Nana is current a tropical storm in the western Caribbean sea, forecast to become a hurricane in the next 24 hours before making landfall in Belize. All tropical storms and hurricanes are dangerous, and safety is the first priority. But for those birders in Belize, northern Guatemala, southern Mexico (primarily Chiapas) and possibly coastal Honduras, this storm will produce an array of entrained and displaced tropical seabirds (coastal Cory’s and Great Shearwaters, jaegers, and perhaps even Black-capped Petrel; inland Sooty Terns) as well as downed migrant waterbirds (e.g. Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Sabine’s Gull) and passerines.
Birders that can safely observe in coastal areas and inland water bodies in Belize (e.g. Challilo Lake and the Macal River) as well as water bodies in northern Guatemala (e.g. Lago Petén Itzá) can expect to see storm-related birds on Thursday as Nana moves west overland. Additionally, birders in the storm’s wake should watch and listen for bird movements on Thursday night and Friday morning – a significant increase in migration often follows the passage of a tropical system.
Great Shearwater. Claire Fletcher/Macaulay Library. eBird S71503642
