• to collect, catalog, and report the sightings of rare and interesting birds sighted by the guides and guests on their regular field trips to various locations in Panamá and Coclé provinces.
• to bring these reports to the attention of the regional editors of North American Birds (NAB), the American Birding Association's quarterly journal detailing noteworthy bird sightings throughout North America.

By the by, the creation of this site was inspired by my relationship with the staff of The Canopy Tower and Canopy Lodge, and this deep friendship continues to be the bedrock upon which The Canopy Report is constructed. But in the time since I created this site, I've established a number of lasting relationships with other lodges in central Panamá, and I now receive reports from a variety of sources. While the guides and guests at the Tower and Lodge are my most consistent contributors, one should not infer that this site's scope is limited to their input; I welcome reports from any visitor to or resident of Panamá, as such contributions from a myriad of sources have greatly increased the relevance of this website to the Panamanian birding experience!

As if to illustrate the avian potential of the area north of Río Indio, Danilo Rodríguez joined Moyo for a return trip two days later and discovered a number of species that are little known from the region, including Violaceous Trogon, White-whiskered Puffbird, Jet Antbird, the Tiny Hawk pictured below this paragraph (with a euphonia in its talons!), and the Sulphur-rumped Tanager pictured at right. The latter is particularly intriguing; Sulphur-rumped Tanager is a sought-after target for many visiting birders, but most people find this species much farther east around Nusagandi. Northern Coclé is indeed part of the species' historical range, but there are few contemporary reports from anywhere nearby. Moyo did a nice job capturing this documentary photo of a fast-moving canopy bird. But even more exciting was Danilo and Moyo's brief sighting of a Band-backed Wren; Danilo told me he thought he'd heard this species a few weeks before, but it was not until the 4th that they laid eyes on it. Band-backed Wren is not an easy find anywhere in Panamá, but is most regular in Bocas del Toro Province, with only occasional sightings farther east above Santa Fe, in Veraguas. If we can document this find it would represent a substantial range extension to the east within Panamá, leapfrogging entirely the province of Coclé, although the species as a whole, after a large range gap, is also found in Colombia and Ecuador. We hope to visit the Jordanal area again this week, with recording devices in hand; stay tuned.

Well, I'm now falling behind by a matter of weeks at a time, rather than months, as has been the case as of late. So here's the latest news for the last part of October and the most of November. We'll lead things off with reports graciously shared by Barry Zimmer, a guide for the esteemed birding tour company VENT (Victor Emanuel Nature Tours). The handsome male Spot-crowned Barbet pictured above left was photographed at Cerro Azul on 10/18; this species is fairly common in parts of eastern Panamá, but is quite local and much sought-after in the central foothills on both sides of the Canal. Above at right is nice documentation of a Long-billed Curlew found at Panama Viejo on 10/23; this species is usually represented in Panamá on an annual basis by a single bird, which has been somewhat predictable during the northern winter at this exact locale. Barry also noted a pair of Collared Plovers on the same date; this species is supposedly not uncommon in Panamá, but as I think about it I hear about very few sightings (Barry and I have each seen it only twice on the Isthmus). An October 25 visit to La Mesa yielded Slaty Antwren and Dull-mantled Antbird, both of which are uncommon in the area, as well as a Black-billed Cuckoo on the Candelario Trail. The latter species is quite rare in Panamá, and I've yet to find it here. The star of the show at Altos del Maria on 10/26 was a small flock of touit parrotlets, presumed to be Blue-fronted Parrotlets, a species of the eastern foothills that was only documented west of the Canal a couple of years ago. As I write this Barry is en route to El Valle with another tour group, and I look forward to more of his excellent reports!

I think this is the first time that a report of a mammal has found its way onto The Canopy Report, but some non-avian creatures simply demand our attention. Barry, Danilo, et. al. found the Silky Anteater pictured at right at Altos del Maria on 10/26, a lifer for almost all of the group, only the second sighting for Danilo. This nocturnal species is exceptionally difficult to find; as Barry pointed out to his group, probably more people have seen a Jaguar than have seen this tiny anteater. In recent years I can recall that once Carlos Bethancourt of the Canopy Tower somehow had one staked out for a visiting film crew, but even Tower and Lodge owner Raul Arias remembers seeing this species only once, almost 50 years ago! This is the kind of sighting that will never be forgetten- many thanks, and congratulations, to Barry and his team! According to Barry, the Silky Anteater was present in the area couple of weeks later- I'm dying to hitch a ride to take a look!

