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 • Silanche, Ecuador, March 2011

Bird name: Scarlet Browed Tanager
Latin: Heterospingus xanthopygius
Other: Tangara cejiescarlata (Es)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers
Range: Panama, Colombia, Ecuador.
Similar:

Difficult to see in this record shot, but the Scarlet-browed Tanager is mostly dark with red streak behind eye, red iris, yellow rump and should-streak. Female lacks head streak.

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

Bird name: Golden Hooded Tanager
Latin: Tangara larvata
Other: Tangara capuchidorada, tangara cabecipinta (Es)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers
Range: S Mexico to Ecuador
Similar:

The Golden Hooded Tanager was one of the first birds I saw in Panama in Cerro Azul, then more frequently in El Valle.

The golden hood makes this bird pretty unmistakeable. Good-looking bird!

Also seen at the Silanche Reserve in northwest Ecuador - western slope.

Below: Golden-hooded Tanager, Panama
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: Grey and Gold Tanager
Latin: Tangara palmeri
Other: Gray-and-gold Tanager (US) • Tangara doradigris (Es)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers
Range: Panama, Colombia, Ecuador
Similar:

A grey-and-gold Tanager from a difficult angle. I only saw this bird at Silanche Reserve in Ecuador, in the northwest of the country.More photos...

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

Bird name: Dusky Faced Tanager
Latin: Mitrospingus cassinii
Other: Tangara carinegruzca (Es)
Family: Thraupidae • Tanagers
Range: Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador
Similar:

A blurry record shot of a Dusky-faced Tanager in El Valle, Panama.

And another blurry record from Silanche Reserve, Ecuador.More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Ecuador • March

Bird name: Plumbeous Kite
Latin: Ictinia plumbea
Other: Sovi, gavião-sauveiro (Br) • Milano plomizo (Es)
Family: Accipitridae • Kites, Birds of Prey
Range: Latin America: Mexico to Argentina, incl Ecuador
Similar:

A Plumbeous Kite flying through the trees in Ecuador, March. Note rufous wing tips and banded tail. Also seen at Floresta Amazonica in Alta Floresta, Brazil.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 • 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...

Copyright: monacoeye • Silanche, Ecuador, Feb 2011 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Pale Mandibled Aracari
Latin: Pteroglossus erythropygius
Other: Arasari Piquipálido (Es) - split from P. torquatus, Collared Aracari
Family: Ramphastidae • Toucans, Aracaris
Range: Western Ecuador
Similar: Stripe Billed Aracari

I had good views of several Pale Mandibled Aracaris, first at the Rio Silanche Reserve, from the observation tower and in the forest, and then again at El Monte Lodge in Mindo.

The Pale Mandibled Aracari, which is split from the Collared Aracari complex, is best identified by its light lower bill, and one black band on the yellow belly with a smudge or dot on the chest.

More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Silanche, Ecuador, Feb 2011 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Purple Throated Fruitcrow
Latin: Querula purpurata
Other: Querula gorgimorada (Es)
Family: Cotingidae • Cotingas, Manakins, Fruitcrows
Range: Southern Nicaragua to Amazonia. Inc. Panama, Ecuador.
Similar:

Above a male Purple-throated Fruitcrow, extending the purple ruff on its neck after calling, in the Rio Silanche Reserve in northwest Ecuador. Females are all black (see “more photos”), only males have the purple throat. Not in the crow family, but related to Cotingas. More photos...

Copyright: monacoeye • Santa Lucia, Ecuador, Feb 2011 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Guayaquil Woodpecker
Latin: Campephilus gayaquilensis
Other:
Family: Picidae • Woodpeckers
Range: SW Colombia, Ecuador, NW Peru
Similar: Crimson-crested, Lineated, Powerful Woodpecker

The three Guayaquil Woodpeckers above were also seen on my first day, on the journey from the airport to Nanegal.

The male Guayaquil Woodpeckers (on left of trunk) has a badge on the cheek; the female, a broad white line running from the bill down the neck. The female has no black on crest, unlike Powerful and Lineated. The male has no white near bill, unlike Powerful.

The Guayaquil Woodpecker is classed as Near Threatened on IUCN 3.1 because of habitat loss.

Directly below, a female Guayaquil Woodpecker near Nanegal, NW Ecuador.


Directly below, a male Guayaquil Woodpecker in the Rio Silanche Reserve, Ecuador.
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 • Panama, May 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Broad Billed Motmot
Latin: Electron platyrhynchum
Other: Momoto piquiancho (Es)
Family: Momotidae • Motmots
Range: E Honduras to Panama to SW Ecuador, W Amazonia
Similar: Rufous Motmot

The green on the lower belly of the Broad-billed Motmot rises up higher than on the Rufous Motmot. A greenish chin is sometimes visible. Otherwise similar, cinnamon head and chest, darker green-blue wings, black mask, and spot on chest.

Also seen in Mindo and Silanche in NW Ecuador.More photos...

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

Bird name: Rufous Motmot
Latin: Baryphthengus martii
Other: Momoto rufo (Es)
Family: Momotidae • Motmots
Range: E Honduras to Panama to SW Ecuador, W Amazonia
Similar: Broad-billed Motmot

The Rufous Motmot is larger than the similar Broad Billed Motmot and less green below. Black mask, cinnamon head, chest and belly. The rest is emerald green-blue. Black spot on chest.

Also seen in Mindo and Silanche in NW Ecuador.More photos...