Thanks to the generosity of TCBC club members who contribute by paying their dues, TCBC for the past two seasons has been supporting a field station in central El Salvador that studies the overwintering of neotropical migratory birds.  These funds are matched by the US Fish & Wildlife Service as per the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act.  The pictures herein show 'our' station at Parque Nacional Montecristo II located at about 1800 meters in tropical/subtropical dryleaf forest.  The station was initiated during winter 2004-2005.  The MoSI (Monitoreo de Sobrevivencia Invernal in Spanish, and in English, Monitoring Overwintering Survival) program we can see has a good deal to do with tracking the survival of some of 'our' local favorites.

Below are images of the operation of that station, and a summary table of the Neotropical migrants captured there during the 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07 MoSI seasons. The Veery was a surprise capture during the 2006-2007 season and represented the first record of this species in El Salvador!  Montecristo II is one of the most important stations for Swainson’s Thrushes and Wilson’s Warblers, critical target species for both the MoSI and MAPS programs. A table showing total captures for the last three years is followed by a selection of images from various MoSI stations. 

 

SalvaNATURA

Cloud forest at the Montcristo II MoSI banding station.

SalvaNATURA

Veery at the Montecristo II MoSI station.

 

The number of total captures (including recaptures) of each species recorded for banding at the Montecristo II MoSI station during the 2004-2005, 2005-2006, and 2006-07 seasons. Data supplied by SalvaNATURA and processed by The Institute for Bird Populations.

Species

2003-2004

2004-2005

2005-2006

2006-2007

Sharp-shinned Hawk

0

0

1

0

White-tipped Dove

0

0

0

1

White-faced Quail-Dove

0

1

2

1

Violet Sabrewing

0

2

5

9

Green Violet-ear

0

4

0

13

White-eared Hummingbird

0

23

9

31

Azure-crowned Hummingbird

0

6

1

0

Green-throated Mountain-gem

0

35

39

83

Amethyst-throated Hummingbird

0

15

7

28

Magnificent Hummingbird

0

0

0

3

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

0

0

0

5

Collared Trogon

0

4

2

0

Blue-throated Motmot

0

4

2

7

Emerald Toucanet

0

9

4

5

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

0

1

0

2

Golden-olive Woodpecker

0

1

0

0

Ivory-billed Woodcreeper

0

5

6

6

Spot-crowned Woodcreeper

0

5

2

7

Mountain Elaenia

0

0

0

1

Ochre-bellied Flycatcher

0

2

4

1

Hammond's Flycatcher

0

8

1

4

Yellowish Flycatcher

0

5

3

0

Gray-collared Becard

0

1

0

0

Blue-headed Vireo

0

4

5

2

Brown-capped Vireo

0

1

0

0

Rufous-browed Peppershrike

0

0

2

0

Bushy-crested Jay

0

0

2

1

Brown-backed Solitaire

0

16

10

15

Slate-colored Solitaire

0

4

2

45

Spotted Nightingale-Thrush

0

1

1

0

Orange-billed Nightingale Thrush

0

5

0

0

Swainson's Thrush

0

28

8

28

Veery

0

0

0

1

Black Robin

0

2

1

0

Clay-colored Robin

0

0

1

0

Golden-winged Warbler

0

0

0

1

Tennessee Warbler

0

4

6

17

Crescent-chested Warbler

0

7

0

1

Black-throated Green Warbler

0

5

4

12

Townsend's Warbler

0

9

3

5

Black-and-white Warbler

0

9

5

7

Worm-eating Warbler

0

6

3

5

Ovenbird

0

9

3

16

Wilson's Warbler

0

17

8

14

Slate-throated Redstart

0

18

10

27

Rufous-capped Warbler

0

2

0

0

Common Bush-Tanager

0

5

0

22

Flame-colored Tanager

0

2

4

1

Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch

0

1

0

0

Yellow-backed Oriole

0

0

2

3

Totals

0

286

168

440

Green Kingfisher and Painted Bunting at MoSI station Playa Grande, Costa Rica. Images: John Woodcock.

Processing birds at MoSI station Bosawas, Nicaragua, and Black-throated Trogon at MoSI station Finca El Suspiro del Valle, Panama. Images from: Salvadora Morales and ACHIOTE.

Coffee Finca and Masked Tityra at MoSI station Finca Nuevas Horizontes, El Salvador. Images: Vicky Garan

Long-tailed Manakin and Processing station, MoSI station Parque Nacional El Imposible, El Salvador. Images: Peter Pyle.

Paraque and camping/bird-banding station. MoSI station Estero Naranjo, Costa Rica. Images: John Woodcock.

The next generation of bird banders at MoSI stations in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Images: MoSI Station Operators, The Institute for Bird Populations.
 Further information about this worthwhile program is located at the Cornell Lab.