Xenornis

A total of 334 species of birds were reported on count day. Highlights coming soon.

A weird bird was seen perched on one of the fences at Fort Sherman: it looked like a cross between an Indigo Bunting and a Yellow-breasted Flycatcher. It was larger than a bunting, with a pink conical bill (in shape similar to that of a siskin, not of a seedeater), dull yellowish olive all over, faint dusky streaks on the sides of the chest, pale yellowish in the belly. It looked very slim and had a long notched tail that was pumped up and down while perched. Its jizz was all wrong, and it did not recall anything i had ever seen in any book. Perhaps a canary or serin. So any hints about the possible identity of this new, most likely ship-assisted addition to the Panama list would be very much appreciated.

A juvenile Reddish Egret was seen at noon preening on the rocks below the Gatún Spillway by Gonzalo Horna, Darién Montañez and Guy Poisson. The bird was right next to an adult Tricolored Heron and was clearly larger than that (but smaller than a nearby Great Egret), pale grayish-cinnamon all over, browner on the head and neck and grayer on the rest of the body. The legs were dark gray, as was the bill, and it had pale yellow eyes surrounded by a bare patch of gray orbital skin. Upon approach by one of the observers it flew off to the other side of the Chagres River, but a few minutes later returned to the same rock on the right bank. Just as a reminder, this Reddish Egret was right by the Tarpon Club parking lot, where the participants of the upcoming Atlantic Christmas Bird Count are to meet at noon this sunday to do the traditional mid-day recap, and that would be a great chance to add this rare vagrant to all your Panama lists. This is only the fourth (or fifth, depending on your st...

A total of 291 species of birds were reported on count day. Highlights coming soon.

Rosabel Miró, Bill Porteous, Jan Axel Cubilla and Darién Montañez went to Costa del Este at high tide to try and find the Kelp Gulls but instead found an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull. This bird was not as big as the Kelps, and was much lighter on the back, but what really made it stand out was the dark streaking on the face and head, which made its yellow iris look even brighter. Its legs were bright yellow, and its yellow bill had a red gonys-spot (but the gonydeal angle was not as pronounced as on the Kelps). Also at the mud was a Herring Gull and two Ring-billeds (a juvenile and an adult), and a bunch of Franklin's Gulls mixed in with the Laughings.

A total of 310 species of birds were reported on count day. Highlights coming soon.

Rosabel Miró, Carmen Martino and Darién Montañez went to Costa del Este early in the morning, and had great views of four Kelp Gulls, including the young bird (the one on the left). Besides the brownish wash to its back and wings this bird has a black smudge on the tip of the bill, a feature first noticed by Guido Berguido on November 28. Also in the flock was a juvenile Herring Gull, which was about the same size of the Kelp Gulls. (Pictures by Darién Montañez)

Rosabel Miró, Darién Montañez and Guido Berguido went to Costa del Este early in the morning to try and get better views of the Sabine's Gull, but they didn't even see a Kelp Gull. The closest to a highlight was an Elegant Tern standing with the gulls at Panamá Viejo. But at dusk George Angehr had more luck, finding four of them at the usual spot by the Corredor Sur, including the young bird with the brownish back.

Bill Adsett, Loyda Sánchez, Delicia and Darién Montañez, Rosabel and Karl Kaufmann and Guido Berguido went to Costa del Este at dusk to look for the Kelp Gulls armed with all sorts of photographic equipment. After walking along the coast all the way to the river and checking on hundreds of Laughing Gulls, we discovered a group of gulls standing on the other side, the original Kelp Gull spot, so we rushed in that direction racing against the imminent darkness. Turns out everything was right there: (just) one Kelp Gull (first spotted by Loyda), at least two each of Herring and Ring-billed Gull and, the bird of the day, a juvenile Sabine's Gull. This bird, spotted by Rosabel, had a brownish back, nape and sides of the neck, and a white forehead, chest and underparts. It had a smudge of white behind the eye, and when it flew up Karl was able to see the black terminal band on its white tail. After that the bird was seen again, this time with its head tucked on its back, and in extremely...

Julie Tilden and Seth Ames report finding a Plumbeous Hawk at Plantation Road. It was around 250 meters in the forest before the large tree fall with an x macheted into it. They also saw a Jagurundi in the same area, and a perched Black Hawk-Eagle at about 150 meters from the gate leading up to the Canopy Tower.