Author: canopytower

White-shouldered Tanager Tachyphonus luctosus This handsome tanager is one that you are likely to encounter in mixed feeding flocks in the rainforests of Panama. It is one of Panama’s smaller tanager species, at 13 cm in length and weighing only up to 15 grams. The male is mostly black with a conspicuous white wing patch, giving the species its name. The female, on the other hand, looks nothing like her mate; she has an olive back, yellow underparts and a gray head. There are 5 described subspecies of the White-shouldered Tanager, and a fair bit of variation in this species in Panama: the western races have smaller wing patches. Males in Chiriqui province have a yellow crown and pale eye, and females in Chiriqui have more of an olive-colored head, showing less of a contrast with the body. The base of the mandible is a silvery-gray in all races. Immature birds are similar to females but browner, with more olive underparts. Young males start changing at the first breeding season, and will have a gradual blotchy appearance until they acquire their glossy black adult plumage. White-shouldered Tanagers can be found in forest and woodlands, forest edge and prefer secondary growth and dense vegetation. They forage in all levels of the forest, but are most often found in the mid-story and sub-canopy. They forage in pairs and family groups. They eat primarily insects but also small fruits on occasion. They are active foragers, gleaning insects and occasionally small fruits from thin branches and tops of leaves. They give squeaky “chew” and “chut” notes, as well as a thin “tsit.” Songs vary geographically in Panama, they are generally melodic and repetitive. Males defend their territories and engage in courtship display by flaring their white shoulder patches. White-shouldered Tanagers breed from February to

Capped Heron Pilherodius pileatus Photo by Uwe Speck One of the most unique herons of the Neotropics! The Capped Heron truly stands out on its own, as no other combines a brilliant sky-blue face and bill with a black crown. It further has a thick, cream-colored neck and breast and whitish to light gray wings and back, and four or five long white plumes that extend off the back of its head. In flight, it is rather compact and appears small and chunky, with rapid, choppy wingbeats. Males and females are similar, and young birds are also similar to the adults but are paler gray above; juvenile birds may have gray streaking on the crown and shorter nuchal plumes. The Capped Heron is always found in low densities throughout its wide range from central and eastern Panama throughout the Amazon basin. It inhabits swamps, riverways, and small ponds primarily in the lowlands but has been recorded up to elevations of 900 meters. It is rather reliant on water and prefers to forage in less-vegetated water courses. It feeds on small fish, aquatic insects, tadpoles, and frogs. When hunting, it spends up to half the time standing in a crouched position, then thrusts its neck and bill forward and lunges its body to catch its prey. It is very territorial when it is hunting. It is usually quiet, but may give soft, muffled hoots and occasional guttural croaks. This medium-sized heron is usually solitary, but may be seen in pairs and small groups of up to four birds. Pairs will often forage together, but they avoid mixed feeding flocks. There is very little information about the Capped Heron’s breeding ecology; the nest is placed low in trees and clutch size is 2-4 eggs, which are incubated for 26-27 days. Chicks are

Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher Terenotriccus erythrurus Photo by Rafael Lau A tiny flycatcher – only 10 cm in length and weighing only 7 grams – this teeny rainforest dweller is distinguished by its gray head and upper back, bright rufous breast, wings, rump and tail, and buffy lower belly. It has a short, stubby bill with prominent rictal bristles. It appears to have a large, bushy head profile and has large eyes, characteristic among many understory flycatchers that live where light is reduced by canopy cover. Males and females are similar in appearance. It is the only member of its genus, and there are eight recognized subspecies of the Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher; in Panama, T. e. fulvigularis is found. The Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher is found in the lowland and foothills forests, up to 800 meters elevation, and inhabits lower and middle levels of the forest. It prefers humid lowland forest and secondary growth woodlands. It is usually solitary, but occasionally joins mixed feeding flocks. It is usually first detected by its distinctive call – a high, thin peeee-sit! It vocalizes throughout the day, and often gives repeated calls at dawn. While often seen in the forest understory, the Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher will also perch in the open, and sits very upright. Like many other flycatchers, it takes a sit-and-wait approach to catching insects, sallying out from a branch to catch prey, and particularly favors feeding on leafhoppers (Cicadellidae). Like a few other understory flycatchers, the Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher sometimes does rapid wing lifts, usually both wings at the same time. Female Ruddy-tailed Flycatchers are responsible for all aspects of breeding – males are not involved in parental care. They do not form pair bonds, even during the breeding season. The female constructs a pear-shaped nest made up of various plant fibers with a semi-concealed side entrance.

Northern Barred-Woodcreeper Dendrocolaptes sanctithomae Photo by Carlos Bethancourt The Northern Barred-Woodcreeper is one of our most impressive woodcreepers, rivaling all others in size at 26 cm in length. It is distinctly barred on its head, back and underparts, allowing it to be easily identified among this challenging group of Neotropical birds. Its tail is rufous and unbarred, and like all other woodcreepers, has stiffened feathers to use as support when creeping up trees. It has a heavy, straight bill, blackish in color. The Northern Barred-Woodcreeper is uncommon in the lowlands and rare in the foothills of Panama, but can be seen regularly around the Canopy Tower. This large woodcreeper is found in the lower levels of the forest. It regularly attends army ant swarms, and occasionally forages in mixed feeding flocks. It is solitary and lethargic, and often remains motionless while clinging to a tree trunk for extended periods of time. It eats a wide variety of arthropods, usually picked up from antswarms or gleaned from foliage, trunks, and occasionally in the air. It is also known to eat small lizards. It sounds off its distinctive, upward-slurring repeated whistle call, usually made up of 3 to 6 notes, most frequently at dawn and dusk, alerting us to its presence nearby. Natural tree cavities are chosen as nests, usually between 1.5 and 6 meters above the ground. Two chicks are reared during a rather prolonged nesting season between February and November. The Northern Barred-Woodcreeper used to be considered conspecific with the Amazonian Barred-Woodcreeper (D. certhia), but the two species differ morphologically, vocally and behaviorally. Primarily a Central American species, the Northern Barred-Woodcreeper ranges from southeastern Mexico to northwestern South America. In Panama, it is found along the entire Caribbean slope and on the Pacific slope in eastern Panama, up to 1100