Bulletin 321 - Guatemala #7 - Hummingbirds, Toucan, Swift, Trogon, Mammals

I went for a third visit to Guatemala in May. Once again, I used the wonderful local guide Knut Eisermann of Cayaya Birding. On this visit, we went to diferent locations to see new species.

There were several hummingbirds photographed on the trip including 2 new species. The 4.5" male Green-breasted Mango (Anthracothorax prevostii) is all dark green with a reddish tail and median black stripe on underparts.

Green-breasted Mango - male

The 5" female Purple-crowned Fairy (Heliothryx barroti) is a large flash hummer with snow white underparts and green above. The male is similar except he has a purple crown.

Purple-crowned Fairy - female

The 6" female Violet Sabrewing (Campylopterus hemileucurus) is green above and white below. The male is dark purple and both have a mostly white tail.

Violet Sabrewing - female

The 4.5" Green-throated Mountaingem (Lampornis viridipallens) is a green backed hummer with a speckled green throat. He also has the vertical white stripe behind his eye typical of this genus.

Green-throated Mountaingem

The next 2 species are the new ones. The 5" Wedge-tailed Sabrewing (Campylopterus pampa) is a drab hummer green above and grayish below. There is also a purple crown and a white spot behind the eye. The sexes are similar

Wedge-tailed Sabrewing

The last is the 3.5" White-bellied Emerald (Amazilia candida). This small hummer is green above, light below and the reddish bill typical of the amazilia genus.

White-bellied Emerald

The 14" Emerald Toucanet (Aulacorhynchus prasinus) is a small green toucan with rusty tail and a yellow upper mandible.

Emerald Toucanet

The 11" male Collared Trogon (Trogon collaris) has a green back, head and breast and red belly with a white collar across his chest.

Collared Trogon - male

Lastly, swifts are a family of birds that I have few photos as they never perch. But my guide showed me the settings to use to photo them in flight. Here is the 8.5" White-collared Swift (Streptoprocne zonaris). He is brown with a white collar.

White-collared Swift

I got a couple of mammals as well. Here is the Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus). It has a range from southern Canada to northern South America. This fox was being fed daily at one of the lodges we stayed at.

Gray Fox

And of course a funny monkey photo. Here is a Central American Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi) running along a path. It has an alternate name Geoffroy's Spider Monkey

Central American Spider Monkey

I have put the different bird families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 125 of the 348 species of hummingbirds

I have photos of 15 of the 47 species of toucans

I have photos of 14 of the 43 species of trogons


I have photos of 3 of the 108 species of swifts

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald
dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2018 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe.

Bulletin 320 - Guatemala #6 - Jays, swallows, sparrows

I went for a third visit to Guatemala in May. Once again, I used the wonderful local guide Knut Eisermann of Cayaya Birding. On this visit, we went to different locations to see new species.

I got photos of 4 different species of jays on the trip, 2 of which were life birds for me. The 16" Brown Jay (Psilorhinus morio) is a dark brown jay with light belly. The adult has a black bill and I had photographed it in south Texas where it is an vagrant. But the juvenile has a yellow bill and I got a photo of a juvie.

Brown Jay - juvenile

The 12" Bushy-crested Jay (Cyanocorax melanocyaneus) I had photos before, but got better pics on this trip. It has a black head and royal blue body and yellow eye. The crest is usually held flat so not visible.

Bushy-crested Jay

The 13.5" Unicolored Jay (Aphelocoma unicolor) is a dark blue bird with a darker face.

Unicolored Jay

The smallest is the 11" Azure-hooded Jay (Cyanolyca cucullata). He is a deep purplish blue with a turquoise hat. 

Azure-hooded Jay

I also got photos of 3 species of sparrows, 2 of which were lifers. The one I saw previously was the 7" Rusty Sparrow (Aimophila rufescens). He is rufous on the back and cap and had a gray face.

Rusty Sparrow

The 6" Green-backed Sparrow (Arremonops chloronotus) is very similar to the Olive Sparrow in south Texas. It has a greenish back, and gray face with some stripes.

Green-backed Sparrow

The last is the 7.5" White-eared Ground Sparrow (Melozone leucotis). It is easily IDed by the distinctive facial pattern.

White-eared Ground Sparrow

Swallows are a delight to watch as they are magnificent flyers taking insects on the wing. However to photograph them, they need to land and perch. The 5" Black-capped Swallow (Notiochelidon pileata) has a restricted range in the mountains from southern Mexico to El Salvador. It had a black head and back and light underparts. It was a lifer. Here is a group at the top of a dead tree.

Black-capped Swallow

The 5.5" Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis) is a common bird in North America. However this is the rigdwayi subspecies in the Yucatan and adjacent Belize and Guatemala. It is 10% larger, has white spots above bill, black undertail coverts and a forked tail. It also nests on cliffs. All these differentiate it from the other subspecies of the bird. It is listed as a possible future split to be called Ridgway's Swallow.

Northern Rough-winged Swallow - ridgwayi ssp

I have the different bird families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 37 of the 130 species of crows and jays

I have photos of 67 of the 136 species of New World sparrows

I have photos of 15 of the 88 species of swallows

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald
dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2018 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe.

Bulletin 319 - Guatemala #5 - Night Birds and Marsh Birds

I went for a third visit to Guatemala in May. Once again, I used the wonderful local guide Knut Eisermann of Cayaya Birding. On this visit, we went to new locations to get different species.

My guide Knut loves the nocturnal birds, so we always look for nightjars and owls. I got 2 new owl species for the trip, both were life birds.

The 8.5" Middle America Screech Owl (Megascops guatemalae) comes in both gray and rufous morphs. This one is the gray morph.

Middle America Screech Owl

The other is the rare 7" Bearded Screech Owl (Megascops barbarus). It is an uncommon resident in just southern Mexico and Guatemala. It was a tough bird as he does not come in to the tape and you have to go to him. We had to walk down a 45 degree slope by flashlight and try not to fall. I had to brace myself against a tree to get the pics. He also has 2 colors and this is obviously the rufous morph.

Bearded Screech Owl

There were also 2 nightjars. The 11.5" Common Paraque (Nyctidromus albicollis) is a common bird in Latin America with a range from south Texas to Brazil. They are best seen right after dusk on the ground. This is my best pic of this bird.

Common Paraque

The other was a life bird, the 8.5" Yucatan Poorwill (Nyctiphrynus yucatanicus), It has a dark brown face and white tip on the long tail.

Yucatan Poorwill

The last night bird was another lifer, the 16" Northern Potoo (Nyctibius jamaicensis). This is the third of the 7 potoo species and the second with a baby.

Northern Potoo and baby

And a close up.

Northern Potoo and baby

Also I got some photos of a couple of marsh birds. The 9" Northern Jacana (Jacana spinosa) is a brown bird black neck and a yellow bill. They have large toes to walk across floating vegetation. Here is an adult with several chicks.

Northern Jacana with chicks

And here is a juvenile bird.

Northern Jacana - juvenile

And the last is perhaps the easiest rail to be found. It is the 16" Russet-naped Wood Rail (Aramides albiventris). It is large, quite common and often in the open.

Russet-naped Wood Rail

I have the different bird families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 29 of the 216 species of owls

I have photos of 9 of the 98 species of nightjars

I have photos of 3 of the 7 species of potoos

I have photos of 3 of the 8 species of jacanas

I have photos of 14 of the 138 species of rails, coots

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald
dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2018 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe.