Bulletin 404 - Colombia 2022 #1 - Hummingbirds Part 1

I was planning to go to Peru in 2022 but there were riots and road closures in the areas we were planning to go. So at the last minute I went back to Colombia and saw some other places. 

Unfortunately, there was a lot of overlap, so I did not get a lot of new birds on the trip. However, many areas now have set up feeding stations and several were built for photography. I used the same guide Pablo Florez and I had my daughter with me on the trip this year.

However on the bright side, the setups for photography and the number of places that had feeders allowed me to get many improved photos of birds I had not so good photos before.

There are several genera of hummingbirds that are called emeralds. The 3.5" Andean Emerald (Uranomitra franciae) was formerly in the genus Amazilia. It is a green backed hummingbird with a snow white breast and a blue cap.

Andean Emerald

The 3" Red-billed Emerald (Chlorostilbon gibsoni) is another bird named for a seldom seen field mark. Only the lower mandible is red. However in the photo it can be seen. I certainly did not see it in the binoculars.

Red-billed Emerald

His cousin, the 2.75" female Short-tailed Emerald (Chlorostilbon poortmani) is green with whitish underparts. The tail is tipped with white and does not extend beyond the wing tips.

Short-tailed Emerald

The 3.5" male Blue-headed Sapphire (Chrysuronia grayi) is all green with a blue head and red bill.

Blue-headed Sapphire - male

His cousin the 3.5" male Shining-green Hummingbird (Chrysuronia goudoti) is all green with a bluish throat. The bill is slightly curved.

Shining-green Hummingbird - male

The 4" male Mountain Velvetbreast (Lafresnaya lafresnayi) is green with black belly and curved bill. I had seen this bird before, but this time I was so close that I got a photo clear enough to see that it really does look like black velvet.

Mountain Velvetbreast - male

The 4" male Fawn-breasted Brilliant (Heliodoxa rubinoides) is green backed, buffy below and he has a pink throat spot but here just looks dark.

Fawn-breasted Brilliant - male

Hummers with long bills or tails are always a delight to see. The 7" male Long-tailed Sylph (Aglaiocercus kingii) is all green with a long green tail.

Long-tailed Sylph - male

The female lacks the long tail and is buffy on the belly with a green streaked throat.

Long-tailed Sylph - female

I put the different bird/mammal families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 147 of the 360 species of hummingbirds.

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2022 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe.

Bulletin 403 - Colombia 2021 #20 - Sparrows and other songbirds

 I finally made it back to Colombia for my second visit and again used the guide services of Pablo Florez. I went with my friend Martin Jackson. We visited Inirida on the Orinoco, Santa Marta of course, Guajira Peninsula on the Caribbean coast, and a couple of National Parks around Bogota.

In the USA we think of sparrows as LBJs (little brown jobs) that can be difficult to ID. However in the tropics there are a number of members of this family called brushfinches that are quite attractive,

In the Sanata Marta range we saw two endemic species at different elevations. The 7" Sierra Nevada Brushfinch (Arremon basilicus) occurs at a lower elevation. It is brown with a black head and white throat. 

Sierra Nevada Brushfinch

At the higher elevation is the 7" Santa Marta Brushfinch (Atlapetes melanocephalus). Is has a gray back, yellow breast, black head and a gray ear patch.

Santa Marta Brushfinch

The 7" Slaty Brushfinch (Atlapetes schistaceus) is gray overall - darker on the back and he has a rufous crown.

 Slaty Brushfinch

The 6" Tocuyo Sparrow (Arremonops tocuyensis) is a non-descript little bird that is confined to the extreme northeast Colombia and adjacent Venezuela. The book says it can be difficult to locate, but we found it.

Tocuyo Sparrow

The most beautiful sparrow of the trip was the 6" Golden-winged Sparrow (Arremon schlegeli). It reminded me of a fat Golden-winged Warbler - but with a yellow bill.

Golden-winged Sparrow

There are many flycatchers and most are kind of drab or similar looking. I will select 2 interesting ones. The first is the black and white 5" Pied Water Tyrant (Fluvicola pica).

