"I" is Eva. "we" is Herman & Eva. On my field list I did not differentiate between Caves Branch and Cockscomb sightings. Therefore, as I type this list two months later, if I cannot recall the setting explicitly I have to say "Caves Branch or Cockscomb." Sorry about that.

Grand total: 187 species, of which 16 were only heard. Of the 171 seen birds, 67 were also photographed.

We heard all the tinamous in Belize but saw none. We saw all the vultures and all the kingfishers. We got all the jays (But I wish we had seen the Green Jay, and seen the Yucatan Jay better.). We got no owls.

1. Great Tinamou Tinamous major Heard ( and recorded.) at Cockscomb
2. Little Tinamou Crypturellus soui Heard. Marcos thought it would cross the approach road into Caves Branch Lodge, but it didn’t.
3. Thicket Tinamou Crypturellus cinnamomeus Heard. Caves Branch or Cockscomb.
4. Slatey-breasted Tinamou Crypturellus boucardi Heard Cockscomb William Sho identified the call, though this is a tinamou whose call on the Chan Chich tape sounds to me like a train whistle.
5. Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps Crooked Tree
6. American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchus Crooked Tree, in quantity.
7. Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidententalis Hopkins
8. Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus Guanacaste Park Day 1 and Crooked Tree Day 7.
9. Anhinga Anhinga anhinga Belize river canoe trip out of Bermudian Landing; Crooked Tree.
10. Magnificent Frigatebird Fregata magnificens. Hopkins
11. Bare-throated Tiger-Heron Tigrisoma mexicanum Wetland on the west side of the Coastal Highway just a little South of the Runaway Creek private reserve.
12. Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias Boat trip out of Gales Point; Crooked Tree; Western Highway
13. Great Egret Ardea alba Near the airport; Boat trip out of Gales Point; Crooked Tree
14. Snowy Egret Egretta thula Boat trip out of Gales Point; Crooked Tree
15. Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea Caves Branch; Boat trip out of Gales Point; Crooked Tree
16. Tricolored Heron Egretta tricolor Boat trip out of Gales Point; Crooked Tree
17. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Hummingbird Highway, including at garbage dump; Bermudian Landing
18. Green Heron Butorides virescens Belize River canoe trip out of Bermudian Landing; Crooked Tree.
19. Agami Heron Agami agami Crooked Tree. We had killer looks at two individuals.
20. Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax Crooked Tree
21. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Nyctanassa violaceus Several roosting near Caves Branch Lodge.
22. Boat-billed Heron Cochlearius cochlearius Crooked Tree. Once Reuben got us to the area where they roost we floated along and spotted one every couple of minutes. They are nocturnal, so sit quietly under overhangs by day.
23. White Ibis Eudocimus albus We saw a whole treeful come in to roost at dusk from a canoe in the Belize River near Bermudian Landing. Most were immatures. Photographed an adult at Crooked Tree.
24. Roseate Spoonbill Ajaia ajaja In quantity at Crooked Tree
25. Jabiru Jabiru mycteria Killer looks at one individual at Crooked Tree. Eating a fish. Flying. In comparison with Wood Storks. etc.
26. Wood Stork Mycteria americana Hummingbird Highway; Flower Bank Road; Crooked Tree
27. Black Vulture Coragyps atratus More common than Turkey Vultures on Old North Highway & at Crooked Tree. More of these were seen sitting. T.V.s were usually flying. Hence more B.V. photos.
28. Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura I could have easily upped my photographed species count, had I taken a picture of one of these. Usually seen flying when I was driving.
29. Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture Cathartes burrovianus Killer looks at a pair at Crooked Tree.
30. King Vulture Sarcoramphus papa We just saw one, flying, driving from Sittee River to Maya Centre.
31. Black-bellied Whistling Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis Crooked Tree
32. Fulvous Whistling Duck Dendrocygna bicolor Crooked Tree
33. Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Belize River near Bermudian Landing; Crooked Tree
34. Osprey Pandion haliaetus Boat trip out of Gales’s Point; Crooked Tree
35. Snail Kite Rostrhamus sociabilis Crooked Tree. Photographed male and female, teed up, plus male taking off.
