Christmas Bird Count: Antigua 2009

The colonial town of Antigua Guatemala is located at an altitude of 1500 m and the surrounding volcanoes and mountains reach up to 3700 m. The newly established Christmas Bird Count Antigua Guatemala includes the mountains between Antigua and Sumpango in the north, between Antigua and Amatitlán in the east, the northern part of Agua volcano in the south, and the mountains between Antigua and Parramos in the west. The CBC Antigua Guatemala will help to monitor bird populations in the Antigua Guatemala Important Bird Area (IBA GT016).

The first edition of the CBC Antigua Guatemala was carried out on 14 December 2009. A total of 23 observers in six groups counted birds in Finca Filadelfia, in Finca El Pilar, at Cerro Alux, in Florencia Parque Ecológico, and at Agua volcano. Bird activity was quite low because of a cold front. Temperatures ranged from 0ºC in the early morning on top of Agua volcano to 25ºC at midday in the town of Antigua Guatemala.

A total of 1303 birds of 120 species was detected. In addition, four species more were recorded during the count week. The most abundant birds were Great-tailed Grackle, Bushtit, Gray Silky-flycatcher, Acorn Woodpecker, Bushy-crested Jay, Band-backed Wren, Townsend's and Wilson's Warbler. The most abundant Nearctic-Neotropical migratory birds were Townsend's Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Blue-headed Vireo, and Baltimore Oriole.

Several range-restricted bird species of the north Central American highlands were recorded during the CBC and the count week, including Highland Guan, Ocellated Quail, Fulvous Owl, Rufous Sabrewing, Green-throated Mountain-gem, Wine-throated Hummingbird, Blue-throated Motmot, Bushy-crested and Black-throated Jay, Black-capped Swallow, Rufous-browed Wren, Rufous-collared Robin, Blue-and-white Mockingbird, Pink-headed Warbler, Bar-winged Oriole, and Black-capped Siskin.

It follows a list of species and numbers of individuals recorded during the first Christmas Bird Count in Antigua Guatemala (Nomenclature according to AOU 1998 and supplements, most recent update AOU 2009). Species recorded during the count week are marked with (cw).

