Two Leisurely Days of Bird Sightings at Finca Amanacer by Bill Dalke

November 13-14, 2006

"In the same amount of time, a more serious birder would probably have identified @ least fifty percent more birds--ones I saw but could not identify. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to learn, see, and experience so much."   

Bill Dalke

Special thanks to Wikipedia, we were able to identify some of the different birds you might see living at Finca Amanecer.

Golden-hooded Tanager

The Golden-hooded Tanager, Tangara larvata, is a medium-sized passerine bird. This tanager is a resident breeder from southern Mexico south to western Ecuador. Adult Golden-hooded Tanagers are 13 cm long and weigh 19 g. The Golden-hooded Tanager’s call is a sharp tsit and the song is a tuneless rattled series of tick sounds. It resides from sea level to 1500 m altitude in the canopy of dense forests and semi-open areas like clearings, second growth and well-vegetated gardens. Golden-hooded Tanagers occur in pairs, family groups, or as part of a mixed-species feeding flock. They eat certain small fruit, usually swallowed whole, and insects are also taken. The cup nest is built in a tree fork or in a bunch of green bananas, and the normal clutch is two brown-blotched white eggs. This species is often double-brooded, and the young birds from the first clutch assist with feeding the second brood of chicks. For more click here.

Scarlet Macaw

The Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) is a large, colorful macaw. It is native to humid evergreen forests in the American tropics. Range extends from extreme south-eastern Mexico to Amazonian Peru, Bolivia and Brazil in lowlands up to 500 m (1,640 ft) (at least formerly) up to 1,000 m (3,281 ft). It has been widely extirpated by habitat destruction and capture for the parrot trade, but locally it remains fairly common. Formerly it ranged north to southern Tamaulipas. It can still be found on the island of Coiba. It is the national bird of Honduras. It is about 81 centimetres (32 in) long, of which more than half is the pointed, graduated tail typical of all macaws. The average weight is about 1 kilogram (2.2 lb). The only difference between ages is that young birds have dark eyes, and adults have light yellow eyes. It is frequently confused with the slightly larger Red-and-green Macaw, which has more distinct red lines in the face and no yellow in the wing. Scarlet Macaws make loud, low-pitched, throaty squawks, squeaks and screams designed to carry many miles to call for their groups. For more click here.

Baltimore Oriole

The Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) is a small icterid blackbird  that averages 18 cm long and weighs 34 g. This bird received its name from the fact that the male's colors resemble those on the coat-of-arms of Lord Baltimore. The breeding habitats of these birds are the edges of deciduous and mixed woods across eastern North America. These birds migrate in flocks to southern Mexico, Central America and northern South America. The Baltimore Oriole's nest is a tightly woven pouch located on the end of a branch, hanging down on the underside. Baltimore Orioles forage in trees and shrubs, also making short flights to catch insects. They mainly eat insects, berries and nectar, and are often seen sipping at hummingbird feeders.Baltimore Orioles are also fond of halved oranges, grape jelly and, in their winter quarters, the red arils of Gumbo-limbo (Bursera simaruba). The male sings a loud flutey whistle that often gives away the bird's location before any sighting can be made. For more click here.

Great-tailed Grackle

The Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) is a large icterid blackbird , also referred to simply as "blackbird", and occasionally "crow" or "jackdaw", though it is not a member of the Corvidae. Similarly, it is often called "cuervo" in areas of Mexico where there are no true crows. Its range stretches from Kansas in the northeast to southern California in the northwest down to northwest Peru and northwest Venezuela in the south. There is a considerable amount of sexual dimorphism  in this species. Males reach up to 43 cm (17 in), including a tail that is almost as long as the body, weigh 230 g, and are jet-black with a violet-blue iridescent sheen to the feathers. Females are significantly smaller at 33 cm (13 in), weigh 125 g, and are mainly brownish-black, with a pale brown throat and belly. This bird has a large variety of raucous, cacophonous calls, and is widely considered to be a noisy pest species. For more click here.

Riverside Wren

The Riverside Wren (Cantorchilus semibadius) is a species of bird in the Troglodytidae family. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. For more click here.

White-collared Seedeater

The White-collared Seedeater (Sporophila torqueola) is a passerine bird in the typical seedeater genus Sporophila. It ranges from a small area along the Rio Grande near San Ignacio, Texas in the United Statessouth through Mexico and Central America to Panama. It mainly inhabits tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrub lands but can also be found in pastures, arable land, and heavily degraded former forests. For more click here.

Squirrel Cuckoo

The Squirrel Cuckoo, Piaya cayana, is a cuckoo species breeding from northwestern Mexico to northern Argentina and Uruguay, and on Trinidad. It makes explosive kip! and kip! weeuu calls, and the song is a whistled wheep wheep wheep wheep. The Squirrel Cuckoo is found in woodland canopy and edges, second growth, hedges and semi-open habitats from sea level to as high as 2500 m altitude, although it is uncommon above 1200 m. This species’ English name derives from its habit of running along branches and leaping from branch to branch like a squirrel. It normally flies only short distances, mainly gliding with an occasional flap. It feeds on large insects such as cicadas, wasps and caterpillars (including those with stinging hairs or spines), and occasionally spiders and small lizards, rarely taking fruit. Its static prey is typically taken off the foliage with a quick lunge, but wasps may be picked out of the air. Squirrel cuckoos are often observed to forage peacefully alongside small mammals such as Common Marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) during the dry season. In particular, they can be seen to attend army ant columns together, picking off prey flushed by the ants, and occasionally will join mixed-species feeding flocks. The nest is a cup of leaves on a twig foundation, hidden in dense vegetation 1-12 m high in a tree. The female lays two white eggs. This large and extremely long-tailed cuckoo is 43-46 cm long and weighs 95-105 g. For more click here.