36. Plumbeous Kite Ictinia plumbea We had a pair in flight over the track from the Hummingbird Highway to 5 Blues Lake, then one of them landed in a tree overhanging the road and sat on a nest!
37. Black-collared Hawk Busarellus nigricollis Crooked Tree
38. Gray Hawk Asturina nitida Maya Centre, and alwo in Cockscomb proper.
39. Great Black-Hawk Buteogallus urubitinga Crooked Tree
40. Roadside Hawk Buteo magnirostris. We saw quite a few sitting in trees along the roads.
41. White-tailed Hawk Buteo albonotatus Coastal Road South of Gales Point turnoff. We had one dramatically taking off from a nearby lone tree in a field. It was huge. Then it joined another in flight. No mistaking what it was, even though I’d never seen one before. I was driving, though, so I did not have my camera out.
42. Laughing Falcon Herpetotheres cachinnans Crooked Tree
43. Bat Falcon Falco rufigularis Herman pointed out a pair copulating at dusk our first night in Crooked Tree. The next morning we saw one from the marsh.
44. Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus We both thought Reuben called "Pilgim Falcon." Herman got his binoculars on it and said "Oh, a Peregrine Falcon." Crooked Tree.
45. Plain Chachalaca Ortalis vetula Several, from the porch of our cabin right in the Cockscomb reserve. I recorded their vocalizations. Also seen along the track from Maya Centre to Cockscomb
46. Crested Guan Penelope purpurascens Several, from the porch of our cabin, a couple of trees over from the Plain Chachalacas. We also had one alongside the road driving to Burrell Boom from Bermudian Landing for 8:30 Mass Sunday morning. One of the times Herman said "Stop. Back up."
47. Gray-necked Wood-Rail Aramides cajanea We had a glimpse on the bank of the Belize river from a canoe out of Bermudian Landing, and then a good look at Crooked Tree. I was disappointed not to hear it vocalize. When Herman heard Thayer’s recording he nailed its sound: "Tick tock." I love this bird.
48. American Coot Filica americana Crooked Tree
49. Sungrebe Heliornis fulica Herman spotted one on the Manatee River. "No doubt about it," he said. We had one on the Belize River too.
50. Limpkin Aramus guarauna Crooked Tree
51. Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola Boat trip out of Gales Point. We could not take the jungle walk from the Manatee river because the trail had been destroyed by the last hurricane, so John took us to a beach habitat instead.
52. Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus Crooked Tree
53. Northern Jacana Jacana spinosa Old Northern Highway (immatures) ; Crooked Tree (mature birds)
54. Solitary Sandpiper Tringa solitaria Crooked Tree
55. Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularia Bermudian Landing; Crooked Tree
56. Sanderling Calidris alba Hopkins and at that beach John took us to via boat from Gales Point.
57. Caspian Tern Sterna caspia Crooked Tree
58. Royal Tern Sterna maxima Hopkins
59. Pale-vented Pigeon Columba cayennensis Crooked Tree
60. Red-billed Pigeon Columba flavirostris Caves Branch, Cockscomb, Bermudian Landing.
61. Short-billed Pigeon Columba nigrirostris Heard at Cockscomb and Caves Branch. "It feels so good" –One of the few birds I could identify myself by sound, thanks to the Chan Chich tape.
62. Ruddy Ground-Dove Columbina tapalcoti Bermudian Landing and Burrell’s Boom
63. Blue Ground-Dove Claravis pretiosa Track from Maya Centre to Cockscomb
64. White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi Caves Branch, Gales Point, Cockscomb
65. Olive-throated Parakeet (aka Aztec Parakeet) Aratinga nana Caves Branch
66. White-fronted Parrot Amazona albifrons Heard at Caves Branch. Seen at Bermudian Landing and Crooked Tree.
67. Red-lored Parrot Amazona autumnalis Heard at Caves Branch. Seen at Bermudian Landing.
68. Mealy Parrot Amazona farinosa Heard at Caves Branch. (Marcos identified the call for us).
69. Yellow-headed Parrot Amazona oratrix Bermudian Landing
70. Squirrel Cuckoo Playa cayana Seen at Caves Branch; Heard at Bermudian Landing
71. Pheasant Cuckoo Dromococcyx phasianellus Heard at Caves Branch
72. Groove-billed Ani Crotophaga sulcirostris Common around Crooked Tree. We did not see them anywhere else.
73. Pauraque Nyctidromus albicollis Common on the road from Maya Centre to Cockscomb at night, once our guide Julio showed us how to look. The next night William and I flushed one on a forest path.
