Trogons

If you pull out a North American field guide that covers the western United States, there are some, well, "different" looking birds in it. The United States and Canada have about 750 regular occurring bird species. Many non birders are familiar with the common birds. Woodpeckers, American Robins, cardinals, sparrows, chickadees, ducks. The two countries cover a lot of area. When you look at the field guide, go to the sections that include hummingbirds, swifts, and kingfishers.

Somewhere in that section, you will see two birds labeled trogons. Depending on the version/edition, one may be referrred to as a quetzal. These barely reach into the United States. One has to travel to one particular area, of one particular state, to have just a chance to see these birds. That area is in Arizona.

Why that area? As warm as Florida is, and southern California, and south Texas, only that little part of Arizona is connected to rainforest or montane forest habitat in Mexico that is suitable to trogons. And so, birders flock there (like that little pun?) to find this bird, among other specialty species, so that they can "count" the bird in North America. Yes, eventually, I will get there, too.

So, lets look into my past. In 2007, I had yet to really travel into what I consider Latin America: any area south of the United States and Mexico border. I had taken a brief winter trip, for work, to follow birds on the Mexican Plateau. Fun work, but all the work was in grasslands. So, the birds I was seeing were sparrows, pipits, and various raptors and some limited shorebirds. In short, no birds I would truly consider tropical. All the species we looked at (save one) could be found in the United States or Canada. And since that trip, I have seen most of them in the United States.

I was working in Hawaii when I was offered an opportunity to work as a volunteer for a conservation organization in Ecuador. I jumped at the chance: I did not consider myself a strong applicant, but apparently I was. My birding bug was just starting to take hold at this point, and after I got my field guide, I was very anxious to see many of the species (especially the hummingbirds) illustrated in the field guide.

So, in mid-August, I jumped on an early morning plane to Ecuador. After my arrival, I relaxed and slept. I had another full day of travel afterward. So, from Quito, I got on another plane, flew to Loja, got onto a taxi, then took a bus to the station. I did not get to the station until the late evening (around 6:30, 7 pm or so), so it was dark when I arrived (equatorial time: sunrise around 6 am every day, sunset around 6 pm every day). In other words, even though I had spent about 36 hours in the country at that point, I hadn't seen much except scenery. Our station was at around 2.400 meters elevation (about 7.900 feet).

This was my first time traveling in a foreign country, alone, not being able to speak the native language very well. Hence the lack of birding at that point. I really didn't know what to do (and I hadn't discovered travel guides yet).

I coordinated my first days schedule with my trainer/coworker Leigh. Then rested, and woke up the next morning. Had my breakfast, and headed to the field area.

I walked the road to the trail head, and just relished where I was. I turned onto the trail, and saw a bird run across/along the trail. I had NO IDEA what it was. I later learned it was an antpitta, a group of birds I would become familiar with over the next two months (and since). There is nothing like that in North America. A shorter distance down the trail, a bird flew over my head, and landed on an exposed branch about 10 meters away.

And when I looked at that bird, I recall thinking to myself, welcome to the tropics. I knew I was about to see lots of wonderful things. Though I could not identify the bird to species at the moment (silly me, I wasn't carrying a field guide), it was my first (of many) trogon and quetzal species, the Masked Trogon (picture above). And I got to stare at it until I was tired. So for me, the quintessential tropical bird will always be trogons. I was in awe enough that I didn't get my camera out.

And we come to 19 November, 2010, during my most recent field site trip here in Peru. I knew coming down here, that I would see many new birds. One goal was at least 100 new species, and if I could, 169 species (to get me to 1.400 for the world). We were at our banding station, and during a moment that I was there getting ready to target net down the trail, we heard a deep calling trogon over our heads. Jess called out, "found it," while looking straight over her head.

New bird species number 100 for Peru for me was the Black-tailed Trogon (Trogon melanurus). How nice for that. It was my second new species of trogon for my life list from this trip to Peru, the first being Trogon viridis, or Green-backed (or White-tailed) Trogon. I love these birds colors.

