Grayish Saltator in Yaviza

Canopy Family’s Eliecer Rodríguez found a pair of Grayish Saltators whilst birding around Yaviza, Darién on  December 27, 2018. Although the species has already been reported from Panama (with records from Changuinola and Chiriquí Grande since 2006) these are the first instances of them coming in from South America.

White-winged Dove in Bocas del Toro, a report by Natalia Decastro

On the morning of October 10th, we had one individual White-winged Dove in the area of Palma Real, Bocas del Toro, near the main road that goes from Chiriqui Grande to Almirante. Birding trip hosted by Tranquilo Bay Eco Adventure Lodge. We had good views of the bird perched and then in flight.

Green-and-Rufous Kingfisher in Costa del Este, a report by Rolando Jordán

On Wednesday September the 4th in the afternoon, just before a storm, Rolando Jordan visited Costa del Este, walking from the Matias Hernandez bridge, to Capital Plaza building, using the forest in front of mangroves to do it. The place was full of seedeaters, yellow warblers, and wrens. Several trees has fallen because the big rains that recently hit the area.

Approximately in the middle, there is a swamp covered by mangrove trees, but the recent rains has open some areas. A Green-and-Rufous Kingfisher was perching in a thick branch, stayed there for some minutes and then flew inside the mangroves.

The bird has strong bill, rufous breast and belly, and green colored from the head to the tail.

 

For the report in ebird, use this link: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S48321474

American White Pelican in Bocas del Toro, a report by Natalia Decastro

During a birding trip to the Snyder Canal, hosted by Tranquilo Bay eco adventure Lodge on January 1st, we observed 2 American White Pelicans resting at the mouth of the Changuinola river. The day before we had strong winds and constant rain for over 24 hours.
Pictures credits Ann Fleck.

A species new for Panama: Russet-throated Puffbird in Tortí

On Sunday, December 30, Canopy Family guide Eliecer Rodríguez along with John Coons’ Field Guides group discovered a Russet-throated Puffbird at the Tortí River.

News of this latest addition to the Panama list spread like wildfire, and that same same afternoon Jan Axel Cubilla and Rolando Jordán drove out and found it again:

And on the morning of December 31, Rosabel and Karl Kaufmann and Delicia, Camilo and Darién Montañez drove out and found it again:

As the crow flies, this is a range expansion of about 175 km to the west of the species usual range along the Colombian sores of the Gulf of Atrato, and the first record for North America. Since puffbirds are not known for being active fliers, it's very possible the bird will stay put for a while, and that the species will be found at other spots further east, so go get it!

Western Kingbird in Isla Jicarón

On the morning of December 20, 2017, Pedro Castillo photographed this Western Kingbird at Isla Jicarón, Coiba National Park. The bird was at the forest edge in a beach on the eastern side of the south tip of the island.

Cassin's Kingbird in Sierra Llorona, a report by Ken Rosenberg

On October 20, while conducting migration surveys at Sierra Llorona in Colón Province, Pete Blancher (from Ottawa, CA) and I saw a distant, unusual-looking kingbird, snapped a few photos, and continued with our surveys. We were not able to relocate the bird later that day or on subsequent days in the same area. It wasn’t until we got back home and circulated the photos to other ebird folks (earlier today), that we confirmed the identity of this bird as a CASSIN’S KINGBIRD. Several Photos attached. I am about to update my eBird checklist from that day as well (Pete had already uploaded one of the photos as an odd Tropical Kingbird).

Cassin’s Kingbird breeds in the western United States and Mexico and winters mainly from Mexico to northern Central America, but has been reported as a vagrant in the Eastern US. A spectacular record of a species new to the Panama list, and possibly the first anywhere South of Nicaragua.

Gray-hooded Gull in Panamá Viejo

On the afternoon of October 24, Jan Axel Cubilla photographed this Gray-hooded Gull on the mudflat behind the Panamá Viejo visitor center.

Eared Dove at the Biomuseo

On October 17, Darién Montañez found an Eared Dove on the lawn of the Biomuseo. The bird was similar in size to a White-tipped Dove, but slimmer, with bold spots on the wing coverts, bright red legs, and a clear dark ear spot and post-ocular stripe. Its face and chest were faintly barred, so it may have been a young bird. It was also very tame and walked away when approached. When it flushed, the wings were long and slender, and with contrasting dark primaries. The tail showed bold white corners and a faint dark terminal band.

Later efforts to relocate the bird that afternoon and the next morning proved unfruitful.

Hudsonian Godwit en Sarigua, un reporte por Rosabel Miró

El viernes 13 de octubre en la mañana, regresando de de un taller en Volcán, paramos en el Parque Nacional Sarigua y encontramos un Hudsonian Godwit.

Hay muchas camaroneras por el área y varias tinas vacías, con algo de agua algunas.


Habían también muchos Lesser Yellowlegs, 150. No nos había tocado ver tantos.

Camino a Volcán paramos en Aguadulce y allí vimos muchos Stilt Sandpipers: 79, un número grandote. En la entrada de El Rincón de Santa María estaba un tractor removiendo la tierra y detrás del tractor contamos 806 Glossy Ibises, el número más grande que hemos tenido a la fecha. Parece que a esta especie le está yendo muy bien por allá.

Este White-rumped Sandpiper también andaba por ahí...