Site Report: Volcan Nevado de Toluca

Hombre de Hielo

Spotted Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus macronyx)

Hairy Woodpecker

This volcano is the fourth highest point in Mexico. The national park here is popular with day visitors from Toluca, and I heard some rumors of a refuge for campers.

Visits

2010-02-19: After a few hours spent trying to procure a rental car, we drove south from the Toluca Airport to visit the national park. We found the park fairly easily, but the roads in the park were closed off due to recent snowfall. After wandering around a bit near the entrance, we found the main road toward the peak and hiked for a few hours in the company of many Mexican families. We arrived at a picnic area near the tree line late in the day, and due to the late hour and the intense sun, called it a day. Thinking I had dipped on the Strickland's Woodpecker, I finally found one less than 100 meters from the parking area. Most of the other birds that we saw here are also common near our home in San Francisco.

Species Seen

Kingdom: Animals (10 records)

Phylum: Chordates (10 records)

Class: Birds (10 records)

Order: Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies (1 record)
- Family: Hawks, Eagles, and Kites
- Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

Order: Perching Birds (8 records)
- Family: Jays and Crows
- Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)
- Common Raven (Corvus corax)
- Family: Old World Buntings
- Yellow-eyed Junco (Junco phaeonotus)
- Striped Sparrow (Oriturus superciliosus)
- Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus)
- Family: Thrushes and Allies
- American Robin (Turdus migratorius)
- Family: Treecreepers
- Brown Creeper (Certhia americana)
- Family: Wrens
- Northern House Wren (Troglodytes aedon)

Order: Woodpeckers, Barbets, Toucans, and Honeyguides (1 record)
- Family: Piculets and Woodpeckers
- Hairy Woodpecker (Dryobates villosus)

Lifelists

Trips

No trip reports available.