Subject: [Tweeters] FW: Birds in Copper Canyon, Mexico
Date: Feb 11 22:08:58 2006
From: Francis Wood - fbwood at u.washington.edu



To: 'tweeters at u.washington.edu'
Subject: Birds in Copper Canyon, Mexico



>From Fran Wood (male)

My wife, Bunny, and I traveled in early December on a 13 day
Elderhostel train and bus trip down Copper Canyon (southwest of Chihuahua),
Mexico. Although it was not primarily a birding trip, our trip list
included nearly 100 species. The Roadrunners, Vermillion Flycatchers,
Painted Redstarts, Bare-throated Tiger-Herons and Black-throated Magpie-Jays
are always spectacular! I did submit this report to tweeters two months
ago, but it bounced as the result of a botched return address. Thanks to
Dan Victor, I?ve finally got this straightened out, so here, at last, is my
report!

We had several Mexican bird books among the participants
including:

A Field Guide to the Birds of Mexico, Ernest P.
Edwards, 1972

Mexican Birds, Roger Tory Peterson and Edward L.
Chalif, 1973

A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and North Central
America, Steve N. G. Howell and Sophie Webb, 1995

A Field Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Adjacent
Areas, Ernest P. Edwards, 1998

We did not have Howell?s ?A Bird Finding Guide to Mexico?, 1999, since
birding was not a major focus. Perhaps I should have brought one along.


Although Howell and Webb is bulky and heavy (nearly 1000 pages),
it is the only one of the four that has a range map included with most
species. This was essential as we tried to figure out whether to expect an
illustrated species in north-western Mexico where we were traveling. These
maps include seasonal information. The other guides list bird ranges using
Mexican state names and abbreviations. After a few more trips to Mexico I
might be able to handle them.

Another helpful guide for bird species shared with the U.S. was
my National Geographic Guide that extends many of its maps southward into
Mexico to include winter- or year-round ranges. Sibley?s Western Guide also
has extended maps for North American species.

The bird illustrations and species descriptions in all four
Mexican books are quite good. I carried Edwards newer book and my Nat.
Geogr. Guide in my shoulder pack, and Howell and Webb (plus a warm jacket)
in my backpack.

And the trip was marvelous and highly recommended.

Fran Wood (male),
<fbwood at u.washington.edu>

412 ? 36th Avenue, Seattle,
(206)323-2296


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