Xenornis

En la mañana de hoy, jueves 19 de junio, como parte de un proyecto de reavistamiento de aves anilladas/abanderadas y en acompañamiento a Stephany Cartí, una estudiante que realiza su tesis en los fangales de Pacora, Yenifer Díaz, Michele Caballero y yo observamos las siguientes especies de aves: 2 Red Knots, 2 Common Terns, 1 Royal Tern anillado en la pata derecha (detrás de uno de los Common Terns, ) y 1 Sandwich Tern anillado (también en la pata derecha). De interés fue observar a una Gray Gull entre varias Laughing Gulls. En el área también habían más de 100 Black Skimmers, de todos los tamaños.

Kevin Easely chimes in about the swifts. His verdict: White-chinned Swifts all along.  Some nice photos of swifts coming out of Panama of late.  We always suspected here in CR that Spot-fronted Swifts were in Panama as we have seen them VERY close to the border on both the Caribbean side and the Pacific side (photos as well).  Just a matter of time really and getting people in the field that are not only familiar with swifts but actually take the time to identify them.  Most of the clients I get just want to tick the species of swifts and don't want to study them thoroughly. We have made it a mission to study swifts here in CR and have come up with 10 times the data over the past 5 years than was ever present.  All of my guides are nuts for swifts now...and photograph them as much as they can.   Regarding the White-chinned vs Black Swift conversation...I am convinced that all of the photos in question are White-chinned Swift.  Not so much based on...

A quick e-mail to report a sighting of an Inca Tern (Larosterna inca) on Coiba. The exact location was the sand bank in the mouth of the Rio San Juan, about 500 m. north of the entrance to the Sendero Los Pozos. THe dat is 4 June 2014 at about  10.45 am .  The tern was resting on the sand bank among a flock of about 50 black terns, 4 common terns and 2 Royal terns. When the whole flock flew up briefly, I first noticed the odd-looking tern as it flew away. It was obviously larger than the black terns and had had a black back and black wings with a white edge at the end. I kept the bird in view, noting dark underparts and a fairly strong red bill. When it landed again, I saw the white 'whiskers' and realised that I was looking at an Inca tern.