SVBC Newsletter Vol 5 No 1-Aug 2010

August 2010 Volume 5 Issue 1
45 minutes from San Vito, we had a party for our junior members at Los Chocuacos. In addition to by Alison Olivieri some swimming, we were treated to nesting BoatWe will be knee deep into our season of billed Herons with chicks and two kinds of bats puddles with this issue of the newsletter, but we roosting in the luncheon rancho! would like to offer a sunny bienvenidos to new In June, we helped with the three-day OTS members Marjorie and Richard Cohen, Kathleen Festival Eco-Cultural, held not only at the Deamer, Dan Fender, Mark S. Wilson Garden/Las Cruces but also, for Garland, Jonathan Giles, Carlos two days, in the park and at the Italian Charlie Gomez, Jose Pablo Cultural Center in downtown San Vito. Molina, Nancy Nelson, Jacalyn Transportation is such an obstacle for Giacalone, Gregory Willis, and schools and local residents, Ariadna Mark Larson. And on the Junior Sanchez decided to take the event to the Membership Roster we welcome people this year with great success! As Erika Conejo, Daniela Chavez you will see from the photos later in the and Bianca Pirola. A year ago, newsletter, we made so many owl puppets Photo: Harry Hull out of brown paper lunch bags we could you may recall, we were pining for some chiquitas (girls), so we are happier probably do it blindfolded. now! Of course we soldiered on with our Avian Active as ever, since we last appeared on your Monitoring Program and were lucky enough to computer screen, we journeyed to La Amistad corral four new volunteers for the March session: Lodge (and suffered the chiggers to prove it), Liz Allen, Jose Pablo Molina, Nancy Nelson and where the Scaly-throated Foliage-gleaner was Dan Fender. Right around this time of year we a life sighting for many, and to Playa Zancudo expect to be slipping and sliding in the mud and where we had a rip-roaring view of a handsome foggy rain as we set out our mist nets during the Savanna Hawk in the rice fields, a sleepy Barn Owl first week of August. Wish us luck! Well need it nearby, plus Mangrove Cuckoo, American Pygmy even more in the soggy month of November when Kingfishers, Long-tailed Woodcreepers AND the session has been known to last eight days Neotropical River Otters on the unsurpassable Los instead of the usual six. Cocos River Tour with Captain Susan England. In You are all invited to come help out with the April, a little closer to home on a little lake about bird study, join us for local bird walks or overnight
The Presidents Corner
trips, and climb our soon-to-be-built Canopy Tower in the Las Cruces forest. We look forward to seeing you here!
CONTENTS Presidents Corner From the Editor Feature Article: A Vultures Tale Mist-Netting Highlights Poem by Pablo Neruda Featured Bird: Barred Forest-Falcon SVBC Visits Hacienda La Amistad Eco-Cultural Festival Update on Canopy Tower Project Los ChocuacosAn Adventure Book Reviews: The Three Contenders Flyways Photo Gallery Appendix: References SVBC Benefits & Membership 1 2 3-4 7 9-10 9 11 13 14 15 16 18 19-21 22-24 25-26
CONTENIDO Esquina del Presidente 1 Del Editor 2 Artculo de Fondo: Un Cuento de Zonchos 5-6 Atracciones en las Redes de Nieblas 8 Poema por Pablo Neruda 9-10 Especia Principal: Halcon monte barreteado 10 SVBC visita la Hacienda La Amistad 12 Festival Eco-Cultural 13 Actualidades del Proyecto de la Torre del Dosel 14 Los ChocuacosUna Aventura 15 Revisin de Libros: Tres Contendores 17 Ruta de Vuelo 18 Galera de Fotos 19-21 Apendice: Referencias 22-24 SVBC Beneficos y Membreca 25-26
La Esquina del Presidente

por Alison Olivieri
Con este nmero del boletn estaremos hasta las rodillas estos das de barriales, pero nos gustara ofrecer un bienvenidos bien asoleado a los nuevos miembros Marjorie y Richard Cohen, Kathleen Deamer, Dan Fender, Mark S. Garland, Jonathan Giles, Carlos Charlie Gmez, Jos Pablo Molina, Nancy Nelson, Jacalyn Giacalone, Gregory Willis y Mark Larson. Y en las Membrecas Junior damos la bienvenida a Erika Conejo, Daniela Chvez y Bianca Pirola. Si recuerdan, hace un ao estbamos atrayendo unas chiquitas, as que ahora estamos felices! Tan activos como siempre, desde la ltima vez que aparecimos en la pantalla de su computador viajamos a La Amistad Lodge (y sufrimos las coloradillas para probarlo), donde el trepamusgo de anteojos fue primera vez en mi vida para muchos, y a Playa Zancudo donde tuvimos una estupenda vista de un guapo gaviln sabanero en los arrozales, una lechuza de campanario adormilada, el cuclillo de antifaz, martines pescadores enanos, el trepador delgado y nutrias de ro
en el indiscutible Tour del Ro Coco, con la capitn Susan England. En abril, un poco ms cerca de casa, en un pequeo lago como a 45 minutos de San Vito, tuvimos una fiesta para nuestros miembros junior en Los Chocuacos. Aparte de un poco de natacin, encontramos chocuacos anidando y con polluelos y dos tipos de murcilagos colgados en el rancho! En junio, ayudamos durante los tres das del Festival Eco-Cultural de la OET, el cual no slo tuvo actividades en el Jardn Wilson/Las Cruces sino tambin, por dos das, en el parque y en el Centro Cultural Italiano en el centro de San Vito. Dado que el transporte es un obstculo para las escuelas y los residentes locales, Ariadna Snchez decidi llevar este ao el evento a la gente con gran xito! Como ver en las fotos ms adelante en el boletn, hicimos tantos tteres de lechuzas con bolsas de papel que probablemente las podemos hacer a ojos cerrados. Por supuesto, marchamos con nuestro Programa de Monitoreo de Aves y tuvimos mucha suerte de acorralar cuatro voluntarios nuevos en la sesin de marzo: Liz Allen, Jos Pablo Molina, Nancy Nelson y
Dan Fender. Para esta poca del ao, esperamos estar resbalndonos y cayndonos en el barro y la llovizna cuando abramos nuestras redes en la primera semana de agosto. Deseanos suerte! La vamos a necesitar an ms en el empapado mes de noviembre, cuando se sabe que la sesin dura ocho das en lugar de los usuales seis. Estn todos ustedes invitados a venir y a ayudarnos con el estudio de las aves, acompenos en las caminatas locales de observacin de aves o viajes nocturnos, y a subir a la Torre del Dosel que se construir pronto en el bosque de Las Cruces. Esperamos verlos por aqu!
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From the Editor
The choice of the Barred Forest-Falcon for our Featured Bird in this issuethough this large, by Harry Hull handsome bird is not a migrantis inspired by Theres something incredibly compelling one captured during the Clubs ongoing avian about the migration of birds. Its a deceptively monitoring project, now in its 7th year, that is commonplace phenomenon, usually encountered in gathering data on changes in migrant vs. resident small, delightful surprises, like the sudden arrival of populations in our area. Beginning with this issue, a Baltimore Oriolea migrant here in San Vito the Featured Bird article will be written by one that hasnt been seen for months. However, when of our young membersin this issue, by Gerald one contemplates the magnitude of the achievement Rodriguez. Many thanks to one of the Clubs (all those miles crossed!) and long-time mentors, Jim Zook, for his technical the exquisite combination review, suggestions, and English translation of of factors (changes in this article. temperature, angle of the sun, On a more literary level, this issues poem and who knows what else) that Migration by the incomparable Pablo Neruda inform this avian behavior, explores the emotional and sensory landscape migration becomes something of flocks migrating within the southern wondrous and irresistibly hemisphere from Nerudas home country of metaphoric. Chile. I should mention that all the Neruda Photo: Kate Desvenain poems in the last three issues have come from Migration is also at the heart of this issue. Our lead article is a wonderful collection, Arte de Pajaros/Art of a story by Marco Saboro about his attempts to find Birds, that the poet published in 1985. For bird and a migrating Turkey Vulture that was being tracked poetry lovers, this volume is highly recommended. by satellite. Marco told my wife, Gail, and me this Of course theres more to life than migration, story in early 2005, and Ive always felt it deserved and much of this issue reports on outings, projects a wider audience. A very special thanks to C. Stuart and events sponsored or supported by the Club, Houston, who enlisted Marco to find the Turkey from a wonderful trip to nearby Hacienda La Vulture, for all his helpful review and background Amistad to the Eco-Cultural Festival in San Vito material. organized by OTS. And dont miss the useful
review of Costa Rican bird guides, an update on the Canopy Tower project that is getting ever closer to becoming a reality, and the report on the Clubs avian monitoring project. Which brings me back (!) to migration. I cant resist noting that many of our most active, nonresident members are not unlike migrants themselves, seeking out the warm delights of our summer tropical dry season to escape the cold and effrontery of the North American winter. Truth be told, some of us resident members have been known to fly away to enjoy parts of almost any season in the land of our birthand beyond. But were always thankful to return.
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Notas del Editor

