Do Birds Flock in Hawaii, a Land Without Predators?

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Do Birds Flock in Hawaii, a Land Without Predators? CALIFORNIA BIRDS Volume 3, Number 1, 1972 DO BIRDS FLOCK IN HAWAII, A LAND WITHOUT PREDATORS? Edwin O. Willis Birds of a feathersometimes flock together,as anyoneknows who has ever seen blackbirdsor sandpipersin fall. More surprisingly,in many parts of the world birdsof different feathersflock together.H. W. Bates (1863), in his classic"Naturalist on the River Amazons," reportshow the empty forest seemedto come alivewith dozensof kinds of birds whenever one of the diverse Amazonian "mixed flocks" passedby. Lessspectacular but similarmixed flocksof Plain Titmice, Hutton's Vireos, and other birds can be seenin California oak woodland. Those who watch for mixed flocks will be surprised how common they are, from migrant warblers among Common Bushtitsin chaparralto CactusWrens among Black-throated Sparrows on the desert. Some mixed flocks gather for obviousreasons, such as the gulls one seesat garbagedumps or the flocksof birds that follow army ants for flushed insectsin tropical America. The birds in most complex flocks,however, seem to congregateand follow each other without obvious reasons.Probably no biologist can say what a warbler gainsby followingBushtits about, althoughmany biologists nowadaysare studying mixed flocks. Reasonssuggested for mixed flocks mostly fall in two categories.Perhaps the birds lead eachother to food, or avoid competingfor food, by watchingeach other. Perhapsthe birdsavoid predation by associatingwith eachother. One bird I studied in Panama, the small Spotted Antbird (Hylophylax naevioides),definitely spent lesstime callingor fleeing nervouslywhen it associatedwith birds of other species(Willis, in press).This gaveit the opportunityto stareat the groundto forage. Calif. Birds 3:1-8, 1972 1 FLOCKING OF BIRDS IN HAWAII Presumably,if there were no predatorsthere would be no reasonfor such birds as Spotted Antbirds to join other species;they could forageas they pleasedwithout keepingnear other alert birds.Mixed flocks bound togetherby warinesswould be absent;flocks would be associatedwith feedingopportunities only. Birds in an area without predatorscould form a natural ex- periment.If flocks like thoseof the Vireo and the Titmouseexisted in such an area, it would be likely that thesemixed flocks do form for food reasonsalone. Birds and other organismsin placeswithout predatorslose their defensivemechanisms rapidly. Island birds are notablyfearless, and plantson Hawaiiseldom have spines or poisons (Carlquist,1970). Warner(1968) found Hawaiianhoneycreepers do not sleep with their heads in their back feathers,and are therefore easy prey for introducedmosquitoes. The problemis, it is rare to find a placewithout predators.It is especiallydifficult to find sucha placewith many speciesof birds,so that one can get mixed flocks.The naturalexperiment, however, has been performedon certainoceanic archipelagos that have few or no predators.As Darwin found during the voyageof the Beagle,the isolatedarchipelago of the Galaparoshas many speciesof finchesbut hardly any native predators.However, there are many somewhat predatorylizards on the Galaparos. Evolutionon the HawaiianIslands has produceda groupof land birds as diverse as the Darwin's Finches, in a land almost without predators.There are open-countryHawaiian Hawks (Buteo solitarius} on the island of Hawaii and Short-earedOwls (Asio ]lammeus} on all islands, but no predatory native mammalsor reptiles. Unless the hawk and owl fed on insectsand nestlings,they may have come to Hawaii as new immigrantsafter the Polynesiansintroduced rats; they seldom eat adult birds. If there were mixed flocks of the diverse nativeHawaiian birds, they surelycould not be causedby predation except perhapson the islandof Hawaii itself. The Drepanididae,or Hawaiianhoneycreepers, are a fascinatingly diversegroup of birds. Havingevolved from one or two originalkinds of birds, so far back that nobody now knows whether they were tropical honeycreepersor Northern finches, the many types of drepanididsnow possessthe widest variety of types of bills in any bird family. There are smallwarblerlike ones with straightbills (the Anianiau, Loxops parva} or slightlyalecurved ones (the Amakihi, Loxops virens}, others