Central, Eastern, and Northern Honduras - August 2003

Trip Key:
TJ—Tom Jenner
JF—Jesse Fagan

a—found and encountered in a variety of habitats or in most locations visited. This includes many areas of human disturbance (e.g. towns, roadsides, etc.)
h—heard only
mig—obvious migrants and/or newly arrived wintering birds
?—some question about ID. Only brief glimpses were had (jizz bird), light was not good, only heard and not familiar with call or song, etc.
LT—La Tigra National Park and the road northeast from Teguz
VI—Valle de Ilampa
GF—Rio Guayape Fish Ponds
EB—El Boqueron Natural Monument
TG—Tempiscapa Gorge
J—Juticalpa and areas around incl. Lagoon Road and the main east-west road from Teguz
LL—La Lima and road north through Olancho department
OJ—Omega Jungle Lodge along Rio Cangrejal
CS—Cuero y Salado Wildlife Refuge
PB—Pico Bonito Lodge and trail
RZ—Rio Zacate
T—Toncontin
L—Lancetilla Botanic Gardens

The taxonomic order below follows that of the AOU and The A.O.U. Checklist of North American Birds, 7th edition and supplements. The species common name is listed followed by the approximate number seen (where applicable) and the areas encountered. A brief description or note may follow. Those species in bold are noteworthy and/or trip highlights. Those species that are bold and underlined are endemic to northern Central America (southern Mexico to northern Nicaragua). 

Species List:

