COLA DE CABALLO, HIGHRISE & PRESA RODRIGO GOMEZN & LIST
MEXICO
NUEVO LEON (Compass)
Lat:00o00´S/00o00´W ha topography msl
Protected/registered status
Best Time for visit (1-2nd October, 2004)
Birding Site Guide
These sites are close to the huge city of Monterrey and can be visited in a day trip from there. It is best to have your own transport but you can get there on public transport. Getting to the High-rise is difficult though. Take any bus to El Cercado and get off there. Then take a local bus from near the plaza to Cola de Caballo. From there you can carry on walking up (good birding) and try to hitch. Traffic is light but it is possible. The site guide has excellent maps and instructions. The Maroon-fronted Parrots are not too difficult to see but they are very far away. A scope would be very useful. Presa Rodrigo Gomez is a reservoir back at the highway with some waterbirds. 61 Species including 23 lifers.
Species seen
- Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps
- Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis
- Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus
- Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias
- Great Egret Ardea alba
- Snowy Egret Egretta thula
- Green Heron Butorides virescens
- Mallard? Anas platyrhynchos
- Blue-winged Teal Anas discors
- Black Vulture Coragyps atratus
- Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
- Osprey Pandion haliaetus
- American Coot Fulica americana
- Killdeer Charadrius vociferus
- Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularia
- Rock Dove Columba livia Introduced species
- Inca Dove Columbina inca
- White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi
- Maroon-fronted Parrot Rhynchopsitta terrisi Endemic Vulnerable
- Red-crowned Parrot Amazona viridigenalis Endemic Endangered
- Black-chinned Hummingbird Archilochus alexandri
- Ringed Kingfisher Ceryle torquata
- Acorn Woodpecker Melanerpes formicivorus
- Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons
- Greater Pewee Contopus pertinax
- Pine Flycatcher Empidonax affinis
- Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans
- Say's Phoebe Sayornis saya
- Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus
- Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus
- Rose-throated Becard Pachyramphus aglaiae
- Northern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis
- Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
- Canyon Wren Catherpes mexicanus
- Spot-breasted Wren Thryothorus maculipectus
- Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus
- House Wren Troglodytes aedon
- Clay-colored Robin Turdus grayi
- Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea
- Bridled Titmouse Baeolophus wollweberi
- Black-crested Titmouse Baeolophus atricristatus
- White-breasted Nuthatch Sitta carolinensis
- Brown Creeper Certhia americana
- Green Jay Cyanocorax yncas
- Mexican Jay Aphelocoma ultramarina
- Common Raven Corvus corax
- White-eyed Vireo? Vireo griseus
- Hutton's Vireo Vireo huttoni
- Warbling Vireo Vireo gilvus
- Crescent-chested Warbler Parula superciliosa
- Townsend's Warbler Dendroica townsendi
- Wilson's Warbler Wilsonia pusilla
- Painted Redstart Myioborus pictus
- Golden-crowned Warbler Basileuterus culicivorus
- Rufous-capped Warbler Basileuterus rufifrons
- Hepatic Tanager Piranga flava
- Rufous-crowned Sparrow Aimophila ruficeps
- Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus
- Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus
- Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus aeneus
- Audubon's Oriole Icterus graduacauda
Author: Charles Hesse
www.birdingsiteguide.com