Jacaranda

White-whiskered Puffbird Malacoptila panamensis Photo by Doug Weschler A relative of kingfishers, puffbirds are well-named for their “puffy” appearance—large head and round body, short neck and tail and long, stout bill.  The White-whiskered Puffbird is a common resident of the forest understory; however, due to its habit of perching silently for extended periods of time, it is easily overlooked.  At 18 cm in length, it is a relatively small member of the family Bucconidae.  Males and females are similar in plumage but can be distinguished—males are rufous-brown above with light brown spotting on wings and back, bright tawny throat and chest, and streaked underparts.  Females are slightly grayer above with less streaking below.  Both males and females have prominent white tufts on the face, forming “whiskers” on the sides of the bill. White-whiskered Puffbirds perch motionless in the lower levels of the forest and are usually rather tame, allowing close approach.  They are often found in pairs, and are generally silent; however, will give a high, thin whistle.  They feed on insects and small vertebrates including lizards and frogs, and sometimes attend army ant swarms and occasionally feed in mixed feeding flocks.  Breeding season for White-whiskered Puffbirds is from May to August in Panama.  Like their kingfisher and motmot cousins, they nest in burrows on banks or slightly sloping ground.  Cavities are excavated by the pair and are up to 56 cm long; adults line the cavity with dead leaves, as well as disguise the entrance hole.  The female lays 2 glossy white eggs; the males incubate the eggs at night and females incubate during the day.  When the chicks hatch, the male broods the chicks and the female brings food to the nestlings.  After 7 days, the chicks are less accompanied by the male.  Although altricial, chicks are mobile

Black-and-white Owl Ciccaba nigrolineata Photo by Carlos Bethancourt The Black-and-white Owl is an impressive, large owl found throughout most of Central America from Mexico into northwest South America.  Standing 35-40 cm tall, this owl can be distinguished by its blackish upperparts and white underparts with fine black bars.  Its face and crown are black with speckled white eyebrows, and lacks feather tufts.  It has dark eyes, and bright yellow-orange bill and legs.  Males and females look the same, but like most other owls, females are larger than males.  Black-and-white Owls can be found in tropical lowland evergreen forest up to 2100 meters in elevation.  They are strictly nocturnal, and remain well-hidden in thick brush during the day, solitary or in pairs.  They feed on small vertebrates, mainly bats, mice and birds, as well as large insects and arthropods.  Since they prefer to feed on aerial prey, they hunt primarily in the canopy of the forest.  Some individuals even become accustomed to feeding on insects and bats attracted to street lights in quiet partially wooded suburbs.  Nesting begins in late March; females lay 1-2 eggs in abandoned bird or mammal nest, bromeliad clump or tree cavity, in the tallest trees of the forest; eggs hatch in late April.  Black-and-white Owls are rather vocal, giving a series of loud, barking hoots and an unusual cat-like scream.  On occasion, a Black-and-white Owl is seen outside the dining room and lounge windows of the Canopy Tower; we believe that it is attracted to the insects brought in by the black light we turn on at night, as well as bats flying around the lights in the parking lot after dark.  It often perches quite close, and does not seem overly wary of people!  We also commonly see and hear Black-and-white Owls in the immediate

Tufted Flycatcher Mitrephanes phaeocercus Photo by David Tipling A small, plump flycatcher of the wooded foothills, the cute Tufted Flycatcher is olive-green above with 2 grayish-olive wing bars, an ochre-orange breast and distinct pointed crest.  It perches on small branches in the mid-story of the forest, periodically making sallying flights for small insects, similar to wood-pewees.  It frequently calls, giving a series of high pip notes.  It ranges throughout the Pacific slope of Central America and northwest South America from Mexico to Ecuador.  This resident species is one of the many flycatchers that can be encountered in Panama, and is common in the cloud forest surrounding the Canopy Lodge. Rare Sighting: Tufted Flycatcher is an occasional vagrant to the southern U.S., and there have been several records of this species in Arizona and Texas.