74. Yucatan Nightjar Caprimulgus badius It was dark on the Belize River by the time we got back to Bermudian Landing by canoe with our guide Camille. He identified this call.
75. Long-tailed Hermit Phaethornis superciliosus Cockscomb
76. Little Hermit Phaethornis longuemareus Cockscomb
77. White-necked Jacobin Florisuga mellivora Cockscomb
78. Green-breasted Mango Anthracothorax prevostii Cockscomb. We did not see a single bird feeder in Belize. It was hard to get a good look at hummingbirds. (Although in Colordo last summer I photographed the one hummingbird species present often, w/o aid of feeders. Go Figure.)
79. Rufous-tailed Hummingbird Amazilia tzacati Cockscomb
80. Black-headed Trogon Trogon melanocephalus Photographed at Caves Branch. There was one trogon at Cockscomb William called a Citrolene Trogon, following Peterson & Chalif (which has no range maps). I’m calling that one a black-headed trogon.
81. Violaceous Trogon Trogon collaris Cockscomb. Herman saw it. I did not.
82. Tody Motmot Hylomanes momotula Marcos pointed out the call at Caves Branch
83. Blue-crowned Motmot Motmotus momata Cockscomb.
84. Ringed Kingfisher Ceryle torquata Cockscomb
85. Belted Kingfisher Ceryle alcyon Hopkins and Crooked Tree
86. Amazon Kingfisher Chloroceryle amazona Cockscomb and Belize River near Bermudian Landing
87. Green Kingfisher Chloroceryle americana Manatee River. Belize River; Crooked Tree
88. American Pygmy Kingfisher Chloroceryle aenea One of my favorite birds. We had great looks on our boat trip out of Gales Point and at Crooked Tree.
89. White-necked Puffbird Notharchus macrorhynchos Caves Branch and Cockscomb. I love this bird, which sat still (except for looking around) on an open branch high up both sightings. Herman found the first one. Our guide Marcos was impressed. He rarely sees this specie. I can’t remember if Herman or William spotted the second one while we were relaxing on a river bank in Cockscomb.
90. Rufous-tailed Jacamar Galbula ruficauda Heard at Caves Branch or Cockscomb
91. Collared Aracari Pteroglossus torquatus Nesting in a hole in a tree in the yard of Caves Branch Lodge
92. Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus Near Maya Centre on the road to Cockscomb, and also in Cockscomb proper.
93. Acorn Woodpecker Melanerpes formicivorus Bermudian Landing and also Crooked Tree
94. Black-cheeked Woodpecker Melanerpes pucherani Cockscomb. I got a Quick-Time movie of this bird pecking.
95. Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons Bermudian Landing and Crooked Tree
96. Smokey-brown Woodpecker Venilornis fumigatus From the access road to the Caves Branch Lodge.
97. Pale-billed Woodpecker Campephilus guatemalensis Herman pointed this impressive large red-headed woodpecker out to me by the Lodge at Caves Branch at 6:15 am. The bird’s resonant tapping drew one’s attention to it. Marcos confirmed the identification when he arrived by bicycle.
98. Rufous-breasted Spinetail Synallaxis erythrothorax Heard at 6am on our guided tour through The Community Baboon Sanctuary with the manager Fallet Young.
99. Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner Automolus ochrolaemus Caves Branch or Cockscomb
100. Plain Xenops Xenops minutus Herman and Camille Young (our Guide. He was good. He lives at the Post Office) saw this on our morning walk along the road near Bermudian Landing. Eva missed it.
101. Tawny-winged Woodcreeper Dendrocincla anabatina Caves Branch
102. Wedge-billed Woodcreeper Xiphocolaptes promeropirhynchus Caves Branch
103. Strong-billed Woodcreeper Xiphocolaptes promeropirhynchus Caves Branch or Cockscomb
104. Ivory-billed Woodcreeper Xiphorhynchus flavigaster Caves Branch
105. Barred Antshrike Thamnophilius atrinucha Glimpses at Caves Branch & Cockscomb. Killer look at Bermudian Landing, while walking the road. I love this black and white striped bird.
106. Black-faced Antthrush Formicarius analis. Our fine guide William Sho from Maya Centre saw it but we only heard it. It was just feet away from us. Cockscomb.
107. Yellow-bellied Elaenia Elaenia flavogaster Cockscomb
108. Common Tody-flycatcher Todirostrum cinereum Belize River near Bermudian Landing on our canoe trip with Camille Young.
109. Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher Myiobius sulphureipygius Cockscomb. I got a good look at the sulphur rump.
110. Least flycatcher empidonax minimus Cockscomb
