Open AccessFIRST ANNOTATED CHECKLIST OF BIRDS OF JICARÓN AND JICARITA: THE SOUTHERNMOST ISLANDS OF THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA
Author(s) -
Pedro Luis Castillo-Caballero,
Claudio M. MontezaMoreno,
Oscar W. Johnson,
George R. Angehr
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
tecnociencia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2415-0940
pISSN - 1609-8102
DOI - 10.48204/j.tecno.v22n2a7
Subject(s) - panama , geography , mainland , dove , subspecies , national park , checklist , ecology , hummingbird , foraging , warbler , galliformes , habitat , biology , archaeology , paleontology , political science , law
The Isthmus of Panama, the narrowest land bridge between North and South America, is surrounded by a large number of islands (>1500) relatively close to the mainland. However, despite the potential role Panamanian islands have for the conservation of bird species, most avian surveys are conducted on the mainland. The islands of Jicarón and Jicarita, located in Coiba National Park, are of particular interest because these are the southernmost islands in the Republic of Panama. Additionally, previous avian surveys were restricted to Coiba Island, the largest of the park, leaving the avifauna in the rest of the islands poorly known. Here, we provide the first annotated checklist of birds for the islands of Jicarón and Jicarita, where we documented 115 and 53 species, respectively. Of these 23 species represent new records for the park. Further, we documented 10 endemic subspecies and 29 migratory species, of which 7 are warblers. The most frequently observed species were Brown-backed Dove (Leptotila plumbeiceps battyi), Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl) and Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola). We highlight some species of interest and discuss the potential role of these islands for conservation.