Silver-throated Tanager

The Silver-throated Tanager is a small tanager, overall lemon-yellow but not super bright that usually looks a bit dirty. They have a distinctive silvery throat and green edges on wing feathers and black streaks on back.

The sexes are similar however the females a bit duller than males. 

They are common and active; usually found in pairs or small flocks, sometimes with larger mixed feeding flocks and tend to be found in more open areas such as forest edges or gardens feeding on fruit. Cornell All About Birds

Bay-headed Tanager

The Bay-headed Tanager is a stunning tanager that is mostly green with reddish head. Some populations have electric blue underparts, others entirely green.

Similar to Rufous-winged Tanager but always has green wings.

Found in pairs or small flocks in forest and edges, often in mixed feeding flocks from midstory to the canopy feeding on fruit. Cornell All About Birds

Golden-hooded Tanager

The Golden-hooded Tanager is a very attractive small tanager of humid tropical lowlands that is found in humid evergreen forest edges, plantations, and gardens. At times with mixed-species feeding flocks of honeycreepers and euphonias as was the case when we observed this tanager.

Often in pairs, feeding at all levels in fruiting trees and bushes. The sexes look alike and are black and blue overall with a white belly and a soft golden hood. Cornell All About Birds

Scarlet-rumped Tanager

The Scarlet-rumped Tanager is fairly common in humid tropical lowlands. They favour evergreen forest edges, plantations, and verdant second growth, such as areas along roadsides. They forage mainly at low to middle levels often in fairly noisy small groups.

The male is unmistakable velvety black with a blinding scarlet rump. Formerly known as Cherrie's Tanager and Passerini's Tanager. Cornell All About Birds

Crimson Collared Tanager

The Crimson Collared Tanager is a beautiful tanager of humid tropical lowlands that favours evergreen forest edge and verdant second growth.

They forage unobtrusively at all levels in trees and bushes, usually in pairs. The sexes are alike and are velvety black overall with a bright bluish-white bill and a glossy crimson collar and rump. Cornell All About Birds

All in all, a very colourful bird to observe.

Green-crowned Brilliant

The Green-crowned Brilliant is a fairly large hummingbird, sleek and long-tailed with straight bill. The male is entirely emerald green with small blue throat patch only visible at some angles as seen here.

The female has spotted green breast with a conspicuous white mustache stripe and white spot behind eye as seen here.

The juvenile has pale rufous malars and chin as seen below.

They are found in forested habitats and edges.

Slaty-backed Nightingale Thrush

 

The Slaty-backed Nightingale Thrush is a small skulking thrush, far more often heard than seen. It was raining pretty good when we observed this thrush in the understory. They are all sooty gray, darkest on forehead, with whiter belly.

Love the bright red-orange eyering, bill, and legs. They are found in middle and high elevation forests, always low to the ground, like this observation, and can be seen along trails but usually quite shy.

White-eared Ground-sparrow

 

The White-eared Ground-sparrow is a strikingly patterned large sparrow that favours tropical and subtropical forests, shade-coffee plantations, and brushy edges.

Typically, on or near the ground in shady understory such as shown here.

Green-fronted Lancebill

 

The Green-fronted Lancebill has a super long straight bill. They are dull greenish overall with iridescent green forehead and bronzy nape.

The female is similar to the male but paler brownish below. They are a forest hummingbird most often associated with montane streams. Even from a fair distance it was really cool to observe this small hummer with a super long straight bill.

Green Thorntail

 

The Green Thorntail is a tiny hummingbird with a short straight bill. The male is all shimmering green with distinctive, long, pointed tail feathers while the female has a short tail and a distinctive white mustache.

Both sexes show white band across rump. They are found in forested habitats and gardens.

It took quite awhile but I was pretty happy capturing this image of a Green Thorntail one of my favourite hummers that we observed. 

Green Hermit

 

The Green Hermit is a large hummingbird with long white-tipped central tail feathers. The male is entirely blue-green while the female has a gray belly, green back, and obvious stripes on face.

The bill is extremely long and decurved. They are found in forest, but also visits feeders at forest edge.

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.

Common in open woodlands, second growth, and gardens. Distinctive in range, but hybridizes extensively with Red-crowned Woodpecker on the Pacific slope in Costa Rica.

Band-tailed Barbthroat

The Band-tailed Barbthroat is a scarce hummingbird of humid evergreen forest and edge in tropical lowlands. Favors shady understory, especially with Heliconia flowers. Usually visits flowers briefly and whips away with a sharp buzzy squeak.

Note long arched bill (yellowish below), striped face, blackish throat patch, and rusty breast patch. Striking tail pattern, black with white tips, and a white base that is only readily seen when the tail is spread. eBird

Semi Plumbeous Hawk

The Semi Plumbeous Hawk is a small forest hawk, usually seen perched inconspicuously in the canopy or at the forest edge like we observed here. White below and gray above with distinctive orange-red legs and bill.

The sexes are alike and the juvenile is similar to adult, but with whitish streaks on the head and very fine gray streaks on the breast. eBird

Summer Tanager

 

The Summer Tanager, a bird we observed almost every day in Costa Rica, is the only completely red bird in North America. The strawberry-colored male Summer Tanager is an eye-catching sight against the green leaves of the forest canopy. The mustard-yellow female is harder to spot, though both sexes have a very distinctive chuckling call note.

Fairly common during the summer, these birds migrate as far as the middle of South America each winter. All year long they specialize in catching bees and wasps on the wing, somehow avoiding being stung by their catches. eBird

Crowned Woodnymph

The Crowned Woodnymph favours evergreen forest and edge in tropical lowlands, often near streams. They feed mainly at low to middle levels in shady understory, but comes to feeders at edges and in clearings.

The male, seen here, is stunning but often looks all dark: note the fairly long, deeply forked tail and brilliant emerald and violet plumage. The female is rather dull and plain with a black bill, green-mottled flanks, and blue-black tail with whitish corners. eBird

Crested Guan

The Crested Guan is a very large, long-tailed game bird of tropical and subtropical forest. Often seen high in trees or flying through the forest canopy; usually not seen in areas near people except in some protected areas due to hunting pressure.

Their plumage is dark overall (often looks blackish) with bright red throat wattle and white streaking on body visible at closer range. Crest is bushy and usually not a striking feature.

Violet Sabrewing

The Violet Sabrewing is a very large, spectacular, and aggressive hummingbird of humid evergreen forest in highlands and foothills, descending locally and seasonally to lowlands.

Note the very large size, thick arched bill, and big, flashy white tail corners. The male’s amazing purple plumage often looks blackish overall. Even though it was raining a very cool bird to observe.

Chestnut-headed Oropendola

Montezuma Oropendola was by far the more common of the Oropendola that we observed however we were able to also see the Chestnut-Headed Oropendola. The Chestnut-headed Oropendola is a rather large, dark, yellow-tailed bird of humid evergreen forest and edge in tropical lowlands. Where present, colonies of large pendulous nests adorn tall trees.

It is often in flocks, usually in forest canopy at fruiting trees. The male is much larger than female, but sexes look similar, with a dark, rich brown head and body, blackish upperparts, pale yellowish bill, and bold yellow tail sides. eBird

Keel-billed Toucan

 

The Keel-billed Toucan is a large unmistakable toucan with a huge, rainbow-colored bill. It is often seen in pairs, but not usually in groups.

They fly with a few flaps followed by a swooping glide, sometimes high over the forest canopy,

It is heard more often than seen and its song is a far-carrying, frog-like croak, repeated steadily. Despite its large size and bright colours they can be difficult to see in leafy canopy, where it moves deliberately in search of food.

Blue-gray Tanager

 

The Blue-gray Tanager is a common and widespread powder blue-gray bird of open and semi-open areas with larger trees and hedges, towns, villages, and gardens in tropical and subtropical regions.

They mainly feed at mid-upper levels in trees eating fruit. A rather plain but distinctive appearance, with beady dark eye and fairly stout bill.

Buff-throated Saltator

 

The Buff-throated Saltator is a fairly common bird found in humid tropical lowlands. They favour forest edges, plantations, and dense second growth and are usually seen singly or in pairs, foraging quietly in flowering or fruiting trees.

Rufous Motmot

 

The Rufous Motmot is a large forest-dweller that likes to sit motionless. The head and breast are rufous-orange with a black mask and breast spot. They have a green back and long tail.

They are often found singly or in pairs inside forest, usually below canopy as was the case with this one.

Sunbittern

 

Unfortunately, I was not able to capture an image of the Sunbittern with its wings spread since it is considered one of the most dazzling of all the world’s birds; the intricate yellow, red, and black pattern on the spread wings is truly otherworldly.

They are found singly or in pairs along rivers or swamps, usually standing quietly along the shore. Listen for long whistles at dawn and dusk. It was a dark drizzly day when we were observing this Sunbittern, but still a cool bird to see.

American Pygmy Kingfisher

 

The American Pygmy Kingfisher is a tiny kingfisher of shady forest streams and mangroves. Often darts away when disturbed, but can be confiding if approached quietly and usually perches fairly low over the water as was the case here.

They are about half of the size of Green Kingfisher, and easily distinguished by rusty underparts and poorly contrasting pale neck collar.

Mangrove Vireo

 

The Mangrove Vireo, despite the name, is not found in mangroves in most of its range. It is common in scrubby woodland, brushy fields, and thickets.

The best field marks are the white wingbars and the yellow patch between the eyes and bill. Most birds are pale yellowish below, a few are paler and grayer overall. Birds in mangroves of Central America are often rather colorless, with very reduced yellow tones.

Cinnamon Hummingbird

The Cinnamon Hummingbird is a striking, medium-size hummingbird of dry tropical lowlands that favours scrubby woodland, gardens and semi-open areas with flowering trees.

The wholly cinnamon-colored underparts are distinctive along with a bright red bill.

Red-breasted Meadowlark

 

So, on my Costa Rica birding trip we lodged at three separate lodges spending three nights at each location. One day would be spent birding trails around that lodge however the other days would be spent birding around the area. Travel days were also spent birding backroads at different habitats usually with four or five different stops. On this particular day we were travelling on the busiest road, a two lane paved highway, travelling to Arenal Bird Observatory. One of the more popular areas of Costa Rica, at least for birding.

Suddenly, our driver Ricardo, also a great birder and asset to the team, spotted a Red-breasted Meadowlark off in a field. He had nowhere to pull over so just stopped on the highway. About eight of us jumped off the bus and moved to the edge of the field. Slowly moving closer and closer, keeping our eyes on the bird. Shooting all the way. When we turned around after the bird eventually flushed, we realized traffic was backed up way down the highway on our side of the road. I mean way backed up. Nobody was honking or yelling. People were actually giving us thumbs up signals. Crazy, can’t image that here in North America.

eBird says that the Red-breasted Meadowlark is found in open fields and often perches conspicuously atop grasses or small bushes. Seems accurate.

Brown Violetear

 

The Brown Violetear is a rather large but drab, fairly short-billed hummingbird of tropical and subtropical forest and edge. Can be aggressive when defending flower patches from most other hummingbirds. Occurs mainly in foothills, ranging seasonally down to lowlands.

One of the many hummingbirds we observed, the Brown Violetear, with its drab colours, was a rather cool bird to observe and photograph.

Northern Jacana

 

I was really excited to be able to photograph this Northern Jacana up close along the river bank. The Northern Jacana is a bird of freshwater marshes, lakes, and ponds in tropical lowlands, locally in highlands.

They walk with a high-stepping gait, often on top of floating vegetation. The adult is chestnut overall with black head and neck however the immature looks very different, with creamy-white face, neck, and underparts.

Their bright yellow wings are striking in flight and fly with stiff wingbeats and glides, the long feet trailing out behind.

Gartered Trogon

 

The Gartered Trogon is a relatively small and compact yellow-bellied trogon of tropical lowland forest, mainly in humid areas. Perches at mid to upper levels, often high in canopy.

They dig their nest in large arboreal wasp nests. Used to be known as Violaceous Trogon. Cornell All About Birds

Costa Rica birding trip planning

 

So, many people ask me if I was overwhelmed birding, by observing 387 species in 12 days. Starting at five each morning and basically hitting the sack around eleven thirty, or sometimes later each day. And the answer is no. It is a terrific experience.

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I only had three days to prepare for my trip. However, Eagle Eye Tours emailed me my checklist. A 17 page list of the 573 species we could possibly observe.

So, I studied eBird to come up with possible birds we could see at the main birding sites. And I had already been to Costa Rica and kept pretty decent lists of birds I had already observed in the country, plus I had already downloaded the Costa Rica bird pack from Merlin for previous trips, which kept track of my previous sightings of lifers. Although I had previously marked off birds it my trusty old field guide, I soon found out it was impossible to keep up and that everything was done on the merlin app on your phone. Even ordering lunches ahead of time so that time wasn’t wasted at lunch spots.

So, I went through the checklist, marking previous lifers with the blue dots. Then with the guides doing the checklist each and every night it was easy to mark off species seen and which ones were new lifers. Species in blue, Lifers in orange.

And now, it’s absolutely great to be able to see what birds we observed on each day, and match them up with my images. Providing an easy way to log image frame numbers with each bird. It’s also fun learning more about the different birds as I research them for the blog.

So, that’s it. Probably doesn’t seem all that cool to a non birder.

Black-crowned Tityra

 

The Black-crowned Tityra is a handsome, mostly silvery gray bird of tropical lowland forest and adjacent semi-open areas with taller trees. Usually found at mid-upper levels of fruiting trees.

The male is more silvery overall, with a black cap and the female has a brown face and smaller black cap.

Tityras nest in tree cavities that they sometimes steal from woodpeckers.

Common Pauraque

 

The Common Pauraque’s subtle brown, black, and gray plumage provides such excellent camouflage that it might as well be invisible in its daytime sleeping spots on open ground. From dusk till dawn, the male’s songs are anything but quiet, ranging from rising whistles to grunts that sound like frogs. It is skilled at catching flying insects and like all nightjars has a gaping wide mouth behind a tiny bill. Widespread in the Neotropics, the Common Pauraque ventures into the U.S. just at the southernmost tip of Texas.

In the evening, we observed Common Pauraque at almost every stop on our trip.

It was really cool to observe them hunting insects and returning to the same spot. This one was lit up by lights from an old tractor shed and I watched for quite awhile as it would fly upward and catch insects heading toward the lights.

As is true of nightjars around the world, the Common Pauraque is the subject of many folk beliefs, among them that the male’s song identifies the presence of “Don Pucuyo,” a roving, romantic spirit.

The Common Pauraque lays two attractive eggs, buffy or salmon-buff in color, marked with reddish brown, cinnamon, gray, and lavender—quite distinct from the eggs of any other nightjar species. Cornell All About Birds

Red-billed Pigeon

 

The Red-billed Pigeon is a widespread inhabitant of tropical deciduous forests from Costa Rica to the Rio Grande of southern Texas. This large pigeon spends most of its time high above the ground, plucking fruits and berries from the crowns of trees and shrubs.

This species has only limited red on its mostly yellow bill, but this feature, along with its low-pitched song and dark tail, is useful in distinguishing it from similar pigeons across its range.

We seem to encounter Red-billed Pigeons everywhere we went.

Pale-billed Woodpecker

 

The Pale-billed Woodpecker is a large red-headed woodpecker of tropical forest in lowlands and foothills. It also resides in the pine-oak forest of lower mountain slopes. All plumages of Pale-billed have a white V on the back as seen here. Their loud double-rap drum is very distinctive.

White-whiskered Puffbird

The White-whiskered Puffbird is a plump brown bird of shady understories in humid evergreen forest of tropical lowlands. Found singly or in pairs, perched quietly at low to middle levels. I was extremely happy to get a decent image of this adorable little bird.

Often sits still for long periods and is easily overlooked. Note the stout bill, reddish eyes, streaky underparts, bushy white whiskers, and finely dappled whitish to buffy upperparts. Cornell All About Birds

Double-striped Thick-knee

The Double-striped Thick-knee is a large shorebird of lowland dry grassland and savannas that is usually found in pairs or small groups. Usually active at night.

During the daytime, usually seen standing or sitting quietly, often in the shade of small trees or bushes which is where we observed this bird. Named for the double stripes on it’s head. A bird we had observed in Panama but were certainly glad to observe up close.