Cattle Egret

The Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) is a cosmopolitan species of heron (family Ardeidae) found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Bubulcus, although some authorities regard its two subspecies as full species. Despite the similarities in plumage to the egrets of the genus Egretta, it is more closely related to the herons of Ardea. Originally native to parts of Asia, Africa and Europe, it has undergone a rapid expansion in its distribution and successfully colonised much of the rest of the world. It is a stocky white bird adorned with buff plumes in the breeding season which nests in colonies, usually near bodies of water and often with other wading birds. The nest is a platform of sticks in trees or shrubs. Unlike most other herons, it feeds in relatively dry grassy habitats, often accompanying cattle or other large mammals, since it catches insect and small vertebrate prey disturbed by these animals. Some populations of the Cattle Egret are migratory and others show post-breeding dispersal. The adult Cattle Egret has few predators, but birds or mammals may raid its nests, and chicks may be lost to starvation, calcium deficiency or disturbance from other large birds. The Cattle Egret is a stocky heron with a 88–96 cm (35–38 in) wingspan; it is 46–56 centimetres (18–22 in) in length and weighs 270–512 grams (9.5–18.1 oz). The Cattle Egret nests in colonies, which are often, but not always, found around bodies of water.[19]  The colonies are usually found in woodlands near lakes or rivers, in swamps, or on small inland or coastal islands, and are sometimes shared with other wetland birds, such as herons, egrets, ibises and cormorants. For more click here.

Chestnut-sided Warbler

The Chestnut-sided Warbler (Dendroica pensylvanica) is a New World warbler. They breed in eastern North America and in southern Canada westwards to the Canadian Prairies. They also breed in the Great Lakes region and in the eastern USA. These birds are migratory, wintering in Central America south to northern Colombia, with an unconfirmed sighting from as far south as Ecuador; they are also very rare vagrants to Western Europe. The songs are whistled pleased, pleased, pleased to meecha lines. Their calls are harsh chips. Their cup-shaped nests are placed in a low bush, which is usually located in young deciduous woodland or scrub. These birds lay 3-5 eggs. Their species is frequently parasitized by cowbirds. Chestnut-sided Warblers are insectivorous, but will include berries in their winter diets. They forage actively in shrubs and small trees, and sometimes will attempt to catch insects in mid-air. This bird's numbers have increased as second growth forest became more common in the east in the late 19th century; their numbers have declined slightly since then. For more click here.

Orange-chinned Parakeet

The Orange-chinned Parakeet (Brotogeris jugularis), also known as the Tovi Parakeet, is a small mainly green parrot of the Brotogeris genus. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, and heavily degraded former forest. Its name comes from a small clump of bright orange feathers located under the lower beak. Like other parrots, it is capable of imitating simple human speech. The Orange-chinned Parakeet is social and forms a strong pair bond. The nest is in a tree hole. A clutch usually consist of four to six white eggs, which hatch after about 26 days of incubation. Chicks leave the nest about 42 days after hatching. The Orange-chinned Parakeet is about 17.5 cm (7 in) long. It is mainly green and some of the wing feathers are brown/bronze.[1]  It has a small clump of bright orange feathers under its beak, hence one of its common names; although, the orange feathers may not be visible depending of the parrots posture and the viewing angle. Its beak is horn coloured. For more click here.

Yellow Warbler

Great Egret

The Great Egret (Ardea alba), also known as the Great White Egret or Common Egret or (now not in use) Great White Heron,[1], is a large, widely-distributed egret. Distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world, in southern Europe it is rather localized. In North America it is more widely distributed, and it is ubiquitous across the Sun Belt of the United States and in the rainforests of South America. It is sometimes confused with the Great White Heron in Florida, which is a white morph of the closely related Great Blue Heron (A. herodias). Note however that the name Great White Heron has occasionally been used to refer to the Great Egret. The Great Egret is a large bird with all-white plumage that can reach one meter in height and weigh up to 950 grams (2.1 lb). It is thus only slightly smaller than the Great Blue or Grey Heron (A. cinerea). Apart from size, the Great Egret can be distinguished from other white egrets by its yellow bill  and black legs and feet, though the bill may become darker and the lower legs lighter in the breeding season. In breeding plumage, delicate ornamental feathers are borne on the back. Males and females are identical in appearance; juveniles look like non-breeding adults. It is a common species, usually easily seen. It has a slow flight, with its neck retracted. This is characteristic of herons and bitterns, and distinguishes them from storks, cranes, ibises and spoonbills, which extend their necks in flight. The Great Egret is not normally a vocal bird; at breeding colonies, however, it often gives a loud croaking cuk cuk cuk. For more click here.

Long-tailed Hermit Hummingbird

The Long-tailed Hermit (Phaethornis superciliosus) is a large hummingbird that is a resident breeder in Venezuela, the Guianas, and north-eastern Brazil. This species is commonly referred to as the Eastern Long-tailed Hermit. The taxonomic history of this group is complicated, with similar hermit populations from both sides of the Andes  being originally classed as a single Long-tailed Hermit species. The western population was then split as the Western Long-tailed Hermit, P. longirostris, leading to the renaming of P. supercilious as Eastern Long-tailed Hermit. The further renaming of P. longirostris as Long-billed Hermit means that P. supercilious no longer needs “eastern” in its English name. The Long-tailed Hermit inhabits forest undergrowth, usually near water and its preferred food plants. It is 13.5 cm long and weighs 4-6 g. The bill is very long and decurved (3.6-4.3 cm), with a red tipped black lower mandible, and the central feathers of the tapered tail are long (6.3-6.8 cm) and white-tipped. The food of this species is nectar, taken from large flowers, such as Heliconias, gingers and passion flowers, and small insects and spiders taken as an essential source of protein. Hatchlings are fed by the female with regurgitated invertebrates. For more click here.

