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Welcome to Birding Oaxaca Mexico

John Forcey invites you to enjoy birding in Oaxaca, Mexico, home to some 750 species of birds, many of which are endemic to southern Mexico. I have lived in Oaxaca for over ten years, authored several articles on birds in the region and published the checklist Birds and Birding in Central Oaxaca. I can tailor birding tours to your needs and desires and/or offer tours geared to seeing the widest variety possible in a given time. I will be scheduling trips beginning from around Thanksgiving and ending around Memorial day (end of November to end of May for those who may not be familiar with US holidays).

Thanks for checking this site, John M. Forcey
Oaxaca
Numbers, numbers, numbers
What if you don't want to work hard at birding?
What I offer in my trips
How I charge for my services

Oaxaca

is a city and a state of the Republic of Mexico, like Indiana is a state of the united States of America. It is almost exactly the same size as Indiana, too, just to give you an idea. However, there the similarity ends. Oaxaca has much more surface area because it is composed almost entirely of mountainous terrain. Small areas in the south and north are part of the flat coastal plains of Mexico, but the great majority of the landforms in Oaxaca are composed of rugged mountains.

[A short tutorial on the shape and directional orientation of Oaxaca. We North Americans tend to think of Mexico as being oriented north-south, with the Pacific Ocean on the west and the Gulf of Mexico on the east. Because the long axis of Mexico actually swings to the east as you head for the Guatemalan border, by the time you get to Oaxaca the Pacific is on the south coast and the Gulf of Mexico is to the north. So, west Mexican bird species tend to be found (usually) in the south in Oaxaca, and bird species generally belonging to the tropical evergreen forests that stretch all the way to South America are found in the north in Oaxaca. Got it?]

As I was saying, Oaxaca is mountainous, actually made up of a number of mountain chains dissected by smaller and larger rivers. To oversimplify, these
mountains can be divided into the Sierra Norte, Sierra Sur, and Sierra Atravesada (aka Sierra Madre de Chiapas). As the latter name implies, the Sierra Atravesada is the westward extension of the mountains of Chiapas. Intervening between these mountains and the other two major mountain chains is the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, which comes as close as any place does to dividing Mexico into two parts. Check a few range maps in Howell and Webb's Guide to Mexican birds and you will see that many species' ranges end to the west or east of the Isthmus. It is a major barrier for the movement of highland bird species and a major migration pathway for those that adhere to coastal lowland routes in their seasonal movements to wintering or breeding grounds. In fact, it can be thought of as the bottom of a funnel for migratory birds (the highland kinds).

West of the Isthmus the Sierra Sur and Sierra Norte are separated by the central valleys of Oaxaca. This system of valleys is in the rain shadow of both mountain chains and is fairly arid, supporting mixtures of steppe vegatation and what is technically known as arid subtropical scrub (forget the acronym) in its lower elevations, and pine-oak forests higher up the adjacent mountain slopes. The City of Oaxaca is located roughly where the north (northern Rio Atoyac), east (Rio Salado), and south (southern Rio Atoyac) valleys come together. The northern mountains loom over the city, most concretely in the form of the Cerro San Felipe which can be clearly seen from most north-south streets of the city. The closest portions of the Sierra Sur lie to the southwest, the Sierra de Cuatro Venados, while the main mountain chain to the south can be reached by longer drives passing through either of the towns of Miahuatlan or Sola de Vega.

Any attempt to make generalizations about the avifaunal affinities of this complex geoscape are fraught with the accompanying peril of the dreaded exceptions. I will risk it. Many bird species of the mountainous interior are the same as or near forms of those that are also found in the western, especially the southwestern, United States. Many non-migratory species are endemic to central Mexico at the species or subspecies level . Resident tropical species are mostly of species from the south (western Mexico), although northern forms also are found. Neotropical migrants that follow the Gulf coastal route show up with some frecuency in central Oaxaca in spring, much more rarely in fall. Residents of eastern Oaxaca and Chiapas are almost unknown in central Oaxaca. Resident species from the northern lowlands are almost as scarce. Cloud forest species are sometimes reported from the mountains to the immediate north of the City, but the lack of photographs or even detailed descriptions leaves me doubting the accuracy of these reports.