News of an apparent regional explosion of seeding bamboo spread fast, and Darién Montañez, proprietor of the Xenornis website, ventured west into Chiriquí Province to investigate the phenomenon. Björn Anderson also visited Chiriquí in October, and managed to locate a few Slaty Finches above the Los Quetzales cabins, including the female pictured at right. Another bamboo-seed specialist, Slate-colored Seedeater, has been more predictable than the several such species of the western highlands; Björn collected the photo at left at Parque Metropolitano on November 6th- congrats on this life bird, Björn! The remnant bamboo stands on Old Gamboa Road continue to be excellent for this irruptive species; I visited the area on 11/13 with Mario and Rhonda Mugoletti, and we found at least a dozen individuals of this species, of both genders. This seedeater's vocalization is quite unique, including a very solitaire-like song; I collected a couple of recordings at OGR, none of which matched well the publicly-available songs I previously had on my I-Pod. I also mentioned the "remnant bamboo" at Old Gamboa- the Panama Canal Authority has been working in the area recently on the planned expansion of the Canal, and has opened up several access roads to the nearby Gaillard Cut. Unfortunately they decided to cut back the forest on surrounding parts of the road, and the area's bamboo forest is but a shadow of what it once was, Thankfully the locale's breeding Spectacled Owls seem to be hanging on, and birding here is still excellent, albeit quite a different experience than in years past.

A few odds and ends: Carlos Bethancourt found an army ant swarm on 11/20 on Pipeline Road with a Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo in attendance. On 10/27 Moyo Rodríguez found ants and two ground-cuckoos near the entrance of the Canopy Adventure, but the next morning it rained steadily and the ants stopped hunting, depriving Barry Zimmer and his VENT group of a fair shot at seeing the birds. This has been a very slow season for ant swarms in general and ground-cuckoos in particular compared to the last couple of years, but historically the rainy season has been a tough time for this enigmatic species, so we can hope for a more fruitful dry season in this regard. On 11/5 Alexis Sanchez enjoyed yet another sighting of an Oilbird on Semaphore Hill, his second sighting of this year, and one of only a handful historically in the Canal area, once again raising specualtion that there might be a roosting colony somewhere relatively nearby. The Mugolettis and I enjoyed a very nice surprise on 11/14, a Rufous-browed Tyrannulet seen at point-blank range on the trails at the Canopy Adventure. This species is now known to be fairly common at Altos del Maria, and is occasionally found near Cerro Gaital, but this is the first record of which I am aware from down in the valley. The next day the same observers found a pair of calling Rusty-margined Flycatchers at the entrance of Las Minas Trail in La Mesa; this species is clearly extending its range west and up into the foothills, but is still quite rare in the El Valle area, and this is the first time I've observed more than one bird here.

Many other sightings from Altos del Maria represent exciting species that have become almost routine in the locale; Black-crowned Antpitta, Snowcap, Brown-billed Scythebill, Rufous-browed Tyrannulet, Red-faced Spinetail, Spotted Barbtail, and Black-and-yellow Tanager were noted on many occasions by multiple observers. Several of these species raised eyebrows only a few years ago, but the bar has been raised thanks to the work of the guides at the Canopy Lodge and many other observers. Of particular interest is that a reliable spot has been found for Black-eared Wood-Quail, a regionally-rare species, which I heard in the company of Dodge and Lorna Engleman on 8/28. On 9/18 Tino Sanchez found both Green Shrike-Vireo and Yellow-eared Toucanet in the western part of the property, both of which are quite uncommon in the area.