por Harry Hull
Hay algo increblemente fascinante sobre la migracin de las aves. Es un fenmeno engaosamente comn, usualmente encontrado en pequeas y encantadoras sorpresas, como la llegada repentina de un oriol de Baltimoreuna especie migratoria aqu en San Vitoque no se ha visto durante meses. Sin embargo, cuando uno contempla la magnitud del logro (todos esos kilmetros cruzados!) y la exquisita combinacin de factores (cambios en la temperatura, el ngulo del sol y quin sabe qu otra cosa) que informan este comportamiento aviar, la migracin se convierte en algo maravilloso e irresistiblemente metafrico. La migracin est tambin en el corazn de esta entrega. Nuestro artculo principal es una historia por Marco Saboro sobre sus intentos de encontrar un zoncho migratorio que era rastreado por satlite. Marco nos cont esta historia a mi esposa, Gail, y a m a principios de 2005 y siempre hemos credo que mereca una audiencia ms amplia. Un agradecimiento muy especial a C. Stuart Houston, quien motiv a Marco para que buscara el zoncho, por toda su til revisin y el material de fondo. La eleccin del halcn de monte barreteado como
nuestra Ave Destacada de este boletnaunque esta ave grande y guapa no es migratoriaest inspirada en uno capturado durante una de las sesiones del proyecto de monitoreo en curso del Club, ahora en su stimo ao, que est recogiendo datos sobre los cambios en las poblaciones de especies migratorias vrs. las poblaciones de residentes en nuestra rea. A partir de este boletn, el artculo del Ave Destacada ser escrito por uno de nuestros miembros jvenesen esta entrega, por Gerald Rodrguez. Muchas gracias a Jim Zook, uno de los mentores del Club desde hace mucho tiempo, por su revisin tcnica, sugerencias y la traduccin al ingls de este artculo. En un nivel ms literario, el poema de este boletn Migracin, del incomparable Pablo Neruda, explora el paisaje sensorial y emocional de las aves que migran en el hemisferio sur desde Chile, pas de origen de Neruda. Debo mencionar que todos los poemas de Neruda en los tres ltimos boletines proceden de una maravillosa coleccin, Arte de Pjaros/Art of Birds, que el poeta public en 1985. Para los amantes de las aves y la poesa, este volumen es muy recomendable. Por supuesto, en la vida hay ms que migracin, y gran parte de este boletn informa sobre salidas, proyectos y eventos patrocinados o apoyados por el Club, desde una maravillosa excursin a Hacienda La Amistad al Festival Eco-Cultural en San Vito
organizado por la OET. Y no se pierda la til revisin de las guas de aves de Costa Rica, una actualizacin sobre el proyecto de la Torre del Dosel que est recibiendo cada vez est ms cerca de convertirse en una realidad y el informe sobre el proyecto de monitoreo de aves del Club. Lo que me lleva de regreso (!) a la migracin. No puedo resistir notar que muchos de nuestros miembros ms activos, no residentes, no son muy diferentes de las especies migratorias, que buscan los clidos placeres de nuestra estacin seca tropical para escapar del fro del invierno de Amrica del Norte. A decir verdad, algunos de nosotros miembros residentes hemos volado para disfrutar de partes de casi cualquier poca del ao en la tierra que nos vio nacery ms all. Pero siempre estamos agradecidos a regresar.
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FEATURE ARTICLE ARTCULO DE FONDO The Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) is the A Vultures Tale
by Marco Saboro as told to Harry Hull; with additional material from C. Stuart Houston and from the Turkey Vulture Tracking Project most widely distributed, as well as the most abundant, of all scavenging birds of prey. The species, occurring only in the new World, can be seen as far north as southern Canada and as far south as Tierra del Fuego at the southern tip of South America. Turkey Vultures also occur on islands such as Cuba and Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea, and the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. Six races or subspecies
The Turkey Vulture Migration Project
Itll be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Thats what C. Stuart Houston said on the phone from his home in Saskatchewan, Canada, when he called me on 14 December 2004 asking me to look for a missing Turkey Vulture. Stuart is a researcher with the Saskatchewan Turkey Vulture Tracking Project as well as the Hawk Mountain, Pennsylvania-based Turkey Vulture Migration Project, who has been banding migratory birds in Saskatchewan since 1943. He and colleagues had applied a single 35-gram radio Area near San Gabriel, Costa Rica, where Marco narrowed his search for Photo: Marco Saboro transmitter to a nestling Turkey Vulture H25. Turkey Vulture to track its fall migration from Canada to South America of Turkey Vultures are recognized by via satellite. This was the first-ever application biologists, including septentrionalis in eastern of a satellite transmitter to a nestling Turkey North America, meridionalis in western Vulture. North America (including Saskatchewan), aura in Mexico, parts of the Caribbean and Central America, ruficollis in southern Central and northern and central South America, jota in South America and falklandica in southern South America and the Falkland Islands. The scientific name for Turkey Vulture, Cathartes aura, translates as the purifier, appropriate because the vulture stomach can neutralize bacteria and even anthrax spores. Scientists consider North American populations of Turkey Vultures to be partial migrants, in that northern populations of the species migrate, whereas southern populations, in general, do not. Eastern North American populations of the species typically migrate no farther south than Florida. Western interior populations travel at least as far as Colombia and Venezuela. More than one million migrating Turkey Vultures Map of Turkey Vulture H25s 2004 migration track from origin to Costa Rica. Figure 1 from Houston, Holroyd, Terry, Blom, Stoffel, considered to have one of the most BLUE JAY 65:201-207, Dec 2007. Stuart Houston. flexible of all avian migration systems
was initiated in 2003 by the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania. To date scientists at the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and its collaborators have placed radio satellite transmitters on 21 Turkey Vultures, seven of them in Saskatchewan by Stuart Houstons crew, in an effort to follow their outbound migrations south each autumn and their return migrations north each spring. They also have been surveying the sizes of Turkey Vulture winter and summer populations in seven eastern United States and British Columbia, Canada, as well as in Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, Argentina, and the Falkland Islands. Their plan is to lay the ground work for a long-term monitoring effort that will track regional and continental populations of this widespread and common scavenger in hopes of avoiding catastrophic declines in its populations similar to those that have occurred in Old World vultures in many parts of Africa and southern Asia. A second goal of their research is to provide the general public, including school children, with the ability to track the daily movements and whereabouts of these important scavengers across North and South America.
The Saskatchewan Turkey Vulture Tracking Project has, in its first seven years,
2003-2009, applied wingtags to 479 nestling vultures at 277 nests in Saskatchewan: white letters on dark green tags, readily visible. Contact stuart.houston@ usask.ca if you see or photograph such a vulture. Since 1943, Stuart has been involved in banding 143,000 birds of 209 species. For information about Kkldi Hawkwatch, the principal watchsite in Costa Rica for monitoring raptor migrations and one of the few places in the world where its possible to observe more than one million raptors migrating in one migration season, click here.
have been counted annually at migration watchsites in Mexico, Costa Rica, and Panama. On 5 August 2004, in an effort to learn more about the extent, causes, and consequences of the annual journeys of this extremely successful raptor, Stuart and his colleagues of the Saskatchewan Turkey Vulture Tracking Project fitted a Turkey Vulture nestling at a deserted log house near Ranger, Saskatchewan with a wingtag numbered H25 and a backpack 35g solar-assisted radio transmitter.[] Vulture H25 began its southbound migration on 22 September 2004, reached Costa Rica on 20 November 2004 and the mountains south of San Jose on 3 December. All was
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going smoothly until 4 December, when the got out of the car and walked to the edge of vultures positions ceased changing to the the road. Not even a minute had passed when Epilogue. The vulture H25 later moved a degree they had previously.[ ] Might the bird a Turkey Vulture flew practically right in bit further to Santiago de Puriscal, Costa Rica, be immobilized? Stuart was alarmed. front of me and at a slightly lower elevation. where it spent the winter, staying until the The vulture was supposed to continue its I just had time to raise my binoculars and see spring migration north. The first 100 km of migration to South America. Stuart not only a shiny antenna protruding from the birds its northward migration was on 13 April 2005 wanted to confirm if his fears were correct, back before the bird began to wheel around to to Tilaran in northwest Costa Rica, the day but if the vulture were found dead, he wanted pass by again. I ran to the car and grabbed my after the first migrating vultures had arrived to recover the valuable transmitter. The only camera. To my utter amazement and delight, in Saskatchewan that spring. By 25 May, hope I had of finding the vulture was to use I saw the vulture coming towards me again H25 reached southeastern Nebraska where the coordinates Stuart was receiving from in just the right position to be able to see it stayed but apparently died from unknown the satellite. When I entered the vultures the transmitter and the antenna on its back. causes about 4 July. last known coordinates into some mapping Almost trembling, I snapped a couple of shots When Stuart asked how he could repay software, the result showed that it was right as the bird passed me again, and sure enough, me for my help, I almost jokingly told him he in the town of Ro Conejo, in the mountains the photos clearly showed the bird and his could treat me to a slice of Saskatoon-berry south of San Jose. With those coordinates antenna. pie, a delicious dessert Id been introduced loaded into my GPS, I took to when visiting the city of some friends with me in Saskatoon some years earlier. my car to look for the bird. In late January 2005, not long We were not successful in after Id found H25, I got finding a vulture outfitted a call from Melanie Elliott with an antenna, but we who said she was a friend of did find a roosting site Stuarts and had just arrived for vultures near those in Costa Rica with a birding coordinates, leading us to group from Saskatoon. She hope that the vulture might said she had something for be with them. me. I met her at the Hotel Returning home, I Occidental Torremolinos Marcos photo of Turkey Vulture H25 flying toward him with transmitter and antenna sent a message to Stuart where she presented me with showing on top of the birds back. Photo: Marco Saboro. reporting our theory that a jar of tasty Saskatoon-berry the vulture might still be alive. Sure enough, When I happily passed on the good news jam. I still have the empty jar as a keepsake. later that night, Stuart finally received satellite to Stuart later that day, followed by the photos, References coordinates showing movement of the bird he was almost incredulous. The needle in the toward the town of San Gabriel. The next day, haystack has been found! with the new coordinates, I left home on my own to make another attempt to find the bird. A Falcon Find. As if tracking down a specific migrating vulture wasnt enough, almost two and a This time, the GPS led me to a coffee farm half years later, Marco did it again. In May 2007, Marco and his colleague, Hernan Araya, managed to where I interviewed the owners and learned intercept Linda, a migrating Peregrine Falcon that had been fitted with a transmitter and was being that on a hill beyond their farmhouse, there tracked by the Southern Cross Peregrine Project based in the US. As with the vulture H25, Marco was able was another vulture roosting site. I was given to take photos of Linda while it permission to drive through the farm to get as was passing through Costa Rica close as possible to the hill, but the farm road that clearly shows the antenna didnt get me close enough. I thought Id been of the transmitter. This was stymied until I found that the road across the considered an historic first by farm was a shortcut to the town of Vuelta de the Peregrine Project, the first Jorco where I picked up a main road. time anyone had observed, Driving on, from a sharp bend in the main much less photographed, road, the elusive hill could be seen from a a tracked peregrine as it higher vantage point. It was very late in the migrated through a country. morning by then, not a good time of day to Click here to get the full story find vultures in their roost. So since I have and photos on the Southern relatives in that area, I decided to pay them Cross Peregrine Projects a visit and come back to that lookout point website and scroll down to late in the afternoon when the vultures would Linda Moving Through Central return to their roosting place. Around four in America. Marcos photo of Peregrin Falcon Linda with antenna showing above the the afternoon, I drove back to the lookout. I
birds back.
Photo: Marco Saboro.
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de todas las especies de aves de presa carroeras. La especie, que ocurre slo en el nuevo mundo, puede verse Contado por Marco Saboro a Harry Hull; tan al norte como el sur de Canad y tan al sur como con material extra de C. Stuart Houston y Tierra del Fuego en el extremo ms al sur de Amrica del Sur. Los zonchiches tambin se encuentran en islas, del Proyecto de Seguimiento del Zopilote como Cuba y Puerto Rico en el Mar Caribe y las Islas Cabecirrojo Malvinas en el Atlntico Sur. Los bilogos reconocen Ser como buscar una aguja en un pajar. Eso es seis razas o subespecies de zonchiches, incluyendo lo que dijo C. Stuart Houston por telfono desde su septentrionalis en el este de Norteamrica, meridionalis casa en Saskatchewan, Canad, en el oeste de Amrica del Norte cuando me llam el 14 de (incluyendo Saskatchewan), diciembre de 2004 pidindome zonchiche en Mxico, partes del que busque un zopilote cabecirrojo Caribe y Centroamrica, ruficollis o zonchiche desaparecido. Stuart en el sur de Amrica Central y es un investigador del Proyecto de norte y centro de Amrica del Sur, Seguimiento de Zonchiches de jota en Amrica del sur y falklandica Saskatchewan, y del Proyecto de en el sur de Sudamrica y las Islas Migracin de Zonchiches con sede Malvinas. El nombre cientfico en Hawk Mountain, Pennsylvania, del zonchiche, Cathartes aura, que ha estado anillando aves se traduce como el purificador, migratorias en Saskatchewan apropiado porque el estmago desde 1943. l y sus colegas haban de este buitre puede neutralizar colocado un transmisor de radio las bacterias y hasta las esporas de de 35 gramos a un pichn de ntrax. zonchiche para rastrear va satlite Stuart Houston con el H25 poco Los cientficos consideran su migracin en el otoo desde despus de que se le puso su transmigratorias parciales a las misor y la placa en el ala. Stuart HousCanad a Amrica del Sur. Esta ton with H25 shortly after its transmitter poblaciones de zonchiches de fue la primera aplicacin de un and wingtag were attached. Amrica del Norte, puesto que Foto: Brenton Terry transmisor de satlite a un pichn las poblaciones del norte migran, de zonchiche. pero las poblaciones del sur, en general, no lo hacen. El zonchiche (Cathartes aura) es la ms Las poblaciones de la especie del este de Amrica del ampliamente distribuida, as como la ms abundante, Norte tpicamente no migran ms al sur que la Florida. Las poblaciones del oeste interior viajan al menos hasta Colombia y Venezuela. Ms de un milln de zonchiches en migracin considerados como el que tiene uno de los sistemas de migracin aviar ms flexibles han sido contados anualmente en sitios de observacin en Mxico, Costa Rica y Panam. El 5 de agosto de 2004, en un esfuerzo para obtener ms informacin acerca del grado, causas y consecuencias de los viajes anuales de este rapaz tan exitoso, Stuart y sus colegas del Proyecto de Seguimiento de Zonchiches de Saskatchewan equiparon un zonchiche joven, encontrado en una cabaa desierta cerca de Ranger, Saskatchewan, con una marca de ala numerada H25 y un transmisor de radio de energa solar de 35 g en su espalda [ ]. El buitre H25 comenz su migracin hacia el sur el 22 de septiembre de 2004, lleg a Costa Rica el 20 de noviembre de 2004, y a las montaas al sur de San Jos el 3 de diciembre. Todo iba sin problemas hasta el 4 de diciembre, cuando las posiciones del Mapa del recorrido migratorio del zopilote cabecirrojo H25 en 2004 desde su origen a Costa Rica. Figura 1 de Houston, Holroyd, Terry, zonchiche dejaron de cambiar al grado que lo Blom, Stoffel, BLUE JAY 65:201-207, Dic. 2007. Stuart Houston. hacan previamente [ ]. Ser que el ave est
Un Cuento de Zonchos
El Proyecto Migracin del Zonchiche fue iniciado en 2003 por el Santuario Hawk Mountain en Pennsylvania. Hasta la fecha los cientficos del santuario y sus colaboradores han colocado transmisores de radio por satlite en 21 zonchiches, siete de ellos en Saskatchewan por el grupo de Stuart Houston, en un esfuerzo para seguir sus migraciones hacia el sur cada otoo y su migracin de regreso hacia el norte cada primavera. Tambin han estado estudiando los tamaos de las poblaciones del zonchiche en invierno y verano en siete estados del este de Estados Unidos y Columbia Britnica, Canad, as como en Costa Rica, Panam, Venezuela, Argentina y las Islas Malvinas. Su plan es establecer la base para un esfuerzo de monitoreo a largo plazo, que realizar un seguimiento regional y continental de las poblaciones de este carroero tan comn y con tan amplia distribucin, con la esperanza de evitar disminuciones catastrficas en sus poblaciones, similares a las que se han producido en los buitres del viejo mundo en muchas partes de frica y Asia meridional. El segundo objetivo de su investigacin es proporcionar al pblico en general, incluyendo los nios de escuela primaria, la capacidad de rastrear los movimientos diarios y el paradero de estos carroeros importantes entre Norte y Sur Amrica. En sus primeros siete aos, 2003-2009, el
Proyecto de Seguimiento de Zonchiche de Saskatchewan, puso marcas de ala a 479 pichones

