Neotropical Birding b girdin magazine of the Neotropical Club • Number 13 • Fall 2013

Feature Photospot

Taxonomy and song of Mexican Hermit “Weird Wings”: the enigmatic 4 Phaethornis mexicanus 43 Eleothreptus nightjars of Paraguay Steve N. G. Howell P aul Smith

IDentification Workshop Do juvenile Cinereous Mourners 47 Laniocera hypopyrra mimic large, hairy 8 Vocal field marks of Unspotted Saw- caterpillars? whet Owl and Guatemalan Pygmy Owl Johan Ingels and Mathieu Entraygues Knut Eisermann Front Cover Splits, lumps, shuffles Adult male Unspotted Saw-whet Owl 14 Splits, lumps and shuffles Aegolius ridgwayi, Yalijux Important Alexander C. Lees Bird Area (IBA GT010), Alta Verapaz department, Guatemala, February 2013. Globally threatened Knut Eisermann / CAYAYA BIRDING / www.cayaya- birding.com) Another wake-up call for the 24 conservation of the Yellow-naped Amazona auropalliata Jo seph Taylor

Capital Birding

Belém, Pará, 32 Alexander C. Lees, Nárgila G. de Moura, Sidnei M. Dantas & Ian Thompson

Scarlet Ibises Eudocimus ruber, Salinopolis, Pará, Brazil, March 2011 (A.C. Lees). >> Capital Birding Belém, Pará, Brazil Capital Birding: Belém, Pará, Brazil Alexander C. Lees, Nárgila G. de Moura, Sidnei M. Dantas & Ian Thompson

The north-eastern corner of the Brazilian Amazon has long been a popular tourist destination but has largely been shunned by visiting birders—this despite the heady mix of tropical rainforest, mangroves, natural grasslands and seashore that host a rich and varied avian community. This article highlights the ornithological prospects of a region that has much to offer foreign and domestic birders alike.

Scarlet Ibises Eudocimus ruber a flagship of the Pará mangroves, Salinópolis, March 2011 (A.C. Lees). 32 Neotropical Birding 13 Left: Black-masked Finch Coryphaspiza melanotis marajoari, one of few field photographs of this taxon currently considered endemic to Marajó, December 2011 (A.C. Lees). Right: Grassland Yellow Finch Sicalis luteola a common resident of grassland and agricultural land on Marajó, December 2011 (A.C. Lees).

ying about 100 km upriver from the Atlantic all year round. Annual rainfall is about 2.9 metres Ocean, on the Guamá river, Belém is the with a ‘drier’ season from June to November. L capital of the state of Pará and the largest city in Amazonia after Manaus. The city has long Birding in the city been overshadowed as a tourist destination by Much of the city and many of its small urban parks Manaus and is rarely-visited by foreign birders, are neither a particularly desirable nor safe place to both on account of its lower species richness in go birding, and wandering around with expensive comparison to western Amazonia sites, and its optics is probably a sure-fire way of getting general lack of eco-tourist infrastructure. However, mugged; Belém has a bad reputation for crime so the region does boast an impressive avifauna it is not advisable to take risks in the city itself. with over 490 species recorded historically from However, the observant tourist without bins will the metropolitan region alone (Novaes & Lima not fail to notice the hundreds of Black Vultures 2009), the product of both intense historical Coragyps atratus around the famous Ver-o-peso collecting by the likes of Alfred Russel Wallace market and the colony of Great Egrets Ardea alba and Emily Snethlage and more recent fieldwork and Cocoi Herons A. cocoi at the square in Batista by ornithologists at the Goeldi Museum. These Campos, along with huge flocks of noisy Canary- 490 species include a suite of restricted range winged Parakeets Brotogeris versicolurus, the latter taxa not available anywhere else to the world to be looked for especially in the late afternoon birder (see table) and a number of species that are in the mango trees in front of the Nazaré church. difficult to find elsewhere in the country that are of One (optics-friendly) park that deserves a brief considerable interest to Brazilian listers. Founded mention is the Jardim Botânico Bosque Rodriques in 1616 by the Kingdom of Portugal, it was the first Alves on the Avenida Almirante Barroso, a well- European colony on the Amazon, not becoming preserved, although very busy urban fragment. part of Brazil until 1775. Since then the city has Here we have recorded Short-tailed Hawk grown to house over two million people—the 11th Buteo brachyurus, Straight-billed most populous city in Brazil, and the resultant Dendroplex picus, Yellow-breasted Flycatcher urban sprawl and demand for land has come at a Tolmomyias flaviventris and Bright-rumped Atilla cost to most of the undisturbed primary rainforest Attila spadiceus amongst other commoner urban vegetation in the region. Belém is just 1°27’ south species. The park is open from Tuesday to Sunday, of the equator and enjoys a humid tropical climate between 08h00 and 05h00 (admittedly not ideal with monthly mean maximum and minimum birding hours), is well served by buses and costs a temperatures close to 31°C and 22°C respectively nominal R$ 1 (US$ 0.50) to enter. Surprises are, of

