birding...

Magnificent Hummingbird Eugenes fulgens ©Manuel Grosselet http://www.tierradeaves.com

Oaxaca is a large state is the south of Mexico, southeast from Mexico City and adjacent to Chiapas. Covering the southern half of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, it boasts a wide variety of habitats and is famous as a centre for endemic species. Its capital city - also named Oaxaca - is situated at 5000 ft. elevation in the broad valley of Oaxaca now much cultivated to agriculture. The primary endemics are found in brushy hillsides around the valley`s edges (including Dwarf & Slaty Vireos, Oaxaca Sparrow, White-throated Towhee) or in patches of desert scrub (Grey-breasted Woodpecker, Beautiful Hummingbird, Boucard`s Wren, Bridled Sparrow).

To the north of the capital are mountains covered in oaks at mid-elevations and then in pine forests at the crest; logging roads on Cerro San Felipe provide access to fine habitat for Dwarf Jay (often with moving flocks of the canopy-dwelling Grey-barred Wren) and a good selection of Montane hummingbirds.

The Madre del Sur separates the high Oaxacan valley from the Pacific coast lowlands on the Gulf of Tehuantepec; cloud forest at its crest has other specialties (e.g. the Oaxaca endemic Blue-capped Hummingbird). The Pacific coast lowlands are hot and dry but remnants of thorn scrub still hold West Mexican Chachalaca and Yellow-crowned Parrot. The delightful coastal fishing town of Puerto Angel lures tourists but also has breeding boobies on rocks offshore.

Oaxaca is comparatively well known with its own major avifaunal tome (Binford 1989). Even birders cannot fail to be impressed by the cultural heritage in the valley of Oaxaca. Yagul, the ruins of a very old village that includes an ancient stadium for a pre-Columbian ball game, is a famed birding locale for its desert scrub specialties. Monte Alban overlooks Oaxaca city and is the most impressive ruin, a major temple complex that served as the ceremonial centre at the height of the Zapotec culture. Brush around the site has nesting Pileated Flycatchers and White-throated Towhees. Only Mitla, another archaeological site with complex geometric mosaics, lacks birds to go with the culture, but it is on the way to brush at the eastern end of the valley which holds Blue Mockingbird and Ocellated Thrasher (especially around the Microondas Nueve Puntas towers).

Detailed directions to all these sites are in Howell (1999); older but still useful details are in Edwards (1968, 1985) and old issues of the now-defunct Mexican Birds Newsletter. Very specific information on threatened and endangered species (among them the Yellow-crowned Parrot & Blue-capped Hummingbird) are in Collar et al. (1992). Howell & Webb (1995) is the now-standard field guide. Artefacts and jewelled treasures from Monte Alban and other sites can be viewed in museums in Oaxaca city.

The city itself is full of little cafes and shops and very colourful painted walls. A special delight is the annual Night of the Radishes festival at Christmas time. Intricately carved radishes form dioramas in booth after booth around the central zocalo in an atmosphere that will remind Americans of county fairs. On Christmas itself there are parades through the city with much music and fireworks. A variety of birding tour companies offer Oaxaca at Christmastime packages but it is easily visited by individual birders using rental cars and hotels.

The contributors published their interesting Oaxaca records in Roberson & Carratello (1997). They recommend the Night of the Radishes [Noche de los Rábanos] highly as well as colourful local handicraft.