de buitre en 277 nidos en Saskatchewan: tienen letras blancas sobre placas verde oscuro, fcilmente visibles. Si usted ve o fotografa un zonchiche de estos, pngase en contacto con stuart.houston@ usask.ca. Desde 1943, Stuart ha estado involucrado en el anillado de 143.000 aves de 209 especies. Para ms informacin sobre Kkldi Hawkwatch, el principal sitio de observacin en Costa Rica para el monitoreo de las migraciones de rapaces y uno de los pocos lugares en el mundo donde es posible observar ms de un milln de rapaces migrando en una sola poca migratoria, haga click aqu.
inmovilizada? Stuart estaba alarmado. Se supona que el zonchiche iba a continuar su migracin hacia Amrica del Sur. Stuart no slo quera confirmar si sus temores eran correctos, pero si el zonchiche estaba muerto, quera recuperar el valioso transmisor. La nica esperanza que tena de encontrar el buitre consista en utilizar las coordenadas que Stuart estaba recibiendo desde el satlite. Cuando ingres las ltimas coordenadas conocidas del zonchiche en un software de mapeo, el resultado mostr que se encontraba en el pueblo de Ro Conejo, en las montaas al sur de San Jos. Con esas coordenadas cargadas en mi GPS, llev algunos amigos conmigo en
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cuando el ave pas una vez ms, y efectivamente, las fotos mostraron claramente el pjaro y su antena. Cuando felizmente le pas la buena noticia a Stuart ms tarde ese da, seguido de las fotos, l estaba casi incrdulo. Se haba encontrado la aguja en el pajar!
pagar por mi ayuda, casi bromeando le dije que poda invitarme a una rebanada de torta de bayas de Saskatoon, un delicioso postre que conoc al visitar esa ciudad unos aos antes. A finales de enero de 2005, poco despus de que me encontr con H25, recib una llamada de Melanie Elliott, quien dijo ser amiga de Stuart y que acababa de llegar a Costa Rica con un grupo de observadores de aves de Saskatoon. Dijo que tena algo para m. La encontr en el Hotel Occidental Torremolinos
Area cerca de San Gabriel, Costa Rica, donde Marco encontr y fotografi el H25. Foto: Marco Saboro
mi carro para buscar el ave. No tuvimos xito buscando el buitre con una antena, pero encontramos un sitio de descanso para buitres cerca de esas coordenadas, dndonos la esperanza de que nuestro zonchiche pudiera estar con ellos. De regreso a casa, envi un mensaje a Stuart mencionando nuestra teora de que el buitre todava podra estar vivo. Efectivamente, ms tarde esa noche, Stuart finalmente recibi coordenadas de satlite mostrando movimiento del ave hacia el pueblo de San Gabriel. Al da siguiente, con las nuevas coordenadas, sal de casa para hacer otro intento de encontrar el ave. Esta vez, el GPS me llev a una finca de caf donde entrevist a los propietarios y me dijeron que sobre una colina, ms all de su casa, haba otro sitio de descanso de zopilotes. Me dieron permiso de manejar por la finca para llegar lo ms cerca posible a la colina, pero el camino no me acerc lo suficiente. Pens que haba sido bloqueado hasta que me di cuenta que el camino de la finca era un atajo al pueblo de Vuelta de Jorco, donde sal a una carretera principal. Siguiendo el camino, en una fuerte curva en la carretera principal, la esquiva colina poda verse desde algo as como un mirador. Para entonces ya era muy tarde en la maana, y no es un buen momento del da para encontrar los zopilotes en su dormitorio. Puesto que tengo parientes en esa zona, decid visitarlos y regresar a ese mirador al final de la tarde, cuando los buitres volveran a su lugar de descanso. Alrededor de las cuatro de la tarde, manej de vuelta al mirador. Sal del carro y camin hasta el borde de la carretera. No haba pasado ni un minuto cuando un zonchiche vol prcticamente justo delante de m y a una altura ligeramente inferior. Apenas tuve tiempo de elevar mis binculos y ver una brillante antena que sobresala de la espalda del ave antes de que el ave empezara a dar vueltas para pasar otra vez. Corr al carro y tom mi cmara. Para mi absoluto asombro y deleite, vi el zonchiche venir hacia m otra vez en la posicin correcta para poder ver el transmisor y la antena en su espalda. Casi temblando, dispar un par de veces
Eplogo. El zopilote H25 se movi ms tarde un poco hacia Santiago de Puriscal, Costa Rica, donde pas el invierno, permaneciendo hasta la migracin de primavera hacia el norte. Los primeros 100 km Foto tomada por Marco del zopilote cabecirrojo H25 mostrando el transmisor de su migracin hacia el norte de radio y la antena sobre su espalda. Foto: Marco Saboro. fueron el 13 de abril de 2005, hacia Tilarn en el noroeste de Costa Rica, un da donde me entreg un frasco de la sabrosa jalea de despus de que los primeros zonchiches migratorios bayas de Saskatoon. Todava tengo la jarra vaca llegaran a Saskatchewan esa primavera. Para el 25 como recuerdo. de mayo, H25 lleg al sureste de Nebraska donde permaneci, pero aparentemente muri de causas Referencias desconocidas por ah del 4 de julio. Cuando Stuart me pregunt cmo me podra
La Bsqueda de un Halcn. Como si hacer el seguimiento de un buitre migratorio especfico no fuera suficiente, casi dos aos y medio ms tarde, Marco lo hizo otra vez. En mayo de 2007, Marco y su colega, Hernn Araya, lograron interceptar a Linda, un halcn peregrino migratorio que haba sido equipado con un transmisor y estaba siendo rastreado por el Proyecto Peregrino de la Cruz del Sur, con base en los Estados Unidos. Como con el zonchiche H25, Marco fue capaz de tomar fotos de Linda que muestran claramente la antena del transmisor mientras pasaba por Costa Rica. Esto fue considerado como un primer histrico por el Proyecto Peregrino, la primera vez que alguien haba observado, mucho menos fotografiado, un peregrino marcado migrando a travs de un pas. Haga click aqu para acceder a la historia completa y fotos en el sitio web del Proyecto Peregrino de la Cruz del Sur y desplcese hacia abajo hasta Linda Moving Through Central America (Linda Movindose a Travs de Amrica Foto tomada por Marco del halcn peregrino Linda mostrando la antena. Foto: Marco Saboro. Central).
Newsletter
by Alison Olivieri
The mist netting crew had a huge surprise one morning at the March sessiona Barred Forest-Falcon was caught in a net at Finca Sofa! Often birds of this size are able to free themselves fairly quickly as they rarely get firmly entangled in songbird-size nets, but the banders were lucky with this beautiful male bird. While the fine stripes across his chest looked as though they had been painted with a tiny, delicate brush, his yellow cere (across the bill) and orbital skin (around the eyes) gave him a ferocious look. You can read more about this stunning bird in this issues Featured Bird article. Interestingly, this Summer Tanager showing featther molt, juveMarch session recorded nile to adult, March session. Photo: Alison Olivieri fewer total species60 than the previous two March sessions (70 in 2009 and 72 in 2008) but an increased number of individual birds banded: 327 recorded in 2010 (277 residents, 50 migrants) compared to 292 in 2009 (240 residents, 52 migrants) and 307 in 2008 (262 residents, 45 migrants). Augusts session was full of surprises. A rarely-seen bird, Slaty Finch, was netted at Finca Corteza, of all our sites the site most characteristic of a human-inhabited neighborhood and known for its plethora of Claycolored Robins. The Birds of Costa Rica describe this finch as a rare species known from scattered sightings between 1500 m and timberline. The
Avian Monitoring Project: Mist Netting Highlights for March & August 2010
altitude at Finca Corteza is slightly lower at 1403 m, a factoid that confirms we never know what will show up. Another project first, a Green Kingfisher netted at Finca Cntaros, was a thrill to see and a strong indication of the health of the wetland system there. Also making their first project appearances, all at Finca Cntaros, were Bran-colored Flycatcher (listers take note!), Yellow-bellied Seedeater (a regional specialty) and Golden-olive Woodpecker. From Finca Sofa came two project firsts: Yellow-crowned Euphonia and Plain Antvireo. The latter is of particular interest to the Vogts, who own Finca Sofa, as its presence indicates a thriving forest. Lydia and Ernie Vogt have planted 2,000 trees since they took over this 35-acre property three years ago. All these wonders, plus the heat of March and the combination of mud, fog and rain in August, make our lives worth living. We plan to start toting mist nets around again during the last week in October. Why not come down and join us?
Summary of Bird Captures: San Vito, Costa Rica Long-term Avian Monitoring Project
January 2010 All Sites Netting Dates Net Hours Resident Species Migrant Species Total Species Resident Individuals Migrant Individuals Total Individuals Jan 23-28 450 44 9 53 121 28 149 March 2010 All Sites Mar 23-26 450 46 14 60 277 50 327 August 2010 All Sites Aug 1-6 433 49 0 49 299 0 299
Chart prepared by Julie Girard
Honeydew
by Dan Fender
Lots of groups have their initiation ceremonies but to be literally weeed uponwell, the San Vito Bird Club has raised the bar! You see, my wife, Nancy, and I joined the club this last spring and helped out during one of the mist-netting projects. And it was at Finca Corteza where we encountered mad crested pygmies, star gazing falcons, over-sexed yigirros, got peeed upon by strange insects, and received our membership cards. We cant wait to do it all over again this next year! Maybe we fit right in? So what is this bug-pee or honeydew, as its called, all about? Actually, its the waste from insects that feed on the juice (sap) from shrubs and trees. Because this juice is mostly water, a bug must ingest a lot to get enough food-stuff. So, the extra liquidwater plus a little sugar and waste materialsmust go! Some insects, like aphids and cicadas, drip honeydew, while others fire-hose it. You have probably encountered drip honeydew on your car if you parked it under a tree in the summer. We got fire-hose honeydew-ed, and it appeared to come from a lone cicada! Liz Allen, one of our fellow bird banders, actually got a video clip of the pee-in squirting out, and were happy to include it in the Newsletterour first video! As a side note: trees have a circulatory system, part of which-the phloem--is just under the bark. Fluids in the phloem can reach relatively high pressure. I have measured Southern Pines with phloem pressure of more than 60 PSI. And so, it seems that if an insect stuck its proboscis tube into this area...well, it would feel
a mighty need to pee very quickly and often or burst with fluid delight. But that is another story...
Video clip of squirting cicada. Click anywhere on the photo below to play
the video. [Click here for help.] The insect itself is hard to see at first playing, but its dark gray form, wings folded flat, is clinging to the smooth bark of the tree trunk just below the crotch of the tree and between two patches of moss. The squirt begins right after Lydias one, two, three countdown.
NOTE: To be able to play this video clip, youll need to have Apples QuickTime installed on your computer, a small program available for PCs and Macs. If you dont already have it, download it free here.
Video: Liz Allen
This space is where the video clip would be. This version of the Newsletter does not include the video in order to reduce the file size of the Newsletter to one that some more restrictive email systems will accept. If you've received this version of the Newsletter, you should also have received a separate email from us with the video filenamed SVBC Honeydew Video.movas an attachment. Simply download and open this video file to see the video.
Newsletter
por Alison Olivieri
Proyecto de Monitoreo de Aves: Atractivos de Marzo y Agosto 2010

ve, el fringilo plomizo, fue capturada en Finca Corteza, de entre todos nuestros sitios el sitio ms caracterstico de un barrio habitado por humanos y conocido por su pltora de El equipo de colecta en redes de niebla tuvo una enorme sorpresa una yigirros. La Gua de Aves de Costa Rica describe este fringilo como una especie rara, maana en la sesin de marzoun halcn de bosque barreteado cay en conocida de avistamientos dispersos entre los 1500 m y la lnea de rboles. La altitud en una red en Finca Sofa! A menudo, las aves de este tamao son capaces Finca Corteza es ligeramente inferior, con 1403 m, un hecho que confirma que nunca de liberarse bastante rpido, ya que rara vez se enredan firmemente en las sabemos qu esperar. redes para aves ms pequeas, pero nuestros Otro primero en el proyecto, un martn anilladores tuvieron suerte con este hermoso pescador verde cay en Finca Cntaros; fue muy ejemplar masculino. Mientras que las finas emocionante de ver y una fuerte indicacin de la salud rayas de su pecho parecan haber sido del humedal en este lugar. Tambin, haciendo sus pintadas con un pincel pequeo y delicado, primeras apariciones en el proyecto, todos en Finca su cera amarilla (de un lado a otro del pico) Cntaros: el mosquerito pechirrayado (enlistadores y su piel orbital (alrededor de los ojos) le tomen nota!), el espiguero vientriamarillo (una conferan una mirada feroz. Usted puede especialidad regional) y el carpintero verde dorado. leer ms acerca de esta impresionante ave en Desde la Finca Sofa llegaron dos primicias del el artculo del Ave Destacada de esta edicin. proyecto: la monjita o eufonia coroniamarilla y Curiosamente, la sesin de este marzo el batarito cabecigris. Esta ltima es de particular registr un total menor de especies60 inters para los Vogts, dueos de Finca Sofa, ya que las dos sesiones de marzo anteriores (70 que su presencia indica un bosque prspero. Lidia y en 2009 y 72 en 2008) pero un aumento en Equipo de captura con redes en marzo en la [mist netting crew in Ernie Vogt ya han plantado 2.000 rboles desde que March at] Finca Sofa . Primera fila, I-D [front row, L-R]: Dan Fender, el nmero de aves individuales anilladas: Nancy Nelson, Chespi Elizondo, Steve Allen. Segunda fila, I-D [second adquirieron esta propiedad de 15 hectreas hace tres 327 registradas en 2010 (277 residentes, 50 row, L-R]: Lydia Vogt, Julie Girard, Kate Allen Desvenain, Alison Olivaos. ieri. Atrs [in back]: Jos Pablo Molina. Photo: Alison Olivieri migratorias) en comparacin con 292 en Todas estas maravillas, ms el calor de marzo y la 2009 (240 residentes, 52 migratorias) y 307 en 2008 (262 residentes, 45 combinacin de barro, niebla y lluvia en agosto, hacen nuestra vida digna de ser vivida. migratorias). Tenemos previsto abrir redes de niebla de nuevo durante la ltima semana de octubre. Por La sesin de agosto estuvo llena de sorpresas. Un ave que rara vez se qu no vienen y se nos unen?
Enmielados
por Dan Fender
Muchos grupos tienen sus ceremonias de iniciacin, pero ser literalmente orinadosdiay, el San Vito Bird Club la sac del estadio! Vern, mi esposa, Nancy, y yo nos unimos al club la primavera pasada y ayudamos durante una de las sesiones con redes de niebla. Y fue en Finca Corteza donde encontramos unos locos mosqueritos de yelmo, halcones mirando estrellas, yigirros con extra-sexo, fuimos orinados por insectos extraos y recibimos nuestras tarjetas de afiliacin. Estamos deseosos de hacerlo de nuevo el prximo ao! Ser que encajamos bien? Entonces, qu es esta orinada-de-bicho o roco de miel, como le llaman? En realidad, son los residuos procedentes de insectos que se alimentan de la savia de rboles y arbustos. Debido a que este jugo es principalmente agua, un insecto debe ingerir mucho para obtener suficiente alimento. Por lo tanto, el lquido extraagua, y un poco de azcar y de residuos materialesdebe salir! Algunos insectos, como los fidos y chicharras, hacen un rocan la miel en gotas, mientras que otros parecen una manguera de bomberos. Probablemente han encontrado gotas de esta miel si han estacionado su vehculo bajo un rbol en el verano. A nosotros nos manguerearon con miel, y pareca provenir de una sola chicharra! Liz Allen, una de nuestras compaeras anillando aves, grab un vdeo de la orinada salpicando y nos complace incluirlo en este Boletnnuestro primer video! Como una acotacin: los rboles tienen un sistema circulatorio, parte del cual -el floema- est justo por debajo de la corteza. Los lquidos en el floema pueden alcanzar una presin relativamente alta. En los pinos sureos, he medido una presin de floema de ms de 60 psi. Por lo tanto, parece que si un insecto peg el tubo de su probscide en esta rea...
bien, lo que va a sentir es una poderosa necesidad de orinar muy rpido y a menudo o romperse en el placer del fluido. Pero esa es otra historia...
Video de la chicharra pringadora. Haga click en cualquier parte de la foto