with vireolike bills (the Creeper,Loxops maculata, of the forest undergrowth,and the Akepa, Loxops 2 FLOCKING OF BIRDS IN HAWAII coccinea,of the leafy tree crowns)and f'mallystrange rare creatures with downcurvedbills over 2 inches in length (the Akaialoa, Hemignathusprocerus]. One, the Akiapolaau[Hemignathus wilsoni], has a short, straightlower mandiblethat it usesto flake bark off trunks with woodpeckerlikehammering, while its long downcurved upper mandibleprobes for insectsin crevices.The related Nukupuu [Hemignathuslucidus] differs mainly in having the short lower mandibledowncurved. Related birds, mostly the size of large spar- rows, had thick finchlike bills or even parrofiike onesto crackseeds or tear open twigs.Regrettably, most f'mchlikebirds except the Palila [Psittirostrabailleui] are now rare or extinct. Another line, mostly extinct now with the exception of the common red Apapane[Himatione sanguinea]with its short, slightly decured bill and the fairly common red and black Iiwi [Festiaria coccihealwith its long downcurvedbill, adds to the diversityof the native Hawaiian avifauna. In addition, there are a little native flycatcher, the Elepaio {Chasiempsissandwichensis}, two native thrushes(including the Omao, Phaeornisobscura}, and numerous introducedbirds. The avifaunais certainlydiverse enough that mixed flockscould form, althoughthe nativebirds have suffered greatly and many are now rare or extinct. Introducedmosquitoes brought them introduced diseases(Warner, 1968), introducedants killed insects they fed on (Zimmerman,1970), and the original forestswere reducedto a quartertheir originalextent (Carlquist,1970). G. C. Munro, one of the collectorsat the rum of the century,saw the native Hawaiian birds duringtheir horrible decline.In 1944, he recorded his memoriesand field notes of half a century on the islands.On Kauai, he reports,the Creeperformed small flockswith Akepas.The constantchipping of the Creeperattracted other birds. To find certain rare species,such as the Nukupuu,he followedthe chippingof the Creeper. Since there were no native predatorson Kauai other than Short-earedOwls, Munro's report interestedme greatly. Richardsonand Bowles(1964:29) reported Anianiauoften foragetogether with Amakihi. It seemedthat there might indeedbe mixed flockson Hawaii in the absenceof predators. However,one must be cautiousof reportsof mixed flocks.Even birds that ignore each other occasionallycome in contact, and an observerwho comes up at that moment will think the birds are associating.Sometimes birds mobbingan observerwill attract other species.One needsto watch critically to see if birds actually follow each other. 3 FLOCKING OF BIRDS IN HAWAII Thus, when my wife Yoshika and I went to Hawaii, I looked for mixed flocks. I quickly found that someof the other thingsI looked for, such as rare or reportedlyextinct birds, were very hard to find. As Berger(1970) reports,bird studyon Hawaiiis very difficult for a variety of reasons.Many of the nativebirds are so rare or restricted to undisturbedforests that a major expeditionis neededto hunt them down. I tried hiking in to somesuch places, such as a 10-mile mountainclimb to the upperKipahulu Valley on the eastside of the extinct volcano Haleakala on the island of Maui; but I found that I had only three or four hoursof birdingbefore I had to starthiking back. Naturally, I missedthe rare species. However,if one gets to relativelyundisturbed forests above 1000 meters elevation,he finds that the remainingnative birds of Hawaii are often remarkably common and far outnumber the introduced birds in someareas. On our first day on Hawaii,in the forestsof ohia trees and tree-fernsalong KilaueaCrater, it seemedthat every other treetop had its Apapaneor two, every fifth tree a tail-flickinglittle Amakihi. These are the two commonestsurviving honeycreepers, common on all the larger Hawaiian islandsfrom the last scrubby ohiasin the crater of Haleakaladown to the slopesabove Honolulu. 