Bird References for Belize Birds in Belize An
Bird References for Belize
Birds in Belize An introduction
Birds in Belize • • • Neotropics Diversity Endemics Conservation Ecological Roles Possible Projects
Neotropics • What is “tropical? ” • What is Neotropical? • Why do birders love to visit the Neotropics?
Belize as Neotropical • Location • Diversity in many organisms • How do we measure diversity? • Diversity in birds
Bird Diversity in Belize • 540+ species in 8866 square miles • Belize is the size of Massachusetts • What families are found in Belize but not the United States?
Some bird diversity statistics… 9748 species in the world in 204 families 94 families/1350 species in Mexico/Central America (14% of bird species in 1. 5% of the world’s land area) 75 bird families in Belize
Neotropical Bird Families in Belize (families in Belize but not in U. S. A. ) • • Tinamous Sungrebe Jacana* Potoos Motmots Puffbirds Jacamars Toucans • • Ovenbirds Woodcreepers Antbirds Antthrushes Cotingas Manakins Bananaquit* * a single species of this family has occurred as an accidental in U. S. A.
Tinamous: family Tinamidae
Sungrebe: family Heliornithidae • Monotypic family: Heliornis fulica is only species
Northern Jacana • Shorebird with very long toes often placed in its own family, Jacanidae
Potoos: Nyctibiidae • Related to Whip-poorwill, nighthawks, et al. in order Caprimulgiformes • One species in Belize, the Northern Potoo
Motmots: Momotidae • Three species in Belize, one common: • Blue-crowned Motmot • Less common: • Tody Motmot • Rare: • Keel-billed Motmot
Puffbirds: Bucconidae • Two species in Belize, White-whiskered Puffbird and White-necked Puffbird • Both are illustrated on Plate 44 in Beletsky
Jacamars: Galbulidae • One species in Belize, the Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Galbula ruficauda
Toucans: Ramphastidae • Three species in Belize: we are most likely to see the Keelbilled Toucan • Also there are Collared Aracari and Emerald Toucanet
Ovenbirds: Furnariidae • Not the same as the American warbler • large diverse tropical family Two species that are not in Beletsky but should be common at Hill Bank: Rufousbreasted Spinetail and Plain Xenops
Woodcreepers: Dendrocolaptidae • Superficially similar to woodpeckers and Brown Creeper of North America • Several species, all adapted for gleaning insects from bark
Antbirds: Thamnophilidae • They don’t eat ants, they follow them • Barred Antshrike and Dot-winged Antwren should be common at Hill Bank
Antthrushes: Formicariidae • One species, Blackfaced Antthrush • hard to see, a S. Mexico-Yucatan. Honduras area endemic
Cotingas: Cotingidae • What is a cotinga? • One (? ) species in Belize, the Lovely Cotinga, Cotinga amabilis
Manakins • Two species in Belize • Known for spectacular lekking displays
Bananaquit • A monotypic family: Coereba flaveola • Sometimes lumped with tanagers or warblers
Endemics • Yucatan endemics: about 12 species shared with Mexico, Guatemala
a few Yucatan endemics
So many birds… • • Lots of herons Lots of hawks Lots of pigeons and doves Hummingbirds! 22 species Trogons! Lots of flycatchers Vireos, warblers, wrens, tanagers….
…so little time!
Conservation • Habitat preservation • NGO roles: Belize Audubon Society, Programme for Belize, others • Ecotourism and education
Ecological Roles: some are unique to the Neotropics, some are similar to those seen in temperate areas • Army ant followers • Fruit eaters and dispersers • Nectarivory and pollination • Niche partitioning: hummingbirds, flycatchers, et al.
Possible Projects • Foraging specialization (niche partitioning) in flycatchers – species, perch (substrate), frequency, tree species, et al. • Use of fresh water sources on South Water Caye – species, frequency, time at resource • Ideas?
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