Finally passed the 900s!
FollowI have been wondering what new report would bring us the bird 901. And also whos going to be the lucky one to see it. Well, the tour guide Luis Miguel Cruz saw a Flame-rumped Tanager (Ramphocelus flammigerus) on February 1, 2012 at Tortuguero National Park. This park always bring surprises to the ones who visit the area for birdwatching tours. The species was recorded at the mouth of the Rio Parismina, an open grassland habitat and isolated bushes.
I have seen the bird many times birdwatching Panama, in Valle de Anton area. The first impression is that you have a red rumped Tanager (Passerini´s or Cherrie´s), but once it turns and show you its bright yellow back you immediately know that you got something different. This new sighting is included in the sixth official list of Birds of Costa Rica.
The males are black, light blue-gray bill with black tip, lower back with yellow feathers. The female is brownish and yellow ventrally. The previously known distribution range is from western Panama to western Ecuador.
We may think that such an obvious color is unmistakeable, bur the inclusion of this new species to the UOCR (Unión de Ornitólogos de Costa Rica) increased tensions between UOCR and AOCR (Asociación de Ornitólogos de Costa Rica). The last is not accepting this new report as a new species because they say UOCR took the decision too quickly. Controversy brings interesting info about bird coloration. Here is some of the comments posted in UOCR´s blog (www.uniondeornitologos.com ):