Neotropical Birding 13 33 >> Capital Birding Belém, Pará, Brazil course possible, we have seen the odd Peregrine squamata, and Blue-chinned Sapphire Falco peregrinus hunting amongst the sky-scrapers Chlorostilbon notatus. The observation platform and ACL and NGM once caught by hand a lost over the wide river Guamá is good at low tide with migrant Ruddy Quail-Dove Geotrygon montana the mud attracting a few migrant waders such as outside our house after an evening run! If you Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus only have a couple of hours to spare, then another and Semipalmated Calidris pusilla and Spotted destination for a quick visit is the Mangal das Sandpipers Actitis macularius with Laughing Garças (http://www.mangalpa.com.br/). This safe Gulls Leucophaeus atricilla, Large-billed Terns site is basically a waterfowl gardens with various Phaetusa simplex and Black Skimmers Rynchops pinioned and free-flying ducks and waterbirds niger passing by offshore. The park lies close to the with walk-in aviaries housing other captive historic centre of the town and is reached along tropical species (watch-out for escapes!), but the the Passagem Carneiro da Rocha, close to the remnant vegetation around it may produce a few junction of the Rua do Arsenal and the Avenida wild birds of note such as Grey-necked Wood Almirante Tamandaré. It is open Tuesday-Sunday cajaneus, Neotropical Palm 0900–1800 (at 1°27’49’’S 48°30’18’’W) and boasts

Regionally endemic taxa and where to find them.