abajo para ver el vdeo. [Haga Click aqu si necesita ayuda.] El insecto en s es difcil
de ver a primera vista, pero su forma, con color gris oscuro y las alas planas plegadas, se aferra a la corteza lisa del tronco del rbol justo debajo de la divisin de ramas y entre dos parches de musgo. El chorro comienza justo despus de la cuenta regresiva de Lydia: one, two, three.
NOTA: Para poder ver este vdeo, necesita tener instalado en su computadora QuickTime de Apple, un pequeo programa disponible tanto para PC para Macs. Si todava no lo tiene, descrguelo gratis aqui.
Video: Liz Allen
This space is where the video clip would be. This version of the Newsletter does not include the video in order to reduce the file size of the Newsletter to one that some more restrictive email systems will accept. If you've received this version of the Newsletter, you should also have received a separate email from us with the video filenamed SVBC Honeydew Video.movas an attachment. Simply download and open this video file to see the video.
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Migration
by Pablo Neruda
Translated by Jack Schmitt, from Art of Birds, by Pablo Neruda (University of Texas Press, Austin 1985)
FEATURED BIRD
Barred Forest-Falcon
class: Aves order: Falconiformes family: Falconidae genus: Micrastur species / scientific name: Micrastur ruficollis
Migracin
por Pablo Neruda Todo el da una lnea y otra lnea, un escuadrn de plumas, un navo palpitaba en el aire, atravesaba el pequeo infinito de la ventana desde donde busco, interrogo, trabajo, acecho, aguardo. La torre de la arena y el espacio marino se unen all, resuelven el canto, el movimiento. Encima se abre el cielo. Entonces as fue: rectas, agudas, palpitantes, pasaron hacia dnde? Hacia el Norte, hacia el Oeste, hacia la claridad, haca la estrella, hacia el pen de soledad y sal donde el mar desbarata sus relojes. Era un ngulo de aves dirigidas aquella latitud de hierro y nieve que avanzaba sin tregua en su camino rectilneo: era la devorante rectitud de una flecha evidente, los nmeros del cielo que viajaban a procrear formados por imperioso amor y geometra. Yo me empe en mirar hasta perder los ojos y no he visto sino el orden del vuelo, la multitud del ala contra el viento: vi la serenidad multiplicada por aquel hemisferio transparente cruzado por la oscura decisin de aquellas aves en el firmamento. No vi sino el camino. Todo sigui celeste. Pero en la muchedumbre de las aves rectas a su destino una bandada y otra dibujaban victorias triangulares unidas por la voz de un solo vuelo, por la unidad del fuego, por la sangre, por la sed, por el hambre, por el fro, por el precario da que lloraba antes de ser tragado por la noche, por la ertica urgencia de la vida: la unidad de los pjaros volaba hacia las desdentadas costas negras, peascos muertos, islas amarillas, donde el sol dura ms que su jornada
All day, column after column, a squadron of feathers, a fluttering airborne ship crossed the tiny infinity of the window where I search, question, work, observe, wait. The tower of sand and marine space join there, comprise song, movement. Above, the sky unfolds. So it was: palpitating, sharp right angles passed heading northward, westward, toward open space, toward the star, toward the spire of salt and solitude where the sea casts its clocks to the winds. It was an angle of birds steering for that latitude of iron and snow, inexorably advancing along their rectilinear road: the skyborne numbers flew with the hungry rectitude of a well-aimed arrow, winging their way to procreate, formed by urgent love and geometry. I kept looking as far as the eye could see and saw nothing but orderly flight, the multitude of wings against the wind: I saw serenity multiplied in that transparent hemisphere crossed by the obscure decision of those birds in the firmament. I saw only the flyway. All remained celestial. But among the throngs of birds homing for their destination flock after flock sketched out triangular victories united by the voice of a single flight, by the unity of fire, by blood, by thirst, by hunger, by the cold, by the precarious day that wept before being swallowed by night, by the erotic urgency of life: the unity of birds flew toward the toothless black coasts,
by Gerald Rodriquez [translation by Jim Zook]

On March 25, 2010 during a SVBC banding session at Finca Sofa, we caught a Barred Forest-Falcon. It was very unusual and created much surprise and emotion for all. This beautiful bird belongs to the order Falconiformes, family Falconidae, and species Micrastur ruficollis, and has the common name Barred ForestFalcon (halcn de monte barreteado in Spanish). It was first described from a specimen taken in Brasil as Sparvius ruficollis by Vieillot in 1817 [Nouv. Dict. Hist. Nat. (nouv. d.) 10: 322], but that name is no longer used. Barred Forest-Falcons frequent humid primary and secondary forests as well as areas of dense vegetation in more open habitats. They have short wings and long tails which allow them to fly through tangled forest understory with great agility. Hunting principally by ambush, their main prey tends to be small birds. They often prey on young birds that have recently left the nest and will also follow mixed species flocks A totally at-ease Julie Girard with Barred Forestduring March and take any bird not paying Falcon captured at Finca SofaNancy Nelson mist netting session. Photo: attention. In addition they eat bats, small rodents, lizards and other small reptiles, and large insects. As for their reproduction, they place their nest in a tree hollow. During the first hours of the morningoften well before sunriseand in the last light of day, they will fly up into the sub-canopy and call from a concealed perch. In Costa Rica the Barred Forest-Falcon is found mostly in forested zones on the Caribbean and south Pacific slopes up to about 1850 m in elevation. It is a fairly common raptor but often goes unnoticed. In general it is more often heard than seen.
To hear the song of the Barred Forest-Falcon, click on the photo above. Click here for help. Sound recording by David Bradley at Volcn Lakes, Chiriqu, Panam.
Did you know?

Barred Forest-Falcons follow army ant swarms to catch prey that the ants flush. By predating on small birds in mixed species flocks they are participating in a complex system of natural selection by removing sick or injured birds not fit for the survival of the species.
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lifeless pinnacles, yellow isles, where the sun works overtime and the plural pavilion of sardines spreads over the warm sea. On the stone assaulted by the birds the secret was set forth: stone, moisture, excrement, and solitude will ferment and beneath the blood-red sun sandy offspring will be born and they, too, will one day fly back to the tempestuous cold light, to the antarctic feel of Chile. Now they pass, filling the distance, a faint flapping of wings against the light, a throbbing winged unity that flies without breaking from the migratory body which ashore divides, disperses. Above the water, in the sky, the innumerable bird flies on, the vessel is one, the transparent ship builds unity with so many wings, with so many eyes opened to the sea, sails over a singular peacefulness with the movement of one immense wing. Seabird, migratory foam, wing from north and south, wave wing, cluster deployed by flight, multiplied hungry heart, you will arrive, great bird, to strip from the necklace the fragile eggs to be hatched by the wind and nourished by the sand until another flight again multiplies life, death, growth, wet cries, hot dung, being born again, and leaving, far from the windy waste to another windy waste. Far from that silence, flee, polar birds, to the vast rocky silence and from the nest to the errant number, sea arrows, bequeath me the wet glory of time elapsed, the renowned permanence of feathers that are born, that die, endure, and throb, creating fish by fish their long sword, cruelty against cruelty, the very light and against the wind and the sea, life.

y en el clido mar se desarrolla el pabelln plural de las sardinas. En la piedra asaltada por los pjaros se adelant el secreto: piedra, humedad, estircol, soledad, fermentarn y bajo el sol sangriento nacern arenosas criaturas que alguna vez regresarn volando hacia la huracanada luz del fro, hacia los pies antrticos de Chile. Ahora cruzan, pueblan la distancia moviendo apenas en la luz las alas como si en un latido las unieran, vuelan sin desprenderse del cuerpo migratorio que en tierra se divide y se dispersa. Sobre el agua, en el aire, el ave innumerable va volando, la embarcacin es una, la nave transparente construy la unidad con tantas alas, con tantos ojos hacia el mar abiertos que es una sola paz la que atraviesa y slo un ala inmensa se desplaza. Ave del mar, espuma migratoria, ala del Sur, del Norte, ala de ola, racimo desplegado por el vuelo, multiplicado corazn hambriento, llegars, ave grande, a desgranar el collar de los huevos delicados que empolla el viento y nutren las arenas hasta que un nuevo vuelo multiplica otra vez vida, muerte, desarrollo, gritos mojados, caluroso estircol, y otra vez a nacer, a partir, lejos del pramo y hacia otro pramo. Lejos de aquel silencio, huid, aves del fro hacia un vasto silencio rocalloso y desde el nido hasta el errante nmero, flechas del mar, dejadme la hmeda gloria del transcurso, la permanencia insigne de las plumas que nacen, mueren, duran y palpitan creando pez a pez su larga espada, crueldad contra crueldad la propia luz y a contraviento y contramar, la vida.
ESPECIA PRINCIPAL
10
Halcn monte barreteado

class: Aves order: Falconiformes family: Falconidae genus: Micrastur species / scientific name: Micrastur ruficollis
por Gerald Rodriguez

