Dark Pewee (Contopus lugubris)

29 January 2009, Savegre Mountain Hotel, San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica This medium-large flycatcher is endemic to the highlands of Costa Rica and adjacent Panama. Its shape, plumage and behavior remind me of the Greater Pewee (Contopus pertinax) which replaces it to the north. Like the Greater Pewee, this species usually hunts from the very top of the tallest trees, flying out to snatch insects and usually returning to the same tall snag. It calls frequently, sounding much like a Greater Pewee or Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi). Some authors lump this bird with the Smoke-colored Pewee (Contopus fumigatus) which replaces it in South America. Another taxonomic alternative (Meyer de Schauensee 1970)lumps it with both the Smoke-colored and Greater pewees under the composite name, Greater Pewee. This bird was at a considerable distance. Exif shows an uncomfortably low shutter speed and higher ISO which, along with the bad light, may account for the poor quality of this photo. 1/80 @ f/2.8, ISO 100 Digiscoped with Panasonic DMC-LZ5 Nikon FieldScope 3 / 30X WA hand-held (no adapter)