111. Vermillion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus We had it near the airport, at Sittee River, and at Crooked Tree. Common in Coastal Savannah/farming areas. Beautiful bird.
112. Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus We had at Crooked Tree and elsewhere.
113. Social Flycatcher Myiodynastes similis Between airport and Burrell Boom.
114. Streaked Flycatcher Myiodynastes maculatus Heard at either Caves Branch or Cockscomb
115. Piratic Flycatcher Legatus leucophaius Cockscomb. High up across a river. My photo was a failure.
116. Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus Common on wires. Notched tail.
117. Couch’s Kingbird Tyrannus couchii Told from T.K. by voice. I photographed one at Crooked Tree, then someone I think may have been the famous guide Glenn Crawford, caught up to me to inform me that bird I just photographed had just vocalized and was Couch’s Kingbird.
118. Eastern Kingbird Tyrannus tyrannus Seen flycatching on same pond off Coastal Highway where we had the bare-throated tiger heron and fork-tailed flycatcher, where our car battery went dead.
119. Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus Zoomed across the Coastal Highway south of the Gales Point turnoff.
120. Fork-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus savanna Same pond as the bare-throated tiger-heron. Also had a glimpse of one flying parallel to the western Highway on the south side between La Democratia and Hattiesville
121. Thrushlike Schiffornis (aka Thrushlike mourner & thrushlike manakin) Schiffornis turdinus I recorded this at cockscomb. Herman got a better look at it than I did.
122. Cinnamon Becard Pachyramphus cinnamomeus Caves Branch right ourside the dining porch, and Cockscomb.
123. Masked Tityra Tityra semifasciata Herman saw two of them from the car on the Hummingbird Highway. I was driving and did not see them.
124. White-collared Manakin Manacus candei Caves Branch & Cockscomb. I photographed both male & female. The several I saw, be they flying and sitting, were at eye level.
125. White-eyed VireoVireo griseus Herman heard it at Bermudian Landing
126. Mangrove Vireo Vireo pallens Bermudian Landing. Eva missed this one.
127. Yucatan Vireo Vireo magister Wm Sho, whose bible is the old Peterson & Chalif, identified this in Cockscomb, and said it was common The song was close to the red-eyed but a little different. But my bird list said there are only a few records there. So maybe it was the yellow-green vireo (Vireo flavoviridis) which my Belize checklist indicates is common (??) I personally did not see it.
128. Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas Heard on our 6am walk in the Baboon Sanctuary with Fallet.
129. Brown Jay Cyanocorax morio Guanacaste Park and Crooked Tree.
130. Yucatan Jay Cyanocorax yucatanicus Herman found a flock of these near where he found the gray fox the late afternoon of our arrival in Crooked Tree.
131. Gray-breasted Martin Progne chalybea Sittee River, Bermudian Landing, Crooked Tree.
132. Mangrove Swallow Tachycineta albilinea Sittee River, Gales Point, Crooked Tree
133. Northern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis Crooked Tree; Bermudian Landing
134. Spot-breasted Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus Heard at Guanacaste and at Caves Branch or Cockscomb
135. House Wren Troglodytes aedon IN our cabin in Cockscomb. Only Herman saw it. The pitched roof did not make a tight joint with the walls.
136. White-bellied Wren Uropsila leucosticta Heard at either Caves Branch or Cockscomb.
137. Long-billed Gnatwren Ramphocaenus melanurus Corroborating thevisual ID was the voice. It is on the Chan Chich tape. It vocalized as well as showed itself (fleetingly) at Caves Branch and Cockscomb.
138. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea Crooked Tree
139. Wood Thrush Catharus mustelina Caves Branch or Cockscomb
140. Clay-colored Robin Turdus grayi We had it in all our locations except Gales Point.
141. Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis Caves Branch or Cockscomb & Crooked Tree
142. Tropical Mockingbird Mimus gilvus We had this in all our locations.
143. Tropical Parula Parula pitiayumi This is another one that Wm Sho identified. I know he is familiar with the bird, but, not having any book but Peterson & Chalif, which has no range maps, he may be mislabelling a Northern Parula (parula americana) which, according to "Birds of Belize, a Checklist," is more likely.
