Costa Rica Mar. - Apr. 1996 - Scanbird

BIRDWATCHING IN 

COSTA RICA 

MAR. - APR. 1996. 

Internetversion 

ERIK MØLGAARD, JESPER MEEDOM 

& 

STIG KJÆRGAARD RASMUSSEN 

DANISH ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY 

BIRDLIFE - DENMARK

Publisher: 

Danish Ornithological Society´s Excursion Committee© 

Vesterbrogade 140A 

1620 Copenhagen 

Denmark 

Copies of this report can be purchased from: 

Danish Ornithological Society´s Bookshop 

Vesterbrogade 140A 

1620 Copenhagen 

Denmark 

Telephone +45 31 31 85 63 

Fax +45 31 31 24 35

INTRODUCTION. 

In March and April 1996, the excursions committee of the Copenhagen department of the Danish 

Ornithological Society (DOF) carried out its first tour to Costa Rica. 

The journey was planned with the purpose to give the participants an insight into the unique 

birdlife and biodiversity of the country and to visit a number of localities in varied habitats. We 

concentrated on the well known localities in the central Costa Rica and flew on to two different 

areas in the southern part of the country. 

The tour was organised as a 15 days tour with a 7 days extension. Most participants were with us 

on the entire tour. 

The number of bird species recorded was satisfactory. We made up a birdlist of 515 species. 

The participants were: 

Two weeks: Sten Pedersen (SP), Jesper Meedom (JM), Klaus Rying (KR) and Else Helmer. 

Three weeks: Stig K. Rasmussen (SKR), Martin H. Nielsen (MHN), Lise Larsen, Lillian 

Pedersen, Steen Skaarup, Poul-Erik Madsen(PEM), Tim Andersen(TA), 

Mogens Petterson, Meta Bischoff (MB) and Lennart Pedersen (LP). 

The tour fee was DKK 20,400.- for the base package and additional DKK 4,750.- for the 

optional extension, including all transportation, accommodations, full board, cancellation 

insurance, "official" tips, cost of guides and tour leader as well as the usual DOF services. 

The local currency is called Collones and the exchange rate in March 1996 was approx. 195 

Collones for one dollar (5,84 DKK). 

The practical arrangements were made through Birding Costa Rica, Apartado 7911, 1000 Costa 

Rica. The company did a great job and everything was carefully planned by the manager Simon 

Ellis. 

The company also provide us with a local birdwatcher Julio E. Sánchez, who was a great person 

and he knew every bird voice in the country. Julio is also the president of the Asociacion 

Ornitológica de Costa Rica. 

The extensive field notes of Tim Andersen, Stig K. Rasmussen and Jesper Meedom are the 

foundation of this report. 

The report contains the following: 

1. Summary of the journey (page 3). 

2. A map of Costa Rica. (Page 6). 

2. A personal diary for the first two weeks (page 7). 

3. Description of localities visited on the extension week (page 17). 

4. List of birds (page 19). 

5. List of mammals (page 53). 

2

I wish to thank the following persons for their assistance in writing this report: Stig K. 

Rasmussen (initial field notes) and Jesper Meedom (field notes and author of the diary). 

Finally, it should not be forgotten that the whole trip was characterised by good fellowship and 

pleasant being together. Again it is a pleasure to look back on a successful DOF tour! 

Birkerød d. 15th of June 1997. 

Erik Mølgaard 

Lyngborghave 6, 1 tv, 

3460 Birkerød 

Denmark 

E-mail: moel@post4.tele.dk 

3

SUMMARY OF THE JOURNEY. 

24.03.1996 -07.10 Copenhagen. 

08.15-11.15 Amsterdam (Schiphol Airport). 

16.20-11.15 Tocuman Panama Aeropuerto. 

17.20- San José (Hotel Ambassador). 

25.03.1996 -05.20 San José. 

05.40-13.00 Braulio Carrillo National Park. 

14.15-14.55 San José. 

17.05-18.00 Tárcoles River. 

18.05- Carara Biological Reserve (Hotel Villa Lapaz). 

26.03.1996 All day Carara Biological Reserve Area. 


07.10-12.20 Virginia trail. 


13.05-15.40 Pigres. 

15.50-18.00 Trail behind Villa Lapaz. 

20.00-21.15 Around in the area for Owls. 

27.03.1996 -13.05 Carara Biological Reserve Area. 

05.40-07.45 Virginia trail. 


08.35-10.50 Trail behind ranger station. 

10.55-11.35 Villa Lapaz. 


13.40-14.15 Puerto Caldera. 

16.45- Hacienda Solimar. 

28.03.1996 All day Hacienda Solimar. 

29.03.1996 All day Hacienda Solimar. 

30.03.1996 -13.00 Hacienda Solimar. 

15.20- Monteverde (Hotel de Montana). 

31.03.1996 -05.30 Monteverde. 

06.15-11.45 Santa Elena Forest Reserve. 

12.30-14.20 Monteverde. 

14.45-17.25 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. 



06.00-16.10 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. 



08.05-08.40 Tilaran. 

12.05-13.15 Fortuna. 

4

15.30- Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge). 

03.04.1996 -14.10 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge). 

14.40-16.25 La Gavilan Lodge. 



05.50-17.20 La Selva (Estacion Biologica La Selva). 



06.00-17.00 La Selva (Estacion Biologica La Selva). 



06.50-11.55 Virgin del Socorro. 

12.15-13.20 Chinchona. 

13.30-13.40 Rio Lapaz. 

14.55-15.35 San Joaquin (San José). 



05.55-06.10 Tapanti. 

06.10-12.50 Tapanti N.P. (Reserva de Vida Silvestre Tapanti). 

13.50-14.20 Cartago. 



09.35- Corcovado (Corcovado Tented Camp). 

09.04.1996 All day Corcovado (Corcovado Tented Camp). 

10.04.1996 -09.50 Corcovado (Corcovada Tented Camp). 

10.00- Tiskita (Tiskita Lodge). 

11.04.1996 All day Tiskita (Tiskita Lodge). 

12.04.1996 All day Tiskita (Tiskita Lodge). 

13.04.1996 -07.15 Tiskita (Tiskita Lodge). 

