Xenornis

December 26: [Central Christmas Bird Count, Pipeline Road] While birding with Osvaldo Quintero, Rafael Luck and Jan Axel Cubilla we found a White-throated Thrush attending an army ant swarm beyond Syristes Bridge, about 11 km into Pipeline road. The same antswarm also had Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner , Russet Antshrike and the usual suspects: Ocellated, Bicolored and Spotted Antbirds, Plain Brown and Northern-barred Woodcreepers and others. [Also seen that morning was this large nightjar, which has since been identified as a male Chuck-will's-widow ]. Later in the Day I joined Rosabel & Karl Kaufmann, and Randy & Graham Floyd to a revisit of the Limbo area, where we got a very cooperative Great Jacamar. December 29: Got and invitation to visit Mr Richard Bennett's farm in Sierra Llorona, Colon province, at at 400 meters above sea level. While walking around the garden of the caretaker's house I saw a Ficus tree full of red berries. I had seen this tree b...

It's only natural for a couple of rarities to pop up after five days of 90+ birders combing central panama for all things avian. Highlights include Red-tailed Hawk and Black Swift at the Canopy Tower, Ornate Hawk-Eagle at Achiote Road, Yellow-green Tyrannulet both at the base of Semaphore Hill and at the Metropolitan Nature Park, Great Jacamar on Pipeline Road, and Tody Motmots at El Valle.

Darién Montañez took Patrick Homier's group to Pipeline Road. Had a female Great Jacamar about halfway from the gate to Juan Grande, and a male Hook-billed Kite 500 meters beyond Rio Limbo. When I first saw it fly and perch across the road I expected a plumbeous or Semiplumbeous Hawk, based on overall color, but this bird was light gray below, finely barred with white. The legs and cere were yellow, not orange, and the eye was pale gray. The buffy supraloral mark was very conspicuous, as was the heavy hooked bill. The bird stayed on its perch, about four meters above the ground, right next to the road, for about two minutes. When we approached, it turned its back on us and flew up to a tree about 10 meters high, then flew off into the forest. Even though Ii don't know of any other reports of the species from Pipeline, it's found every now and then at Plantation Road.

A female Great Jacamar was seen by the group of high-school students taking the birdwatching course on the road up Radar Hill, a few meters after the bridge.