Alfred Raab also sent me the photo at left of an American Kestrel found on 8/26 at Chame, a small town along the InterAmericana in western Panamá Province. What is noteworthy about this bird is the almost completely pale breast, a field mark indicating that this bird belongs to one of several South American subspecies. American Kestrel has long been known in Panamá as a migrant during the northern winter months, but it is only in the last 15 years that it has been documented as a breeder in the country, with most of the birds evidently belonging to South American races (Angehr 2006). In fact the species has become common enough year-round that I admit I don't always look too closely at individual birds- kudos to Alfred for taking extra care in this case to collect documentation. It is also interesting that he photographed this male kestrel in the company of a female with the breast streaking typical of a North American bird, suggesting that some over-wintering birds have remained to breed, as has been suggested by other evidence regarding Panama's breeding kestrels. Well done Alfred!

From a little farther afield, Björn Anderson shared the lovely photo below and at right of a stunning Yellow-eared Toucanet found on a Panama Audubon Society trip to El Copé on October 3rd. Also noted were several Yellow-throated Bush-Tanagers and a White-throated Shrike-Tanager, both of which occupy a rather narrow range in Panamá and apparently have not been found farther east than El Copé. A nice account of this field trip can be found on the excellent Xenornis website. Also on Xenornis are a couple of reports of the sometimes-scarce Slate-colored Seedeater, found by Osvaldo Quintero at Parque Metropolitano in late Sept., and Osvaldo and Jan Axel Cubilla on Old Gamboa Road in late Oct.. Further noted as of late were Peg-billed Finch and Slaty Finch at Parque Internacional La Amistad (by Euclides Campos), and I've received secondhand reports of Maroon-chested Ground-Dove from nearby parts of Costa Rica. All of these species are strongly tied to the presence of seeding bamboo, and I can't recall having heard of so many coincidental reports in such a short period of time, so the evidence suggests that some combination of factors has led to a regional explosion of bamboo, good news for birders seeking these elusive species!

Elsewhere around El Valle; the Caribbean slope of Las Minas Trail continues to host a pair of endemic Stripe-cheeked Woodpeckers, although breeding has yet to be documented at this site, the western edge of the species' range. Sightings at the same locale of Ocellated Antbird (Tino Sanchez 8/30) and Buff-throated Foliage-Gleaner (José Perez 8/28) were also noteworthy. Slaty Antwren and White-thighed Swallow were widely reported from El Valle proper and La Mesa; the former seems to be increasing in population locally, while the latter is apparently irruptive, and disappears from the area for long periods. As the seasonal wave of northern migrants passes through, an encouraging note has been the number of Cerulean Warblers reported. The first report of which I am aware came from Tino Sanchez in La Mesa on 8/24, followed by 3 separate birds on consecutive days: Dodge & Lorna Engleman, Canopy Lodge 8/27; me, the Englemans, Altos del Maria 8/28; and me, El Valle 8/29. Björn Anderson and I spotted another Cerulean at exactly the same spot at Altos on 9/26; a lingering bird, or sheer coincidence? And Tino reported the species from La Zamia Trail on 9/16 and Cerro Gaital on 9/17. This is an encouraging series of reports of a species that is seemingly on the decline throughout its breeding range. On 8/11 David Bell and I counted at least 30 Blue-footed Boobies feeding offshore at Playa Juan Hombrón, a good number a fair distance from known breeding islands in the Bay of Panama. But probably the most exciting news from west of the Canal has been the discovery, by guides at the Canopy Lodge, of a small population of Grassland Yellow-Finch in the El Chirú area. The first report of which I took note was provided by Tino Sanchez and Michael O'Brien (the latter of VENT) on 8/10, but Lodge guides tell me the species has been fairly reliable at the site for several months. This is encouraging news regarding a species whose population has declined precipitously in Panamá in the last few decades. I've only seen it once, in grasslands south of Penonomé, and subsequent observers failed to relocate those birds. Grassland Yellow-Finch seems to depend on relatively pristine grasslands, the sort which is now almost absent from Panamá, but southern Coclé Province holds enough lightly-used pasture and farmland that the species may still persist in isolated pockets. Also of interest from Tino and Michael's report was that of a Barn Owl, a very localized species on the Isthmus, which has been found as of late with some regularity around Juan Hombrón.