08.15-09.15 San José. 

10.15- Cerro de la Muerte area. 

11.30-14.00 Tapanti Albergue de Montana Lodge. 

15.35-16.45 Cerro de la Muerte Pass. 

17.00-18.15 Villa Mills. 

14.04.1996 -15.10 Cerro de la Muerte area. 

-06.45 Tapanti Albergue de Montana Lodge. 

07.05-08.50 Reserva Forestas Los Santos. 

10.55-13.35 Savegra Lodge, San Gerardo. 

15.15-15.40 Cartago. 

16.00-19.45 San José. 

5

21.40-22.50 Tocuman Panama Aeropuerto. 

15.04.1996 15.40-18.55 Amsterdam (Schiphol Airport). 

20.00- Copenhagen. 

6

A personal diary for the first two weeks. 

March 24st 

In the afternoon we assembled in San José, the capital of Costa Rica, where we stayed for 

the night. Most of the group came with the KLM flight from Copenhagen via Amsterdam 

and Panama. Two had arrived before and spent some days in the mountains of Cerro de la 

Muerte looking at Silvery-throated Jay and other birds from the timberline area, and the 

senior member of our group ahd been tumbing around for a week in the dry and deserted 

northern part of the country staying in a tent on lonely campsites in the national parks. In 

the confusion of the transfer a bag was stolen containing camera, binoculars and birding 

taperecorder, and the owner - who used to think that such things only could happen to 

careless people - had to accept the injury. 

March 25th 

In the morning we visited Braulio Carillo National Park. The park is created recently when a 

road was built from San José to Limón opening up a previously inaccessible forested valley 

on the very rainy caribbean slope, and the land was turned into a reserve. The road down 

to Limón is the only access to the park, that is reached after one-an-a-half hours driving 

from San José. A few tracks are made into this upper tropical rainforest wilderness where 

many good birds occur and we had only this one morning to find them. Unfortunately, there 

has recently been armed attacks on visitors on the upper trails, and we were 

recommended to stay away from these. We started at sunrise somewhere at the roadside 

with splendid views over forested slopes with ragged grey clouds drifting in, where a pair of 

Blue-and-Gold Tanager was building a nest. Then we continued to the ranger station 

where there is a good trail for birdwatching, but we were turned away as the park is closed 

to visitors on mondays. We continued to a butterfly farm below the reserve proper where a 

trail beyond the control of the rangers lead into the forest. The morning's walk gave a fine 

male of Lattice-tailed Trogon and a pair of Dull-mantled Antbird in the forest floor. As we 

returned to the butterfly farm for our packed lunch, a northbound migration of flocks of 

Broadwinged Hawks accompanied by a few of the larger Swainson's Hawks passed above 

us. Mixed species flocks passed by us with Emerald Tananger, Black-and-yellow Tanager 

and Ashy-throated Bush-tanager. As it soon started raining we left. 

Our guide Julio Sanchez had been with us form this morning on and had proven 

outstanding. He was a skilled and experienced birder in the field, he had a deep scientific 

knowledge of the birds and their environment, and he was a very kind person with a fine 

sense of humour. He had a remarkable skill of imitating the voices of the birds. Almost any 

whistle and many other kinds of calls he could reproduce to make the bird answer and 

come in. We had a minibus with us on the journey driven by Santiago who had a long 

experience of driving for birding groups and quite a keen birder himself. He had a - 

sometimes usefull and sometimes irritating - habit of spotting rare birds by the bus when 

we were out in the areas. Above the rain in the drier valleys near San José, Julio took us 

for a walk in the countryside in a landscape of natural grass and brambles, the grassland 

being habitat of Sedge Wren and the brambels being habitats of White-throated 

Flycatcher. Both are rare species in Costa Rica, that Julio had researched in and knew 

where to find. 

We drove across the country in the afternoon from the lush rainforest to the dry pacific 

slope. A landscape of wasteland, a few cows, acacia trees remaining in sheltered places, 

a bushfire by the road. Towards evening we arrived at Carara where we stopped at the 

bridge over Rio Tarcoles. The river is with reedbeds and sand banks with sleeping 

Crocodiles. This is the place to watch the evening migration of Scarlet Macaw coming for 

their nights roost after having spread out in the area during the day. Soon they started 

passing by in pairs or flocks consisting of pairs, with raucous calls and fine colours glowing 

in the light of the setting sun. As the last ones came as silhouttes aginst the sky we had 

counted fifty. 

8


In Carara we stayed at the hotel Villa Labas nicely situated by a small stream with views to 

forest and many birds coming in to sit in the tall trees of the garden in the morning. As the 

hotel kitchen is not very good we had all our meals at the fine restaurant by the bridge 

while we stayed at Carara. 

Carara is a forest in the transitional zone between the dry northwestern and the humid 

southeastern part of the pacific coast. The trees are mixed evergreen and deciduous and 

at our visit at the end of the dry season many trees were without leaves and dead leaves 

littered the forest floor. Birds were singing and active in nest building and the first nest we 

came across was that of the Royal Flycatcher, an odd, two meters long woven pendant 

structure hanging above a puddle on the trail. Birds are rather easy to see in dry forests, 

and we had a good morning with things like a Ruddy Quail-dove walking quietly for a long 

time just beside the trail, the Northern Bentbill, a hard to spot bird with a characteristic 

nasal call from vines and tangles in the canopy, and a lek of Orange-throated Manakin a 

species making cracking sounds with their feathers. We ended up by a small stream 

where tiny fishes abounded in the remaining water and a Pigmy Kingfisher had an easy 

meal. 

In the hot afternoon we tried the coast at the lagoon by the mouth of Rio Tarcoles. A 

landscape of tidal mudflats, a few mangroves nearby and more at the other side of the 

estuary. We saw a variety of different shorebirds. As the reserve close at four in the 

afternoon we didn't find it worthwhile to go there again. Instead, we took a walk up the 

stream by the hotel where a trail started from the end of the garden. The stream run in a 

bed of boulders. Brown basilisks ran away as we approached running on their hindlegs 

over rocks and on the water surface, which has earned them their nickname of Jesus 

Christ Lizard. We saw Fiery-billed Araçari by the hotel and found a place by the river 

where some passerines such as Kentucky Warbler came down for a bath. After dinner we 

went out for owling. We were taken a long drive in the area stopping at intervals to imitate 

calls and listen for voices that weren't heard. Near the hotel we spotlighted a Central 

American Wooly Opossum running on a wire across the road. Probably owling should 

instead be tried just after sunset, as we heard Ferrugineous Pigmy-owl this evening by the 

hotel, and a Mottled Owl called there at the same time yesterday. The area is known to 

hold Striped Owl. 


