The birds of Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve I: Resident birds

In this photography by our bird monitoring volunteer Joe Taylor, we see that the birds of Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve are truly esthetic beings. These photos were taken on mist netted birds while they were being processed by FUNDECI/GAIA staff, prior to returning to the wild. They show some of the wonderful details that we may never appreciate even as birdwatchers. Our technicians gather data on the bird populations by mist netting which is very important for conservation efforts, but we also enjoy the esthetic experience of admiring the birds from near. The birds were photographed in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, where all of them reproduce. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Lesser Ground-Cuckoo (Morococcyx erythropygus) in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, Nicaragua. Photo by Joe Taylor.

Several cuckoo species are found in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, and they are not, at first sight, very similar birds. The Lesser Ground-Cuckoo (Morococcyx erythropygus) occupies degraded areas, and spends most of its time walking through low brush, on the ground. It is heard much more often than seen, giving a sound much like an insistent police whistle repeating. Folks here call it the "pajaro reloj" or the clock bird, because its call is reputed to be given on the hour, every hour. It nests on the ground, and its existence is threatened by domestic cats. Please don't bring cats into natural areas like this one! The Lesser Ground-Cuckoo is nothing short of spectacular when viewed up close.

Olive Sparrow (Arremonops rufivirgatus) in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, Nicaragua. Photo by Joe Taylor.

Dry tropical forest habitats usually have some grasses and other small-seeded annual plants in the many forest breaks, even when the forest is not heavily degraded by human use. Among the seed-eating birds in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve is the Olive Sparrow (Arremonops rufivirgatus). The population here is not well-documented, its only reports to date being ours. We have recently spotted a nest with eggs, and two chicks hatched. This is another ground-nesting species, vulnerable to our beloved pet cats. Please keep your cats out of natural areas!


Female Long-tailed Manakin (Chiroxiphia linearis). Photo by Joe Taylor.

Immature male Long-tailed Manakin (Chiroxiphia linearis). Photo by Joe Taylor.

The Long-tailed Manakin (Chiroxiphia linearis) is the most commonly caught of all the bird species in our monitoring program. This is because we are located in prime habitat for them, in a sheltered area with lots of vegetation and food sources (they mostly eat fruit). The location is used for breeding, where males perform, quite literally, a song and dance to attract the females. Males perform the ritual in pairs, and the senior male gets the lady when she chooses the most attractive contestant. Males take up to four years to complete sexual maturity which is reflected in their plumage. We may catch as many as forty of this species in a single three-day period of mist netting.

Turquoise-browed Motmot (Eumomota superciliosa) and Blue-crowned Motmot (Momotus momota) in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, Nicaragua. Photo by Joe Taylor.

Among the emblematic birds of Nicaragua is the Turquoise-browed Motmot (Eumomota superciliosa), which is quite common throughout the Pacific region of the country. The Blue-crowned Motmot (Momotus momota) is considerably less common in most of the range. The subspecies found in Nicaragua has a black cap over the blue crown. Both motmot species nest in horizontal holes in dirt banks, and they catch flying insects on the wing as a principal component of their diet. They are both known as Guardabarrancos in Nicaragua, and the former is the national bird.

Dusky-capped Flycatcher (Myiarchus tuberculifer) in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, Nicaragua. Photo by Joe Taylor.

Lots of species of flycatchers are resident to Mesoamerica, and others migrate here from south or north. The flycatchers have bristly whiskers to help to guide their prey into the mouth. Shades of your aunt with the bristles on her chin, wanting to give you a kiss. It is not easy to distinguish them while birdwatching. Among the most common of flycatchers in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve is the Dusky-capped Flycatcher (Myiarchus tuberculifer). This individual demands the last word, it appears.

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Bird monitoring in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve

We study birds at Estacion Biologica. Would you like to be a volunteer bird monitoring participant? We need volunteers to work with us on monitoring bird populations in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. Over 225 species of birds have been identified to date in the area. We are conducting field work every month in several locations in the reserve, and we have a large body of data to process, so we can use computer-adept volunteers, too. There is plenty to do for the person who wants to gain experience with birds in Nicaragua. If you would like to participate, please contact us here. More information on the birds of Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve can also be found on our website. 

   

The Turquoise-browed Motmot (Eumomota superciliosa) is frequently observed in our montoring in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. Photo by Romain De Jaegere. 

Marlene Kroner inspecting a Blue-tailed Hummingbird (Amazilia cyanura). Photo by Stephan Beekhuis.

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Research in the forest

By Stephan Beekhuis

Research in the forest

MOSI is a project which studies, and registers the captures of particular migratory birds that migrate from North America to the Laguna de Apoyo, but also resident species.

“The objective of our research is to characterize the bird community in particular area over many years. Some birds are of particular importance in this study, notably species with conservation issues. Some populations are terribly small. We don’t know the conservation status of each species, but with this research we can improve our knowledge and future conservation efforts”, states  Dr. Jeffrey McCrary, director of Estación Biológica.

On March 14^th, the volunteers of the Estacion Biologica packed up their backpacks for three days of camping to catch birds, bats, and rodents, as part of the MOSI monitoring effort.

Bats

It quickly becomes apparent that the ambiance in this largely-undeveloped part of the Laguna is very calm and peaceful; a good area to catch animals. At 6 o’clock in the evening two volunteers prepare the mist nets. Mist nets are typically made of nylon mesh suspended between two poles, resembling an oversized volleyball net. When properly deployed, the nets are virtually invisible.  A short while after, a Jamaican fruit bat (Artibeus jamaicensis) flies into the net. After getting the bat out of the net. the volunteers take measurements of various characteristics of the bat—weight, sex, wingspan—before snapping a photo and releasing it into the night.

Birds

After a night in the woods, which was uncomfortable with all the mosquito bites… The next morning at six o’clock the nets are up and ready for the first birds of the day. Every hour the volunteers check the nets. After the first hour they’ve caught two species: a Long-tailed Manakin (Chiroxiphia linearis) and a Clay-colored Trush (Turdus grayi). They subsequently weigh the bird, take around 15 measurements, and clip the tip of a non-essential feather so they’ll know if they recapture the same bird later.

An hour later they catch another three birds: a Rufous-capped Warbler (Basileuteris rufifrons), a Blue-tailed Hummingbird (Amazilia cyanura) and another Long-tailed Manakin. We could tell by a short tail-feather that it was the same Long-tailed Manakin as earlier, demonstrating why marking the birds in some way is important to keeping the statistics accurate.

Besides catching birds the volunteers also count them by listening and watching. This is necessary because many species prefer to fly higher or have better eyesight and are more difficult to capture in the mist nets as a result.

The three-day trip was productive and after cleaning everything up, packing our backs, we head back to Estacion Biologica.  The volunteers will be returning next month  to do it all again.