1 JeremyA.Lindsell 20 Bull. B.O.C. 2002 122(3) Eggeling,W.J. 1947. ObservationsontheecologyoftheBudongorainforest,Uganda.J. Ecol. 34:20- 87. Erickson Wilson, S. 1995. Birdandmammal checklistsfor ten NationalParks in Uganda. National BiodiversityDatabank, MakerereUniversity, Kampala. Friedmann,H.&Williams,J.G. 1968.Notablerecordsofrareorlittle-knownbirdsfromwesternUganda. Rev. Zool. Bot.Africaines 77: 11-36. Howard, P., Davenport, T. & Matthews, R. 1996. BudongoForestReserve biodiversityreport. Forest Department, Kampala, Uganda. Kalina, J. & Butynski, T. 1996. Checklist ofthe birds ofBwindi-Impenetrable Forest, Uganda. East AfricaNatural HistorySociety,Nairobi. Keith, S.,Urban,E. K. &Fry,C. H. 1992. ThebirdsofAfrica, volumeIV.AcademicPress,London. Owiunji,I. 1996. ThelongtermeffectsofforestmanagementonthebirdcommunityofBudongoForest Reserve, Uganda. UnpublishedMSc.thesis,MakerereUniversity,Kampala. Owiunji, I. 1998. Biodiversity ofBudongoForestReserve. African Tropical Biodiversity Programme 1998Report,MUIENR,MakerereUniversity,Uganda. Plumptre, A. J. 1996. Changes following sixty years ofselective timber harvesting in the Budongo ForestReserve,Uganda.ForestEcologyandManagement89: 101-113. Plumptre, A. J. 1997. Shifting cultivation along the Trans-African Highway and its impact on the understoreybirdcommunityintheIturiForest,Zaire.BirdCons. Int. 7: 317-329. Prigogine,A. 1965.NotessurquelquesGeokichladelaRepubliqueduCongo.Rev.Zool.Bot.Africaines 71:230-244. Prigogine,A. 1978.AnewgroundthrushfromAfrica.LeGerfaut68:482-492. Rossouw,J. & Sacchi,M. 1998. Wheretowatchbirdsin Uganda. UgandaTouristBoard, Kampala. Serle,W. 1957.AcontributiontotheornithologyoftheEasternRegionofNigeria.Ibis99: 628-685. Urban,E. K.,Fry, C. H. &Keith, S. 1997. ThebirdsofAfrica, volume V.AcademicPress,London. Address:EdwardGreyInstituteofFieldOrnithology,DepartmentofZoology,SouthParksRoad,Oxford OX1 [email protected] ©BritishOrnithologists' Club2002 Erroneous and unconfirmed bird records from Belize: setting the record straight by H. LeeJones Received 13June 2001 Ideally, a bird species should not be included on any country list without proper documentation, no matterhow manytimes the birdhas been reported, how likely it is to occur, or how easy it may be to identify. Documentation need only consist of enough information to eliminate all other species conclusively. Sometimes this is straightforward, sometimesnot. Ifthecredentialsofthepersonreportingthespecies are not known, then it is helpful (but not mandatory) ifthe bird is photographed or more than one person sees and reports on the bird. Fordifficult-to-identify species, documentation ofthe record can be more challenging, even fora seasoned veteran. In these cases, detailed notes with field sketches and, ideally, a photograph or specimen may be necessary, or a tape-recording ofcalls/song where appropriate. H.LeeJones 202 Bull. B.O.C. 2002 122(3) Until a country's expected avifauna has been clarified, it may be hard to know whichspeciesarerareenoughtowarrantdocumentation.Consequently,forcountries with a relatively poorly characterized avifauna, few sight records are likely to be adequatelydocumented. The "accepted" listisprimarily specimenbased. Suchwas the case forBelize (then British Honduras) when Russell (1964) publishedthe first reasonablycomprehensiveavifaunaforthecountry. Since 1964,birdinghasbecome increasingly popular in Belize. With this growing popularity, the number ofsight records has increased exponentially. Many, ifnot most, sight records ofrare and unexpectedspecies, includingfirstcountryrecords,wereinadequatelydocumented, ifat all. In some instances, birds were added to the popular checklists ofthe time based solely on verbal communications. Forthese, nopermanentrecord exists, and details such as date, locality, observer, and description, ifany, have long sincebeen lost or forgotten. A significantpartoftheproblem inunderstandingwhich specieswere andwere notexpectedtooccurinBelizewastheresultof: (1)birdsthatwerepoorlyillustrated intheavailablefieldguides(e.g.,Yellow-belliedElaeniaElaeniaflavogaster,various hawks), (2) a lackofunderstanding ofthe range ofplumage variation (Ferruginous Pygmy-OwlGlaucidiumbrasilianum,SummerTanagerPirangarubra,Black-cowled