1) Great Tinamou (8-h, T, PB, RZ)
2) Little Tinamou (3-h, OJ, T, L)
3) Anhinga (4, CS)
4) Great Blue Heron (1, J)
5) Great Egret (25, GF)
6) Snowy Egret (5, GF, OJ)
7) Little Blue Heron (4, J, GF)
8) Cattle Egret (200, J)
9) Green Heron (16, J, CS)
10) Black-crowned Night-Heron (150, GF)
11) Boat-billed Heron (1, CS)
12) Roseate Spoonbill (15+, GF, J)
13) Wood Stork (100+, GF, J)
14) Black Vulture (276+, a)
15) Turkey Vulture (65, a)
16) King Vulture (1, OJ)
17) Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (41, GF, J, L)
18) Osprey (1, GF)
19) Swallow-tailed Kite (3, LT, EB)
20) White-tailed Kite (7, J, LL)
21) Plumbeous Kite (3, LL)
22) Sharp-shinned “White-breasted” Hawk (2, LT, J)
23) Gray Hawk (1, OJ)
24) Common Black-Hawk (4, LT, EB, CS)
25) Great Black-Hawk (4, GF?, J, PB-TJ, RZ)
26) Roadside Hawk (22, J, LL, CS)
27) Short-tailed Hawk (2, J)
28) Zone-tailed Hawk (1, LT)
29) Red-tailed Hawk (2, LT, EB)
30) Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle (1, RZ)
31) Black Hawk-Eagle (1, LT)
32) Barred Forest-Falcon (1-h?, L)—clear, evenly-spaced call notes on one pitch. Slower in pace, maybe 1/1.5s. Bird was never seen, but sounded mid-level in deep forest of Lancetilla.
33) American Kestrel (16, J, LL)
34) Bat Falcon (5, OJ, CS, L)
35) Plain Chachalaca (1, L)
36) Crested “Spot-bellied” Bobwhite (30+, VI, J)
37) Singing Quail (2, LT)
38) Sunbittern (1, RZ)
39) Purple Gallinule (1, GF)
40) Common Moorhen (2, GF)
41) Northern Jacana (35+, GF, J, LL, CS)
42) Greater Yellowlegs (2, J)
43) Lesser Yellowlegs (1, J)
44) Spotted Sandpiper (4, GF)
45) Least Sandpiper (2, J)
46) Rock Dove (2+, a)
47) Pale-vented Pigeon (2?, CS)
48) Red-billed Pigeon (3, LL, L)
49) Short-billed Pigeon (5, PB, T, RZ)
50) White-winged Dove (3, LL)
51) Inca Dove (8, LT, VI, LL)
52) Common Ground-Dove (10+, VI, J)
53) Plain-breasted Ground-Dove (4-5,J)—several seen along Lagoon Rd. in the Olancho department and east of Juticalpa. Tom made several close photographs of a pair feeding alongside a Common Ground-Dove. This appears to be the first documented occurrence of Plain-breasted in Honduras. We believe this species may be uncommon to common in this region.
54) Ruddy Ground-Dove (30+, J, LL, CS)
55) Blue Ground-Dove (11+, J?, PB, L)
56) White-tipped Dove (25, J, EB, TG, LL, L?)
57) White-faced Quail-Dove (5, LT)
58) Olive-throated Parakeet (41, OJ, PB, L)
59) Brown-hooded Parrot (35, OJ)
60) White-crowned Parrot (46, EB, TG, PB)
61) White-fronted Parrot (1-h?, TG)
62) Red-lored Parrot (6, TG, L)
63) Lesser Roadrunner (6, LT, J)
64) Groove-billed Ani (36+, LT, J, TG, T)
65) Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (1, LL)
66) Lesser Nighthawk (20, J)
67) Chestnut-collared Swift (4, LT)
68) White-collared Swift (4750+, OJ, CS, PB, T, L)
69) Vaux’s Swift (35+, OJ, T)
70) Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift (3, EB)
71) Great Swallow-tailed Swift (3, LT)
72) Band-tailed Barbthroat (1-TJ, OJ)
73) Long-billed Hermit (3, T, RZ)
74) Stripe-throated Hermit (4, T)
75) Scaly-breasted Hummingbird (1, EB)
76) Wedge-tailed Sabrewing (6, EB, TG)
77) White-necked Jacobin (1?, L)
78) Brown Violet-ear (1, PB)
79) Canivet’s Emerald (2, RZ)
80) Violet-crowned Woodnymph (1, T)
81) Blue-throated Goldentail (1, RZ)
82) White-eared Hummingbird (2, LT)
83) White-bellied Emerald (5, PB)
84) Honduran Emerald (5+, LL)—relatively common in arid thorn forest just off the main road from Juticalpa to Trujillo. This particular spot was about ~3-5 miles north of the small village of La Venta in an area called La Lima. La Venta is about 40 minutes north of the larger town of Gualaco. It is not sign posted and we simply turned onto a side road and birded the forest visible from the main road. Habitat was fairly extensive and after about 30 m of searching we found our first bird.
85) Blue-tailed Hummingbird (3, EB)—we watched several in the El Boqueron gorge that were flying down to the waters edge and dipping their bills into the surface (not sure if this was to pick up aquatic insects or some sort of display?). Extensive rufous in the wings.
86) Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (9+, OJ, PB, RZ, L)
87) Cinnamon Hummingbird (2, J)
88) Green-breasted Mountain-gem (17, LT)
89) Amethyst-throated Hummingbird (5, LT)
90) Garnet-throated Hummingbird (1, LT)
91) Magnificent Hummingbird (2, LT)
92) Sparkling-tailed Hummingbird (1, LT)
93) Black-headed Trogan (2, PB-h, L)
94) Black-throated Trogan (2, L)
95) Violaceous Trogan (6, TG, PB, L-h)
96) Resplendent Quetzal (1-h, LT)
97) Blue-crowned Motmot (15, EB, TG, RZ, T-h)
98) Turquoise-browed Motmot (5, J, LL)
99) Ringed Kingfisher (3, GF, CS)
100) Amazon Kingfisher (11, GF, RZ, T)
101) Green Kingfisher (7, GF, T, L)
102) Emerald Toucanet (2, LT, EB-h)
103) Collared Aracari (6, EB, L, T-h)
104) Keel-billed Toucan (14, OJ, PB, T, RZ-h, L)
105) Acorn Woodpecker (3, LL)