El pasado marzo durante una caminata, encontramos un Halcn de monte barreteado (algo inusual, por cierto) fue por lo tanto una gran sorpresa y emocin para todos. Este hermoso espcimen pertenece al orden de los falconiformes siendo su familia falconidae llamndose su especie Micrastur ruficollis(Vieillot, 1817), o como nombre comn, Halcn de monte barreteado (Barred Forest-Falcon en ingls), tambin utiliz anteriormente otro nombre Sparvius ruficollisde Vieillot, 1817 pero este fue sustituido. Su referencia de publicacin fue Vieillot, 1817, Nouv. Dict. Hist. Nat. (nouv. d.) 10: 322. Esta especie frecuenta bosques hmedos y secundarios y densas reas semiabiertas. Ha desarrollado un excelente vuelo entre los matorrales permitindose cazar y desplazarse por el sotobosque muy gilmente. Se alimentan principalmente de la caza por emboscada, escondindose entre matorrales del sotobosque y sorprendiendo repentinamente a sus presas que suelen ser aves pequeas, persigue las bandadas de estas para alimentarse de las que se quedan atrs, y murcilagos, aves recin salidas del nido, lagartijas y otros reptiles pequeos, insectos grandes, ratones y otros roedores pequeos. En cuanto a su reproduccin ubican su nido en huecos en los arboles secos. Es parcialmente crepuscular, Halcon monte barreteado. Photo: [internet] principalmente en las primeras horas de luz y durante el atardecer vuela al dosel bajo y busca un sitio protegido entre la vegetacin para cantar. Reside principalmente en las zonas boscosas de la vertiente del Caribe y del pacfico sur (donde est San Vito), comn hasta los 1850m de altura. Es muy comn en comparacin con otros rapaces, sin embargo es difcil de ver en tierra y de pasar desapercibida, por lo general se escucha ms de lo que se ve.
Para escuchar el canto del halcn de monte barreteado, haga click en la foto arriba. Haga Click aqu si necesita ayuda.
Grabacin del canto por David Bradley en Lagos de Volcn, Chiriqu, Panam.
Sabas que?
El Halcn de monte barreteado persigue las lneas de hormigas guerreras para atrapar las pequeas presas que estas ahuyentan. El comportamiento de perseguir las bandadas de aves pequeas es un complejo sistema de seleccin natural para eliminar los especmenes enfermos, heridos, rezagados o no aptos para la supervivencia de la especie.
Pablo Neruda (1904-1973) was a Nobel Prize-winning poet from Chile, champion of indigenous people, and an avid birder.
Pablo Neruda (1904-1973) fue un poeta chileno ganador del Premio Nobel, campen de los pueblos indgenas, y un vido pajarero.
Newsletter
SVBC visits Hacienda La Amistad
by Doug Wilson
Over the past several years, my wife Linda and I have come to look forward to participating in some of the great trips organized by the San Vito Bird Club. These trips can be exciting, mind The author. Photo: Alison Olivieri expandinga chance to see things and go places weve never beenas well as a great time to spend with like-minded nature lovers. But most of all, these trips are just plain fun. Early Sunday morning this past February 28, twelve of usAlison and Michael Olivieri, Julie Girard and Dave Wooley, Jean and Fred Schroeder, Judy Richardson, Linda and I, and our bird-guide extraordinaire, Jim Zook, rendezvoused in San Vito and car caravanned the 40km to La Amistad Lodge. This unusual eco-lodge is set within the sprawling Hacienda La Amistad, a privately-owned property with almost 400 acres (160 ha) devoted to organic
Fred Schroeder, Judy Richardson, Jean Schroeder & Michael Olivieri at Lodge entry. Photo: Alison Olivieri
farming, primarily coffee, as well as many more acres of mature premontane and montane forests that border on the La Amistad International Park. Upon arriving at the Lodge, a three-story marvel constructed of tropical woods, we were greeted by members of the friendly staff. A pair of White-faced Capuchin Monkeys welcomed us as we walked to our cabinas behind the main lodge. In short order we were unloaded, checked in and ready for the adventure to begin. As we began gathering for our first walk that morning, I noticed that some of the group were quite
preoccupied with tucking in clothing, spreading some kind of powder all over their shoes and socks. I overheard others talking about the danger we were about to face: chiggers or, as the locals colloquially call them, coloradillas. Yes, chiggers. I had a feeling these folks might have been just fooling around or maybe overreacting. Whats the big deal about chiggers anyway? The morning walk was beautiful. We were in the foothills of the Talamaca Mountains within the Hacienda La Amistad Private Nature Reserve, also known as the Las Tablas Protected Area, almost completely surrounded by the International Park. (UNESCO has declared this biological corridor a World Heritage Site and biosphere reserve.) As he has on other SVBC trips, Jim Zooks birding skills and cheerful patience not only helped us see birds we would otherwise have missed but provided a greater perspective and understanding of the remarkable forest environment we were enjoying. We returned to the lodge for a well-prepared, healthy lunch, then set out on another hikea bit more strenuous than the Walking along one of the roads in the forest. morning walk but no less enjoyable. We returned to Photo: Linda Wilson the lodge late in the afternoon for some private time in peaceful and beautiful. The expert birders in our group our cabinas. At 6:00 pm, all spruced up, we gathered had been hearing the distinctive ringing call of the in an open air lounge at the invitation of our host Three-wattled Bellbird, and it was here that they set and owner of the Hacienda, Roberto Montero. Don up the spotting scope and actually found one perched Roberto shared stories of the history on a very distant limb. This was my of the area and his familys pioneering favorite bird sighting of the trip, not establishment of the hacienda, and only because it was such an impressive of his role, assumed not so long ago, bird but also because I really admired as the forward-looking leader of this the perseverance of Jim Zookhe eco-lodge and sustainably-farmed never gave up trying to find it. Other finca. notable bird sightings, out of the 151 The next morning, after a hearty on the trip bird list, were the Sulphurbreakfast, I experience a bit of dj winged Parakeet, Scaly-throated vu: everyone in the group tucking Three-wattled Bellbird. Click image Foliage-gleaner, Tufted Flycatcher, to hear its song. Para escuchar su in clothing, talking of chiggers. It canto, haga click en la foto. Photo: Blackburnian Warbler, Prothonotary was obvious people were taking this internet; sound recording by [Grabacin Warbler, and Flame-colored Tanager. del canto por] Max Roth at Monteverde chigger thing very seriously. Even Cloud Forest Reserve, Costa Rica. There is plenty more to tell, but I was wearing boots, more because I wanted to look Ive run out of time and space It was a great trip with cool with my pants tucked into my socks than out of a wonderful group, and in addition to getting to know chigger-phobia. A 45-minute truck ride on rugged better another special corner of Costa Ricas southern dirt roads up through magnificent forests to a trail zone, I eventually learned a lot more about chiggers. headmost of us standing in the open backwas But thats another story! I encourage you to come and followed by a few hours of easy hiking that led us to learn things for yourself on one of the Clubs future a large meadow called Cotoncito. Everything was so outings.
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Setting out. L-R: Michael Olivieri, Linda Wilson, Alison Olivieri, Julie Girard (behind scope!), Dave Woolley, Judy Richardson, Jean & Fred Schroeder, and guide, Jim Zook.
Photo: Linda Wilson
Newsletter
SVBC visita la Hacienda La Amistad
a los pies de la Cordillera de Talamanca, tambin 45 minutos de viaje en carrola mayora de nosotros conocida como Zona Protectora Las Tablas, casi afuera en el cajnpor caminos de tierra a travs de totalmente rodeada por el Parque Internacional magnficos bosques hasta el inicio del sendero fue por Doug Wilson (UNESCO ha declarado este seguido de varias horas de caminata tranquila que corredor biolgico como un Sitio nos llev a un gran prado llamado Cotoncito. Todo de Patrimonio de la Humanidad era pacfico y bello. Los expertos pajareros de nuestro y reserva de la biosfera). Como ha grupo venan escuchando el distintivo canto del pjaro hecho en otros viajes del SVBC, campana, y fue aqu donde desplegaron el telescopio la habilidad de Jim Zook y su y hallaron uno perchado en una rama distante. Este alegre paciencia no slo nos ayud fue mi ave favorita del viaje, no slo porque esta es un a ver aves que nos hubiramos ave impresionante, sino tambin porque realmente perdido de ver son que tambin admir la perseverancia de Jim Zooknunca desisti nos provey de una amplia de buscarlo. Otras aves notables que vimos, de las perspectiva y entendimiento del 151 de la lista del viaje, fueron el perico aliazufrado, ambiente boscoso tan interesante el trepamusgo de anteojos, el mosquerito moudo, que estbamos disfrutando. la reinita gorginaranja, la reinita cabecidorada, y la Hacienda La Amistad Lodge con cabinas detrs [with cabins behind]. tangara dorsirayada. Foto: Harry Hull Regresamos al albergue por un rico y saludable almuerzo, y luego nos Hay mucho ms que contar, pero se me acab el En los ltimos aos, mi esposa Linda y yo hemos fuimos a otra caminataun poco ms ardua que la tiempo y el espacio Fue un excelente viaje con un esperado con ansias el participar en algunos de los de la maana pero no menos agradable. estupendos viajes organizados por el San Vito Bird En la tarde regresamos al albergue para Club. Estos viajes pueden ser excitantes, ilustradores un rato de descanso en nuestras cabinas. una oportunidad para ver cosas e ir a lugares donde A las 6:00 pm, todos pulcros, nos nunca hemos estado- al igual que un excelente reunimos en un saln al aire libre por momento para disfrutar con amantes de la naturaleza invitacin de nuestro anfitrin y dueo similares a uno. Pero ms que todo, estos viajes son de la Hacienda, Roberto Montero. puro disfrute. Don Roberto comparti ancdotas de Temprano en la maana del pasado domingo 28 de la historia de la zona y de su familia febrero, doce de nosotros Alison y Michael Olivieri, pionera en el establecimiento de la Julie Girard y Dave Wooley, Jean y Fred Schroeder, hacienda, y de su papel, asumido no Judy Richardson, Linda y yo, y nuestro extraordinario hace mucho tiempo, de ser el sucesor gua, Jim Zook, nos reunimos en San Vito y nos fuimos en el cuidado y liderazgo de este eco- Doug Wilson y Dave Woolley acuerdan compartir una roca en medio del Ro Cotn. [Doug Wilson and Dave Woolley agree to share the rock in en caravana de carros los 40km hasta La Amistad albergue y finca sostenible. the middle of the Rio Cotn.] Photo: Linda Wilson Lodge. Este inusual eco-albergue est ubicado dentro A la maana siguiente, despus de de la extensa Hacienda La Amistad, una propiedad un buen desayuno, tuve la experiencia de privada con 160 has. dedicadas a agricultura orgnica, un pequeo dj vu: todos en el grupo acomodndose grupo maravilloso, y aparte de llegar a conocer mejor principalmente caf, as como muchas ms hectreas de la ropa, hablando de las coloradillas. Era obvio que otra esquina del sur de de Costa Rica, eventualmente bosque premontano y montano primario que bordean la gente estaba tomando esta cosa de las coloradillas aprend mucho ms sobre las coloradillas. Pero eso es el Parque Internacional La Amistad. El personal muy muy en serio. Incluso yo usaba las botas, ms porque otra historia! Le invito a que venga y aprenda cosas amistoso nos recibi al llegar al albergue, una maravilla quera lucir lindo con los pantalones metidos entre por usted mismo en alguna de las prximas salidas del de tres pisos construida toda en maderas tropicales. las medias que por la fobia de las coloradillas. Unos Club. Un par de monos cara blanca nos dio la bienvenida mientras caminbamos hacia nuestras cabinas, detrs del edificio principal. Rpidamente descargamos, nos registramos y estbamos listos para que iniciara la aventura. Cuando empezamos a reunirnos para nuestra primera caminata esa maana, not que algunos en el grupo estaban preocupados acomodndose la ropa, esparciendo unos polvos sobre sus zapatos y medias. Medio escuch a unos hablando del peligro que se aproximaba: las coloradillas. S, coloradillas. Tena el sentimiento que esta gente estaba vacilando o hasta reaccionando exageradamente. En todo caso, que es la gran cosa con las coloradillas? La caminata en la maana fue hermosa. Estbamos Bebidas al atardecer en el saln al aire libre. [Evening drinks in the open air lounge.] De I-D [from L-R]: Fred Schroeder, Jim Zook, Judy Richardson, Julie Girard, Doug Wilson, Alison Olvieiri, Dave Woolley, host Roberto Montero, en la Reserva Natural Privada Hacienda La Amistad, Jean Schroeder, and Michael Olivieri. Photo: Linda Wilson
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Newsletter
Eco-Cultural Festival
by Lydia Vogt
The San Vito Bird Club was a supporter and major participant in the third annual Eco-Cultural Festival this year. The Festival, organized by the ever-competent and infectiously enthusiastic Ariadna Sanchez of the Las Cruces Biological Station, began on Friday, June 4, 2010, at the Wilson Botanical Garden and, in an effort to reach out even further into the community, moved to downtown San Vito for the weekend. At the Garden on Fridaya school daymore than 120 eager students from area schools arrived to participate in activities led by both the Las Cruces staff and members of the SVBC. Elementary-age youngsters enjoyed the opportunity to make a bird mask, have birds and other natural designs painted on their smiling faces, and play bird lotto. Helped by the teachers of the students, Bird Club members Kate Desvenain, Kathleen Castiblanco, Lisa Ann and Steve Holder and Lydia Vogt led students through various activities designed to help them learn about adaptations of various birds to their environment. Students also participated in a bird walk led by Alison Olivieri and a new recruit, Pepe Castiblanco. As they were led along the meandering senderos trailsof the Wilson Garden, students from the Agua Buenas Experimental Bilingual High School learned about many plant families and their adaptations and saw the usual wide variety of local avian inhabitants. Of special note, according to President and Nature Walk Coordinator, Alison Olivieri, were Chestnutmandibled Toucans that really wowed the crowd! The students also enjoyed several presentations in the main visitor center at Las Cruces where short talks and films were presented along with other environmentallyrelated exhibits. The Festival moved to the center of downtown San Vito for the weekend, and the SVBC was there with a booth in the tiny central park. Face-painting and owl
puppets were popular throughout both days. To our great relief, Bird Club member Andrew Robertson made it up the hill from Playa Zancudo to help out on the weekend. He not only assisted Lisa Ann and Kathleen in corralling face-painting clients, but kept the crew well-nourished with coffee and cinnamon rolls. During the day, while the SVBC kept busy with the kids, movies, including Avatar and Home, were shown in the San Vito Cultural Center. There was also an installation by local mosaic sculptor and artist, Francisco Pancho J. Quesada. Several performance groups of puppeteers and musicians kept everyone entertained. All in all, it was an enjoyable and rewarding weekend. The SVBC made new contacts and received increased recognition in the local community, and most important of all, the community itself was able to learn a bit more about their environment while having a good time. For more information and photos, you can visit the Las Cruces flickr site.
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Kids making paper owls at Las Cruces. Nios haciendo lechuzas de papel en Las Cruces.
Photo: Las Cruces
Festival Eco-Cultural
por Lydia Vogt
El San Vito Bird Club apoy y fue uno de los principales participantes en el tercer Festival EcoCultural de este ao. El Festival organizado por la siempre competente e infecciosamente entusiasta Ariadna Sanchez de la Estacin Biolgica Las Cruces, inici el viernes 4 de junio de 2010, en el Jardn Botnico Wilson y, en un esfuerzo para llegar an ms all entre la comunidad, se moviliz al centro de San Vito durante el fin de semana. El viernes en el Jardnun da escolarms de 120 impacientes estudiantes de las escuelas del rea llegaron para participar en las actividades conducidas por personal de Las Cruces y por miembros del SVBC. Nios de edad escolar disfrutaron la oportunidad de hacer una mscara de un ave, o tener sus caras sonrientes pintadas con aves u otros motivos naturales, y jugar lotera pajaril. Ayudados por las maestras de estos estudiantes, los miembros del Bird Club Kate Desvenain, Kathleen Castiblanco, Lisa Ann y Steve Holder y Lydia Vogt guiaron a los estudiantes a travs de varias actividades diseadas para ayudarles a aprender sobre las adaptaciones de varias aves a su ambiente.
Face-painting. Pinta-caritas. Photo: Las Cruces Los estudiantes tambin participaron en una caminata guiada por Alison Olivieri y un nuevo recluta, Pepe Castiblanco. Al ser guiados por los Fila desde Playa Zancudo para ayudarnos todo el fin senderos zigzagueantes del Jardn Wilson, los de semana. No slo ayud a Lisa Ann y Kathleen a estudiantes del Colegio Experimental Bilinge de atrapar a los clientes pinta carita, sino que mantuvo al Agua Buena aprendieron sobre muchas familias de equipo bien cuidado con caf y pan de canela. Durante plantas y sus adaptaciones y vieron la amplia variedad el da, mientras el SVBC se mantena ocupado con los de la avifauna local. De acuerdo con Alison Olivieri, nios, se presentaron algunas pelculas como Avatar nuestra Presidente y Coordinadora de Caminatas y Home en la Casa de la Cultura de San Vito. Ah de inters especial fueron los tucanes, que fueron la tambin haba una composicin hecha por Francisco admiracin del pblico! Los Pancho J. Quesada , escultor de estudiantes tambin disfrutaron mosaicos y artista. Varios grupos varias presentaciones en el artsticos, de teatro y msicos Centro de Visitantes de Las mantuvieron entretenido a todo Cruces, donde se impartieron el pblico. charlas cortas y videos junto con En resumen, fue un fin otras exhibiciones relacionadas de semana muy agradable y con el ambiente. satisfactorio. El SVBC hizo El Festival se traslad al nuevos contactos y recibi un centro de San Vito durante el reconocimiento mayor entre la fin de semana, y el SVBC estuvo comunidad local, y sobre todo, ah con un puesto en el pequeo la comunidad pudo aprender parque central. Pinta caritas y un poco ms sobre su ambiente confeccin de marionetas de mientras disfrutaban de un rato lechuzas fueron muy populares agradable. Para ms informacin los dos das. Para nuestro respiro, Instalando arte ambiental en la Casa de y fotos, puede visitar el sitio en el miembro del Bird Club, la Cultura de San Vito. [Environmental art flickr de Las Cruces. installation at San Vito Cultural Center.] Andrew Robertson, subi la Photo: Las Cruces
Newsletter
Update on the Canopy Tower Project
by Alison Olivieri
Im pleased to report that we are well on our way to the original $30,000 goal, in pledges and lead gifts, for the Canopy Tower and are now in the process of soliciting bids for construction of this unique project. Needless to say, it is a very exciting time! In close consultation with the staff at Las Cruces, weve made a conscious decision to keep construction of this project local to further our goal to help the economy of San Vito and environs whenever possible. As most of you know, the depressed economies of the US and Europe also adversely affect the economy of Costa Ricaand San Vitoin various ways, including the impact of fewer tourist visitors. Although the SVBC is small and remote, we are ever mindful of our local community and believe this construction project, in its modest way, will help local businesses and provide sorely-needed jobs. And now to your part: if you have not made a pledge or given a gift to the Canopy Tower Project, NOW is the time! We would very much like to include your name in one of our Donor Categories below, each depicting a canopy specialist bird that we
Campaign goal / la meta de la compaa: $30,000
are likely to encounter once our Tower is built:

Ornate Hawk-Eagle gifts of $5,000+ Turquoise Cotinga gifts of $1,000+ Green Shrike-Vireo gifts of $500+ Golden-browed Chlorophonia gifts of $100+ White-crested Coquette all other gifts
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Pledged to date / lo que ya tenemos:
Please make your donation today! Write out your check to: OTS Fund 485 and mail it to OTS, Duke University, 410 Swift Avenue, PO Box 90630, Durham, NC 27708-0630. If you wish to mail your gift directly here, please write out the check exactly the same way and mail it to: OTS Las Cruces/Wilson Botanical Garden, Apdo. 73-8257, Puntarenas, Coto Brus, San Vito 60801 Costa Rica. If you would like to make a pledge or learn more about the Canopy Tower, please contact us at: sanvitobirdclub@gmail.com. We are eager to hear from you!
Actualidades del Proyecto de la Torre del Dosel