Pied Water Tyrant

The second is the Santa Marta endemic 8" Santa Marta Bush Tyrant (Myiotheretes pernix). It is plain colored - but interesting as only occurs high in that mountain range and is difficult to see up close, but he flew to within 15 yards of us, without using the tape.

Santa Marta Bush Tyrant

Similarly, the funarids are a huge family of mostly brown birds. So I will just show 3 interesting ones. The first is the Orinoco Softtail (Thripophaga cherriei). It is a brown bird with light streaking on the face and breast. There is a distinctive rufous throat. It is interesting as it is listed as a Venezuelan endemic and has only been found in Colombia in the last few years.

Orinoco Softtail

The second is another Santa Marta endemic, the 7.5" Santa Marta Foliage-gleaner (Clibanornis rufipectus). Foliage-gleaners as a group are always difficult to see well and even harder to photograph. This one was no exception. He stayed hidden for 15 minutes as we tried to get him into the open. Finally the guide walked further along the trail and I stayed behind and then out he popped into the open.

Santa Marta Foliage-gleaner

Spinetails are another nemesis bird for me to photograph. But the 6" White-whiskered Spinetail (Synallaxis candei) lives in the dry scrubby forest in extreme northeast Colombia.. He is also the most colorful funarid I have seen. The ID is easy.

White-whiskered Spinetail

I put the different bird/mammal families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 74 of the 137 species of New World Sparrows

I have photos of 132 of the 437 species of Tyrant Flycatchers

I have photos of 40 of the 315 species of funarids

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2022 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe.

Bulletin 402 - Colombia 2021 #19 - Trogons and Jacamars

 I finally made it back to Colombia for my second visit and again used the guide services of Pablo Florez. I went with my friend Martin Jackson. We visited Inirida on the Orinoco, Santa Marta of course, Guajira Peninsula on the Caribbean coast, and a couple of National Parks around Bogota.

Jacamars are a small family of brightly colored birds with long pointed bills. They sort of resemble large hummingbirds. They are mostly found in the Amazon area. 

The 9" Rufous-tailed Jacamar (Galbula ruficauda) is the most commonly encountered, as its range is from southern Mexico to southern Brazil.

Rufous-tailed Jacamar

The 8" Green-tailed Jacamar (Galbula galbula) is very similar but with a solid green tail.

Green-tailed Jacamar

The 8" Bronzy Jacamar (Galbula leucogastra) is dark green with a bronzy chest and back.

Bronzy Jacamar

The 6.5" Brown Jacamar (Brachygalba lugubris) is all brown with a white belly.

Brown Jacamar

The 8" White-eared Jacamar (Galbalcyrhynchus leucotis) is mostly reddish brown with darker wings and tail and a prominent white ear patch. He has a bright red bill.

White-eared Jacamar

Last is the 11" Paradise Jacamar (Galbula dea). It is dark glossy green with a white throat and a very long tail.

Paradise Jacamar

We saw several trogons and a quetzal on the trip. The 11" male Green-backed Trogon (Trogon viridis) has a purple head and yellow belly.

Green-backed Trogon

The bird of the trip was the 13" White-tipped Quetzal (Pharomachrus fulgidus). It is endemic to the Santa Marta and adjacent Perija mountain ranges. It is the only quetzal in those areas. This was my 4th of the 6 species of quetzal to photograph.

White-tipped Quetzal

I put the different bird/mammal families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 8 of the 18 species of jacamars

I have photos of 17 of the 43 species of trogons and quetzals

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2022 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe.

Bulletin 401 - Colombia 2021 #18 - Cotingas, monkeys

 I finally made it back to Colombia for my second visit and again used the guide services of Pablo Florez. I went with my friend Martin Jackson. We visited Inirida on the Orinoco, Santa Marta of course, Guajira Peninsula on the Caribbean coast, and a couple of National Parks around Bogota.

Cotingas are a New World family of diverse looking birds. They hardly seem like they are related.

The 7.5" male Pompadour Cotinga (Xipholena punicea) is an amazing reddish purple bird with w white wing stripe. This was only my second time to see it.

