REGUA bird sightings for September to early November 2013

Spring came to REGUA late this year. Low temperatures and low humidity kept insect activity noticeably reduced into late September, and some species, including Shrike-like Cotinga, did not to appear on territory as early as expected. However, there have been many fantastic birds sightings on the Reserve over the last two months or so.

4×4 Track to Casa Anibal: Frilled Coquette was recorded on one occasion in the garden of the abandoned Casa Anabal at the top of the trail. Other birds along the trail included White-necked Hawk, Tawny-browed Owl, White-throated Hummingbird and Sombre Hummingbird (both scarce at REGUA), Spot-billed Toucanet, Yellow-throated Woodpecker, Yellow-eared Woodpecker, Scaled Antbird, White-bibbed Antbird, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Grey-hooded Flycatcher, Ochre-bellied Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tyrant, Blue Manakin, Bare-throated Bellbird, Golden-chevroned Tanager, Chestnut-bellied Euphonia, Yellow-green Grosbeak, and Crescent-chested Puffbird.

Bare-throated Bellbird <em>Procnias nudicollis </em>, 4x4 Trail, 6 September 2013 (&copy; Henry Cook)
Bare-throated Bellbird Procnias nudicollis , 4×4 Trail, 6 September 2013 (© Henry Cook)

Elfin Forest Trail: Many interesting species were recorded along this beautiful trail: Shrike-like Cotinga, Sharpbill, Russet-winged Spadebill, Brown Tinamou, Blue-bellied Parrot, Brown-backed Parrotlet (a single sighting), Golden-tailed Parrotlet, Pileated Parrot (heard only), Saffron Toucanet, Mantled Hawk, Black Hawk-Eagle, Scale-throated Hermit, Planalto Hermit, Least Pygmy-Owl, Black-billed Scythebill, Pale-browed Treehunter, White-browed Foliage-gleaner, Salvadori’s Antwren, Such’s Antthrush, Short-tailed Antthrush, Tufted Antshrike, White-bearded Antshrike (heard only), White-shouldered Fire-Eye, Slaty Bristlefront, Rufous Gnateater, Spotted Bamboowren (heard only), Oustalet’s Tyrannulet, Mottle-cheeked Tyrannulet, Black-tailed Flycatcher, Greenish Schiffornis, Golden-crowned Warbler, Green-winged Saltator, Brown Tanager, and Plumbeous Pigeon.

1st CY male Shrike-like Cotinga <em>Laniisoma elegans</em>, Elfin Forest Trail, 14 October 2013 (© Henry Cook)
1st CY male Shrike-like Cotinga Laniisoma elegans, Elfin Forest Trail, 14 October 2013 (© Henry Cook)

Forest Trail: Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle, White-necked Hawk, Crane Hawk, Laughing Falcon (nesting), Capped Heron (on a nest), Amethyst Woodstar (unusual here), Reddish Hermit, Surucua Trogon, Ruddy Quail-Dove, Blue Manakin, Striped Cuckoo, Moustached Wren, Long-billed Wren, Southern Antpipit, Giant Antshrike (in September), Sooretama Slaty-Antshrike, Rufous-winged Antwren, Star-throated Antwren, Unicoloured Antwren, Eye-ringed Tody-Tyrant, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Euler’s Flycatcher, Ruby-crowned Tanager, Red-legged Honeycreeper, Swallow Tanager, Crested Becard, Buff-throated Saltator, Orange-bellied Euphonia, and Rufous-capped Motmot.

Blue Manakin <em>Chiroxiphia caudata</em>, Forest Trail, 20 September 2013 (&copy; Henry Cook)
Blue Manakin Chiroxiphia caudata, Forest Trail, 20 September 2013 (© Henry Cook)

The lodge garden: Curl-crested Jay, Greenish Elaenia, White-eared Puffbird (all scarce here), Black-banded Owl (first record for the garden), Rusty-margined Guan (at dusk), Channel-billed Toucan, Yellow-headed Caracara, Maroon-bellied Parakeet, White-eyed Parakeet), up to 14 Orange-winged Parrot, Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift, Rufous-breasted Hermit, White-chinned Sapphire, Black Jacobin, Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, Violet-capped Woodnymph, Glittering-throated Emerald, White-flanked Antwren, Yellow-backed Tanager, Flame-crested Tanager, Hooded Tanager, Long-billed Wren, Brazilian Tanager, Burnished-buff Tanager, and Purple-throated Euphonia.

Black Jacobin <em>Florisuga fusca</em>, lodge garden, 12 September 2013 (&copy; Henry Cook)
Black Jacobin Florisuga fusca, lodge garden, 12 September 2013 (© Henry Cook)

Onofre Cunha Trail: On occasions fantastic night-birding was experienced here with sightings including Giant Snipe, South American Snipe, Short-tailed Nighthawk, Pauraque, Long-tailed Potoo, Mottled Owl, Black-banded Owl, Tawny-browed Owl, Tropical Screech-Owl, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl and Barn Owl. Day time birds recorded here included Uniform Crake (heard only) Ash-throated Crake, Blackish Rail, Slaty-breasted Wood-Rail, Limpkin, Rufous-capped Motmot, White Woodpecker, Short-tailed Hawk, Barn Swallow, Sick’s Swift, Moustached Wren, White-eyed Parakeet, Grey-hooded Flycatcher, Rufous-breasted Hermit, White-flanked Antwren, Channel-billed Toucan, and Rufous-tailed Jacamar.

