Photos from Volcán, Chiriquí, Panama, Part 3 (Migrants are here)

Monday morning on a National Holiday and I had to return home but I never miss an oportunity to do more pictures. It was a cloudy and the sun didn't want to go out so I waited a moment. After 1 hour or so there was good light and I was able to spend a couple of hours before leaving. These pictures were done in the surroundings of Hotel Dos Ríos.

The Green Heron (Butorides virescens) is a small heron of North and Central America. It was long considered conspecific with its sister species the Striated Heron (Butorides striata), and together they were called "green-backed heron". Birds of the nominate subspecies are extremely rare vagrants to western Europe; individuals from the Pacific coast of North America may similarly stray as far as Hawaii. It's Common in western Panama as far east as Canal Area, uncommon in eastern Panama where the Striated Heron is more common. Its found in fresh water habitats and local population is supplemented by migrants in winter.

The Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) is a large insect-eating songbird in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae). It is primarily a foliage gleaner. It breeds in cool-temperate North America, migrating to tropical America in winter. The adult male in breeding plumage has a black head, wings, back and tail, and a bright rose-red patch on its breast; the wings have two white patches and rose-red linings. Its underside and rump are white. Males in nonbreeding plumage have largely white underparts, supercilium and cheeks. The upperside feathers have brown fringes, most wing feathers white ones, giving a scaly appearance. The bases of the primary remiges are also white. In Panama it's a fairly common transient and uncommon winter resident throughout the country.

The Common Tody-flycatcher (Todirostrum cinereum) is a very small passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family. It breeds from southern Mexico to northwestern Peru, eastern Bolivia and southern Brazil. It's commonly found throughout the country up to 1,500 m (5,000 ft) altitude in forest edge, woodland, scrub, thickets and gardens.

 

Yellow-throated vireo's (Vireo flavifrons) 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. They forage for insects high in trees. They also eat berries, especially before migration and in winter. In Panama it's a common transient and winter resident throughout the country. Found in forest canopy, forest edge and woodland.

Philadelphia vireo's (Vireo philadelphicus) breeding habitat is the edges of deciduous and mixed woods across Canada. These birds migrate to Mexico and Central America, and is a very rare vagrant to western Europe. Ironically, they are unlikely to visit Philadelphia, except in migration. They forage for insects in trees, sometimes hovering or flying to catch insects in flight. They also eat berries, especially before migration. Adults are mainly olive-brown on the upperparts with yellow underparts; they have dark eyes and a grey crown. They have no wing bars and no eye ring. There is a dark line through the eyes and a white stripe just over them. They have thick blue-grey legs and a stout bill. The Philadelphia vireo is similar in appearance to the Warbling Vireo, but can be reliably distinguished by having much yellower underparts, and dark lores. 

In Panama it's a winter resident common in foothills and highlands, uncommon in lowlands. Found in lower level of forest edge, woodland and shrubby areas.

I had my revenge with the Red-faced Spinetail (Cranioleuca erythrops), this time it was very close and exposed by moments but it's a real active bird and it was extremely backlighted. This bird is fairly common in Panama's western highlands and I observed various individuals on the various days I was in Volcán.

Buff-throated Saltator (Saltator maximus), traditionally placed in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae), it actually seems to be closer to the tanagers (Thraupidae). Their taxonomic position is currently uncertain. It's common throughtout the country in lower and middle levels of forest edge, woodland and adjacent shrubby areas.

Thick-billed Euphonia (Euphonia laniieostris), common almost throughout the country but western Caribbean. Found in shrubby areas, cleared areas with trees, forest edge and gardens.