Birdwatching In Panama

Squirrel Cuckoo

Squirrel Cuckoo

This Squirrel Cuckoo (Piaya cayana) image was taken in Panama City along the Panama Canal. They feed 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.

Woodcreeper

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

The woodcreepers (Dendrocolaptinae) comprise a subfamily of sub-oscine passerine birds endemic to the Neotropics. They were formerly considered a distinct family Dendrocolaptidae, but are now placed as a subfamily of the ovenbirds (Furnariidae). They superficially resemble the Old World treecreepers, but they are unrelated and the similarities are due to convergent evolution. The subfamily contains around 57 species in 15 to 20 genera.

Woodcreepers range from 14 to 35 centimetres in length. Generally brownish birds, the true woodcreepers maintain an upright vertical posture, supported by their stiff tail vanes.

They feed mainly on insects taken from tree trunks. However, woodcreepers often form part of the core group at the center of flocks attending army ant swarms. Woodcreepers are arboreal cavity-nesting birds; 2-3 white eggs are laid and incubated for about 15 to 21 days.

These birds can be difficult to identify in that they tend to have similar brown upperparts, and the more distinctive underparts are hard to see on a bird pressed against a trunk in deep forest shade. The bill shape, extend/shape of spots/streaks, and call are useful aids to determining species.

Image of this Woodcreeper was taken along the Pipeline Road in the Soberania National Park in Panama.

Woodcreeper

Slaty tailed Trogon

The Slaty-tailed Trogon, Trogon massena, is a near passerine bird in the trogon family, Trogonidae. Slaty-tailed Trogons feed on insects and fruit, and their broad bills and weak legs reflect their diet and arboreal habits. The attached images where taken not long ago in the Soberania National Park in Panama along the Pipeline Road where you can see them often.

Pipeline Road Hike

I always enjoy the early morning hikes along the Pipeline Road,  its a great escape from the city noise and traffic, the fresh air with the thousand different smells and the chirping sound of the cicada remarkable acoustic talents mixed with bird songs.  Plus of course not to forget the Howler monkeys that are considered the loudest land animal, they have an enlarged basihyal or hyoid bone which helps them make their loud sound. Besides the birds I also enjoy the endless seaming biodiversity that the rain forest has on display like the many butterfly along the way like the Blue Morpho and that brown butterfly seen in the attached gallery to a leaf still rolled up and ready to process some sunlight soon. Sometimes you can spot many birds and sometimes they are hard to see, like that Rufous Motmot that showed me his teeth behind some bushes, a flock of Great Ani’s, some Collared Aracari’s, a Rainbow Billed Toucan and down at the Calamito Lake near the Panama Rainforest Discovery Center a flock of Whistling Ducks that made their appearance that morning. So all in all another good day in Paradise!

Hermit Hummingbird – Panama

The Hermits are tropical and subtropical hummingbirds in the subfamily Phaethornithinae, comprising 30–40 species in six genera. They occur from southern Mexico, through Central America, to South America as far south as northern Argentina. Their plumage typically involves greens, browns, rufous or grey. Most hermits are restricted to the edge and undergrowth of forest, woodland and second growth, the photos shown here where taken along the Pipeline Road in the Soberania National Park in Panama. Please see also this page here for more photos of Hummingbirds from Panama. Stripe-throated Hermit (Phaethornis striigularis):

The Capped Heron

Capped-Heron

This image of a Capped Heron was taken at the Summit Garden, first time I seen this one anywhere in Panama. Description from Wikipedia: The Capped Heron (Pilherodius pileatus) is a species of heron in the Ardeidae family. It is in the monotypic genus Pilherodius. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are rivers, swamps, and freshwater lakes.It feeds on frogs,lizards,fish,insects,crabs,small mammals,and young birds.

Parque Natural Metropolitano

From their brochure: “At only 10 minutes from downtown the Parque Natural Metropolitano is one of the most accessible tropical forests in the world.” Yes and im amazed that not more folks take advantage of this jewel within the city limits (or maybe thats a good thing, who knows). There are a few nice a easy trails, great for some bird watching or just to enjoy the nature and do some exercise plus some great views from top of the hill over parts of the city.  The park is open daily from 6 AM to 5PM and you need to pay a small fee at the Administration office. See any city map for the exact location on de Ave Juan Pablo II. The parks brochure mentions that there are 227 species of birds living here and you surley will see many of them including some Toucans. The parks office also features a small store where you may buy some birding books or t-shirts and other souvenirs. Well worth a visit any time!! You can find some photos from the Parque Natural Metropolitano here.

Santa Clara Beach, Panama

Rufous-vented Ground-cuckoo

Another good day along the Pipeline Road, on the way back we came along an Army Ants Swarm and those are always followed by many hungry birds feeding on the insects that are in the way of those huge ants swarms. Today among many other birds there was a a rare Rufous-vented Ground-cuckoo (Neomorphus geoffroyi), a large terrestrial species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family, see attached images.

New Years Hike along the Pipeline Road

Here are a few pictures from my New Years hike along the Pipeline Road. First surprise was that Tiger Heron at a pond right before reaching the first bridge (Juan Grande), then shortly after that bridge on the left side there is a little pond and right beside it just a few meters from the Pipeline road was that little Croc, so watch out next time ya walk by there. The other pictures where taken a little further down the Pipeline road close to the next bridge (Rio Frijolito).