Spangle-cheeked Tanager (Tangara dowii)
29 January 2009, Savegre Mountain Hotel, San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica
These striking butterscotch colored tanagers with patches of electric blue
spotting on their chests and black heads are endemic to the highlands of
Costa Rica and western Panama. This individual was part of a small group
foraging on berries along the roadside.
These birds were very active and jumpy, often hanging upside down to probe
for insects in the dead leaves. The Isler's quote Slud as follows, "Darts
from branch to branch, seldom spending much time at one site...." It's all
too true. It was quite a challenge to get this photo.
Some authors (e.g. Isler & Isler) lump this bird with the similar
Green-naped Tanager (Tangara fucosa) of eastern Panama.
Males and females are alike.
The original of this photo was seriously underexposed, and I had to process
it more extensively than normal in Photoshop to make it presentable.
Panasonic DMC-LZ5 / Nikon FieldScope 3 / 30X WA hand-held (no adapter)