Chronicles of a Birders Life List
Over the past 40 years I have had the good fortune to photographically document 85% of the bird species added to my “Life List.” This blog series showcases the images and anecdotal accounts that document those “Lifer” sightings and a little about the environment and culture of the area. This Lifer blog series begins with the first LIFER outside of the US, Lifer #624 and proceeds chronologically forward from there.
A Reflections of the Natural World Blog Post Series by Jim Gain
Northern Tropical Pewee (Contopus bogotensis) > Tyrannidae > Passeriformes
IDENTIFICATION: Small, gray flycatcher with a yellow-tinged belly and a short crest. Very similar to both Eastern Wood-Pewee and Western Wood-Pewee, but has shorter wings, a longer tail, and sometimes shows a pale spot between bill and eye. Note that wood-pewees are migratory birds, so are not present year-round in the areas where they overlap with Northern Tropical Pewee. Voice is the most reliable ID feature; Northern Tropical Pewee’s typical song is a very short, sputtering burst. Inhabits light woodland, forest edge, and overgrown fields. Usually seen on an exposed perch, from which it regularly sallies out to chase insect prey, often returning to the same spot over and over again.
FIRST “LIFER” OBSERVATION:
Birding with: My wife Maria
Date: 05 Dec 2021 @ Zona Arqueológica Muyil, Quintana Roo, MX
Zona Arqueológica Muyil (Chunyaxché) | MX-ROO
SPECIES GLOBAL eBIRD DISTRIBUTION MAP
Yellow Star indicates the location of my Lifer sighting
DETAILS ABOUT SIGHTING: After 4 busy days of exploring so many interesting, but very much packed with people places, Maria and I wanted to return to visit Muyil knowing that it was not going to be very busy. We enjoyed another breakfast at our favorite restaurant, El Rincón Mexicano Muyil. We were not disappointed and pretty much had the whole area to ourselves. As we walked through the park-like entrance area all the way back to the small pyramid and back, we just casually explored the zone, pausing to sit and relax and just listen and enjoy. Over the course of the next 2 1/2 hours, I was able to add 7 new “Lifer” bird species.
2nd Lifer – Muyil Visit on 12/5/21: Lifer #657 Northern Tropical Pewee.
Maria and I were wandering the trails at Muyil when this pewee popped up. It eventually called to confirm the identification.
PHOTOS TAKEN: All images were taken at Muyil.
Previous 3 posts in my LIFER Blog Series.
Reflections of the Natural World 
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