por Alison Olivieri
Me complace informar que vamos bien en nuestro camino hacia la meta original de $30000, con ofrecimientos y con regalos ya recibidos, para la Torre del Dosel, y ahora estamos en el proceso de solicitar ofertas para la construccin de este proyecto nico. Este es un momento muy emocionante! En estrecha consulta con el personal de Las Cruces, hemos tomado una decisin consciente para que la construccin de este proyecto sea local seguiendo con nuestra meta, siempre que sea posible, de ayudar a la economa de San Vito y sus alrededores. Como la mayora de ustedes saben, las bajas en la economa de los Estados Unidos y Europa tambin afectan negativamente a la economa de Costa Rica y de San Vito de diversas formas, incluyendo el impacto de menos visitas de turistas. A pesar de que el SVBC es pequeo y remoto, cada vez somos ms conscientes de nuestra comunidad local y creemos que este proyecto de construccin, en su forma modesta, ayudar a los negocios locales y proporcionar puestos de trabajo urgentemente necesitados. Y ahora, su parte: si no han hecho un ofrecimiento de contribucin o enviado un regalo para el Proyecto de la Torre del Dosel, ahora es el momento! Nos gustara incluir su nombre en alguna de nuestras Categoras de Donantes mencionadas
Aguilucho regalos de $5,000+ Cotinga Turquesa regalos de $1,000+ Viren Esmeraldino regalos de $500+ Rualdo regalos de $100+ Coqueta Crestiblanca otros regalos
Por favor, haga su donacin hoy! Escriba su cheque a OET Fondo 485 y envelo a OTS, Duke University, 410 Swift Avenue, PO Box 90630, Durham, NC 27708-0630. Si desea enviar su regalo directamente aqu, escriba el cheque en la misma forma y lo enva por correo a: OET Las Cruces, Apdo. 73-8257, Puntarenas, Coto Brus, San Vito 60801 Costa Rica. abajo, cada una describe un ave especialista del dosel que de seguro encontraremos una vez que se construya la Torre:
Si quiere hacer una donacin o aprender ms sobre la Torre del Dosel, contctenos a: sanvitobirdclub@gmail.com. Esperamos saber de ustedes!
Vista hacia el norte, hacia el Mirador en el Jardn Wilson, ms o menos desde donde estar la torre. [View north towards Lookout Point (Mirador) from about where the top of the tower will be.] Photo: Las Cruces
Newsletter
Los Chocuacos An adventure with our younger birding friends
by Julie Girard
Last year we noticed a surge of interest in the Clubs birding activities among local gradeschool youngsters whose parents were neighbors and friends of some The author icing her knee. Photo: Alison Olivieri of our resident SVBC members. So we started inviting them to accompany us on the Clubs bi-weekly Saturday morning birding walks at the Wilson Botanical Garden where they have become enthusiastic regulars. Many of the most interested are now junior members of the Club. From that beginning, there hatched the idea to have an away trip with these aspiring birders. Los Chocuacos, a nice property about 45 minutes from San Vito, was voted hands down by the SVBC organizersAracelly Barrantes, Alison Olivieri, Lydia Vogt, and myselfas the destination of choice. It is sonamed for its colony of Chocuacos (the Costa Rican name for the Boat-billed Heron). If youve ever heard a Boatbilled Heron, youll know that it sounds like chocuaco. In addition to being relatively close to San Vito, the area also has lots of other large birds that can easily be observed the Green Heron, Great Egret, Anhinga, Neotropical Cormorant, Gray-necked Wood-Rail, Northern Jacana and Ringed Kingfisheralways a treat for new birders (or non-birding spouses!). So on a hot and sunny morning last March, Aracelly, Alison, Lydia and I piled in as many kids as there were seat belts in our four SUVs and headed out. On arrival we sat in a large circle to review the agenda for the day, go over the ground rules and then do self-introductions. It was so funny to hear every one of youngsters say that they were almost ten, not nine (or whatever)being older is such a badge of honor at that age. (If they only knew!) When we adults introduced ourselves, we said that we were twenty many years ago! The kids were separated into two groups for a walk around the half-mile wide pond. Its a gorgeous, Walden Pondtype of setting, and our sightings of many nestling On the walk around Los Boat-billed Herons were Chocuacos.
Photo: Alison Olvieri
accompanied by lots of oohs and aahs. Quite a few other species also made guest appearances, and the kids took them all in, many asking questions that showed a keen interest. A soccer game planned at the end of Lunch in the rancho. the trek was happily Photo: Alison Olivieri cancelled due to the heat, and instead the swimming pool became a mostwelcome center of attention. After an hour of refreshing pool frolics (something new for most of these children), a nourishing lunch was served in the rancho with an added bonus of seeing bats sleeping in the roof overhead! Needless to say, we had some tired kids on the way back to San Vito; but we could tell from their expressions and banter that it had been a cool adventure (along with some learning) and one they probably would never have had the opportunity to do on their own. Many thanks to my fellow organizersAracelly, Alison and Lydiafor making this such a successful outing.
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Los Chocuacos Una aventura con nuestros amigos pajareros ms jvenes

por Julie Girard
El ao pasado vimos un aumento del inters en las actividades de observacin de aves del Club entre los jvenes de escuela primaria locales, cuyos padres son vecinos y amigos de algunos de nuestros miembros residentes del SVBC. As que empezamos a invitarlos a que nos acompaaran en los paseos de observacin de aves del Club los sbados por la maana, cada dos semanas, en el Jardn Botnico Wilson, donde se han convertido en entusiastas habituales. Muchos de los ms interesados son ahora miembros junior del Club. Empezando con esto, naci la idea de tener una gira de campo con estos aspirantes a observadores de aves. Los Chocuacos, una linda propiedad a unos 45 minutos de San Vito, fue elegida por las organizadoras del SVBCAracelly Barrantes, Alison Olivieri, Lidia Vogt y yocomo el mejor destino. Es llamado as por su colonia de chocuacos (el nombre tico para la garza pico de cuchara). Si ha escuchado una garza pico de cuchara, sabr que suena como chocuaco. Adems de ser relativamente cercano a San Vito, el rea tambin tiene muchas otras grandes aves que se pueden observar fcilmentela garcilla verde, la garza real, el pato aguja,
el cormorn neotropical, la chirincoca, el gallito de agua cancelado debido al calor, y en su lugar la piscina se y el martn pescadorsiempre una delicia para los nuevos convirti en un muy bienvenido punto de atraccin. observadores de aves (o los cnyuges no-pajareros!). Despus de una hora de refrescantes juegos de piscina As que en una maana caliente y soleada en marzo (algo nuevo para la mayora de estos nios y nias), se pasado, Aracelly, Alison, Lydia y yo apilamos tantos sirvi un nutritivo almuerzo en el rancho, con un bono nios como cinturones de seguridad hubiera en nuestras adicional: murcilagos durmiendo en el techo sobre camionetas y nos fuimos. Al llegar, nos sentamos en un nosotros! gran crculo para revisar la agenda para el da, revisar Obviamente, tuvimos algunos nios cansados en el las reglas bsicas y, a continuacin, presentarnos. Fue camino de regreso a San Vito; pero podramos decir, a gracioso escuchar a todos estos chicos decir que tenan casi partir de sus expresiones y bromas, que esta haba sido una diez aos, no nueve (o cualquiera que fuera)ser mayores gran aventura (incluyendo un poco de aprendizaje), que es como un honor a esa edad. (Si supieran!) Cuando probablemente nunca habran tenido la oportunidad de los adultos nos presentamos, dijimos que tenamos veinte hacer por su propia cuenta. hace muchos aos! Muchas gracias a mis compaeras organizadoras Los nios fueron divididos en dos grupos para dar un Aracelly, Alison y Lydiapor hacer que este viaje fuera paseo de casi un kilmetro alrededor del amplio estanque. todo un xito. Es un sitio maravilloso, como un estanque al estilo Walden, y nuestros avistamientos de muchos pichones de chocuacos fueron acompaados por muchos "oohs" y "aahs". Otras muchas especies tambin hicieron su aparicin, y a los nios no se les pas una sola, haciendo incluso muchas preguntas que demostraron un gran inters. Un juego de ftbol planeado Los jvenes aventureros refrescndose. [The young adventurers cooling off.] al final del viaje felizmente fue Photo: Julie Girard
Newsletter
Book Reviews: The Three Contenders
by Alison Olivieri
A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica by F. Gary Stiles and Alexander Skutch (Cornell University Press, 1989) The Birds of Costa Rica: A Field Guide by Richard Garrigues and Robert Dean (Cornell University Press, 2007) A Guide to the Birds of Panama (with Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras), Second Edition by Robert S. Ridgely and John A. Gwynne, Jr. (Princeton University Press, 1989)
First printed in 1989, A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica by F. Gary Stiles and Alexander Skutch, is commonly referred to as Stiles & Skutch or simply The Bible by nearly every serious birder in Costa Rica. It was the first true field guide of any country to include not only identification aids (with plates and drawings by Dana Gardner) but also text that covered physical, voice, habits and nest descriptions, in-country status, population range and special notes. One can imagine the army of ornithologists, researchers, students and birdwatchers who trawled this small country 30 years ago, noting such details as egg colors and seasonal movements this before the internet, cell phones and GPS equipment. (The acknowledgements found in this book are the absolute Whos Who of tropical birding in the Western Hemisphere.) Despite several printings and updated text over the years, some of the text and taxonomy remains outdated. However, for my money, the Spanish language version, published in 2007 by INBio of Costa Rica, is its most important advance. Bitter complaints have been lodged about the books rather flat and schematic plates, but the dean of field guide bird drawings in the US, Roger Tory Peterson, is similarly guilty. As with many field guides, the plates are grouped together in the center of the book, and it can be a pain to have to flip back and forth between the text descriptions and the plate depictions of a bird. Some tear out the plate section and have it separately bound for use in the field. Summary: this is a respected, well-loved book that weighs nearly a pound and measures 9 x 6 x 2, unsuitable for a fanny pack or a pocket but indispensable for the wealth of knowledge it contains, not only about each and every bird in the country but about the country itself. Richard Garrigues and Robert Dean produced a much-desired field guide in 2007--The Birds of Costa Rica: A Field Guide--with beautiful, rich-looking plates located conveniently on the page opposite the textual descriptions of the birds depicted as well as wonderful range maps next to each species accountA+ for these improvements! This is a book you can squeeze into your pants pocket and have at the ready in the field. Now, if like me, youve used the Stiles & Skutch guide for a zillion years, the question is: can you find the bird you think you are looking at? The Garrigues & Dean book, understandably, follows taxonomic updates that put,
for example, euphonias after blackbirds and bananaquits in an uncertain status. Grumpy faces accompany attempts at quick searches using the taxonomic order of old; clearly everyone using this book needs the cheat-sheet index page compiled by Mr. Garrigues that can be pasted into the back of the book. Complaints have been overheard about some of the plates, in particular the Blue-gray Tanager, Striped-headed Brush-Finch, Orange-billed NightingaleThrush; but the blame for this should be laid directly at the doorstep of Zona Tropical, thebooks publisher. A far more serious complaint: no Spanish version. Responding to a recent inquiry, one of the authors was heard to mutter, I wouldnt hold my breath. Summary: maps and size are long-awaited advances, and its safe to say this is the most commonly used field guide in the country right now. Its indispensable for any birding trip, and if listing is your only game, its the only one you need. First published in 1976, A Guide to the Birds of Panama, by Robert S. Ridgely and John A. Gwynne, Jr., is an even earlier and incredibly comprehensive guide. The plates and drawings are livelier and brighter than those found in Stiles & Skutch, thanks to the talented Mr. Gwynne. A subsequent edition, published in 1989--including eight plates of birds found in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras--is routinely brought along on Costa Rican birding trips for problematic identifications of confusing groups like flycatchers and hummingbirds when comparisons of subtle distinctions can yield success. Compared to Stiles & Skutch, however, this book has less detailed information on each species; and it is sometimes baffling to locate groups. For example, rails are found on Plates 1, 3 and 41: I dont know about you, but Id prefer all my rails and crakes together as theyre already difficult enough without having to flip around with your fingers bookmarking wads of pages. Like Stiles & Skutch, it is a clunky book9 x 6 x 1.5though weighing slightly less; but, again, not for the waist-pack crowd. Instead, it best resides with Stiles & Skutch in the back seat or in the reference library at home. Summary: now that we have Garrigues & Dean, Panama will probably be consulted less often. But here is the kicker: if you are birding in San Vito or anywhere else in southern Costa Rica, you will still need this guide. In recent times, weve had Panamanian birds including Crested Oropendula, Wattled Jacana, Rusty-margined Flycatcher, Savanna Hawk, Pearl Kite and Veraguan Mangoslipping across the border, and here is where theyre spotted first. Did I mention price? Its an even draw; all cost $3035 in the US and more in Costa Rica. In conclusion: all dedicated birders need both Stiles & Skutch and Garrigues & Dean at a minimum. And, if you live in or travel through the southern zone, youd best have a copy of the Second Edition of A Guide to the Birds of Panama with you, too.
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Another Panama bird book about to hatch