Scarlet-rumped Tanager

Passerini's Tanager, Ramphocelus passerinii, is a medium-sized passerine bird. This tanager is a resident breeder in the Caribbean lowlands from southern Mexico to western Panama. This species was formerly known as the Scarlet-rumped Tanager, but was renamed when the distinctive form found on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and Panama was reclassified as a separate species, the Cherrie's Tanager, Ramphocelus costaricensis. This species was named for Carlo Passerini, a professor at the Museum of Zoology of the University of Florence. The adult Passerini's Tanager is 16 cm long and weighs 31 g. It is very common from sea level to 1200 m altitude, and occurs occasionally up to 1700 m. The preferred habitat is semi-open areas including light second growth, woodland edges, gardens and pasture with bushes. Passerini's Tanagers occur in pairs, small groups, or as part of a mixed-species feeding flock, and up to a dozen birds may roost together in dense thickets at night. This species feeds on certain small fruit[1], usually swallowed whole, insects and spiders. The cup nest is built up to 6 m high in a tree. The normal clutch is two pale blue or grey eggs, marked with black, brown or lilac. This species will sometimes raise two broods in a season. For more click here.

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

The Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl) is a medium-sized hummingbird which breeds from east-central Mexico, through Central America and Colombia, east to western Venezuela and south through western Ecuador to near the border with Peru. The larger Escudo Hummingbird from Isla Escudo de Veraguas in Panama is commonly considered a subspecies of the Rufous-tailed Hummingbird. This is a common to abundant bird of open country, river banks, woodland, scrub, forest edge, coffee plantations and gardens up to 1850 m (6000 ft). The adult Rufous-tailed Hummingbird is 10-12 cm (4-4,8 in) long and weighs approx. 5.2 g. The female Rufous-tailed Hummingbird is entirely responsible for nest building and incubation. She lays two white eggs in a compact cup nest constructed from plant-fibre and dead leaves 1-6 m high on a thin horizontal twig. Incubation takes 15-19 days, and fledging another 20-26. The food of this species is nectar, taken from a variety of flowers, including Heliconias and bananas. Like other hummingbirds it also takes small insects as an essential source of protein. Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds are very aggressive, and defend flowers and scrubs in their feeding territories. They are dominant over most other hummingbirds. For more clcik here.

Blue-gray Tanager

The Blue-grey Tanager, Thraupis episcopus, is a medium-sized South American songbird of the Tanager family, Thraupidae. Its range is from Mexico south to northeast Bolivia and northern Brazil, all of the Amazon Basin, except the very south. It has been introduced to Lima (Peru). On Trinidad and Tobago, this bird is called Blue Jean. T. e. neosophilus at the Asa Wright Nature Center in Trinidad. The Blue-grey Tanager is 18 cm long and weighs 35 g. The song is a squeaky twittering, interspersed with tseee and tsuup call notes. The breeding habitat is open woodland, cultivated areas and gardens. The Blue-grey Tanager lives mainly on fruit, but will also take some nectar and insects. This is a common, restless, noisy and confiding species, usually found in pairs, but sometimes small groups. It thrives around human habitation, and will take some cultivated fruit like papayas (Carica papaya). One to three, usually two, dark-marked whitish to grey green eggs are laid in a deep cup nest in a high tree fork or building crevice. For more click here.

Yellow-throated Vireo

The Yellow-throated Vireo, Vireo flavifrons, is a small American songbird. Their breeding habitat is open deciduous woods in southern Canada and the eastern United States. These birds migrate to the deep southern United States, Mexico and Central America. They are very rare vagrants to Western Europe. There is one record from Britain in Kenidjack Valley Cornwall September 20th-27th 1990. There is also a sight report from Germany. They forage for insects high in trees. They also eat berries, especially before migration and in winter when they are occasionally seen feeding on Gumbo-limbo (Bursera simaruba) fruit. They make a thick cup nest attached to a fork in a tree branch. For more click here.

Turkey Vulture

The Turkey Vulture, Cathartes aura, is a bird found throughout most of the Americas. It also known in some North American regions as the Turkey Buzzard (or just Buzzard), and in some areas of the Caribbean as the John Crow or Carrion Crow. One of three species in the genus Cathartes, in the family Cathartidae, the Turkey Vulture is the most widespread of the New World vultures, ranging from southern Canada to the southernmost tip of South America. It inhabits a variety of open and semi-open areas, including subtropical forests, shrublands, pastures, and deserts.  A large bird, the turkey vulture, has a wingspan of 170–183 cm (67–72 in), a length of 64–81 cm (25–32 in), and weight of 0.85–2.26 kg (1.9–5 lb). It has dark brown to black plumage; a featherless, purplish-red head and neck; and a short, hooked, ivory-colored beak. Its life expectancy in the wild ranges upward of 16 years, with a captive life span of over 30 years being possible. The Turkey Vulture is a scavenger and feeds almost exclusively on carrion. It finds its meals using its keen vision and sense of smell, flying low enough to detect the gasses produced by the beginnings of the process of decay in dead animals. In flight, it uses thermals to move through the air, flapping its wings infrequently. It roosts in large community groups. Lacking a syrinx—the vocal organ of birds—its only vocalizations are grunts or low hisses. It nests in caves, hollow trees, or thickets. Each year it generally raises two chicks, which it feeds by regurgitation. It has very few natural predators. In the United States of America, the vulture receives legal protection under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. For more click here.

