NORTHERN MEXICO ENDEMICS 2023

 Day 1   MONTERREY, MEXICO  
The tour begins this morning in Monterrey, in the northern Mexican state of Nuevo Leon. 

This morning we will explore an attractive area of subtropical woodland, mainly comprising evergreen oaks, not far from the city and nestled below the tall ranges of the Sierra Madre Oriental.

We will set out early as a prime target this morning is Tawny-collared Nightjar, a species endemic to Northeast Mexico. We have a good chance of having one come close in the pre-dawn period.

Another important Northeast-Mexican endemic in this area is the attractive Crimson-collared Grosbeak and we should have little trouble locating this interesting species. The same applies to the lovely Blue-capped Motmot and Bronze-winged Woodpecker, two other species endemic to the northeast of Mexico.

Two near-endemics that we are likely to encounter this morning are Long-billed Thrasher and Black-crested Titmouse (both just get over the border into South Texas). Other species of particular interest are Audubon’s Oriole (a Mexican near-endemic), Altamira Oriole and Olive Sparrow.

Widespread species regularly recorded at this site include Cooper’s Hawk, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, White-eyed Vireo, CarolinaWren, Brown Jay, Clay-colored Thrush, Blue-grey Gnatcatcher, Bronzed Cowbird and Rufous-capped Warbler.

Afterwards, we will travel southwards to the small town of Gomez Farias in western Tamaulipas State for a three nights stay.

Days 2 - 3   XX
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Gomez Farias is situated in the midst of the extensive El Cielo Biosphere Reserve, which protects habitats ranging upwards from the subtropical foothill forests through temperate mixed forest to the temperate pine forests of higher altitudes on the eastern flanks of the Sierra Madre Oriental.

The key birds that have brought us to the reserve are two Northeast Mexican endemics; the delightfully fierce little Tamaulipas Pygmy Owl and the large but sombre Curve-winged Sabrewing

Also of great interest are the restricted-range Thicket Tinamou (this is a very reliable area for seeing this shy bird, rather than just hearing it) and such additional restricted range specialities as Plain Chachalaca, Buff-bellied and Azure-crowned Hummingbirds, Elegant Trogon, Ivory-billed Woodcreeper, Grey-collared Becard, Blue Mockingbird, Brown-backed Solitaire, Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush, Spot-breasted Wren, Golden-browed Warbler, Yellow-throated Euphonia, Hooded Grosbeak and Black-headed Siskin.

More widespread birds regularly observed in the reserve include Short-tailed and Grey Hawks, Crested Guan, Red-billed Pigeon, White-tipped and Mourning Doves, Blue Ground Dove, Bat Falcon, White-crowned Parrot, Spot-crowned and Olivaceous Woodcreepers, Barred Antshrike, Greenish Elaenia, Northern Beardless Tyrannulet, Western Wood Pewee, Dusky-capped and Social Flycatchers, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, the smart Green Jay, White-throated Thrush, Melodious Blackbird, Golden-crowned and Fan-tailed Warblers, Flame0-colored Tanager, Red-throated Ant Tanager, Yellow-faced Grassquit and Black-headed and Greyish Saltators,

After dark, we will go out in search of Northern Potoo as well as Eastern Screech Owl, Mottled Owl and Pauraque.

We will also explore the lowlands below Gomez Farias. The key birds here are two Northeast-Mexico endemics: the smart Altamira Yellowthroat and the increasingly rare Tamaulipas Crow, a bird that recalls the Fish Crow of the eastern United States, but which has declined markedly in recent decades (and no longer wanders across the border to Brownsville, Texas). This may be owing to the destruction of its palm grove nesting sites or result from other causes.

Ruddy Crake occurs in this area, but tends to be hard to see as opposed to hear, while other birds of interest include the restricted-range Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Couch’s Kingbird and Morelet’s Seedeater.

Other birds in this patchwork of agricultural habitats, irrigation channels and fragments of natural habitats include Great Egret, Common Ground Dove, Inca Dove, Crested Caracara, Red-lored Parrot, Great Kiskadee and Northern Rough-winged Swallow.

One afternoon we will take a  short boat trip on a beautiful, crystal-clear river fringed by tall trees. This must surely be one of the best venues in the Neotropics for seeing Sungrebes! We are sure to see a number of these fascinating birds, perhaps watching one clamber up onto the branches of a tree that overhangs the river in an effort to hide from our presence. Green Kingfisher and Mangrove Cuckoo are also regular here.

Mammals regularly observed in the Gomez Farias area include Allen’s Squirrel and Eastern Cottontail.

Day 4   XX
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After some final birding in the Gomez Farias area we will return to Monterrey for a two nights stay.

Day 5   XXXX
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Today is surely going to be a major highlight of the tour as we explore the spectacular Cumbres de Monterrey National Park. The city itself, which is situated in a broad valley flanked by two impressive mountain ranges, is spectacular enough, but the scenery in Cumbres de Monterrey is even more dramatic.

Our prime target today, which we will have no difficulty finding, is the wonderful Maroon-fronted Parrot, another species endemic to Northeast Mexico. This second member of the genus Rhynchopsitta, so just as macaw-like as the Thick-billed Parrot, has declined until it now ranks as Endangered by Birdlife International. We will visit an area where we should get wonderful views of some of the birds as they rest or socialize in the pines or flight along the spectacular cliff faces where they nest. All in all, with the wheeling birds, the raucous calls and the acrobatics it is going to be a wonderful experience.

