Arasha Bird List

For reference, the "Near Trail" refers to the portion of the trail that lies between the complex and the Negrito River, and the "Far Trail" refers to the portion between the Negrito and the Canoi. A reference to the "River Trail" simply means the bird was encountered on both portions. "The Complex" refers to the landscaped areas of the resort, and the Entrance Road and Upper Garden are self-explanatory.

LITTLE TINAMOU: heard daily along the entrance road

CATTLE EGRET: seen most days, usually over the upper parking lot on their way to or from a roost

ROADSIDE HAWK: heard about half the days, usually along the Near Trail

BARRED FOREST FALCON: heard once, probably along the Near Trail

RUFOUS-FRONTED WOOD QUAIL: encountered twice along the River Trail

SPOTTED SANDPIPER: seen once at the Canoi; probably regular there

PALE-VENTED PIGEON: heard once along the Entrance Road

RUDDY PIGEON: encountered daily along the River Trail and sometimes in the complex, but always close to the woods

DUSKY PIGEON: heard about half the days along the Near Trail

WHITE-TIPPED DOVE: heard once along the Near Trail

PALLID DOVE: encountered daily everywhere; easiest to see in the Upper Garden

RED-MASKED PARAKEET: a small flock seen once along the Near Trail; I didn't think they were supposed to be in this area, but their vocalizations were distinctive (and we have them in San Diego, so that's one I DEFINITELY know!)

MAROON-TAILED PARAKEET: encountered daily, usually up at the parking area

PACIFIC PARROTLET: encountered daily, usually along the entrance road or in the Complex

BLUE-HEADED PARROT: heard once along the Near Trail

BRONZE-WINGED PARROT: encountered daily, usually along the River Trail or over the Complex close to the woods.

SQUIRREL CUCKOO: encountered about half the days, close to the woods

SMOOTH-BILLED ANI: heard once from my porch (photo taken at the PVM Preserve)

WHITE-COLLARED SWIFT: seen about half the days from my porch

GRAY-RUMPED SWIFT: seen about half the days from my porch

WHITE-WHISKERED HERMIT: seen daily, tame and easy in the Complex and Upper Garden

STRIPE-THROATED HERMIT: seen twice along the Entrance Road

RUFOUS-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD: seen daily; probably the commonest hummer

CHOCO TROGON: heard about half the days along the Near Trail

WESTERN WHITE-TAILED TROGON: encountered twice along the River Trail (female - photo taken at PVM)

RINGED KINGFISHER: seen once at the Caoni River

GREEN KINGFISHER: ditto; both are probably regular

BROAD-BILLED MOTMOT: heard once at the Caoni River; other "hearings" along the Near Trail were suspect because of similar sounding distant domestic geese sounds wafting down from the Trout Pond...

RUFOUS MOTMOT: encountered daily, usually along the Near Trail but also heard from the cabana

BARRED PUFFBIRD: heard twice along the Near Trail

ORANGE-FRONTED BARBET: seen once along the Near Trail

RED-HEADED BARBET: seen twice along the Near Trail

PALE-MANDIBLED ARACARI: encountered twice, in the complex but close to the woods (photo taken at PVM)

CHOCO TOUCAN: heard twice along the Near Trail

CHESTNUT-MANDIBLED TOUCAN: encountered twice, once near the woods and again by the Negrito River

GOLDEN-OLIVE WOODPECKER: encountered daily; heard everywhere, but easily seen in the Complex

CINNAMON WOODPECKER: heard once along the Near Trail

LINEATED WOODPECKER: encountered daily along the Near Trail

BLACK-CHEEKED WOODPECKER: encountered daily, usually in the Complex

RED-RUMPED WOODPECKER: encountered twice along the Near Trail

SCARLET-BACKED WOODPECKER: seen once along the Near Trail

GUAYAQUIL WOODPECKER: heard once along the Far Trail

PACIFIC HORNERO: seen daily, mostly in the Complex; noisy and conspicuous

SLATY SPINETAIL: heard about half the days, usually along the entrance road up by the parking area

RED-FACED SPINETAIL: encountered twice at the Upper Garden

WESTERN WOODHAUNTER: encountered twice along the River Trail

RUDDY FOLIAGEGLEANER: heard once along the entrance road

PLAIN XENOPS: seen once along the Near Trail, at the top of the steps to the Negrito River

PLAIN-BROWN WOODCREEPER: heard most days, usually from my cabana

WEDGE-BILLED WOODCREEPER: seen most days along the Near Trail, often quite close

NORTHERN BARRED WOODCREEPER: encountered about half the days either along the Near Trail or near my cabana

SPOTTED WOODCREEPER: encountered most days along the Near Trail (their pet amazons liked to mimic this one...)