144. Golden Warbler Dendroica petechia Cockscomb
145. Chestnut-sided Warbler Dendroica pensylvanica Herman saw it in Caves Branch or at Cockscomb
146. Magnolia Warbler Dendroica magnolia Belize river canoe trip out of Bermudian Landing, and Crooked Tree.
147. Yellow-throated Warbler Dendroica dominica Bermudian Landing
148. Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia Crooked Tree
149. American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla Guanacaste and Bermudian Landing
150. Prothonotary Warbler Protonotaria citrea Crooked Tree
151. Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapillus Guanacaste Park. Dennis, the warden, could not leave the Visitor’s Center, so we thought we’d use him while we had him & asked what the birds hopping nearby were. He said, "You know them." Whereupon Herman put his binoculars on them and chuckled. "Ovenbirds and Northern Waterthrush."
152. Northern Waterthrush Seiurus noveboracensis Guanacaste Park & Bermudian Landing.
153. Louisiana Waterthrush Seiurus motacilla Caves Branch. Herman only.
154. Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas Crooked Tree
155. Gray-crowned Yellowthroat Geothlypis poliocephala Cockscomb
156. Hooded Warbler Wilsonia Citrina Caves Branch or Cockscomb; Crooked Tree.
157. Red-crowned Ant-Tanager Habia rubica Cockscomb
158. Red-throated Ant-Tanager Habia fuscicauda Great photo-ops at both Caves Branch (right near the Lodge) and Cockscomb. Contrary to the Birds of Belize checklist, this seems more common than the Red-crowned Ant-Tanager.
159. Summer Tanager Piranga rubra Bermudian Landing
160. Crimson-collared Tanager Ramphocelus sanguinolentus Cockscomb. Herman saw one. And on a separate occasion, William Sho saw one testing out the one pair of used binoculars for rent in the Reserve Headquarters (wonder if they came from Birders Exchange??) before I rented them for him ($2.50US/day). I was standing right next to him. I regret I missed it.
161. Scarlet-rumped Tanager Ramphocelus sanguinolentus Cockscomb and Bermudian Landing
162. Blue-gray Tanager Thraupis episcopus Bermudian Landing & Crooked Tree
163. Yellow-winged Tanager Thraupis abbas Cockscomb
164. Scrub Euphonia Euphonia affis Caves Branch
165. Yellow-throated Euphonia Euphonia hirundinacea We had this male and the Scrub Euphonia male on the same branch. Marcos pointed out the difference: dark throat vs. yellow throat.
166. Golden-hooded Tanager Tangara larvata Caves Branch or Cockscomb
167. Red-legged Honeycreeper Cyanerpes cyaneus Caves Branch or Cockscomb
168. Blue-black Grassquit Volatinia jacarina Caves Branch or Cockscomb
169. Variable Seedeater Sporophila americana Cockscomb
170. White-collared Seedeater Sporophila torqueola Cockscomb & road to Southern Highway from Sittee River. Also at Crooked Tree. This little bird looks great.
171. Thick-billed Seed-Finch Oryzoborus funereus Caves Branch or Cockscomb.
172. Orange-billed Sparrow Arremon aurantiirostris Caves Branch under a bush right near the steps to the dining porch, and we never saw this species elsewhere.
173. Buff-throated Saltator Saltator maximus Cockscomb, from our porch
174. Black-headed Saltator Saltator atriceps Caves Branch or Cockscomb and Bermudian Landing
175. Blue-black Grosbeak Cyanocompsa cyanoides Cockscomb
176. Blue Bunting Cyanocompsa parellina Cockscomb
177. Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Crooked Tree
178. Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna The road from the Northern Highway towards Burrell’s Boom, shortly after leaving the airport. It was the only Eastern Meadowlark of the trip.
179. Melodious Blackbird Dives dives Cockscomb, Bermudian Landing, and elsewhere. Common.
180. Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus At airport. At Gales Point. Everywhere. Males hold their tales at an angle a lot of the time.
181. Black-cowled Oriole Icterus dominicensis Bermudian Landing, Photographed on a colorful flower.
182. Orchard Oriole Icterus spurius Belize River canoe trip out of Bermudian Landing; Cockscomb
183. Yellow-backed Oriole Icterus chrysater Bermudian Landing
184. Yellow-tailed Oriole Icterus mesomelas Manatee River and Bermudian Landing..
185. Baltimore Oriole Icterus Galbula Cockscomb
186. Yellow-billed Cacique Amblycercus holosericeus Cockscomb
187. Chestnut-headed Oropendula Psarocolius wagleri A tree full of their pendulous nests, as well as the birds, overhangs the road from Maya Centre to Cockscomb.