'From Kilauea, we went to cabinsat PohakuloaState Recreation Area in the dry saddlebetween the massivevolcanoes of MaunaKea and Mauna Loa. In the dry scrub and eucalyptus,House Finches, House Sparrowsand CaliforniaQuail outnumberednative birds. The pretty little Red-billedLeiothrix (Leiothrix lutea] were in flocksof up to 10 birds, and I watchedsmall groups of introducedWhite-eyes (Zosteropspalpebrosus] and a few Amakihi follow one suchflock. There were many White-eyesand Amakihis away from this mixed flock, however. From Pohakuloa,I drove up on the slopesof MaunaKea to what provedthe best birding area on the "Big Island"of Hawaii.This was the scrubby, low grassywoodland of mamane and naio trees at Andrew Berger'sstudy area above Puu Ulaau cabin. Here, Elepaio flitted from bushto bush,Amakihi were more commonthan Elepaio, crimsonApapane and Iiwi paradedfrom treetop to floweringtreetop, and Palila whistledfrom a few of the mamanetrees. The scoldingof a few Leiothrix, almost the only introduced birds besides the commonWhite-eyes and grass-dwellingSkylarks, brought in the most excitingbird--a bright yellow Akiapolaauwith its absurdlyshaped bill, to tap on branchesinside a mamanenear me and then to perch near me as I squeakedand drew in curious Amakihi from all 4 FLOCKING OF BIRDS IN HAWAII directions.One feds sad that this forest is graduallydying, mainly from overgrazingby
Recommended publications
  • Roosting of a Spotted Antbird (Formicariidae: Hylophylax
    SHORT COMMUNICATIONS 367 ROOSTING OF A SPOTTED ANTBIRD TABLE 1. Nightly occurrence of Spotted Antbird (FORMICARIIDAE: HYLOPHYLAX (Hylophylux nueoioides) at one roosting site. NAEVZOZDES) IN COSTA RICA Bxd Date” Present” arrived, ’ Weather” ALLEN M. YOUNG1 Feb. 4 18:05 overcast The Organization for Tropical Studies 5 18:00 overcast Apartado 16 Universidad de Costa Rica, C. A. 6 18:00 rain 7 18: 10 rain 8 17:56 overcast 9 18:05 clear Although the natural history of the Spotted Antbird 10 18:00 rain (Hylophylux naevioides) is well known, thanks to nest- 18 17:55 overcast ing studies by Skutch ( 1950, 1969) and a forthcoming 19 17:57 clear monograph by E. 0. Willis (1971), its roosting be- 20 18:02 clear havior away from nests has not been reported. 21 clear At 20:00 on 3 February 1970 at Finca La Selva 22 18:00 clear ( Slud 1960), a large tract of primary growth lowland 23 17:48 overcast (89 m) wet forest situated 2 mi. SW of the village of 24 18: 10 overcast Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui ( 10” 26 ’ N) in the Carib- bean lowlands of Costa Rica, I found by flashlight a Mar. 4 18:00 clear male Spotted Antbird sleeping 3.2 m off the ground 5 17:54 clear on a horizontal branch of a leafy small dioecious tree 6 17:50 rain (Rubiaceae). I had been doing nightly sampling of 7 rain emerging cicada nymphs over a wide area of forest 8 1757 overcast floor since early January, but had not noticed the bird 9 17:55 clear before.
    [Show full text]
  • Neotropical Birds Quiz Test Your Knowledge of Neotropical Birds with This Fun Quiz! Click to Get Started 1
    Neotropical Birds Quiz Test your knowledge of Neotropical birds with this fun quiz! Click to Get Started 1. What is the name of this species? Blue-chested Hummingbird Purple-throated Mountain-gem Volcano Hummingbird Bee Hummingbird Need a hint? Oops, that’s incorrect… The Blue-chested Hummingbird, has a bright green crown that is sometimes visible, and a violet patch on its chest. Its tail is slightly forked. Of all the Neotropical hummingbirds, this is one of the most nondescript. Try Again Next Question Oops, that’s incorrect… The Purple-throated Mountain-gem is most easily identified by its long, white postocular stripe, shared by both the female and the male. The male also boasts a brilliant purple throat and blue crown. Try Again Next Question Oops, that’s incorrect… The male Bee Hummingbird has a striking reddish throat and its gorget has elongated plumes. Its back and sides are brilliant blue. Try Again Next Question Nice job, you’re right! The Volcano Hummingbird is a tiny bird, measuring only 7.5 cm long, with a distinctive grayish-purple throat. It is endemic to the Talamancan montane forests of Costa Rica and western Panama. Next Question This hummingbird inhabits the high- HINT elevation regions of Costa Rica and western Panama. It can be found from around 1,800 meters above sea level up to the tallest peaks throughout its range. Try Again 2. Which of these birds is NOT typically associated with an Ocellated Antbird Black-breasted Puffbird army ant swarm? Need a hint? Previous Question Spotted Antbird Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo HINT This pied-colored bird is rarely, if ever, found low to the ground.