King Vulture

For the Asian species formerly known by the same name see Red-headed Vulture

The King Vulture, Sarcoramphus papa, is a large bird found in Central and South America. It is a member of the New World vulture family Cathartidae. This vulture lives predominantly in tropical lowland forests stretching from southern Mexico to northern Argentina, though some believe that William Bartram's Painted Vulture of Florida may be of this species. It is the only surviving member of the genus Sarcoramphus, though fossil members are known. King Vultures were popular figures in the Mayan codices as well as in local folklore and medicine. The King Vulture was originally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae as Vultur papa. It was reassigned to the genus Sarcoramphus in 1805 by André Marie Constant Duméril. The generic name is a New Latin compound formed from the Greek words σ?ρξ (sarx, "flesh", the combining form of which is σαρκο-) and ??μφος (rhamphos, "crooked beak of bird of prey"). The genus name is often misspelled as Sarcorhamphus, improperly retaining the Greek rough breathing despite agglutination with the previous word-element. The bird was also assigned to the genus Gyparchus by Constantin Wilhelm Lambert Gloger in 1841, but this classification is not used in modern literature since Sarcoramphus has priority as the earlier name. The King Vulture's closest living relative is the Andean Condor, Vultur gryphus. For more click here.

Red-crowned Woodpecker

The Red-crowned Woodpecker, Melanerpes rubricapillus, is a resident breeding bird from southwestern Costa Rica south to Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas and Tobago.

Olivaceous Piculet

The Olivaceous Piculet (Picumnus olivaceus) is a species of bird in the Picidae family. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, and heavily degraded former forest. For more click here.

Streaked Flycatcher

The Streaked Flycatcher, Myiodynastes maculatus, is a passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family. It breeds from eastern Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago south to Bolivia and Argentina. The southern subspecies M. m. solitarius migrates to Venezuela and the Guianas from March to September during the austral winter. This species is found at the edges of forests and cocoa plantations. Streaked Flycatchers eat a range of food items, mostly large insects, but also lizards and berries. It perches on a high watchpoint from which it sallies forth to catch insects in mid-flight or off plants using a range of aerobatic maneuvers, and occasionally gleans prey from the vegetation. The wintering southern migrants seem to include a considerable amount of fruit in their diet, for example those of Tamanqueiro (Alchornea glandulosa) which they sometimes eat in quantity; fruit are typically ripped off in mid-hover. It occasionally follows mixed-species feeding flocks, pouncing from up in the trees on prey flushed by birds in the undergrowth.

The nest is an open cup of twigs and grasses placed in a tree hollow or sometimes a bromeliad. The female builds the nest and incubates the typical clutch of two or three creamy-white eggs, which are marked with red-brown spots, for 16–17 days to hatching. Both sexes feed the chicks, which fledge in a further 18–21 days. The Streaked Flycatcher is 22 cm long, weighs 43g and has a strong black bill. For more click here.

(Buff-throated)  Cacao Woodcreeper

The Buff-throated Woodcreeper (Xiphorhynchus guttatus) is a resident passerine bird found in tropical South America in the Guiana Shield and disjunctly in the northern Atlantic Forest. It formerly included the Cocoa Woodcreeper and the Lafresnaye's Woodcreeper as subspecies. Some authorities retain Lafresnaye's position as a subspecies of the Buff-throated Woodcreeper, but the resulting group is polyphyletic. With a total length of 27–28 cm (10½-11 in), and a weight of c. 64 g, this woodcreeper is, together with Lafresnaye's Woodcreeper, the largest member of the genus Xiphorhynchus. Buff-throated Woodcreepers are restricted to humid forest and woodland. The taxa in northeastern South America (polystictus and connectens) are generally the commonest large woodcreeper within their range, but the nominate taxon (X. g. guttatus), which is restricted to humid tropical Atlantic forest, has a fragmented population and is generally uncommon. They are insectivores, which feed on ants and other insects and spiders. It feeds low in trees, usually alone, but groups will follow columns of army ants. The species builds a bark-lined nest in a tree hole or hollow stump and lays two white eggs. The most likely evolutionary scenario is that from lower Amazonia, the ancestors of Lafresnaye's Woodcreeper spread west- and southwestwards to the Andes, and those of the Buff-throated and Cocoa Woodcreeper downriver and then along the coast of northern South America, where X. susurrans then branched off as the northern lineage. Indeed, it may be that the trans-Andean forms of the latter may constitute yet another good species, Lawrence's Woodcreeper. For more click here.

