CENTRAL AMERICA 
One of 19 seen off El Salvador on a 21 October 2008 pelagic trip, this Black-vented 
Shearwater with pale head and nape was the first reliably recorded in El Salvador 
and Central America. Another Black-vented Shearwater, also pale across the head 
and nape (a condition thought to be due to excessive wear), was photographed 
off Costa Rica four weeks later. Photograph by Ricardo Ibarra. 
The first for El Salvador in 28 years, this juvenile Ornate 
Hawk-Eagle was discovered in Montecristo National Park on 
1 0 October 2008. Photograph by Iselda ¥ega. 
24 Sep and by RI on 21 Oct included 6 and 43 
Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, respectively, an 
Audubon’s (Galapagos) Shearwater on 24 Sep 
(ph. SH) and 4 on 21 Oct (roughly the 5th and 
6th reports for El Salvador), and 2 Wedge- 
rumped Storm-Petrels on 24 Sep (ph. SH), 
with another seen 21 Oct, El Salvador’s 4tli 
and 5th. These latter three species may prove 
to be regular, even seasonally common, off the 
coast of n. Central America, as more birders 
venture out to sea in search of pelagics. 
A Blue-footed Booby and a brown morph 
Red-footed Booby in Bahia de la Union and 
Golfo de Fonseca, La Union 16 Oct (both ph. 
Rl) were the 9th and 6th reported for El Sal- 
vador, respectively. A Brown Pelican at L. Ati- 
tlan, Solold 16 Aug (ph. JFH) was at an inland 
locality in Guatemala where they are not of- 
ten seen. In Belize, where it is seldom en- 
countered, a Pinnated Bittern was seen along 
the road to Spanish Lookout, 
Cayo, 2.5 km n. of the Belize R. 
22 Sep (PB et al.), and in 
Guatemala, a Least Bittern was 
seen 27 Oct at Tikal, Peten 
(KE, CA), where the species is 
uncommon. For the 4th con- 
secutive year, a Jabiru was seen 
flying high in apparent south- 
ward migration from the ob- 
servation tower at Kekoldi, 
Hone Creek, Limon. this year 
on 12 Oct (ph. NU, DM et al.). 
Each year, one has been ob- 
served in southbound flight, 
usually in the last week of Sep. 
Jabirus are not found in this 
part of Costa Rica 
— the closest regular spot for 
them is Cano Negro near the 
Nicaragua border. Also of note 
were 10 Wood Storks flying over- 
head well inland in the mts. at 
Finca El Pilar, 2 km se. of An- 
tigua Guatemala, Sacatepequez 26 
Oct (KE, MS). 
Plumbeous Kites generally mi- 
grate near the coast, so 2 seen in 
migration in Alajuela 1 km e. of 
Juan Santamaria International 
Airport at 900 m elevation on the 
Pacific slope of the Central Valley 
20 Aug (JZ) were unexpected. 
Also unexpected was a Black-col- 
lared Hawk at Tikal 5 Oct (KE, 
CA); this species is rarely report- 
ed in n. Peten. Sharp-shinned 
Hawk is a rare migrant in Belize; 
the only one reported this fall 
was one near Maya Center, Stann 
Creek 6 Oct (RP, CH). Solitary Eagle is report- 
ed with increasing frequency in Belize; how- 
ever, most of the reports may pertain to just 
one or two pairs in the M.PR. The latest re- 
port is of an ad. pair seen soaring over Sibun 
Gorge, Cayo. then heading westward toward 
Hidden Valley 22 Sep (ph. RP, CH). 
Now that a few dedicated individuals are 
counting hawks migrating through Belize in 
fall, several species once thought to be rare 
are now being reported in small numbers 
nearly every fall. Broad-winged Hawk is a 
prime example. This fall, small numbers were 
observed regularly in M.P.R., Cockscomb 
Basin, and Punta Gorda between 21 Sep and 
6 Oct (RP, CH). An ad. seen near the n. en- 
trance to M.PR. 3 Oct (RP, CH), however, 
may have been a bird returning for its 2nd 
winter, as a juv. was seen less than a kilome- 
ter away the previous Jan. A Zone-tailed 
Hawk seen near the jet. of Southern Hwy. and 
Hummingbird Hwy. 6 Oct (RP, CH) was the 
only one reported in Belize this fall. A juv. Or- 
nate Hawk-Eagle, the first recorded in El Sal- 
vador in 28 years and the first at this site, was 
seen 10 Oct in Montecristo N.P., Santa Ana 
(ph. ly RJ, LS, CZ). Farther s., in Panama, a 
juv. was seen 22 Nov along Old Gamboa Rd. 
n. of Panama City, Panama (ph. GH); the 
species is rare in the lowlands of Panama. 
Also rare in Panama, a juv. Black-and-white 
Hawk-Eagle at the St. Francis Reserve, Torti, 
e. Panama 14 Aug (EC, LR) was the first re- 
ported from this locality. A Yellow-headed 
Caracara flying over Rio Parismina estuary, 
Limon 23 Nov (AD) provided further evi- 
dence of eastward expansion on the 
Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, where it has 
Rare in Central America, this American Avocet, seen 16 November 2008 at El 
Estero de Toluca, El Salvador, was one of two reported in autumn 2008. 
Photograph by Ricardo Ibarra. 
One of up to six Buff-breasted Sandpipers seen in a muddy 
field at Chomes farms in Costa Rica from 3-7 (here 3) Sep- 
tember 2008 was this obliging individual. Because shore- 
birds in Central America are so often neglected, this species 
may prove to be more frequent in the region than the few 
records indicate. Photograph bySte¥en Easley. 
168 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