This morning we tried the same trail as yesterday as we couldn't obtain a permission to 

enter the trail by the ranger station before normal opening hours at eight. These 

bureaucratic eight-to-four schedules of some reserves in Costa Rica is an annoyance to 

visitors as mornings and evenings are the most interesting and most pleasant times of the 

day. The birds were totally different from yesterday. In a group of palm trees, the noises 

and calls suggested that a few Macaws were feeding. We couldn't spot them until they fly 

out, a surprise of eighteen Scarlet Macaws in an explosion of red, yellow and blue. We had 

Crested Guan and Baird's Trogon, we saw the Royal Flycather sitting motionless in the 

shades in the understory, and we had a Tamandua working around in the tangles at close 

range. Afterwards we tried the trail by the ranger station. Here, the forest was much closer 

and birds were difficult to see. At least we didn't see much. 

After lunch we drove north. By the coast we stopped at the mouth of Rio Barranca. On the 

inner side there was a lagoon with sandy flats and many gulls and a few terns. We found 

two Franklin's Gull in the flocks. On the coastal side a trawler was hauling the catch on 

board with a fleet of pelicans swimming close behind and flocks of frigatebirds landing on 

the vessel. 

As we went on pass Trinidad, through Arizona, across Congo River and towards Liberia, 

the landscape became dryer, the air hotter, and as we turned away from the main road, 

the road became poorer. We arrived at the road to Hacianda Solimar in the afternoon. In 

9

the dry countryside most trees were without leaves, and some were flowering the entire 

crown being intensely yellow or pink. Two Double-striped Thick-knee rested in the shadow 

of a tree. In the hedgerow trees the Orange-fronted Parakeets had their nest, now and 

then we had the superb Turquise-browed Motmots sitting by the road, and as we arrived at 

the hacienda, Yellow-naped Parrot were flying out. In the night Pacific Screech-owl were 

calling all over. 


Hacienda Solimar is a private estate that has imposed some nature conservation 

measures on the area and has specialized in visiting birdwatchers. We had the place for 

ourselves during our stay and as they know birdwatchers and their needs we had no 

problems with early breakfast. The hacienda produce cattle of a pure indian Brahman 

stock that were white and gentle with long hanging ears. According to diplomas in the 

rooms they seemed to win a lot of prices at cattle shows. The area holds most dry-country 

bird species of the northwest, and the wetlands attract herons and other waterbirds. 

Otherwise, the nearby nature reserve Palo Verde should have more or less the same 

species, perhaps with waterbirds being more common and some of the dry bush specials 

being scarcer. Hacienda Solimar has rooms in the main buliding and an annex - a capacity 

for a group of the size of ours. The boarding-house style meals are served in the small 

dining room in dishes from which ou can help yourself, and the narrow passing and edging 

between the tables gave ample opportunity to trip up the jutting out legs of the tables and 

knock over the brimming glasses standing upon them. Here as everywhere else in Costa 

Rica everyone had salad and fish and icecream and noone got sick. I believe we also 

drank tap-water most places. Black beans is a special feature of costarican meals and 

were served with breakfast, lunch and dinner most places we went. The wash basin in our 

bathroom fell down from the wall one morning, and water splashed out through the space 

between the floor boards and into the beds of the room below. Scorpions were around - 

sometimes in the towels. The garden had a lot of birds as they were fed and as water was 

supplied for their drinking and bathing in an otherwise dry area. Many iguanas kept around 

the hacienda and gathered around the kitchen about feeding time to have scraps. As the 

climate was very hot we had long siestas at the hacienda in the middle of the day, where 

we could sit in the shade, watch the birds pass by in the garden and methodically empty 

their stock of soft drinks brand by brand. 

This morning we left the hacienda to go to the coast for the mangroves. The place is 

where Rio Bebedero debouch into Golfo de Nicoya where the river seemingly break up in 

different arms bordered by mangroves in the tidal zone. The mangroves stands some 

seven meters tall with straight stems, a high canopy and a long view in between the stems. 

The bottom was of mud, slippery but not soft with many crab-holes in but few crabs to see. 

The white aerial roots of the mangroves stand out in long archs. At first we could walk 

between them but deeper inside the forest the trees stood closer and all the roots were 

intersected in a tangled mess that should be climbed and the walk was difficult. The 

mangrove forest is a very uniform habitat, and it seemed that a few but very common bird 

species could live here. All responded very well to the imitation of the call of Ferrugineous 

Pigmy-owl that Julio whistled all the time and he got a flock of scolding passerines 

following him whereever he went. We found two resting Missisippi Kite, that we could 

approach closely - a scarce passage migrant. We looked out in vain for Mangrove 

Hummingbird that is one of only tree endemics to Costa Rica and classified as a 

vulnerable species. As there are no flowers to see in the mangroves hummingbirds should 

be rare and it is actually a species mostly seen in edge habitats. Driving home we stopped 

at a hedgerow on the Solimar estate. Julio pointed out a hole in a trunk, that was 

supposed to hold an owls nest, and started scratching the trunk with a stone as to imitate a 

predator climbing the tree which supposedly should make the owl come out. Nothing 

happened and we wondered whether the trick had been applied too often, as someone 

looked up in the tree instead of just staring at the hole and discovered the owls. They had 

10

fledged, Pacific Screech-owl, an adult and two youngs sitting together watching us, the 

younger still very downy, the older almost full-feathered. 

