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A cuckoo represented one of the best finds of my May 2006 trip to central Panama; early one afternoon, during my stay at the Canopy Tower, I decided to walk alone down Semaphore Hill after lunch, where I would later be picked up
for the afternoon field trip (this was something I did almost every day). I heard a song I recognized as that of the
sought-after Pheasant Cuckoo, and quickly pulled out my Mp3
gear to employ some playback. Remarkably, the bird flew in to an open branch well above my head, and I enjoyed my first looks
at this spectacular species (at top below). After a minute or so the bird flew off, but continued to vocalize in the area. It eventually
moved to a hidden perch right along the road; I started collecting audio
(with excellent results- click here for audio),
but despite some slow and patient
searching, I could not lay eyes on the cuckoo until I inadvertantly flushed it from less than ten feet away! I was fortunate to
see where it landed, on a steep slope about 50 feet off the road, and proceeded to collect a bit of video.
The bird was well-hidden in dark brush, and the image at bottom is about the clearest I got, even with a good deal of digital editing.
I sat observing the bird for about an hour, hoping that it would remain long enough for my father to arrive en route to the field trip, but, alas, not 10 minutes before the Bird-Mobile
showed up, the Pheasant Cuckoo flew away, causing me to flinch as it flew right past my head! Remarkably, this was not my last experience with the species; the next morning, just before dawn,
I heard a Pheasant Cuckoo vocalizing right next to the Canopy Tower. I guessed that it was in a tree just outside the dining area, and moved down off the observation
deck in hopes of a closer view. The rich call was resonating through common area so clearly that it seemed as if the bird was in the room. I tried to move slowly towards a window
that might afford a good view, but the bird saw me first, and I only saw it in flight as it left a perch but a few feet from the window. It was an exhilirating experience, and
I only wish that my father had been awake to share the moment.
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