English name Latin trinomial Where to see Bare-faced Crax fasciolata pinima May be close to global extinction. Only likely to persist in the Reserva Curassow Biológica do Gurupi, Maranhão. Dark-winged Psophia (viridis) obscura Critically Endangered. Persists in a few large patches in the south of Trumpeter the region without general access. Ssp. obscura split by Oppenheimer & Silveira (2009). Pale-tailed Threnetes leucurus Reasonably easy to find in riparian close to Belém, e.g. around Bom Barbthroat medianus Jesus. Red-necked Aracari Pteroglossus bitorquatus Persists in larger forest remnants around Belém, e.g. around Marituba and bitorquatus the Parque Ecológico do Gunma. Golden-green Piculus (chrysochloros) Inexplicably rare, with few recent records from the extreme south of the Woodpecker paraensis region. Recently afforded species status by Del Rio et al. (2013). Ringed Celeus torquatus Also inexplicably rare, with few recent sightings. Woodpecker pieteroyensis Ruddy Spinetail (rutilans) Reasonably easy to find in disturbed primary forests near treefall gaps and in omissa secondary forests. A likely future split. Amazonian Barred Dendrocolaptes (certhia) Persists in larger primary and old secondary forest remnants around Belém, Woodcreeper medius e.g. around Utinga and the Parque Ecológico do Gunma. White-chinned Dendrocincla (merula) Confined to large patches of primary forests, where rare and associated with Woodcreeper badia army ants. No sites easily accessible. Much smaller than all other races of merula and a likely future split. Cinnamon-throated Dendrexetastes rufigula Unrecorded for many years but recently refound in extensively forested areas Woodcreeper paraensis in the south of the region and may yet be rediscovered close to Belém. White-shouldered Thamnophilus (aethiops) Relatively easy to find in primary and old secondary forests anywhere in the Antshrike incertus region. White-backed Pyriglena (leuconota) One of the commonest antbirds, occurring in most forest habitats. To be Fire-eye leuconota looked for at and away from antswarms. Black-spotted Phlegopsis nigromaculata Uncommon and patchily distributed, but still occurs close to Belém at Utinga Bare-eye paraensis and the Parque Ecológico do Gunma Wing-barred Piprites chloris griseicens Now apparently restricted to large areas of primary forests in the south of Piprites the region, where uncommon. Black-masked Coryphaspiza melanotis Restricted to open natural grassland on the Island of Marajó; try along the Finch marajoari road between Salvaterra and Cachoeira do Arari. Opal-rumped Tangara velia signata Rare in large undisturbed primary forests in the south of the region. Tanager

34 Neotropical Birding 13 one of the best restaurants in the Amazon region. Spinetails Synallaxis gujanensis and other scrub- The site is a short taxi ride from the city centre and loving species; we found a nest of American is also served well by buses for the more streetwise Pygmy Kingfisher Chloroceryle aenea here within Brazilian birder. 300 m of the park headquarters in February 2013. Viewing the lakes is relatively easy from T he metropolitan region the boardwalk that runs out from the reserve headquarters/visitor centre and along the loop Still within the metropolitan area is the Parque road that runs next to it. There is even an old Estadual do Utinga (Utinga state park, www. specimen record of a wrecked Leach’s Storm Petrel sema.pa.gov.br) a 1,340 ha conservation unit that Oceanodroma leucorhoa from here and a couple could reward a morning’s birding with its mixture of recent photo-documented records of Orange- of degraded primary and old secondary forest, breasted Falcon Falco deiroleucus. Also close to the scrub and some wetland habitat. Security is again city are a number of rural restaurants that include something of an issue here and we recommend some stretches of forest and river