Great Kiskadee

The Great Kiskadee, Pitangus sulphuratus, is a passerine bird. It is a large tyrant flycatcher; sometimes its genus Pitangus is considered monotypic, with the Lesser Kiskadee (P. lictor) separated in Philohydor. It breeds in open woodland with some tall trees, including cultivation and around human habitation, from southern Texas and Mexico south to Uruguay and central Argentina, and on Trinidad. It was introduced to Bermuda in 1957, and to Tobago in about 1970. Adult Great Kiskadees are 22 cm (8.7 in) long and weigh 63 g (2.2 oz). He call is an exuberant BEE-tee-WEE, and gives the bird its name in different languages and countries: In Spanish-speaking countries it is often bien-te-veo ("I see you well!") or, sometimes, benteveo. In Brazilian Portuguese the bird's name is bem-te-vi, with a similar meaning. A local Mexican name is luis bienteveo, in El Salvador and Venezuela it is known as Cristofué, and in Paraguay as pitogüé. In French it is called tyran quiquivi. he Great Kiskadee is a common, noisy and conspicuous bird. It is almost omnivorous, and hunts like a shrike or flycatcher, waiting on an open perch high in a tree to sally out to catch insects in flight, or to pounce upon rodents and similar small vertebrates. It will also take prey and some fruit from vegetation by gleaning and jumping for it or ripping it off in mid-hover, and occasionally dives for fish or tadpoles in shallow water, making it one of the few fishing passerines. They like to hunt on their own or in pairs, and though they might be expected to make good use of prey flushed by but too large for the smaller birds of the understory, they do not seem to join mixed-species feeding flocks  very often. When they do, they hunt in the familiar manner. Such opportunistic feeding behavior makes it one of the commonest birds in urban areas around Latin America; its flashy belly and its shrill call make it one of the most conspicuous. The nest, built by both sexes in a tree or telephone pole, is a ball of sticks with a side entrance. The typical clutch is two or three cream eggs lightly blotched with reddish brown. They are incubated by the female. Not being appreciated as a songbird, the Great Kiskadee is not usually kept caged and therefore has escaped the depredations of poaching for the pet trade. For more click here.

American Redstart

The American Redstart, Setophaga ruticilla, is a New World warbler. It is the only member of its genus. They breed in North America, across southern Canada and the eastern USA. These birds are migratory, wintering in Central America, the West Indies, and northern South America (in Venezuela they are called "candelitas"). They are very rare vagrants to Western Europe. This species is unrelated to the Old World redstarts. This species derives its name from the male's red tail start being an old word for tail. The breeding habitats of these birds are open woodlands or scrub. These habitats are often located near water. These birds nest in a low are of a bush, laying 2-5 eggs in a neat cup-shaped nest. These birds feed on insects which are usually caught by flycatching. American Redstarts also have been known to catch their insect prey by gleaning it from leaves. This is a very active species. The tail is often held partly fanned out. These birds have been observed flashing the orange and yellow of their tails, on and off, to startle and chase insects from the underbrush. The American Redstart, Setophaga ruticilla, is a New World warbler. It is the only member of its genus. They breed in North America, across southern Canada and the eastern USA. These birds are migratory, wintering in Central America, the West Indies, and northern South America (in Venezuela they are called "candelitas"). They are very rare vagrants to Western Europe. The American Redstart is 12 cm long and weighs 8.5 g. The breeding habitats of these birds are open woodlands or scrub. These habitats are often located near water. These birds nest in a low are of a bush, laying 2-5 eggs in a neat cup-shaped nest. These birds feed on insects, which are usually caught by flycatching. American Redstarts also have been known to catch their insect prey by gleaning it from leaves. This is a very active species. The tail is often held partly fanned out. These birds have been observed flashing the orange and yellow of their tails, on and off, to startle and chase insects from the underbrush. Their song is a series of musical see notes. Their call is a soft chip.

The American Redstart is 12 cm long and weighs 8.5 g. For more click here.

Buff-throated Saltator

The Buff-throated Saltator, Saltator maximus, is a seedeating bird. Traditionally placed in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae), it actually seems to be closer to the tanagers (Thraupidae). It breeds from southeastern Mexico to western Ecuador and northeastern Brazil. This is the type species of Saltator. Consequently, it and its closest allies would retain the genus name when this apparently polyphyletic group is eventually split up.

The Buff-throated Saltator is on average 20 cm long and weighs 42-52 g. The common call is a high seeeer. Males’ duet melodiously with a warbled cheery cheery answered by cheery to you. This is a species of dense vegetation. The Buff-throated Saltator feeds on fruit, buds, nectar and slow-moving insects. It forages at low and mid levels, sometimes with mixed species flocks. The two pale blue eggs per clutch measure some 22–32 mm long by about 16.5-21.5 mm wide and weigh about 4.8-6.1 grams each. They are laid in a bulky cup nest up to 2 m high in a tree or bush. For more click here.

Plain Xenops

The Plain Xenops, Xenops minutus, is a passerine bird which breeds in moist lowland forests in the tropical New World from southern Mexico south to western Ecuador, northeastern Argentina and central Brazil. It is a member of the South American bird family Furnariidae, a group in which many species build elaborate clay nests, giving rise to the English name for the family of "ovenbirds". However, Plain Xenops simply places shredded plant fibres in a hole between 1.5 and 9 m high in a decaying tree trunk or branch. The normal clutch is two white eggs, incubated by both sexes. This species is a resident breeder in forest habitats. The Plain Xenops is typically 12 cm long, weighs 12 g, and has a stubby wedge-shaped bill. The Plain Xenops is often difficult to see as it forages for insects, including the larvae of wood-boring beetles, on bark, rotting stumps or bare twigs. It moves in all directions on the trunk like a treecreeper, but does not use its tail as a prop. It may be located by its sharp cheet call, or its song, a series of 5 or 6 trilled fit fit fit f’ f’f f’ notes. It regularly joins mixed-species feeding flocks. For more click here.