And that wasn't the last of the trogon adventures here. After banding for our 500 net hours at site one, we picked up the nets and station, and moved further away into another area of the same white sand patch. We set up, and prepared for day 1 the next day.

Bird. After bird. After bird. Was caught. At one point, we ran out of bird bags. It was a busy morning. Murphy's law: when the boss can't be there, we get lots of work! During a net run, my coworker Oona came back with bird bags, and told us which were priority birds (hummingbirds and small birds get processed first), and told us that one bag was a fun surprise. No one thought much on it, except that we were anxious to find out what it was (we had many birds to process first).

When we got to the bird: a TROGON! The project had never caught one to this point, since they are usually flying around too high to be caught in a mist net.
[Photo courtesy of Judit Ungvari-Martin's work camera]

The awkward pose is because the birds have very short legs.

So, those two days were definitely highlights of my trip to Peru.

I continue to add new species to my life list here in Peru. I got 13 new species on our last 15 day trip, so I have slowed down a little, but I think part of that was how busy this last location is. I have gotten some of the white sand specialists that I have hoped to see, but wasn't counting on. Birds here are hard to detect and find, after all. Those two were Allpahuayo Antbird, and the Gray Legged Tinamou. Both offered wonderful looks, and the only time have gotten a better look at ANY tinamou species, was in Costa Rica, when the Little Tinamou came to our bird feeder. I am spending more time wandering around to find birds to target net, which has allowed me to spend more time photographing things other than birds, and to search for birds when I hear them singing or calling.

I don't expect to get to 1.400 bird species. But if I do, I will be tremendously happy. I have some free time here in the Amazon after this last trip is done, and I will use it as wisely and effectively as possible.

And during our last river boat ride, I reflected upon how lucky I am. I have been in Peruvian Amazon rainforest for the past three months. I will have seen, on average, more than one new species a day. Since first learning about the rainforest way back to I don't know when, I have thought it would be an awesome place to visit. And I have not been disappointed. I am very lucky to have had all these opportunities, and I look forward to having more.

Carpe diem. Try not to have regrets. Our lives are short, take every opportunity to do things you want to do. Remember to have fun.

Thanks - the 2010 version

[Floating back to Iquitos from the community of San Martin on the River Nanay - ahhhhhhh!]

I will be in the field during the upcoming American Thanksgiving holiday. So what am I thankful for?

First and foremost - I am thankful I have such a supportive and encouraging family, both immediate and extended. The e-mails, however brief, I get from home make the long distances easier to deal with, and the long communication gaps. It is taking me a long time to figure out where I want my life to go, but certain events of the past 16 months have definitely made me realize I need to take my opportunities to travel now. Thank you all so much.

I am thankful that though I don't have anyone (except my sister) I consider my best friend, I have a small circle of very close friends that I can talk to about everything I need. In no particular order, they are Ryan, Kristina W, Ginger, Archer, Cat and Ben, and Leslie.

I am thankful that I have been so blessed and lucky in these field excursions, that I find some way to make it work for now, and that I have been able to travel so extensively. When I look back on the past 16 months, it seems so unreal. Missouri and Maine; Australia and New Zealand; Wyoming and now Peru. Wow.

So in that regard, I'm thankful I have had the privilege to work for and with some of the best people ever. In no particular order: Judit, Adrienne, Jennifer, Hannah, George, Ken, Pauline, Liz and Abraham, Heather, Archer and Reimi, and Ryan.

Thanks again to all of you. You mean more to me than you can possibly know.

Ants, Forest Falcons, and Puffbirds

Yup, life is still fun down here in Peru. That's me with a Yellow-browed Antwren that we caught in the net. Only the 4th capture of that species for the season. As you can tell by the beard growth - it was near the end of our trip in the field (I shave each time we are in Iquitos).

It's hard to say what group of birds I love the most, here in Peru and throughout the world. Perhaps the birds I enjoy watching the most, though, are antbirds and their relations.

