Kit Larsen's Original Report, forwarded by Raúl Arias de Para.
-
"We believe we have sighted a Crowned-slaty Flycatcher in Cerro Azul on Dec
1, 2007 and again in the same place on the 4th. I have attached a photo.
The bird matches well the descriptions in the Birds of Columbia and Birds of
Ecuador. It matches the photos of the Crowned-slaty Flycatcher we find on
the web. We found it on a utility wire adjacent to the Chagres Forest. In
size, it is bigger than a Forest Elaenia. It did some flycatching as we
watched, returning to its perch after going after a bug. The one thing the
photo does not show is that it had a thin yellow line through the crown,
which was visible when the wind blew. Also, the base of the lower mandible
is lighter than the tip. We were able to observe the bird for more than 30
minutes on each observation. We have more photos - they show pretty much the
same as the attached photo; we will submit them when we return home. We have
sent the photo to Larry McQueen, who illustrated the new book Birds of Peru.
He has independently confirmed that the photo depicts a Crowned-slaty
Flycatcher. We found the bird on Calle Principal, just about 100 yards uphill from
Calle A near the Hostal Casa de Campo in Cerro Azul, in case others want to
look for it. We are four Oregon birders from Eugene finishing up a stay at Canopy Lodge
after three days in Cerro Azul."
Kit Larsen (photo), Dennis Arendt, Roger Robb, and Paul Sherrell, Eugene, Oregon.
- "I haven't seen this species in the field, but I consulted Restall et. al.'s Birds of Northern South America,
and this looks good for Crowned Slaty Flycatcher, probably a juvenille.
The white supercillium, black lores, gray cheek, and white flight feather edges are all good for the species-
the juvenille has an indistinct yellow crown, some speckling on the upper breast,
and rufous-tinted uppertail coverts, the last two characters visible in the photo."
Ken Allaire, Proprietor, The Canopy Report
- "Terrific! Yes, this is a photo of Crowned Slaty-Flycatcher, the first
record for Panama and the first Trans-Andean record, so far as I know. This
is a bird I know very well and see on an annual basis. The species is an
austral migrant that breeds in southern South America and spends the
non-breeding season (Mar-Oct) in Amazonia (normally!) as far north as
eastern Ecuador and southeastern Colombia, but what are we to make of
December?! It is a fantastic find! Photos pose some difficulties, but I
would guess that this bird is a first-year bird that is coming into adult
plumage for the first time since it seems to retain some first-year features
like the pale edgings to the coverts, the faint streaking on the flanks, and
the somewhat rufous look to the base of the outer rectrices. I would wager
that this bird is an overshoot that has not been able to find its way back
to its breeding grounds."
John Rowlett, Founder and Guide for Field Guides, Inc.
- "Yes, I agree it is a Crowned Slaty-Flycatcher, which I have seen in South America.
Great record, new for North America as well as Panama. A check of references shows there is at least one
record from coastal Venezuela, so this may not be the northernmost record.
As John notes, the appearance of this bird at this time of year is puzzling. The species is an austral migrant,
and should have been heading south by September or so. This could be an instance of
"reverse migration" in which the bird headed in exactly the wrong direction."
George Angehr, co-author Where to Find Birds in Panama and other volumes
- "Yes, what George suggests--"reverse migration"--is a distinct possibility.
The reverse migration phenomenon has resulted in many bizarre records for
South American flycatchers in North America."
John Rowlett, Field Guides, Inc.
- "It sure looks like a Crowned Slaty-Flycatcher to me. I've only seen them a couple of
times but the description of the bird and its behavior along with the photo is
convincing. Good on the Oregon guys for finding it, and for recognizing it, not to mention
getting good photos of it. If its relative, Variegated FC, can show up on the New
England seaboard, not too surprising that this migrant can show up in Panama; but I
bet no one had it on their list of top twenty new birds to show up in Panama."
Dr. Dodge Engleman, co-author Where to Find Birds in Panama and other volumes
Stay tuned for more!
