Still at Panama Viejo (Bonaparte's Gull)

Finally, the perseverance yield results.  After countless visits to Panama Viejo, I finally got again the Bonaparte's Gull that has spent the winter in our warm shores.  Around 3:30 pm, I went to Panama Viejo (Panama City) with Gloriela and Gabrielle.  They decided to wait in the car (it was hot out there)... I started to scan the huge flock of Laughing Gulls resting in the mudflats in front of the Museum.

Laughing Gulls, several ages

I assure you that I checked each of the birds resting on the site, finding some Franklin's Gulls mixed in the crowd.  Most of them were first-winter birds, I only saw one adult-type bird.

Franklin's Gull (1st winter)

Remembering that my friend Kilo saw the bird two days ago, noticing it first at flight, I started to check the birds flying over the tiny mangrove island with my binocs.  Surprisingly, I managed to ID a first-winter Bonaparte's Gull in the distance!

Notice the white underwings and black tail band in the above photo.  The wing pattern is clearly seen in my next shots (although distant).

I rushed to the mangrove island, but by the time I arrived five minutes later, the bird had disappeared.  I scanned the mudflats with my binocs, eventually finding the little bird far away!

I took some record shots, but the bird was in the middle of the mudflat, and it would not get closer.  I cropped the best ones, and I'm quite satisfied with the results.

This vagrant for Panama was a year bird for me, and only the third time ever that I see it anywhere!  Vagrant or not, what a bird!

Bird of the Month: Bonaparte's Gull

The Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) is a small, graceful gull that breeds in North America (Canada and western Alaska) wintering south regularly to northern Mexico and the Greater Antilles, with vagrants recorded all the way to western Europe, the Lesser Antilles, southern Central America, including Panama, and northern South America.

My first experience with this species was some years ago at the Niagara river in April, above the famed Niagara Falls.  There, dozens of birds were flying and resting above some rocks in the middle of the river (OK, my photo shows exactly zero gulls... but the place is magical).

This gull is less variable than the larger species, needing only one year to acquire the adult plumage.  The dark marks in the wings (forming a broken W pattern) and black tail band make this individual a first-winter bird.

As I mentioned above, this species is only a vagrant to Panama, with six previous records.  Three of these records were in the 70s and 80s in the Caribbean side of the Panama Canal, while the most recent were from Panama City's waterfront in the Pacific Ocean, with a group of six adults in winter plumage in Panama Viejo back in january 1996 (eBird report) and a first-winter bird at the mouth of the Matasnillo river in december 1998 (report in Xenornis).  Then, one was found by Rosabel Miro in Costa del Este last november 23rd and another (probably the same bird?) was found by Itzel Fong in Panama Viejo last december 28th and relocated the next day, when I was able to see it.

In ABA terms, this species would have been a Code 5 (if applicable) right in our front yard!  For this and many other reasons is why we chose Bonaparte's Gull as our Bird of the Month!

Literature consulted:

1.  National Geographic Society's Field Guide to the Birds of North America.

2.  Ridgely RS, Gwynne JA.  Guía de las Aves de Panamá.  1ra edición español 1993.

3.  Angehr G, Dean R.  The Birds of Panama. A field guide. 1st edition 2010.  

Bird Alert: Bonaparte's Gull!

Do you remember the Bonaparte's Gull that appeared last month in Costa del Este (Panama City)?  Well, it is back!  While returning home after Gabrielle's birthday party, I received a phone call of Osvaldo... he was seeing THE gull, this time in Panama Viejo.  He went after the gull with Rafael Luck thanks to the advice of Itzel Fong de Tejeira, who found the bird yesterday (her photos here).  After organizing some things in home, I volunteered to take home my nephew Michael, who lives passing Panama Viejo, conveniently!

The place was full with gulls.  Among them, some Franklin's Gulls were resting among the most numerous Laughing Gulls.  This species is an uncommon winter resident for Panama.

Following Osvaldo's directions, I found the bird after few minutes searching.  It was standing alone in the mud, away of other gulls.  The size difference was quite evident.

This is a beautiful, delicate gull.  I'm not an expert ageing gulls... considering the dark brown carpal bar, the dark band on secondaries and the black tail band (as you can see in Itzel's photos), I suppose this is a first-winter bird.

The Bonaparte's Gull is a vagrant to Panama, with only six previous records (including Rosabel's) around Panama City and the Caribbean side of the Panama Canal area.  It is not a life bird for me, since I got some at the Niagara Falls some years ago, but is an absolutely GREAT addition to my Panama list!

Thanks guys for sharing the information!