Grey-headed Piprites- Central America

[birdingcraft]

Has anyone seen Grey-headed Piprites? If so, where? I would like to assess the status of this species. Despite seeing dozens of mixed flocks within its range in Costa Rica, I have seen this species exactly one time.

[Brian S]

Jon Hornbuckle has seen them at Braulio Carrillo National park - see
http://www.worldtwitch.com/costa_rica_jh.htm

Pico Bonito say they have them
http://www.picobonito.com/PB_files/bird.html

see the section under Rancho Naturalista here
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/costarica/costar7/cr-dec-02.htm

Brian S

[birdingcraft]

Thanks Brian; those are also the only sightings I am aware of! Where Jon saw this species is the only place where I have seen it. If I get some spare time, I am going to search for it.

[birdboybowley]

Hey BC

I saw a bird at La Selva last Xmas and am still stumped as to what it was. GH Piprites wasn't listed for La Selva but as to what else it was I can't think:
It was dull green, yellower below with definite greyish tint to the head, importantly no super and no wingbars at all but pale yellow inner webs to the tertials. It was dumpier and larger than a nearby Paltry Tyrannluet....It still bugs me now!! Can't find a photo of a real live GH Piprites so can't compare at all!
Ads

[birdingcraft]

Hey BC

I saw a bird at La Selva last Xmas and am still stumped as to what it was. GH Piprites wasn't listed for La Selva but as to what else it was I can't think:
It was dull green, yellower below with definite greyish tint to the head, importantly no super and no wingbars at all but pale yellow inner webs to the tertials. It was dumpier and larger than a nearby Paltry Tyrannluet....It still bugs me now!! Can't find a photo of a real live GH Piprites so can't compare at all!
Ads

Sounds like it might have been a GH Piprites- especially if it had an eye ring. Funny that its not on the La Selva list; its definitely possible there. Thanks for posting that.

[Motmot]

Hey BC

I saw a bird at La Selva last Xmas and am still stumped as to what it was. GH Piprites wasn't listed for La Selva but as to what else it was I can't think:
It was dull green, yellower below with definite greyish tint to the head, importantly no super and no wingbars at all but pale yellow inner webs to the tertials. It was dumpier and larger than a nearby Paltry Tyrannluet....It still bugs me now!! Can't find a photo of a real live GH Piprites so can't compare at all!
Ads

Hi there,
You'll find two images here:

http://www.costaricagateway.com/gallery/tyrant-flycatchers-uncertain-genera.html

By the way, I've only seen it once too, that was in the Laguna de Hule area.
Cheers,
Eduardo

[birdingcraft]

Hi there,
You'll find two images here:

http://www.costaricagateway.com/gallery/tyrant-flycatchers-uncertain-genera.html

By the way, I've only seen it once too, that was in the Laguna de Hule area.
Cheers,
Eduardo

That's good to know. Thanks Eduardo!

[GMK]

During a special trip to study cotingas, manakins and close relatives in Costa Rica, still in progress, myself and two colleagues, plus guide Jason Horn, found Piprites griseiceps at El Copal Biological Reserve, recording a pair, obviously on territory but regularly joining mixed-species flocks in the vicinity, on two out of three days at the reserve. P. griseiceps has been recorded at this site before, by Ernesto Carman (pers. comm.), about ten years ago. For the record, we had no joy with Lovely Cotinga at El Copal, but did find it at Volcano Arenal National Park today.

Guy Kirwan

[birdingcraft]

Thanks for that information Guy! I may be headed to El Copal later this month.

[jeremy gatten]

Hey,

I worked as a guide at Laguna Del Lagarto Lodge in October 2005 to January 2006. During that period, the Organization of Tropical Studies was assessing the land as part of some greenbelt project. Jim Zook was out and I tagged along to learn some songs from him. As we were wandering the trails, he got very excited when he heard a Grey-headed Pipirites - he managed to whistle it in fairly close, but we never managed more than the briefest of glimpses. Due to Jim's enthusiasm over the bird, the song stuck in my head and I managed to hear it maybe a half dozen or more times on my own. Never once did I get a satisfying look at the bird as it was always distant and I never had playback equipment. The lodge is not really that far from La Selva, so a sighting from there makes sense.

Jeremy Gatten
Victoria, B.C., Canada

[birdingcraft]

Thanks for that information Jeremy. I think that Laguna del Lagarto and other, newer ecolodges in the proposed Maquenque greenbelt have a lot of potential. Not many birders get up that way despite extensive lowland forests that are more or less connected to a huge amount of lowland rainforest in SE Nicaragua. I may get up that way sometime later this year. Jim Zook's excitement at hearing Gray-headed Piprites is telling of the rarity of this species. On a recent visit to El Copal, I heard one give its distinctive song just once in the vicinity of a mixed flock in dense, foothill rainforest.