NeotropicalNeotropical BirdingBirding THE BIRDING MAGAZINE OF THE NEOTROPICAL BIRD CLUB Number 23 • Autumn 2018 THENeotropical BIRDING MAGAZINE OF THE NEOTROPICAL Birding BIRD CLUB Senior Editor: James Lowen Editorial Committee: Nacho Areta, David Fisher, Raymond Jeffers, Dan Lebbin, Alexander Lees, Robin Restall, Michael Retter and Rob Williams ••~••~••~•~••~••~••~••~••~••~••~••~••~••~••~••~••~••~••~••~•• The Neotropical Bird Club Neotropical Bird Club aims to: COUNCIL: David Fisher (Chairman), Chris Balchin (Secretary and Advertising), Chris Collins (Treasurer), Rob Clay (Conservation • foster an interest in the Awards), Mike Dawson, Carl Downing, Gordon Ellis, Roberta Goodall, birds of the Neotropics Manuel Sanchez Nivicela, Chris Sharpe (Conservation Awards), Tom amongst birdwatchers Stuart, John Thirtle, Charles Wilkins and Rob Williams (Representatives). throughout the world PATRONS: The Club is delighted to be supported by the following patrons, well known for their contributions to Neotropical ornithology and • increase awareness of the conservation: Jon Fjeldså, Nancy Hilgert de Benavides and Robert S. Ridgely. importance of support for CORPORATE SUPPORTERS: Three options (conditions apply): 1 Half- conservation in the region page advert (£250); 2 Full-page advert or two half-page adverts (£400); • mobilise the increasing 3 Full-page advert on back page (£450). For all Corporate Supporter number of enthusiastic enquiries please e-mail: [email protected] birdwatchers active in the MEMBERSHIP: Membership of the Club is open to all, includes a new digital Ordinary region to contribute to the option, and costs: £26/$48/€39 (journals in printed form) or Family conservation of Neotropical £24/$34/€30 (digital only); £32/$60/€49 (printed) or £30/$42/€36 (digital); Sponsoring Member – Ordinary plus a nominated Neotropical birds national £45/$80/€65 (printed) or £43/$60/€52 (digital); Resident • provide a forum for the Neotropical National $25 (digital only); Five-year Ordinary Membership Life Membership publication of articles and £130/$240/€195 (printed only); £750/$1400/€1140 Libraries & Academic Institutions notes about Neotropical (printed only); £55/$100/€81 (printed only). To receive publications both digitally and in hard copy, please birds, their identification add the following costs to the relevant printed-form rate: £5/$7/€6. and conservation and Secure payment can be made by credit card on the Club’s website thus enhance information (see below). Alternatively, payments can also be made by cheque in either exchange in this subject area US Dollars or Sterling, payable to ‘Neotropical Bird Club’. Regrettably, Credit card payments • channel efforts towards we are unable to accept cheques in Euros. must include the full number, type of card, expiry date, three digit priority species and sites, security code and address that appears on the payer’s statement. All drawing attention to payments outside Europe will be charged at US$ rates (to cover extra conservation needs postage). To join or for further details, please contact the Secretary, • publicise the activities of NBC, c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2DL, UK or NBC (Membership), c/o Ian Davies, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell local groups and individuals, University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA. and improve liaison and E-mail enquiries can be made to: [email protected] collaboration between these same people and other Website: http://www.neotropicalbirdclub.org birdwatchers Advertise with NBC in Neotropical Birding NBC publishes two issues of All adverts are printed in full colour. Advertising rates are as follows: Neotropical Birding and one • Full page (14 x 21 cm) £450; issue of Cotinga each year. • Half-page (14 x 10 cm) £300; ISSN 1353-985X • Quarter-page (7 x 10 cm) £200. UK Registered Charity Deadlines for autumn issue are 15 Feb (booking space) and 15 May (copy). no. 1040130 Deadlines for spring issue are 15 Nov (booking space) and 15 Dec (copy). Space is limited so book early! Adverts should be emailed as either .jpg or .pdf. All new advertisements must be prepaid, preferably via the Club’s website (e-mail for details). E-mail: [email protected] Please direct correspondence to: Neotropical Bird Club, c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Beds. SG19 2DL, UK Neotropical Birding BIRDING MAGAZINE OF THE NEOTROPICAL BIRD CLUB • NUMBER 23 • AUTUMN 2018 EDITORIAL NEW BOOK 2 Welcome to Neotropical Birding 23 47 New bird species from the Neotropics: JAMES LOWEN 50 years of discovery DAVID BREWER BIRDING AT THE CUTTING EDGE The ultimate trek? Seeing Blue-bearded SPLITS LUMPS AND SHUFFLES 3 Helmetcrest in Colombia STEPHAN LORENZ Splits, lumps and shuffles 55 THOMAS S. SCHULENBERG