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Bird References for Belize

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.

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Bird References for Belize

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  1. Bird References for Belize

  2. Birds in Belize An introduction

  3. Birds in Belize • Neotropics • Diversity • Endemics • Conservation • Ecological Roles • Possible Projects

  4. Neotropics • What is “tropical?” • What is Neotropical? • Why do birders love to visit the Neotropics?

  5. Belize as Neotropical • Location • Diversity in many organisms • How do we measure diversity? • Diversity in birds

  6. 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?

  7. 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

  8. 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. Neotropical Bird Families in Belize(families in Belize but not in U.S.A.)

  9. Tinamous: family Tinamidae

  10. Sungrebe: family Heliornithidae • Monotypic family: Heliornis fulica is only species

  11. Northern Jacana • Shorebird with very long toes often placed in its own family, Jacanidae

  12. Potoos: Nyctibiidae • Related to Whip-poor-will, nighthawks, et al. in order Caprimulgiformes • One species in Belize, the Northern Potoo

  13. Motmots: Momotidae • Three species in Belize, one common: • Blue-crowned Motmot • Less common: • Tody Motmot • Rare: • Keel-billed Motmot

  14. Puffbirds: Bucconidae • Two species in Belize, White-whiskered Puffbird and White-necked Puffbird • Both are illustrated on Plate 44 in Beletsky

  15. Jacamars: Galbulidae • One species in Belize, the Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Galbula ruficauda

  16. Toucans: Ramphastidae • Three species in Belize: we are most likely to see the Keel-billed Toucan • Also there are Collared Aracari and Emerald Toucanet

  17. 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: Rufous-breasted Spinetail and Plain Xenops

  18. Woodcreepers: Dendrocolaptidae • Superficially similar to woodpeckers and Brown Creeper of North America • Several species, all adapted for gleaning insects from bark

  19. Antbirds: Thamnophilidae • They don’t eat ants, they follow them • Barred Antshrike and Dot-winged Antwren should be common at Hill Bank

  20. Antthrushes: Formicariidae • One species, Black-faced Antthrush • hard to see, a S. Mexico-Yucatan-Honduras area endemic

  21. Cotingas: Cotingidae • What is a cotinga? • One (?) species in Belize, the Lovely Cotinga, Cotinga amabilis

  22. Manakins • Two species in Belize • Known for spectacular lekking displays

  23. Bananaquit • A monotypic family: Coereba flaveola • Sometimes lumped with tanagers or warblers

  24. Endemics • Yucatan endemics: about 12 species shared with Mexico, Guatemala

  25. a few Yucatan endemics

  26. 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….

  27. …so little time!

  28. Conservation • Habitat preservation • NGO roles: Belize Audubon Society, Programme for Belize, others • Ecotourism and education

  29. 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.

  30. 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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