Another bird guide to PanamaThe Birds of Panama: A Field Guideis to be published this October as part of the Cornell University Presss natural history series which includes both the Stiles & Skutch and Garrigues & Dean guides. With text by George Angehr, one of the most prominent authorities on birds in that country, and illustrations by Robert Dean, the consummate artist whose plates grace The Birds of Costa Rica: A Field Guide, this guide will put a lot of emphasis on the subspecies that are found in Panama, something that Ridgely & Gwynnes The Guide to the Birds of Panama barely touches on. According to Robert, who has been a good friend to the bird club as well as an honorary member, the guide will be about 100 pages longer, and in a slightly larger format, than his Costa Rica bookmainly to accommodate all the range maps for a country as long as Panamabut will not be as large as the Ridgely & Gwynne book. Robert has put a lot of effort into making sure his bird plates will translate accurately into print, always a big challenge when precise color rendition is an issue. Because our corner of Costa Rica is so close to Panama, we expect this guide to become another valuable addition to our birding library. We expect eagerly await its arrival!
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Revisin de Libros: Los Tres Contendores
por Alison Olivieri
A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica por F. Gary Stiles y Alexander Skutch (Cornell University Press, 1989) The Birds of Costa Rica: A Field Guide por Richard Garrigues y Robert Dean (Cornell University Press, 2007) A Guide to the Birds of Panama (con Costa Rica, Nicaragua y Honduras), Segunda Edicin por Robert S. Ridgely y John A. Gwynne, Jr. (Princeton University Press, 1989)
Impreso por primera vez en 1989, la Gua de Aves de Costa Rica por F. Gary Stiles y Alexander Skutch, es conocido como Stiles y Skutch o simplemente la Biblia por casi cada amante serio de las aves en Costa Rica. Fue la primera gua de campo real de cualquier pas que incluye no slo ayudas de identificacin (con lminas y dibujos de Dana Gardner), sino tambin texto que incluye descripciones fsicas, de voz, hbitos y nido, el status en el pas, mbito de poblacin y notas especiales. Uno puede imaginar el ejrcito de ornitlogos, investigadores, estudiantes y observadores de aves que rastrearon este pequeo pas hace 30 aos, observando detalles tales como colores de los huevos y movimientos estacionales todo esto antes de la internet, telfonos celulares y equipos de GPS. (Los reconocimientos que se encuentran en este libro son el absoluto Quin es Quin de la observacin de aves tropicales en el hemisferio occidental) A pesar de varias reediciones y la actualizacin del texto durante los aos, algunos de los textos y taxonoma siguen siendo obsoletos. Sin embargo, por mi dinero, la versin en espaol, publicada en 2007 por el INBio de Costa Rica, es su avance ms importante. Se han presentado muchas quejas acerca de lminas bastante simples y esquemticas del libro, pero el decano de los dibujos de aves para guas de campo en los Estados Unidos, Roger Tory Peterson, es igualmente culpable. Al igual que muchas guas de campo, las lminas se agrupan en el centro del libro, y puede ser una molestia tener que voltear hacia adelante y hacia atrs entre el texto descriptivo y las lminas representativas de un pjaro. Algunas personas arrancan la seccin de lminas y lo empastan por separado para su uso en el campo.
El libro de Garrigues y Dean, comprensiblemente, sigue actualizaciones taxonmicas que ponen, por ejemplo, a las eufonias despus de los mirlos y el pinchaflor (bananaquits) en un status incierto. Se ven las caras irritadas en cada intento de bsquedas rpidas utilizando el orden taxonmico antiguo; claramente todo el que use este libro necesita la pgina de ndice de bolsillo compilada por el Sr. Garrigues que puede pegarse en la contraportada del libro. Se han escuchado quejas acerca de algunas de las lminas, en particular las de la viuda, el saltn cabecirayado, y el jilguerillo, pero esta queja debera ser enviada directamente a Zona Tropical, el publicista del libro. Hay una queja mucho ms grave: no hay versin en espaol. En respuesta a una consulta reciente, se escuch murmurar a uno de los autores, Yo no me desvelara.
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Resumen: los mapas y el tamao son los avances largamente esperados, y es seguro decir que esta es ahora la gua de campo ms comnmente utilizada en el pas. Es indispensable para cualquier viaje de observacin de aves, y si hacer listas es su nico juego, es la nica que se necesita.
Publicado por primera vez en 1976, la Gua de Aves de Panam, por Robert S. Ridgely y John a. Gwynne, Jr., es una gua incluso anterior e increblemente comprensiva. Las lminas y los dibujos son ms vivos y ms brillantes que las que se encuentran en Stiles y Skutch, gracias al talentoso Sr. Gwynne. Una edicin posterior, publicada en 1989 que incluye ocho lminas de aves encontradas en Costa Rica, Nicaragua y Hondurasrutinariamente es incluido en los viajes de observacin de aves de Costa Rica para identificaciones problemticas de grupos confusos como los pechoamarillos y colibres cuando las comparaciones de distinciones sutiles pueden asegurar el xito. Sin embargo, en comparacin con Stiles y Skutch, este libro contiene menos informacin detallada sobre cada especie; y a veces resulta desconcertante localizar grupos. Por ejemplo, los rascones se encuentran en las lminas 1, 3 y 41. Yo no s usted, pero yo preferira todos mis rascones y gallinetas juntos si de por s ya son suficientemente difciles sin tener que voltear con los dedos puos de pginas marcadas. Al igual que Stiles y Skutch, es un libro desgarbado23 x 15.5 x 3 cmaunque pesa un poco menos; pero, una vez ms, no adecuado para una bolsa de cintura. En su lugar, mejor dejarlo con Stiles y Skutch en el asiento trasero o en la biblioteca de referencia en la casa.
Resumen: este es un libro respetado y adorado; pesa casi medio kilo y mide 23 x 15.5 x 3 cm, lo que lo hace no apto para una bolsa de cintura o el bolsillo, pero si indispensable por la riqueza de conocimientos que contiene, no slo sobre todas y cada una de aves en el pas, sino tambin sobre el propio pas.
Richard Garrigues y Robert Dean produjeron en 2007 la tan deseada gua de campoLas Aves de Costa Rica: Una Gua de Campocon hermosas y atractivas lminas ubicadas convenientemente en la pgina frente a las descripciones de las aves representadas, as como una maravillosa gama de mapas junto a cada especieun 100 por estas mejoras! Se trata de un libro que se puede llevar en el bolsillo del pantaln y as usarlo en el campo. Ahora bien, si, como yo, ha utilizado la Gua de Stiles y Skutch por montones de aos, la pregunta es: puede usted encontrar el ave que cree estar viendo?
Resumen: ahora que contamos con Garrigues y Dean, Panam probablemente se consultar con menos frecuencia. Pero aqu est lo bonito: si son aves en San Vito o en cualquier lugar en el sur de Costa Rica, usted todava necesitar esta gua. En los ltimos tiempos, hemos tenido varias aves panameasincluyendo la oropndola crestada, la jacana surea, el pechoamarillo rufomarginado, el gaviln de la sabana, el elanio de Pearl y el manguito veragense- cruzando la frontera, y aqu es donde se ven primero. Mencion el precio? Es un empate; todos cuestan $30-$35 en los Estados Unidos y un poco ms en Costa Rica.
En conclusin: todo amante dedicado de las aves necesita tanto el Stiles y Skutch y el Garrigues y Dean como mnimo. Y, si vive en o viaja a travs de la zona sur, mejor es que tenga tambin una copia de la segunda edicin de la Gua de Aves de Panam. tanto un buen amigo del Club como miembro honorario, la gua tendr alrededor de 100 pginas ms y un formato ligeramente ms grande que su libro de Costa Ricaprincipalmente para dar cabida a toda la gama de mapas de un pas tan largo como Panampero no ser tan grande como el libro de Ridgely y Gwynne. Robert ha puesto mucho esfuerzo en asegurarse de que sus lminas de aves se traducirn con precisin en la impresin, siempre un gran reto cuando la copia de color precisa es un problema. Puesto que nuestro rincn de Costa Rica est tan cerca de Panam, esperamos que esta gua se convierta en otra valiosa adicin a nuestra biblioteca de aves. Esperamos ansiosamente su llegada!
Ya casi rompe el cascarn otro libro de aves de Panam

Otro libro de aves de PanamLas Aves de Panam: Una Gua de Campo ser publicado en octubre como parte de la serie de historia natural de Cornell University Press que incluye las guas Stiles y Skutch y Garrigues y Dean. Con el texto por George Angehr, una de las ms importantes autoridades sobre aves en ese pas, e ilustraciones de Robert Dean, el artista consumado cuyas lminas engracian Las Aves de Costa Rica: Una Gua de Campo, esta gua pondr mucho nfasis en las subespecies que se encuentran en Panam, algo que apenas toca la Gua de Aves de Panam de Ridgely y Gwynne. Segn Robert, quien ha sido
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Marco Saboro has been a professional photographer since 1960. His photographs have been exhibited in various museums, universities and other cultural institutions in Costa Rica and the United States. His award-winning work has been widely published in several countries in America and Europe, Japan and New Zealand. He is a frequent lecturer in Costa Rica and the US at international photography events and a participant in many projects related to birds and humpback whales. His photos of humpback whales have been used as scientific proof that the migration of humpbacks from Antarctica to Costa Rica is the longest migratory route known for any mammal. Marco can be reached at msaborio@conexion.co.cr. Kate Desvenain, SVBC local member, and her husband, Patrick, have opened their new restaurant at La Morphose Mountain Retreat about 45 minutes south of San Vito. See their informative website for more info, including their lovely guest house and vacation home opportunities: morphosecr.com/index.html.
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Visit the websites of our associate organizations: OTS/OET Wilson Botanical Garden/Las Cruces Biological Station La Asociacin Ornitolgica de Costa Rica The National Aviary (USA) Point Reyes Bird Observatory Connecticut Audubon Society
Photo: Harry Hull
Join the Club! Renew Your Membership!

There are benefits! To fast-track joining the San Vito Bird Club, or to renew your existing membership, you can print out the Membership Form at the end of this newsletter. Complete instructions are on the form.
Alison says:
Ferns in the forest at Hacienda La Amistad.
Photo: Harry Hull
Unase al Club! Renueve Su Membreca!

Hay beneficios! Para unirse en forma inmediata al San Vito Bird Club, o para renovar su actual membreca, puede imprimir la Hoja de Membreca al final de este boletn. Las instrucciones estn en la frmula.
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Swallow-tailed Kite (same one 3 times) [1]
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photo gallery / galera de fotos
Scarlet-thighed Dacnis
[3]
Nancy Nelson & Dan Fender with Alison Olivieri and their new SVBC membership cards [4] Olivaceous Piculet [2] [7] Emperor's Torch Ginger flower [6] Cherrie's Tanager [5] Butterfly, Las Cruces [9] Nancy Nelson recording mist netting data, Finca Sofa [8] Chespi Elizondo, Jos Pablo Molina, Lydia Vogt & Julie Girard gathering mist netting data, Finca Cntaros [10]
Photo credits: Monique Girard [1]; Julie Girard [2, 3, 7], Nancy Nelson [4, 6, 8, 10]; Harry Hull [5, 9]
Boat-billed Heron at Los Chocuacos
Newsletter photo gallery / galera de fotos

Magnificent Frigatebird [2]
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Doug Wilson, Judy Richardson & Fred Schroeder in back of truck for ride in Hacienda La Amistad [1]
Lucas Desvenain with bird capture bag. [3]
Passion Flower
[4]
Lydia Vogt, mistress of mist netting records, at Finca Cntaros [5]
Barred Forest-Falcon showing stunning yellow orbital skin, Finca Sofa. [6]
Clockwise from upper left: Liz Allen, Kathleen & Pepe Castiblanco-Ulenaers, Julie Girard, Kate Desvenain, and Lydia Vogt at Finca Sofa. [8] Butterfly at Finca Sofa [7] A pair of Chestnut-mandibled Toucans at Wilson Botanical Garden. [9]
Photo credits: Linda Wilson [1]; Julie Girard [2]; Nancy Nelson [3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9], Gail Hull [4]
Newsletter photo gallery / galera de fotos
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Mist netting activity at Finca Cntaros. L-R: visitor, Alison Olivieri, Nancy Nelson, Julie Girard, Steve Allen, and Kate Desvenain. [1] Brown-hooded Parrot at Finca Cntaros. [2]
Mating frogs (or toads?).
[3]
Believed to be in the Lily family. [4]
Buff-throated Saltator.
[5]
Four of the SVBC group at Cotoncito, a clearing up in the forests of Hacienda La Amistad. [7] Five of the Los Chocuacos adventure gang enjoying the pool. Clockwise from upper left: Sergio Pirola, Keiner Rodriguez, Brayan Sanchez, Gerald Rodriguez, and Kevin Conejo. [6]
Photo credits: Harry Hull [1, 2, 4, 5]; Julie Girard [3, 6]; Linda Wilson [7]
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APPENDIX
Footnotes & References to A Vulture's Tale: * This same transmitter had been placed on an Osprey in 2001 that made two migrations south to the Tempisque River in northwestern Costa Rica (see Houston and Martell 2002) before the transmitter failed. The Osprey was recaptured on its nest pole in Saskatchewan; the transmitter was removed and returned to Microwave Telemetry for refurbishing and made available for use on H25. It was quite an expensive device, costing more than $4500. ** Signals from the transmitter were of six possible accuracies, only four of which were of any use: LC 3, 2 and 1 within a kilometer, but the commonest signal, LC 0the one we were able to monitor most consistentlyonly within about 10 km. If H25 had been outfitted with todays transmitters that record tracking data to within 10 meters, Marco's assistance would not have been needed to find the bird: the birds movements within a small area would have been easily tracked. But then we wouldnt have had the pleasure of this Vultures Tale! Houston, C.S. and M. Martell. 2002. Speedy migration: Saskatchewans first Osprey satellite transmitter. Blue Jay 60:74-79. Houston, C.S., G.L. Holroyd, B. Terry, M. Blom, and M.J. Stoffel. 2007. Tracking Saskatchewan Nestling Turkey Vultures. Blue Jay 65:201-207. Most of a two-page fact-sheet that Stuart Houston and his Turkey Vulture research team distribute in Saskatchewan, Canada, to inform the general public of their tracking activities and encourage the reporting of tagged vultures is found in the next two pages. This is available in English only.
APNDICE
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Notas y Referencias por Un Cuento de Zonchos: * Este mismo transmisor haba sido colocado en 2001 en un guila pescadora que hizo dos migraciones hacia el sur hasta el Ro Tempisque, en el noroeste de Costa Rica (vase Houston y Martell 2002) antes de que el transmisor fallara. El guila pescadora fue recapturada en su nido en un poste en Saskatchewan; el transmisor fue removido y regres a Microwave Telemetry para el reacondicionamiento y puesto a disposicin para su uso en H25. Era todo un dispositivo caro, costando ms de $4500. ** Las seales del transmisor eran de seis posibles precisiones, slo cuatro de las cuales eran tiles en alguna forma: LC 3, 2 y 1 dentro de un kilmetro, pero la seal ms frecuente, LC 0 la que ramos capaces de monitorear ms consistentemente slo dentro de unos 10 km. Si el H25 hubiera sido equipado con los transmisores de hoy en da que graban datos de movimiento hasta rangos de 10 metros, no se hubiera necesitado la ayuda de Marco para encontrar el ave: los movimientos del ave dentro de una pequea rea habran sido fcilmente rastreados. Pero entonces no hubiramos tenido el placer de la historia de este zoncho! Houston, C.S. and M. Martell. 2002. Speedy migration: Saskatchewans first Osprey satellite transmitter. Blue Jay 60:74-79. Houston, C.S., G.L. Holroyd, B. Terry, M. Blom, and M.J. Stoffel. 2007. Tracking Saskatchewan Nestling Turkey Vultures. Blue Jay 65:201-207.
San Vito Bird Club Newsletter