Summer Tanager

The Summer Tanager, Piranga rubra, is a medium-sized American songbird. Formerly placed in the tanager family (Thraupidae), it and other members of its genus are now classified in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae). The species's plumage and vocalizations are similar to other members of the cardinal family. Their breeding habitat is open wooded areas, especially with oaks, across the southern United States. These birds migrate to Mexico, Central America and northern South America. This tanager is an extremely rare vagrant to Western Europe. These birds are often out of sight, foraging high in trees, sometimes flying out to catch insects in flight. They mainly eat insects, especially bees and wasps, and berries. Fruit of Cymbopetalum mayanum (Annonaceae) are an especially well-liked food in their winter quarters, and birds will forage in human-altered habitat. Consequently, these trees can be planted to entice them to residential areas, and they may well be attracted to bird feeders. Summer Tanagers build a cup nest on a horizontal tree branch. The Summer Tanager has an American Robin-like song, similar enough that novices sometimes mistake this bird for that species. The song consists of melodic units, repeated in a constant stream. The Summer Tanager's song, however, is much more monotonous than that of T. migratorius, often consisting of as few as 3 or 4 distinct units. It is clearer and less nasal than the song of the Scarlet Tanager.The Summer Tanager also has a sharp, agitated-sounded call pi-tuk or pik-i-tuk-i-tuk. For more click here.

Common Pauraque

The Pauraque (Nyctidromus albicollis) – also called the Common Pauraque to distinguish it from similar species – is a nightjar species, the only bird in the genus Nyctidromus. It breeds in the subtropical and tropical of the New World, and except for northernmost birds it is largely resident all year round. This medium-sized nightjar is 8.7-11 in (22–28 cm) long. The male Pauraque's song is very variable, but includes a whistled weeeow wheeooo, ("who-r-you"), soft puk puk and a whip given in the courtship flight as he flutters around the female. Her call is a rapid succession of whip sounds. The breeding range of the Common Pauraque extends from southern Texas to the lower Paraná River region. Most populations are all-year residents, although the U.S. breeders (N. a. merrilli) may winter in eastern Mexico. At the southern end of its range, subspecies N. a. derbyanus ranges from central and southern Brazil into the adjacent parts of Bolivia, and through Paraguay into Argentina and Uruguay. Even the southernmost birds seem to be nonmigratory, but at the limit of its range the species is only patchily distributed. This species has long legs (by nightjar standards) with bare tarsi, and is more terrestrial than most of its relatives. If disturbed, it will sometimes run rather than fly, and it frequently rests on roads and tracks. In general it prefers mixed habitat which offers densely vegetated hiding places – ideally forest – for the day, as well as open landscape – perhaps even rivers or wetlands  – to hunt at night. The Pauraque is nocturnal, like other nightjars, and starts to fly at dusk. Like its relatives, it feeds on insects caught in flight, usually by flycatching from a low perch, but also by foraging over open ground. No nest is made; the two elongated and elliptical pinkish eggs are placed upon the bare ground or leaf litter. They are occasionally eaten by smallish mammals, such as the Common Marmoset (Callithrix jacchus). For more click here.

White-crowned Parrot

The White-crowned Parrot (Pionus senilis), also known as the White-crowned Pionus in aviculture, is a small parrot, which is a resident breeding species from eastern Mexico to western Panama. It is found in lowlands and foothills locally up to 1600 m altitude in forest canopy and edges, and adjacent semi-open woodland and second growth. The 3-6 white eggs are laid in an unlined nest, usually a natural cavity in a tree or a hollow palm stub. The White-crowned Parrot feeds in social flocks of 30-50 birds, which may wander outside the breeding range once nesting has finished. It feeds on taking various seeds, nuts and fruits, and can be pest in crops of corn or sorghum, and commercial fruit plantations. It can be unobtrusive when feeding since it is slow-moving, usually silent, and keeps in the canopy. However, at rest it often perches conspicuously at the top of an unopened palm frond. The White-crowned Parrot is 24 cm long and weighs 220 g. For more click here.

Bat Falcon

The Bat Falcon (Falco rufigularis) is a falcon that is a resident breeder in tropical Mexico, Central and South America and Trinidad. It was long known as Falco albigularis; the name Falco fusco-coerulescens or Falco fuscocaerulescens, long used for the Aplomado Falcon, are now believed to refer to the present species. The female Bat Falcon, at 30.5 cm length, is much larger than the 23 cm long male. It is probably closely related to and looks like a small version of the Orange-breasted Falcon. These two, in turn, are probably closest to the Aplomado Falcon and constitute a rather old American lineage of Falcos.
This small dark bird of prey inhabits open woodlands and forest clearings. Bat Falcons perch conspicuously on high open snags, from which they launch aerial attacks on their prey. They hunt bats, birds and large insects such as dragonflies. The smaller male takes more insects, and the female more birds and bats. The flight is direct and powerful. This fierce little falcon is partly crepuscular, as the bats in its diet suggest. It lays 2-3 brown eggs in an unlined tree hole nest. For more click here.

Amazon Parrot

Amazon parrot is the common name for a parrot of the genus Amazona. These are medium-size parrots native to the New World ranging from South America to Mexico and the Caribbean. They feed primarily on seeds, nuts, and fruits, supplemented by leafy matter. Many Amazon parrots have a remarkable ability to mimic human speech and other sounds. Partly because of this they are popular as pets or companion parrots, and a small industry has developed in breeding parrots in captivity for this market. This popularity has led to many parrots being taken from the wild to the extent that some species have become threatened. CITES treaties have made trapping wild parrots for the pet trade illegal to protect wild populations. Populations of Amazon parrots that lived on the Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe are now extinct. It is not known if they were separate species, subspecies, or if they originated form parrots introduced to the islands by humans, and so they are regarded as hypothetical extinct species. There are no surviving remains of them, and their taxonomy may never be established. Populations of several parrot  species were described mainly in the unscientific writings of early travelers, and subsequently scientifically described by several naturalists (to have their names linked to the species that they were proposing) mainly in the twentieth century, with no more evidence than the earlier observations and without specimens. For more click here.

