Two weeks in the past, I wrote right here about what might finally end up being my Chicken of the Yr for 2024: a Lesser Floor-Cuckoo which gave us improbable perspectives in my cherished the town of Paso Ancho, Michoacán. This sighting used to be so thrilling for me (critically, you might have to try this hen’s face), that I devoted all of the put up to that one hen.
Nonetheless, Paso Ancho by no means disappoints, and that stunning Floor-Cuckoo used to be now not the one hen of pastime for the day. So listed here are among the different highlights from that five-person day trip. Any one in all them would had been sufficient to make our day, had now not that celebrity became up.
First, there have been a couple of uncommon summer season migrants. Central Mexico receives a perfect choice of wintry weather migrants that summer season and breed additional north. However there are just a few species that summer season and breed most effective as a ways north as Mexico, whilst wintering in Central and South The us. We noticed two of those in Paso Ancho, the fairly commonplace Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, and the a lot more tricky Yellow-Inexperienced Vireo. It used to be very roughly this latter, much less commonplace hen to provide me significantly better pictures than its extra commonplace neighbor.
My most up-to-date pictures of that Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher have been too unhappy, so that is an outdated one.
However this one used to be certainly of our fresh Yellow-green Vireo.
Nonetheless, neither hen used to be a real surprise to look. The similar can’t be mentioned for a blur of inexperienced and yellow that flew in brief overhead. Till this date, I had by no means encountered any participants of the parrot circle of relatives in Paso Ancho — certainly, I had now not but noticed a parrot any place in Michoacán. However my buddy Nacho’s respectable view, and far a lot much less respectable pictures, showed that our hen used to be certainly a Yellow-headed Parrot.
The Yellow-headed Parrot is, tragically, most likely the Mexican parrot this is hottest for the unlawful (wild-captured) puppy industry. Its reputable vary does now not succeed in into the Río Balsas basin, which incorporates the city of Paso Ancho. However that vary does come with the coast of Michoacán, which is most likely why eBird didn’t listing our hen as an escapee. And plenty of coastal species do in fact make their manner a ways inland alongside the Balsas River. Plus, our hen used to be a juvenile, now not an grownup. So, who is aware of? I’ll take what eBird gave us, and hope that this the town might certainly have indicated a resident inhabitants for this endangered good looks.
By contrast, the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl is a quite common species in Paso Ancho. Any time the habitat appears to be like proper for this lovable hen, I can whistle its secure toot-toot-toot-toot name; and continuously, one will resolution. (And despite the fact that one doesn’t, different attention-grabbing birds might flip as much as mob the owl they believe they heard.) However our marvel, this shuttle, used to be to look 3 owls in shut proximity. And the calls that they made, lengthy, cushy trills, advised us that those 3 have been juveniles, fairly than tooting adults. In a different way, they regarded just like their oldsters. Thankfully, all small owls are lovely, in order that used to be no loss.
The ones are the true eyes at the decrease left, and the false eyes at the higher proper.
Immature FPOW #3
Whilst there’s all the time a lot of extraordinary and really colourful species in Paso Ancho, I in fact will end with a couple that gave me just right pictures. What else can I do? This type of weblog wishes visuals. So right here is among the 3 Quick-tailed Hawks we noticed, and probably the most many, many Yellow-winged Caciques that have been provide.
