Hi Gary,

Here's my take on the birds that you saw in Panama:

1. Small dove species, smaller than Mourning Dove. Quite a few were seen in
gritty urban areas. Color brown. Some dark bars or spots on wings. Tail
square and dark. *RUDDY GROUND DOVE - this is the commonest ground dove in
the lowlands of central Panama and is found in all sorts of less than
desirable habitats. The brownish plumage also rules out Common Ground Dove
since they have a grayer complexion.
*
2. Small dove species, in rural area, very ruddy, with grey head, black
tail, pink legs; similar to, and possibly the same species as, number one
described above (I observed this one more closely than I did the ones in the
urban area). *See above - the Ruddy Ground Dove male has a grayer head..*

3. Dove species, even smaller than above-described birds. Very plain.
Ground-dove-like. Two seen in rural area, near a scrubby pasture and pond.
No indication (from plumage or behaviour) that these were juveniles--seemed
to be a pair of adults. *Sounds like PLAIN-BREASTED GROUND-DOVE- aptly
named and has no real marks that jump out other than plainish overall
(grayish complexion with grayish head). This doesn't have any dark wing
spots.
*
4. Seedeater-like bird, or perhaps grassquit species. All bluish black,
except with small white spot or mark visible on wing. Sweet song delivered
from ground or low perch. Female was only glimpsed, but looked dull in
color. *You described perfectly a male and female BLUE-BLACK GRASSQUIT
which are common in that area.
*
5. Kingbirds, very like Tropical Kingbirds, but not observed closely. Many
seen along roadsides of rural area. *TKs (Tropical Kingbirds) - abundant in
the area. If you saw any Tropical Kingbird like things walking around on
the ground near the traffic circle outside the airport, these were Cattle
Tyrants. *

6. Butorides heron species, two or more flushed from marshy remnant near
farm pond, west of Chepo. No close observation of neck color was made. I was
hoping that location might indicate whether Green or Striated would be the
more expected species, although I suspect that Panama might be a
hybridization zone. *Probably STRIATED HERON at this time of year. Green
Herons probably move northward in summer.*

7. One gallinule- or jacana-like bird, seen flying from marshy remnant near
farm pond, W of Chepo. Bright orange-yellow legs. No white seen in wings as
bird flew. Leg color and lack of wing flashes appear to eliminate both
Common Moorhen and jacana species from consideration. *I guess AMERICAN
PURPLE GALLINULE is the only option based on your description. However,
this species usually requires more extensive marshy habitat.
*
8. Progne species, numerous at airport. These martins were about the same
size as Purple Martins. They had noticeably large bills, at least insofar as
breadth. Birds foraged for flying insects around airport terminal, and
appeared to settle in to roost in jetways and other structures. ?Time of
year (third week of June) might indicate that Purple Martins would not be
present here in Panama? That would leave Grey-breasted and Southern Martin.
Is Southern Martin (P. elegans) still considered a full species? *GRAY-BREASTED
MARTIN is very common in that area. You would have noticed a browner
complexion if they had been Brown-chested Martins. I remember seeing quite
a few Gray-breasted Martins flying around the outside of the terminal
building as I waited for my flight to Ecuador last July.
*
9. Ani species, not Greater Ani, seen briefly from speeding taxi, in shrub
along rural roadside, relatively dry area with farm ponds scattered here and
there. *This is a toss up between Groove-billed and Smooth-billed Anis. If
you go just based on abundance, they were probably SMOOTH-BILLED ANIs.
*
Thanks for that vicarious visit back to Panama!

