Introduction to Tropical Birding: Panama Through the Eyes of a Naturalist Oct 26—Nov 01, 2011
Posted by Steve Hilty
Steve Hilty
Steve Hilty is the senior author of A Guide to the Birds of Colombia, and the recently published Birds of Venezuela, both by Princeton University Press. Other credits inclu...Related Trips
River in the sky. What began as an introduction to tropical birds and birding (what better place than Panama?) took on an added dimension when we witnessed a major annual autumn migratory movement of North American breeding Turkey Vultures, Swainson's Hawks, and Broad-winged Hawks through the Canal Zone area on our very first afternoon—a group estimated by raptor counters to total approximately 269,305 birds! We saw small migratory groups passing southeastward each day and a second fairly substantial flock while we were at the Summit Ponds area, but none as large as this first group.
For a trip designed to focus on the basics of identifying commoner tropical birds (and quite a few North American migrants too) we managed to see a lot of birds on this trip without much effort. Local guides had quite a few things located for groups—potoos, owls, and so on—but it seemed that birding was relatively effortless. Most species were relatively easy to see, and even if the dawn chorus seemed a bit weak at this time of year, birds were still foraging and visible. By the end of the trip everybody was beginning to get comfortable with the subtle differences between Great and Lesser kiskadees, and Rusty-margined and Social flycatchers; the silhouette of a Tropical Kingbird; and a host of colorful tanagers—and some that were not so colorful. And we enjoyed spending time watching a couple of different White-throated Crakes forage without distracting playback, and looking at the various plumages present within a group of Red-legged Honeycreepers. We studied species in which the sexes look different and also sing different songs (Dusky Antbird); looked at flight silhouettes and wing beat patterns of parrots and parakeets; learned to distinguish males and females of several species of trogons; struggled with hummingbirds and small flycatchers; and learned that in regards to taxonomy, not everything is as it might seem (at least with tanagers and a few other groups).
It would be difficult to visit the American Tropics without at least some time spent looking at ants and their marches and nests, and bugs and a few mammals and other critters too. We enjoyed some quality time with several primates, including some unhappy (or so it seemed) mantled howler monkeys, a bunch of sloths who still remember what a Harpy Eagle sounds like even if they or their ancestors haven't actually seen or heard a real one in a half century or more, and enough ants and termites for a lifetime. Looking back, it seems to me that we managed to squeeze a lot of wildlife observation into five days, and quite a few buffet meals as well. Now I'm wishing there had been even more time. I'm ready to return.