1. Highland Guan Penelopina nigra 9
2. Singing Quail Dactylortyx thoracicus 10
3. Ocellated Quail Cyrtonyx ocellatus (cw)
4. Black Vulture Coragyps atratus 27
5. Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura 13
6. Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperi (cw)
7. Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis 4
8. American Kestrel Falco sparverius 3
9. Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus 1
10. Red-billed Pigeon Patagioenas flavirostris (cw)
11. Band-tailed Pigeon Patagioenas fasciata 2
12. White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica 7
13. Inca Dove Columbina inca 6
14. Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina 37
15. White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi 9
16. Pacific Parakeet Aratinga strenua 2
17. Squirrel Cuckoo Piaya cayana 2
18. Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus 2
19. Glaucidium sp. 2
20. Fulvous Owl Strix fulvescens 2
21. Whip-poor-will Caprimulgus vociferus 1
22. Vaux's Swift Chaetura vauxi 4
23. Rufous Sabrewing Campylopterus rufus 2
24. Violet Sabrewing Campylopterus hemileucurus 1
25. Green Violetear Colibri thalassinus 34
26. White-eared Hummingbird Hylocharis leucotis 27
27. Azure-crowned Hummingbird Amazilia cyanocephala 12
28. Berylline Hummingbird Amazilia beryllina 1
29. Blue-tailed Hummingbird Amazilia cyanura 2
30. Green-throated Mountain-gem Lampornis viridipallens 5
31. Amethyst-throated Hummingbird Lampornis amethystinus 9
32. Garnet-throated Hummingbird Lamprolaima rhami 2
33. Magnificent Hummingbird Eugenes fulgens 5
34. Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris 9
35. Wine-throated Hummingbird Atthis ellioti 2
36. Broad-tailed Hummingbird Selasphorus platycercus 1
37. Mountain Trogon Trogon mexicanus 1
38. Collared Trogon Trogon collaris 5
39. Blue-throated Motmot Aspatha gularis 7
40. Emerald Toucanet Aulacorhynchus prasinus 8
41. Acorn Woodpecker Melanerpes formicivorus 58
42. Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons 2
43. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius 1
44. Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus 6
45. Golden-olive Woodpecker Colaptes rubiginosus 2
46. Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus 13
47. Ruddy Foliage-gleaner Automolus rubiginosus 3
48. Spot-crowned Woodcreeper Lepidocolaptes affinis 3
49. Paltry Tyrannulet Zimmerius vilissimus 4
50. Tufted Flycatcher Mitrephanes phaeocercus 11
51. Greater Pewee Contopus pertinax 12
52. Hammond's Flycatcher Empidonax hammondii 1
53. Empidonax sp. 2
54. Dusky-capped Flycatcher Myiarchus tuberculifer 10
55. Boat-billed Flycatcher Megarynchus pitangua 1
56. Social Flycatcher Myiozetetes similis 1
57. Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis 1
58. Rose-throated Becard Pachyramphus aglaiae 7
59. Blue-headed Vireo Vireo solitarius 14
60. Hutton's Vireo Vireo huttoni 1
61. Brown-capped Vireo Vireo leucophrys (cw)
62. Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo Vireolanius melitophrys 2
63. Rufous-browed Peppershrike Cyclarhis gujanensis 1
64. Steller's Jay Cyanocitta stelleri 22
65. Bushy-crested Jay Cyanocorax melanocyaneus 51
66. Black-throated Jay Cyanolyca pumilo 4
67. Violet-green Swallow Tachycineta thalassina 3
68. Black-capped Swallow Notiochelidon pileata 36
69. Bushtit Psaltriparus minimus 84
70. Brown Creeper Certhia americana 1
71. Band-backed Wren Campylorhynchus zonatus 50
72. Plain Wren Thryothorus modestus 2
73. House Wren Troglodytes aedon 7
74. Rufous-browed Wren Troglodytes rufociliatus 14
75. Gray-breasted Wood-Wren Henicorhina leucophrys 3
76. Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis 13
77. Brown-backed Solitaire Myadestes occidentalis 30
78. Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush Catharus frantzii 4
79. Wood Thrush Hylocichla mustelina 2
80. Black Thrush Turdus infuscatus 1
81. Clay-colored Thrush Turdus grayi 17
82. Rufous-collared Robin Turdus rufitorques 18
83. Blue-and-white Mockingbird Melanotis hypoleucus 9
84. Gray Silky-flycatcher Ptilogonys cinereus 79
85. Olive Warbler Peucedramus taeniatus 4
86. Tennessee Warbler Vermivora peregrina 17
87. Nashville Warbler Vermivora ruficapilla 5
88. Crescent-chested Warbler Parula superciliosa 7
89. Black-throated Green Warbler Dendroica virens 19
90. Townsend's Warbler Dendroica townsendi 45
91. Hermit Warbler Dendroica occidentalis 3
92. Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia 19
93. Worm-eating Warbler Helmitheros vermivorum 1
94. MacGillivray's Warbler Oporornis tolmiei 3
95. Wilson's Warbler Wilsonia pusilla 42
96. Red-faced Warbler Cardellina rubrifrons 3
97. Pink-headed Warbler Ergaticus versicolor 6
98. Painted Redstart Myioborus pictus 2
99. Slate-throated Redstart Myioborus miniatus 13
100. Golden-browed Warbler Basileuterus belli 16
101. White-collared Seedeater Sporophila torqueola 1
102. Cinnamon-bellied Flowerpiercer Diglossa baritula 5
103. White-naped Brush-Finch Atlapetes albinucha 3
104. Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch Arremon brunneinucha 7
105. Prevost's Ground-Sparrow Melozone biarcuata 1
106. White-eared Ground-Sparrow Melozone leucotis 1
107. Rusty Sparrow Aimophila rufescens 1
108. Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii 1
109. Rufous-collared Sparrow Zonotrichia capensis 2
110. Yellow-eyed Junco Junco phaeonotus 18
111. Summer Tanager Piranga rubra 4
112. Western Tanager Piranga ludoviciana 6
113. Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus 5
114. Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea 3
115. Melodious Blackbird Dives dives 3
116. Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus 96
117. Black-vented Oriole Icterus wagleri 2
118. Bar-winged Oriole Icterus maculialatus 3
119. Orchard Oriole Icterus spurius 1
120. Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula 13
121. Elegant Euphonia Euphonia elegantissima 4
122. Black-capped Siskin Spinus atriceps 5
123. Black-headed Siskin Spinus notatus 27
124. Lesser Goldfinch Carduelis psaltria 3
125. House Sparrow Passer domesticus 1