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birding oaxaca mexico White-striped Woodcreeper in hand

birding oaxaca mexico Brown-backed Solitaire

Numbers, numbers, numbers

I have listed 375 species of birds for the area around Oaxaca City in my recent update to Birds and Birding in Central Oaxaca. I could have been more strict and included less, as I have not seen for myself all those that I listed. On the other hand, I could have believed every report on the internet and included a few more. Some of those that are sure things for the list are dubiously part of the local bird life, they haven't been seen for years. For example, Black Tern was only recorded in 1996 as far as I know. A few are records from as far back as the 19th century, but some of these older records have proven recently to still point to extant populations.

I identify 175 of these species as breeding locally. This includes a number of species for which there is no evidence of breeding. Some of these, such as Turkey Vulture, obviously are breeding species. Others, such as Killdeer or Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, would seem to be at best only marginally within their breeding range, if they are in fact correctly placed within this category. This number has changed and will continue to change over time. Monk Parakeet was only recently found nesting in Oaxaca City, and Happy Wrens were found for the first time singing during the breeding season after the publication of the book.

Legitimate neotropical migrants constitute 187 species from our area according to my count, but here the confusion and blurring of categories is considerable. For one thing several species have both resident and migratory populations. Further, some of these migratory populations are derived from recognized subspecies different from the resident populations, while in other species the subspecific distinction does not exist, or is not recognized. Also, many species included in the above category are clearly not part of the regular fauna of the area, falling rather into those categories denominated vagrant or irregular in occurrence. Then there are those species which elsewhere are or might be considered migratory but are not so here. You get the idea.

Another smaller group, of particular interest to me, are short-distance migrants. Populations of fourteen of these species show large seasonal fluctuations which are coordinated with the onset and ending of the breeding season. Other species may do so to a lesser extent so that the evidence is unclear. Other species show movements that do not seem to be strictly related to breeding, but are a response to fluctuating resource levels (water, nectar, seeds, etc.). No one knows where these birds go during the non-breeding season, if they go anywhere. Until future studies show where these birds move to, the posibility exists that these population changes are only apparent rather than real.

And finally, there are those species for which so little data is available that they can not be assigned to any category such as those mentioned above. Attempts to do so are educated guesses at best.

So, I'll give you another number - 218. This is the number of species that I consider dependable in central Oaxaca. Yes, well, what does that mean? I mean not vagrant, not irregular, not transient migrants, not rare residents. I do mean, basically, resident species as well as summer residents and winter residents. I used my own subjective criteria and included species without regard to season. For example, I included Western Wood-Pewee, although it is not present in winter. I believe that this number is similar to, but not identical to the number of the potential pool of species that could be seen in winter. In any real winter season there could be species that I include in that number that are not present (the aformentiond Wood-Pewee), or species that I do not include that are present (most ducks are of irregular occurrence). At any rate, I think this number gives an idea of the possibility for seeing the variety of bird species in central Oaxaca. 375 - 218. Don't get fooled by numbers.

When can you see the maximum number of species in central Oaxaca? Probably in late May. By that time the short-distance migrants are all back in the area in force, singing, fighting, nesting. Most winter migrants are gone, but a few are still around of almost every migrant species, and we sometimes see those Gulf coastal migrants turning up, adding quite a few extra possibilities to the list. Problem is that many North American birders consider this the best time to be birding at home, and they are probably right. Most birding guides or tour groups don't offer trips during May, and the guides who actually live in Oaxaca often don't get much work at that time. I suppose it is natural and understandable that folks from northern climes will want to combine Oaxacan birding with an escape from the cold weather and often low bird numbers during winter at home.My trips are run from November to April, but I will make exceptions to this by special request.