FEATURE GLOBALLY THREATENED BIRD The flamingos, the fable and the fair 13 JAMES LOWEN Last call for the Peruvian Plantcutter 61 JEREMY FLANAGAN GLOBALLY THREATENED BIRD FEATURE 14 Sympathy for the grebes: Hooded Grebe conservation 68 An overview of bird records programme update (2011–2017) committees in the Neotropics IGNACIO ROESLER, LAURA FASOLA AND JUAN FREILE, ALEJANDRO SOLANO UGALDE, MARTYN PATRICK BUCHANAN KENEFICK, ALEXANDER LEES, VÍTOR PIACENTINI, LUIS SANDOVAL, THOMAS VALQUI, FERNANDO ANGULO-PRATOLONGO, JHONATHAN MIRANDA, FEATURE OLIVIER CLAESSENS AND CHRISTOPHER SHARPE New eyes on the Neotropics CLUB NOTICEBOARD 25 JOSH JONES Club Noticeboard BIRDING SITE 76 CHRIS BALCHIN Seeing Cuba’s endemic birds and other FRONT COVER 33 specialities CHRISTOPHER SHARPE Male Araripe Manakin Antilophia bokermanni rain-bathing at Arajara Park, Juazeiro do Norte, Ceará, Brazil, on 1 December 2016 (Rob Hutchinson/ Birdtour Asia). One of many new Neotropical species to feature in David Brewer’s article (page 47–54). Left: Cuban Tody Todus multicolor, Topes de Collantes, Sancti Spiritus, Cuba, July 2017 (David Southall/tropicalbirdphotos.com). Neotropical Birding 23 1 >> EDITORIAL Welcome to Neotropical Birding 23! his is the second issue of Neotropical Birding in the Neotropics. Can you recall how you felt to be made available in digital form as when you first clasped eyes on a hummingbird T well as hard copy. If you are reading this or a tanager flock or an antpitta? In short, do you editorial electronically, thank you for supporting remember the first time? an initiative that was partly prompted by our Towards the end of the magazine (page 61), concern that postal services can be unreliable in Jeremy Flanagan sets out the sorry tale of the rapid several countries, meaning that publications population decline of Peruvian Plantcutter sometimes fail to reach members. Phytotoma raimondii, another Globally If that chimes a chord with you, Threatened Bird. Jeremy is heavily then the digital version of involved in local initiatives to this magazine will be right save the species, but where is up your street. Moreover, the Peruvian government you can also take your on all this? And ditto digital magazine with you international interest? wherever you travel with At the northern edge a tablet (etc). The digital of the Neotropical Bird option is also cheaper Club region lies Cuba. for you, as the Club saves On page 33, Christopher postage costs: subscription Sharpe – a former editor of rates are on the inside front this magazine – suggests an cover. If you have already exciting and efficient route for gone digital, please spread the seeing the endemics and other word to friends. If you haven’t specialities of this fascinating yet… please do consider it! country. In doing so, Chris stresses We have another cracking issue. On the importance of employing local guides – page 3, Stephan Lorenz introduces what he an issue that we covered in Neotropical Birding 19. considers to be the ultimate Neotropical trek The three other articles this issue are – to a remote lake in Colombia’s Santa Marta connected by the concept of novelty. On page 47, mountains to see Blue-bearded Helmetcrest David Brewer takes us through half-a-century Oxypogon cyanolaemus, a recently split, Critically of discovering new species for science in the Endangered and visually arresting Andean Neotropics, among the most famous of which hummingbird. This is followed (page 13) by a is the bird adorning our front cover, Brazil’s short article on the support given by the 2018 Araripe Manakin Antilophia bokermanni. Tom British Birdwatching Fair – where this issue of the Schulenberg (page 55) then explains the latest magazine is launched – to a new national park taxonomic changes in the world of Neotropical in Argentina. birds. Time to flick through your notebooks (or As is often our wont, Globally Threatened digital equivalent) to check whether you have seen Birds feature strongly in the magazine. Ignacio the latest taxon deemed worthy of full-species (‘Kini’) Roesler and colleagues present the latest status. Finally, Juan Freile and a host of colleagues state of play with Hooded Grebe Podiceps gallardoi explain the importance and work of national in Argentina (page 14). This stunning waterbird bird records committees in the Neotropics has had its share of coverage in this magazine, but (page 68). Their responsibilities include formal not for a few years, so it is high time for an update acceptance (or otherwise) of candidate additions given the amount of conservation action that has to national avifaunas. Another reason to locate taken place. And if you somehow missed Tango in those notebooks and submit your own records. the Wind, a short film about the grebe that went Happy Neotropical