Bulletin 430 - Brazil 2023 #11 - Woodpeckers

 After 3 trips to Colombia with diminishing returns, it was time to go further afield. Pablo Flores the guide in Colombia is now leading trips to Brazil as well. So my birding buddy Martin Jackson and my daughter Chantel and I decided to go there. We visited the Pantanal, the Atlantic forest in the Sao Paulo area and had 1 day in the Chapada. The Pantanal is the largest wetland in the world, so it is teeming with wildlife. The Atlantic Forest is a unique ecosystem from sea level to about 1 mile elevation. It contains 800 species of birds (225 endemic) and 26 species of primates. Unfortunately it also contains 2 mega cities - Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and the resulting sprawl and clearing for agriculture since the Portuguese arrived 500 years ago, has wiped out 90%+ of the original forest. About 250 species of amphibians, birds and mammals have gone extinct in the past 400 years. The good news is that many preserves and parks have been set aside to try and preserve the remaining biodiversity.

Piculets are the smallest woodpeckers and are always a treat to see and photograph. The 3.25" male White-wedged Piculet (Picumnus albosquamatus) is a hummingbird sized woodpecker with an olive back and the face and underparts are black and white. The male here has the red forehead.

White-wedged Piculet - male

The 6" female Little Woodpecker (Veniliornis passerinus) has plain brown wings and back. The underside is striped. The male would have a red nape. She must have been excited as she appears to have a crest.

Little Woodpecker - female

The 7" female White-fronted Woodpecker (Melanerpes cactorum) is at her nest hole. She has a black back, white spotting on the wings and tail and a white forehead.

White-fronted Woodpecker - female

Her cousin is the 7.5" male Yellow-fronted Woodpecker (Melanerpes flavifrons). He is a spectacular woodpecker.

Yellow-fronted Woodpecker - male

The 8" female Yellow-browed Woodpecker (Piculus aurulentus) was way high in the tree, so the photo is not the best. The yellow brow extends to the back of the neck and can be seen. The female just has a red nape. The male has the whole top of his head red.

Yellow-browed Woodpecker - female

The most unusual was the 10" White Woodpecker (Leuconerpes candidus). He has black wings, back and tail, but is otherwise white. The bare orbital skin is yellow. Also unusual for a woodpecker is that they fly very high and on a flat trajectory rather that the undulating flight that is most common for woodpeckers. Their diet is mostly fruit with some insects.

White Woodpecker

The celeus genus of woodpeckers is my favorite. They are large birds with yellow heads and big crests. The 10" female Pale-crested Woodpecker (Celeus lugubris) is brown with the big yellow crest. The male would have a red malar stripe.

Pale-crested Woodpecker - female

Her cousin is the 11" male Blonde-crested Woodpecker (Celeus flavescens). His body is black with a yellow scaly appearance. The head is all yellow with the red malar stripe and the huge punk rock crest. What a bird!

Blonde-crested Woodpecker - male

The 12" female Campo Flicker (Colaptes campestris) is another easy ID. The male would have a red malar stripe.

Campo Flicker

The largest is the common 13.5" female Lineated Woodpecker (Drycopus lineatus). I think I have seen this bird on every trip to Latin America.

Lineated Woodpecker - female

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

I have photos of 75 of the 239 species of woodpeckers

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2023 David McDonald

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

Bulletin 429 - Brazil 2023 #10 - Tanagers - Part 2; 2 Texas birds

 After 3 trips to Colombia with diminishing returns, it was time to go further afield. Pablo Flores the guide in Colombia is now leading trips to Brazil as well. So my birding buddy Martin Jackson and my daughter Chantel and I decided to go there. We visited the Pantanal, the Atlantic forest in the Sao Paulo area and had 1 day in the Chapada. The Pantanal is the largest wetland in the world, so it is teeming with wildlife. The Atlantic Forest is a unique ecosystem from sea level to about 1 mile elevation. It contains 800 species of birds (225 endemic) and 26 species of primates. Unfortunately it also contains 2 mega cities - Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and the resulting sprawl and clearing for agriculture since the Portuguese arrived 500 years ago, has wiped out 90%+ of the original forest. About 250 species of amphibians, birds and mammals have gone extinct in the past 400 years. The good news is that many preserves and parks have been set aside to try and preserve the remaining biodiversity.

The 7" Sayaca Tanager (Thraupis sayaca) is a blue-gray tanager found in lower elevations.

Sayaca Tanager 

The very similar 7" Azure-shouldered Tanager (Thraupis cyanoptera) is found in montane habitat. I do not know if I could tell them apart.