In any case, the above numbers pertain to central Oaxaca, the area I covered in my little book/checklist. Drive about two hours north, south, or east (not so much to the west), and you will be into very distinct areas with distinct vegetation, distinct climates, and distinct bird lists. Well, some overlap, of course, but the differences are remarkable. On a recent eight-day trip that covered central Oaxaca and the south coast, but not the Isthmus, we listed 285 species, and a quick count told me that we might have missed as many as 100 other possible species (nobody sees them all in eight days). Trips that go further afield, to Chiapas or even Yucatan can yield lists of 450+ species. All it takes is time, work and, oh yes, money.

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birding oaxaca mexico Rufous-capped Warbler in hands

birding oaxaca mexico Wilson's Warbler in hand

What if you don't want to work hard at birding?

Not everyone wants to, nor should they. If you want to spend the day sipping Negra Modelos in the Zocalo, watching the amazing parade of humanity from the shade of an open air restaurant, and only occasionally giving a nod to your ostensible birding excuse for being there when you see a Rock Pigeon or hear a referee-whistling Tropical Kingbird, I will gladly join you in that activity. Especially if you are paying me by the day to do so. And, that's not all there is to do in Oaxaca besides birding. There's food. Forget your ideas of Mexican food in the USA. Oaxacan food is varied, flavorful, and satisfying. Come to Oaxaca prepared to enjoy it. There are crafts, for which the state is famous. Some might justly merit terms like "whimsical" or "commercial." Others are truly works of art that even the most highly developed tastes will appreciate for years to come. There are ruins, with world class sites such as Monte Alban and Mitla and many smaller and less known sites that you can enjoy without the tourist bustle and hawking salesmen, in fact alone, if you want to. Then, of course, there are colonial architecture, museums, folkloric dancing, and more. These non-birding elements can easily be incorporated into a birding trip to Oaxaca. The only danger is that they might become the focus of the trip. You still want to see birds.

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What I offer in my trips

is two standard package tours. Either one can easily be modified to include other activities that you want to do, or to include other areas of Oaxaca or Mexico.

The first is an 8-day trip for you if you are coming from North America, including six days on the ground, birding in central Oaxaca, using Oaxaca City as a base of operations. We will visit locations such as Monte Alban, Cerro San Felipe, Arroyo Estudiante, Teotitlan del Valle, Benito Juarez, and Las Guacamayas. I will pick you up and drop you off at the airport. This trip easily allows for some cultural activities and/or down time at your request, but otherwise a full schedule of birding will be planned for every day. The area will correspond to that covered in my book, which conveniently gives us a complete area checklist of birds.

The second trip is a 10-day trip for you, eight days on the ground. This plan will call for three days of birding some of the same locations listed above in central Oaxaca, one day driving and birding to Puerto Escondido, three days birding the coastal areas and nearby coffee fincas, and another day returning and birding back to Oaxaca City. Time on this trip will be tighter than in the first package due to the need to cover ground faster and longer distance travel.

Please note the following: I can book these trips on your dates, until my time is booked. I can take four to eight people on these trips, with some adjustment to price that will mean lower prices per person with more people. I can take more than eight people, but will probably want to employ another guide at that point, which will be an additional expense. I can modify these basic trip plans to suit your needs and wishes. In fact, I am willing to do trips from Oaxaca to Yucatan. Just give me sufficient time to make the arrangements. I am willing to work with your budget, as much as possible, in the matter of lodging.

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How I charge for my services

I will charge you a set price per person for the trip, OR a fee that is expressed as US dollars per person per day plus expenses. This latter form will allow for more flexibility. Accomodations can be chosen to fit your desires and your budget, with the proviso that all members of the group stay in the same location. Many tourists to Oaxaca want to stay in 4-star hotels, but some B&Bs can be just as nice and much more economical. This may not work for larger groups. Expenses will include accomodation, food, entrance fees, local guide fees, transportation. Some of these expenses will be shared by the group and so cost less with a bigger group.

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