In the New World Tropics, army ants play a unique role in the lives of birds. Army ants do not make a nest, like most species we are familiar with, but rather behave like an army. For a few weeks, as they are raising pupae into young ants, the ants themselves make a nest with their bodies, and make small foraging bouts every day to search for mites and other small prey. After the pupae hatch, the ants go on the move as an entire horde, making a 'bivouac' every night after wandering the forest floor. Larger insects, their camouflage made moot by the HORDES of ants that wander over the ground and the plant material, will jump, crawl, and/or fly away.

Which is where the birds come in, including species like the one I am holding in the photo. With the camouflage made moot, birds have a "free" meal. Or at least one that is easy to find! And the common birds on this swarms? Antbirds.

I've gotten various species this way - including some here. In Costa Rica, I got numerous ones (I was good at finding swarms there). For that reason, I enjoy the antbirds.

This recent trip, we didn't have a swarm at the nets themselves. But there was one near enough that we kept very busy. And so it was good that our crew expanded from the four of us, to a whopping eight! And we had plenty of work for all of us, especially since we had to train some of the new folks in what we were doing.

But what was the bird highlight of that day? A bird not associated with the ants - but may take the birds following the ants! And yes, I'm being goofy in this photo. You hold these birds in what is referred to as the ice cream cone grip.
A Lined Forest Falcon! The face and eyes are wild: all that orange, and the irises are nearly white.

Our first banding location at this site was very productive for captures. Numerous individuals of many species - having the army ant swarm nearby definitely helped in that regard.

One of the harder groups of birds to see in the tropics are a group referred to as puffbirds, in the family Bucconidae. They are midstory to canopy level birds, that sit still while they look for food. And don't call much. In other words, it will probably be by sheer luck one would ever see one (well, of most species in the group).

But, that is one advantage of netting! You will see birds that you may not easily have a chance to see. And so, we also caught a puffbird on one of our days at the station. You can understand how the name "puffbird" came about when you look at the head size (with feathers fluffed) in relation to body.
Of course, most of you know I don't count birds "in the hand" on my life list. Where's the search challenge? Though I do keep track of birds I have handled. So, for now, I was settling on seeing puffbirds in the hand. And enjoying them as such. But a benefit for me of bird banding is that I get to learn the species very well for identification purposes, and so when it comes time to looking for and seeing them in the forest, I know what field marks I'm looking for.

And so, on our last day of work in the field, while we were walking between plots to do vegetation, what should call (!) and fly in front of me - but the White-chested Puffbird (same as the bird above)! My day was complete, at that point. It was my second life bird of that day.

This last trip remained very enjoyable, with only one bittersweet moment. Our crew was at it's largest (eight) than it had been all season - and now, one by one, members will leave to continue their lives and travels independently. And so, on Tuesday last, we said goodbye (actually, ciao or hasta luego, since she is Argentinian) to one of our members, who is traveling on her own throughout more of South America (and perhaps Central America as well). We already miss Maru - but we are continuing to build happy, funny, and exciting memories.

I am continuing to add to my list, and not even little by little. This past trip provided me with even more species than San Martin did - Seventeen! I added a couple of hummingbirds, including the spectacular Gould's Jewelfront, which perched right next to us at the banding station for about five seconds, and those of us there got awesome views of the bird and it's colors. I also added my second puffbird species of the trip (the one above), and various flycatchers. The flycatchers: I had to chase down most of them! I am getting familiar with all the bird songs and calls down here, so now, I know which calls to follow/chase down. Plus, that is the best way for me to learn new songs and calls, anyway.

So, the lasting images I will have of this past trip? The Lined Forest Falcon, of course. The "countable" puffbird on the last day. The Gould's Jewelfront at the banding station. Day 1 at the second banding site, where for the first 2.5 hours of so, I was continually walking the net lanes, extracting birds and bringing them to the banding station. The sunsets over the river. Bathing in the river Nanay. Having the Nanay River at our front step. The return of the rains (it rained nearly every night). Using myself as a stepladder to check the inside of a trogon nest.

So, yes, it was a productive trip. Our next excursion brings us the farthest we will be from Iquitos, with a one hour bus ride to the river port, followed by a four hour (approximately) boat ride up river to the next community. And then, the crew will shrink in size again, drastically. And I will be thinking about going home again...and what the future will bring.