Azure-shouldered Tanager

A third bird of this genus is the 7" Golden-chevroned Tanager (Thraupis ornata). It is an easier ID with the yellow shoulder.

Golden-chevroned Tanager

The 6.3" Shrike-like Tanager (Neothraupis fasciata) is gray with black shoulders and a black mask.

Shrike-like Tanager

 

The 4.8" female Blue Dacnis (Dacnis cayana) is a bright green bird with a blue head.

Blue Dacnis - female

These next 3 birds may be familiar to many of you, as they have been established in Hawaii. But South America is their native territory.

The 6.5" Yellow-billed Cardinal (Paroaria capitata) is a handsome black and white bird with a red face and no crest.

Yellow-billed Cardinal

His cousin, the 7.5" Red-crested Cardinal (Paroaria coronata) has a red face, throat and breast as well as a red crest.

Red-crested Cardinal

Lastly is the beautiful 5.5" male Saffron Finch (Sicalis flaveola). He is an easy ID with an olive back, bright yellow below and a bit of orange on his forehead.

Saffron Finch

There were a couple of interesting Texas birds in 2023. The first was this Merlin (Falco columbarius). I photographed him at Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge back in February. What was unusual was his orange leggings. This is what caught my eye as I was driving along. So I turned around and went back to photo the bird. 

I posted it on Texbirds and there was quite a discussion whether it was a Merlin or a Eurasian Hobby. I assumed it was a Merlin as I had never seen a report of the Hobby in Texas before. Anyway the final consensus was that it was a Merlin, as there are photos of some similar birds online. Interesting bird!

Merlin

The second was even more interesting bird in December. It was the first USA record of a Grey-collared Becard (Pachyramphus major). He was discovered in a state park near Brownsville Texas. His normal range is Mexico to Nicaragua. Of course such a rarity brought birders from all over North America to add him to their list.

Grey-collared Becard - immature male

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

I have photos of 143 of the 391 species of tanagers

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2023 David McDonald

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

Bulletin 428 - Brazil 2023 #9 - Herons, Ibises, Falcon

After 3 trips to Colombia with diminishing returns, it was time to go further afield. Pablo Flores the guide in Colombia is now leading trips to Brazil as well. So my birding buddy Martin Jackson and my daughter Chantel and I decided to go there. We visited the Pantanal, the Atlantic forest in the Sao Paulo area and had 1 day in the Chapada. The Pantanal is the largest wetland in the world, so it is teeming with wildlife. The Atlantic Forest is a unique ecosystem from sea level to about 1 mile elevation. It contains 800 species of birds (225 endemic) and 26 species of primates. Unfortunately it also contains 2 mega cities - Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and the resulting sprawl and clearing for agriculture since the Portuguese arrived 500 years ago, has wiped out 90%+ of the original forest. About 250 species of amphibians, birds and mammals have gone extinct in the past 400 years. The good news is that many preserves and parks have been set aside to try and preserve the remaining biodiversity.

I had 4 heron photos for the trip, but only one was a lifer. The 16" Striated Heron (Butorides striatus) is the southern cousin of our Green Heron. The neck is gray rather than brown.

Striated Heron

The 26" adult Rufescent Tiger Heron (Tigrisoma lineatum) is an easy ID with his gray back and wings and rufous neck.

Rufescent Tiger Heron - adult

The juvenile is completely striped from head to tail.

Rufescent Tiger Heron - juvenile

The 22" Capped Heron (Pilherodius pileatus) is another easy ID with his white body, pale yellow neck and blue bare facial skin and blue bill. He also has a black cap and 2 long plumes.

Capped Heron

The lifer was the attractive 22" Whistling Heron (Syrigma sibilatrix). He is an easy ID. We saw this bird on each of the last 2 days of the trip, with the second time being quite close by the road.

Whistling Heron

We searched for the Agami and Zigzag Herons, but no luck.

The 30" Plumbeous Ibis (Theristicus caerulescens) is a gray ibis with red legs and a yellow eye. He has a very long shaggy crest.

Plumbeous Ibis

His cousin is the 30" Buff-necked Ibis (Theristicus caudatus). He is also an easy ID.

Buff-necked Ibis

Lastly is the 22" Green Ibis (Mesembrinibis cayennensis). He is all dark green (blacker in juveniles) including the bill. He has shiny green feathers on the back of his neck.

Green Ibis

The 20" Laughing Falcon (Herpetotheres cachinnans) is always a delight to see. On all my trips I have seen it perhaps 6 times. It is an easy ID.

