Xenornis

Rosabel and Karl Kaufmann and Delicia and Darién Montañez spent their Sunday checking just how good the new and renewed El Llano-Cartí road was. And it was very good: all asphalt all the way to the Caribbean (except for the still unfinished bridge over the Cartí River, which should be done by August) The birding was good, too, as long as you don't mind no shoulders and cars zipping by at breakneck speed—but then we've all birded Achiote Road, right? The first stop, well before Burbayar, produced a few Sulphur-rumped Tanagers in the first of many tanager flocks, mostly of the Tawny-crested denomination. At Ina Igar we saw Striped Woodhaunter and an Olive-backed Quail Dove before being rained out. Back on the road, a culvert a few kilometers beyond the trailhead had an adult Fasciated Tiger-Heron, seen both on our way to Cartí and on our way back. Well in the lowlands we found plenty Blue Cotingas, a pair of calling Jet Antbirds and a fruiting shrub with four female Scarlet-...

During a recent Advantage Tours birding trip in Central and Eastern Panama along with Bruce Cohen and Dale Dillavou, we had some interesting observations. On April 7th, while birding at the San Francisco Reserve near Tortí, we managed to record a few noteworthy hummingbirds like the Band-tailed Barbthroat, Blue-throated Goldentai l , Scaly-breasted Hummingbird, and Long-billed Starthroat. Walking along the forest edge we found Red-rumped Woodpecker, Spot-breasted Woodpecker , Sulphur-rumped Tanager and a flock of Dusky-faced Tanagers by the steam. Also a year-bird for me: a Red-billed Scythebill . Additionally, we noticed a pair of Orange-crowned Orioles nesting under a Banana leaf. Other interesting sightings were Black Antshrike , Bare-crowned Antbirds, Sooty-headed Tyrannulet , and no fewer than 5 different individuals of Royal Flycatcher, including a displaying female. Five species of puffbird were recorded: Pied, Black-breasted, White-whiskered, and Barred, as well as White-f...

Durante los días patrios decidí ir con unos amigos a visitar el Real y Rancho Frío. El jueves 5 de noviembre, fui al airstrip en la mañana donde me tropecé con este harrier. Este individuo era bien oscuro con algunas rayas blancas por debajo. De acuerdo a la literatura, el juvenil dark morph Long-winged Harrier es todo dark brown y poseen rufous thighs. En una de las fotos se puede ver algo los rufous thighs. Los juveniles northern harrier son oscuros en el chest y luego twany el resto. En rancho frío vimos Double-banded Graytail, Wing-banded Antbird, Yellow-backed Tanager, Scarlet-browed Tanager, Sapayoa, Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Plumbeous Hawk y Tawny-faced Quail.

Björn Anderson sends in these photos of Sapayoa taken in Nusagandi on September 21.

Ken Allaire sent in the highlights of his first month in Panama: On July 4th I found a Sapayoa on the upper reaches of the Río Blanco, below Peña Blanca in Omar Torrijos N.P.. I was with a local guide named Santana. The bird called in a very appropriate spot (a lushly-vegetated spot where a wash met the river.) I recognized the call and got a brief but good look at the bird before it flew off. I tried playback, and the Sapayoa responded but did not return. I know this is an unusual locale for the species but I am confident in the i.d.. On July 5th I found a Plumbeous Hawk along La Rana trail. The bird perched several times and was seen quite well. The next day, also on La Rana, I had a mixed flock that included a Lineated Foliage-Gleaner, Spotted Barbtail, and a probable Streak-breasted Treehunter (the last bird was seen briefly and I could not confirm my initial impression.) This is a low elevation for all three species. On July 14th I found a Grassland Yellow-Finch in the grassla...

Over the last couple of weeks we have gathered a couple of interesting bird sighting from all over the country. Sapayoa (Oct 6, 2007): While conducting a scouting trip for Advantage Tours in a remote creek in the vicinity of La Marea village in Darién, Euclides Campos filmed for about 3 minutes a pair of Sapayoas. These elusive birds are only found in a few places in Panama. They were foraging close to the ground and under a drizzle common to this month. Blackpoll Warbler (Oct 7, 2007): While conducting an Advantage Tours snorkeling trip at Playa La Huerta , Portobelo National Park, Guido Berguido and Venicio Wilson Altamiranda spotted a 1st year male Blackpoll Warbler . The bird was filmed for around 4 minutes while foraging intensively at a recently-cut bush some 20 meters inland from the beach. After several revisions using Sibley’s Guide to Birds of North America, National Geographic Birds of North America and some pictures from internet we were able to identify this confusing...