106) Black-cheeked Woodpecker (4, PB, L)
107) Golden-fronted Woodpecker (59+, a)
108) Golden-olive Woodpecker (2, LT, J)
109) Northern “Guatemalan” Flicker (1, LT)
110) Chestnut-colored Woodpecker (2, PB)
111) Lineated Woodpecker (3, VI, CS)
112) Plain Xenops (2, RZ)
113) Olivaceous Woodcreeper (2, EB, T)
114) Cocoa Woodcreeper (6, PB, T)
115) Ivory-billed Woodcreeper (11, TG, T-h)
116) Streak-headed Woodcreeper (3, PB, L)
117) Barred Antshrike (6-h, GF, J)
118) Dusky Antbird (2, TG)
119) Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet (1, PB)
120) Yellow-bellied Elaenia (1, J)
121) Mountain Elaenia (3, LT)
122) Ochre-bellied Flycatcher (6, EB, PB)
123) Northern Bentbill (6, EB, PB, L)
124) Common Tody-Flycatcher (2, J)
125) Yellow-olive Flycatcher (8, EB, TG-h?)
126) Royal Flycatcher (3, EB)
127) Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher (2, PB)
128) Yellowish Flycatcher (11, LT)
129) Black Phoebe (7, EB, PB, RZ, T)
130) Rufous Mourner (2, PB)
131) Dusky-capped Flycatcher (2, J, PB)
132) Brown-crested Flycatcher (3, J)
133) Great Kiskadee (56+ J, EB, LL, OJ, PB, T, L)
134) Boat-billed Flycatcher (5, TG, LL, PB, L)
135) Social Flycatcher (39+, a)
136) Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher (11, T, L)
137) Piratic Flycatcher (4, L)
138) Tropical Kingbird (40+, J, LL, CS, L, a)
139) Fork-tailed Flycatcher (25, J)
140) Thrush-like Schiffornis (1-h?, L)
141) Rose-throated Becard (1, L)
142) Masked Tityra (6, EB, TG, PB)
143) Black-crowned Tityra (2, L)
144) Lovely Cotinga (1, PB)
145) White-collared Manakin (8, PB, RZ, L)
146) Red-eyed Vireo (3-mig, PB)
147) Tawny-crowned Greenlet (2, RZ)
148) Lesser Greenlet (12, EB, TG, PB, L)
149) Green Shrike-Vireo (1, PB)
150) White-throated Magpie-Jay (10, VI)
151) Brown Jay (61, J, EB, TG, CS, PB, T, L)
152) Bushy-crested Jay (25, LT)
153) Gray-breasted Martin (41, J, EB, CS)
154) Mangrove Swallow (4, GF, J)
155) Barn Swallow (26-mig, GF, J, OJ)
156) Band-backed Wren (3, LT)
157) Rufous-naped Wren (10, VI)
158) Spot-breasted Wren (17, EB, PB?)
159) Rufous-and-white Wren (5, EB)
160) Plain Wren (15, LT)
161) “Southern” House Wren (5, LT, T, L)
162) Rufous-browed Wren (3, LT)
163) White-breasted Wood-Wren (12, RZ, L)
164) Grey-breasted Wood-Wren (4, EB)
165) Long-billed Gnatwren (1, PB)
166) White-lored Gnatcatcher (2, VI)
167) Tropical Gnatcatcher (8, LL, PB, T-h, L-h)
168) Slate-colored Solitaire (7-h, LT)
169) Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush (4, LT)
170) Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush (10+, LT)
171) Mountain Robin (1, LT)
172) Clay-colored Robin (54+, a)
173) Tropical Mockingbird (6, VI, J)
174) Crescent-chested Warbler (1, LT)
175) Black-throated Green Warbler (1??-mig-early, LT)
176) Grace’s Warbler (2, J)
177) Black-and-white Warbler (1-mig-female, EB)
178) Louisiana Waterthrush (7-mig, EB, T, L)
179) Gray-crowned Yellowthroat (5, VI)
180) Slate-throated Redstart (5, LT, PB)
181) Buff-rumped Warbler (4, T)
182) Common Bush-Tanager (50, LT)
183) Passerini’s Tanager (3, T)
184) Red-crowned Ant-Tanager (6, EB, PB)
185) Red-throated Ant-Tanager (10+, L)
186) Hepatic Tanager (2, J)
187) Crimson-collared Tanager (5, J, LL, OJ, L)
188) Blue-gray Tanager (3, OJ, L)
189) Yellow-throated Euphonia (10, EB)
190) Olive-backed Euphonia (7, PB, RZ)
191) Golden-hooded Tanager (25, PB, L)
192) Green Honeycreeper (4, PB, RZ)
193) Red-legged Honeycreeper (2, PB)
194) Blue-black Grassquit (13+, J, T, RZ, L)
195) Variable Seedeater (7, L)
196) White-collared Seedeater (36+, J, CS, PB, T, RZ, L)
197) Yellow-faced Grassquit (6+, LT, LL, PB, T, L)
198) Cinnamon-bellied Flowerpiercer (25, LT)
199) White-naped “yellow-throated” Brush-Finch (7, LT)
200) Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch (5, LT)
201) Green-backed Sparrow (10+, LL)—Tom and I observed several individuals in arid thorn forest around La Lima. This is the same habitat as we found the Honduran Emerald. I was able to record several birds singing and I would describe it as two or three introductory notes (not necessarily the same notes) followed by an accelerated (but not accelerating) series of evenly spaced notes all on one pitch. Much as is described for twomeyi by Howell and Webb.
202) Stripe-headed Sparrow (4, VI)
203) Rusty Sparrow (1, J)
204) Buff-throated Saltator (1, OJ)
205) Black-headed Saltator (5, J, TG)
206) Black-faced Grosbeak (50+, PB)
207) Blue-black Grosbeak (1, L)
208) Blue Bunting (11+, J, LL)
209) Blue Grosbeak (10, VI)
210) Eastern Meadowlark (20+, J)
211) Melodious Blackbird (66+, a)
212) Great-tailed Grackle (40+, LT, J, L, T, a)
213) Black-cowled Oriole (2, OJ, L)
214) Black-vented Oriole (1, LT)
215) Yellow-backed Oriole (7, LT)
216) Altamira Oriole (9, LT, TG, LL)
217) Chestnut-headed Oropendola (19, OJ, PB, T)
218) Montezuma Oropendola (50, CS, PB, T, L)
219) Black-headed Siskin (6, LT)
220) Lesser Goldfinch (1, LT)
221) House Sparrow (1, J)