Crested Caracara

The Crested Caracara looks like a hawk with its sharp beak and talons, behaves like a vulture, and is technically a large tropical black-and-white falcon.

It is instantly recognizable standing tall on long yellow-orange legs with a sharp black cap set against a white neck and yellow-orange face.

The Crested Caracara is a bird of open country and reaches only a few states in the southern U.S. It flies low on flat wings, and routinely walks on the ground. Cornell All About Birds

Yellow-headed Caracara

Although we have seen many Crested Caracara in our travels this was the first time observing Yellow-headed Caracara. The adult Yellow-headed Caracara is pale buffy with dark brown wings. The juvenile is also buffy but with dark streaking all over. Very similar to the Laughing Falcon but only has thin dark line behind eye, not a full black mask.

It is much smaller than the Crested Caracara and without dark cap. Found in open habitats, such as fields and river edges, where it often perches conspicuously. Can be found singly, in pairs, or in small family groups. Makes a harsh screeching noise. eBird

Laughing Falcon

 The laughing calls of this Laughing Falcon gave away it’s location on a back woods trail in Santa Rosa National Park. The Laughing Falcon is a spectacular and distinctive raptor of tropical lowlands, often seen perched on prominent bare snags, from which it hunts for snakes.

Occurs in forest and open country with scattered trees. Note the creamy head and underparts with a broad black "bandit mask." Does not soar, and flies with hurried, stiff wingbeats, when rusty patches show on the wings. eBird

Bare-throated Tiger-Heron

The Bare-throated Tiger-Heron is a large but rather short-legged, primal-looking heron of mangroves and freshwater marshes in tropical lowlands. This is a juvenile Bare-throated Tiger-Heron.

Often found in areas with trees, but also around ponds in rather open marshes. All plumages have naked yellow throat skin, greenish legs.

The adult has gray cheeks, finely barred plumage, and rusty thighs; immature is boldy barred blackish and warm brown.

Hoffman's Woodpecker

 

The Hoffman’s Woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker with bold black-and-white barring on back and a cream-colored belly. A patch of yellow on the lower belly can be difficult to see.

Male has red crown and yellow nape. Female lacks red crown.

Distinctive in range, but hybridizes with the Red-crowned Woodpecker. Found in open woodland, edges, and gardens. Cornell All About Birds

Red-lored Parrot

The Red-lored Parrot was a fairly common parrot around the resort area and almost always seen in pairs either early morning or in the evening.

They are a fairly large, bright green parrot of humid tropical lowlands and found in forest edge, and semiopen areas with scattered tall trees and forest patches.

The best field mark is the contrasting yellow cheek patch; also note red forehead. Like other parrots in the same genus, in flight shows a red patch on the flight feathers.

Black-headed Trogon

 The Black-headed Trogon is a medium-size, yellow-bellied trogon of tropical lowlands. 

Occurs in forest, but also in hedgerows, semi-open areas with taller trees and mangroves. Perches at mid-upper levels, at times with several birds in a small area. Both male and female have a complete blue-gray eye-ring, and the underside of the tail is marked with big blocks of white. Digs its nests in arboreal termite nests. Cornell All About Birds

Costa Rica birding

 

We have just returned from a family vacation in Costa Rica. This was more of a resort style vacation compared to years ago when Marilyn and I flew around the country to lodge in Tortuguero, Corcovado and Manuel Antonio National Parks. This time we stayed in the Guanacaste area in the Northwest side of the country. I can’t emphasize enough how much I enjoyed my early morning hikes starting at 5am, before sunrise, to listen to the Howler monkeys growling in the forest. Early every morning there was Common Pauraque, Ferruginous Pygmy Owls and Pacific Screech Owls calling long before the forest really woke with an assortment of bird calls. Just a really cool experience.

Like I do in all countries that we visit I hired a bird guide for a day of birding. Starting at 5am we birded in Santa Rosa National Park and in the rain forest Finca Zelandia. I can honestly say that I highly recommend Olivier as a guide and companion for a day of birding. Very knowledgeable, very personable, very energetic and just an all around nice guy. Here are his contacts if you are looking for a bird guide sometime.

Olivier Esquivel Q.
Tour Leader / Birding Guide / Tour Consultant
Natural Discovery Costa Rica
info@naturaldiscoverycostarica.com
From USA & Canada: 011 506 83738963
Mobile: +506 83738963

One of the birds we did get to view in good lighting was the ever beautiful Elegant Trogon.

So, after a day of birding with a guide, a trip into the rain forest to take grandkids to see sloths and birding around the resort area I ended up with 124 species, 58 being lifers. Which I thought was pretty cool.

As with most trips of this kind I’m more interested in getting my bins on the birds for a good look before I think of photography and I do find rain forest shooting a challenge however I’m going to try and find time to start posting some of the birds.