Acapulco Birds

Russet-crowned Motmot

I spent last week in Acapulco, Mexico.  I wasn't there for birding.  I was there with a small group of people that were working in an orphanage.  I barely went anywhere outside the orphanage, but I did walk the streets nearby in the mornings, and once in the afternoon, just to see what I might find.  Overall, I spent about 30 minutes a day looking around the orphanage.  I was not disappointed, and I came home with several life birds, and I also found a few birds that I wouldn't normally find in Florida. By far, the bird I most enjoyed finding was a Russet-crowned Motmot, which was sitting on some wires and posed nicely for photos. I was also excited to see three species of flycatchers: Tropical Kingbirds were very common, Great Kiskadees were nesting on the orphanage property, and I also found a couple Social Flycatchers in the street just outside the orphanage property. These flycatchers could be heard all day long.

Tropical Kingbird

Great Kiskadees

Great Kiskadee
This individual has a pretty large bill, but I don't think it's large enough to be a Boat-billed Flycatcher

Social Flycatcher
Relatively small bill gives this one away

Every morning about the time I woke up, a group of about 10 Orange-fronted Parakeets would fly noisily from near my room to another tree on the orphanage property.

Orange-fronted Parakeet

White-collared Seedeaters are little birds, but the males make their presence known throughout the day with their beautiful songs. I found at least one every day I was there, though I was never able to get very close.

White-collared Seedeater

I saw Golden-cheeked Woodpeckers frequently there as well. This is one cool-looking woodpecker.

Golden-cheeked Woodpecker

I also frequently saw Rufous-backed Robins. There was a nest just outside the orphanage property, and at least one adult was actively feeding young in the nest.

Rufous-backed Robin

Another cool bird was a Ruddy Ground-Dove. There were Common Ground-Doves here too, but Ruddy Ground-Doves don't have the scaly pattern on their heads and chest. The differences between the two species were even more noticeable in flight.

Ruddy Ground-Dove

There was also at least one species of hummingbird that visited a feeder across the street. It was impossible for me to get close to the feeder, but I did photograph one that I believe is a Cinnamon Hummingbird. It was kind enough to perch in a tree to give me a little more natural setting.

Cinnamon Hummingbird