Tawny-browed Owl <em>Pulsatrix koeniswaldiana</em>, Onofre Cunha, 1 November 2013 (&copy; Henry Cook)
Tawny-browed Owl Pulsatrix koeniswaldiana, Onofre Cunha, 1 November 2013 (© Henry Cook)

Waldenoor and Veludo Trails: The abandoned house part way along the trail was, as usual for this time of year, a reliable spot for the tiny and gorgeous Frilled Coquette, with up to two males and a female putting on a great show for birders here as they fed on flowering trees around the house. Other birds recorded along these two trails included: Mantled Hawk, Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle, Least Pygmy-Owl, Spot-winged Wood-Quail, Blue-winged Parrotlet, Saw-billed Hermit, Versicoloured Emerald, Giant Antshrike, White-shouldered Fire-Eye, Spot-breasted Antvireo, Variegated Antpitta, Scaled Woodcreeper, White-throated Woodcreeper, Buff-bellied Puffbird, Black-tailed Tityra, Black-capped Becard, Green-backed Becard, Rufous-breasted Leaftosser, Rufous-capped Spinetail, Ochre-breasted Foliage-gleaner, Rough-legged Tyrannulet, Azure-shouldered Tanager, Red-necked Tanager, and Variegated Flycatcher. On the approach road to the trailheads: a showy Ash-throated Crake, White-eared Puffbird and Cliff Flycatcher were also seen.

Male Frilled Coquette <em>Lophornis magnificus</em>, Waldenoor Trail, 29 October 2013 (&copy; Henry Cook)
Male Frilled Coquette Lophornis magnificus, Waldenoor Trail, 29 October 2013 (© Henry Cook)

Waterfall Trail: Sightings from Casa Pesquisa up to the Waterfall: White-bellied Tanager, Temminck’s Seedeater, Buffy-fronted Seedeater (both seedeaters at seeding bamboo), Brown Tinamou, Pauraque (several nests along the trail), White-necked Hawk, Black Hawk-Eagle, Rufous-thighed Kite, Barred Forest-Falcon, Ruddy Quail-Dove, Saw-billed Hermit, Black-throated Trogon, Variegated Antpitta, Rufous-breasted Leaftosser (nesting near the waterfall), Salvadori’s Antwren (on several occasions), Spot-backed Antshrike, Spot-breasted Antvireo, Black-cheeked Gnateater, Rufous-capped Antthrush, White-throated Woodcreeper, Buff-bellied Puffbird, Yellow-fronted Woodpecker, White-thighed Swallow, Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper (at the waterfall), Pin-tailed Manakin, Bare-throated Bellbird, Rufous-headed Tanager, Greyish Mourner, White-throated Spadebill, Grey-capped Tyrannulet, Eared Pygmy-Tyrant, Black-throated Grosbeak, Sooty Grassquit (at the seeding bamboo), and Uniform Finch.

White-necked Hawk <em>Amadonastur lacernulatus </em>, Waterfall Trail, 4 October 2013 (&copy; Henry Cook)
White-necked Hawk Amadonastur lacernulatus , Waterfall Trail, 4 October 2013 (© Henry Cook)

Wetland Trail: Around the wetland and rapidly growing secondary forest areas were: Black-breasted Mango (in November), Magnificent Frigatebird (rare at the reserve), Solitary Sandpiper, Southern Lapwing, Masked Duck (very low numbers this year), Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Tataupa Tinamou, Cocoi Heron, Limpkin, Spot-tailed Nightjar, Short-tailed Hawk, Great Black-Hawk (regular), Blue-winged Parrotlet, Maroon-bellied Parakeet, c13 White-eyed Parakeet, Blackish Rail, Rufous-sided Crake, Russet-crowned Crake (heard only), Slaty-breasted Wood-Rail, Grey-necked Wood-Rail, Blue Ground-dove (heard only), Rufous-thighed Hawk, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Pale-vented Pigeon, Biscutate Swift, Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift (regular at dusk), Moustached Wren, Lemon-chested Greenlet, Green-barred Woodpecker, Blond-crested Woodpecker, Black-capped Donacobius, Green-backed Becard, Wing-banded Hornero, Fuscous Flycatcher, Tropical Pewee, Yellow-browed Tyrant, Yellow-lored Tody-Flycatcher, Common Potoo (on nest), Dark-billed Cuckoo, Hooded Tanager, Brown-chested Martin, Chopi Blackbird, White-bellied Seedeater, Pileated Finch, and Glittering-bellied Emerald (an unusually low elevation record).

Biscutate Swift <em>Streptoprocne biscutata</em>, Wetland Trail, 20 September 2013 (&copy; Henry Cook)
Biscutate Swift Streptoprocne biscutata, Wetland Trail, 20 September 2013 (© Henry Cook)

Open country adjacent to the reserve: A few species of more open habitats were recorded on the farmland around the Reserve: Grassland Yellow-Finch (several of this regionally rare species were regular by the approach road in October), Boat-billed Heron (a single bird on the Guapiaçu river at night), Whistling Heron, Crane Hawk, Savanna Hawk, Aplomodo Falcon, Striped Owl, Tawny-browed Owl, Burrowing Owl, Spot-tailed Nightjar, Green Kingfisher, Grassland Sparrow, White-browed Blackbird, White-eyed Parakeet (c70), Orange-winged Parrot, Red-cowled Cardinal, Common Waxbill, Yellowish Pipit, Sooty Swift, Biscutate Swift, Campo Flicker, White Woodpecker, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, White-rumped Swallow, Giant Cowbird, Hooded Tanager, and White-rumped Monjita.

Striped Owl <em>Asio clamator</em>, near REGUA, 31 October 2013 (&copy; Henry Cook)
Striped Owl Asio clamator, near REGUA, 31 October 2013 (© Henry Cook)