CENTRAL AMERICA 
It was once thought that most non-migratory species in the tropics were almost com- 
pletely sedentary, dispersing only far enough to hnd a vacant territory. But observa- 
tions of a number of such species on the Belize cayes over the past decade demonstrate 
otherwise. This juvenile Black-cowled Oriole, found on Caye Caulker around 9 Septem- 
ber 2008 , was yet another in the growing list of mainland residents turning up periodi- 
cally on the cayes. Photograph by Jim Beveridge. 
known high elevation for this species in Pana- 
ma was 1200 m. A Summer Tanager 28 Aug 
on Caye Caulker QB) was a very early mi- 
grant. An unspecified number of Bay-headed 
Tanagers were reported on the lower lodge 
property at the Lodge at Pico Bonito, Atldnti- 
da 27 Nov (BW, GeM). Although no other 
specifics were given, the record appears to be 
the hrst credible report for Honduras. Guides 
for the Lodge have been reporting this species 
for at least a year, but none of those reports 
have been included in this column; this is the 
first time an actual date was reported. Given 
that this is a new species for the country, we 
hope that photographic documentation can 
be obtained in the near future. 
Large-billed Seed-Finches were seen and 
heard singing 3-7 Aug at El Real (EC) and 
again on 21 Sep (EC, ph. AG, RD). These 
records established the regular presence of the 
species at the spot where it was hrst recorded 
for North America in 2007. Two singing 
males, a female, and a juv. were seen 6 Nov at 
a new locality 7.5 km w. of Yaviza, Darien 
(KK, RM, DarM, DeM). Yet another individ- 
ual was seen 14 Aug at the St. Francis Re- 
serve, Torti, e. Panama (EC, LR), thus estab- 
lishing the westernmost record and suggest- 
ing the species may be spreading westward 
with the clearing of forestland. A pair of Blue 
Seedeaters was at Los Tarrales Reserve 7 Aug 
(ph, KE), and another 
pair was there 12 Aug 
(ph. KE, ALL, JLL, EB). 
This species is rare in 
Guatemala. A Clay-col- 
ored Sparrow at Tikal 28 
Oct (ph. MS, KE) provid- 
ed the hrst record for the 
Atlantic slope of 
Guatemala and the hrst 
photographic documen- 
tation for the species in 
Guatemala. In Panama, a 
Grayish Salta tor seen 13 
Aug on the grounds of 
Villa Marita in Boquete 
(ph. KA) was only the 
2nd to be found in 
Chiriqui, both from this 
locality. The species has recently colonized 
Panama, being hrst recorded in Bocas del Tow 
in 2003. 
Several singing Yellow-hooded Blackbirds 
at El Real 3-7 Aug (EC) and 21 Sep (EC, AG, 
RD) established the continued presence of 
this species at this location since it was hrst 
reported for North America in 2007. Howev- 
er, it was not found at this site on 7 Nov by 
KK, RM, DarM, and DeM. Farther north, in 
Guatemala, an imm. Black-vented Oriole 25 
Sep at Chelemha Reserve, Alta Verapaz (KE, 
RRX, JMS, ECR) was the hrst to be recorded 
in the Yaliux mountain range, and a juv. 
Black-cowled Oriole on Caye Caulker around 
9 Sep (ph. JB) was the hrst to be recorded on 
the Belize cayes. Like many mainland species 
that occasionally turn up on Caye Caulker, it 
likely came from Ambergris Caye, a long nar- 
row peninsula 7 km to the north. Noteworthy 
for Guatemala was a pair of Red Crossbills at 
Rincon Grande 15 Sep (KE, CA). Two ad. Tri- 
colored Munias hying over rice helds 6 km se. 
of Palmar Sur, Puntarenas 7 Sep QZ) were 180 
km se. from its previously known distribu- 
tional limit in Esparza. It appears that the 
only areas left to colonize on the Pacihc side 
of Costa Rica are the rice-producing areas in 
the Golfo Duke lowlands. It has yet to be 
recorded in neighboring Nicaragua or Pana- 
ma, or on the Caribbean slope of Costa Rica. 
Corrigendum: In North American Birds 61: 
169, the Brown-headed Cowbird seen at the 
Tropical Education Center was in Belize Dis- 
trict, not Cayo District. In North American 
Birds 62: 316, the date of the Scissor-tailed 
Flycatcher at Panama’s Tocumen Airport was 
4 Dec 2007. 
Contributors (country coordinators in bold- 
face): James Adams, Ken Allaire, David L. 
Anderson (Honduras), Jennifer Anderson 
QAn), Leticia Andino, George Angehr (Pana- 
ma), Claudia Avendano, Philip Balderamos, 
Jim Beveridge, Andrew Bodey Bart Brown, 
Everilda Buchan, Rudi Burgos, Euclides 
Campos, Ernesto Carmen (ErC), Michael 
Carmody, Adolfo Downs, Ramiro Duque, 
Kevin Easley (KEa), Steven Easley, Knut Eis- 
ermann (Guatemala), Jesse Fagan (El Sal- 
vador), Renato Fernandez, Itzel Fong, Vicky 
Galan, Robert Gallardo, Juan Carlos Gamboa, 
Jose Garcia, Alex Guevara, Gustavo Gutier- 
rez, Chris Hatten, Stefany Henriquez, Juan 
Fernando Hernandez, Tom Hince, Gonzalo 
Horna, Ricardo Ibarra, Lee Jones (Belize), 
Megan Jones, Roselvy Juarez, Karl Kauf- 
mann, Nick Komar, Oliver Komar, Kent Lan- 
nert, Gerardo Lopez, Aaron de Leon Lux, 
Joshue de Leon Lux, Paco Madrigal, Daniel 
Martinez, German Martinez (GeM), Roy May 
(RMa), Jeffrey McCrary (Nicaragua), Jorg 
Mellenthien (JMe), Rosabel Miro, Gilberth 
Molina, Darien Montanez (DarM), Delicia 
Montanez (DeM),Jacobo Ortega, Luis Pine- 
da, Ryan Phillips, Ernesto Chalib Rax, Laura 
Reyes, Mahelis Rodriguez, Alan Rodriguez, 
Melissa Rodriguez (MeR), Lya Samayoa, Julio 
Sanchez, Juan Mez Saqui, Michael Schulz, 
Wilf Simcox , Pablo Somarriba, Brian Sulli- 
van, Joe Taylor, Sue Tichy, Noel Urena, Luis 
Vargas, Iselda Vega, Max Vindas, Brandon 
Wiers, Rogelio Rax Xo, Carlos Zaldana, Jim 
Zook (Costa Rica). O 
H. Lee Jones, 901 E. Washington Street, Apt. 126 
Colton, California 92324, (leeJones@att.net) 
Oliver Komar 
SalvaNATURA Conservation Science Program 
33 Avenida Sur #640, San Salvador, El Salvador 
(okomar@salvanatura.org) 
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