Milpe
Yellow Throated Bush Tanager
29 January 2012 18:06
Copyright: monacoeye • All rights reserved • Mirador Rio Branco, Ecuador, 2011
Bird name: Yellow Throated Bush Tanager
Latin: Chlorospingus flavigularis
Other: Montero gorgiamarillo, Clorospingo goliamarillo (Es)
Family: Emberizidae • Bush Tanagers
Range: Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia
Similar:
I saw the Yellow-throated Bush-tanager several times around the Milpe Reserve region - including the cheap and excellent Mirador Rio Branco, which I would recommend to anyone visiting the area.
Yellow-throated Bush-tanagers have a yellow hood and upperparts, grey lores and light underparts, pale irises.
Below, the Yellow-throated Bush-tanager at Mirador Rio Branco, Ecuador
More photos...Comments
Lemon Rumped Tanager
29 January 2012 09:26
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
More photos...Yellow Bellied Seedeater
27 January 2012 16:03
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...Summer Tanager
21 January 2012 19:28
Copyright: monacoeye • All rights reserved • Ecuador, May 2010
Bird name: Summer Tanager
Latin: Piranga rubra
Other: Tángara roja migratoria (Es) • Sanhaçu-vermelho, sanhaçu-verão (Pt)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers - now Cardinalidae
Range: USA, Mexico, Central America, N South America, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil
Similar: Hepatic Tanager
Summer Tanagers look very similar to Hepatic Tanagers, so the identity of two birds pictured here should be treated with caution.
The bird above is identified as a migrant male Summer Tanager on location - it was seen at San Isidro Lodge (2300m) in March. San Isidro doesn’t list Hepatic as occuring there. Otherwise it might have been taken for a Hepatic Tanager, since it has a dark bill, slightly greyish lores and a carmine, not orange, tint to the bright red hue.
The bird below was, I believe, a migrant male Summer Tanager at the Milpe Reserve, 1600m?, in northwest Ecuador. It has the characteristic pale bill of the Summer Tanager, pale lores and slightly orange-red hue.
Female Summer Tanagers are olive-yellow.
Below, presumed male Summer Tanager, Milpe, Ecuador, March 2011.
More photos...Rufous Throated Tanager
20 January 2012 00:07
Copyright: monacoeye • All rights reserved • Milpe Reserve, Ecuador, March 2011
Bird name: Rufous Throated Tanager
Latin: Tangara rufigula
Other: Tangara golirrufa (Es)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers
Range: Colombia, Ecuador
Similar: Beryl-spangled Tanager
A record shot of a Rufous-throated Tanager in Milpe; you can just make out the rufous throat in the photo. Found on the western slope in northern Ecuador.
Guira Tanager
20 January 2012 00:05
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...
Ochre Breasted Tanager
20 January 2012 00:05
Copyright: monacoeye • All rights reserved • Milpe, Ecuador, March 2011
Bird name: Ochre Breasted Tanager
Latin: Chlorothraupis stolzmanni
Other: Tangara pechiocrácea (Es)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers
Range: Colombia, Ecuador western slope
Similar: Dusky Bush Tanager, other female tanagers
The Ochre-breasted Tanager is fairly nondescript, and can be difficult to identify. It has a heavy, dark bill and generally ochre colouring elsewhere, slightly warmer colours below and darker above, and grey irises.
See below for same bird without flash.More photos...
Flame Faced Tanager
18 January 2012 16:33
Copyright: monacoeye • All rights reserved • Ecuador • 2011
Bird name: Flame Faced Tanager
Latin: Tangara parzudakii
Other: Tangara cariflama (Es)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers
Range: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Similar:
I saw Flame-faced Tanagers on several occasions at the Santa Lucia Reserve, Ecuador, but there often in deep mist. Clearer views at the Milpe Reserve, where they also visited the feeders.
On the eastern slope, also seen at San Isidro, where the nominal subspecies Tangara parzudakii parzudakii is found, which is more brightly coloured - record shot further below.
Above and directly below, the western subspecies Tangara parzudakii lunigera which has less colour in the cheeks.
Below, a Flame-faced Tanager feeding at the Santa Lucia Reserve in northern Ecuador.
More photos...Blue Necked Tanager
18 January 2012 16:33
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...
Golden Tanager
17 January 2012 09:31
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.
More photos...Andean Emerald
04 January 2012 09:00
Copyright: monacoeye • Mindo, Ecuador, February • Do not copy without permission
Bird name: Andean Emerald
Latin: Amazilia franciae
Other: Esmeralda andina, Diamante de pico largo (Es)
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range: Andes; Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Similar:
The Andean Emerald, pictured here in Mindo, Ecuador. White below with green crown. It lives in the cloud forest from 1000 to 2000 metres.
More photos...Slate Throated Whitestart
24 July 2011 10:04
Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Santa Lucia, Ecuador, March.
Bird name: Slate Throated Whitestart
Latin: Myioborus miniatus
Other: Slate-throated Redstart • Candelita goliplomiza (Es) • Mariquita-cinza (Br)
Family: Parulidae • New World Warblers, Whitestarts
Range: Mexico, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, Guianas, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina.
Similar: Parulas, Euphonias
One of the most widespread and frequently-seen passerines in Ecuador in March at mid-altitude - fast-moving but will perch nearby. Seen on the slope up to Santa Lucia, Mirador Rio Blanco, Paz de las Aves and Milpe, but the best views were at San Isidro (above). Often found in mixed flocks.
In Panama, I only saw them in the eastern Chiriqui province, where they are known by the old name of Slate-throated Redstart. They did not live close to huts like the Collared Whitestart, so were seen less frequently.
The Slate-throated Whitestart is yellow below, slate above, extending over head and throat (unlike the Parulas in Panama). Longish tail with white outer feathers distinguishes it from Euphonias. Small rufous crest is sometimes difficult to see. One fanned its tail frequently (photo below).
Directly above and below, Slate-throated Whitestarts, Chiriqui, Panama, May. © monacoeye
More photos...Masked Trogon
26 May 2011 17:43
Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Ecuador, 2011.
Bird name: Masked Trogon
Latin: Trogon personatus
Other:
Family: Trogonidae • Trogons
Range: Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, SC Venezuela
Similar:
Masked Trogons were seen in many locations in Ecuador - Mindo, Milpe, Mindo Lindo, Bellavista, Guango, San Isidro.
Males are green, black and red with white marks. Females are brown and red. Many more examples in “more photos”.
More photos...
Bronze Winged Parrot
25 May 2011 21:08
Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy without permission • Mindo, February 2011.
Bird name: Bronze winged Parrot
Latin: Pionus chalcopterus
Other: Loro negro (Es) • Maitaca-asa-de-bronze (Br)
Family: Psittacidae • Parrots
Range: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador to NW Peru
Similar:
Bronze-winged Parrots were quite conspicuous at the Rio Silanche and Milpe Reserves in northwest Ecuador.
Bronze-winged Parrots are predominantly dusky blue, have yellow bills, bronze on the wings, red and blue under the tail, white eye-rings and white throats.
More photos...
Violet Tailed Sylph
05 April 2011 14:15
Copyright: monacoeye • Santa Lucia, Ecuador • Feb 2011 • Do not copy without permission
Bird name: Violet Tailed Sylph
Latin: Aglaiocercus coelestis
Other: Silfo colivioleta (Es)
Family: Trochilidae • Hummingbirds
Range: Colombia, Ecuador
Similar: Long-tailed Sylph
The male (above) Violet-tailed Sylph has this fabulous long violet tail. Guides love to point them out. Look a Violet-tailed Sylph! Thanks, even I managed to recognise that one… Fortunately where I saw them - Santa Lucia, Milpe, Mindo - there appeared to be no Long-tailed Sylphs to confuse the issue (they have green-blue tails). Male Violet-tailed Sylphs (only in NW ?) have purple bibs.
Females (below) look quite different: no long tail, white chest, peach-coloured belly, speckled throat, but same short bill. Some males have shorter tails - there’s an example in more photos.
Violet-tailed Sylphs were quite abundant at feeders in mountainous, forested areas of northwest Ecuador, and also often seen in the forest.
Directly below, a female Violet-tailed Sylph in northwest Ecuador.
Below, a male Violet-tailed Sylph showing purple bib.
More photos...