Sites visited
CD: Ciudad Dario, Matagalpa (12.7287, -86.1262; elev. 480 m), 23 June – 3 July
I spent two weeks here involved with Seeds of Learning to build a school. I did little focused birding.
PA: Palo de Agua, Matagalpa (12.7060, -86.1776; elev. 750 m), 24 June – 2 July
This was the school work site. Again, I did little focused birding.
EV: Finca Esperanza Verde, Matagalpa (12.9396, -85.7807; elev. 1120 m), 26-28 June
We spent a short weekend here, but I was able to bird extensively.
T: El Tempisque, Matagalpa (12.6700, -86.0491?; elev. 410 m), 2 July
This was a short site visit for a few hours, to visit a school and play baseball. I did little focused birding.
MF: Miraflor (primarily Posada La Soñada at La Rampla), Esteli (13.2462, -86.2550; elev. 1300 m), 3-6 July
We spent a few days here and I was able to bird extensively.
C: La Concha (Escuela Español Mariposa), Masaya (11.9497, -86.1815; elev. 490 m), 6-9 July and 14-15 July
We spent a few days here and I was able to bird extensively.
CB: Chocoyera-El Brujo Nature Reserve, Masaya (11.9887, -86.2479?; elev. 450 m), 8 July
We visited this reserve one afternoon, and I was with a group hike. It was very birdy and I would have liked to bird it in the morning.
OM: Isla Ometepe (primarily Charco Verde area), Lake Nicaragua, Rivas (11.4789, -85.6340; elev. 35 m), 9-14 July
We spent a few days here and I was able to bird extensively.
The table below provides the #’s of individuals detected at the various sites, or presence (+) with no estimate. Southern Rough-winged Swallow was observed at the airport in Managua.
CD PA EV T MF C CB OM
Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus +
Anhinga Anhinga anhinga +
Magnificent Frigatebird Fregata magnificens +
Great Egret Egretta alba + +
Tricolored Heron Egretta tricolor +
Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea +
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis + +
Green Heron Butorides virescens + +
Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax +
Fulvous Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna bicolor +
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis +
Black Vulture Coragyps atratus + 20 +
Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura + 2 +
Swallow-tailed Kite Elanoides forficatus 20 2
Double-toothed Kite Harpagus bidentatus 1
Roadside Hawk Buteo magnirostris 1 +
Short-tailed Hawk Buteo brachyurus +
Black Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus tyrannus 1
Crested Caracara Caracara cheriway + +
American Kestrel Falco sparverius 1
Bat Falcon Falco rufigularis 1 1
White-bellied Chachalaca Ortalis leucogastra +
Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus 1
Northern Jacana Jacana spinosa +
Double-striped Thick-knee Burhinus bistriatus +
Black Tern Chlidonias niger +
Elegant Tern Sterna elegans +
Rock Pigeon Columba livia + 1 +
Band-tailed Pigeon Patagioenas fasciata 1
Red-billed Pigeon Patagioenas flavirostris 4 1 +
White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica +
Inca Dove Columbina inca + 2 +
Ruddy Ground-Dove Columbina talpacoti + 4
White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi + +
Grey-headed Dove Leptotila plumbiceps 1
Ruddy Quail-Dove Geotrygon montana 1
Pacific Parakeet Aratinga strenua + +
Orange-fronted Parakeet Aratinga canicularis + 4 2
Orange-chinned or Tovi Parakeet Brotogeris jugularis 1 + +
White-fronted Parrot Amazona albifrons +
Yellow-naped Parrot Amazona auropalliata +
Squirrel Cuckoo Piaya cayana 1
Groove-billed Ani Crotophaga sulcirostris + 2 +
Striped Cuckoo Tapera naevia 2
Pacific Screech-Owl Megascops cooperi +
Lesser Nighthawk Chordeiles acutipennis +
Pauraque Nyctidromus albicollis 1
Black Swift Cypseloides niger +
White-chinned Swift Cypseloides cryptus +
White-collared Swift Streptoprocne zonaris 2
Vaux's Swift Chaetura vauxi 10 +
Azure-crowned Hummingbird Amazilia cyanocephala 2 6
Cinnamon Hummingbird Amazilia rutila 1 +
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird Amazilia tzacatl 2 1
Green-breasted Mango Anthracothorax prevostii +
Violet Sabrewing Campylopterus hemileucurus 2
Plain-capped Starthroat Heliomaster constantii +
Green-breasted Mountain-gem Lampornis sybillae 1
Scaly-breasted Hummingbird Phaeochroa cuvierii 3
Blue-crowned Woodnymph Thalurania colombica 1
Black-headed Trogon Trogon melanocephalus +
Violaceous Trogon Trogon violaceus 1
Turquoise-browed Motmot Eumomota superciliosa + + 4
Blue-crowned Motmot Momotus lessonii 2
Amazon Kingfisher Chloroceryle amazona + +
Ringed Kingfisher Ceryle torquatus +
Emerald Toucanet Aulacorhynchus prasinus 2
Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus 1
Hoffmann's Woodpecker Melanerpes hoffmannii + 3 +
Golden-olive Woodpecker Piculus rubiginosus 1 1
Streak-headed Woodcreeper Lepidocolaptes souleyetii 2 2
Ivory-billed Woodcreeper Xiphorhynchus flavigaster +
Southern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx ruficollis
Mangrove Swallow Tachycineta albilinea +
Grey-breasted or White-bellied Martin Progne chalybea +
Band-backed Wren Campylorhynchus zonatus 3 4
Rufous-naped Wren Campylorhynchus rufinucha + 5
White-breasted Wood-Wren Henicorhina leucosticta 4
Banded Wren Thryothorus pleurostictus 4
Plain Wren Thryothorus modestus 2 2
Rufous-and-white Wren Thryothorus rufalbus +
Spot-breasted Wren Thryothorus maculipectus 4
Brown-throated Wren Troglodytes brunneicollis 2 20
Blue-and-white Mockingbird Melanotis hypoleucus 1
Barred Antshrike Thamnophilus doliatus 1 6
Dusky Antbird Cercomacra tyrannina +
Slate-coloured Solitaire Myadestes unicolor 4
Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush Catharus aurantiirostris 1
Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush Catharus mexicanus 4 1
Clay-coloured Thrush Turdus grayi + + 5 15 10
Mountain Elaenia Elaenia frantzii 1
Boat-billed Flycatcher Megarynchus pitangua 1 +
Olive-striped Flycatcher Mionectes olivaceus 1
Brown-crested Flycatcher Myiarchus tyrannulus +
Dusky-capped Flycatcher Myiarchus tuberculifer 4 2 1
Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher Myiobius erythrurus 1
Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher Myiodynastes luteiventris 1
Social Flycatcher Myiozetetes similis + 3
Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus + 1 +
Common Tody-Flycatcher Todirostrum cinereum 1
Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus + 1 3 +
Long-tailed Manakin Chiroxiphia linearis 4
Three-wattled Bellbird Procnias tricarunculata 5
Grey-collared Becard Pachyramphus major 2
Masked Tityra Tityra semifasciata 1
White-throated Magpie-Jay Calocitta formosa + 4 +
Brown Jay Psilorhinus morio 6 2
Rufous-browed Peppershrike Cyclarhis gujanensis 1
Lesser Greenlet Hylophilus decurtatus 1 2
Tropical Parula Parula pitiayumi 1 4
Grey-crowned Yellowthroat Geothylpis poliocephala 1 +
Rufous-capped Warbler Basileuterus rufifrons 4
Black-headed Siskin Carduelis notata 5
House Sparrow Passer domesticus + 2 +
Yellow-throated Brush-Finch Atlapetes gutturalis 1
Thick-billed Seed-Finch Oryzoborus funereus 2
Black-headed Saltator Saltator atriceps 5 6
Buff-throated Saltator Saltator maximus 2 2
Greyish Saltator Saltator coerulescens 1
Blue Grosbeak Passerina caerulea 1
Chestnut-headed Oropendola Psarocolius wagleri 2
Montezuma Oropendola Gymnostinops montezuma 2 1
Yellow-backed Oriole Icterus chrysater 3
Altamira Oriole Icterus gularis + 1
Melodious Blackbird Dives dives 5
Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus + 3 1 +
Common Bush-Tanager Chlorospingus ophthalmicus 10
Grey-headed Tanager Eucometis penicillata 1 1
Red-crowned Ant-Tanager Habia rubica 1
Crimson-collared Tanager Phlogothraupis sanguinolenta 3 3
Rufous-winged Tanager Tangara lavinia 1 6
Blue-grey Tanager Thraupis episcopus + 2 4 +
Yellow-winged Tanager Thraupis abbas 3 10
Scrub Euphonia Euphonia affinis 2 +
Yellow-throated Euphonia Euphonia hirundinacea 2 4
Stripe-headed Sparrow Aimophila ruficauda +
Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus 3
Black-striped Sparrow Arremonops conirostris 1
Variable Seedeater Sporophila corvina 5 2
White-collared Seedeater Sporophila torqueola 2 2
Yellow-faced Grassquit Tiaris olivacea 2 4
Blue-black Grassquit Volatinia jacarina 4 4
Additional comments
Blue-and-white Mockingbird is apparently only the third record for the nation. The bird was well-seen on two occasions (4 and 5 July; just east of the homestead, on the slope of shade coffee). In both instances, the bird was at close range and offered good views. Precise location was 13.246754, -86.253060.
Two Black Terns were noted at Ometepe (possibly the same individual, although they were two days apart).
Two Elegant Terns were noted. The first was at Punta Jesus Maria on Ometepe on 13 July, while the second (presumably a different individual) was seen from the ferry approaching San Jorge on 14 July. The first bird was seen well, standing, at close range. The bill was long and thin, dagger-like, with a slight drooping aspect. It was orange, fading to yellow at the very tip. Based on my experience in California, this was an Elegant Tern and not a Royal Tern.
Contact me for further details or the Word file of the table.
Steve Hampton
Davis, California, USA
hamptons@sbcglobal.net