Sunday, April 20, 2014

Random day at the Metro Park

In spite of the long free weekend, I have not had time to go out to birdwatch... that's why I'm posting some old photos of residents birds at the Metropolitan Natural Park, right in the middle of Panama City.  By this time of year, the park is filled with migrants going back home, so I hope I can show pictures of them soon... for now, what about this common voice inside these forests?
Slaty-tailed Trogon
Yes, it is a male Slaty-tailed Trogon.  Its call sounds like a dog barking, seriously!  Sometimes it is hard to believe that such beauties live so close to the skycrapers... the same can be said about this Slate-colored Grosbeak.
Slate-colored Grosbeak
Actually not a grosbeak, but a saltator, a fact that sounds logical if you compare it with some other forest-dwelling saltators in South America.  Did you notice that both birds bear names that have nothing to do with their amazing coloration!  Just look the deep coral-red bill!  In the other hand, the next resident bird is named after its bill:
The Double-toothed Kite is a forest raptor quite common in the city.  Although not really "toothed", the name refers to the pair of identations at the cutting edge of the upper mandible.  This mark is not very conspicuous in the field, nor in my photo.  I found this immature bird a little bit after finding a pack of White-nosed Coatis.
White-nosed Coatis
I mention this because the Double-toothed Kite is known to follow troops of monkeys and other mammals, taking advantage of the insects flushed by these animals.  Perhaps this bird was doing just that!  Well, that's all for now... but soon I'll be back with those migrants photos!

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