In the afternoon we went for the wetlands. The general landscape is dry bushes and 

withered grass. The bushes all have thorns, some of them hollow to allow ants to live in 

them, so that they can be even more stinging. The wetlands seemed to be a chain of 

connected lakes, that could be reached by small trails through the bushes. Herons of 

different species, Limpkins and Darters sat in the bushes or stood on the shores, and flew 

out when we approached a new lake. At one place there were nests of American Woodstork 

and Roseate Spoonbill. We passed by a pond with juvenile Black-crowned 

Nightheron standing in the duckweed on the lake, and grunting adult ones flying out from 

dark bushes. Then we had the Boatbill sitting in a tree on our side of the lake and not 

fleeing like all the other herons at that distance but simpy watching us. Night was coming 

on and bird- and animal sounds filled the scenery: a Collared Forest-falcon started calling, 

and was called it in by an imitating it's voice, the Bare-throated Tiger-heron called with a 

deep roar and the mantled Howler Monkeys varmed up for their concert. 

After dinner we went spotlighting. A Mottled Owl called once. We instead got engaged in 

watching the comet that looked like a large, blurred star on the sky. 


A long drive on the sideroads of the hacianda in the morning apparently meant for spotting 

birds from the minibus didn't produce anything and we continued on to the Golfo de Nicoya 

where we stayed by a viewpoint on the cliff. We had Mangrove Cuckoo in this habitat of 

rocks and bushes. The morning was more or less spent waiting for the high tide and when 

it was coming in we drove for our real target, the salt pans by the village Colorado, that are 

reached by going back to the main road. The place is situated by the coastal mangrove 

and consist of lakes separated by dikes where salt is extracted from the sea-water. Quite a 

few waders were feeding in the lakes and could be approached closely. Most species were 

in transition to breeding plumage and the different species and plumages could be studied 

and compared at close range. Among others we had a Marbled Godwit. Out on the dikes it 

got very hot and the light burning down and reflected from the milky saltbasins was strong. 

At noon we measured temperatures about 36 degrees centigrade. We took shelter by the 

salt-worker's hut by the open salt-oven and the salt-seether told us he earned one dollar 

an hour and asked if we would like to switch job with him. 

After siesta we went for a gallery forest on the estate. By the stickgate thirteen Steelyvented 

Hummingbirds fed on a flowering tree - a pattern of many hummingbirds of just one 

species in a tree we had seen with som others species as well. First we were taken to a 

Spectacled Owl at a place where the staff at the hacianda knew they were breeding. We 

saw the female sitting at her days roost sleeping and opening her yellow eyes in honour of 

the visitors. Then we were lead away from the nesting place in order not to disturb them 

further. For a while we followed a dried out river bed bordered by a higher, more dense 

and more green forest than that of the surrounding countryside. No special birdlife was 

noticed in this habitat. In a shadowy bend of the riverbed a few ponds with blackish water 

was remaining. In this area we had family groups of Mantled Howler Monkey. Monkeys 

sleeping strechted along a branch with all legs hanging down. Monkeys with little youngs 

on their back grasping with their prehensile tail around mother's tail. Monkeys in wild jumps 

from tree to tree. Just before sunrise we tried a walk to some wetlands that were merely 

lush swampgrasses where we had a Nine-banded Armadillo moving around in the open. 

March 30rd 

This last morning we spent in the Hacienda Solimar area proper on a walking hike. 

Walking out in the cool and fresh morning we surprised a Tamandua on the ground that 

climbed the nearest tree lifting itself up by its strong forearms and taking refuge on a 

11

sidebrach a little up where it just sat looking helplessly down at us, water dropping from it's 

long nose. Then we were at the Longtailed Manakin lek. Two sounds could be heard from 

the thicket, a double whistle of dlu-e-dlu, and a low waaaiing. We were taken down in a 

quebrado walking single file in the dead leaves. First, the whistle was around us. To our 

surpise they sat in the canopy. The males could be spotted sitting two by two closely 

together apparently singing the dlu-e-dlu as a duet. Then we got on to the real display 

scene which is on a small horisontal branch just above ground level. From the canopy a 

pair of males appeared intensely coloured in red, blue and black, the tails longer than the 

bird in two bended wires behind. First they sat on the branch beside each other and took 

turns by hopping. Then they started jumping over each other, the one jumping, the other 

one taking it's place by sidewards quick-stepping, the small orange legs working in high 

speed. Round and round they cycled in a wheel while calling the waaaiing call a sound 

suiting for their mechanical toy appearance. When the green females visited the dancing 

branch the display turned wilder with even higher speed of the cycles. Now and then the 

males left the branch but kept coming back. Several dancing-pairs were active in the area 

according to the calls. The landscape around us looked like old pastures recently turned 

into nature. The road we had walked by was an old motorroad on the estate, larger trees 

only appeared as the old hedgerows or single shadowtrees, and the general forest was 

young trees growing up. 

After lunch we drove the short distance up to Monteverde where we checked in at our 

hotel, the Hotel de Montaña Monteverde. The hotel was a nice with hummingbird feeders, 

Blue-crowned Motmot in the garden, a little private forest with many White-eared Groundsparrows, 

and a lake with a cute Muscovy Duck that could be tickled under the chin. 

Swallow-tailed Kites twisted and turned in the cool montane air. From the rooms we had 

the splendid view down on the blue Golfo de Nicoya, the mountains on the peninsula 

behind and the fryingpan we just came up from lying stretched out beneath us. The short 

distance between the dry acacia scrub and the wet mistbelt forest is amazing. Maybe the 

fact that you can actually see the dry plains from here helped the quakers that aquired this 

area to understand that they should protect the mistbelt forests of the watershed of 

Monteverde to preserve their farming further down the slope. Now, the cloud forest is a 

famous attraction, many people travelling to watch nature come here, and more reserves 

are bought and set up in connection with the original Monteverde Cloud Forest forming 

larger wildlife refuges. Costa Rica has preserved an impressive part of the country as 

national parks and new areas are still added often as part of a sceme of creating corridors 

between existing reserves. 

March 31st 

We started at the Santa Elena Forest Reserve, a new reserve bought in 1977 and turned 

from fields back to forest. We started out at sunrise from our hotel and as we passed the 

watershed towards the caribbean slope we drove from sunshine to darkness and light rain. 

