Birding at Cockscomb

Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, one of the 9 protected areas that is managed by Belize Audubon Society, is well known as the world's first jaguar preserve. But instead of searching the trails for tracks of the elusive jaguar I was looking up for birds.

Israel Manzanero, the best kept secret of St. Herman's Blue Hole National Park, is an expert birder who works as a park warden for BAS. While I have a lot of past birding experiences to share, identifying the birds of Belize is new to me. I assisted Mr. Manza in teaching the warden's at Cockscomb how to improve their birding skills for monitoring and showing visitors around. There are a handful of common birds that can be identified easily, but 290 species have been recorded within the boundaries of the 128,000 acre wildlife sanctuary.

At around 5:15 AM we heard a Tropical Peewee while we enjoyed a hot cup of coffee on the verandah of our cabin; shortly afterwards, the call of a Spectacled Owl. At 5:30 AM the group met at the visitor center and by then the dawn chorus was at full volume. In the first hour I had a list of about 35 species. We hiked a trail to the riverside and looped back through the lowland jungle, covering a distance of about five miles. Before lunch, the list had grown to 82 species. I was so amazed by the quality of birding.

In the afternoon we hiked the Waterfall Trail to seek out some birds that live at higher elevation. My goal was to break 100 before the end of the day, but the afternoon was slower than the morning's activity. We returned to the visitor center and I continued gazing into the canopy, looking for the next new species. I located Black-faced Grosbeak and Yellow-winged Tanager among the many birds we had seen earlier. My list was now at 96 but it was too dark for my binoculars to gather enough light.

While chatting on the verandah after the sun had set, I heard an owl calling in the distance, identified by Mr. Manza as the Black and White Owl (97). We tried to relocate the Common Paraque we had seen the previous night but had no such luck. Then a heavy rain came down and persuaded me not to go on a night walk. It was difficult to sleep that night because one of the cabin mates was snoring as loud as a howler monkey. So I listened to the crickets calling, hoping to hear another owl in the forest, and waiting to do it all over again the next morning.


I don't know if we reached 100 as a group that day. Mr. Manza had at least one and maybe more birds that I had not seen or heard, so it's possible. However, I was not disappointed, never before I have I recorded so many bird species in such a short time. It was also pleasant to see a few visitor from home on their winter vacation, such as the Eastern Woodpeewee, Ovenbird, American Redstart, and Red-eyed Vireo. During my visit at Cockscomb I became familiar with a lot of new birds and their vocalizations so that when I'm on my own they won't give me much trouble.

Tapir Crossing

I have been waiting for a chance to see a wild tapir. While seeing a specimen at the Belize Zoo was exciting, it’s just not the same. However, my first encounter with a wild tapir came under sad circumstances. The other day Belize Audubon Society received a call about a tapir that had been hit by a vehicle at mile 9 of Belize’s Western Highway. While BAS has no jurisdiction over such wildlife issues, they are always willing to lend a hand to the Law Enforcement and Wildlife division of the Forest Dept. or the Belize Zoo. I went along with a staff member to the scene to help document what had happened. The large male tapir was dead on arrival and had a broken leg from the collision. We recorded an interview of a Belizean who had reported seeing the dead tapir on his way to Belize City in the morning. Other reports suggest that the tapir was alive earlier and that the animal suffered from heat stroke later. Residents from the nearby village of Hattieville knew that tapirs where present in this area. In fact, about three weeks ago another female tapir was hit on the road, but before any officials arrived to the scene it was gone. Apparently it was picked up and sold to villagers in the market.

Baird’s tapir (Tapirus bairdii), known as the mountain cow, is Belize’s national animal. The herbivorous animal is found where there is an abundance of successional flood-plain vegetation, which is a preferred food source of Baird's tapir. They are mostly solitary and are not very active during the day. Weighing in at 300-500 lbs, Baird’s tapir is the largest of the 3 American tapir species and the largest land mammal in Central America. Tapirs belong to the Order Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates), which includes horses and rhinoceroses. I surveyed the area and discovered a lot of tapir tracks and well worn trails. Obviously, this was not the first time the tapir had crossed the road.

Although Baird's tapir is categorized as Vulnerable, the species is considered endangered with extinction in most countries where it occurs. The main threats to tapir survival vary among different regions and different countries. Dominant forces affecting their populations are habitat loss and hunting. Tapirs are very susceptible to extinction because of their low reproductive rate. After a 13 month gestation period, the single young usually spends up to two years with its mother. This low recruitment rate coupled with hunting threats and habitat loss, is a serious factor contributing to Baird's tapir population decreases.

-IUCN Tapir Specialist Group

The story of this tapir may have been different if the driver had reported the accident. Fear may have been the reason why, because of the tapir’s protected status in Belize. When the story reaches the country on Channel 5 News, it is hopeful that drivers will be more cautious on the busy Western Highway.

St. George's Caye Day

St. George's Caye, nine miles offshore from Belize City, was the first capital city for the early British colonists (Baymen). On the 10th day of Spetember, 1798, the Baymen and their slaves defeated a Spanish invasion in the Battle of St. George's Caye. Today, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official language.

Today's event was celebrated with a parade and other festivities. More September Celebrations are on the way.

The Tenth Day of September (Song)

It was the 10th day of September

In ninety-eight Anno Domini

when our fore-fathers

won the glorious fight

at Old St. George's Caye

Hip! Hip! Hurrah. Hip! Hip! Hurrah.

Then hail them - cheer them.

Let our grateful loyal hearts not fail them,

as we march and sing and shout in merry glee

The Battle of St. George's Caye.

Hip! Hip! Hurrah. Hip! Hip! Hurrah.

Half Moon Caye

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Half Moon Caye National Monument, which in 1928 became Belize's first protected area. I was on a boat with a few of the BAS staff members for about two hours before we reached Half Moon Caye of Lighthouse Reef. This was my first escape from the mainland. I saw a flyingfish gliding out of the beautiful waters of the Caribbean. Half Moon Caye is managed by Belize Audubon Society, along with the nearby Great Blue Hole. The shores are lined with coral rubble and white sand. On the eastern end of the island is an old lighthouse and coconut palms. The western end is a much more diverse in vegetation.



The Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) colony is one of the main reasons the natural monument was created. Half Moon's colony is unusual in the Caribbean context because of the almost complete dominance (98%) of the white, gold, and black adult color phase. An observation deck was built for visitors to view the colony in the canopy. The Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens), which nest in the same Orange-flowered Ziricote thicket at the western end of the caye are also common.

Boobies and Frigatebids have an intersting realtionship on the island. Boobies frequently destroy the Frigatebird nests, while Frigatebirds feed on Booby eggs. The Red-footed Booby feeds by diving into the water for fish, while the Frigatebird, a poor diver, steals fish from the Booby. This behavior is depicted in the logo of the Belize Audubon Society.

Half Moon Caye a great place to bird watch because you don’t know what to expect. Nearly 100 species have been recorded here, 77 of these are migrants. I saw an osprey perched on a coconut palm and what I suspect was a yellow warbler.

The purpose of my visit to Half Moon was to introduce myself to the staff members and to look at how the small visitor center could be enhanced with exhibit signs. I can’t wait to return with some free time so I can explore more of the beautiful island diversity and the reef.