Oriole Icterusprosthemelas), (3) taxonomic confusion (nightjars and potoos), (4) distribution (White-throated Swift Aeronautes saxatalis, Rufous-winged Tanager Tangaralavinia,etc.),and(5)potentialforvagrancy(PineWarblerDendroicapinus, Lark Bunting Calamospiza melcmocorys, Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia, etc.) In the past decade, we have learned a lot about the expected avifauna, and conversely,theunexpectedavifaunaofBelize. The landmark^guideto thebirdsof Mexicoandnorthern CentralAmerica(Howell&Webb 1995)wastheturningpoint. Those authors questioned many records that had been generally accepted by the birding community, and even a few that were considered a regularpart ofBelize's avifauna. Ofthese species, many have since been documented, but some remain undocumented.Nowisanappropriatetimetoreviewthosewhichremainunverified for Belize. This publication is my attempt to set the record straight. It is also a call for information. Forsomeofthespeciesdiscussedinthefollowingaccounts,supporting evidence fortheiroccurrence maywell exist in someone's fieldjournal or, perhaps, as photographs, or even a misplaced specimen in a museum. The following accounts are by no means the final word on this subject. They merely reflect my opinion based on the information at my disposal. The species included in these accounts have all appeared in literature, including peer-reviewed journals, informal trip reports published in local or regionaljournals, and popular checklists and other material generally available to the birding public. Such "publications" include the Belize Audubon Society Newsletter, all Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs), published or otherwise widely disseminated checklists, and manuscriptsdepositedingovernmentofficesorinstitutions,libraries,andtheBelizean NationalArchives in Belmopan. I do not include records gleaned from unpublished field notes, personal correspondence, word-of-mouth, or unavailable data bases. H.LeeJones 203 Bull. B.O.C. 2002 122(3) It is not my intention to embarrass or offend anyone whose records I may have included in the accounts below - only to bring to the attention ofthe reader those species included in documents and checklists in the public domain that I believe lack adequate supporting information, and those species that may have been misidentifiedbasedonacombinationoftheobserver's lackofexperiencewithbirds in the region and his or her reliance on the limited and often inaccurate reference material available at the time. There is no question that some ofthe species listed below were, indeed, correctly identified. I myself have recorded species new to Belize that meetmy personal criteria foracceptance, but forwhich I was unable to obtain documentation necessary for their general acceptance. For example, I have heard the distinctive calls ofAmerican PipitAnthus rubescens in Belize, a species with which I am thoroughly familiar and which is also long overdue in Belize, but my hearing ofa vocalization ofan unseen bird without a tape-recording does not constitute adequate documentation for the species' inclusion on the Belize list. Someday the occurrence ofAmerican Pipit will be properly documented. At that time, myrecordwill serve as supporting evidence for its occurrence in Belize. While the opinions expressed and determinations made in this paper are mine alone, it is important to note that Belize is in the process of establishing a bird records committee, whose purpose will be to evaluate the validity ofall claimed first country records (including those discussed in this paper), as well as other designatedrarities.Itsdeterminationsmaywelldifferfrommyowninsomeinstances. The committee, expected to be operational by mid-2002, consists ofseven voting members and a non-voting secretary. All records ofbirds thought to be extremely rare or unrecorded in Belize should be submitted to: Secretary (currently Carolyn Miller), Belize Bird Records Committee, Gallon Jug, Belize, CentralAmerica. For more information ontheBelize BirdRecords Committee, includinga listofspecies to be evaluated by the committee, visit either www.belizebirds.com or the Belize Biodiversity Information