Xenornis

Guido Berguido sent in the following report about a recent jaunt to Cerro Chucantí, an isolated mountain range in Eastern Panama: I recently came back from our Field Station in Cerro Chucantí, Darién. We had a wonderful trip, the weather cooperated this time and saw tons of birds including most of the specialties (Russet-crowned Quail-dove, Varied Solitaire, Tacarcuna Bush-Tanager, etc) and endemics (Stripe-cheeked Woodpecker and Beautiful Treerunner), and even heard what sounded like a Scytalopus sp. (Tapaculo) calling... It was at aprox. 4,000 ft. near the ridge top. I had been thinking for a while about the possibility of a Tapaculo there, because the altitude is about right.. and if all other highland species are found ...(Solitaire, Bush-tanagers, Treerunners, etc.) why not a Tapaculo. So I finally talked to a friend from Colombia who provided various vocalizations for Chocó and Nariño Tapaculos... so this time I played their vocalizations hoping to get some kind of response.. wel...

John Rowlett and Mitch Lysinger, with a group of 10 Field Guides participants, saw and tape-recorded a singing Russet-crowned Quail-Dove (Geotrygon goldmani) on Cerro Jefe, 3100 feet, on March 22, 2003, precisely the same date 92 years later that E. A. Goldman reached the summit of Cerro Jefe/Azul. Quite fittingly, the group also saw a beautiful male Violet-capped Hummingbird (Goldmania violiceps) on Jefe the same day. Goldman’s effort was roundly celebrated. On the 17th of March the same group of birders found, tape-recorded, and obtained lovely digital photos of an Ochraceous Pewee above Guadalupe in the mountains of Chiriquí.