Flocks of Furnariid Friends

I just returned to Heredia after 10 rather windy days in Talamancan cloud forest 2500m above sea level.    I think my favorite bird that we captured since I've spoken with you last is this incredible (/incredibly bad-ass) Streak-breasted Treehunter, a member of the family, Furnariidae, which includes ovenbirds (subfamily: furnariinae), miners and leaf-tossers (Sclerurinae), and woodcreepers (Dendrocolaptinae).

A closer (above) and even closer (below) look at this remarkable species.  Too much? Sorry but it's awesome.

I know that I keep saying what families I like and don't like, but I have to say that this morphologically and behaviorally diverse family, Furnariidae, is another one of my favorites.  With 293 currently recognized species, it is an amazing group to study from the perspectives of evolution, biodiversity, and ecology.  It is not uncommon to be watching 5 or more (in some cases many more) species of these often audacious birds in one mixed feeding flock moving through tropical rainforest.  Granted in the Costa Rican highlands 5 species at once is somewhat uncommon, but I did commonly see a few including Spot-crowned Woodcreeper, Ruddy Treerunner, Red-faced Spinetail, and Buffy Tuftedcheek.  Such diversity of species can be noted simply by pointing out that the family is well-represented in just about every habitat type in the Neotropics from the hot, dry Atacama desert to Polylepis forest in the high Andes, to cloud forest and Amazon rainforest.

Interestingly enough, 97% of the species-level and 100% of the genus-level diversity (currently recognized of course) is found in South America.  That means that the vast majority of this giant 33 million-year-old radiation of Sub-oscine Passeriformes birds took place in South America, only spreading north into Central America after the closing of the isthmus of panama 2.5-4 mya (or one newer study indicates as early as 15mya!)

Maybe it's my lack of very much old-world exposure, but the new world is, well, mejor, as they say down here in the CR.  Point not arguable.  Don't try.  Or do, I won't care.

¡Tuanis mae!

References:

Brumfield, Robb T. Inferring the Origins of Lowland Neotropical Birds (2012) The Auk, 129(3): 367-376

Derryberry, Elizabeth P. et al. Lineage Diversification and Morphological Evolution in a Large-scale Continental Radiation: The Neotropical Ovenbirds and Woodcreepers (Aves: Furnariidae) (2011) Evolution 65:2973-2986

Almost Paradise: Tortuguero

By Lukas Musher

American Pygmy Kingfisher, Tortuga Lodge, Tortuguero, Costa Rica

This morning while checking nets at one of our sights in primary forest in Tortuguero, it hit me, this is pretty much as close to paradise as you can get.  It began to rain lightly, and the duetting roars of both thunder and howler monkeys echoed around me.  The nets were mostly empty except for an American Pygmy Kingfisher and a White-breasted Wood-Wren.  While extracting the kingfisher, I tried not to flinch as the tiny pricks of mosquitoes drawing blood plagued my hands and face.  As they gorged and I fiddled with the bird trying to figure out the secret to its removal, my mind went blank as I finally couldn't take the agitation any longer, letting go of the bird with one hand to slap the mosquitoes from my cheeks and neck.  My hand returned to the bird, now with bright red stains and minuscule black lines that once were legs.

Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, Tortuga Lodge, Tortuguero, Costa Rica

No, it wasn't perfect, or comfortable, or luxurious by any means, but there is something about this crazy place that has held a particularly special place in my heart (and in my brain; I find the tropics fascinating) since I first visited the tropical rainforest as a young teenager.  Droplets of sweat, like condensation on a cold bottle of water, littered my forehead and upper lip.  I breathed slowly, trying to block out the dizziness and slight headache from dehydration.  I know it sounds horrible, but it truly is an amazing place.

Purple-throated Fruitcrows began calling above me.  The female flew over and paused to stare with nesting material in her mouth – a life bird.  Somewhere not too far away a Laughing Falcon began calling, guaco guaco guaco, over and over.  Tiny poison dart frogs, bright red with blue hind legs (called bluejeans frogs) jolted spasmodically over the leaf-covered forest floor.  Finally the bird was out.  I put it in one of our cloth bags and tied the draw string, then returned to the banding station.

Female Purple-crowned Woodnymph, Tortuguero National Park, Tortuguero, Costa Rica (iPhone photo)

Since I got to Tortuguero 5 days ago I've seen and done a lot.  Although it rains a lot, and I haven't been able to get too many photos, we've caught all kinds of interesting species, and seen some cool birds.  Gartered and Slaty-tailed Trogons, Keel-billed and Black-mandabled Toucans, Mealy and Red-lored Parrots, Black-cowled Oriole, and lots of other species have been seen regularly.  On the boat ride here we saw an adult and juvenal King Vulture.

Grayish Saltator with an interesting molt limit in the remiges (flight feathers of the wing).  Notice primaries 1-3 and secondaries 1-3 are retained.  This bird is a member of the family, Cardinalidae, related to grosbeaks and cardinals.  Not sure why it would show eccentric molt like this.  The other wing showed molt in primaries 1-3 and secondaries 2-4.  The tropics are crazy.

Banding has been slow, and we've had some trouble opening nets due to rain, but the birds we catch are quite special and interesting.  Hummingbird captures have included Blue-throated Goldentail, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Bronzy, Stripe-throated, and Long-billed Hermits.  White-capped Manakins are our most common species and well-studied by CRBO biologists.  Other cool captures here have included Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, Great Kiskadee, Common Tody-Flycatcher, Grayish Saltator, among others.

