Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) - male Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) - male Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) - female Interesting facts: Their habitat is montane cloud forest from Southern Mexico to western Panama. The male has a helmet-like crest. Depending on the light its feathers can shine in a variant of colors from green-gold to blue-violet. In breeding males, tail coverts are longer than the rest of the body. It is classified as near threatened due to habitat loss.
In February 2016 (yes, last year) we returned to Tortí, eastern Panama, in search of species that are more likely to be present on this part of the country. We had a significant list of targets but, as usual, we didn’t find most of them. Disregarding that, we had a few surprises.
We started our day with some birds feeding on guarumos (Cecropia sp.). They were so far away but we made some pictures to show the diversity we found.
Later, we found a nesting couple of Long-tailed Tyrants (Colonia colonus), this is a species in the family Tyrannidae, and the only member of genus Colonia. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and heavily degraded former forest. They build their nests in tree cavities 26 - 98 feet (8 - 30 meters) above ground. The average clutch consists of 2 or 3 eggs.
As we entered into the woods we found a family of White-fronted Nunbirds (Monasa morphoeus), as seen below. This is a near passerine bird in the puffbird family (Bucconidae) found in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela; in southern Central America in Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.
This glossy black or gray-black bird with a stout, medium red-orange bill is named for the white face markings on the cere, the base of its bill and on the upper throat. It has black eyes and black or gray-black legs.
Its natural habitats are subtropical and tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical and tropical moist montane forests; while it requires woodland of sufficient extent to occur in any one region, it is not dependent on primary forest and will tolerate some degree of habitat alteration.
We are family!
Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher (Terenotriccus erythrurus) inhabits the interior of humid lowland forest. They forage in the mid-story, They often sit motionless for short periods of time, then dart out in sallies to pluck insects from the air or foliage. This small flycatcher sits very upright.
Speckled Mourner (Laniocera rufescens) is a species in the family Tityridae. It is found in Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. As long ago as the early 19th century, the Speckled Mourner was described as one of the scarcest of Middle American birds, suggesting that modern-day rates of deforestation are not solely to blame for its perceived rarity. Nonetheless, the Speckled Mourner appears to be tolerably common in parts of eastern Panama, which region is probably the best area to find the species. The Speckled Mourner is probably most likely to be confused with the slightly larger Rufous Piha (Lipaugus unirufus), but the latter has a heavier (deeper based) bill, no markings on the breast, lacks the pectoral tufts, and shows no obvious wing markings, unlike this mourner. In Panama it’s uncommon in western Bocas del Toro, and on both slopes from Canal Area eastward to Colombia.
Chestnut-backed Antbird (Myrmeciza exsul) - male
While we were on a stream photographing the antbird above, a medium-sized hermit (hummingbird) approached and stoped, remaining perched for some minutes. It was a Band-tailed Barbthroat (Threnetes ruckeri), a hummingbird usually found in understory of primary and disturbed forests, forest edge, dense second-growth, shrubbery, and plantations, often near rivers; from southeastern Guatemala and Belize to western Ecuador and western Venezuela. In Panama it’s uncommon in lowlands and foothills entire Caribbean slope and central and eastern Pacific slope.
Then we returned in April for a second round with a visitor from the USA that wanted to make wildlife photography. The private reserve we use to visit was closed, and we had to improvise going to a river nearby. That day was overcast and rainy, and birds were not as numerous, instead we had better opportunities with mammals but first we stopped at a hummingbird feeder to heat engines.
Black-throated Mango (Anthracothorax nigricollis) - male
The surprise of the day was this remarkable Royal Flycatcher (Onychorhynchus coronatus). This species is very widespread, with a distribution that extends from southern Mexico south to the Atlantic Forest region of southeastern Brazil. Throughout this broad area, Royal Flycatcher inhabits the lower levels of humid evergreen or deciduous forests, although it also ranges into mature second growth, and edges. Royal Flycatcher exhibits notable geographic variation across this range, and so some authors recognize as many as four species of royal flycatcher. The most notable feature of Royal Flycatcher is the long ornate crest, which is red to orange (paler in females), with black and blue spotting. Unfortunately, this individual apparently had no developed crest yet or it was extremely concealed. It’s uncommon in Panama, usually near streams.
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