Neotropic Cormorant

The Neotropic Cormorant or Olivaceous Cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) is a medium-sized cormorant found throughout the American tropics and subtropics, from the middle Rio Grande and the Gulf and Californian coasts of the USA south through Mexico and Central America to southern South America. It also breeds on the Bahamas, Cuba and Trinidad. It can be found both at coasts and on inland waters. There are at least two subspecies: P. b. mexicanus from Nicaragua northwards and P. b. brasilianus further south. This bird is 64 cm long with a 100 cm wingspan. ts diet consists mainly of small fish, but will also eat tadpoles, frogs, and aquatic insects. Information about its prey is sparse, but inland birds seem to feed on small, abundant fish in ponds and sheltered inlets, less than 10 cm in length, with an individual weight of a gram or two, such as Poecilia spp. especially the sailfin molly Poecilia latipinna. This cormorant forages for food by diving underwater, propelling itself by its feet. Its dives are brief, between 5 and 15 seconds. It is also known to forage in groups, with several birds beating the water with their wings to drive fish forward into shallows. Neotropic Cormorants are monogamous and breed in colonies. The nest is a platform of sticks with a depression in the center circled with twigs and grass. It is built a few metres above the ground or water in bushes or trees. Up to five chalky, bluish-white eggs are laid. Most pairs lay 3 eggs, but the mean number hatched is less than 2. The eggs soon become nest-stained. Both sexes incubate for about 25–30 days, and both parents feed the young until around the 11th week. By week 12, they are independent. One brood is raised per year. Unlike other cormorants, this bird can often be seen perching on wires. This bird is largely a permanent resident, with some birds occasionally wandering north in the warmer months. For more click here.

Roadside Hawk

The Roadside Hawk (Buteo magnirostris) is a relatively small bird of prey found in Latin America. Fairly small compared to other members of the genus Buteo, being 36 centimeters in average length, the Roadside Hawk can in some parts of its range be identified by its long tail and disproportionately short wings. The Roadside Hawk common throughout its range: from Mexico through Central America to most of South America east of the Andes cordillera. It is found from the northern Caribbean coast of South America south to the northeastern parts of Argentina. With the possible exception of dense forests, the Roadside Hawk is well adapted to most ecosystems in its range. It is also an urban bird, and is possibly the most common species of hawk seen in various cities throughout its range – or perhaps just the most conspicuous one, as it becomes aggressive when nesting and has been recorded attacking humans passing near the nest. The Roadside Hawk's diet consists mainly of insects, squamates, and smallish mammals, such as young Common Marmosets and similar small monkeys which are hunted quite often[. It will also take small birds, but far less often than generalists such as the related but larger White-tailed Hawk) or bird specialists like the more distantly related Aplomado Falcon. Mixed-species feeding flocks it encounters when hunting in open cerrado habitat are not particularly wary of it: they watch it lest the hawk come too close, but consider them hardly more of a threat than the diminutive American Kestrel. For more click here.

Ringed Kingfisher

The Ringed Kingfisher (Megaceryle torquata) is a large, conspicuous and noisy kingfisher, commonly found along the lower Rio Grande River valley in southeastern most Texas in the United States through Central America to Tierra del Fuego in South America. The breeding habitat is areas near large bodies of water, usually in heavily wooded areas where it finds a perch to hunt from. It is mostly a sedentary species, remaining in territories all year long. It is 40-41 cm long. These birds nest in a horizontal tunnel made in a riverbank or sand bank. The female lays 3 to 6 eggs. Both parents excavate the tunnel, incubate the eggs and feed the young. It is often seen perched prominently on trees, posts, or other suitable "watchpoints" close to water before plunging in head first after its fish prey. They also eat small mammals, insects, small reptiles and berries. Their voice is a loud, penetrating rattle given on the wing and when perched. The Megaceryle kingfishers were formerly placed in Ceryle with the Pied Kingfisher, but the latter is genetically closer to the American green kingfishers. For more click here.

White-tipped Dove

The White-tipped Dove (Leptotila verreauxi) is a large New World tropical dove. It is a resident breeder from the southernmost Texas in the USA through Mexico and Central America south to western Peru and central Argentina. It also breeds on the offshore islands of northern South America, including Trinidad and Tobago and the Netherlands Antilles. Numerous subspecies exist; some of the more widespread are the nominate taxon, L. v. verreauxi, from Nicaragua to Venezuela, L. v. angelica from Texas and coastal Mexico, L. v. decolor west of the Andes from Colombia to northern Peru, L. v. brasiliensis in most of the Amazon north of the Amazon River and L. v. decipiens in a large part of central South America. The White-tipped Dove inhabits scrub, woodland and forest. It builds a large stick nest in a tree and lays two white eggs. Incubation is about 14 days, and fledging another 15. The White-tipped Dove has an approx. length of 28 cm (11 in) and a weight of 155 g (5½ oz). The White-tipped Dove is usually seen singly or in pairs, and is rather wary. Its flight is fast and direct, with the regular beats and clattering of the wings, which are characteristic of pigeons in general. The food of this species is mainly seeds obtained by foraging on the ground, but it will also take insects, including butterflies and moths. The call is a deep hollow ooo-wooooo. The scientific name of this bird commemorates the French naturalists Jules and Edouard Verreaux. For more click here.

