We are spoiled in the United States with many concentrated birding efforts taking place throughout fall and spring migration such as hawkwatches, seawatches, Big Sits, and other surveys which all help to pull in loads of data on bird numbers and distribution, but there are very few endeavors taking place in countries like Belize. Thanks to the Belize Raptor Research Institute, there is now a full time hawkwatch in the small town of Punta Gorda in southern, coastal Belize which is really the first of it’s kind in the country. With it’s second season in the books, the site has clearly become the foremost location for viewing Hook-billed Kite migration in the world. Many other raptors were also counted passing the site, but with a location right along the coastline there are plenty of other birds that can be seen moving by besides raptors. Throughout a day of hawkwatching in Punta Gorda it isn’t uncommon to see migrant groups of Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, swallows, or various waterbirds.
In particular, this fall was notable for the increase and diversity of gulls and terns seen along the coastline near Punta Gorda as well as some notable waterfowl sightings, due to the increase in birder effort. Highlights were record one-day high counts for Forster’s Tern (see table below), the first confirmed record of Greater Scaup for Belize, the second record of Lesser Black-backed Gull for Belize, the southern-most record for Ring-billed Gull in 4 years, and the all-time southern-most record for Red-breasted Merganser (and 6th record ever for Belize).