The forest was very wet with the many young, slim stems covered with a thick layer of 

moss, and few older trees that had probably been shadowtrees in the fields and before 

that rainforest trees. A long walk on the trails in the reserve gave a lot of birds, among 

them a group of the funny Prong-billed Barbet eating fruits from a bush and disgorging the 

stones, and a Streak-breasted Tree-hunter singing from a low perch in front of it's nesting 

hole in a cliff. 

By noon we were back at the edge of the forest. Inside the forest we had heard the 

metallic call of the Tree-wattled Bellbird a few times muffled by the wet foliage. Out here in 

the open it was heard clearly and soon we also spotted the bird at it's perch in a dead 

emergent crown above the canopy in a part if the forest we could look down upon from the 

road. The telescopes were set up and we could enjoy the full view of this fine species 

throwing its bill open, bonk-bonk!, the tree wattles swinging. Then the Quetzal appeared! 

We had about eight different birds in the area from the reserve entrance and a little down 

12

the road in a landscape of grassy fields, scattered large rainforest trees covered with 

mosses and bromeliads, and the edges of the forest. At one place they seemed to eat 

black berries in some bushes where black Guans also were feeding. The Quetzals flew 

across the road, the males with their long trains wawing behind them. We also found a 

small group sitting out in a solitary tree, a superb old male, a younger male and a female, 

the glistening green colours shining in the sun that had just broken through. 

In the afternoon we visited the "Hummingbird Gallery" by the Monteverde Cloud Forest 

Reserve. It is a small garden where hummingbirds are fed with sugar-water in feeders 

looking like UFOs with drinking holes on top. There were only a few feeders, but many 

hummingbirds and constant, aggressive and stressing activity. In the shadowy lower part 

of the garden the large Violet Sabrewings owned everything and spent much more time 

chasing each other away than by feeding. Up at the terrace the smaller species were 

feeding, at times in pursuit of each other, at times drinking five species or seven birds 

together at one feeder and the next moment dispersing in all directions chasing each 

other. Magenta-throated Woodstar, one of the small species, had a wing-beat frequency 

much above even normal hummingbird standards, buzzed like an insect over the feeders 

holding their tails in an upright position to keep the balance. We dubbed it "the shrimp" as 

it looked more like an aquatic creature in the water than like a bird in the air. Seen in just 

the right angle, the little black spot on the chin of the males flashed up in bright magenta. 

The Coppery-headed Emerald was among them, small even for a hummingbird, is an 

endemic to Costa Rica distributed in a narrow zone centered on these mountains. A 

stange and somewhat artificial way way to watch birds, going so close that every feather 

can be regarded, or looking from underneath up at the tounges of the drinking birds 

coming down in the water.... 

April 1st 

As we had already seen the finest birds of the forest, our visit at the Monteverde Cloudforest 

Reserve proper couldn't keep up with yesterday. A walk outside the reserve before it 

opened gave Grey-throated Leaf-tosser. We took the walk "el Camino" up to the 

watershed of the continental divide. There, the influence of the ridge on the weather was 

illustrative with low clouds coming in and the forest looking windswept. We went back 

along the "Sendero Bosque Nuboso", a narrow trail on the slope through montane forest 

with tree ferns . We met a group of four males of Resplendent Quetzal passing through the 

crowns, mewing and whistling, the curled heads and sweeping trains matching with the 

lush moss and lianas. 

April 2nd 

Today was a day of travel as the drive to Selva Verde was long and the roads poor. We 

took the back road along the Lago de Arenál. The first part up to Tilaran was really bad 

and our minibus could go with some 20 kilometers pr. hour. We were almost alone on the 

road through this sparsely inhabited land laid out for the grazing of far between cows, we 

only met the milkman collecting milk cans from the roadside and a few mounted 

horsemen. From then we followed the road around the Lago de Arenál, the largest lake in 

the country and not much good for birds and birdwatching. Almost every other of the fine 

houses were for sale - more often advertized in english than in spanish. One of us had 

forgotten to leave the key at the hotel and the costa rican way to deal with this was to stop 

every tourist bus going in the opposite direction and ask whether they were going to 

Monteverde and if they would like to do us a favour. It worked. Six hours drive brought us 

to the end of the lake 20 kilometers from Monteverde as the crow flies. Then we passed by 

the Volcan Arenál. Unfortunately the cone of the volcano was covered in clouds but on the 

slopes the fresh and smoking lava could be seen. Until thirty years ago an ordinary 

mountain that suddenly exploded and became a volcano and have been in almost constant 

eruption since. The thundering roars of the volcano could easily be heard at Monteverde. 

The remaining drive to Selva Verde was on good road through plantations of 

13

oilpalms, pineapples and pot plants. The country may not be rich but is comparatively well 

off and it has a welfare state and a distribution of the wealth that is remarkable by latin 

american standards. Good houses in the countryside and street lamps in villages seemed 

to have priority to impressive avenues in the capital or well-kept highways. The 

newspapers told a story of a peacefull society with not much happening. Headlines about 

economy as in newspapers at home. To birdwatchers a news was that the entrace fee to 

national parks were lovered from 16$ to 6$, a more reasonable or realistic level to pay for 

a walk in the forest. People seem friendly and easy-going and uniforms don't form part of 

he picture - be it policemen or nuns - and there isn't any military at all. 

April 3rd 

Selva Verde Lodge is situated at a bend in Rio Sarapiquí. It is a rather large establishment 

laid out on the peninsula. The rooms are situated four by four in huts connected by long, 

covered and raised boardwalks. The boardwalks are convenient in a wet climate as we 

experinced last night when we could walk back to the rooms in shelter in the heavy rain. 

