Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Panama, May 2010

Bird name: Scarlet Rumped Cacique
Latin: Cacicus microrhynchus
Other: Arrendajo cola escarlata, plío, sargento, cacique de rabadilla roja (Es)
Family: Icteridae • Caciques
Range: Honduras to Panama
Similar: Subtropical Cacique split

Here the Scarlet-rumped Cacique, refers only to the bird mostly west of the Darien Gap: Panama, Honduras etc. Also found in western Ecuador (pic below). The red rump is often not visible when perched.

Below: Scarlet Rumped Cacique spotted from the observation deck of the Canopy Tower.

More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Brazil, Panama

Bird name: Green Honeycreeper
Latin: Chlorophanes spiza
Other: Mielero verde (Es) • Saí-verde (Br)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers, Honeycreepers
Range: Mexico to Brazil
Similar:

The Green Honeycreeper is a fairly common visitor to Jonas’ fruit feeders in Brazil. The male, above, has a distinctively shaped black hood on a turquoise body. The female, directly below, is leaf green. Both have yellow lower half of bill and red irises.

A juvenile male is pictured further below, showing a mixture of male and female plumage.

The lowest photo, taken in Panama on the observation deck of the Canopy Tower hotel, shows a female on a Cecropia with darker olive wing markings than the Brazilian birds I saw.

Below, a female Green Honeycreeper, Brazil.
More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • All rights reserved • Brazil, November 2009

Bird name: Blue Dacnis
Latin: Dacnis cayana
Other: Turquoise Honeycreeper • Saí azul (Br) • Dacnis azul, mielero turquesa (Es)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers, Dacnises
Range: Nicaragua to Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil
Similar:

The Blue Dacnis is a widespread tanager found in much of South and Central America, including nearly all of Brazil. It will visit fruit feeders and sometimes even tries nectar feeders. Also seen on Cecropia from observation deck of Canopy Tower in Panama.

The Blue Dacnis has pink legs, and a black wedge-shaped mask. Plumage is electric blue in the male (above) with black on back, wings and black bill. The female (below) has a green body and blue head.

The lowest photo shows a bird which may be a very young Blue Dacnis, but shows little of the usual colouration.

Below, female Blue Dacnis.

More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Canopy Tower, Panama April 2010

Bird name: Turkey Vulture
Latin: Cathartes aura
Other: Urubu-de-cabeça-vermelha (Br) • Turkey Buzzard (US) • John Crow (Caribbean) • Aura común (Es)
Family: Cathartidae • New World Vultures
Range: Americas: Canada to Argentina, incl Panama, Ecuador, Brazil etc.
Similar: Black Vulture, Lesser Yellow Headed Vulture, Comparison

In Panama, there is only one other similar vulture with a thick white trailing band on the wing, the Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, which has a yellowish, not pink, head.

Turkey Vultures can quickly be distinguished from other birds of prey at a distance by their V-shaped wings when gliding. The key fieldmark for differentiating them from other vultures is the well defined light underside of wings. Also they have pink heads.

Cathartes aura ruficollis, the indigenous Panamanian vultures pictured above and further below have light marks on the back of the neck. Large numbers of migrating Turkey Vultures can also be seen in Panama at the right time of the year.

Turkey Vultures were less common than Black-headed Vultures by the coast and in Itatiaia NP. There I saw them on three occasions, singly or in pairs, very high up or low in the forest.
In the Pantanal they were seen regularly in August 2011, but not as frequently as the Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture.

In Panama, in April, the Turkey Vulture was more common than the American Black Vulture, and frequently seen in most non-urban locations. The observation deck of the Canopy Tower is a good place to get views of them soaring across the top of the forest.

Below: Turkey Vulture showing light underside of wing feathers, Pantanal, Brazil, August.
More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Central Panama, April 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Keel Billed Toucan
Latin: Ramphastos sulfuratus
Other: Tucán pico iris (Es)
Family: Ramphastidae • Toucans
Range: E Mexico to NW Venezuela
Similar:

We saw the Keel-billed Toucan quite frequently in the Canal Zone of Panama. We could see at least one, usually a pair or group, most days from the Canopy Tower itself, though often at some distance.

Unmistakeable by its beautiful lime green, raspberry, orange and sky blue bill, and yellow throat. More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Pipeline Rd, Panama, April 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: White Tailed Trogon
Latin: Trogon chionurus
Other:
Family: Trogonidae • Trogons
Range: Panama to W Ecuador

The White-Tailed Trogon is now considered a separate species from T. viridis. Both male and female White-Tailed Trogons have pale blue eye rings and predominantly white tails (unlike all other Panamanian yellow bellied trogons). The female has slate grey upperparts while the male is bluish-black. Both have yellow bellies.

We saw several in Central Panama, including one from the observation deck of the Canopy Tower. Also seen in Ecuador at the Rio Silanche Reserve (see “more photos” below).
More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Panama, April 2010

Bird name: Palm Tanager
Latin: Thraupis palmarum
Other: Sanhaçu-do-coqueiro (Br) • Tangara (Es), Azulejo de palmeras
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers
Range: Guatemala to Paraguay & S Brazil
Similar: Olive-green, Sayaca Tanager (Brazil), Plain Tanager (Panama)

The Palm Tanager is one of the duller looking tanagers, in Brazil mostly uniform olive-green, with lighter patches on wing and darker tips, head lighter and greener, with only a black iris and bill which stand out.

In Panama, at least one pair roosted in the eves of the Canopy Tower. The Panama Palm Tanager (above) has brown wing tips and tail and is far less uniform and green than its Brazilian counterpart (lowest photo, next page). On close examination there was an almost purplish sheen to some of the back and chest of the birds in Panama.

In Brazil, the Olive-green tanager is yellower below, with distinct upper and lower halves, and fluffier. The Sayaca Tanager is obviously blue, not green, but from below in some lights, when both are pale can look similar - the same goes for Golden-chevroned Tanager, which can also look similar from below.

The Palm Tanager is fairly common throughout most of the northern half of South America and extending into Central America and the Caribbean. Found near houses as well as other areas.

Directly below, a Palm Tanager in Panama.


Below, a Palm Tanager in Ubatuba, Brazil, Nov 2009. Brazilian Palm Tanagers were a uniform greenish colour and lacked the brown wing of the Panama variety.
More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Panama, April, May 2010

Bird name: Blue Grey Tanager
Latin: Thraupis episcopus
Other: Blue-Gray Tanager (US) • Tangara azulada, azulejo de jardín (Es), sanhaço-da-amazônia (Br)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers
Range: S Mexico to Bolivia, Amazonia
Similar: Palm Tanager

The Blue-grey Tanager is one of the most common and omnipresent garden tanagers in Panama. It is pale grey with blue on wings tail and back. The shade of blue varies from cobalt to turquoise. Seen from below the Blue-gray Tanager can look very white, like other Thraupis tanagers.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Panama, Canopy Tower, Apr 2010

Bird name: Scarlet Tanager
Latin: Piranga olivacea
Other: Tángara rojinegra migratoria (Es)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers - now Cardinalidae
Range: Breeds in North America, migrates to western Amazonia
Similar:

We saw this Scarlet Tanager from the observation tower of the Canopy Tower in central Panama. Presumably migrating, in late April. The female is yellow olive.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Panama, Canopy Tower, April 2010

Bird name: Plain Colored Tanager
Latin: Tangara inornata
Other: Plain-coloured Tanager (UK) •
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers
Range: Costa Rica, Panama, northern Colombia
Similar: Palm Tanager

The Plain-colored Tanager is aptly named. It is a small tanager with not much in the way of colour except for a small patch of bright blue on each shoulder - which helps differentiate it from the Palm Tanager, which is also larger. They regularly visited the fruiting Cecropia tree beside the Canopy Tower.

More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Canopy Tower, April 2010

Bird name: Green Shrike Vireo
Latin: Vireolanius pulchellus
Other:
Family: Vireonidae • Vireos
Range: SE Mexico to Panama

Just a record shot of a Green Shrike-Vireo spotted from the observation deck of the Canopy Tower in central Panama. Note the vivid green plumage.

Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Pipeline Rd, Panama, April 2010

Bird name: Red Capped Manakin
Latin: Dixiphia mentalis
Other: Pipra mentalis
Family: Pipridae • Manakins
Range: SE Mexico to W Ecuador

The Red-capped Manakin males above were shuffling along their branch, “doing the moonwalk”, as part of their courtship in order to be selected by a female. Adult males have red heads, white irises, yellow thighs, and black bodies.

Females Red-capped Manakins are predominantly olive-green - one presumed below in “more photos”.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Canopy Tower, Panama • April 2010

Bird name: Blue Cotinga
Latin: Cotinga nattererii
Other:
Family: Cotingidae • Cotingas
Range: Central Panama through Colombia to nw Ecuador and w Venezuela.

Do you see that tiny blue spot right in the centre of the photo? Standing on the crest of a pale green tree? Trust me it is there, and it is a beautiful Blue Cotinga. See below for the proof!

I would never have seen him, but our eagle-eyed guide spotted him from the observation roof of the Canopy Tower, in central Panama, and we had a good view through his scope.

The female Blue Cotinga is brown and rather dove-like.

More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • El Valle May 2010

Bird name: Brown Capped Tyrannulet
Latin: Ornithion brunneicapillus
Other:
Family: Tyrannidae • Tyrant Flycatchers
Range: Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela

The Brown-capped Tyrannulet has a brown cap and white supercilium which runs round the front of its head. Yellow underparts, olive green upperparts.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Panama, April 2010

Bird name: Eastern Kingbird
Latin: Tyrannus tyrannus
Other:
Family: Tyrannidae • Tyrant Flycatchers
Range: North America, migrating to South America, via Panama etc

These Eastern Kingbirds were migrating northwards when we saw them in central Panama in April. More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Semaphore Hill, Panama, April 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Black Breasted Puffbird
Latin: Notharchus pectoralis
Other:
Family: Bucconidae • Puffbirds
Range: Panama, Colmbia, NW Ecuador

This Black-breasted Puffbird was seen here on Semaphore Hill, the approach road to the Canopy Tower, sitting patiently on a bough overlooking the road. He was still there when I left.

Black-breasted Puffbirds have a broad black band across the chest which connects up to the eye, and white throat, differentiating them from other similar Puffbirds.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Pipeline Rd, Panama, April 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: White Whiskered Puffbird
Latin: Malacoptila panamensis
Other: Buco bigotiblanco (Es)
Family: Bucconidae • Puffbirds
Range: SE Mexico through to Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, W Ecuador
Similar:

We saw a couple of White-whiskered Puffbirds while in Panama. They don’t move around much so are relatively easy to photograph.

These were on Semaphore Hill, near Canopy Tower, and Pipeline Road in the canal zone of central Panama.

They have conspicuous white whiskers around the bill, red irises, and a streaked underparts and tawny chest. The lower half of the bill is light yellowish green.

See comments below for an individual in Silanche, NW Ecuador.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Canopy Tower, Panama, April 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Dusky Antbird
Latin: Cercomacra tyrannina
Other:
Family: Thamnophilidae • Antbirds
Range: SE Mexico through Panama to N Amazonia

This was almost certainly a female Dusky Antbird, seen beside Semaphore Hill, the approach road to Canopy Tower in Panama.

The male, which is all grey, with some white on the wing edges, was nearby in the undergrowth. The female is orange rufous underneath and brown above. Quite a long bill.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Canopy Tower, Panama, April 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Plain Xenops
Latin: Xenops minutus
Other:
Family: Furnariidae • Xenops
Range: S Mexico, Central America, Panama, to Amazonia, SE South America

Just recognisable as a Plain Xenops, from the characteristic upturned bill. Light supercilium and white malar streak. Spotted on a very misty day, from the top of the Canopy Tower observatory in central Panama.

Copyright: monacoeye • Central Panama, April 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Collared Aracari
Latin: Pteroglossus torquatus
Other: Tucancillo collarejo (Es) • Arasarí acollarado (Br)
Family: Ramphastidae • Toucans, Aracaris
Range: Mexico to Venezuela
Similar:

The Collared Aracari was not at all rare at the Canopy Tower. In fact one could usually be seen every morning at the crack of dawn or just before, feeding at the cecropias and other fruiting trees that surround the hotel. But the conditions never seemed very good for photography.