Tayra Flower Bank Road
Gray Fox Cockscomb and Crooked Tree
Opposum nightwalk in Cockscomb; Also saw an opposum roadkill on Southern Highway near Gales Point turnoff.
Bat species
Yucatan Black Howler Monkey Bermudian Landing; Flower Bank Road
Deppe’s squirrel
Yucatan Squirrel Community Baboon Sanctuary
Agouti Community Baboon Sanctuary
Kinkajou nightwalk at Cockscomb
Peccaries road from Maya Centre to Cockscomb; Eva saw them; Herman only heard them grunting.
Red Brocket Deer Road from Maya Centre to Cockscomb
Manatee sightings of about 5 snouts, which John estimated to be 3 individuals, in a 15 minute period, sitting in a boat over some hot springs in the Southern Lagoon off Gales Point where the manatees hang out.

Other living things:

We saw numerous frogs and spiders on a nightwalk (Their eyes reflect back the flashlight).

Central American River turtles.

fish, medium and small-sized. Cockscomb/Hopkins area.

Driving our Guide Julio home from Cockscomb to Maya Centre after our nightwalk we stopped so as not to run over a Fer-de-Lance in the headlights. It completely spanned the (admittedly narrow) dirt road. We saw several other snakes, on the Belize River and on the Flower Bank Road. We saw a number of Iguanas and other lizards. Plus we met kids who had captured 4 iguanas and had them tied up. We had a little transparent frog the size of my thumbnail in our bathroom at Sam Tillet’s in Crooked Tree, and a Gecko in our room. I freaked out at the sight of a big black furry tarantula in the shower at the Howler Monkey Lodge. Herman moved him outside.

We had a little crab on the beach and a big land crab on the Manatee River bank. The snails that Snail Kites eat were pointed out to us..

I photographed the red flower Fallet Young said is called "Hotlips," and other flowers.

Birding Belize
Eva's Home Page

Last revised: May 31, 2002