Between the huts is a lush garden with heliconias and other gaudy red flowers and many 

large forest trees. Birds and animals are fed with entire bunches of bananas. The view of 

the Rio Sarapiquí is beautiful, the river rushing in a bed of white stones and stony islets 

with a patch of primary lowland rainforest on the other side. Different species of Toucans 

sat in the high trees by evening. A pair of Sunbitten lived by the river and could be seen 

walking on the stony shore in the morning. A little downstream Sarapiquí by the road we 

observed Snowy Cotinga in the high forest trees and Fasciated Tiger-heron on an island in 

the river. A pair of Bat Falcon came out to chase insects by sunset. Rainforest birds as 

Semiplumbeous Hawk and Barred Woodcreeper was met with in the garden. Whitecollared 

Manakins had leks here and there in the area. The feeding sites attracted Agoutis 

and Olive-backed Euphonia. In the garden the small and glaringly colured poisonous arrow 

frogs could be found. Across the road there is a decaying botanical garden being turned 

into an annex of the hotel where Black-and-white Owl is sometimes seen after sunset by 

birdwatchers luckier (or quieter?) than us. A special attraction of Selva Verde Lodge is that 

it is now regarded the best place in Costa Rica to see the Great Green Macaw flying by in 

the morning or in the late afternoon. We didn't have that luck. Many tourist groups, 

predominantly Americans, come here to stay for a night or two to take a look at the 

rainforest, drink de-caffeinated coffee and maybe having the life scared out of themselves 

by observing snake-like things in the garden. The place is nice and orderly and has it's 

rules, the more annoying is that dinner is served betweeen six and seven in a large dining 

room with a noise as Central Station. It was nicer at five in the morning when we had it for 

ourselves. The reason for our stay here rather than in la Selva station proper was our 

Costa Rican agency's concern that we should stay in luxurious environments. 

This morning we explored the lodge area between the showers until we got rained home. 

In the afternoon we visited another lodge area, el Gavilán, further down Sarapiquí by the 

village Puerto Viejo. The place is a good site for Green Ibis, which is rare in Costa Rica. 

The village Puerto Viejo had two pharmacies selling also candy and toys, everywhere 

laundry was hanged for drying on the barbed wire, and people promenated on the road in 

their finest clothes as it was Easter, or they sat on their verandas watching others walk by. 

As we tried the areas near la Selva we got rained home once again and ended up in the 

hammocks by the room looking out at the quiet rain pouring down on the garden. 

April 4th 

la Selva reserve is open at any time when you live in there, but if you come from outside it 

will first open at seven and to enter you have to fill in forms with name, addres, passport 

number and other usefull information for a walk in the forest. To pass time until opening 

hour we went birdwatching at the grassland and forest edge landscape outside the reserve 

together with Paco, a serious and qualified guy, who were our local guide on the visits in 

the reserve. We saw a Chestnut-collared Swift, a mountain species that is a vagrant down 

14

here, observed for the first time in la Selva and thus much rarer than a Great Green 

Macaw, that anyway isn't seen at la Selva this year. A suspension bridge takes yoy across 

Rio Puerto Viejo into the reserve. We started out at the arboledo where a swarm of army 

ants were around, but no special birds were present. We saw a Slate-breasted Tinamou. 

First it was heard approaching, then we stood quiet and waited, and slowly and carefully it 

came out in a rather open patch of the understory to be seen in full figure. We saw many 

Motmots, the two species, Broad-billed and Rufous, were seemingly always together at the 

same places. And we saw Brown-throted Tree-toed Sloth. It was spotted sitting crouched 

in a tree, and when it started crawling along a branch with carefull and slow moves we 

observed it had a baby lying streched out on mother's stomach, the limbs sprawling and 

the claws clinging in the fur, both mother and child looking down with sleepy-looking faces. 

Pack lunch was had in the visitors house and Paco demonstrated the trick of having cokes 

from an age-old slot machine, fed with dimes (exact number depending), and then made 

work by beating it the right places and coaxing the cokes free. In my imagination any ant 

army would be accompanied by swarms of rare antbirds and woodcreepers. I had so much 

looked forward to see army ants and ant army birds and this mornings experience was a 

disappointment with no special birds and even the ants looking like very ordinary ants 

running aimlessly and ordinarily around on the path. I decided to go for a second chance 

during the lunch break. Waiting another hour or so by the ants gave the same two 

individuals of ordinary woodcreepers that we saw in the morning. Waiting quietly in the 

forest also gave Great Tinamou passing closely by and a band of nine Coatimundis 

passing through the understory, single file, nose to behind, banded tails in the air. Now, 

the ant front had moved and occupied a line of fivehundred meters, most workers and 

some larger soldiers with broad pale heads. In one place had started forming a living ant 

hill clinging their bodies together to a large ball. Back at the bridge, there was Chestnutcoloured 

Woodpecker and Yellow-billed Cacique, and in the gardens many hummingbirds 

were around such as Red-footed Plumeleteer and Bronzy Hermit. 

la Selva is since long a famous rainforest research station where researchers and students 

from all over the world come to study biology and ecology of tropical rainforest. la Selva is 

now chained with a large area of reserves and national parks streching from the lowlands 

and up the slopes to Braulio Carillo making possible the yearly migrations of species like 

Bare-necked Umbrellabird up the slopes to the breeding places. The station is with houses 

for researchers, there is a visitor's house where we had lunch, and there is also a 

possibility for accomodation for visiting groups. We were told to be quiet as many 

biologists are nocturnal and sleep at day. In the forest there is a system of concrete trails 

where you can go on bicycle. There are signposts warning of slippery leaves on the 

concrete trails and suggesting to go slowly and wear a helmet. Once when we tried to call 

out a shy understory bird and kept quiet and it was approaching, a jogger passed by on 

the concrete trail and chased it away. So it is in the jungle. 

In the afternoon we had a walk in an area with secondary forest. Some subtle 

observations, a cecropia full of yellow catkins that were inspected by both Keel-billed and 

Chestnut-mandibled Toucan, and a tree the crown full of orange flowers and Orchard 

Orioles, then joined by a Northern Oriole the same orange as the flowers. Back at the 

suspension bridge two species of oropendola came in on their migration to the night's 

roost. And there, in the tall riverine trees where we could stand on the bridge and look 

down upon it, we had the Black Curassow. It was a fine male with curled crest that ate 

green berries from the trees. It moved around, too heavy for the branches with the berries 

and constantly getting out of balance, flickering wings and tail to regain it, while all the time 

seeking to go for berries outside it's reach instead of just eating the ones right in front of it. 