is issued twice a year for the members, benefactors and friends of the Club. President: Alison Olivieri Vice President: Julie Girard Secretary: Lydia Vogt Treasurer: Dave Woolley Editor: Harry Hull Layout & Design: Harry Hull Article Contributors: Marco Saboro C. Stuart Houston Harry Hull Alison Olivieri Gerald Rodriguez Doug Wilson Lydia Vogt Julie Girard Translations to Spanish: Rodolfo Quirs
APDO 17-8257 Puntarenas, Coto Brus, San Vito 60801 Costa Rica 506.2773.4895 (in Costa Rica) Membership inquiries, feedback, suggestions about this newsletter: email us at
sanvitobirdclub@gmail.com
Our Vision Providing a forum for bird enthusiasts to appreciate and study birds in natural habitats and to support conservation of natural resources. Para los curiosos de la tecnologa. Este boletn fue preparado
en una computadora Macintosh usando Adobe InDesign, versin CS4. Casi todas las fotografas fueron editadas en Adobe Photoshop CS4 para ajustes de su exposicin y tamao. Ambos poderos programas estn disponibles para PCs as como para Macs.
This newsletter was prepared on a Macintosh computer using Adobe InDesign, version CS4. Almost all the photographs were edited in Adobe Photoshop CS4 for exposure adjustments and cropping. Both of these powerful programs are available for PCs as well as Macs.
For the technically curious.
Our Mission Statement The San Vito Bird Club will promote the appreciation and study of birds through field trips, research projects and environmental education programs. The Club will actively encourage local and international member participation and will work with community leaders and educators, OTS personnel and AOCR members as well as international organizations that share the Clubs objectives and principles.
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TURKEY VULTURE TRACKING PROGRAM, SASKATCHEWAN
[This is most of the two-page fact-sheet that Stuart Houston and his Turkey Vulture research team distribute in Saskatchewan, Canada, to inform the general public of their tracking activities and encourage the reporting of tagged vultures. Ed.]
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Since 2003, Saskatchewan has led in four aspects of Turkey Vulture research: - The largest nestling Turkey Vulture wing-tagging program in North America; 14 large wing tags, with an easily read white letter and two numbers on a green herculite tag, were applied at nine nests in 2003, 30 at 17 nests in 2004, 43 at 29 nests in 2005, 84 at 46 nests in 2006, 78 at 43 nests in 2007, 98 at 56 nests in 2008, and 132 at 78 nests in 2009. Total: 479 nestlings tagged at 277 successful nests in seven years. In seven years, vultures have used 163 different buildings. - Not one tagged bird has yet been found unfledged in a building where tagged. Weve now had 71 sightings of 57 vultures, 12 of them four or more years after tagging. Ten are now known to have died. - Use of leg bands has been forbidden since 1976, when Ed Henckels 14 recaptured vultures (from 74 banded) all showed damage caused by cement-like hardening of feces around each band. One required amputation. - The only two nestlings carrying a satellite transmitter (applied west of Leoville, Saskatchewan, on August 5, 2004 and August 6, 2007). The 2004 vulture [H25, the subject of the story in this issue] wintered in Costa Rica and then died in Nebraska in July 2005. The 2007 nestling passed through Vera Cruz, and into Oaxaca, Mexico, where its transmitter ceased sending signals on 1 December. It averaged only 73 km/day, flying only three hours in each average day. - The only five North American Turkey Vultures tracked to southern Venezuela, demonstrating size of their winter territory. Five nestlings, tagged Canwood, Debden, Nora, S Victor, and Yellow Creek SK, had their wing tags read in Maracaibo, Venezuela in winter. An adult given a transmitter near Leoville in 2007 went over 6000 km to reach Venezuela in 59 days but took only 45 days on the return trip north. The adult from west of MacDowall in 2007 took an astounding 118 days to get to its wintering area in Venezuela and made the return trip north in 64 days. - The only six adult vultures captured on their nest, carrying GPS transmitters that provide hourly reports of location within 10 m accuracy. Each traveled up to 80 km to obtain food for its young, spent up to 13 hours on a single carcass, then returned to its nest to regurgitate dead meat to its young. Two transmitters were applied each year in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009, providing hourly reports that tell of their slow flight in warm thermals in mid-day (a hummingbird travels as many kilometers in a day!), and their altitude (up to 3000 feet above ground). - This is a team effort. Wing tags are applied by Brenton Terry, Michael Blom and Marten Stoffel of Saskatoon. In 2005, financial support for the only nestling transmitter (previously on an Osprey that made two trips to Costa Rica and back) and for the cost of Argos satellite transmissions, came from Nature Saskatchewan, donations matched dollar-for-dollar by Saskatchewan Power. Geoffrey Holroyd and Helen Trefry of Canadian Wildlife Service, Edmonton, applied the transmitter. Peter H. Bloom of Orange County, California, provided hands-on wing-tag instruction to Brent Terry in California. Marc Bechard of Boise State University, Idaho, trained Brent Terry to apply the second nestling transmitter, and Brent taught Marc how to apply wing tags. - The last eight transmitters have been funded through research grants assigned to Keith Bildstein at the Acopian Center for Conservation Learning, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Pennsylvania. Hourly locations are supplied, every six days, by David R. Barber. The bodypack transmitters were installed by Dr. Marc Bechard of Boise State University, during his 21st, 22nd and 23rd field banding trips to Saskatchewan, assisted by Brent Terry. - Anyone sighting a vulture is encouraged to look for a wing tag on right wing of nestlings, left wing of adult. Please report the date, exact location, and number of the tag to: Stuart or Mary Houston, 863 University Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 0J8. Phone 306-244-0742 before 9 p.m. CST or send data to stuart.houston@usask.ca. [Continued on next page.]
Newsletter
BASIC FACTS ABOUT TURKEY VULTURES: Unpleasant aspects: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
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Vultures are ugly and dirty. They drool on you and vomit on you - and hiss loudly - as defense mechanisms. They stink - because they eat long-dead mammals and birds. After a human visitor leaves, they eat the decayed meat just regurgitated. They cool off by passing urine and faeces down their legs (called urohidrosis). They are HUGE - with a nearly six-foot wingspan and weigh up to 2 kilograms (4.4 lbs). Wing chord measures 500 to 545 mm, tarsus length 62 to 78 mm, and tail length 250 to 300 mm. The female is larger than the male. When an adult takes flight from within a house, it scares you silly. The adults head is unfeathered (to stick its head within rotting carcasses). Vultures are the main bird species causing military aircraft collisions. They have a well-developed sense of smell, allowing them to find totally hidden dead carcasses - and to avoid entering any building with a human being in it.
But wait a minute! When you know them, they are fascinating, even charismatic! 1. Until 1982, vultures nested in caves along river banks, or in large, dense brush piles. Then a few learned to nest in attics or basements of deserted houses in Saskatchewan and, near Saskatoon, only since 2002! 2. Vultures have been classed as raptors, related to hawks and eagles, but some authorities believe they are more closely related to storks. 3. Vultures are close relatives of the California Condor, now being saved from extinction through captive breeding. Each released Condor carries two wing tags. 4. Turkey vultures perform a valuable health function as mopper-uppers or garberators Their stomachs kill almost every known bacterium, even anthrax spores, performing a public health service to humans and animals. 5. In the USA, with their keen sense of smell, vultures located leaks in natural gas pipelines by circling over escaping ethyl-mercaptan. 6. Vultures are magnificent but slow, in flight in thermals in mid-day they soar for long periods without flapping. 7. Vultures are adaptable. 8. Vultures build no nest whatever, merely laying one or two eggs on the attic or basement floor, whether dirt, linoleum, cement, hardwood or plywood. 9. Vultures are increasing in numbers each year. First, because of their newly-acquired habit of nesting in deserted houses, barns and granaries (with open windows), they have extended their range widely into new parkland areas. We had 87 active nest sites in 2009, 31 of them new to us. We have trained three new wing-taggers in 2009 and hope again to get to every known active nest in 2010. Deserted houses are a hundred times more common than the caves used for hundreds of years. 10. Second, they are increasing because of increased food - road-killed deer due to higher traffic speeds on improved highways, and domestic cows over three years of age, which cost more to feed than they are worth. 11. The one or two eggs are incubated for 38 to 40 days, male and female alternating. Hatchlings are brooded only for one to two weeks. Adults then go out to hunt and leave nestlings alone, visiting to regurgitate food about once each day. Thus, at most nest visits, no adult appears during our visit. At eight weeks, young have only a few patches of white down remaining on throat and neck and are ready to tag. They fly at nine weeks of age, but perch in trees near their nest for another four weeks while they practice flying, increasing in altitude capability each week. 12. Over a million Turkey Vultures fly over Xalapa, Vera Cruz, Mexico, each fall, and they winter as far south as Costa Rica, Colombia and Venezuela. (But one-third of Pennsylvania vultures stay year-round, one-third wander to the Carolinas and New Jersey, and one-third winter in Florida; none go to Central or South America.) 13. We dont yet know at what age they first breed; the only Turkey Vulture breeding at a known age was 11 years old. Probably they first breed at six to 10 years, a fact we hope to learn next year (2010). How far they disperse to new nest sites should also become known from observations of tagged vultures in years to come. 14. We dont yet know how long they live, but a maximum of 40 years is a best guess.
Newsletter
San Vito Bird Club: Benefits of Membership
25
ElectronicSVBCNewsletter,publishedtwiceayear,announcingovernighttrips,birdwalks, projectupdates,localbirdprofile,Clubnewsandmore. AssistancefromClubmemberswithlocalaccommodations,transportationandgeneral travelplans. FreeWilsonWalksattheRobertandCatherineWilsonBotanicalGarden/LasCruces BiologicalStation(WBG)inSanVito,twicemonthlyJanuarythroughMarch. Clubmembers&theirguestswillhaveaccesstotheWBGandtheRioJavaTrailwithout payingadmissionfees. ClubmemberswillbeabletoauditOTScoursesatLasCrucesif spacepermitsandthe teacher(s)hasnoobjection. FreeaccesstoClubtriplistsandotherpublications. 10%discountattheFincaCntarosCraftsStoreinLindaVistadeSanVito.
San Vito Bird Club: Beneficios de su Membreca

BoletnelectrnicodelSVBC,publicadosemestralmente,anunciandoviajesdedosdas, caminatasdeobservacindeaves,actualizacindelosproyectos,perfildeunavelocal, noticiasdesuClubyms. AsistenciadelosmiembrosdelClubconalojamientoytransportelocal,yplanesdeviajeen general. CaminatasWilsongratuitasenelJardnBotnicoRobertyCatherineWilson/Estacin BiolgicaLasCruces,cadaquincedasdeeneroamarzo. LosmiembrosdelClubysusinvitadostendrnaccesoalJardnBotnicoWilsonyel SenderodelRoJavaenelbosquesintenerquepagarlatarifadeadmisin. LosmiembrosdelClubtendrnposibilidadesdeatenderloscursosdelaOETenLas Crucessihayespacioylosprofesoresnotienenobjecin. AccesogratuitoalaslistasdelosviajesdelClubyotraspublicaciones. 10%dedescuentoenlatiendadeartesanasdeFincaCntarosenLindaVistadeSanVito.
Newsletter
San Vito Bird Club Membership Form / Hoja de Membreca
Dear Executive Committee / Estimado Comit Ejecutivo,
26
Yes! I (we) support the goals of the San Vito Bird Club and would like to join or renew my (our) 2011 membership as follows: S! Apoyo/apoyamos los objetivos del San Vito Bird Club y nos gustara unirnos o renovar nuestra membreca 2010 de la siguiente forma: ___ Resident Member (Dues US $20.00 or 10,000 per person) / Miembro Residente (Cuota US $20.00 o 10,000 por persona) ___ International Member (Dues US $10.00 or 5,000 per person) / Miembro Internacional (Cuota US $10.00 o 5,000 por persona) ___ Please keep my (our) name(s) on the roster and let me (us) know about Club activities, field trips and research, future meetings, etc. Por favor, mantenga nuestro nombre en su lista y avsenos sobre las actividades del Club, los viajes de campo e investigacin, futuras reuniones, etc. Name(s)/ Nombre _________________________________________________________ Address / Direccin ________________________________________________________ City / Ciudad ____________________________________________________________ State/Prov. / Estado/Prov. ___________________________________________________ Country / Pas ___________________________________________________________ ZIP/Postal Code / Cdigo Postal ______________________________________________ Email* _________________________________________________________________ Tel./fax _________________________________________________________________ Signature / Firma ________________________________ Date / Fecha ______________ Please make your check payable to the San Vito Bird Club and mail it with this form to: Por favor, haga su cheque a nombre del San Vito Bird Club y envelo con su registro a:
Alison Olivieri Apdo. 17-8257 Puntarenas, Coto Brus, San Vito 60801 COSTA RICA
* Our Newsletter is sent as a PDF digital file to your email address. / Nuestro Boletn es enviado como un archivo digital PDF a su correo electrnico.
Thank you! / Gracias!

To print just this page from your PDF reader, go to File>Print and choose to print only page 26 before clicking on "Print". Para imprimir slo esta pgina desde su lector de PDF, vaya a Archivo>Imprimir (File>Print) y escoja imprimir slo la pgina 26 antes de enviar a Imprimir.

SVBC Newsletter Vol 5 No 1-Aug 2010

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SVBC Newsletter Vol 5 No 1-Aug 2010

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August 2010 Volume 5 Issue 1

The Presidents Corner

La Esquina del Presidente

August 2010 Volume 5 Issue 1

Notas del Editor

August 2010 Volume 5 Issue 1

The Turkey Vulture Migration Project

August 2010 Volume 5 Issue 1

August 2010 Volume 5 Issue 1

Proyecto de Seguimiento de Zonchiche de Saskatchewan, puso marcas de ala a 479 pichones

August 2010 Volume 5 Issue 1

August 2010 Volume 5 Issue 1

Chart prepared by Julie Girard

Video: Liz Allen

August 2010 Volume 5 Issue 1

Proyecto de Monitoreo de Aves: Atractivos de Marzo y Agosto 2010

Video de la chicharra pringadora. Haga click en cualquier parte de la foto

Video: Liz Allen

August 2010 Volume 5 Issue 1

by Gerald Rodriquez [translation by Jim Zook]

Did you know?

August 2010 Volume 5 Issue 1

Halcn monte barreteado

por Gerald Rodriguez

August 2010 Volume 5 Issue 1

Photo: Linda Wilson

August 2010 Volume 5 Issue 1

August 2010 Volume 5 Issue 1

August 2010 Volume 5 Issue 1

are likely to encounter once our Tower is built:

Pledged to date / lo que ya tenemos:

Actualidades del Proyecto de la Torre del Dosel

August 2010 Volume 5 Issue 1

Los Chocuacos Una aventura con nuestros amigos pajareros ms jvenes

August 2010 Volume 5 Issue 1

Another Panama bird book about to hatch

August 2010 Volume 5 Issue 1

Ya casi rompe el cascarn otro libro de aves de Panam

August 2010 Volume 5 Issue 1

Photo: Harry Hull

Join the Club! Renew Your Membership!

Ferns in the forest at Hacienda La Amistad.

Photo: Harry Hull

Unase al Club! Renueve Su Membreca!

August 2010 Volume 5 Issue 1

photo gallery / galera de fotos

Boat-billed Heron at Los Chocuacos

Newsletter photo gallery / galera de fotos

August 2010 Volume 5 Issue 1

Lucas Desvenain with bird capture bag. [3]

Lydia Vogt, mistress of mist netting records, at Finca Cntaros [5]

Newsletter photo gallery / galera de fotos

August 2010 Volume 5 Issue 1

Mating frogs (or toads?).

Believed to be in the Lily family. [4]

August 2010 Volume 5 Issue 1

San Vito Bird Club Newsletter

For the technically curious.

August 2010 Volume 5 Issue 1

August 2010 Volume 5 Issue 1

August 2010 Volume 5 Issue 1

San Vito Bird Club: Beneficios de su Membreca

August 2010 Volume 5 Issue 1

Thank you! / Gracias!