CENTRAL AMERICA 
f ' A Spring 2009 saw an unprecedented invasion of Black-legged Kittiwakes southward across North America, with a few 
••J O reaching as far s. as Central America and n. South America. Providing the first record for Costa Rica was a closely approached 
ad. in apparent weakened condition seen on the coast 100 km s. of Tortuguero, Limon 25 Mar (ph. ErC, EV). Either the same indi- 
vidual or another was seen at the mouth of Rio Tortuguero the following day (ph. NM). Panama recorded its first Black-legged Kit- 
tiwake, a first-cycle bird, 3 Apr at Costa del Este (DR, RMo, ph. GR). 
Captured here are images of two of Central America's rarest gull species. The 
third-cycle Kelp Gull (left) represented only the second record for Panama, the 
first being of up to five individuals in 2001 . One of at least three first-cycle Lesser 
Black-backed Gulls, the first to be recorded in Panama in 1 1 years, is seen on the 
right. Both were found and photographed at Costa del Este in Panama City 4 
April 2009. The Kelp Gull lingered until at least 10 May, when it was seen with a 
first-cycle Kelp. One of the Lesser Black-backed Gulls was seen again on 1 1 April. 
Photograph by Karl Kaufmann. 
Sooty Tern is thought to be very rare in Costa Rica, but more trips off its Pacific 
coast may prove otherwise. This adult was seen at Cocos Island on Roca Gissler in 
Wafer Bay on 27-30 (here 29) April 2009. Another was seen 186 kilometers 
north-northeast of Cocos Island on 1 May 2009. Little is known of seabirds off 
Costa Rica at other seasons, when this and several other species may be more 
numerous. Photograph by Kevin Easley. 
This Bridled Tern seen 28 April 2009 about 10 kilometers off the coast of Los Cobanos 
was only the third to be recorded in El Salvador. Photograph by Ricardo Ibarra. 
vador. The 2nd record was 
from Playa Icacal in May 2008. 
Elsewhere, a Forsters Tern at 
Barra de Santiago, Bocana El 
Saite 4 Apr (OK, ph. RJ) was 
the first to be reported in 
Ahuachapdn. This species is 
rare anywhere in El Salvador. 
In Panama, where it is also 
rare, an imm. was at Costa del 
Este, Panama City 11 Apr 
(DM, JAC, KK, RM). On the 
three-day pelagic trip off the 
Nicoya Pen. 3-5 Apr, 79 Poma- 
rine Jaegers were recorded, in- 
cluding one flock of 16 QZ, 
RG, BY, PM, JW); however, 
only 3 Parasitic Jaegers were 
seen, all on 4 Apr. These num- 
bers are consistent with previ- 
ous counts that indicate that 
Parasitic is much less common 
than Pomarine on the Pacific 
side of Costa Rica. On the 
Caribbean side, Pomarine and 
Parasitic occur in about equal 
numbers but are rarely seen 
from shore. Thus, an imm. 
Parasitic Jaeger seen flying 
close to shore off Tortuguero 4 
Apr (MG) was noteworthy. 
Rare off either coast, a hrst- 
summer Long-tailed Jaeger 
was seen 70 km w. of Playa del 
Goco just outside the Gulf of 
Papagayo 4 Apr (ph. JW, JZ, 
RG, BY, PM). 
DOVES THROUGH 
FLYCATCHERS 
Belize’s hrst nesting pair of 
Eurasian Collared-Doves was 
discovered when a pair with 2 
fledglings was found in the 
heart of Belize City 17 May 
(PB, JR, DB, PBu). This comes 
after one or more Streptopelia 
doves that later proved to be 
this species were found in the 
same area of the city last fall. A 
group of 79 Red-throated 
(Green) Parakeets seen in a 
mango plantation near the 
mangrove forest at Playa Ica- 
cal 1 Mar (OK, ph. JVD, RJ, LG, MR) appears 
to confirm predictions that birds move into 
El Salvador’s coastal plain from breeding 
grounds in the highlands of Honduras. The 
flock included an additional group of birds, 
of approximately the same number, that ■ 
could not be seen directly for species confir- 
mation. A pair of Black-and-white Owls with 
2 fledglings at El Balsamar, Cuisnahuat 7 Mar 
(ph. JH) were at a nest discovered by park 
guards last Jan. They provided the first breed- ^ 
ing documentation for Sonsonate for this 
nearly extirpated species in El Salvador. A 
pair of Stygian Owls with a fledgling near 
Blancaneaux Lodge, Mountain Pine Ridge, 
Cayo 30 May (ph. RMa) provided one of the 
few breeding records in the Region for this 
seldom seen owl. Striped Owl has been near- 
ly extirpated from El Salvador, so 4 individu- 
als recorded 17 May in Normandi'a (ph., v.r. 
CF, KL) are worth noting. 
Virtually all records of Green-breasted 
Mango from w. El Salvador are from the fall 
and winter, and the species is presumed to be 
a seasonal visitor on the Pacific coast from 
cen. El Salvador to w. Mexico. This spring, at 
least two records, both of females, in w. El Sal- 
vador raise questions about the degree to 
which it is seasonal. One was seen at Jujutla 
(Bocana El Zaite), Ahuachapdn 4 Apr (OK, RJ) 
and the other at El Congo, Santa Ana 9 Apr 
(OK, LA, VG, IV). Four male Veraguan Man- 
gos and one female at Miguel de la Borda, 
Colon 17 Apr (BAh, CAh, KK, ph. RM, KW, 
VW) were the first to be recorded from this 
area and the first on the Caribbean slope e. of 
Bocas del Toro since 1911. A female White- 
crested Coquette found 3 Mar on a nest at 
Cuesta de Piedra, Chiriqui (ph. EC) was note- 
worthy because the species is rare in Panama 
with few records this far east. A male Sap- 
phire-throated Hummingbird seen visiting 
an orange flowering Erythrina tree growing in 
a roadside fence row near Goto Colorado (12 
km s. of Ciudad Neilly), Puntarenas 17 Mar : 
(JZ, ph. KE) established the 3rd record for the i 
country roughly between the sites of the first j 
and 2nd records. 
Rare in Panama, a Golden-naped Wood- j 
pecker at approximately 1200 m at Santa ' 
Clara, Chiriqui 5 Mar (ph. EC) was at a local- i 
ity from which it was last reported in 1998. It 
is also seldom reported from such a high ele- 
vation. On the other hand, a Streaked Xenops 
seen at approximately 70 m elevation at L. 
Bayano 30 Apr (ph. EC, LR) was the first to be 
reported from the lowlands of Panama. An ex- 
traordinary record, this rare species is other- 
wise known in Panama only from the e. and w. 
highlands and has not previously been record- 
ed below 540 m. A Strong-billed Woodcreeper 
516 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