We had one more day in la Selva. This morning we had permissions and could start in the 

forest at daybreak to hear the morning chorus. Having spent two days mostly in secondary 

15

and edge habitats at last we could enter the primary rainforest. However, there was hardly 

any morning chorus and there was far between birds we could see under conditions that 

allowed us to identify them. The rainforest doesn't always just reveal it's secrets. Here, the 

trails were planks or plain mud and took us through high forest with a rich undergrowth of 

different palms and with impressive wooden corkscrew lianas coming down from the 

canopy. Paco spotted the nest of a Purple-crowned Fairy in the canopy. Good spotting, 

even if the bird was building on it. Paco and Julio were excellent in spotting nests of 

hummingbirds or manakins. In another place it was the abandoned nest of a Barbthroat, a 

tiny cup of moss and roots sewed to the underside of a banana leaf by spiderweb. It 

started to rain and we could walk for hours in the forest hearing the rain falling in the 

canopy and hardly a drop filtered through down to us. We passed by some leks of Redcapped 

Manakins where the males sat calling. The real display only starts when a female 

arrives which we didn't see. It is remarkable how even such intensely coloured birds can 

be hard to spot when they just sit quietly in the wast forest, while anything moving attracts 

the attention. And small things like a falling leaf can make a tremendous noise, while a 

pack of larger animals passing in the forest floor can be almost quiet. 

Having had enough of primary rainforest for the moment we spent the afternoon in the 

open area along the road up to la Selva. A pair of Pink-billed Seedfinch with the enormous 

bill sat in the tall swampgrasses, a Merlin passed by, a Black Hawk-eagle was up soaring 

on it's funny butterfly-wings, another soaring eagle looked very interesting and brought 

about a lot of discussion, and a Laughing Falcon flew away with a fat snake in the claws. 


We left Selva Verde early. We drove through the town Virgen, where people pilgrimate 

during Easter because of the miracle, that if you stare right at the sun for sufficient time 

you can see the image of the Virgin Mary in the sky afterwards. We didn't try, though 

maybe this was the way to see a Great Green Macaw! It was a fine, cool, bright morning, 

the mountains clear of clouds, and we saw a Brown-throated Tree-toed Sloth in top of a 

Cecropia warming itself by the early morning sun. We continued up to Virgen del Socorro, 

a place in 750 meters above sea level in the upper Rio Sarapiquí valley where our river 

from Selva Verde had become wilder and narrower. Virgen del Socorro was set up a 

settler colony as part of a programme of giving land to landless labourers. But as the soil 

was poor and the settler life hard the colony was abandoned. Now, the forest on the 

slopes is protected and Virgen del Socorro is known as a place where some special birds 

restricted to a narrow altitude band can be found. The forest appeared thin probably due to 

the poor soil and there were traces of many landslides, large scars on the slopes, places 

where trees still lay fallen across the road where vehicles could pass under them. A Barred 

Hawk was spotted in a tree-top from where it flew out, and later we had it in display-flight 

high up and far away above the valley, as it suddenly folded it's wings and dropped as a 

bomb towards the forest below. An unidentified voice of four whistles was heard form the 

forest. Julio imitated it. First it answered form inside the forest and after a long 

conversation it finally came out - a Brown-billed Scythebill that for a brief moment sat fully 

exposed in front of us peeling in the bark of it's branch in confusion of the voice without the 

bird. 

The infortunate victim of the theft of the first evening lost his second pair of binoculars as 

they were smashed in a fall on the road in a wild run not to dip on a Dipper. He also got a 

wound in the head that was mended with plastic surgery on the American clinic back in 

San José where we conveniently ended in the afternoon. 

We continued along the river to a small restaurant called el Mirador with a fine view of the 

valley. We had our pack lunch there enjoying the hummingbirds fighting around the 

feeders hanging from the eaves. A Green Hermit and a Brown Violetear came in together 

with the more common species. The prize was a pair of Green Thorntail. They were 

16

around all the time with insect-like wingbeats and movements, the male balancing in the 

air by pointing the elongated, forked tail upwards while drinking. Then they started 

dancing. They flew together in a dragon-fly-like pursuit, in jerks, now in full speed, now 

halting on the spot in the air, all the time close together and in perfect coordination of 

movements. Then the female perched on a wire under the eaves and the male danced in 

front of her in the air, humming on the spot, puffing the body up as a sphere, the feathers 

bristling like quills, the long tail erected 60 degrees above horisontal to balance. A very 

extraordinary appearance. 

From the forest and clouds of the valley we came up upon the central plateau to a clear 

sky and a landscape of endless coffee-plantations and now and then a small farmhouse 

where the pigs were fed with bananas. As we had been driving for hours in coffee-country 

by still narrower roads we finally stopped by a house in a suburb where a friend of Julio's 

lived, and where Prevost's Ground-sparrow is found in the neighbour's coffee field. Why a 

bird living in coffee-plantations is that rare in central Costa Rica is odd, but most visiting 

birding groups don't see it. Having gazed for a while at the scrap in the chicken yard where 

our sparrow didn't appear, we entered the plantation and tracked down the pretty species 

while the children of the village had a good stare at us. 


We stayed in San José for the night and rose early for a visit in Tapanti. San José is an 

uninteresting and unattractive town. One block away from the central avenue you hardly 

percieve you are in a capital city, the buildings are low, the streets are poorly maintained 

and the place seems somewhat run down and not very clean. Poorer and richer houses 

alongside, cars locked behind grills in minute gardens, a chaos of wires in the air. Nearby 

Cartago is much different as it is cleaner, has more space and seemingly more fine 

buildings. Four towns 25 kilometers apart in the central valley are the four most populated 

towns in the country and each is a provincial capital for a seventh of Costa Rica, though 

they are scarcely more than suburbs to San José and economically more related to it and 

the central plateau than to the vast areas they govern. Outside Cartago, cage bird fowlers 

were out with cloth-covered cages. 

Tapanti is a reserve at the mountain slopes of the Cordillera de Talamanca, that is part of 

a network of national parks covering the entire mountain chain down to the Panama 

border. Many costaricans go picknicking in the reserve. Tapanti is a mountain slope forest. 

