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

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