Xenornis

Ariel Aguirre continues his treks to Quebrada Bonita (La Cascada) trail in Chagres National Park. Highlights are Sunbittern on March 23 and Marbled Wood-Quail on March 27. José Tejada sent in a list of highlights from the first six months of his tenure as Burbayar Lodge's birdmonger. Highlights (of the highlights) are as follows: Central American Pygmy-Owl around the lodge and Plumbeous Hawk on the red trail on Sept. 5 2006. Great Green Macaw on waterfall trail on Sept. 10. Green-crowned Woodnymph on El Llano-Carí Rd about 3 Km north of Burbayar on Nov. 18. A possible Tawny-breasted Flycatcher (a bird similar to the common Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher but with distinctly darker orange underparts), on the red trail on Jan. 27, 2007. Slate-throated Gnatcatcher on El Llano-Cartí Rd on Jan. 28. Green Manakin on the red trail on Jan. 29. Chestnut-collared Swifts and a pair subadult Harpy Eagles on El Llano-Cartí Rd on Jan. 31. White-fronted Nunbird, Red-billed Scythebill and Thicket Antpit...

While on the Panama Audubon fieldtrip to Summit Ponds, Rosabel Miró located a barely-visible Agami Heron stealthily walking among some twigs on the far side of the left pond. Also seen on fieldtrip day were two Capped Herons, as well as a couple of Yellow-green Tyrannulets. The Agami was also seen near dusk on Saturday the 14th by Ariel Aguirre and José Tejada.

After kind of trying for the week before, we finally succeeded at seeing the Summit Ponds Agami Heron. The Canopy Tower's Carlos Bethancourt was there with a group, which I suspect was what convinced the bird to show up. Also seen was Capped Heron and the ever-present Boat-billed Herons. These two photos (shown here for documentation purposes only) were digiscoped by Carlos, photoshopped by me. It seems the latest string of rainy days has replenished the bird's usual haunts, because it's been a couple of days since it was last seen. We'll try for it early on Sunday, before the Panama Audubon fieldtrip.

The Canopy Tower's Carlos Bethancourt sent in a scattering of reports from him and his colleagues: Agami Heron at Summit Ponds on March 1st . Great views at pretty much the same spot where one was seen last year. This is my 6th sighting of this bird at this location. Pheasant Cuckoo at the entrance of Pipeline Rd. on Feb 28 and on I had a Rufous Nightjar seen by Alexis Sanchez at the entrance of Pipeline Road on Feb 27, then again on March 3 with John Coons's FieldGuides group.

We received a second-hand José Tejada report of two Harpy Eagles seen this morning from the mirador beyond Nusagandi.

Fasciated Tiger-Heron seen twice at Quebrada Bonita, Chagres National Park first on the 4th of January with Fidelino (Igua) Jimenez, and again on the 7th. January 17th: Giant Cowbird seen on the grass next to the U.S. Consulate fence in Clayton. January 22nd: A male Magenta-Throated Woodstar on the shrubs next to the Coffee Museum at Finca Hartmann, Chiriquí.

Sunny Phillips sent us these photos taken in early September 2005 near the entrance of Pipeline Road. We are assuming it to be a Gray-breasted Crake until proven otherwise. It looks like a gray-breasted alright; maybe a non-adult because of the non-greenish bill. I can't find any description of juvenile gray-breasteds; birds of colombia says young white-throateds have gray sides of neck and breast, which doesn't sound as dramatic as these pictures. i don't know what young paint-billeds are like, either, but i'd imagine the chestnut nape rules out this species. Although there is also chestnut on the forecrown, which shouldn't be there on gray-breasted...Any thougths? Dr. Dodge Engleman chimes in: "Juvie rails are tough. Most likely demographically of course is a youngster White-throated that isn't brown on the breast yet. But with rails it's hard to go by demographics! It looks good for a Gray-breasted to me, either the young not having the dark side of ...

The Canopy Tower's Carlos Bethancourt forwarded a report from the Canopy Lodge's Faustino Sanchez and Danilo Rodriguez of a weird warbler they had a couple of days ago. Any guesses better than melanistic Canada Warbler? Dr. Robert Ridgely had this to say: By its overall conformation and the facial pattern, this is clearly a Canada Warbler. But my lord, what an aberrant plumage! Dr. George Angehr added: A check of references shows that Canada has hybridized with Mourning Warbler, which would perhaps give it that black throat. I also wonder if it might be a Canada/Hooded cross, since they are in the same genus, which could also produce a black throat. I can't find anything on what hybrids look like, though.

The Canopy Tower's Carlos Bethancourt saw an immagure Reddish Egret on the rocks below the Gatún Spillway this morning. This is the same spot where one spent a couple of months in early 2002.

Delicia and Darién Montañez happened upon a Dark-eyed Junco while christmasbirdcounting on Fort Sherman. The bird looked like a slate-colored female (or juvenile): pointy pink bill, slaty head and neck (darker around the lores), white belly and vent with slaty flanks; the crown and back were brownish gray, and the dark-slate tail had very prominent outer rectrices, which the bird flashed conspicuously while in flight. These white flashes were what first caught my eye as the bird flew towards me across a field (hopefully in response to my fierce pishing). It perched on a tree about three meters over the road and preened for two minutes (enough time for Delicia to arrive). It then flew back across the field and perched atop an old chain-link fence, then dropped to the grass and hopped around for a minute before flying off towards some abandoned shed. It didn't seem to pay much attention to the small flock of Variable Seedeaters that was feeding nearby, and came and went as it saw fit...

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...

[A very preliminary report] A lot of people went out at ungodly hours of the morning and managed to count a lot of birds. Highlights, compiled from my hazy memory of a hot midday roll-call, follow: Plantation Road: Speckled Mourner. Old Gamboa Road: Blackpoll Warbler, Slate-headed Tody-Flycatcher, Plain-breasted Ground-Dove. Metropolitan Nature Park: Worm-eating Warbler, Streak-headed Woodcreeper, American Coot. Panamá Viejo: Long-billed Curlew, Cocoi Heron, Elegant Tern, Franklin's Gull. Amador: Cattle Tyrant, a couple Brown Boobies and a single Blue-footed. Rodman Spoil Ponds: The first record (voice only, as usual) of Gray-breasted Crake from the Pacific Canal Area (that I know of). Four American Coots, a couple Glossy Ibis, and the only Masked Duck to grace our records in recent memory (that i know of. also the first one from the Pacific Side, that i know of.) Photo by Rosabel Miró.