“Ecology and distribution of endemic birds of the Osa Peninsula” Final Report for Friends of the Osa and Evergreen Foundation September 2009 Elizabeth Jones Abraham Gallo 1 Dan Lebbin Contents FOO Contract Terms ...................................................................................................................................................4 Surveys and Maps ............................................................................................................................................................... 5 Habitats. ............................................................................................................................................................................. 8 Threats and Conservation Recommendations. .................................................................................................................. 8 Evergreen Grant Contract Terms ................................................................................................................................8 Detailed account of activities .............................................................................................................................................. 9 Evaluation of accomplishments and successes .................................................................................................................. 9 Significant obstacles encountered, ................................................................................................................................... 10 Recommendations for future projects ............................................................................................................................. 10 Detailed financial report ................................................................................................................................................... 11 “Ecology and distribution of endemic birds of the Osa Peninsula”. Detailed Report for Friends of the Osa.................. 13 Introduction and Past Work .............................................................................................................................................. 13 Surveys .............................................................................................................................................................................. 13 Accomplishments .............................................................................................................................................................. 16 Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager ......................................................................................................................................17 Surveys .............................................................................................................................................................................. 17 Habitat .............................................................................................................................................................................. 17 Local distribution, territories and seasonal patterns in the Rio Sierpe area: ................................................................... 19 Nesting .............................................................................................................................................................................. 20 Aging and Sexing Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager .................................................................................................................. 22 Conclusions, observations, and suggestions for future work ........................................................................................... 22 Conservation recommendations ....................................................................................................................................... 23 Mangrove Hummingbird ..........................................................................................................................................23 Surveys and Distribution ................................................................................................................................................... 23 Habitat .............................................................................................................................................................................. 25 Behavior ............................................................................................................................................................................ 25 Yellow-billed Cotinga ...............................................................................................................................................28 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................................... 28 Habitat .............................................................................................................................................................................. 29 Distribution and Populations .......................................................................................................................................... 30 Nesting and Courtship....................................................................................................................................................... 34 Foraging behavior ............................................................................................................................................................. 36 Photo work ........................................................................................................................................................................ 37 2 Difficulties encountered.................................................................................................................................................... 37 Recommendations for future work .................................................................................................................................. 37 Conservation ..................................................................................................................................................................... 37 Education ................................................................................................................................................................38 Past work ........................................................................................................................................................................... 38 2008-2009 Season ............................................................................................................................................................. 38 Field trips including trainees ............................................................................................................................................. 38 Educational Successes ....................................................................................................................................................... 39 Earlier education frustrations ........................................................................................................................................... 40 Obstacles .......................................................................................................................................................................... 40 Solutions............................................................................................................................................................................ 40 Acknowledgements..................................................................................................................................................42 Appendices ..............................................................................................................................................................42 Appendix 1. Habitat Codes…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….41 Appendix 2. Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager Surveys with habitat codes.…………………………………………………………………………… 42 Appendix 3. Areas surveyed for Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager………………………………………………………………………………………..45 Figures Figure 1. Map of survey locations during Dec 2008-2009 field season ................................................................................. 5 Figure 2 Map of Yellow-billed Cotinga detections during surveys (2007-2009). ................................................................... 6 Figure 3. Map of Yellow-billed Cotinga detections during surveys (2007-2009) in the Osa Region,...................................... 6 Figure 3. Map of Mangrove Hummingbird detections during surveys (2007-2009).. ............................................................ 7 Figure 5 Map of Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager detections during surveys (2007-2009). ......................................................... 7 Figure 6 . Map of all surveys from Sept 2008-July 2009 ....................................................................................................... 15 Figure 7. All surveys from December 2007-July 2009 in the Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager range. ....................................... 17 Figure 8. Comparison of dates and years in Rio Sierpe ......................................................................................................