Photo by Sarah Hadley

Species of the day –– Collared Trogon (Trogon collaris)

We caught this female collared trogon. While the males are extremely spectacular birds the females are duller in color. This particular female was not the brightest looking one that we had ever seen and its appearance was further marred by two large ticks that were attached to its head. We removed the ticks before letting it go. However, despite the marred appearance it was really interesting to see a trogon up close. They have a very broad bill with a sharp tip for eating fruit. The tip is apparently sharp enough to draw blood from Evan’s finger. They also have very short and weak legs for their size.

Photo by Sarah Hadley

Species of the day –– Bicolored Antbird (Gymnopithys leucaspis)

These birds are called antbirds because they follow swarms of army ants. They don’t actually eat the ants themselves, but eat the insects and spiders that are fleeing from the swarm. Many have quite remarkable facial skin coloring such as the blue eye ring on this one.

Photo by Sarah Hadley

Species of the day –– Golden-hooded Tanager (Tangara larvata)

Tanagers are among the most brightly colored bird species. Golden-hooded tanagers are a particularly brilliant example. At some times they seem to be quite common around the station, but it had been a while since we had seen one. This one was coming to eat some fruit near the dinning hall.

Photo by Sarah Hadley

Species of the day – March 10, 2013 – Brown-billed Scythebill (Campylorhamphus pusillus)

Clearly hummingbirds are not the only species of birds with long curved bills! This scythebill has an incredibly long, slender bill that it uses to probe into hard to reach places (deep into moss, cracks in bark, into clusters of vines etc.) to get prey items such as insects and spiders. The scythebill is a type of woodcreeper. It has a very strong tail like that of a woodpecker that supports it on the trunks of trees as it searches for food.

Photo by Sarah Hadley

Species of the day – March 9, 2013 – Red-headed Barbet (Eubucco bourcierii)

This was the first time that we had caught one of these spectacular birds! The red-headed barbet is rather stocky bird with a relatively large bill. It eats fruit and insects. We caught the female just as we were about to close our nets and the end of a hummingbird capture session. Just after we released her we also got to see the male in a tree nearby. Barbets excavate cavities in dead trees and it is possible that they may have a nest nearby. In 2010 I found a red-headed barbet nest. I saw both of the parents and thought that they seemed to be watching me quite intently and looking a bit agitated. I backed away a bit and waited quietly. Sure enough, the female went down and hopped into a hole in a snag right beside the heliconia plant I had been collecting data on. It is amazing what you can find through being quiet and watching patiently!

As I released the female she perched on my hand briefly before taking off.

Photo by Sarah Hadley

Species of the day – March 8, 2013 – Treehoppers or Thorn bugs (Membracidae) and a giant fly

These treehoppers were on the stem of a tree at one of the sites where we work. The big “thorn-like” ones are the adults and the smaller ones are the nymphs. Treehoppers pierce plant stems and then feed on sap. They are often very well camouflaged as thorns to prevent from being spotted by predators.

Later on we found this giant horse fly (Diptera). I would not want to get bitten by it! The mouthparts of this particular individual were damaged in the net. The nets are designed so that birds do not tend to get too tangled. If a researcher is well trained and careful they will almost never injure a bird. However, large flies, bees and beetles are very difficult to extract from the net since they tend to get net wrapped tightly around their different body segments. We try to extract these insects as unharmed as we can, but it can be very difficult. Thankfully most fly right through the nets without getting caught.

Photo by Sarah Hadley

Species of the day – March 7, 2013 – Preying mantis (Mantodea)

Here is another amazing example of camouflage. This is a different species of preying mantis than the one we saw earlier (mantis #1). This one looks much more like a dead leaf, but is no less camouflaged. It must be a dangerous pace for a small insect to be wandering around when these are out there.