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
Yucatan Flycatcher (Myiarchus yucatanensis) > Tyrannidae > Passeriformes
IDENTIFICATION: Medium-size Myiarchus flycatcher of tropical woodland and edge in the Yucatan Peninsula. Found mainly at mid-upper levels in trees, and like all members of the genus feeds at fruiting trees, especially the widespread gumbo limbo. Very similar to local populations of Dusky-capped Flycatcher, with dull pale wingbars and limited rusty edging to the tail feathers. Best identified by voice. Most noticeable visual differences from Dusky-capped are a broad, paler grayish area around the eyes, and crisper and brighter whitish edging to the tertials.
FIRST “LIFER” OBSERVATION:
–Date First Observed: 10 Jan 2022
–Location: El Tajo, Yucatán, MX
–EBird Link: Carrt. El Tajo, Yucatán, MX (21.395, -88.565) | MX-YUC
–Birding With: Miguel Amar Uribe, Claudio Gomez, and Santiago Contreras from Mexico Kan Tours
SPECIES GLOBAL eBIRD DISTRIBUTION MAP
Yellow Star indicates the location of my Lifer sighting
DETAILS ABOUT SIGHTING: We had stopped and walked along a side road when Claudio heard and pointed out my Lifer Yucatan Flycatcher.
PHOTOS TAKEN: All images are of the same Lifer bird we saw while walking down a side dirt lane.
ABOUT THE AREA: The northern regions of the State of Yucatan are composed of Yucatan Dry Forests where the climate is tropical subhumid with a long dry season. The average annual rainfall in this ecoregion does not exceed 1,200 mm per year. Dominant vegetative species in the central portion of the region include wild tamarind and Jamaican dogwood trees. They are often intermixed with other tree species such as Spanish cedar, gumbo-limbo, dryer’s mulberry, and Spanish elm. In the northern part of the ecoregion, near the coast, cacti become more abundant. The dry forests of Yucatán constitute a unique island of vegetation in the Gulf of Mexico region. They are isolated from other dry forests by the sea and by a vast extension of moist forests in the Maya region.
Miguel Amar Uribe, Claudio Lopez, Santiago Contreras and I spent the morning and early afternoon in search of several of the Yucatan specialty birds that can occur in these dry forests; such as Yucatan Poorwill, Yucatan Wren, Yucatan Woodpecker, Yucatan Flycatcher, Yucatan Vireo, Mexican Sheartail, Yucatan Gnatcatcher and Orange Oriole. Over the course of the next 7 hours we would find 15 new “Lifers” for me.
Previous 3 posts in my LIFER Blog Series.
Reflections of the Natural World 
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