    [Show full text]
  • TOP BIRDING LODGES of PANAMA with the Illinois Ornithological Society
    TOP BIRDING LODGES OF PANAMA WITH IOS: JUNE 26 – JULY 5, 2018 TOP BIRDING LODGES OF PANAMA with the Illinois Ornithological Society June 26-July 5, 2018 Guides: Adam Sell and Josh Engel with local guides Check out the trip photo gallery at www.redhillbirding.com/panama2018gallery2 Panama may not be as well-known as Costa Rica as a birding and wildlife destination, but it is every bit as good. With an incredible diversity of birds in a small area, wonderful lodges, and great infrastructure, we tallied more than 300 species while staying at two of the best birding lodges anywhere in Central America. While staying at Canopy Tower, we birded Pipeline Road and other lowland sites in Soberanía National Park and spent a day in the higher elevations of Cerro Azul. We then shifted to Canopy Lodge in the beautiful, cool El Valle de Anton, birding the extensive forests around El Valle and taking a day trip to coastal wetlands and the nearby drier, more open forests in that area. This was the rainy season in Panama, but rain hardly interfered with our birding at all and we generally had nice weather throughout the trip. The birding, of course, was excellent! The lodges themselves offered great birding, with a fruiting Cecropia tree next to the Canopy Tower which treated us to eye-level views of tanagers, toucans, woodpeckers, flycatchers, parrots, and honeycreepers. Canopy Lodge’s feeders had a constant stream of birds, including Gray-cowled Wood-Rail and Dusky-faced Tanager. Other bird highlights included Ocellated and Dull-mantled Antbirds, Pheasant Cuckoo, Common Potoo sitting on an egg(!), King Vulture, Black Hawk-Eagle being harassed by Swallow-tailed Kites, five species of motmots, five species of trogons, five species of manakins, and 21 species of hummingbirds.
    [Show full text]
  • Territory Switching Behavior in a Sedentary Tropical Passerine, the Dusky Antbird (Cercomacra Tyrannina)
    Behavioral Ecology Vol. 11 No. 6: 648–653 Territory switching behavior in a sedentary tropical passerine, the dusky antbird (Cercomacra tyrannina) Eugene S. Morton,a Kim C. Derrickson,b and Bridget J. M. Stutchburyc aConservation and Research Center, National Zoological Park, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA, bDepartment of Biology, Loyola College, 4501 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21210, USA, and cDepartment of Biology, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada Demographic data from an 8-year study of a marked population showed that switching territories and mates is common in both genders of dusky antbirds (Cercomacra tyrannina), a sedentary neotropical passerine with year-round territories and pairbonds. We conducted 22 experimental removals and followed six natural disappearances to examine territory switching. Antbirds quickly abandoned territories and mates to move to openings created by experimental removals. Pairing with the resident on a new territory was rapid. Unmated birds attracted new mates by singing a gender-specific song that differed from songs given by mated birds. There were no gender differences in replacement time or rate. Some vacancies, experimental and natural, were not filled, suggesting that floaters were rare. Territory and mate switching were not related to immediate enhancement of reproductive success because the probability of reproducing successfully was equally poor on all territories. Territory switching may be an overlooked but common tropical form of territoriality that increases individual survivorship during periods of low food abundance (dry season). We suggest that switching is favored when low annual reproductive success enhances selection for a long lifespan as the primary means to increase reproductive success.
