We’ve had some fantastic bird sightings around the reserve throughout June, July and August, including two more new birds for REGUA, a long overdue Green Honeycreeper and a completely unexpected Stygian Owl, bringing the reserve list up to 458!
4×4 Track to Casa Anibal: Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle, Blue-bellied Parrot, Long-tailed Potoo, Frilled Coquette, Yellow-fronted Woodpecker, White-bibbed Antbird, Bare-throated Bellbird, White-thighed Swallow and Temminck’s Seedeater.
Elfin Forest Trail: There’s been some excellent birding on this trail with several difficult species seen including; Solitary Tinamou, Spot-winged Wood-Quail, Blue-bellied Parrot, Least Pygmy-Owl, Planalto Hermit, 3 Buff-bellied Puffbird, Spot-billed Toucanet, Yellow-fronted Woodpecker, Giant Antshrike, a pair of Tufted Antshrike, White-bearded Antshrike, Salvadori’s Antwren, 6 Ferruginous Antbird, Slaty Bristlefront, Short-tailed Antthrush, Such’s Antthrush, Black-billed Scythebill, White-browed Foliage-gleaner, White-collared Foliage-gleaner, Pale-browed Treehunter, 2 Fork-tailed Tody-Tyrant, Grey-capped Tyrannulet, Oustalet’s Tyrannulet, Black-tailed Flycatcher, Velvety Black-Tyrant, Sharpbill, Shrike-like Cotinga and Brown Tanager.
Grey Trail: Pileated Parrot, Black Jacobin, Spot-billed Toucanet, Rufous-capped Antthrush, Russet-winged Spadebill and 3 Black-legged Dacnis.
Lodge garden: Tataupa Tinamou, Rusty-margined Guan (up to 4 birds visitng the feeders), large numbers of Maroon-bellied Parakeets demolishing piles of bananas, Orange-winged Parrot, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Common Potoo, Reddish Hermit, the first returning Black Jacobin, White-chinned Sapphire, White Woodpecker, Red-ruffed Fruitcrow photographed along the lodge driveway, Golden-chevroned Tanager, Fawn-breasted Tanager (coming to the feeders), Swallow-Tanager, Crested Oropendola, Green-winged Saltator in the lodge garden and 6 Blue-naped Chlorophonia also in the lodge garden.
Onofre Cunha Trail: Excellent encounters with Giant Snipe showing down to just 3 metres as well as Tawny-browed Owl, 2 Black-banded Owl and Common Potoo. Uniform Crake, Black-capped Screech-Owl, Mottled Owl and Long-tailed (Large-tailed) Potoo were also heard here.
Waldenoor and Veludo Trails: Mantled Hawk, Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle, Blue-winged Parrotlet, Plain Parakeet, Pileated Parrot, Scaly-headed Parrot, Least Pygmy-Owl, Scale-throated Hermit, Brazilian Ruby, Rufous-capped Motmot, White-eared and Crescent-chested Puffbirds, Channel-billed Toucan, Saffron Toucanet, Yellow-fronted Woodpecker, Giant Antshrike, White-shouldered Fire-eye, Rufous-breasted Leaftosser, Scaled Woodcreeper, Rufous-capped Spinetail, Buff-browed Foliage-gleaner, Pale-browed Treehunter, Southern Antpipit, Rough-legged Tyrannulet, Tropical Pewee, Blue-billed Black-Tyrant, Long-tailed Tyrant, Sharpbill, Black-tailed Tityra, Green-backed Becard, White-bellied Tanager, Brassy-breasted Tanager, REGUA’s first Green Honeycreeper (a female), and Yellow-green and Black-throated Grosbeaks.
Waterfall Trail: White-necked Hawk, Mantled Hawk, Black Hawk-Eagle, Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle, Buff-bellied Puffbird, Spot-billed Toucanet, Spot-backed Antshrike, Scaled Antbird, Black-cheeked Gnateater, Variegated Antpitta, Rufous-capped Antthrush, Rufous-breasted Leaftosser, Ochre-breasted Foliage-gleaner, Black-capped Foliage-gleaner, Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper (at the waterfall), Southern Antpipit, Eye-ringed Tody-Tyrant, Tropical Pewee, Large-headed Flatbill, Pin-tailed Manakin, Sharpbill, 2 Shrike-like Cotinga, White-thighed Swallow (at the waterfall), Hooded Tanager, Olive-green Tanager, Azure-shouldered Tanager, White-bellied Tanager, Red-necked Tanager, Brassy-breasted Tanager, Rufous-headed Tanager, Uniform Finch and Golden-crowned Warbler.
Wetland and adjacent forest trails: Up to 20 Muscovy Duck, Masked Duck (numbers slowly building to 10 birds in August), Rufescent Tiger-Heron, 2 immature Boat-billed Heron from the new hide, Pinnated Bittern, Cocoi Heron, Whistling Heron, Capped Heron, 1 Snail Kite, Crane Hawk, White-necked Hawk, Laughing Falcon, Aplomado Falcon, Limpkin, Grey-necked and Slaty-breasted Wood-Rails, Russet-crowned Crake, Rufous-sided Crake, Ash-throated Crake, Blackish Rail, Orange-winged Parrot, Tropical Screech-Owl (including 2 at the usual roost site), 3 Tawny-browed Owl, 1 Stygian Owl seen at close range on the evening of 31st, the first for REGUA, Common Potoo, Pauraque, Scissor-tailed Nightjar, Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift, Green Kingfisher, 2 Rufous-tailed Jacamar in residence behind the conservation centre, 1 Toco Toucan at the start of the São José Trail, Channel-billed Toucan, White Woodpecker, Giant Antshrike (heard), Sooretama Slaty Antshrike, White-bibbed Antbird, Black-billed Scythebill (1 along the São José Trail), Wing-banded Hornero, Southern Antpipit, Eared Pygmy-Tyrant, Bran-coloured Flycatcher, Fuscous Flycatcher, Vermillion Flycatcher, a very unseasonal Streaked Flycatcher, Grey-hooded Attila, Bare-throated Bellbird, Red-ruffed Fruitcrow, Shrike-like Cotinga (at the regular wintering area along the São José Trail behind the wetland), Lemon-chested Greenlet, Long-billed Wren, Black-capped Donacobius, Wedge-tailed Grass-Finch, Hooded Tanager, Golden-chevroned Tanager, Fawn-breasted Tanager, Swallow-Tanager, Pileated Finch, a very low altitude record of Green-winged Saltator and Giant Cowbird.
Mammals seen around the reserve recently have included South-eastern Common Opossum, Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth, Nine-banded Armadillo, Fishing Bat, Common (Tufted-ear) Marmoset, Brown Capuchin Monkey, Collared Peccary, Brazilian Squirrel, Orange-spined Hairy Dwarf Porcupine, Capybara, Paca and Red-rumped Agouti. Theres also been plenty of tracks and signs of Puma on our Elfin Forest Trail.