Juvenal Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Caribbean Conservation Corporation, Tortuguero, Costa Rica

Pale-vented Pigeon, Caribbean Conservation Corporation, Tortuguero, Costa Rica

Costa Rica: The Talamanca Highlands

By Lukas Musher

Barred Becard, Madre Selva, Talamanca Highlands, Costa Rica

I just got back (though still in Costa Rica) from two-and-a-half weeks in the Talamanca Highlands banding resident landbirds.  We didn't have internet most of the time so I never had a chance to post about all the great stuff I was seeing and catching.

To start, I was living on a finca consisting of hundreds of acres of primary and secondary cloud forest, a dairy farm, and three small lakes.  Needless to say I kept myself busy birding and banding, (and sleeping, waking up early is rough, ok...).

One of the interesting things about the Central Cordillera of Central America is the large number of northern or temperate taxa that inhabit the highlands.  Many of these species evolved from species that were able to disperse south during cold periods in earth's history. Examples of temperate taxa that call the Costa Rican highlands their home include Contopus (pewees; Ochraceous Pewee), Selasphorus (genus of hummingbirds; e.g. Volcano Hummingbird), Empidonax (genus of Tyrant Flycatchers; e.g. Black-capped Flycatcher), and Catharus (genus of Thrushes; e.g. Black-billed Nightingale Thrush).  Furthermore, the fact that the Costa Rican highlands, along with those of western Panama are well separated from other highlands in Latin America, allowed for speciation to occur in many taxa, meaning many endemic species to Costa Rica and western Panama.

Here is a complete list of birds seen and/or banded during my 18-day stint at CRBO Madre Selva, 2500 meters (>1.5mi) high in the Central Cordillera of Costa Rica:

Least Grebe
Black Guan (endemic to CR and western Panama)
Spotted Wood-Quail
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Swallow-tailed Kite
Short-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Ornate Hawk-Eagle (Quite rare in the highlands and a super lucky find by Sara, my banding partner.  It flew into a tree at our banding site and stuck around for less than a minute before taking off again.)
Barred Forest Falcon (In the hand, sweet)

Barred Forest-Falcon

Band-tailed Pigeon
Ruddy Pigeon (In the Primary Forest at Tapanti National Park)
Bare-shanked Screech-Owl (Endemic to CR and western Panama)
White-collared Swift
Fiery-throated Hummingbird (endemic to CR and W Panama)
Magnificent Hummingbird

Magnificent Hummingbird

Green-fronted Lancebill

Green-fronted Lancebill

White-throated Mountain-Gem (Endemic to CR and W Panama)

Volcano Hummingbird (Endemic to CR and W Panama)

Collared Trogon

Collared Trogon

Resplendent Quetzal

Acorn Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Red-faced Spinetail

Ruddy Treerunner (Endemic to CR and W Panama)

Buffy Tuftedcheek

Spot-crowned Woodcreeper

Spot-crowned Woodcreeper

Silvery-fronted Tapaculo (endemic to CR and W panama; heard only in Tapanti)

Paltry Tyrannulet (a common bird in CR but super rare in Madre Selva)

Paltry Tyrannulet

Mountain Elaenia

Olive-striped Flycatcher

Torrent Tyrannulet

Yellowish Flycatcher

Black-capped Flycatcher (Endemic to CR and W Panama)

Black-capped Flycatcher

Black Phoebe

Great Kiskadee

Tropical Kingbird

Barred Becard 

Brown-capped Vireo

Yellow-winged Vireo (endemic from CR to W Panama)

Blue-and-white Swallow

Ochraceous Wren (endemic to CR and W Panama)

House Wren

Gray-breasted Wood-Wren

Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush (endemic to CR and W Panama)

Black-billed Nightingale Thrush

Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush

Black-faced Solitaire (endemic to CR and W Panama)

Black-faced Solitaire

Clay-colored Thrush

Mountain Thrush

Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher (endemic to CR and W Panama)

Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher

Black-and-yellow Silky-Flycatcher (endemic to CR and W Panama)

Black-and-yellow Silky-Flycatcher

Flame-throated Warbler (endemic to CR and W Panama)

Collared Redstart (endemic to CR and W Panama)

Collared Redstart

Black-cheeked Warbler (endemic to CR and W Panama)

Common Bush-Tanager

Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager (endemic to CR and W Panama)

Juvenal and Adult Sooty-capped Bush-Tanagers

Flame-colored Tanager

Spangle-cheeked Tanager (endemic to CR and W Panama)

Spangle-cheeked Tanager

Slaty Finch

Large-footed Finch (endemic to CR and W Panama)

White-naped Brush-Finch

White-naped Brush-Finch

Yellow-thighed Finch (endemic to CR and W Panama)

Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch

Rufous-collared Sparrow

Juvenal Rufous-collared Sparrow

Black-thighed Grosbeak (endemic to CR and W Panama)

Black-thighed Grosbeak

Bronzed Cowbird

Golden-browed Chlorophonia (heard only...damn)

This is just a species of Lizard that was everywhere.  No idea what it is though.

Boom: Blue-crowned Motmot

By Luke Musher

I haven't started banding or working yet, so I decided to go for a short walk this morning to see what kind of birds I should expect and start learning some calls and songs.  As I left my bunk I was treated to Rufous-capped Warbler, Clay-colored Thrush, Great Kiskadee, Red-billed Pigeon, White-tipped Dove, and Rufous-collared Sparrow. I crossed the street to enter InBio Parque's rear entrance and immediately saw a Blue-crowned Motmot fly from within the forest to a wire by the road.  It was in perfect light, so I snapped about 300 photos.

Blue-crowned Motmot, InBio Parque, Santo Domingo, Costa Rica

I had a few other species as well including Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Blue-gray Tanager, Melodious Blackbird, Great-tailed Grackle, Black and Vaux's Swifts, Blue-and-white Swallow, House Wren, and Grayish Saltater.

Red-billed Pigeon

Grayish Saltater

Grayish Saltater

Clay-colored Thrush

Clay-colored Thrush