Laughing Falcon

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

I have photos of 29 of the 66 species of herons

I have photos of 15 of the 35 species of ibises and spoonbills

I have photos of 18 of the 65 species of falcons

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2023 David McDonald

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

Bulletin 427 - Brazil 2023 #8 - Tanagers - Part 1

 After 3 trips to Colombia with diminishing returns, it was time to go further afield. Pablo Flores the guide in Colombia is now leading trips to Brazil as well. So my birding buddy Martin Jackson and my daughter Chantel and I decided to go there. We visited the Pantanal, the Atlantic forest in the Sao Paulo area and had 1 day in the Chapada. The Pantanal is the largest wetland in the world, so it is teeming with wildlife. The Atlantic Forest is a unique ecosystem from sea level to about 1 mile elevation. It contains 800 species of birds (225 endemic) and 26 species of primates. Unfortunately it also contains 2 mega cities - Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and the resulting sprawl and clearing for agriculture since the Portuguese arrived 500 years ago, has wiped out 90%+ of the original forest. About 250 species of amphibians, birds and mammals have gone extinct in the past 400 years. The good news is that many preserves and parks have been set aside to try and preserve the remaining biodiversity.

We had over 30 tanagers for the trip. Most of them were new to me. The 7.5" male Brazilian Tanager (Ramphocelus bresilius) is similar to our Scarlet Tanager except for the white lower mandible. It is an Atlantic forest endemic.

Brazilian Tanager - male

His cousin is the 7" Silver-beaked Tanager (Ramphocelus carbo). He is mostly black with dark red on the face and breast.

Silver-beaked Tanager

A totally new type of tanager for me were the warbling finches. The 6" Grey-throated Warbling Finch (Microspingus cabanisi). It is a cute sparrow sized bird with a gray striped face, gray throat and a rufous belly.

Grey-throated Warbling Finch

His cousin is the 6" Buff-throated Warbling Finch (Microspingus lateralis) is similar buth the throat is light brown. He also has only 1 white stripe on the face. This is another Brazil endemic bird.

Buff-throated Warbling Finch

The 7"  Black-faced Tanager (Schistochlamys melanopis) is a gray bird with a black face and light bill tipped with black. However, the immatures are olive and have a yellow eye ring. This immature is starting to develop his black face.

Black-faced Tanager - juvenile

His cousin, the 7" Cinnamon  Tanager (Schistochlamys ruficapillus) has a gray back and tail with an orange head, breast and under tail. He has the same black face and bill.

Cinnamon  Tanager

The 6" Long-tailed Reed Finch (Donacospiza albifrons) is listed as uncommon and inconspicuous. But the guidebook says occasionally it perches up on the reeds, as did this one.

Long-tailed Reed Finch

The only saltator for the trip was a lifer. The 8" Green-winged Saltator (Saltator similis) hs the typical gray head with the white eye-stripe. This one has a white throat.

Green-winged Saltator

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

I have photos of 143 of the 391 species of tanagers

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2023 David McDonald

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

Bulletin 426 - Brazil 2023 #7 - Parrots - part 2, rodents

After 3 trips to Colombia with diminishing returns, it was time to go further afield. Pablo Flores the guide in Colombia is now leading trips to Brazil as well. So my birding buddy Martin Jackson and my daughter Chantel and I decided to go there. We visited the Pantanal, the Atlantic forest in the Sao Paulo area and had 1 day in the Chapada. The Pantanal is the largest wetland in the world, so it is teeming with wildlife. The Atlantic Forest is a unique ecosystem from sea level to about 1 mile elevation. It contains 800 species of birds (225 endemic) and 26 species of primates. Unfortunately it also contains 2 mega cities - Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and the resulting sprawl and clearing for agriculture since the Portuguese arrived 500 years ago, has wiped out 90%+ of the original forest. About 250 species of amphibians, birds and mammals have gone extinct in the past 400 years. The good news is that many preserves and parks have been set aside to try and preserve the remaining biodiversity.

Parrots are one of a favorite of many people even who are not birders due to large size, colors and the pet trade. I had an impressive 13 species on this trip.

Parakeets are smaller parrots with long pointed tails.

The 11" Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) is a well known bird in the pet trade as the "Quaker Parrot". It is a common bird in the USA as many releases have established this bird in the country. But this is his natural range in southern Brazil and Argentina

Monk Parakeet

The 12" Nanday Parakeet (Nandayus nenday) is another pet trade bird that can be seen in the USA as released birds. I first photographed this bird in Florida many years ago. So it was nice to see it in its natural range. It is a green parrot with a black face and black wings.