where locals that lone birders stay reasonably close to the walk and bathe. Perhaps the pick of the bunch is visitor centre where there are a couple of short Terra do Meio in Marituba (www.terradomeio. trails (the park lies close to some more notorious com.br, 1°23’38’’S 48°20’02’’W): an afternoon slums). The park is accessed off the Avenida João walk here recently produced Red-necked Aracari Paulo II down the Rua do Utinga at 1°25’28’’S Pteroglossus bitorquatus, Red-necked Woodpecker 48°26’45’’W. Officially it opens between 06h00 Campephilus rubricollis, Red-headed and 14h00 on weekdays and between 08h00 and Pipra ruborcapila and Sulphury Flycatcher 12h00 at weekends, although we have visited Tyrannopsis sulphurea. regularly outside these hours which do not seem Still within 40 minutes’ drive of the city, to be enforced. Access is best by taxi, which would there is interesting habitat bordering the river be a 15–20 minute ride from the city centre early Guamá west of Belém (Refúgio de Vida Silvestre morning when traffic is light. Bird activity falls off Metrópole da Amazônia, http://www.sema.pa.gov. after 09h00, so considering the site’s proximity br/), with some primary forest remnants that still to the city a visit might even be crammed into shelter exciting disturbance-sensitive species such a working-day. The forest here along the longer Vulturine Parrot Pyrilia vulturina and Crimson Trilha do Macaco (Monkey Trail) is better Fruitcrow Haematoderus militaris. However, there explored as a group. It holds a remnant selection of is currently no public access to this area; it would interesting species including White-bellied in any case be a rather dangerous place to visit Pionites leucogaster, Waved Woodpeckers Celeus given the nature of its transient human population, undatus, Spot-winged Pygiptila stellaris and although there are plans to try and improve this Amazonian Antshrikes Thamnophilus amazonicus, situation. It is however possible to watch the forest White-flanked Myrmotherula axillaris and Plain- edge from the Alça Viária highway at 1°27’47’’S throated Antwrens Myrmotherula hauxwelli, 48°18’04’’W; here we had Lesser Swallow-tailed Willis’s Cercomacra laeta and Silvered Antbirds Swift Panyptila cayennensis, Fiery-tailed Awlbill Sclateria naevia, White-backed Fire-eyes Avocettula recurvirostris, and Cocoa Thrush Pyriglena leuconota, Plain-brown Turdus fumigatus during a recent visit. This spot Dendrocincla fuliginosa and Helmeted Pygmy should be safe if birding as a group. We have also Tyrant Lophotriccus galeatus. The local visited some degraded forest at Marituba on the subspecies of Amazonian Barred Woodcreeper other side of the river (access via the Alça Viária Dendrocolatpes certhia medius, White-shouldered highway at 1°29’36’’S 48°18’33’’W), where we found Antshrike Thamnophilus aethiops incertus and amongst others American Pygmy Kingfisher, Black-spotted Bare-eye Phlegopsis nigromaculata Pale-tailed Barbthroat Threnetes leucurus, paraensis have been flagged as potential splits. Striped Woodcreeper obsoletus, Knowledge of calls or use of playback would be Cinnamon-rumped Foliage-gleaner Philydor critical for finding some of the rarer species that pyrrhodes, Hooded Gnateater Conopophaga occur here at low density. Pay close attention to roberti, Black-chested Tyrant Taeniotriccus antswarms, which may provide crippling views andrei and Golden-sided Euphonia Euphonia of the woodcreepers and fire-eyes. The lakes cayennensis. The Tyrant is best looked for in dense and their fringes attract the two ‘river’ terns plus areas of second growth with vine tangles: learn snail-eating Slender-billed Kites Helicolestes its unobtrusive call notes and in the same type of hamatus and Aramus guarauna and habitat watch out for the distinctive regionally- are fertile hunting grounds for Plain-crowned endemic grey-headed omissa subspecies of Ruddy

