Sites visited


1. Santa Ana & Cerro Verde National Park      30th December, 2004

   Santa Ana was used as a base to visit the Cerro Verde National Park. Cerro Verde is a forested hill located between 2 volcanos, Volcan Santa Ana & Volcan Izalco. There was only 1 bus (2 hours) from Santa Ana leaving at 8:30am which linked up with guided walks up the volcanos leaving at 11am. I chose to go up Santa Ana as Izalco is a new volcano (active until recently) and has no vegetation. These guided walks are with a police escort as armed robberies have occured in the past. Although it is now safe, the late time and large group size made birdwatching almost impossible. I saw only 11 species at Cerro Verde and in Santa Ana itself.

Black Vulture Coragyps atratus
Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
Rock Dove Columba livia Introduced species
Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica
Ruddy Ground-Dove Columbina talpacoti
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Rufous-collared Robin Turdus rufitorques
Tennessee Warbler Vermivora peregrina
Scrub Euphonia Euphonia affinis
Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus
House Sparrow Passer domesticus Introduced species

2. Suchitoto & Embalsa Cerron Grande      1st-2nd January, 2005

   The pretty town of Suchitoto can be reached by bus in 2 hours from San Salvador. There are several places to stay here and many places to eat. The locals are very friendly. Suchitoto lies near the huge reservoir of Embalsa Cerron Grande. There were many birds in gardens and secondary forest on the way to reservoir at San Juan and also along the road east along the lake. Some water birds were seen on a boat ride accross the lake. Boats can be easily hire from the San Juan pier near town. Our boat took us close to an island with 100s of Great Egrets and Wood Storks roosting. I saw 57 species including 3 lifers.

Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus
Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias
Great Egret Ardea alba
Tricolored Heron Egretta tricolor
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Green Heron Butorides virescens
Wood Stork Mycteria americana
Black Vulture Coragyps atratus
Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
King Vulture Sarcoramphus papa
Common Black-Hawk Buteogallus anthracinus
Gray Hawk Asturina nitida
Laughing Falcon Herpetotheres cachinnans
Northern Jacana Jacana spinosa
Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularia
Caspian Tern Sterna caspia
Rock Dove Columba livia Introduced species
Red-billed Pigeon Patagioenas flavirostris
Ruddy Ground-Dove Columbina talpacoti
Inca Dove Columbina inca
White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi
Pacific Parakeet ? Aratinga strenua
Orange-fronted Parakeet Aratinga canicularis
Orange-chinned Parakeet Brotogeris jugularis
Groove-billed Ani Crotophaga sulcirostris
Cinnamon Hummingbird Amazilia rutila
Salvin's Emerald Chlorostilbon salvini
Ruby-throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris
Belted Kingfisher Ceryle alcyon
Turquoise-browed Motmot Eumomota superciliosa
Golden-fronted Woodpecker Melanerpes aurifrons
Tropical Pewee Contopus cinereus
Ash-throated Flycatcher Myiarchus cinerascens
Brown-crested Flycatcher Myiarchus tyrannulus
Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus
Social Flycatcher Myiozetetes similis
Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Rufous-naped Wren Campylorhynchus rufinucha
Clay-colored Robin Turdus grayi
White-throated Magpie-Jay Calocitta formosa
Warbling Vireo Vireo gilvus
Rufous-browed Peppershrike Cyclarhis gujanensis
Tennessee Warbler Vermivora peregrina
Yellow Warbler Dendroica petechia
Summer Tanager Piranga rubra
Western Tanager Piranga ludoviciana
Scrub Euphonia Euphonia affinis
Red-legged Honeycreeper Cyanerpes cyaneus
Stripe-headed Sparrow Aimophila ruficauda
Grayish Saltator Saltator coerulescens
Melodious Blackbird Dives dives
Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus
Altamira Oriole Icterus gularis
Streak-backed Oriole Icterus pustulatus
Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula
Orchard Oriole Icterus spurius
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