This site uses cookies to improve your experience. To help us insure we adhere to various privacy regulations, please select your country/region of residence. If you do not select a country, we will assume you are from the United States. Select your Cookie Settings or view our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Used for the proper function of the website
Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Strictly Necessary: Used for the proper function of the website
Performance/Analytics: Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
In CostaRica, we have our pewees, 6 species of them. Three live and breed here, two migrate through the country in large numbers (one of those also breeds here in small numbers), and another migrates through and winters in CostaRica. The WEWP is the other pewee that moves through CostaRica in numbers.
Species like the Gyrfalcon , the aerial powerhouse of the tundra, of stunning, breeding-plumaged May warblers. In CostaRica, lately, I have been enjoying the class and elegance of bird poster art produced by CaraCara. These are all of the toucan species that occur in CostaRica.
They covered so much water so quickly, so effortlessly, I understood how they could wander from Hawaii to CostaRica, make steady constant progress over countless kilometers of waves and deep blue water. An expected offshore bird in CostaRica, the small bicolored shearwater was one of many targets during our 7 hour sojourn.
It takes a detour to reach Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge in CostaRica but oh how the trip is worth it. An uncommon species in CostaRica, it was in a brushy area that reminded me of its breeding grounds. What can I say but go to Cano Negro when visiting CostaRica. Agami Heron. 171 Species.
Howell and Dale Dyer and Birds of CostaRica by Dale Dyer and Steve N. An associated issue is that the Belize and CostaRica guides share many of the same descriptions of species, written by Howell. Steve Howell has spent decades of experience in the field studying the birds of Belize, CostaRica, and especially Mexico.
These are the summer months of the northern hemisphere and yet this time of year in CostaRica is known as the “invierno”, Spanish for “winter” However, no matter how adapted I become to the local culture, I just can’t use that word in CostaRica. Sound nice?
It was that way for my first Indigo Bunting (a male that absorbed all light and sang in morning wet forests of northeastern Pennsylvania in 1979), and my first Brown Noddy seen from a ferry in CostaRica earlier this year. I had missed the short-legged tern on pelagic trips and never made it to any of its breeding grounds.
In this first installment, I will focus on my impressions and experiences in the highlands portion of our tour. The experience of seeing a pair feeding and calling in the mountains of Honduras felt like a much more genuine birding experience to me. Alas, our time here was over too soon. Trips Honduran birding La Tigra motmot'
With all of those birds singing and showing off their breeding colors, it’s no surprise that we see major bird races like Champions of the Flyway and The World Series of Birding , along with other main birding events like the Global Big Day. They got all three potoo species in CostaRica.
Its native range stretches from the southern Pacific coast of Mexico south to northwestern CostaRica, where it is an inhabitant of arid to semihumid woodland and open areas with scattered trees. Despite being tainted with this fact, I will sheepishly admit that this oriole is a welcome enrichment to our local avifauna.
Think Arizona meets CostaRica with a Mexican twist. These striking and inquisitive jays were perhaps the bird of the trip for me, and we took our time to soak in the experience of encountering these wonderful birds. This poorly documented swallow is a breeding endemic to these high mountains.
For those who happen to be faithful followers of posts about birding in CostaRica, no, you haven’t accidentally browsed to the wrong place. It might not be CostaRica, but it is one of the most important, birdiest events on the planet, and checking it out was a dream come true. Waiting for the sandgrouse.
The guide covers the all–1194 species in the Species Accounts, including 959 native breeding species, 219 Nearctic migrants, 8 breeding visiting species, and 5 introduced species. Of the native breeding species, 112 are endemic or “very nearly endemic.” (Can Press, 2010), The Birds of CostaRica: A Field Guide, 2nd ed.by
Not to mention, its brilliantly bulbous crimson throat, bloated during breeding season must be a sight! They really appeared to enjoy this, because as soon as they swam back to the rocks they would line up again to repeat the experience. The Magnificent Frigatebird is the bird I would want to see.
If you haven’t read the 10 Best lists of my 10,000 Birds compadres, you may also want to read about Corey’s birding achievements , Pat’s envy-inducing CostaRica list , Tom’s Ten Best , featuring his beautiful photographs, and Clare’s wonderful British Top Ten. 1) Dusky Eagle-Owl. 4) Small Pratincole.
If you’ve blogged about your weekend experience, you should include a link in your comment. I had a beautifull view on 5 horned grebe here (one in breeding plumage), in Ann Arbor Michigan, for the 3 seconds it lasted, until I heard a huge “CRRACK&# , and I fell through the ice. What was your best bird of the weekend?
Hornbills are spectacular under any circumstances, but when a pair lands in a bush beside you at eye-level and begin mutual preening , it makes for a spectacular experience. It was easily one of the best birding experiences I’ve ever had, even impressing my nonbirder fiance. You can read more about his experience here.
I have chronicled the experience on my blog. 2012 was one of my best years for birding in CostaRica. This past June I was invited along by the Edmonton Nature Club on a field trip to a Piping Plover breeding site. Indigo Bunting Greg Majewski chose a very nice, very red bird as his Best Bird of the Year.
Some odonates (dragonflies and damselflies) are included in CostaRica nature guides, but there are hundreds of these beautiful creatures flying around the diverse habitats of Costa Rican and there has not been a guide devoted just to them till now. Still, I have been stuck trying to identify a dragonfly I photographed in 2010.
I got to see a beautiful female and owlet on a trip to a secret nest location near Howard Prairie Lake (human-made nest structures have enhanced local breeding for these huge owls whose nest success is boosted to 83% on artificial platforms vs. 66% at natural sites). The experience, the place, and the bird combine to make this my BBOTY.
This map shows the distribution of the World’s bird species, based on overlying the breeding and wintering ranges of all known species. So, beside a lot of birds and the sunny sky, I want the coldest thing to experience year-round to be my beer. CostaRica (857 / 903). Why am I here? And where all those birds are?
I photographed this Guianan Cock-of-the-rock at a lek site near Surama, deep in the rainforest zone of Guyana, and my incredible experience with Andean Cock-of-the-rocks was at a display lek on the edge of the town of Jardin, in the coffee-belt of Colombia, both just incredible birds that make the heart soar with joy!
It is slightly larger than CostaRica, and in the most strategic places it has a well-developed infrastructure. Those large international agencies use reputable local ground agents, and in my experience this creates a safety cocoon around the travellers. Sri Lanka is a ‘must visit country’ for any keen birder.
We organize all of the trending information in your field so you don't have to. Join 30+ users and stay up to date on the latest articles your peers are reading.
You know about us, now we want to get to know you!
Let's personalize your content
Let's get even more personalized
We recognize your account from another site in our network, please click 'Send Email' below to continue with verifying your account and setting a password.
Let's personalize your content