Neotropical Birding 13 35 >> Capital Birding Belém, Pará, Brazil

36 Neotropical Birding 13 This page, clockwise from top Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus: we found a previous unknown wintering areas for skuas on the Pará coast, this is a scruffy 2nd cal. yr bird, Bragança, February 2013 (A.C. Lees). Map 1. The Belém region Map 2. Key sites around the city of Belém Map 3. Birding spots around Salinópolis

Facing page, clockwise from top Pavonine Cuckoo Dromococcyx pavoninus a low-density inhabitant of priumary and secondary forests in the region, learn its distinctive song, Paragominas, November 2010 (A.C. Lees). White-winged Potoo Nyctibius leucopterus a once near-mythical bird, now known to be widespread in lowland Amazonia and recentky disovered in the south of the region, Paragominas, November 2010 (A.C. Lees). Spot-winged Antshrike Pygiptila stellaris is a noisy nuclear member of mixed species flocks in primary forests occurring as close to the capital as Utinga, Com. Bom Jesus, February 2013 (A.C. Lees).

Neotropical Birding 13 37 >> Capital Birding Belém, Pará, Brazil

Spinetail Synallaxis rutilans, a likely future split. forests offers an interesting selection of birds, This site is just 40 minutes’ drive from the city, many of which are difficult to find (or at least but would require private transport and at least generally inaccessible) elsewhere in Brazil. A some command of Portuguese to gain access. It good base is the town of Salinópolis, located is also necessary to obtain permission from local 220 km east of Belém at 0°36’48’’S 47°21’31’’W, landowners to access this stretch of community- a three hour drive via the PA-316, PA-324 and owned forest. An overnight option is to continue PA-124 roads. The mangrove forests reached to the beach at Caripi. There are a number of from a boardwalk off the Orla do Maçarico and pousadas (inns) in the vicinity and many typical bordering the ‘Praia da Corvina’, hold Rufous birds of secondary forests birds may be found Crab Hawks Buteogallus aequinoctialis, Little there such as Red-necked Aracari Pteroglossus Wood Rails Aramides mangle, Mangrove Cuckoos bitorquatus, Guianan Tyrannulet Zimmerius acer, Coccyzus minor, the ubiquitous Straight-billed Green Oropendula Psarocolius viridis and White- Woodpeckers Dendroplex picus and Pearly-vented browed Purpletuft Iodopleura isabellae. Conebills Conirostrum margaritae. A population A little further away but still possible as a of piculets Picumnus sp. in the mangroves here morning jaunt, 60 km from Belém along the was historically described as a new species to PA-391 road to the island of Mosqueiro, is the science and is now coming under taxonomic Parque Ecológico do Gunma, a 540 ha private scrutiny again…. Many of the mangrove forest reserve on the outskirts of the town of specialties can be seen off the boardwalk: look Santa Bárbara do Pará. Like Utinga, it is a mix for the Wood Rails at the leading edge of the of degraded primary forest and secondary forest rising tide. There are also spectacular colonies in diverse stages of recovery. The area can be of waterbirds in the mangroves here including accessed by bus (Belém-Mosqueiro, leaving hundreds of Scarlet Ibis Eudocimus ruber, plus each hour from the Belém bus station as early as Roseate Spoonbills Platalea ajaja, Yellow- 05h00), or by private car. Gunma is controlled crowned Night Herons Nyctanassa violacea and by Associação Cultural Gunma Kenjin do Brasil Tricoloured Herons Egretta tricolor. The popular (tel. +55 91 3776 1126, email: gunmaken526@ sandy beaches and mudflats are excellent for gmail.com), but there is a public access to parts passage and wintering shorebirds, gulls and terns of the forest along a road that runs through the and potentially an excellent hunting ground for forest. Look for a road entrance on the right northern South American and Eurasian vagrants. at 1°12’54.16”S 48°17’39.19”W after leaving Common shorebirds include Semipalmated and Santa Bárbara. This area is likely safer than the Least Calidris minutilla Sandpipers, Wilson’s immediate surroundings of Belém for birding, Charadrius wilsonia, Collared C. collaris and but it is always better to set out in small groups. Semipalmated Plovers C. semipalmatus, Short- Even along the road, some decent forest birds billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus, Hudsonian can be found, with many of the same selection Whimbrel Numenius hudsonicus and Ruddy of species as Utinga such as Willis´s Antbird, Turnstone Arenaria interpres. The gatherings of White-backed Fire-eye and Black-spotted Bare-eye gulls and terns between October and May are plus Cinereous Tinamou Crypturellus cinereus, extremely impressive, with thousands of Laughing White Hawk Pseudastur albicollis, Crested Owl Gulls, Cabot’s Thalasseus acuflavidus, Large-billed Lophostrix cristata, Grey Antwren Myrmotherula and Common Terns Sterna hirundo and Black menetriesii, Yellow-margined Flycatcher Skimmers, depending on the season. In our four Tolmomyias assimilis paraensis, White-browed visits to the region we have recorded a few rarer Purpletuft, Golden-sided Euphonia Euphonia species including Magnificent Frigatebird Fregata cayennensis. More exciting, lower density species magnificens, American Golden Plover Pluvialis occurring here include Cryptic Forest Falcon dominica, Arctic Stercorarius parasiticus and Micrastur mintoni Sapphire-rumped Parrotlet Pomarine Skuas S. pomarinus, Grey-headed Gull Touit purpuratus and Opal-crowned Manakin Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus and Gull-billed Lepidothrix iris. Gelochelidon nilotica, Arctic Sterna paradisaea and Roseate Terns S. dougallii. Landbird interest is pretty limited but scrub inland of the Praia de Farther afield Atalaia (0°36’03’’S 47°17’59’’W) and elsewhere Those with a few days or longer have more holds the regional endemic Buff-browed options to consider. The coast of Pará is extremely Chachalaca Ortalis superciliaris, plus Blue- under-watched and the mix of coastal habitats winged Macaws Primolius maracana and Tropical including estuaries, beaches and mangrove Mockingbirds Mimus gilvus. We recommend

