcatcher, Streak-backed Orioles, and Banded Wren. Regis caught the tail-end of a single male Slender Sheartail near the restaurant at the top of the canyon. Despite our efforts we couldn’t relocate the bird and it would go down as a miss for me. 

On the way back we made a stop at a garage to finally have the breaks checked, and replaced as they were worn through. 


Species seen

  • Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis
  • Short-tailed Hawk Buteo brachyurus fuliginosus
  • Green Parakeet Aratinga holochlora
  • Azure-crowned Hummingbird Amazilia cyanocephala cyanocephala
  • Berylline Hummingbird Amazilia beryllina
  • Buff-bellied Hummingbird Amazilia yucatanensis
  • Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris
  • Canivet's Emerald Chlorostilbon canivetii
  • Slender Sheartail Doricha enicura
  • Plain-capped Starthroat Heliomaster constantii
  • Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons
  • Banded Wren Thryothorus pleurostictus
  • White-lored Gnatcatcher Polioptila albiloris
  • Boat-billed Flycatcher Megarynchus pitangua
  • Nutting's Flycatcher Myiarchus nuttingi
  • Green Jay Cyanocorax luxuosus
  • White-throated Magpie-Jay Calocitta formosa
  • Blue-headed Vireo Vireo solitarius
  • Western Warbling-Vireo Vireo swainsonii
  • White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus
  • Nashville Warbler Vermivora ruficapilla
  • Worm-eating Warbler Helmitheros vermivorus
  • Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea
  • Varied Bunting Passerina versicolor
  • Streak-backed Oriole Icterus pustulatus
  • Western Tanager Piranga ludoviciana
  • Blue Seedeater Amaurospiza concolor

 

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

 

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