Mercenary Ornithology y Las Aves de México

Oreothlypis superciliosa   An inhabitant of humid higher-elevation forest, the Crescent-chested Warblers is one of the most common member of mixed feeding flocks during the winter, although pairs defend a single territory during the breeding season. This bird is closely associated with oaks, and is found in pine-oak forests from northern Mexico to Central America.  This [...]

Spizella wortheni   In a birding guide to Veracruz, I came across the casual mention of a bird called the Worthen’s Sparrow.  The guide said that Worthen’s Sparrows were known to have been seen in the far eastern edge of Veracruz in an area called Perote.  This part of Veracruz features a succession of increasingly [...]

Basileuterus culicivorus   The Golden-Crowned Warbler is a common ground-dwelling warbler with a substantial distribution ranging from Northern Mexico to Argentina. They occupy a broad swath of mid-to-low elevation humid and semi-humid forested areas, and due to this large but not entirely contiguous range there is a substantial amount of geographic variation within the species. [...]

Geothlypis poliocephala   The Gray-crowned Yellowthroat is relatively common throughout lowland Mexico and Central America. More of a generalist than other members of its genus, the Gray-crowned Yellowthroat inhabits a wide-range of open and semi-open habitats including grassland, scrub, and cultivated areas. It is one of the few warbler species commonly sighted in cane fields. [...]

Geothlypis speciosa   Endemic to central Mexico, the Black-polled Yellowthroat is only known within four population centers located in the states of Guanajuato, México, and Michocán. Like many other species of yellowthroat, it typically found within riparian and palustrine areas, particularly within reedbeds. It can be visually distinguished from other species of yellowthroat by a [...]

Basileuterus belli   The Golden-browed Warbler is a resident of cloud forests that ranges from Tamaulipas, where it occupies the high-elevation areas of the El Cielo biosphere reserve, to Honduras and El Salvador. Although this species typically remains on the same territory year-round, during the winter it has been observed joining mixed species foraging flocks [...]

Hylomanes momtula   The Tody Motmot is a reclusive resident of mid-to-low elevation moist tropical forests of southern Mexico, Central America, and northern Colombia. Although they are probably common within their range, they are rarely seen due to their secretive nature and their tendency to remain very still throughout the day as they wait for [...]

Buteo Lineatus   This medium sized generalist is able to hunt anything from birds to fish and nests commonly in the eastern US and in the Californias and observed during the winter as far south as southern Oaxaca. Despite existing in a wide variety of habitats on both sides of the continent, they interestingly do [...]

Circus cyaneus   The Northern Harrier is common throughout North America and winters throughout Mexico. Preferring open, grassy habitats, the Northern Harrier is typically seen hunting low to the ground. This bird is uniquely proportioned with a light body and exceptionally long wings and tail and a distinctive mixture of traits. At first glance they [...]