38 Neotropical Birding 13 staying in the western part of the town, with its lunch and seawatch at the same time; this whole less crowded (and therefore more birdy) beaches region is still largely ornithological terra incognita close to the Praia do Maçarico—the Hotel and likely still holds many surprises for the Salinópolis www.hotelsalinopolis.com.br is as good pioneering birder. a place as any, particularly as Stygian Owl Asio North east of Belém and across the Baia do stygius has been recorded on the streets behind Guajará lies Marajó Island (in the mouth of the the hotel! Amazon river), the world’s largest fluvial island A little further up the coast lies the historic and the regional site that lies firmly on eco- town of Bragança (three and a half hours’ drive tourist maps, although this area has largely been from Belém); we started visiting this area in neglected by foreign birders—on account of its January 2013 and in four visits have recorded lack of restricted range species. The four-hour car- a number of significant regional records and ferry ride, (that leaves from Icoaraci, Belém district range-extensions. The tourist infrastructure is on the Rua Siqueira Mendes, 1157—tel.: +55 91 not as good as that of Salinópolis but the birding 3246 7472, http://tinyurl.com/al9vxwc) should is arguably better, with more extensive areas of produce a few gulls and terns and one lucky birder saltmarsh, mangrove and intertidal habitat. We recently photographed an albatross Thalassarche have stayed in various hotels in town but the sp. from the ferry. Watch out for the colony of the Hotel Solar Do Caeté on the Avenida Visconde Do regionally endemic semi-species Pará Oropendolas Rio Branco (overlooking the river) was the most P. [b.] bifasciatus by the ferry terminal where you pleasant. From the centre of Bragança you need land at Camará. There are numerous places to to follow signs for the Praia de Ajuruteua, a rather stay on Marajó with lots of different pousadas to ramshackle tourist trap on the coast. Heading cater for every budget; we most recently stayed north you will see a left turn to the Campos de at the competitively-priced Pousada O Canto do Bragança, follow this dirt road until you reach an Francês (http://ocantodofrances.blogspot.com. area of wetlands with extensive sedge beds. We br). The coastal and mangrove avifauna here is recorded Pinnated Bittern Botaurus pinnatus and similar to that found at Salinópolis but the flooded Azure Gallinule Porphyrio flavirostris watching grasslands inland offer a different selection of from a road along a raised berm over the marshes birds and in season can be heaving with waterbirds after about 10-12 km and Buff-browed Chachalaca with clouds of ibises, herons and storks (including Ortalis superciliaris also occurs in scrub here. Maguari Ciconia maguari). Rarer marshbirds to We anticipate many other interesting discoveries look for included Pinnated and Stripe-backed from this area. Back-tracking to the main road Bitterns Ixobrychus involucris, migrant Long- and continuing north the road passes through winged Harriers Circus buffoni and there is even extensive mangrove forests that likely hold most a record of Crested Doradito Pseudocolopteryx of the species recorded at Salinópolis. Stop sclateri (Henriques & Oren 1997). This latter once you reach a large salt-marsh at (0°54’42’’S species has recently been discovered in paddyfields 46°41’12’’W)—here we found a population of Black in the neighbouring state of Maranhão alongside a Rails Laterallus jamaicensis in February 2013; population of Black Rails and should be expected the only previous record from the state concerns along the Pará coast. Open patches of cerrado one striking a window of the Goeldi Museum in vegetation play host to isolated Amazonian Belém. Flooded parts of this marsh hold huge populations of a number of open area species concentrations of waders and wildfowl—we including most famously the vulnerable Black- counted nearly 100 Blue-winged Teal Anas discors masked Finch Coryphaspiza melanotis marajoari and over 3000 Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes (currently the only island endemic taxon, although on the same trip, with lesser numbers of Stilt this form is of questionable validity). It is best Sandpipers Calidris himantopus mixed in with searched for in flat, unflooded grasslands. The the latter. Continuing on to the coast, turn right area also hosts Least Nighthawks Chordeiles through the fishing community of Ajuruteua pusillus, Lesser Eleanias Elaenia chiriquensis, until you reach the coast—there is a major high White-rumped Monjita Xolmis velatus and White- tide roost of waders, gulls and terns here with rumped Tanagers Cypsnagra hirundinacea, all impressive numbers of wintering skuas. We rare in Amazonia. Agricultural areas are good for found a pair of Clapper Rails longirostris Long-tailed Ground Doves Uropelia campestris, of the nominate subspecies ‘Mangrove Rail’ in Plumbeous Sporophila plumbea and Capped S. the mangrove behind the beach here. Another bouvreuil Seedeaters and Grassland Yellow Finches kilometre up the main road lies the main ‘tourist Sicalis luteola. The dirt road (PA-154—0°57’36’’S centre’ of Ajuruteua where one can get a passable 48°43’39’’W) that runs between Salvaterra and