System at http://fwie.fw.vt.edu/wcs/. Species Accounts SOOTY SHEARWATER Puffinusgriseus Listed by Wood et al. (1986), Garcia et al. (1994), Miller & Miller (1994, 1998b, & 2000), Sargeant (1995), and Stotz et al. (1996). Miller Miller (1998b, 2000) indicated that there are at least two records ofthis species by including it in their "Coastal Savannas" and"Cayes & Offshore" columns. I have beenunable to locate anyinformationwhatsoeveronthis (these)record(s). Unless information on atleast observer,date,locality,andcircumstanceisforthcoming,this(these)record(s)should be disregarded. RUFESCENT TIGER-HERON Tigrisoma lineatum An immature was reported by three observers near Chan Chich Lodge, western OrangeWalkDistrict,on 14April 1994(Mallory 1994)anddescribedbriefly: "...the throatwas white and feathered." Because ofthe unprecedented nature ofthe record H.LeeJones 204 Bull. B.O.C. 2002 122(3) -ithasnotbeenreliablyrecordedwestofeasternHonduras (Howell&Webb 1995) - and the extreme brevity ofthe published description, the identification should be consideredastentativeuntil suchtimeasapatternofoccurrenceinnorthernCentral Americaisestablished. Ifadetailedwrittendescriptionofthis individualwastaken, it should be published. RUDDY DUCK Oxyurajamaicensis ListedbySargeant(1995).Russell(1964)stated,"Eisenmann(1955a: 19)specifically includesBritishHonduraswithintherangeofthespecies. Icanfindnobasisforthis inclusion. Mr. Eisenmann (in litt.) does not have the source of this record; consequently, the species should not be included on the list ofBritish Honduran birds." I am not aware ofany specific reports ofthis species in Belize. BALD EAGLE Haliaeetus leucocephalus Counsell (1988) published an "inconclusive sighting" ofthis species: an immature closely observed in flight at Guacamallo Bridge on 3 March 1986.Although itwas seenbytenobservers,onefamiliarwiththisspecies,andsomefieldmarksconsistent with this species were recorded, the identification was considered tentative by the & author. Miller Miller (1998a), citing Counsell (unpubl. report), dismissed this record as "unlikely"butimpliedthatitwasreported, atleastinitially, as confirmed. WHITE-BREASTED HAWKAccipiter[striatus] chionogaster Sargeant (1995) included White-breasted Hawk but not Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiterstriatus, which is aregularbut uncommon wintervisitor in Belize. There are also unpublishedreports ofA. chionogasterin Belize thatmost likelypertainto juvenileDouble-toothedKiteHarpagusbidentatus,whichcanappearsimilar.White- breasted Hawkwasrecentlymergedwith Sharp-shinnedHawkbytheAOU (1998). This well-marked form is a resident ofthe highlands of southern Mexico east to Nicaragua. Although some seasonal altitudinal movement may occur (Howell & Webb 1995), it would notbe expected to reach Belize. SWAINSON'S HAWKButeo swainsoni ForaspecieswhoseoccurrenceinBelizehasneverbeendocumented,theSwainson's Hawkhas been reported surprisingly frequently. Weyer(1984), forinstance, stated: "AlthoughthemigratingflocksdonotflyoverBelize,oneortwoareusuallyseenin aday's birdwatchingduringthe fall andwinter, andthesebirds apparentlymaintain winterterritories in Belize. Ithas been suggested that Swainson's Hawks wintering in Central America are mostly immatures, butthe birds sighted in Belize are in full adult plumage." She states further: "The black phase, often considered rare, is not uncommon here." Woodetal. (1986) listed itas anuncommontransientandwinterresidentinfour ofsix regions. Wood & Leberman (1987) reported three occurrences: 23 February 1983 (Caves Creek); 23-24 March 1984 (Columbia River Forest Camp, Toledo District); and6April 1984(HummingbirdHwy). Counsell (1988)reportedoneseen H.LeeJones 205 Bull. B.O.C. 2002 122(3) on 18 March 1986 atGuacamallo Bridge, Cayo District, butgaveno details. Garcia et al. (1994) included it as an occasional transient, and it was listed by Miller & Miller (1994), Sargeant (1995), Stotz et al. (1996), and Edwards (1998). It was recorded on six ofthe first seven Belize City Christmas Bird Counts (1972-1978) andsevenofthefirsttenBelmopancounts(1975-1984). Despitetheseemingplethora ofoccurrences, Howell&Webb(1995) emphasizedthatreports fromBelizerequire & verification. Perhapsfollowingtheirlead,Miller Miller(1998a)discusseditunder the heading "Problematic Species RequiringVerification in Belize,"yet included it on both their original (1998b) and revised (2000) checklists. Reports ofthis species in winter are probably erroneous as this species is rare and local north ofSouthAmerica inwinter. The factthatmostreports are ofadults, and even more remarkably, ofthe rare dark morph, runs directly counter to what wouldbeexpected,asbirdsseenoutsidetheirnormalmigratorypathwaysareusually birds ofthe year, and there is no reason to believe that dark morph birds would be disproportionately represented. While it is likelythat Swainson's Hawk may occur in Belize as a very rare transient, even its occurrence on migration has yet to be documented. In fact, despitethe frequencyofreports inthe literature, I amunaware ofanydescriptionwhatsoeveraccompanyingaclaimedSwainson'sHawkinBelize. That so many records ofswainsoni have been claimed in the past is due, in part, to the complexities of hawk identification coupled with (until recently) poor representationofhawks inthepopularfieldguides, andinparttothegenerallypoor understanding ofthe occurrence and seasonality ofswainsoni in Central America, asdemonstratedinWeyer'scommentsabove.Itislikelythatmostclaimsofswainsoni in Belize pertain to juvenal and 1st basic plumage White-tailed Hawks {Buteo albicaudatus), acloselyrelatedspecieswithacomplexarrayofimmatureplumages. Somemayalsopertaintothe Short-tailedHawk{Buteobrachyurus),anotherspecies that,likeswainsoniandalbicaudatus,mayflywithitswingsheldabovethehorizontal plane and its outerprimaries held closely adpressed. PURPLE SWAMPHEN Porphyrioporphyrio An Old World species listed, apparently in error, by Sargeant (1995) who does not listthePurpleGallinule(Porphyrulamartinica),alocallycommonresidentofBelize. DOUBLE-STRIPED THICK-KNEE Burhinus bistriatus Russell(1964) includedthisspeciesbasedonasightrecordbyLancasterandVerner in Belize City on the night of 11 February 1958. This record has been dismissed by all subsequent authors. Dr. Verner kindly sent me a copy ofhis field notes for that date 43 years ago, and they establish by both plumage description and vocalization that the bird was ajuvenile night-heron, most likely Yellow-crowned Nyctanassa violacea. PIPING PLOVER Charadrius melodus M. H. Peck supposedly collected one at Manatee Lagoon, southern Belize District, in March 1901, but the specimen has never been located (Russell 1964). H.LeeJones 206 Bull. B.O.C. 2002 122(3) BAIRDS SANDPIPER Calidris bairdii ListedbyWoodetal. (1986), Garciaetal. (1994), Miller& Miller(1994), Sargeant (1995),andStotzetal. (1996),butnotbyMiller& Miller(1998b,2000)orEdwards (1998). Howell&Webb(1995,p. 276)includedextremesouthwesternBelizewithin its normal migration route but did not cite any specific records. While this species surely occurs in Belize on occasion as a vagrant or rare transient, I can find no publishedrecordsandonlyoneunpublishedrecord,buttheunpublishedreportdoes not meetthe criteria for acceptance as a first country record. GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL Larus marinus Listedasveryrare("1 record")byWoodetal. (1986),perhapsbasedonitsinclusion on a list ofbirds seenatCaye Bokel,TurneffeAtoll, on24-25 October 1983 (Anon. 1984). Howelletal. (1992)reporteda 1stwinterbirdphotographedinBelizeCityon 11-12January 1989,butthephotographhasneverbeencriticallyexaminedandmay havebeenlost. Basedonthispublishedrecord, ithasbeenincludedinmostreviews and checklists since (e.g., Miller & Miller 1994, 1998b, 2000; Howell & Webb 1995; Sargeant 1995; Stotz et al. 1996; Edwards 1998). Howell (pers. comm.) has notseenthephotographandnolongeracceptstherecord.Withothersimilarspecies now turning up (or being recognized for the first time) with some regularity in the GulfofMexico (Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus; Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus; Band-tailed Gull Larus belcheri), L. marinus should not be considered the "default"large,dark-backedgullintheregion(cf. Howell&Webb 1995).Therefore, this species remains unverified for Belize and Central America. As it continues to expand its range southward, it may