© monacoeye • All rights reserved • Chagres River, Panama, May 2010

Bird name: Spotted Sandpiper
Latin: Actitis macularius
Other: Maçarico-maculado (Pt) • Maçarico-pintado (Br) • Playero manchado (Es), andarríos maculado
Family: Scolopacidae • Sandpipers
Range: North, Central and South America
Similar:

The Spotted Sandpiper in breeding plumage seen here has attractive black spots on a white belly and brown upperside. Yellowish legs, orange bill with black tip. Seen by rivers in central and western Panama in May. More photos...

Copyright monacoeye • Iguaçu, Brazil 2006

Bird name: Giant Cowbird
Latin: Molothrus oryzivorus
Other: Iraúna-grande (Br) • Tordo Gigante (Es)
Family: Icteridae • Cowbirds
Range: S Mexico through N South America
Similar: Great Tailed Grackle

The Giant Cowbird is a brood parasitic icterid, laying its eggs in the nests of oropendolas, caciques and some other birds such as jays. It is found from Central America to the northwestern half of South America and to a lesser extent the southern part of Brazil.

The Giant Cowbird is a large bird (40 cm) - it looks a bit similar to the Great-tailed Grackle in Panama, but the latter has a thinner bill. The adult male is larger and shiny blue-black, the female browner and smaller. Irises can be red or yellow, depending on regional differences, also in some regions males tend to have red irises and females yellow irises.


Below, a Giant Cowbird with red eye in the Canal zone of Central Panama, 2010
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Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Panama, May 2010

Bird name: Great Tailed Grackle
Latin: Quiscalus mexicanus
Other: Mexican Grackle • Quiscal, zanate (Es)
Family: Icteridae • Grackles
Range: S USA through W, N South America
Similar: Giant Cowbird

The Great-tailed Grackle is seen fairly in Panama frequently, around habitations, roadsides, fields etc.

The male Great-tailed Grackle is black with yellow irises and a long tail. The female is smaller and brown with dark line around eye.

More photos...

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

Bird name: Chestnut Capped Brush Finch
Latin: Arremon brunneinucha
Other: was Buarremon • Rascadorcito gorricastaño (Es)
Family: Emberizidae • Brush Finches
Range: Mexico, via Panama, Colombia, to Ecuador, Peru
Similar:

A horde of Chestnut-capped Brush Finches immediately appeared when the guide put out some seed for them in the forests above Los Quetzales. I had seen one before briefly with juvenile (photo further below) in El Valle, but the prospect of a good meal was all these birds needed to overcome their otherwise shy nature.

Adult Chestnut-capped Brush Finches are great-looking birds with a chestnut crown bordered by a thin yellow stripe, black face with white spots, white throat bordered by black line below, grey chest, white belly, greenish back and grey tail.

Below, Chestnut-Capped Brush Finch, Panama, Chiriqui, May 2010
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Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Mostardas, Brazil, November.

Bird name: Blue and White Swallow
Latin: Notiochelidon cyanoleuca
Other: Golondrina barranquera (Es) • Andorinha-pequena-de-casa (Br)
Family: Hirundinidae • Swallows
Range: Widespread South America, also Panama
Similar:

The Blue-and-White Swallow is a small swallow, with dark, blue-black and brown upperparts and white below except for under tail. NB dark rump.

The Blue-and-White Swallow seems one of the most widespread swallows in Latin America, seen frequently in Brazil, in Mostardas and Itatiaia, and then again in the highlands of Panama.

Below, a Blue-and-white Swallow in the Chiriqui highlands, Panama, May.
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Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Panama, Chiriqui, May 2010

Bird name: Yellow Thighed Finch
Latin: Pselliophorus tibialis
Other:
Family: Emberizidae • New World Sparrows
Range: Costa Rica, western Panama
Similar: Yellow-Green Finch, Slaty Finch

The adult Yellow-thighed Finch is generally instantly recognisable with its yellow thigh pompom, black head and grey body, although the juvenile may have no yellow thigh. Also can be difficult to see in the rain.

These Yellow-thighed Finches came to eat seed in the mountains above Los Quezales.More photos...

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

Bird name: Slaty Flowerpiercer
Latin: Diglossa plumbea
Other:
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers, Flowerpiercers
Range: Costa Rica and western Panama
Similar:

The Slaty Flowerpiercer has a uniquely shaped bill adapted to its special method of feeding. The lower half of the bill is upturned and the upper bill has a small downturned hook at the tip. Slaty Flowerpiercers use this to puncture the base of flowers and access the nectar.

The male is a small dark grey bird and the female brownish. If you can see the bill there can be no doubt as to the identification in Panama. Slaty Flowerpiercers were common among the garden flowers of Los Quetzales lodge.


More photos...

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

Bird name: Slaty Finch
Latin: Haplospiza rustica
Other: Gorrión pizarra (Es), Pizarra, Pinzón pizarroso (Mex)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers, Seedeaters
Range: S Mexico to Venezuela, Bolivia
Similar:

The Slaty Finch is a little shy but I saw it coming to eat seed a couple of times near Cerro Punta, once at the Finca Dracula orchid farm seed feeder below and once when we put out some seed at Los Quetzales cabin number 8. The guide said that Slaty Finches were usually difficult to see.

The Slaty Finch is an all-grey bird found in the highlands.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, 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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Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Panama, Chiriqui, May 2010

Bird name: Golden Browed Chlorophonia
Latin: Chlorophonia callophrys
Other:
Family: Fringillidae • Finches, Chlorophonias
Range: Costa Rica and western Panama highlands
Similar:

A superbly coloured Golden-browed Chlorophonia seen in the Chiriqui highlands of western Panama.

An adult male is pictured above with yellow chest and stripe above eye, pale blue crest and neck, black mark near neck. The rest bright green.

Directly below, perhaps a juvenile feeding on a fruit, predominantly green with only a hint of the adult markings.

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

Bird name: Collared Whitestart
Latin: Myioborus torquatus
Other: Collared Redstart
Family: Parulidae • New World Warblers
Range: Costa Rica and Western Panama highlands
Similar:

In Panama found mostly in the western highlands above 1800m. The Collared Whitestart (more commonly known as Collared Redstart) is very colourful in the dark forest, and can be found near habitations.

The adult is unmistakable with yellow face and underside, dark above with dark neck, and raised rufous crest. Fast moving, so difficult to photograph in that respect, but not particularly shy either.

The above adult was one of two returning to feed an adorable chick, below, which lacks most of the yellow colouring. An endearing bird!

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

Bird name: Black Cheeked Warbler
Latin: Basileuterus melanogenys
Other:
Family: Parulidae • New World Warblers
Range: Costa Rica and Western Panama
Similar:

The Black-cheeked Warbler seems to have a feisty expression. We only saw one a couple of times in the high forest above Los Quetzales.

Black-cheeked Warblers are pale off-white below, light throat, with black face and white stripe above eye, a small rufous crown and white mark on wing. The rest dull olive brown.More photos...

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

Bird name: Flame Throated Warbler
Latin: Parula gutturalis
Other:
Family: Parulidae • New World Warblers
Range: Costa Rica and Western Panama highlands
Similar:

The Flame-throated Warbler is similar to its relative the Tropical Parula but white extends further up the belly, leaving only chest and neck orange-yellow.

I only saw the Flame-throated Warbler in the high mountain forest areas above Los Quetzales.More photos...

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

Bird name: Long Tailed Silky Flycatcher
Latin: Ptilogonys caudatus
Other:
Family: Ptilogonatidae • Silky Flycatchers
Range: Mountains of Costa Rica and western Panama

The Long-tailed Silky Flycatcher was relatively easy to spot near habitations in the Chiriqui highlands, but generally kept its distance, settling in the top branches of tall trees. They were always in pairs, the male having a greyer chest.

The Long-tailed Silky Flycatcher is instantly recognisable by its crest and long tail. Now placed in a small family of its own.

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

Bird name: Black Phoebe
Latin: Sayornis nigricans
Other:
Family: Tyrannidae • Tyrant Flycatchers
Range: Southwest USA to northwest Argentina. Panama highlands.
Similar: Dark Pewee

The Black Phoebe is dark with white belly, and often found near streams. Seen here near the river at the Los Quetzales lodge and up the road at Cerro Punta.More photos...

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

Bird name: Resplendent Quetzal
Latin: Pharomachrus mocinno
Other: Quetzal or Quetzal mesoamericano (Es)
Family: Trogonidae • Trogons and Quetzals
Range: S Mexico to W Panama, montane cloud forest

The Resplendent Quetzal is a spectacular bird with superb iridescent colours and, in the male, long tail feathers. I saw these birds in May in Chiriqui, Western Panama, in the hills above Los Quetzales Lodge. Quetzales are fruit eaters, so can sometimes be found in groups feeding in certain fruiting trees.

The male has a superb red belly, white tail, long green tail feathers and upper parts, with yellow bill and green crest. The female is duller and lacks the long tail feathers and crest.

Classified Near-Threatened on the IUCN Red List, Respendent Quetzals are not always that easy to find in Panama - they are most common in the western Chiriqui highlands. They nest in tree holes.

The males are very beautiful in flight, their tails undulating through the air like snakes. The Resplendent Quetzal is the largest bird in the trogon family, the national bird of Mexico, and a sacred bird in Mayan culture.
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Copyright: monacoeye • Chiriqui, Panama, May 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Violet Sabrewing
Latin: Campylopterus hemileucurus
Other:
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range: Southern Mexico to western Panama.

The Violet Sabrewing is a spectacular large hummingbird seen regularly in the Chiriqui highlands of western Panama, for example at the Los Quetzales Hotel feeders in May.

The male Violet Sabrewing is predominantly violet with green shoulders and terminal white outer tail feathers. It has a long curved bill, white spot behind eye, and is pretty unmistakeable in Panama.

The female (see below) is greenish above, whitish below, with purple throat only, but the same white in tail feathers as the male and white spot behind eye.More photos...

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

Bird name: Green Violetear
Latin: Colibri thalassinus
Other:
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range: Mexico to western Panama. Also Venezuela and Bolivia.

The Green Violetear is a good looking hummingbird, dark green with a very characteristic violet ear patch, which is easy to see and easy to remember! Thanks Green Violetear! The female is similar but smaller than the male with a violet band on the chest. The tail has a broad, diffuse, violet subterminal band. The tail is otherwise a sort of emerald colour below.

The Green Violet-ear is fairly common in the western highlands of Chiriqui state in western Panama and was seen regularly at the Los Quetzales Hotel feeders in May.More photos...

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

Bird name: Stripe Tailed Hummingbird
Latin: Eupherusa eximia
Other:
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range: Northeastern Mexico to western Panama.

The Stripe-tailed Hummingbird is identifiable by the copper wing patches below the shoulder. Otherwise mostly green, with bluish tail with white edges. Small white patch behind eye.

White-tailed Hummingbird and Blue-capped Hummingbird are sometimes considered subspecies of this species.More photos...

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

Bird name: White Tailed Emerald
Latin: Elvira chionura
Other:
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range: Southwest Costa Rica to central Panama.

Not much in the way of distinguishing features for the White-Tailed Emerald. These photos, taken in Chiriqui, have been identified as probably female White Tailed Emeralds, but I’m not certain. The male is mostly green with white bordered tail - like Stripe Tailed Hummingbird but without the copper epaulettes. The female is whitish below, sometimes flecked with green.More photos...

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

Bird name: Scintillant Hummingbird
Latin: Selasphorus scintilla
Other: Colibrí scintilla (Es)
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range: Costa Rica and western Chiriqui highlands in Panama.

Great little hummer this one, quite easy to see around Los Quetzales in the Chiriqui highlands of western Panama. The Scintillant Hummingbird above is either female or juvenile. Adult males, which flash a bright orange gorget, were less common - below in “more photos” is a record picture. The tail of the Scintillant Hummingbird has a rufous edge.
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Copyright: monacoeye • Chiriqui, Panama, May 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Magnificent Hummingbird
Latin: Eugenes fulgens
Other: Colibrí Magnífico (Es)
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range: Texas to western Panama

The male Magnificent Hummingbird has a wonderful bright iridescent purple cap and emerald throat combination, when seen in the right light, with white post ocular spot and the rest green mostly.

This female (lowest photo in “more photos”) is dull underneath with some purple on throat, and similar postocular spot. Seen here in the western Chiriqui highlands of Panama.

More photos...

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

Bird name: White Throated Mountain Gem
Latin: Lampornis castaneoventris
Other:
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range: Western Panama (Grey-tailed Mountain-gem in Costa Rica)

The female White-throated Mountain Gem, below, is the looker in this pair. She has a lovely buff-orange colour underneath, with a similar black eye stripe to the male, and white postocular stripe, the is rest mostly greenish. The male, above, has a white throat , green chest, greyish belly and prominent black eye stripe with bluish tail.

More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Los Quezales, Panama • 5 May 2010

Bird name: Ornate Hawk Eagle
Latin: Spizaetus ornatus
Other: Aguila crestuda real (Es), águila copetona real • Gavião-de-penacho (Br)
Family: Accipitridae • Hawk Eagles
Range: Humid tropical forests from Mexico to northern Argentina

Distant shots of an Ornate Hawk Eagle, from cabin number 8 at Los Quetzales in the Chiriqui highlands in western Panama.

A spectacular looking raptor when seen up close …More photos...