Among the other specialities in this beautiful area are the Mexican-endemic Rufous-capped Brushfinch and near-endemic Blue-throated Mountaingem, while restricted-range species include Mexican Jay, Crescent-chested Warbler and the stunning Painted Redstart.

Widespread species include Peregrine Falcon, Acorn Woodpecker, Canyon Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Tropical Parula, House Finch and Lesser Goldfinch.

Mammals are few in number but could well include Rock Squirrel.

Day 6   XXX
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We will have another chance today to try for anything we might have missed in the Monterrey region before we head westwards to the Saltillo region, situated in the State of Coahuila for a two nights stay.

Day 7   XX
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We are going to enjoy exploring two areas in eastern Coahuila that are very different in character and which hold some fascinating but totally contrasting avifaunas.

This morning we will explore some tracts of desert habitats, complete with a variety of cacti and scrub, where our prime target will be our last Northeast Mexican endemic, the increasingly rare Worthen’s Sparrow.

A number of other species of interest occur in this area including Scaled Quail, Chihuahuan Raven, Cassin’s Kingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher, Black-vented Oriole, Canyon Towee and a surprisingly large population of the shy Botteri’s Sparrow.

More widespread birds include Northern Harrier, Greater Roadrunner, the cute Burrowing Owl (nesting in the holes made by endemic Mexican Prairie-dogs!), Say’s Phoebe, Tree and Cave Swallows, Horned Lark, Loggerhead Shrike, Lark and Clay-colored Sparrows and the handsome Blue Grosbeak.

During the afternoon, in contrast, we will explore some mixed pine and deciduous forest at the western edge of the Sierra Madre Oriental and then some more scrubby, drier habitat not that far away.

Our prime targets here are such Mexican near-endemics as Colima Warbler (unlike in West Texas, here you can drive to the breeding habitat!), Lucifer Sheartail, Broad-billed Hummingbird and Hooded Yellowthroat, all of which we can expect to see.

More widespread but welcome extras include Black-chinned Hummingbird, Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay, Bushtit, Bewick’s Wren, Spotted Towhee and Black-headed Grosbeak.

Day 8   XX

We will have the opportunity today to look for anything we might have missed in eastern Coahuila before we return to Monterrey for an overnight stay.

Day 9   XX
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We will visit an area in Monterrey this morning that attracts the near-endemic Green Parakeet. And then take an afternoon flight to Chihuahua.

From Ciudad Chihua we will make our way through the mostly very wild, open landscapes of the Mexican State of Chihuahua, which seems the epitome of the landscapes made famous by ‘Westerns’ set in Mexico. High plains covered in grasslands are punctuated by rugged, crumpled ranges or flat-topped mesas. Eventually, the outer parts of the Sierra Madre Occidental appear, with extensive pine forests stretching into the distance.

Eventually, we will reach the small town of Ciudad Madera, where we will stay for two nights. This sleepy place honours the memory of Francisco Madero, the father of the Mexican Revolution that brought down the dictator Porfirio Diáz in 1910. After becoming president of the newly democratic state, Madero was assassinated three years later by the man who was to become the next dictator, Victoriano Huerta! This afternoon we will begin our explorations.

Days 10 - 11   XX
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The tall and beautiful temperate pine forests of the Sierra Madre Occidental in the Ciudad Madera region are the last stronghold of the Endangered Thick-billed Parrot. This large, noisy and rather macaw-like parrot (with a macaw-like silhouette owing to its unusually long tail) requires large, mature trees for nesting; usually Arizona Pine, Mexican White Pine, Douglas Fir or Quaking Aspen. The problem has been that forestry ‘extraction’ has destroyed much of the climax forest in the Sierra Madre Occidental, forcing the huge Imperial Woodpecker into extinction and now threatening the existence of this wonderful parrot.

We shall be exploring an area that is protected, at least for now, and we are sure to see plenty of these charismatic and very raucous birds. We can expect to see them inspecting their nest holes and interacting with each other as this will be the beginning of the breeding period.

The other ‘mega-speciality of this fine area is the uncommon and sparsely distributed Eared Quetzal. We sometimes encounter this lovely species on our Western Mexico tours, but it is always hit or miss. Here, on the other hand, it is a certainty and we can expect to see a number during our stay.

If we find a suitable fruiting tree we should be able to watch these special creatures hovering and plucking the more outlying fruits, aided and abetted by American Robins and Townsend’s Solitaires.

Other species of particular interest in these forests include Mountain Trogon, Greater Pewee, Mexican Chickadee, Bridled Titmouse, the pretty Red-faced Warbler, the monotypic Olive Warbler (sole member of its own bird family) and Yellow-eyed Junco.

Widespread species that we are likely to encounter include Turkey and Black Vultures, Red-tailed and Swainson’s Hawks, American Kestrel, White-winged Dove, Eurasian Collared Dove (now all over Mexico following the likely colonization of North America by introduced birds from the Bahamas), Groove-billed Ani, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Black Phoebe, Hutton’s Vireo, Barn Swallow, Steller’s Jay, Common Raven, Brown Creeper, Eastern Meadowlark and Great-tailed Grackle.

Mammals are not conspicuous but are likely to include Cliff Chipmunk, Western Grey Squirrel and Black-tailed Jackrabbit.

Day 12   XX
.After some final birding we will return to Chihuahua Airport early afternoon where the tour will end.