Neotropical Birding 13 39 >> Capital Birding Belém, Pará, Brazil

Clockwise from top left Black Rail Laterallus jamaicensis, the first field photograph taken in Pará of this species! Bragança, February 2013 (A.C. Lees). Rallus longirostris of the nominate race ‘Mangrove Rail’ Bragança, May 2013 (A.C. Lees). Little Wood Rail Aramides mangle The Pará coast likely represents the northernmost outpost of this Brazilian endemic, although there is a recent record (of a vagrant?) from , Salinópolis, Oct 201 (A.C. Lees). Rufous Crab Hawk Buteogallus aequinoctialis, a relatively easy-to-find species anywhere in mangroves on the Pará coast, Salinópolis, May 2011 (A.C. Lees).

40 Neotropical Birding 13 Clockwise from top left Plain-brown Woodcreeper Dendrocincla fuliginosa, a relatively common species in primary and secondary forests throughout the region, often following antswarms. Utinga, June 2012 (I. Thompson). Amazonian Barred Woodcreeper Dendrocolaptes certhia, the medius subspecies restricted to the Belém region, with presumably the same taxon also occurring in the Atlantic Forests of north-east Brazil. This complex is likely to be the subject of much splitting in the near-future. Utinga, June 2012 (I. Thompson). White-backed Fire-eye Pyriglena leuconota, the nominate subspecies, likely to be elevated to full species status, Utinga, June 2012 (I. Thompson). Silvered Antbird Sclateria naevia, a noisy, if otherwise unobtrusive inhabitant of forest streams, Utinga, June 2012 (I. Thompson).

