MEXICO 
sided was reported passing through R.L.B.R. 8 
May (GH, AR). A single Magnolia Warbler 
was at T.d.V 4 May (LK), while an uncom- 
mon male Cape May Warbler entered the 
house of a local guide at Celesttin 27 Mar 
(AD). Other late migrants included a female 
American Redstart, a Northern Waterthrush, 
and a female Hooded Warbler at T.d.V. 4 May 
(LK); a rare Swainson’s Warbler was reported 
at Punta Laguna, Q. Roo 29 Mar (DB). An un- 
common Mourning Warbler was photo- 
graphed in the R.L.B.R. 9 May (GH, AR, ph.), 
providing the late spring date for the species. 
In autumn, a male MacGillivray’s Warbler 
was netted and photographed 13 Nov along 
the coast just n. of Cancun (AP). Another late 
migrant at S.A.C. included a male Scarlet Tan- 
ager 5 May (AM). A Bobolink was recorded at 
Celestiin 20 Apr (DB). Reports of Eastern 
Meadowlark from s. Q. Roo included one 
along the Morocoy road 26 Mar (DB) and an- 
other at Dzibanche 28 Apr (LT). 
Contributors (area compiler in boldface): 
David Bacab, Paul Brown, Alexander Dzib, 
Gregory Homel, Luis Kti, Barbara MacKin- 
non, Amy McAndrews, Alberto Mezquita, Ro- 
drigo Migoya, Ana Morales, Alejandro 
Pacheco, Lizbeth Rodriguez, Alberth Rosado, 
Luis Tellez. © 
Hector Gomez de Silva, Xola 314-E 
03100 Mexico, D.F., Mexico 
(hector.gomezdesiiva@gmaii.com) 
Central America 
H. Lee Jones 
Oliver Komar 
Once again, pelagics took center stage in the 
Region, with two multi-day expeditions off 
the Pacific coast of Costa Rica in April, one to 
Cocos Island and one to waters off the Nicoya 
Peninsula. Although the majority of pelagic 
trips have been in spring, patterns of relative 
abundance and distribution for a few species 
are beginning to emerge. For the second 
straight year, Parkinsons Petrel has appeared 
in numbers that suggest that it is not uncom- 
mon, at least in April. Small numbers of 
Christmas Shearwater both years suggest that 
it also occurs regularly in spring, although in 
smaller numbers. Of the closely similar 
Masked and Nazca Boobies, Masked is clearly 
the one that nests on Cocos Island, and it may 
be the expected booby at sea over deep wa- 
ters; however, Nazca may be more common 
over the continental shelf. Pomarine Jaeger 
clearly outnumbers Parasitic off the Pacific 
coast, at least in spring, but apparently not on 
the Caribbean side. Surely, a wealth of new in- 
formation awaits the intrepid sea traveler at 
other seasons. We know next to nothing 
about seabird presence off Costa Rica in sum- 
mer, fall, and winter, but recent expeditions 
off El Salvador in those seasons have pro- 
duced some intriguing reports. 
The highlight of the season, though, had to 
be Black-legged Kittiwake. This spring saw 
unprecedented numbers of kittiwakes well 
south of their normal winter range within 
North America, with reports as far south as 
northern South America. Prior to this year, 
the only kittiwake record in the Region was 
from Belize in January 2000. This spring, 
both Costa Rica and Panama added Black- 
legged Kittiwake to their avifaunal lists, with 
individuals appearing on both Caribbean and 
Pacific coasts. The other country firsts this 
season were a Lesser Black-backed Gull at the 
border of El Salvador and Guatemala (new for 
both countries) and Pearl Kites in both El Sal- 
vador and Honduras. 
DUCKS THROUGH BOOBIES 
A group of 5 American Wigeons on the ocean 
half way between Cocos I. and mainland Cos- 
ta Rica (245 km ssw. of Nicoya Pen.) 1 May 
(KE et al.) was unexpected. This uncommon 
winter visitor to n. Costa Rica has only been 
recorded once before on Cocos 1. Within its 
range in w. Belize and n. Guatemala, Ocellat- 
ed Turkey is now largely confined to a few ar- 
eas where, in the absence of hunting and 
poaching pressure, it is found primarily in 
close association with humans, notably at 
several well known resorts and archaeological 
sites. Outside of these protected areas, it is 
thought to have been extirpated, or nearly so. 
Occasional reports, however, come from areas 
within its historical range that are far from 
these population centers, such as one seen 2 
Apr (EB) flying and running low across the 
Western Hwy. at Mile 38.5, Cayo. 
A Galapagos Petrel seen in flight 158 km 
nne. of Cocos I. on 1 May (ph. KE et al.) pro- 
vided the first recent report and first photo- 
graphically documented record for Costa 
Rica. Past records had been ascribed to Dark- 
rumped Petrel before its taxonomic split into 
Hawaiian and Galapagos Petrels. Following 
BM’s expedition off the Nicoya Pen. in Apr 
2008 in which he saw more than 260 Parkin- 
son’s Petrels, a species rarely reported in Cos- 
ta Rican waters, JZ, RG, BY, PM, andJW spent 
3-5 Apr in the same area searching for this 
species. In all they found 15: one on 3 Apr 46 
km s. of Punta Guiones and 14 on 4 Apr (ph. 
JW) from 73 km sw. of the tip of the Santa 
Elena Pen. sw. to 86° 56’ W. All birds were ei- 
ther along the edge of the continental shelf or 
out over the deep-water trench, and all seen 
in flight had pronounced flight feather molt. 
Along with BM’s sightings last year, these rep- 
resent the only recent reports from Costa 
Rica; however, they suggest the species may 
be a regular visitor, at least in spring. 
Providing additional proof that Christmas 
Shearwater occurs in Costa Rican waters, at 
least in spring, JZ et al. found one in a raft of 
200 Wedge-tailed Shearwaters 3 Apr (ph. JW, 
ph. BY) and another in a smaller group of 6 
Wedge-taileds 7 km away, both about 45 km 
w. of the s. tip of the Nicoya Pen. Both birds 
exhibited pronounced wing molt. An imm. 
Red-billed Tropicbird was seen about 73 km 
w. of Playa del Coco, just outside the Gulf of 
Papagayo, 4 Apr (]Z, RG, BY, PM, ph. JW), 
and an imm. and an ad. were seen, respec- 
tively, 147 km and 262 km ssw. of the Nicoya 
Pen. on 26 Apr (KE et al.). While all of the 
thousands of Red-footed Boobies seen on Co- 
cos 1. 27-30 Apr were of the expected brown 
morph (fide KE), an ad. white morph, rarely 
reported in Costa Rican waters, was seen 335 
km nne. of the island 1 May (KE et al). The 
relative status of Masked and Nazca Boobies 
in Costa Rica is proving to be complex. On a 
3-5 Apr pelagic trip off the Nicoya Pen., 7 ad. 
and 4 imm. Masked and 2 ad. and one imm. 
Nazca were seen (JZ, RG, BY, PM, JW). Two 
Nazca Boobies were in waters over the conti- 
nental shelf, and one was in an area of deep 
water over the continental slope; the Masked 
were all farther out, beyond the continental 
VOLUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 3 
513 
