© monacoeye • All rights reserved • Chiriqui, Panama, 8 May 2010

Bird name: Sulphur Winged Parakeet
Latin: Pyrrhura hoffmanni
Other: Hoffmann's Conure • Perico de Hoffman (Es)
Family: Psittacidae - Parrots, Parakeets
Range: Costa Rica highlands and western Panama
Similar:

We observed a sizeable group of Sulphur-winged Parakeets feeding on this fruiting tree on Finca Hartmann in western Panama. The guide noted we were lucky to get such good views of a relatively timid bird.

The Sulphur-winged Parakeet is mostly green with a red cheek, white eye ring and some yellow around head and wings. It has a light coloured bill, and reddish under long tail.More photos...

© monacoeye • All rights reserved • Panama, 8 May 2010

Bird name: Finsch's Parakeet
Latin: Aratinga finschi
Other: Crimson-fronted Parakeet • Finsch's Conure • Perico frentirrojo (Es)
Family: Psittacidae - Parrots, Parakeets
Range: Nicaragua, Costa Rica, western Panama
Similar:

These Finsch’s Parakeets, or Crimson-faced Parakeets, as they are known locally, flew overhead at Finca Hartmann, in the western highlands of Panama.

Finsch’s Parakeets have red forehead and red markings around the “elbow” region, differentiating them from Red-lored Amazons. Otherwise mostly green, with underside of flight feathers olive-green.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Pantanal, August 2012 • All rights reserved

Bird name: Crested Oropendola
Latin: Psarocolius decumanus
Other: Japu-preto (Br) • Oropéndola crestada, conoto yapú, conoto negro (Es)
Family: Icteridae • Oropendolas
Range: Panama to northern Argentina, incl Brazil, Ecuador etc
Similar: Chestnut-headed Oropendola, Band-tailed Oropendola

The Crested Oropendola is the most common Oropendola, often seen at feeders in the Pantanal, Brazil; huge numbers seen returning to roost each evening in the Upper Napo region of eastern Ecuador (photo below); also seen as far west as Chiriqui, Panama (photo lowest) - it is currently expanding northwest into Honduras etc.

The Crested Oropendola has a pale yellow bill, bright blue irises, black body with long yellow undertail feathers, which extend past the 2 black central feathers, and chestnut vent and rump.

Charismatic birds which make wonderful noises and calls and a spectacular display (pic below).

Brazil

Below, Crested Oropendola at fruit feeder, Curicaca Lodge, Pantanal, Aug 2011


Below, presumed juvenile Crested Oropendola (dark iris), Curicaca Lodge, Pantanal, Aug 2011


Below, Crested Oropendola displaying at Rio Clarinho tower, Pantanal, Aug 2011
More photos...

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

Bird name: Scarlet Thighed Dacnis
Latin: Dacnis venusta
Other: Mielero de muslos rojos, dacnis negriazul (Es)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers, Dacnises
Range: Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador
Similar:

The male Scarlet-thighed Dacnis has black underparts, which join up to black eye mask. It is bright blue above and has red thighs but these can be difficult to see. The female Scarlet-thighed Dacnis, directly below, is pale creamy beige below. Both have red irises.

There are a couple of photos below of birds showing some light on the belly and some black on throat and chest, probably immature males.

Seen fairly regularly on outings in El Valle and again at Finca Hartmann, in fairly open sunny locations with fruiting trees.

Below, female Scarlet-thighed Dacnis, Panama
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).

More photos...

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.
More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • All rights reserved • Serra dos Tucanos, September 2011

Bird name: Red Eyed Vireo
Latin: Vireo olivaceus
Other: Vireo ojirrojo (Es) • Juruviara (Br)
Family: Vireonidae • Vireos
Range: Canada through Amazonia, South America
Similar:

The Red Eyed Vireo has a red iris, thin black stripe above white supercilium, light underparts, yellowy green upperparts.

There are resident North American and South American populations, both migrating. A South-American resident group is called Chivi Vireo - birds have brown eyes and yellow vent.

The Chivi Vireo pictured above was seen at Serra dos Tucanos Lodge near Rio in September. Red-eyed Vireos are seen in many forests of South America, many for example in Oriente, Ecuador, in March. We saw a migrant Red-eyed Vireo at the Finca Hartmann in western Panama, in May (further below).More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Blue Headed Parrot
Latin: Pionus menstruus
Other: Blue-headed Pionus (Pet) • Loro cabeciazul (Es) • Maitaca-de-cabeça-azul (Br)
Family: Psittacidae - Parrots
Range: Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Venezuela, to Brazil
Similar:

The Blue-headed Parrot below was seen at Finca Hartmann in the Chiriqui province of western Panama in May.

The Blue-headed Parrot has a distinctive blue head, with small patch of red at base of bill and on chest, difficult to see in the field. Otherwise green with reddish under tail.

More seen in the Upper Napo region of the Amazon Basin in Ecuador below in “more photos”.

Below, a Blue-headed Parrot at Finca Hartmann, Panama, March 2010.
More photos...

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

Bird name: Streaked Saltator
Latin: Saltator striatipectus
Other:
Family: Cardinalidae • Saltators
Range: Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Similar: Streaked Flycatcher

The Streaked Saltator has similar colouring to the Streaked Flycatcher, but, of course, a completely different shaped bill.
More photos...

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

Bird name: Yellow Faced Grassquit
Latin: Tiaris olivaceus
Other: Semillerito cariamarillo, Tomeguín de la tierra, viudito (Es)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers, Seedeaters, Grassquits
Range: Greater Antilles, E Mexico to Venezuela
Similar:

The male Yellow-faced Grassquit is quickly recognised by its distinctive face pattern, which almost resembles a nuclear hazard sign when viewed face on, with three yellow marks - two above the eyes and one below the chin. The female, directly below, is greyer with only a hint of the same pattern.

We saw Yellow-faced Grassquits frequently in Panama, in diverse habitats.


More photos...

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

Bird name: Yellow Bellied Siskin
Latin: Carduelis xanthogastra
Other:
Family: Fringillidae • Finches, Siskins
Range: Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil. Bolivia
Similar:

The male Yellow-bellied Siskin is quite easy to identify - a dark hood reaching down to chest, bright yellow underparts, dark upperparts with a yellow patch on wing. This one was seen at the Finca Hartmann coffee farm in Chiriqui.

More photos...

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

Bird name: Speckled Tanager
Latin: Tangara guttata
Other:
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers
Range: Costa Rica to N, NW Brazil
Similar:

The Speckled Tanager is a great looking tanager, but stayed in the shade when we saw it at Finca Hartmann in western Panama, so the colours are a little muted in the photo.

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

Bird name: Spot Crowned Euphonia
Latin: Euphonia imitans
Other:
Family: Fringillidae • Finches, Euphonias
Range: SW Costa Rica and Pacific W Panama (W Chiriqui)
Similar: Yellow Crowned Euphonia

Pictured is a female Spot-crowned Euphonia seen in Finca Hartmann in Chiriqui, Panama. She is identified by tawny cap and belly. The male is more difficult to ID - similar to the Yellow-crowned Euphonia but with spotting on crown.

More photos...

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

Bird name: Buff Rumped Warbler
Latin: Phaeothlypis fulvicauda
Other:
Family: Parulidae • New World Warblers
Range: Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia
Similar:

We saw this Buff-rumped Warbler on the Finca Hartmann in Chiriqui, western Panama. It was not far from a stream and scurried along the ground ahead of us as we approached, pausing on mounds. The guide said that they were not very common.More photos...

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

Bird name: White Ruffed Manakin
Latin: Corapipo altera
Other:
Family: Pipridae • Manakins
Range: Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama

Just a glimpse of a female White-ruffed Manakin at the Finca Hartmann in Chiriqui, western Panama. They are greenish mostly with a whitish-grey throat area. Males are glossy blue black all over with a strongly demarcated white throat.

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

Bird name: Streak Headed Woodcreeper
Latin: Lepidocolaptes souleyetii
Other:
Family: Furnariidae • Woodcreepers
Range: Panama, S Mexico to Guyana & NW Peru

We saw Streak-headed Woodcreepers at Finca Hartmann in western Panama. They were easy to see, not overly shy, at the edge of open ground on low trunks, and let me approach for photos. Streaked head and neck and underparts. Light bill.More photos...

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

Bird name: Fiery Billed Aracari
Latin: Pteroglossus frantzii
Other: Arasarí piquinaranja (Es)
Family: Ramphastidae • Toucans, Aracaris
Range: Costa Rica, Panama
Similar: Collared Aracari

The Fiery-billed Aracari is found in the west of Panama and in Costa Rica. These were perched atop a tall tree when we arrived at the Finca Hartmann (a lovely bird-friendly coffee farm - well worth buying a couple of bags of coffee to take home with you while you’re there).

The Fiery-billed Aracari looks similar to the Collared Aracari but the upper bill is all red and orange.More photos...

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

Bird name: Blue Diademed Motmot
Latin: Momotus lessoni
Other: Blue-Crowned Motmot • Momotus momota
Family: Momotidae • Motmots
Range: S Mexico to W Panama
Similar:

I’ve given this the relatively new IOC name of Blue-diademed Motmot, but most know this as the Blue Crowned Motmot - its former name before splitting. This complex are all readily identifiable by their distinctive blue crown, but within the complex the birds are separated mostly geographically. This one is found from Western Panama to Southern Mexico. Seen here in Chiriqui.
More photos...