Neotropical Birding 13 41 >> Capital Birding Belém, Pará, Brazil

Cachoeira do Arari crosses a mix of cerrado alike. The region holds much promise for the scrubland, flooded grassland and agricultural adventurous foreign birder and is perhaps an even habitats in that order that should provide an more attractive ticket for the burgeoning cohort opportunity to find most of the regular species of Wikiaves (www.wikiaves.com.br) catalysed in a short visit. More adventurous birders might Brazilian birders eager to add some difficult choose to visit some of the farms in the interior Brazilian birds to their lists! and get around by water-buffalo, there are sure to be some exciting ornithological discoveries to be References made here. Várzea forests in the west of the island Del-Rio, G., Silveira, L. F., Cavarzere, V. & Rego, M. A. hold Plain Softtail Thripophaga fusciceps, Scaled (2013) A taxonomic review of the Golden-green Spinetail Cranioleuca muelleri and other scarcities Woodpecker, Piculus chrysochloros (Aves: Picidae) whilst terra firme forests hold a biogeographically reveals the existence of six valid taxa. Zootaxa 3626: 531–542. eclectic mix of south and north bank Amazon birds including such exciting species as Gould’s Henriques, L. M. P. & Oren, D. C. (1997) The avifauna of Marajó, Caviana and Mexiana islands, Amazon River Jewelfront Heliodoxa aurescens and Guianan Red estuary, Brazil. Rev. Bras. Biol. 57: 357–382. Available Cotinga Phoenicircus carnifex. at: http://tinyurl.com/auv42gm A four to five hour drive south of Belém takes Lees, A. C., Moura, N. G., Silva, A. S., Aleixo, A. L. P., you to the last sizeable fragments of primary Barlow, J., Berenguer, E., Ferreira, J. & Gardner, T. A. forest in the Belém centre of endemism. Recent (2012) Paragominas: a quantitative baseline inventory surveys (e.g. Portes et al. 2011, Lees et al. 2012) of an eastern Amazonian avifauna. Rev. Bras. Ornitol. found that many of the most disturbance-sensitive 20: 93–118. Available at: http://tinyurl.com/a9y9ubd species in the region (e.g. Harpy Eagle Harpia Novaes, F. C. & Lima, M. F. C. (2009) As aves da grande harpyja, Dark-winged Trumpeter Psophia virdis— Belém. Belém: Secretaria do Meio Ambiente do of the micro-endemic race/species obscura—, Estado do Pará, Belém, Brasil. Golden Parakeet Guaruba guarouba, Rufous- Oppenheimer, M., & Silveira, L. F. (2009) A taxonomic vented Ground Cuckoo Neomorphus geoffroyi, review of the Dark-winged Trumpeter Psophia viridis White-winged Potoo Nyctibius leucopterus and (Aves: : Psophiidae). Papéis Avulsos de Greenish Tyrannulet Phyllomyias virescens) still Zoologia (São Paulo) 49: 547–555. persist here, although some species—such as Portes, C. E. B., Carneiro, L. S., Schunck, F., Silva, M. S. the pinima (sub)species of Bare-faced Currasow S., Zimmer, K. J., Whittaker, A., Poletto, F., Silveira, Crax fasciolata and Hyacinth Macaw—have all L. F. & Aleixo. A. (2011) Annotated checklist of birds but disappeared even here. ACL and NGM spent recorded between 1998 and 2009 at nine areas in the over five months conducting fieldwork around the Belém area of endemism, with notes on some range extensions and the conservation status of endangered town of Paragominas in 2010/2011 and recorded species. Rev. Bras. Ornitol. 19: 167–184. Available at: over 440 species including the first records from http://tinyurl.com/b2flrhm this Amazonian interfluvium of Large-headed Flatbill Ramphotrigon megacephalum and Yellow- shouldered Grosbeak Parkerthraustes humeralis, Alexander C. Lees, Nárgila G. de Moura & plus the first Amazonian records of Spotted Sidnei M. Dantas Piculets Picumnus pygmaeus (see Lees et al. Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, CP 399, Belém, [2012]). The region does not currently have any Pará, Brazil facilities to cater for birding tourists close to areas Ian Thompson of good primary forest, but there are plans afoot The Nature Conservancy, Avenida Nazaré, CP 280, for one or more pousadas so hopefully this frontier PA, Brazil. will soon open up to eco-tourists and birders

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