Copyright: monacoeye • All rights reserved • Panama, Gamboa, May 2010

Bird name: Lemon Rumped Tanager
Latin: Ramphocelus icteronotus
Other: Flame-rumped Tanager • Tangara lomilimón (Es)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers
Range: Panama, Colombia, Ecuador
Similar:

Lemon-rumped Tanagers hybridize with Flame-rumped Tanagers, and so are often lumped together. But for the purposes of this entry, if the rump is yellow, not red, the bird is called Lemon-rumped, even though the birds in Panama were often referred to as Flame-rumped Tanagers by the guides.

Females, in particular, were not uncommon in Gamboa and El Valle. Lemon-rumped Tanagers were also seen frequently in Ecuador, especially around Mindo - only in the west.

The Lemon-rumped Tanager male is black with a very bright lemon rump. The female is yellow below and brown above - a slightly washed out look with light throat, and pale wingbar visible. Both have light bluish-white bills with dark tip.

Below, female Lemon-rumped Tanager, Panama


Below, male Lemon-rumped Tanager, Ecuador, 2011
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Copyright: monacoeye • All rights reserved • Ecuador, February 2011

Bird name: Golden Naped Tanager
Latin: Tangara ruficervix
Other: Tángara nuquidorada (Es)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers
Range: Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia
Similar: Metallic-green Tanager

The Golden-naped Tanager was seen at the Santa Lucia Reserve and in the highlands of Mindo, Ecuador.

The Golden-naped Tanager is a generally blue bird, with black mask, cream belly and crissum, and small light patch on back of head.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • All rights reserved • Panama, Chiriqui, May 2010

Bird name: Bay Headed Tanager
Latin: Tangara gyrola
Other: Tángara cabeciroja (Es) • Saíra-de-cabeça-castanha (Br)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers
Range: Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil through N, W Amazonia
Similar:

More bright colours. The Bay-headed Tanager has a chestnut head, light blue underparts and green upperparts. The female is similar to the male but duller.

There are variations in race. In Para, Brazil, Bay headed-Tanagers had more yellow on neck and shoulders (pic below). In Mindo, Ecuador, they had much yellow on wing (pic below).

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Copyright: monacoeye • All rights reserved • Panama, Chiriqui, May 2010

Bird name: Yellow Bellied Seedeater
Latin: Sporophila nigricollis
Other: Espiguero capuchino, espiguero vientriamarillo, espiguero corbatita amarillo (Es) • Papa-capim-capuchinho, Baiano (Br)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers, Seedeaters
Range: Costa Rica, Panama to Bolivia, Brazil
Similar: Female Variable Seedeater

The male Yellow-bellied Seedeater above, seen at Finca Hartmann, is pale, but there is considerable individual variation in the amount of yellow on the belly. Pictured below, a Yellow-bellied Seedeater from Mindo, Ecuador, which is more yellow. Male Yellow-bellied Seedeaters are easy enough to identify by their dark hood.

The presumed female Yellow-bellied Seedeater, directly below, looks much like the female Variable Seedeater, so ID should be treated with caution.

Below, presumed female Yellow-bellied Seedeater, W. Panama.
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Copyright: monacoeye • All rights reserved • Milpe, Ecuador, March 2011

Bird name: Guira Tanager
Latin: Hemithraupis guira
Other: Pintasilgo de buche negro, güira (Es) • Saíra-de-papo-preto (Br)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers
Range: Brazil to Venezuela and neighbours
Similar: Female with Yellow-backed Tanager

The Guira Tanager is apparently widespread throughout South America in lowland and degraded forest. I’ve only seen them a couple of times - in Ecuador in Mindo and at Milpe.

The adult male Guira Tanager has a yellow pointed bill, brown or black mask, orange throat, whitish underparts, olive upperparts, orange rump. The female lacks the orange and black markings.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • All rights reserved • Ecuador • 2011

Bird name: Blue Necked Tanager
Latin: Tangara cyanicollis
Other: Tangara capuchiazul (Es) • Saíra-de-cabeça-azul (Br)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers
Range: Brazil, Ecuador, …
Similar:

Blue-necked Tanagers have bright blue heads, with black mask, dark bodies, and orange on shoulder. Underfeathers are actually blue and green but in normal lighting the body looks blackish.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • All rights reserved • Ecuador • 2011

Bird name: Beryl Spangled Tanager
Latin: Tangara nigroviridis
Other: Tangara mariposa (Es)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers
Range: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia
Similar:

Probably the most frequently seen of all tanagers on my recent trip to Ecuador - often in mixed flocks, but very difficult to photograph - it’s small and fast moving and keeps its distance.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • All rights reserved • Ecuador, March.

Bird name: Golden Tanager
Latin: Tangara arthus
Other: Tángara dorada (Es)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers
Range: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia
Similar: Blackburnian Warbler (if glimpsed)

The Golden Tanager is not uncommon in Ecuador in mid-altitude montane habitats. Seen in most locations, usually at least one in a mixed flock. Very easy to see - a bright light in cloud forest canopy. But Golden Tanagers are small and fast moving, and often stick to tree tops, so getting a good photo was not easy. Unmistakeable markings - usually the only other possibility for an orange flash is Blackburnian Warbler (which has a black head)

Below, Golden Tanager in Mindo, Ecuador.
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Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Lagoa do Peixe, Brazil • Nov 2009

Bird name: Roadside Hawk
Latin: Buteo magnirostris
Other: Gavião-carijó (Br) • Gavilán pollero (Es), Aguilucho de ala rojiza, Taguato común
Family: Accipitridae • Hawks, Birds of Prey
Range: Latin America, Mexico to Argentina, incl Brazil
Similar:

The Roadside Hawk has a dark head with pale irises and usually pale barred chest and underwings. Topside of wings are dark, with a rufous wing patch on primaries. This rufous patch, usually just visible on perched birds, is diagnostic for Roadside Hawk.

The Roadside Hawk is typically the most frequently seen bird of prey when birding in Latin America, so it is a good bird to learn to identify.

Tail has thick brown and white horizontal stripes. Bill base is yellowish with dark tip and perhaps some light blue in the middle.

There are several subspecies and morphs, where dark brown is replaced by grey. Upper chest can be dark (Panama) or vertically striped (Brazil).

In the Pantanal in August I saw Roadside Hawks on most days - near roads, rivers and in forest. Near Mindo, Ecuador, in April, it was also the most common and visible bird of prey.

Below, Roadside Hawk mobbed in El Valle, Panama, May 2010. Dark throat and chest.


Below, a pair of Roadside Hawks in Mindo, Ecuador, April 2011. Yellow irises, orange ceres, grey throat and chest, rufous primaries just visible in perched birds. Thin white barring lines on underside.

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

Bird name: Silver Throated Tanager
Latin: Tangara icterocephala
Other: Tangara garganta de plata (Es)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers
Range: Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador
Similar:

The Silver-throated Tanager is another beautiful tanager. Quite a small bird, and I didn’t see that many of them until I arrived at Los Quetzales in the Chiriqui western highlands of Panama, where they were attracted by the red berries of this fruiting tree.

The Silver-throated Tanager is mostly yellow with green and black markings on back, and distinctive whitish throat, which can look pale turquoise with flash. Throat bordered above with black line.

Also seen at El Monte Lodge, Mindo, northwest Ecuador.

Below, Silver-throated Tanager feeding on berries, Chiriqui, Panama, May.
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