Clay-colored Robin

The Clay-colored Thrush (Turdus grayi) is a common Middle American bird of the thrush family (Turdidae). It is the national bird of Costa Rica, where it is well known as the yigüirro. It was formerly known as the Clay-colored Robin. It ranges from South Texas (where it is rapidly expanding its range) to northern Colombia; west and north of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. It is limited to the Atlantic slope, except for a population around Oaxaca City that probably originates from escaped cagebirds. It is about the same length or slightly smaller: 23-27 cm (9-10.5 in), and weighs 74-76 g (2.6 oz.) on average. In much of its range it is familiar in yards and gardens, similar to some other thrushes such as the American Robin, the Eurasian Blackbird, and the Song Thrush. In 1977, the Costa Ricans chose the yigüirro as a national symbol (over many much more colorful birds that inhabit the country) due to its strong and melodious song that always comes during the start of the rainy season. In addition, unlike many of the forest songsters of Costa Rica, the present bird has been familiar to the general population since the country's early history, thanks to the species' tendency to live near houses and settlements. The Clay-colored Thrush usually forages for fruit or invertebrates on the ground or near it, singly or in pairs, but flocks may feed high in fruiting trees. It will follow army ants to feed on small prey disturbed by the ant columns. It builds a heavy cup nest of grass, moss, and mud on a firm support above the ground, which may include human constructions such as windowsills. It lays 2 to 4 pale blue eggs with red-brown and gray markings between March and July and may double-brood. It is aggressive in defense of its nest, but is not otherwise particularly territorial. For more click here.

Chestnut-mandibled Toucan

The Chestnut-mandibled Toucan, or Swainson’s Toucan (Ramphastos swainsonii) is a near-passerine bird which breeds from eastern Honduras to northern Colombia to western Ecuador. This species is replaced from southern Colombia to eastern Peru by the closely related Black-mandibled Toucan, R. ambiguus, with which it is sometimes considered conspecific. The scientific and alternative English names commemorate the English ornithologist and artist William Swainson. Like other toucans, the Chestnut-mandibled is brightly marked and has a large bill. The male is 56 cm long and weighs 750g (26.5 oz). The smaller female is typically 52 cm long and weighs 580g (20.5 oz). Small flocks, usually consisting of 3-12 birds, move through the forest with an undulating flight, rarely travelling more than 100 m at a time. This species is primarily an arboreal fruit-eater, but will also take insects, lizards, small birds and frogs. Flocks will follow Keel-billed Toucans to exploit their sources of food. The Chestnut-mandibled Toucan is a resident breeder in moist lowland forest. The 2-4 white eggs are laid in an unlined cavity high in a decayed section of a living tree, or occasionally in an old woodpecker nest in a dead tree.

Both sexes incubate the eggs for at 14–15 days, and the toucan chicks remain in the nest after hatching. They are blind and naked at birth, and have short bills and specialised pads on their heels to protect them from the rough floor of the nest. They are fed by both parents, and fledge after about 6 weeks. For more click here.

Black Vulture

The Black Vulture, Coragyps atratus, also known as the American Black Vulture, is a bird in the New World vulture family whose range extends from the southeastern United States to Central Chile and Uruguay in South America. Although a common and widespread species, it has a somewhat more restricted distribution than its compatriot, the Turkey Vulture, which breeds well into Canada and south to Tierra del Fuego. Despite the similar name and appearance, this species is unrelated to the Eurasian Black Vulture. The latter species is an Old World vulture in the family Accipitridae (which includes eagles, hawks, kites and harriers), whereas the American species is a New World vulture. It is the only extant member of the genus Coragyps, which is in the family Cathartidae. It inhabits relatively open areas which provide scattered forests or shrublands. With a wingspan of 1.5 m (5 ft) the Black Vulture is a large bird though relatively small for a vulture. It has black plumage, a featherless, grayish-black head and neck, and a short, hooked beak. The Black Vulture is a scavenger and feeds on carrion, but will also eat eggs or kill newborn animals. In areas populated by humans, it also feeds at garbage dumps. It finds its meals either by using its keen eyesight or by following other (New World) vultures, which possess a keen sense of smell. Lacking a syrinx—the vocal organ of birds—its only vocalizations are grunts or low hisses. It lays its eggs in caves or hollow trees or on the bare ground, and generally raises two chicks each year, which it feeds by regurgitation. The Black Vulture is a very large bird of prey, measuring 65 centimeters (25.5 in) in length, with a 1.5 meter (5 ft) wingspan and a weight of 2-2.75 kilograms (4.5-6 lb). Its plumage is mainly glossy black. The head and neck are featherless and the skin is dark gray and wrinkled. The iris of the eye is brown and has a single incomplete row of eyelashes on the upper lid and two rows on the lower lid. The legs are grayish white, while the two front toes of the foot are long and have small webs at their bases. The feet are flat, relatively weak, and are poorly adapted to grasping; the talons are also not designed for grasping, as they are relatively blunt. The nostrils are not divided by a septum, but rather are perforate; from the side one can see through the beak. The wings are broad but relatively short. The bases of the primary feathers are white, producing a white patch on the underside of the wing's edge, which is visible in flight. The tail is short and square, barely reaching past the edge of the folded wings. The subspecies differ in size according to Bergmann's Rule, and the amount of white underwing coloration also varies. As it probably forms a cline over its entire range, the species is often considered monotypic. For more click here.

Rufus Mourner
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Fiery-billed Aracari toucan
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