I thought I'd share the interesting photos below, captured by Cedric Kinschots on Pipeline Road in mid-April. At left is a lovely look at a Speckled Mourner, a species that can be quite tough to find and identify. Speckled Mourner and a handful of other mid-sized, mostly brown-colored flycatchers are superficially similar and can be tricky to identify in the field, but Cedric's lovely photo shows some wonderful detail of the mourner's distinctive feather pattern. At right is a form of a bird that you won't find in any field guide; it's a juvenille male Blue-crowned Manakin. The green cap on the bird matches the color of adult females of the species, but this individual has started to attain the mostly black plumage of an adult male. Adding to the bird's unusual appearance is the fact that Cedric managed to catch it mid-blink!



Meanwhile, back in El Valle.... the Rio Indio area, just across the provincial border in the extreme western part of Panamá, continues to yield dividends. On 5/19 Domi Alveo found Long-tailed Tyrant and Emerald Tanager, both of which are rather local in the region, but easily found in Rio Indio. On June 7th Tino Sanchez found a Pacific Antwren in the same locale; this species is a bird of the Caribbean slope, and might have been expected in Rio Indio, but this was the first time it was enjoyed by guests of the Canopy Lodge. On 5/24 Danilo Rodríguez found a Black-crowned Antpitta in La Mesa, particularly tricky to find in this area. Slaty Antwren appears to be a species on the rise in the region, with multiple reports from La Mesa and Cerro Gaital during the period. Moyo Rodríguez enjoyed a fine day at Cerro Gaital on June 4th, highlighted by his sighting of a Purple-throated Mountain-Gem, a species near the eastern edge of its range in El Valle (it is now known to breed a bit farther east at Altos del Maria). Moyo also found a group of four Black Guans, including at least one immature bird. This species was once thought to have been hunted to local near-extinction, but in recent years has shown signs of making a solid recovery.

Also from the El Valle area: sightings of Slaty Antwren continue to be on the rise; once considered rare in the region, the species is, as of late, a relatively easy find. During this period it is reported by Domi Alveo from La Mesa, on 4/27, by Tino Sanchez on Cerro Gaital, on 5/2, and by Domi and Alexis Sanchez at Altos del Maria, on 5/10- these are only the published reports! On 4/27, Domi and his charges also enjoyed nice looks at Black-faced Grosbeak, a perfect example of a species that was little-known from the El Valle area until the Canopy Lodge guides started their careful exploration of the region. On 5/2, Tino's trip to Cerro Gaital also yielded Blue Seedeater and White-throated Spadebill, neither of which is an easy find at the locale. Alexis and Domi's visit to Altos del Maria on 5/10 also included sightings of Orange-bellied Trogon, Ochraceous Wren, and Red-faced Spinetail. All of these species seem rather routine these days, but one should remember that they were all considered scarce in the region only a few years ago. Domi and Alexis also took their NatureTrek group to the Coclé lowlands on 5/9, and enjoyed such species as Aplomado Falcon and Straight-billed Woodcreeper. The former species was not known from this part of Coclé until a few years ago, and the latter was only recently found to populate a small area of rice farms near Juan Hombrón. This striking species was formerly best-sighted, in the region, at the Tocumen Marsh area, but this locale is under development and now closed to the public, so we are delighted to have a new "hotspot", and grateful to the owners of the Juan Hombrón rice fields for their accomodation to birders. Another visit to the El Chirú area, on 5/3, led by Tino Sanchez, yielded the endemic Veraguan Mango, now considered common in the area. Check out Matt Miller's blog regarding the taxonomic issues surrounding Anthracothorax mangos in Panamá; Matt is a researcher with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), and his new blog promises to be an outstanding resource regarding Panamanian birds. On 5/3 Tino found a Black-bellied Wren at Valle Chiquito, south of El Valle. This is a fairly high elevation for the species, but regular visits to this new birding spot have found it to be regular at the locale. Finally, a rather brief report was shared of a possible Fasciated Tiger-Heron spotted by Tino, on 4/22, on the streams around the Canopy Adventure. This would be a new species for the region, but one that was not totally unexpected; this is the tiger-heron most likely to venture into the Panamanian foothills, a habitant of fast-moving streams and rivers, and is known from similar elevations and habitats to the east and west of El Valle, at Nusagandi and El Copé. I hope to be able to present documentation of this sighting in the near future. (ed. note: George Angehr, the current ranking expert on Panamá's birds, visited the area a few days later, relocated the heron, and identified it as a probable immature Fasciated Tiger-Heron).