Upper mandible mostly light off-white with black tip, lower mandible black.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Soberania Park, Panama, April 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Black Throated Trogon
Latin: Trogon rufus
Other: Surucuá amarillo (Es) • Surucuá-de-barriga-amarela (Br)
Family: Trogonidae • Trogons
Range: Panama, Honduras to Ecuador, Amazonia, N Argentina

Both male and female Black Throated Trogons have a blue eyering - the female has an outer white ring. Both sexes have a yellow belly and striped tail with two or three thick white bands. Males have green upperparts, black face, light grey shoulder and yellow bill. Females have brown head and chest and dark bill.

We saw several in central Panama, in Soberania National Park, Pipeline Road, Plantation Road and in the Metropolitan Park - so this was probably the most common type of Trogon we encountered.

More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Canopy Tower, Panama, April 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Slaty Tailed Trogon
Latin: Trogon massena
Other: Trogón grande (Es)
Family: Trogonidae • Trogons
Range: SE Mexico to NE Ecuador

The Slaty Tailed Trogon is identifiable by its orange-red bill and red belly with dark tail.

Males (above) have greenish head and top parts and red eye-ring, while females are slate grey. Males have light grey shoulders and upper wings. The female (directly below) tends to have a darkish upper bill and reddish lower bill. Bill and eye-ring colour is the best way to differentiate Slaty-tailed Trogons from Black-tailed Trogons.

We saw several in Soberania National Park, including on Pipeline Rd and from the observation deck of the Canopy Tower.

More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Canopy Tower, Panama, April 2010 • Do not copy.

Bird name: Long Billed Hermit
Latin: Phaethornis longirostris
Other: Ex Long-tailed Hermit P. superciliosus
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range: Mexico to Ecuador and Venezuela

The Long-billed Hermit is brownish with light stripes above and below the eye. Two long white tail feathers, the rest of the tail is brown with a dark band and light fringing.
More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Folha Seca, Brazil, 2009 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Black Throated Mango
Latin: Anthracothorax nigricollis
Other: Mango de Garganta Negra (Es) • Beija-flor-de-veste-preta (Br)
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range: Panama to Brazil

The Black-throated Mango female, below, is easily recognised by its black-on-white stripe which runs down from neck to tail. The male has a blue throat, with emerald border. Both have a purplish tail feathers.

The immature has rufous colouring around the face and throat, “see more photos” for one at the Canopy Tower in Panama.


More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Canopy Tower, Panama, April 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Rufous Tailed Hummingbird
Latin: Amazilia tzacatl
Other: Amazilia de Cola Rufa (Es)
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range: Mexico to Ecuador and Venezuela

The Rufous Tailed Hummingbird was perhaps the most widespread hummingbird seen on my trip to Panama. Similar to the Snowy-bellied Hummingbird, but only the tail is rufous, not the back. And only the lower part of the underside is white or grey. Underside of bill is mostly pinkish red.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Canopy Tower, Panama, April 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: White Vented Plumeleteer
Latin: Chalybura buffonii
Other:
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range: Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru

The White-vented Plumeleteer is a good-looking large hummingbird. The male is mostly green with a deep blue tail feathers and fluffy white vent feathers.

The female is a bit more difficult to identify - I think the bottom photo in “more photos” is one.

These were seen in the Canopy Tower and Valle de Anton in central Panama.


More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Canopy Tower, Panama, April 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Purple Crowned Fairy
Latin: Heliothryx barroti
Other:
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range: Mexico to Ecuador

Record shots of a very nice looking hummingbird, the Purple Crowned Fairy. Both male and female have pure white underneath, making them relatively easy to identify. The male has a bright violet forecrown, black eye stripe and bright green neck. The female has a green forecrown. The immature (see “more photos”) Purple-crowned Fairy has grey spotting to throat.

Seen here near the Canopy Tower in central Panama.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Canopy Tower, Panama, April 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Violet Bellied Hummingbird
Latin: Damophila julie
Other:
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range: Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru

The male Violet-bellied Hummingbird, seen near the feeders at the Canopy Tower, is a real beauty with a bright indigo or violet belly and green head.

The female Violet-bellied Hummingbird is white underneath. The one below needs confirming.

More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Canopy Tower, Panama, April 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Blue Chested Hummingbird
Latin: Amazilia amabilis
Other:
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range: Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador

The Blue-chested Hummingbird is weakly coloured - the male has a bluish chest area and the female (directly below) is greyer underneath.

More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Canopy Tower, Panama, April 2010

Bird name: White Necked Jacobin
Latin: Florisuga mellivora
Other: Beija-flor-azul-de-rabo-branco (Br)
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range: Mexico to Brazil

The White-necked Jacobin is an attractive hummingbird, a frequent visitor to the feeders at the Canopy Tower, in central Panama, when I visited in April.

The male is easily identifiable by its white back-of-neck, deep-blue head and neck, well-defined white belly and tail feathers, which are tipped dark. Back is green.

Females (below) are more tricky with a scaled neck and chest - the feathers are bordered white - white vent and diagnostic blue-and-white crissum (under tail).

Some individuals had some white on the back, maybe moulting?


More photos...

© monacoeye • All rights reserved • Semaphore Hill, Panama, 26-30 April 2010

Bird name: Mealy Amazon
Latin: Amazona farinosa
Other: Mealy Parrot • Loro Harinoso Amazonico (Es) • Papagaio-moleiro (Br)
Family: Psittacidae - Parrots, Amazons
Range: Tropical Central and South America
Similar:

We saw Mealy Amazons near Canopy Tower, on Semaphore Hill, in central Panama.

Mealy Amazons (or Mealy Parrots) are large forest-dwelling parrots which are mostly green, with white eye ring, some red on wings. Darker, greyer, bluish? cap and yellower tail feathers. Sometimes with a light or yellow patch on darker bill.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Panama, 24-30 April 2010

Bird name: Red Lored Amazon
Latin: Amazona autumnalis
Other: Red Lored Parrot • Loro cariamarillo (Es) • Papagaio-diadema (Br)
Family: Psittacidae • Parrots
Range: Mexico to Ecuador, then Brazil

This pair of Red-lored Amazons were seen at some distance from the Canopy Tower, others also flying overhead in the canal zone, in central Panama. Probably the most common large parrot in the area.

The Red-lored Amazon (or Red-lored Parrot) has red lores a pale blue cap and white eye-ring. Otherwise green with yellowish outer tail feathers, a patch of red at the back of each wing, and dark fringing to wings.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • 26 April 2010, Canopy Tower, Panama

Bird name: Scaled Pigeon
Latin: Patagioenas speciosa
Other: Columba speciosa • Pomba-trocal (Br)
Family: Columbidae • Pigeons
Range: Southern Mexico to southern Brazil

This photo hardly even counts as a record shot! These Scaled Pigeons were visible in a scope from the Canopy Tower but too far for my camera… Colourful bird, could be seen flying above the canopy.

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Valle de Anton, Panama • 30 April 2010

Bird name: Snowy Bellied Hummingbird
Latin: Amazilia edward
Other:
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range: Costa Rica, Panama

The Snowy-bellied Hummingbird seemed fairly widespread in Panama - seen in most regions. A regular feeder bird.

It is recognisable by its white belly with green head and neck. It has green shoulders and a copperish back and tail, unlike the Rufous-tailed Hummingbird Amazilia tzacatl where the green extends further down the back and only the tail is rufous.
More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Iguaçu 2006 - Panama 25 April 2010

Bird name: King Vulture
Latin: Sarcoramphus papa
Other: Urubu-rei (Br) • Zamuro rey (Es)
Family: Cathartidae • Vultures

The King Vulture is the only vulture with a thick black rear wing band - the rest is white. And he has a distinctive colourful head. The range of the King Vulture extends through much of South and Central America, up to the Yucatan peninsula.

The bird in flight was seen from the top deck of the Canopy Tower in central Panama in April.More photos...