Gray-and-gold Tanager at Cerro Azul

A single Gray-and-gold Tanager was discovered in a small flock of Speckled and Golden-hooded Tanagers at Calle Maipo, Altos de Cerro Azul, by Bill Adsett, Gilles Seutin, Darién and Camilo Montañez and Jan Axel Cubilla. It was a little bulkier than the others and, since the tree where they were perched had few leaves, the differences were clearly visible. Its plumage was silvery-gray, with black wings and tail. It had a black mask, separated from the black speckling on the chest and sides of the neck by an all-white throat. The speckled chest showed a slight golden tinge. The westernmost report of this Darién species is that of a single bird seen twice on the road to Nusagandi in 1983, and that is about 50 Kilometers East of Cerro Azul. The following is the original report, from The Toucan, Vol. 10 No. 2, February 1983:

At appoximately one-third of the way into El Llano-Cartí Road, in a second growth forested area on the edge of the road a basically all gray tanager with black mask and black wings and tail was seen. Also observed were the white patch on the throat extending to the ears and sides of the head. This could only have been the Gray-and-gold Tanager (Tangara palmeri). This bird has not yet been recorded outside o the Darién. The bird was also seen in flight by D. Engleman but was not fully identified. Report submited by Lorna Gómez, El Llano-Cartí Road, 12 Feb, 1983.