|
It is interesting that the most recent revision of Ridgely's Birds of Panama notes
records of Pale-vented Thrush from foothills throughout virtually all of Panama except
the area around El Valle. Since discovered near Cerro Gaital in June of 2005 Pale-vented Thrush
has been found to be relatively common at that location and at Altos del Maria, with occasional sightings even around the Canopy Lodge in El Valle (pers. obs. 9/26/06).
Ridgely and Wetmore both comment that the type locality of Lion Hill in the Canal area is almost certainly in error; I have been unable to track down the name of the collector (there
are certain individuals of the age of specimen collection who were notorious for mis-labelling of specimens). But it is
worth noting that Lion Hill was one of many small hills swamped under by the damming of the Chagres River and subsequent creation of Lago Gatún, and it is hard to say with any certainty
what effect this loss of habitat might have had on very localized populations of certain birds.
I must also note that Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush Catharus aurantiirostris was considered for inclusion on this Watchlist, as it was not known
from the El Valle area at the publication of Birds of Panama. But it's now known to be very common in the region, where it is practically a feeder bird at the Canopy Lodge, and I had to draw the line somewhere.
The exclusion from the historical record of this species and others known to be very common around El Valle leads one to believe that for much of the 20th century ornithological researchers completely ignored this part
of eastern Coclé!
|
|
