Author: canopytower

Northern Emerald-Toucanet Aulacorhynchus prasinus Photo by Rafael Lau The Northern Emerald-Toucanet is a small toucan found in the foothills forests of Central America from Mexico to far-eastern Panama. At only about a foot in length, it is our smallest toucan in Panama. Its bright green plumage gives this species its name, and this colorful plumage is characteristic of its genus. In Panama, the Northern Emerald-Toucanet has a blue or purplish throat, chestnut-colored undertail coverts and rufous tail tips. Its bill is black and yellow. Individuals found in western Chiriqui near the Costa Rican border have a red spot at the base of the bill, whereas eastern Panama birds lack the red spot. The Northern Emerald-Toucanet has up to 8 subspecies which show different throat colors (white or blue/purple) and differences in bill patterns, with differing extent of yellow on the upper mandible. Subspecies also differ mildly in size. The Northern Emerald-Toucanet is a bird of the forest canopy – it forages in small flocks of up to 10 individuals among the canopy for fruits and small vertebrates. It is quite a generalist – over 113 species of plants are reported in its diet in Costa Rica alone! However, it has a special preference for berries. It also eats vertebrate prey, including eggs and nestling birds, small lizards and snakes. Arthropods, including spiders, centipedes, grasshoppers, beetles, butterflies and moths, flies, bees and wasps are fed primarily to nestlings. It is often first detected by its call, a series of low, frog-like croaks that can continue for minutes. It is quite vocal, and other vocalizations include barking calls. It frequently cocks its tail while calling. It has direct flight with rapid wingbeats, often with a short glide at the end. It can be found in a variety of habitats, including forest edge,

Mottled Owl Ciccaba virgata Photo by Uwe Speck The Mottled Owl is a medium-sized owl of tropical America. It is dark overall, with a dark mottled brown and buff head, back and wings. It has a buffy belly and breast with heavy streaking, and vertical bars on the chest and throat. It has dark brown eyes surrounded by a light gray-brown facial disk with buffy streaking and incomplete buffy border. A pale morph also occurs in parts of its range, usually in drier habitats. It lacks ear tufts, therefore has a large, round-headed appearance. It has bare, buff-colored feet and a yellowish bill. Males and females are similar in appearance but show a high degree of sexual dimorphism when it comes to size—females (35 cm in length) are larger than males (28 cm in length). The Mottled Owl can be found in a variety of habitats, but typically prefer forest and woodlands, where they occupy the lower and middle levels of the forest. They are strictly nocturnal, but can be found roosting during the day, usually concealed in dense vine tangles and thick undergrowth—listening for smaller birds mobbing and scolding can often lead to a roosting Mottled Owl! Like all owls, they are predators—they catch and kill small mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians and even large insects to eat. They forage by waiting on a perch then swooping down to catch prey. Due to their nocturnal behavior, Mottled Owls have excellent eyesight designed for low-light conditions and very acute hearing. They make a variety of calls, from a series of muffled hoots to cat-like screeches. Mottled Owls usually nest in a tree cavity, but will occasionally take over suitable nests of other birds. The female lays 1-2 white eggs, and incubates them for 28-30 days. While incubation is solely done

Yellow-tailed Oriole Icterus mesomelas  The Yellow-tailed Oriole is a striking black and yellow bird of Panama’s swampy lowlands. It is easy to identify as it is the only oriole with prominent yellow in the tail. It is a medium-sized oriole (22 cm in length) with a relatively long tail. It has a golden yellow hood, breast, underparts and rump, contrasting with a black bib, back and wings. It has a distinctive yellow “epaulet” on its wings (a band on the lesser and median wing coverts). It’s central tail feathers are black and outer tail feathers yellow, and the tail appears completely yellow if viewed from below. Sexes are similar in appearance. Young birds are similar in appearance to the adults, but have olive-green backs instead of solid black. The Yellow-tailed Oriole is usually found near water, residing in woodland habitats and open areas, swampy lowlands and marshes, shrubby fields and clearings with trees. It is not found in closed canopy forest. It often hides in dense undergrowth, Heliconia stands and thickets, and is often first detected by its sweet song, a series of short, mellow notes, warbles and trills, repeated frequently. It gives a clear “chup-cheer” call. Yellow-tailed Orioles feed primarily on insects, but will also occasionally eat fruits (especially fruits from the Gumbo-Limbo tree) and nectar. Birds usually forage in pairs or small groups. Yellow-tailed Orioles are solitary breeders, unlike some other members of its family. They build a deep but thin nest 2 meters off the ground, usually by a stream nestled in thorny scrub. Eggs are white with dark blotches. Three eggs are laid per clutch. Eggs hatch in 13 days, and the young fledge at 14 days old. In Panama, the Yellow-tailed Oriole breeds from April to June. The Yellow-tailed Oriole has a wide distribution in