Pompadour Cotinga - male

The female is just non-descript brown as she takes care of all the nesting and raising the babies.

Pompadour Cotinga - female

There are a dozen greenish cotingas called fruiteaters - although all the cotingas eat fruit primarily. The one on this trip was in Santa Marta - the 7" Golden-breasted Fruiteater (Pipreola aureopectus). 

Golden-breasted Fruiteater - male

Another group of cotingas are all blue with the males have different colored throats. The 8" male Spangled Cotinga (Cotinga cayana) has a purple throat.

Spangled Cotinga - male

The next smaller cotinga is the 8" Red-crested Cotinga (Ampelion rubrocristatus). The male is gray with a thin red crest that can be seen along the edge of his head in the photo. He also has a prominent red. He is a resident in the paramo.

Red-crested Cotinga - male

The last 2 are some weird looking birds. The 14" male Bare-necked Fruitcrow (Gymnoderus foetidus) is black with a white neck and wings.

Bare-necked Fruitcrow - male

The female just is black with partial bare neck and the wings are black.

Bare-necked Fruitcrow - female

Lastly is the 18" Amazonian Umbrellabird (Cephalopterus ornatus). It is a black bird with a forward facing crest and a white eye,

Amazonian Umbrellabird

We had 3 species of monkeys for the trip. The largest monkeys in the New World are the howler monkeys. This is a family of Venezuelan Red Howlers (Alouatta seniculus). Males can weigh up to 20 pounds.

Venezuelan Red Howler - family

The Black Titi (Cheracebus lugens) is much smaller at 2 pounds.

Black Titi

The 1 pound Cotton-top Tamarin (Saguinus oedipus) is the cutest of the bunch. It is black with a white bushy crest and white legs. It is listed as critically endangered with fewer than 6,000 estimated still in the wild and is one of the rarest primates in the world. Here is a mother carrying twins on her back.

Cotton-top Tamarin - mother with twins

I put the different bird/mammal families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 19 of the 66 species of cotingas

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2022 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe.

Bulletin 400 - Colombia 2021 #17 - Night Birds and Toucans

 I finally made it back to Colombia for my second visit and again used the guide services of Pablo Florez. I went with my friend Martin Jackson. We visited Inirida on the Orinoco, Santa Marta of course, Guajira Peninsula on the Caribbean coast, and a couple of National Parks around Bogota.

Here is another milestone - my 400th bulletin since I started sending a few spring migration photos to a half dozen friends 14 years ago. So I have put a couple of my favorite families of birds in this issue.

Owls are one of my favorite subjects to photograph. We saw 3 owls on the trip and all were lifers. The 17" Stygian Owl (Asio stygius) I had missed on all my previous trips. So I was surprised to see this bird high in the Santa Marta mountains, in the pre-dawn fog, sitting right over the road in our headlights. In reading about this bird, his food is other sleeping birds.

Stygian Owl

Further up the mountain we stopped a couple of time to call in the 10" Santa Marta Screech Owl (Megascops gilesi). This is a newly described species in 2018. Our guide for this portion of the trip specializes in the Santa Marta region and he was the one who discovered a nest and described the species as separate from the Tropical Screech Owl. So it was a treat to see such a new species. This is the first time an owl did not turn to face the camera and the light for me.

Santa Marta Screech Owl

The next day as we left the Santa Marta range and stayed in a village at the bottom, the guide had a friend who took us outside of town after dark and we saw the 9" Tropical Screech Owl (Megascops choliba).

Tropical Screech Owl

Another night bird was the 16" Common Potoo (Nyctibius griseus). They sleep during the day, often at the end of s broken branch so they become almost invisible. I had see this bird several times previously, but Martin was excited as it was a new family of birds for him and one he was hoping to see.

Common Potoo

We also saw hundreds of Sand-colored Nighthawks along the Orinco tributaries - all flying in the direction of Inirida - as the only lights in miles of jungle and the lights attracts the insects. We flushed a pair of Rufous Nightjars but I was not able to get a photo.

We also had the pleasure of seeing 5 species of Toucans. These colorful birds are a favorite of many people as kids grow up eating Fruit Loops with a toucan as the mascot for the brand.

The 19" Keel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus) is the fruit loops bird on the cereal box. It is mostly in Central America but gets in Colombia along the northern coast.

Keel-billed Toucan

The 18" Channel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos vitellinus) has a black or dark brown bill with a yellow stripe on the upper mandible.

Channel-billed Toucan

The 18" Black-billed Mountain Toucan (Andigena nigrirostris) is brown above and gray below.

Black-billed Mountain Toucan

Aracaris are smaller toucans with narrower, more pointed bills. The 15" Ivory-billed Aracari (Pteroglossus azara) is black above and several stripes below, along with a pale bill color.

Ivory-billed Aracari

Toucanets are smaller still. The 14" Groove-billed Toucanet (Aulacorhynchus sulcatus) is green with a bicolored bill. It is only found in the Santa Marta and adjacent ranges in Colombia.

Groove-billed Toucanet

I put the different bird/mammal families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 36 of the 226 species of owls

I have photos of 17 of the 43 species of toucans

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2022 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe.

Bulletin 399 - Colombia 2021 #16 - Wrens and Manakins

I finally made it back to Colombia for my second visit and again used the guide services of Pablo Florez. I went with my friend Martin Jackson. We visited Inirida on the Orinoco, Santa Marta of course, Guajira Peninsula on the Caribbean coast, and a couple of National Parks around Bogota.

Wrens are a modest sized family of 88 species - all but 1 are in the New World. Despite being mostly brown birds - they are very active and cute with their usually uplifted tails. Many of the species are a challenge to see, let alone photograph. That is another trait that makes them a favorite family of birds for me. Every time I photo a new species, I am very happy.

I photographed 4 new species and another one that is a likely split. All were lifers.

The easiest ID is the beautiful 7.5" Bicolored Wren (Campylorhynchus griseus).

Bicolored Wren

His cousin is the 7.5" Thrush-like Wren (Campylorhynchus turdinus). It is a brown-backed wren with a spotted breast.

Thrush-like Wren

The Grey-breasted Wood Wren complex contains many likely splits in various geographic areas. 2 of these are in Santa Marta and are endemic to Colombia.

The 4.25" Hermit Wood Wren (Henicorhina anachoreta) is found above 2000m elevation in Santa Marta mountains. When it was first split from the Grey-breasted Wood Wren complex, it was called Santa Marta Wood Wren.

Hermit Wood Wren

The 4.25" Bangs' Wood Wren (Henicorhina bangsi) has not been officially split yet, but does show as a split in the Birds of Columbia Field Guide, so I am sure it will be officially split soon. It is found between 1000 - 2000m elevation in the Santa Marta range. I was so happy to get both of these wrens on the one morning we had a chance to see them.

Bangs' Wood Wren

The 4" Apolinar's Wren (Cistothorus apolinari) is a resident around lakes in the paramo above Bogota. It took about 20 minutes of frustration as he moved around rapidly, before I got a photo. He is endemic to Colombia

Apolinar's Wren

In keeping with the small birds, manakins are another very small family of New World songbirds. I photographed 3 on the trip and all were life birds.

The female 4.75" Black Manakin (Xenopipo atronitens) is, like most female manakins, an olive color. The male is solid black.

Black Manakin - female

The 5" male Lance-tailed Manakin (Chiroxiphia lanceolata) is black , with a blue back, a red crown (here raised like a crest) and a few elongated tail feathers.

Lance-tailed Manakin - male

Lastly is the 4.5" male White-bearded Manakin (Manacus manacus). He has a black crown, back, wings and tail and the underparts are white. He has red legs.  This bird just sat for maybe 20 minutes and I got this one photo showing the beard extended. It was an exciting encounter, even though the guide book says it may be the most frequently seen manakin in Colombia due to its extensive range.

White-bearded Manakin - male

I put the different bird/mammal families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 37 of the 86 species of wrens

I have photos of 10 of the 52 species of manakins

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2022 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe.