Birding the Damani-Guariviara Ramsar site, a report by Venicio Wilson
Botanist Alicia Ibañez invited George Angehr, William Adsett and Venicio Wilson to join her expedition to Damani-Guariviara Ramsar Site in the Ño Kribo Region, Kusapin District in the Ngabe-Bugle Reservation.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY5z6D13BNDiy91gJrsWegKOT4zxwYujEcM87-__8gsxBBGLVrfI8ETIPl3W0BIzkIew4ODoSv66MP8dO6acxpyCIvlhLjBGp4UI6y51QiyEx6eMRbWn0qAAywaHCIWm2e_mhaNrNNLeUW/s400/DamaniSENACYT1.jpg)
Before departing to Rio Cañas, we visited the trail to La Estrella community, next to the Rio Guarumo River in Punta Peña-Almirante Road looking for Melodious Blackbirds. Instead, we found 2 Grayish Saltators. This sighting extends the range of this recently reported species a bit more into the east.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY5z6D13BNDiy91gJrsWegKOT4zxwYujEcM87-__8gsxBBGLVrfI8ETIPl3W0BIzkIew4ODoSv66MP8dO6acxpyCIvlhLjBGp4UI6y51QiyEx6eMRbWn0qAAywaHCIWm2e_mhaNrNNLeUW/s400/DamaniSENACYT1.jpg)
Before departing to Rio Cañas, we visited the trail to La Estrella community, next to the Rio Guarumo River in Punta Peña-Almirante Road looking for Melodious Blackbirds. Instead, we found 2 Grayish Saltators. This sighting extends the range of this recently reported species a bit more into the east.
During our visit to Rio Caña and the Damani-Guariviara Wetlands we had some interesting findings. White-crowned Pigeons were seen 3 days in a row in the town of Rio Cañas, a new locality for this species in Panama. Three Crested Guans were spotted while navigating the Tiger Head River (Tagajed in the maps). Green Ibis were common, as was Olive-backed Euphonia.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj96EOv8ZS_fRs3bISpcv4ylIS4j81eU5L03K_FU_zeUFcZeqgEBfEzwJv4-JQoawr1hyQsjZ1yjSYeqF3gV2094ZbgsLQK3EHmVkpyIOoj2qhdLgSH2vxji8uqiGx_5xh-qh3c6iK7GHIh/s400/DamaniSENACYT15.jpg)
The most remarkable findings were the dark form of the Green Heron (described by Ridgely in his book), Least Bittern (at Oibá lagoon) Chestnut-colored Woodpecker and Black-faced Grosbeak.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj96EOv8ZS_fRs3bISpcv4ylIS4j81eU5L03K_FU_zeUFcZeqgEBfEzwJv4-JQoawr1hyQsjZ1yjSYeqF3gV2094ZbgsLQK3EHmVkpyIOoj2qhdLgSH2vxji8uqiGx_5xh-qh3c6iK7GHIh/s400/DamaniSENACYT15.jpg)
The most remarkable findings were the dark form of the Green Heron (described by Ridgely in his book), Least Bittern (at Oibá lagoon) Chestnut-colored Woodpecker and Black-faced Grosbeak.