Birds in and around Sucre

Brown-backed Mockingbird is quite common in Sucre.

Grey-hooded Parakeet, Alto Tujsupaya, Sucre. This species is not present all the year, but several flocks were seen during August and September. Now it seems like they have disappeared from the area just as the Mitred Parakeets present at the same time.

Streak-fronted Thornbird, Alto Tujsupaya, Sucre, 10.09.09. It can be difficult to photograph this species.

Rufous-sided Warbling-Finch, Alto Tujsupaya, Sucre, 06.08.09.

Rusty-vented Canastero

Rusty-vented Canastero at the announcement board.

Caching insects.

The nest in Molle 03.10.09

Several months I have tried to take some decent photos of the quite cryptic Rusty-vented Canastero. It’s a bird that rarely perches in the open, and most of my photos are either distant or only a part of the bird is visible. However, some weeks ago a bird looked for insects hopping on the announcement board at the wall opposite to my office window. The bird visited the announcement board several times a day during the next couple of days, and I managed to take some photos of the bird. Rusty-vented Canastero belongs to the Creamy-breasted Canastero complex together with amongst others Dark-winged Canastero. Here in Sucre the Rusty-vented Canastero builds almost exclusively the nest in trees (mostly Molle), and not in Cactus like the Dark-winged Canastero.

In the air, Sucre...

Variable (Red-backed) Hawk
Cinereous Harrier
Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle and Mountain Caracara

Endemic birds in Bolivia 3

Bolivian Earthcreeper is together with Chaco Earthcreeper now separated in its own family named Tarphonomus. The Bolivian Earthcreeper is endemic for the central part of Bolivia. This individual was photographed in Alto Tujsupaya, Sucre (2860 m) in August 2009. Good fieldmarks are the bill and the underside with no contrasts except the white throat.

Citron-headed Yellow-Finch, Sucre 18.08.09

The Citron-headed Yellow-Finch (first picture) is quite common here in Sucre, and it is only present in Bolivia and the northern part of Argentina. Below the more widespread Greenish Yellow-Finch

The Roadside Hawk is still around

Today I saw the Roadside Hawk from my window once again, It had a prey as well (Picui Ground-Dove). There are a lot of birds in the garden here at SETELA, and it seems like the Hawk has discovered this food source.

Golden-breasted Woodpecker

From 2001 to 2003 I had one or two observations of this Woodpecker each year here in Alto Tujsupaya, Sucre (2860 m). However, in 2004 I saw this species all months of the year. Now returning in 2009 I have seen this species several times already.

Roadside Hawk seen from my window today

This Roadside Hawk perched outside my office today. I decided not to open the window, and the quality of the photo is good enough (Alto Tujsupaya, Sucre, 14.08.09).

Another brown-capped bird

The Brown-capped Tit-Spinetail, is among the more seldom seen bird as well here in Alto Tujsupaya, Sucre. However, I saw two individuals of this species 06.08.09.

Brown-capped Whitestart, Sucre, Bolivia

This is one of my favorite birds in the area. The Brown-capped Whitestart is a colorful and fast moving bird. Brown-capped Whitestart is not so common here in Alto Tujsupaya, but I see it from time to time. This individual was photographed in this area 06.08.09. I have seen this species more frequently at slightly lower elevations (among others Hacienda siete cascadas).

Gray-bellied Shrike-Tyrant, Sucre, Bolivia

The Gray-bellied Shrike-Tyrant is a scarce austral migrant in Sucre, and this bird was photographed today. This is only my third observation of this species in Sucre. I have also seen this species in Puno, Peru in August. All my observations are related to the austral winter, and my guess is that this is a migrant in this part of Bolivia and Southern-Peru.

Cliff Flycatcher, Sucre, Bolivia

This Cliff Flycatcher was photographed along the entrance road to "Hacienda siete cascadas" here in Sucre today.

Endemic birds in Bolivia 2

There is a colony with Cliff Parakeets next to "Hacienda siete cascadas" in Sucre. The birds are normally seen on the grounds at the hacienda as well. The Cliff Parakeet is by some authors regarded a subspecies of Monk Parakeet, but normally accepted as a valid species endemic to Bolivia.

Endemic birds in Bolivia

"Hacienda siete cascadas" is a guest house were you can rest, eat & sleep. This is an old restored Spanish "hacienda", and it is a good place to look at birds as well. With some luck most of the specialties in the area can bee seen here in a day or two. I saw many good species, including the two endemics that are quite easily seen here, in about two hours. The turn off to this hacienda lies between the airport and the city center here in Sucre. In this post you can see a Bolivian Blackbird. You might notice some of the differences between this bird and a Shiny Cowbird: The plumage is not so bright, the bill is somewhat stronger and you can also see some brownish on the wing. All these characters distinguish the Bolivian Blackbird from a Shiny Cowbird. Normally you also hear the characteristic "cho-pe" before you see the bird.

Giant Hummingbird, Sucre, Bolivia 09.08.09

Yesterday I observed a very cooperative Giant Humingbird. In the end I photographed the bird at about four meters.

Sucre, Bolivia 06.08.09

Here are some of my latest observations from Sucre. I have done several walks in Alto Tujsupaya close to the airport were you can find our Theological Seminary (SETELA). One of my best documented observations is a male Wedge-tailed Hillstar (06.08.09). This is just my second observation in this area.