yet reach Belize, but extreme care is needed in attempting to identify any large, atypical gull in Belize regardless ofplumage or perceived likelihood ofoccurrence. ZENAIDA DOVE Zenaida aurita Included by Wood et al. (1986), Garcia et al. (1994), and Miller & Miller (1994) basedon an 1893 specimeninthe Royal OntarioMuseum, collected"50milesback ofBelize". The accuracy ofthe locality information accompanying this specimen has been questioned by Barlow et al. (1969) and Howell & Webb (1995). NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL Glaucidium gnoma Counsell (1988) mist-netted and photographed a pygmy-owl at the Guacamallo Bridge, Cayo District, on 8 March 1986 and mentioned two field marks that do not distinguish it from Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium brasilianum. Both Steve Howell (pers. comm.)andIhaveexamineddigital imagesoftheoriginalphotograph, and believe the birdto be a "typical" G. brasilianum. According to Walters (1993), this species was also mist-netted and ringed on 24 February 1960 in western Cayo District, but he includedno citationordetails. Itwas included on the listofbirds in Belize by Stotz et al. (1996), although Howell (1995) had expressed grave doubts about these records a year earlier. Most observers are unaware ofthe wide range of colour and pattern variation in brasilianum. Without regard to geography, some H.LeeJones 207 Bull. B.O.C. 2002 122(3) individuals are rich rufous-brown above and others are dull grey-brown. Also, the tail pattern in brasilianum is highly variable, from pale rufous to dark brown with up to 8 paler or darker bars or no bars at all. Thus, attempting to differentiate brasilianum from gnoma on plumage characters alone is problematic. Without a specimen or diagnostic photographs, it is best told by its vocal differences. TAWNY-COLLARED NIGHTJAR Caprimulgus salvini Included by Wood et al. (1986) before it was generally recognized that the form occurringintheYucatanPeninsula,includingnorthernBelize,wasaseparatespecies- the Yucatan Nightjar Caprimulgus badius (AOU 1995). Perhaps anticipating the pending split ofTawny-collared and Yucatan Nightjars, but confused as to which oneoccurredinBelize, Garciaetal. (1994) includedbothsalviniandbadiusintheir checklist. Sargeant (1995), on the other hand, incorrectly included salvini, but not C. badius, in his list. BUFF-COLLARED NIGHTJAR Caprimulgus ridgwayi Hallchurch (1982) reported two heard near the Swasey Bridge on the Southern Highwayon8 March 1982. Becauseofconfusionatthattimeintheliteratureandon commercial audiotapes aboutthe properassignment ofvocalizations to the various Central American nightjars, coupled with the frequent taxonomic lumping and splittingofspecies inthe Caprimulguscomplexbyvarious authors, itismostlikely that what they heard was some other species. C. ridgwayi is almost exclusively a residentofthe Pacific slope andhighlandsofMexicoandnorthernCentralAmerica (Howell & Webb 1995) and therefore mostunlikely to appear in Belize. GREAT POTOO Nyctibius grandis ListedbyWoodetal. (1986) asveryrare incoastal savannas, byGarciaetal. (1994) withoutanystatusinformation,andbySargeant(1995)andStotzetal. (1996)without comment; however, reports from Belize were consideredtobe erroneousbyHowell & Webb (1995). The inclusion ofthis species on lists ofbirds recorded in Belize is based, in part at least, on confusion ofits vocalizations with those ofthe Northern Potoo Nyctibiusjamaicensis, a fairly common resident. Older commercial tape recordingswereoftenofthesouthernCommonPotooN.griseus,formerlyconsidered conspecific withjamaicensis. N. griseus, which is not known north ofNicaragua (AOU 1998), has averydistinctive call, whereasjamaicensis has a vocal repertoire that is muchmore similarto that ofgrandis, especiallywhen heard at a distance. N. grandismaywellbe arare resident in southern Belize, andat least one experienced ornithologist familiarwithgrandis is confident he has heard it in Belize. However, a recognizable archived tape recording of this species in Belize should be the minimum criterion for acceptance. BLACK SWIFT Cypseloides niger Included by Sargeant (1995) without explanation. H.LeeJones 208 Bull. B.O.C. 2002 122(3) WHITE-NAPED SWIFT Streptoprocnesemicollaris & Listed by Garciaetal. (1994), Sargeant(1995), andMiller Miller(1998b, 2000), apparentlybased on areportby Mallory (1994). Mallory reported 7-12 birds in the upperRaspaculoRiverarea(from CushtaBani downstreamtonearthe Guacamallo Bridge) between 2 May and 3 June 1993. All ofthe birds had a prominent white nape but lacked the full white collar ofadult White-collared Swifts Streptoprocne zonaris. She reasoned that it would be unlikely for an entire flockto be comprised ofjuvenile zonaris, which lack the full white collar. Additionally, according to Mallory, at least one bird seen clearly had a rounded tail, a characteristic of semicollaris. I have observed flocks ofzonaris on several occasions inwhich most individuals lacked or appeared to lack the full white collar. Also, a widely spread tail,oronemoultingtheouterrectrices,canappearrounded.Becauseofthedifficulty in observingkeyfieldmarks onrapidly flying swifts, andthe unprecedentednature ofthis record, it is best to consider this species' occurrence in Belize as, at best, tentative or inconclusive. The occurrence ofzonaris in Honduras was considered highlytenuousbyMonroe (1968), eventhoughthe evidence(multiple sightingsover aten-yearperiodbyanumberofexperiencedobservers)wasmuchstrongerthanthat presented by Mallory. Monroe, in fact, considered it more likely that these birds represented an undescribed species thanthe improbablezonaris so farout ofrange. WHITE-THROATED SWIFTAeronautessaxatalis IncludedinRussell(1964)basedontwoormoresightrecordsofmultipleindividuals and a nest collected on 27 May 1906 in the Cockscomb Mountains (Bent 1940; MCZ specimen no. 11748), although he includedthis species in brackets, as he did all records unsupported with specimens. The nest, which contained 5 eggs, proved to be that ofChaetura vauxi, not A. saxatalis, based on photographs provided by MCZ secretaryAlison Pirie and examined by M. Marin (pers. comm.). Hallchurch (1982)reported3 eachatBigFalls,CayoDistrict,andAirportCamp,BelizeDistrict, on 5 March 1982, butdidnotprovide anydetails orsuggestthattheywereunusual. Perhaps,basedontheserecords,itwas includedinWoodetal. (1986)as"veryrare" & in three regions. Garciaetal. (1994) and Miller Miller(1994, 1998b, 2000) also includeditintheirchecklists,butitsoccurrenceinBelizewasquestionedbyHowell & Webb (1995). Also, Edwards (1998) did not include it for Belize in his recently revised field guide. GREEN VIOLET-EAR Colibri thalassinus Included without explanation by Sargeant (1995). EMERALD-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD Abeillia abeillei Listed by Wood etal. (1986) as rare in coastal savannas, by Garcia etal. (1994) as & resident(nootherstatusinformationgiven),andbyMiller Miller(1994), Sargeant (1995), and Stotz etal. (1996). However, Howell & Webb (1995) statedthatreports from Belize"arenotcredible."Therationaleforincludingthismostunlikelymontane species on the Belize list is not known. H.LeeJones 209 Bull. B.O.C. 2002 122(3) GREEN-FRONTED HUMMINGBIRDAmazilia viridifrons Hallchurch(1982) includedthisspeciesonthebasisofonemist-nettedon 1 March 1982 at Blue Creek, Toledo District. Although he stated: "Description and measurements verified against skins in the British Museum...", he provided no descriptionormeasurementsinhispublishedaccount;thus,itcannotbeindependently & evaluated. Miller Miller (1998a) rightly questioned the record, and no other published list ofwhich I am aware has included it. MAGNIFICENT HUMMINGBIRD Eugenesfulgens ListedbyMiller&Miller(1994),Garciaetal. (1994),andEdwards(1998),probably basedonitsreportedoccurrence,withoutanydescriptiveinformation, intheBladen ReservebyBrokaw&Lloyd-Evans(1987).Thisspeciessuperficiallyresemblesthe smallerViolet-crowned Woodnymph Thalurania colombica which, coincidentally, is found in Belize primarily in the Bladen Reserve and nearby areas in the Maya Mountains and foothills ofcentral and western Toledo District. RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD Selasphorus rufus Listed by Miller & Miller (1994) without explanation otherthan an accompanying asterisk, which indicates that it has occurred in the Chan Chich/Gallon Jug area of westernOrangeWalkDistrict. Interestingly, itwasalsoincludedbyEdwards(1998) as accidental in Belize. The basis for this species' inclusion on the Belize list by these two authors is unknown to me. BLACK-BANDED WOODCREEPERDendrocolaptespicumnus Included without explanation by Sargeant (1995). PILEATED FLYCATCHERXenotriccus mexicanus This species first reached the attention ofBelize birders with a briefexchange of letters in the Belize Audubon Society Newsletter (Vol. 26, No. 1, p. 15) in 1994. What began as an inquiry into thepossibility ofthis species occurring in Belize, rapidlyescalatedtoitsbeingconsideredacommonresidentintheCockscombBasin Wildlife Sanctuary (Emmons etal. 1996). What caused the confusionwas apoorly illustrated Yellow-bellied Elaenia Elaeniaflavogaster in a popular field guide (Peterson & Chalif1973). In life, theYellow-bellied Elaenia more closely matches Peterson's illustrated Pileated Flycatcher, a southwest Mexican endemic, than it does hisYellow-bellied Elaenia. This species is still reportedregularlytothe author by local birders using Peterson & Chalifas theirprincipal, or only, field guide. EASTERN PHOEBE Sayornisphoebe Reportedonthe 26 December 1978 Belmopan Christmas BirdCount, and on the 30 December 1979 Belize City Christmas Bird Count. Hallchurch (1982) reported withoutexplanationtwo seenatBigFallson2 March 1982.Althoughtheoccasional occurrence of this species in Belize is possible, the likelihood of two occurring simultaneously in the same area so far from its normal winter range is exceedingly H.LeeJones 21 Bull. B.O.C. 2002 122(3) slim, as virtually all out-of-range records are of single birds. Wood et al. (1986) statedthatitisaccidental,with"2records".Additionally,Garciaetal.(1994)indicated that itis also accidental onthe cayes, butthebasis forthis isunknowntome. Miller & Miller (1994), Sargeant (1995), and Stotz et al. (1996) also included it in their lists. Howell & Webb (1995) on the other hand stated that "reports from Belize...requireverification."Asitappearsthatnosupportinginformationexistsfor anyoftheserecords,itsoccurrenceinBelizeshouldbedismissed.Aspecimenrecord exists from southern Quintana Roo within a few km ofthe Belize border (Peters 1913), so the possibility exists that it mayyetbe verified from Belize. WESTERN KINGBIRD Tyrannus verticalis Walters (1993)reportedwithoutexplanationonebandednearDangrigaon 16April 1963, and Stotz (1996) also listed this species. Atourist, on his first trip to Belize, reported verticalis on 29 December 1993 (Anon. 1994). He described the bird as havingwhite outertail feathers and"whit" "whit-ker-whit"vocalizations. Hisbrief description does not rule outjuvenile Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus tyrannus, whichmay sometimes appearyellow onthe lowerundersides, has a shortblacktail with white in the outertail feathers, and similarvocalizations. Only in flight do its forked tail and brightpinkunderwing coverts become evident. BELL'S VIREO Vireo bellii Included without explanation by Sargeant (1995). HUTTON'S VIREO Vireo huttoni Listed as accidental by Wood et al (1986), Garcia et al. (1994), Miller & Miller (1994), and Sargeant (1995), presumablybasedon an 1888 specimenthathas since beenre-examined (Phillips 1991) and determinedtobe ajuvenile PlumbeousVireo Vireoplumbeus notia ofthe resident Belize population. Walters (1993) cited two huttoni banded by Nickell on 22 March 1963 and 19 March 1965 but gave no supporting details, other than mention ofthe 1888 specimen as evidence for its occurrence in Belize. CORAYAWREN Thryothorus coraya Included without explanation by Sargeant (1995). This species is anative ofSouth Americaand may have been inadvertently included inplace ofthe similarlynamed Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus The Carolina Wren, sometimes referred . to as the White-browed Wren Thryothorus [ludovicianus] albinucha, is a local resident ofnorthern and western Belize. RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET Regulus calendula An interesting account comes from the BelizeAudubon SocietyNewsletter (Anon. 1984), in which RayAshton reported six on 25 October 1983 at Caye Bokel in the Turneffe Atoll during what must have been the most spectacularautumn migration