--
Jim Danzenbaker
Battle Ground, WA
360-723-0345
jdanzenbaker at gmail.com
On Sun, Jul 6, 2008 at 4:05 PM, Gary Bletsch <garybletsch at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Dear Tweeters,
>
> I had a few hours in Panama City, Panama a couple of weeks ago. I was on my
> way to Ecuador!
>
> I managed to get a few hours of birding in during my Panama layover,
> although my taxi driver could not find the Tocumen Marsh (alas and alack).
>
> I did not bother acquiring the field guide for Panama, since it was only a
> very short visit. If any Tweeters can help ID any of the following birds, I
> would appreciate it. All were seen in either the urban areas of Tocumen,
> near the airport, or in surrounding countryside to the east (between the
> Tocumen airport and Chepo).
>
> 1. Small dove species, smaller than Mourning Dove. Quite a few were seen in
> gritty urban areas. Color brown. Some dark bars or spots on wings. Tail
> square and dark.
>
> 2. Small dove species, in rural area, very ruddy, with grey head, black
> tail, pink legs; similar to, and possibly the same species as, number one
> described above (I observed this one more closely than I did the ones in the
> urban area).
>
>
> 3. Dove species, even smaller than above-described birds. Very plain.
> Ground-dove-like. Two seen in rural area, near a scrubby pasture and pond.
> No indication (from plumage or behaviour) that these were juveniles--seemed
> to be a pair of adults.
>
> 4. Seedeater-like bird, or perhaps grassquit species. All bluish black,
> except with small white spot or mark visible on wing. Sweet song delivered
> from ground or low perch. Female was only glimpsed, but looked dull in
> color.
>
> 5. Kingbirds, very like Tropical Kingbirds, but not observed closely. Many
> seen along roadsides of rural area.
>
> 6. Butorides heron species, two or more flushed from marshy remnant near
> farm pond, west of Chepo. No close observation of neck color was made. I was
> hoping that location might indicate whether Green or Striated would be the
> more expected species, although I suspect that Panama might be a
> hybridization zone.
>
> 7. One gallinule- or jacana-like bird, seen flying from marshy remnant near
> farm pond, W of Chepo. Bright orange-yellow legs. No white seen in wings as
> bird flew. Leg color and lack of wing flashes appear to eliminate both
> Common Moorhen and jacana species from consideration.
>
> 8. Progne species, numerous at airport. These martins were about the same
> size as Purple Martins. They had noticeably large bills, at least insofar as
> breadth. Birds foraged for flying insects around airport terminal, and
> appeared to settle in to roost in jetways and other structures. ?Time of
> year (third week of June) might indicate that Purple Martins would not be
> present here in Panama? That would leave Grey-breasted and Southern Martin.
> Is Southern Martin (P. elegans) still considered a full species?
>
> 9. Ani species, not Greater Ani, seen briefly from speeding taxi, in shrub
> along rural roadside, relatively dry area with farm ponds scattered here and
> there.
>
> Besides the puzzler birds described above, I managed to ID about fifteen
> species of birds--not bad, considering how tired I was, the time of day
> (blazing hot midafternoon) and the utter inability of the cabby to fathom
> what I thought were some pretty good directions to the Tocumen Marsh. Here's
> what I managed to ID:
>
> Neotropic Cormorant, Cattle Egret, Great Egret, Black-bellied Whistling
> Duck, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Crested Caracara, American Kestrel,
> Wattled Jacana (rather unwary as it foraged on a tiny mudflat by a farm
> pond), Rock Pigeon, Amazon Kingfisher, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Blue-grey
> Tanager, Ruddy-breasted Seedeater, and Great-tailed Grackle.
>
> Oh, really cool--my first Black Vulture in Panama was observed flying above
> wilderness area along Pacific Ocean--from the airplane! We had to have been
> at least five thousand feet up, beginning our descent, when I spotted this
> unmistakable bird soaring above the green forest!
>
>
> Tweeters, any suggestions (other than that I buy a Panama bird book!) would
> be much appreciated.
>
> Yours truly,
>
> Gary Bletsch
>
> Near Lyman, Washington (Skagit County), USA garybletsch at yahoo.com
>
> PS Obligatory Washington bird content: Lazuli Bunting, American Robin, and
> Savannah Sparrow are all I heard singing in my yard near Lyman today. Spring
> appears to have petered out while I was away....
>
>
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