Nanday Parakeet

The 10.5" Peach-fronted Parakeet (Aratinga aura) is a beautiful bird with many colors. It has a yellow eye ring and orange forehead.

Peach-fronted Parakeet

The 10" Maroon-bellied Parakeet (Pyrrhura frontalis) is a beautiful bird that we had at arms length at a lodge. It is an easy ID.

Maroon-bellied Parakeet

The 8" Plain Parakeet (Brotogeris tirica) is an all green parakeet that is an Atlantic forest endemic. It was at the same lodge as the previous bird. 

Plain Parakeet

We had the ability to hand feed them - up to a dozen at a time on our hands and forearms and even sitting on our heads. These are the moments I treasure.

Plain Parakeet

Another all green bird is the 5" Cobalt-rumped Parrotlet (Forpus xanthopterygius). These sparrow sized parrotlets are so cute.

Cobalt-rumped Parrotlet

Rodents bring to mind rats and mice and of course these are the most common, but we had 3 interesting rodents on the trip.

The cute Brazilian Squirrel (Scurius aestuans) was at the same lodge as the Plain Parakeets above and was able to be hand fed.

Brazilian Squirrel

Larger is the 18" Azara's Agouti (Dasyprocta azarae). It is one of a dozen species of agouti in Latin America. Although they are supposedly shy, they were common around the lodge.

Azara's Agouti

The huge Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) is the largest rodent with a weight recorded up to 200 pounds, but generally they are 75 - 150 pounds.

Capybara

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

I have photos of 55 of the 176 species of New World parrots

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2023 David McDonald

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

Bulletin 425 - Brazil 2023 #6 - warblers, vireos, finches

 After 3 trips to Colombia with diminishing returns, it was time to go further afield. Pablo Flores the guide in Colombia is now leading trips to Brazil as well. So my birding buddy Martin Jackson and my daughter Chantel and I decided to go there. We visited the Pantanal, the Atlantic forest in the Sao Paulo area and had 1 day in the Chapada. The Pantanal is the largest wetland in the world, so it is teeming with wildlife. The Atlantic Forest is a unique ecosystem from sea level to about 1 mile elevation. It contains 800 species of birds (225 endemic) and 26 species of primates. Unfortunately it also contains 2 mega cities - Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and the resulting sprawl and clearing for agriculture since the Portuguese arrived 500 years ago, has wiped out 90%+ of the original forest. About 250 species of amphibians, birds and mammals have gone extinct in the past 400 years. The good news is that many preserves and parks have been set aside to try and preserve the remaining biodiversity.

I had 3 new warblers for the trip. The 5.3" Riverbank Warbler (Basileuterus rivularis) is olive above with a gray cap and buffy flanks. The buffy flanks separate it from 2 very similar warblers.

Riverbank Warbler

Next is the 5.8" Flavescent Warbler (Myiothlypis flaveolus). Ir is an easy ID as the only all yellow warbler in the area.

Flavescent Warbler

The 5.5" male Southern Yellowthroat (Geothylpis velata) has a gray crown, olive back and bright yellow breast. The male here has, the black mask typical for yellowthroats.

Southern Yellowthroat - male

There were 3 members of the vireo family, 2 of which were new. The 6" Rufous-browed Peppershrike (Cyclaris gujanensis) is a very common bird in the Neotropics. It has the thick vireo bill and the orange eye stripes.

Rufous-browed Peppershrike

The 4.8"  Ashy-headed Greenlet (Hylophilus pectoralis) is olive above, yellow below and has a gray head.

Ashy-headed Greenlet

The 5" Rufous-crowned Greenlet (Hylophilus poicilotis) is similar to the previous bird but he has a reddish cap.

Rufous-crowned Greenlet

The euphonias are members of the finch family. I had 3 new ones for the trip. The 4.5" male Violaceous Euphonia (Euphonia violacea) has a purplish head, blue back and wings and the underside is bright yellow.

Violaceous Euphonia - male

The 4" male Purple-throated Euphonia (Euphonia chlorotica) is similar to the one above but he has a purple throat. He also has a yellow forehead, but he was so high up in the tree that it does not show up in the photo.

Purple-throated Euphonia - male

Lastly is the most beautiful bird for this bulletin. The 4.5" male Chestnut-bellied Euphonia (Euphonia pectoralis) is an easy ID. He is all blue except for the brown belly and a yellow shoulder patch.

Chestnut-bellied Euphonia - male

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

I have photos of 80 of the 120 species of New World warblers

I have photos of 27 of the 62 species of vireos

I have photos of 62 of the 221 species of finches

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald

dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2023 David McDonald

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