Avifauna of the tropical dry forest in the Sabino Canyon, Oaxaca, Mexico

This study describes the birds of the tropical dry forest in Sabino Canyon, Oaxaca, in the southeastern part of the Tehuacan-Cuicatlan biosphere reserve. Field work was conducted between June 2005 and October 2006. A total of 113 species belonging to 13 orders and 34 families were recorded. Six species were classified as very abundant, 10 as abundant, 20 as common, 32 as uncommon, and 37 as rare; 79 species were permanent residents, 28 were winter visitors., 2 summer visitors, 3 transients, and 5 were local migrants; 15 species were classified as endemic to Mexico, and 23 are threatened. The bird composition of Sabino Canyon mainly resembles the avifauna the Balsas river basin. The avifauna of the tropical dry forest in Sabino Canyon is important for bird conservation due its richness in endemic birds and to the presence of an important reproductive colony of the Military Macaw, Ara militaris, a globally threatened bird species.