STREAK-HEADED WOODCREEPER: encountered about half the days along the entrance road

WESTERN SLATY ANTSHRIKE: encountered daily, usually along the River Trail

PACIFIC ANTWREN: encountered most days in the Upper Garden

CHECKER-THROATED ANTWREN: encountered about half the days along the River Trail (female)

WHITE-FLANKED ANTWREN: seen once along the Far Trail

SLATY ANTWREN: heard twice along the Near Trail

IMMACULATE ANTBIRD: heard once along the Far Trail

CHESTNUT-BACKED ANTBIRD: encountered daily along the River Trail, surprisingly cooperative at times

BICOLORED ANTBIRD: seen once along the Far Trail

BLACK-HEADED ANTTHRUSH: heard about half the days along the River Trail

SOOTY-HEADED TYRANNULET: encountered daily, usually along the Entrance Road and Upper Garden

GOLDEN-FACED TYRANNULET: encountered daily, usually along the entrance road and upper garden

BROWN-CAPPED TYRANNULET: heard most days, usually along the entrance road and upper garden

SOUTHERN BEARDLESS TYRANNULET: seen twice, once from the Upper Garden and once in the Complex

YELLOW-CROWNED TYRANNULET: encountered daily, usually from the entrance road and upper garden

OCHRE-BELLIED FLYCATCHER: seen once at the "hummingbird sanctuary"

SLATY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER: seen once along the Far Trail

YELLOW TYRANNULET: heard twice in the bamboo forest behind my cabana

BLACK-CAPPED PYGMY TYRANT: heard once along the Far Trail; it used both vocalizations represented on John Moore's CD, so I feel safe!

SCALE-CRESTED PYGMY TYRANT: heard daily along the River Trail, including a very mad-wasp-like sound that had me going for a minute!

WHITE-THROATED SPADEBILL: seen once along the Far Trail

BRAN-COLORED FLYCATCHER: heard once from my cabana; might have been more numerous, but I had to beware of the similar-sounding euphonias...

MASKED WATER TYRANT: encountered daily up in the parking area or upper garden, sometimes sitting on top of the cabanas!

DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER: heard once for sure along the Near Trail; probably more numerous, but because their whistle is so similar to the Rusty-margined Flycatcher's, I had to wait for a vocalization that was distinctive!

BOAT-BILLED FLYCATCHER: encountered daily, usually along the entrance road and upper garden

SOCIAL FLYCATCHER: heard about half the days; probably more numerous had I been paying attention...

RUSTY-MARGINED FLYCATCHER: seen daily and easily, right in the Complex

GRAY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER: seen twice along the entrance road and upper garden area

STREAKED FLYCATCHER: seen most days usually along the River Trail but also along the entrance road

TROPICAL KINGBIRD: seen daily in the Complex area

CINNAMON BECARD: encountered daily along the River Trail

ONE-COLORED BECARD: seen twice along the Near Trail

MASKED TITYRA: seen once at the Caoni River (photo taken at PVM)

BLACK-CROWNED TITYRA: seen once from the overlook in the upper garden

BLACK-TIPPED COTINGA: seen once along the Near Trail

PURPLE-THROATED FRUITCROW: encountered most days along the River Trail (male left, female right)

WHITE-BEARDED MANAKIN: encountered twice along the entrance road

THRUSHLIKE SCHIFFORNIS: heard once along the Near Trail

LESSER GREENLET: encountered most days along the River Trail

ECUADORIAN THRUSH: encountered daily, usually along the entrance road or the upper garden

BLUE-AND-WHITE SWALLOW: seen daily in large numbers, roosting in the cabanas!

SOUTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW: seen daily in the Complex, not as numerous

BAND-BACKED WREN: encountered daily along the Entrance Road and Near Trails

BAY WREN: encountered daily, usually along the Entrance Road

HOUSE WREN: encountered daily in the Complex area

WHITE-BREASTED WOOD WREN: heard once along the Near Trail, a single sweet song that wasn't emphatic enough for Bay Wren. I heard other wren samples that could have been this species, but I just wasn't sure.

SONG WREN: heard once along the Far Trail

SOUTHERN NIGHTINGALE WREN: heard daily along the Near Trail, occasionally along the Entrance Road. NOT responsive to pishing! :-(

TROPICAL PARULA: heard daily along the River Trail

OLIVE-CROWNED YELLOWTHROAT: heard about half the days from the upper garden

CHOCO WARBLER: seen once along the Far Trail

BUFF-RUMPED WARBLER: encountered twice along the River Trail

BANANAQUIT: seen most days in the parking area or upper garden

THICK-BILLED EUPHONIA: encountered daily, usually in the Upper Garden or Complex area

ORANGE-BELLIED EUPHONIA: encountered twice along the Near Trail

ORANGE-CROWNED EUPHONIA: heard most days along the Far Trail: the song matched the sample on the John Moore CDs, but I know euphonias can be tricky...

BLUE-NECKED TANAGER: seen once in the upper garden area

LEMON-RUMPED TANAGER: seen daily throughout, but most common in the Complex (male left, female right)

BLUE-GRAY TANAGER: seen daily and easily in the Complex and elsewhere

PALM TANAGER: seen about half the days, probably more had I been paying attention...

DUSKY-FACED TANAGER: seen about half the days either along the River Trail or close to it

RUFOUS-WINGED TANAGER: seen once along the entrance road

BUFF-THROATED SALTATOR: seen daily everywhere; these were singing the "alternate song" that threw me for a loop...

BLACK-WINGED SALTATOR: seen twice along the entrance road/garden area

SLATE-COLORED GROSBEAK: heard twice, once from my porch and once along the Near Trail

DULL-COLORED GRASSQUIT: one hapless individual that stunned itself against a window that the waiter brought in to show me!

VARIABLE SEEDEATER: encountered most days in the Complex area

ORANGE-BILLED SPARROW: encountered most days either in the garden area or along the Near Trail

SCARLET-RUMPED CACIQUE: seen twice along the River Trail

SCRUB BLACKBIRD: encountered about half the days up in the parking area

TINY HAWK: a small accipiter-shaped raptor came tearing past me almost at arm's length while walking back to my cabana, grabbed something off a palmetto, and powered away: all I could see was a gray back, but with the glimpse I had at first I thought I saw a pale eye and barred underparts, but seeing as this is such a rare bird, I was hesitant to count it on that alone.

RUFOUS-HEADED CHACHALACA: I flushed a cracid along the Far Trail that sounded more like this bird as it flew off than either of the two guans that are supposed to be in that range, but the chachalaca (so far as I know) isn't supposed to get this far east.

ROSE-FACED PARROT: some squeaky-sounding parrots flew over the Near Trail on two different occasions, but I'm not convinced other parrots (like the Blue-headed) couldn't make similar-sounding squeaks.

PURPLE-CHESTED HUMMINGBIRD: we got good looks (and on one occasion photos) of a dull hummingbird that best matched female Purple-chested, but with all the youngsters out, it could have been something else.

BLACK-THROATED TROGON: I heard a chuckle that best matched the recording of this species, but the Masked sounds similar.

DOT-WINGED ANTWREN: something the size and shape of this bird was in a feeding flock (and the vocalization was similar), but I wasn't sure.

BROAD-BILLED SAPAYOA: Had a small tanager-sized and shaped bird on the Far Trail that was entirely olive green, but with dark eyes and a bill that looked more like that of, say, a Tawny-crested Tanager. The tail was too long for a manakin or euphonia. Took off before I could get a better look...

TAWNY-FACED GNATWREN: Regularly heard a down-slurred whistle on the far trail (plus a little wheezy song that sounded similar to the song sample on the Moore CD) that COULD have been this bird, but I also caught a euphonia making the same whistle, and I never got a visual on the perpetrator...

Arasha Illustrated Bird List