Excursion to Guayabo National Monument

The day before yesterday I went over to the Guayabo National Monument after lunch to bird the road area outside the park itself. I find that several hours pass quickly there because, if you are patient, interesting species always seem to appear. Bird highlights, for me, were a Lesser Greenlet and the call of a Great Tinamou, reminding me of the very recent trip to the nearby Espino Blanco Reserve.

Lesser greenlet finally stands still, photo courtesy of Larry H. Thompson

Lesser Greenlet, photo courtesy of Larry H. Thompson

The Lesser Greenlet (Hylophilus decurtatus) is likely to be mistaken for a warbler at first, but I find that the grey head with the bold eye-ring and its slightly dumpy shape eliminate most other sources of confusion, such as the Tennessee Warbler, which is very common here in the northern winter. The Nashville Warbler would be a great rarity and can be discounted for all practical purposes. The very nice picture above does not show what I find to be a clear contrast between the grey head and the green back. Here’s the list of birds identified for the day: