I spent a lot of final week in Guadalajara, Mexico’s second largest metropolis. This was an intense 4 days of labor. Even so, I managed to flee one morning from the occasion, with a fellow missionary who additionally enjoys birding. We solely had lengthy sufficient to go to elements of two city parks, however a very good time was nonetheless had. (And our fifty species made a fairly good rely for a morning of city birding.)
It turned out that we weren’t the one ones removed from residence. The primary park, Parque Agua Azul, homes a raucous inhabitants of Lilac-crowned Amazons. These are precisely the identical parrots that I had seen within the Michoacán city of Tzitzio the earlier week. Nevertheless, in Guadalajara these birds are actually escapees (or the progeny of escapees), and eBird marked them as such on our listing. In Tzitzio, extra tropical and nearer to their regular vary alongside the coast, eBird solely marked this endangered species as “delicate”.
Both approach, these parrots are undoubtedly doing effectively of their new city residence. We counted eleven of them. Their inhabitants was sufficient to even appeal to the eye of a Cooper’s Hawk, though I’m pleased to say we didn’t see any severe searching happen. (Joyful for the parrots, not a lot for the hawk… However hey, let him eat Home Sparrows.)
At 4 hours due west of my residence in Morelia, Guadalajara largely affords species that I can see with out journey. However some species present that this bigger metropolis skews a bit in the direction of birds from Mexico’s northwest, versus Morelia’s southwest/central Mexican combine. We may nonetheless see endemic Rufous-backed Robins and Black-vented Orioles. However the park was crawling with White-winged Doves, a rarety in Michoacán. And my one lifer for the day was a northwestern specialty, the lovable Gila Woodpecker. These might be seen all the way in which as much as the U.S. state of Arizona, however by no means in Michoacán.
And that’s why they name them White-winged.
Gila Woodpeckers are barely smaller and darker than their extra widespread family, the Golden-fronted Woodpecker.
From there we headed again to breakfast at our lodge, after which made a fast cease on the bigger Parque Metropolitano de Guadalajara. Contemplating we had been solely there for 90 minutes, our whole of 42 species was very passable. Standout species included a number of Broad-billed and Violet-crowned Hummingbirds, a pair of Least Grebes, another Gila Woodpecker, a stunning Painted Redstart, and a cooperative Western Flycatcher. My earlier expertise wouldn’t have taught me to count on to see that final fowl in the course of a megacity. The identical can actually be mentioned for a Russet-crowned Motmot that patiently perched in deep shade.
Whereas it’s a widespread and pretty ample species, I received’t quickly overlook our encounter with a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. It isn’t a fowl for which I might count on to need to shorten my lens so it would slot in the body. A benefit of city birding is that many of the birds are fairly habituated to the presence of people.
The Parque Metropolitano de Guadalajara is outwardly additionally an awesome place for viewing turtles. Tons and plenty of turtles.
Having just lately tried city birding in Mexico’s northern metropolis of Torreón, I can affirm that the choices for city birding in Guadalajara are way more thrilling.