    [Show full text]
  • Spotted Antbirds
    THE BEHAVIOR OF SPOTTED ANTBIRDS BY EDWIN O. WILLIS ORNITHOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS NO. 10 PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION 1972 Above: Male Spotted Antbird BX, who occupied a territory near the center of Barro Colorado Island for at least the years 1960-1971. Below: Mist-netting a male Spotted Antbird. Bands, read up the left leg and down the right, identify this individual as male CWRS (orange-red, white, red, black-yellow). THE BEHAVIOR OF SPOTTED ANTBIRDS BY EDWIN O. WILLIS ORNITHOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS NO. 10 PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION 1972 ORNITHOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS This series,published by the American Ornithologists'Union, has been establishedfor major paperstoo long for inclusionin the Union's journal, The Auk. Publicationhas been made possiblethrough the generosityof Mrs. Carll Tucker and the Marcia Brady Tucker Foundation,Inc. Correspondenceconcerning manuscripts for publicationin the series shouldbe addressedto the Editor, Dr. Robert M. Mengel, Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas,Lawrence, Kansas 66044. Copiesof OrnithologicalMonographs may be orderedfrom the Treasurer of the AOU, Butt L. Monroe,Jr., Box 23447, Anchorage,Kentucky 40223. (See price list on insideback cover.) OrnithologicalMonographs, No. 10, vi + 162 pp. Editor, Robert M. Mengel Editorial Assistant,James W. Parker Issued August 29, 1972 Price $6.00 prepaid ($4.75 to AOU Members) Library of CongressCatalogue Card Number 72-87186 Printedby the Allen PressInc., Lawrence,Kansas 66044 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Thesis 7Apr13
    The Role of Male Vocal Signals During Male-Male Competition and Female Mate Choice in Greater Prairie-Chickens (Tympanuchus cupido) Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Jennifer Ann Hale, B. S. Graduate Program in Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology The Ohio State University 2013 Thesis Committee: Dr. Jacqueline Augustine, Advisor Dr. Douglas Nelson, Advisor Dr. Andrew Roberts Dr. William Mitchell Masters Copyright by Jennifer Ann Hale 2013 Abstract In many taxa, vocal communication plays an integral role in aggression, territorial defense, and female choice. The acoustic structure of vocalizations is influenced by physical constraints on the vocalizer, suggesting a potential for discrimination among individuals. In the lek-mating Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido), male vocalizations are an integral part of the ritualized display. We investigated whether variation among vocal characteristics of individual male Greater Prairie-Chickens plays a role during female choice and male-male competition. Vocal characteristics varied among males but were fairly consistent for each male, suggesting that vocalizations might be used by prairie-chickens to identify individuals. Female choice was evaluated by comparing characteristics of vocalizations produced by reproductively successful and unsuccessful males, and successful males were found to vocalize at a relatively lower mean frequency. Playbacks of familiar and unfamiliar males were conducted on the lek to assess the role of vocalizations during male-male competition. Males responded to the prairie-chicken treatments by vocalizing at a faster rate and approaching the playback speaker, but they did not respond more strongly to the vocalizations of unfamiliar males than familiar males.
    [Show full text]
  • BONNER ZOOLOGISCHE MONOGRAPHIEN, Nr
    QL © Biodiversity Heritage Library, http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/; www.zoologicalbulletin.de; www.biologiezentrum.at AVIFAUNA OF NORTHWESTERN COLOMBIA, SOUTH AMERICA by JÜRGEN HAFFER BONNER ZOOLOGISCHE MONOGRAPHIEN, Nr. 7 1975 Herausgeber: ZOOLOGISCHES FORSCHUNGSINSTITUT UND MUSEUM ALEXANDER KOENIG BONN © Biodiversity Heritage Library, http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/; www.zoologicalbulletin.de; www.biologiezentrum.at : BONNER ZOOLOGISCHE MONOGRAPHIEN Die Serie wird vom Zoologischen Forschungsinistitut und Museum Alexander Koenig herausgegeben und bringt Originalarbeiten, die für eine Unterbringung in den „Bonner Zoologischen Beiträgen" zu lang sind und eine Veröffentlichung als Monographie rechtfertigen. Anfragen bezüglich der Vorlage von Manuskripten und Bestellungen sind an die Schriftleitung zu richten. This series of monographs, published by the Zoological Research In- stitute and Museum Alexander Koenig, has been established for original contributions too long for inclusion in „Bonner Zoologische Beiträge". Correspondence concerning manuscripts for publication and purchase orders should be addressed to the editors. LTnstitut de Recherches Zoologiques et Museum Alexander Koenig a etabli cette serie de monographies pour pouvoir publier des travaux zoolo- giques trop longs pour etre inclus dans les „Bonner Zoologische Beiträge". Toute correspondance concernant des manuscrits pour cette serie ou des commandes doivent etre adressees aux editeurs. BONNER ZOOLOGISCHE MONOGRAPHIEN, Nr. 7, 1975 Preis 35 DM Schriftleitung/Editor Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Panama's Canopy Tower and El Valle's Canopy Lodge
    FIELD REPORT – Panama’s Canopy Tower and El Valle’s Canopy Lodge January 4-16, 2019 Orange-bellied Trogon © Ruthie Stearns Blue Cotinga © Dave Taliaferro Geoffroy’s Tamarin © Don Pendleton Ocellated Antbird © Carlos Bethancourt White-tipped Sicklebill © Jeri Langham Prepared by Jeri M. Langham VICTOR EMANUEL NATURE TOURS, INC. 2525 WALLINGWOOD DR., AUSTIN, TX 78746 Phone: 512-328-5221 or 800-328-8368 / Fax: 512-328-2919 [email protected] / www.ventbird.com Myriads of magazine articles have touted Panama’s incredible Canopy Tower, a former U.S. military radar tower transformed by Raúl Arias de Para when the U.S. relinquished control of the Panama Canal Zone. It sits atop 900-foot Semaphore Hill overlooking Soberania National Park. While its rooms are rather spartan, the food is Panama’s Canopy Tower © Ruthie Stearns excellent and the opportunity to view birds at dawn from the 360º rooftop Observation Deck above the treetops is outstanding. Twenty minutes away is the start of the famous Pipeline Road, possibly one of the best birding roads in Central and South America. From our base, daily birding outings are made to various locations in Central Panama, which vary from the primary forest around the tower, to huge mudflats near Panama City and, finally, to cool Cerro Azul and Cerro Jefe forest. An enticing example of what awaits visitors to this marvelous birding paradise can be found in excerpts taken from the Journal I write during every tour and later e- mail to participants. These are taken from my 17-page, January 2019 Journal. On our first day at Canopy Tower, with 5 of the 8 participants having arrived, we were touring the Observation Deck on top of Canopy Tower when Ruthie looked up and called my attention to a bird flying in our direction...it was a Black Hawk-Eagle! I called down to others on the floor below and we watched it disappear into the distant clouds.
    [Show full text]
  • Libro Del Curso Biología De Campo 2010
    Universidad de Costa Rica Escuela de Biología Libro del Curso Biología de Campo 2010 Universidad de Costa Rica Facultad de Ciencias Escuela de Biología Biología de Campo 2010 Coordinadores: Federico Bolaños Eduardo Chacón Jorge Lobo Golfito, Puntarenas Enero-Febrero 2010 2 Indice Presentación del curso .........................................................................................................6 Lista de participantes:...........................................................................................................7 Fotografía de grupo ..............................................................................................................8 Fotografías de participantes ................................................................................................9 Trabajos Grupales ..............................................................................................................23 Éxito reproductivo de la palma neotropical dioica Chamaedorea tepejilote (Arecales: Arecaceae) .........................................................................................................................24 Efecto de la invasión del bastón del emperador Etlingera elatior (Jack) R. M. Smith (Zingiberaceae) en la diversidad y abundancia de plántulas en un bosque secundario ..30 Éxito reproductivo y enantiostilia en Senna reticulata (Caesalpinaceae) ...........................37 Sistema de polinización por viento en Myriocarpa longipes (Urticaceae) ..........................46 Curvas de polen para Myriocarpa longipes
    [Show full text]
  • Species List January 5 – 12, 2020 | Compiled by James P
    Costa Rica Birding & Nature| Species List January 5 – 12, 2020 | Compiled by James P. Smith With local guide Johan Fernandez, driver Jorge Machado and host guide James P. Smith. Twelve participants joined the tour: Fran, Larry, Sandra, Jim, Robin, Matt, Betsy, Thane, Mary Anne, Glenn, Becky and Andrew. (HO)= Distinctive enough to be counted as a heard only (I)= Introduced (RE)= Regional Endemic (E)= National Endemic Summary: The delightful Hotel Bougainvillia in the Central Valley provided the perfect venue to start to this tour. Quickly followed by a radical change of scenery (and elevation), we entered the Talamanca Mountains the next day and spent two nights amid the cloud forest in the enchanting Savegre Valley. Crossing back over the Continental divide, our sojourn through the Caribbean slope began in earnest at the exceptionally bird-rich environs of Rancho Naturalista before dropping down to the humid, rainforest habitats centered around Sarapiqui and La Selva. We enjoyed largely favorable weather throughout though did experience the passage of a cold front which brought blustery winds and rain for just one day though thankfully not interfering with our plans. Throughout the tour we were in exceptionally good hands. Jorge’s stoic approach at the wheel gave us a seamless journey through the narrow, winding roads of rural Costa Rica. We arrived safely and on time at every single destination. In Johan Fernandez we were fortunate to have one of Costa Rica’s leading bird guides. His skill, expertise and patience in the field were obvious from the outset and during the course of the trip other virtues came to the fore.
    [Show full text]
  • TOP BIRDING LODGES of PANAMA Central Lowlands and Darién
    www.redhillbirding.com PANAMA June 22-July 3, 2020 TOP BIRDING LODGES OF PANAMA Central Lowlands and Darién Tour leader: Adam Sell with local guides -------------------------------------- CANOPY TOWER & CANOPY CAMP JUNE 22 – JULY 3, 2020 $4495 per person sharing Single supplement $570 -------------------------------------- CANOPY LODGE (El Valle de Antón) EXTENSION JULY 3-7, 2020 $1995 per person sharing ($1745 with 6 or more participants) Single Supplement $225 224.213.2280 [email protected] 1 www.redhillbirding.com PANAMA June 22-July 3, 2020 Panama is not only the gateway for commerce between oceans, it is also the bridge between two continents. This has created a melting pot of biodiversity with avifauna of both North and South America, and many species limited to this region. With its incredible birding, wonderful accommodations, excellent infrastructure, and easy access from the United States, it offers perhaps the best combination of a great destination for an introduction to the tropics and a place where the seasoned world birder can go to see a blast of new birds in an incredible setting. Check out the detailed itinerary to get a taste of the mouth-watering array of birds that we hope to see. This tour is designed to take in the best of Panamanian birding, staying at the world-famous Canopy Family of lodges, renowned for their exceptional birding, delicious food, and comfortable accommodations. The main tour takes us to the Canopy Tower in the Central lowlands of Soberanía National Park and the stunning, comfortable Canopy Camp in the remote reaches of Panama’s Darien province (where there are known nests of both Harpy and Crested Eagles!).
    [Show full text]
  • Hylophylax Naevioides
    GENERAL NOTES Longevitiesof SomePanamanian Forest Birds, with Note of Low Survivorshipin Old SpottedAntbirds (Hylophylax naevioides).--InJanuary and February 1977 and 1981, I recorded on Barro Colorado Island, Panama,several ant-following birds color-banded duringannual studies from 1960 to 1970 (Willis 1967, Univ. Calif. Publ.Zool. 79:1-1322; 19722,Ornithol. Monogr. 10:1-1622;1972, Wilson Bull. 84:377-4220;1973, Smithson. Contrib. Zool. 144:1-57; Willis and Oniki, 19722, Condor 74:87-101). The oldest such individualsare listedin Table 1. Birdsbanded as adults had probablyfledged the calendar yearprior to bandingor evenearlier, as young of theyear were almost never on territories by the normalbanding months. All wereof the territorialsex (male in all butD. fuliginosa), and ones banded as adults were on or near the territory where banded when last seen. The oldestfemale SpottedAntbirds were 11 y 7 mo and over 122y 7 mo old when last seen;the latter wason the territory wherebanded while the other, bandedas a fledgling, wasrelocated well off my normal studyarea 1 1 yearslater. Ten bandedSpotted Antbirds were locatedin 1981 (the female abovehad not been seenin 1977), while 228other bandedindividuals had been locatedin 1977. All 1977 birds were at least6 yearsold, the actualtime elapsedsince banding being over 13 yearsfor 1 individual,12 y for 2, 11 y for 3, 10 y for 3, 9 y for 5, 8 y for 8, 7 y for 6, and 6 y for 10; 1981 birds were at least 10 y old, the time sincebanding being over 14 y for 1 bird, 13 y for 1, 12 y for 2, 11 y for 3, and 10 y for 3.
    [Show full text]