We started by the reserve entrance in 1150 meters above sea level where we watched the 

rare and elusive Sooty-faced Finch working in the thick moss of the branches. We 

continued up the road into the reserve, making walks and being picked up by the bus and 

taken a little further. In the many flowering bushes along the road we had Black-bellied 

Hummingbird. The morning started with a clear sky, then the clouds came in, and before 

noon it was raining heavily. We drove back to San José. The rainy season had thus 

started and the four of us departed for Denmark in the afternoon, while the rest of the 

group stayed another week starting with Corcovado in the far south-east. 

17

DESCRIPTION OF LOCALITIES VISITED ON THE EXTENSION WEEK. 

CORCOVADO NATIONAL PARK. 

Corcovado is the largest of the national parks in Costa Rica and comprise 41,788 hectares of 

lowland rainforest situated on the south-western corner of the Peninsula de Osa. The park has been 

extended with 12,751 hectares on the north-western side of Golfo Dulce. 

Because of the vast size and remote situation the park has remained mainly unaffected by man. The 

park holds more than 400 species of birds, it has the largest population of Scarlet Macaw in the 

country, and the rare Harpy Eagle is still believed to breed in the area. Many animals otherwise 

endangered in Costa Rica still have important populations in the park such as Tapir, five species of 

cats, crocodiles, Peccaries, Giant Anteater and Sloth. 

The lack of paths and of places to stay for the night makes the park difficult to access, and the hilly 

ground makes hiking in the forest hard. 

We stayed two nights in Corcovado Lodge Tented Camp right on the pacific beach and just 500 

meters from the south-western park gate. The lodge consisted of a few large tents sharing bath and 

toilet. The stay was distinguished by the cozy bar and the nice restaurant that served the best and 

most varied meals we had on the entire journey. There is no road to the lodge and you have to walk 

along the beach the 12 kilometers from the village Carate. We flew from San José to Carate in three 

small propeller-driven airplanes. 

Many birds can be seen from the lodge, and from behind the camp a path leads up into undisturbed 

forest. The Corcovado National Park proper can be reached by a hike along the beach but 

unfortunately there are no good trails in the area. We accessed the park by following a river 

upstream into the forest where we observed several good species among them White-tipped 

Sicklebill. 

I found the stay in Corcovado Tented Camp to be one of the highlights of our journey. It can be 

highly recommended, maybe in combinatiion with a visit to to northern part of Corcovado. 

TISKITA LODGE. 

Tiskita is an area of 400 acres on Costa Rica's southern Pacific coast. The lodge lies near the sea by 

a small patch of isolated rainforest surrounded by plantations and small farms. Along the coast there 

are villages and scattered houses. 

There is only a small area of rainforest remaining as an isolated island in a sea of farmland. This 

characterize the species diversity which is low as populations are not renewed from the outside. 

Black-cheeked Ant-tanager and Turqouise Cotinga formerly observed in Tiskita have not been 

recorded for many years. There is a good network of trails so that the forest can be easily explored. 

Around the lodge there are plantations growing several types of tropical fruits that are fine for 

frugivorous birds. The coast is an alternation of stony and sandy beaches. 

The lodge was a modified farmhouse. The huts are good with own bath and toilet though they have 

only cold water and some of the huts are separated from the main building by hilly ground. 

CERRO DE LA MUERTE. 

18

The mountain range Cerro de la Muerte offers great highland and paramo birding and is easily 

visited from San José. A good highway from San José crosses the range and descends towards San 

Isidro. Accomodation can be found along the road that takes you through a variation of fine 

montane habitats. We stayed at Albergue de Montaña Tapanti, a small and cozy lodge by kilometer 

62. (Kilometers are stated from the toll-booth just east of San José). 

In the area around the lodge you will see the first highland specials such as Gray-tailed Mountaingem, 

Volcano Hummingbird, Hairy Woodpecker, Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher and Slaty 

Flowerpiercer. In the evening we saw a fine Bare-shanked Screech-owl and we heard Andean 

Pigmy-owl at some distance. 

A sideroad turns off at kilometer 80 and descends the slope towards San Gerardo. Along this road 

there is fine forest where Spot-crowned Woodcreeper, Flame-throated Warbler and Spangledcheeked 

Tanager can be observed. Savegra Lodge in San Gerardo have hummingbird feeders that 

attract several species, among them Purple-throated Mountain-gem, Magnificent Hummingbird and 

Scintillant Hummingbird. By the stream we had Torrrent Tyrannulet and Sulphur-winged Parakeet. 

Following the highway you will cross the paramo (kilometers 88 to 93). In this area, especially a 

sideroad towards some antennas to the south of the highway is fine for the highland species such as 

Timberline Wren, Sooty Robin, Sooty-capped Bush-tanager, Large-footed Finch and Volcano 

Junco. 

By Villa Mills (kilometer 95) there is a restaurant, la Georgina, and also a simple hotel. Some trails 

start from here, and in this area we had Merlin (our second on the journey, though known as rare in 

Costa Rica), Acorn Woodpecker and Black-and-Yellow Silky-flycatcher. 

19

LIST OF BIRDS RECORDED. 

GREAT TINAMOU (Tinamus major). 

2 heard Carara Biological Reserve, 4 La Selva, 2 heard Corcovado and 1 heard Tiskita. 

LITTLE TINAMOU (Crypturellus soui). 

1 heard Carara Biological Reserve and 3 heard La Selva. 

THICKET TINAMOU (Crypturellus cinnamomeus). 

2 heard Hacienda Solimar. 

SLATY-BREASTED TINAMOU (Crypturellus boucardi). 

4 La Selva. 

PIED-BILLED GREBE (Podilymbus podiceps). 

15 San José - Carara B.R. 

LEAST GREBE (Tachybaptus dominicus). 

2 Monteverde. 

STORM-PETREL SPECIES (Hydrobatidae species). 

1 Corcovado (MHN). 

RED-BILLED TROPICBIRD (Phaethon aethereus). 

1 Corcovado (MHN). 

BROWN PELICAN (Pelecanus occidentalis). 

Common along the coast, where we counted 1374 birds. Highest number recorded were 500 

Pigres and totally 660 at Cordovado. 

BROWN BOOBY (Sula leucogaster). 

10 Corcovado and 1 Tiskita. 

OLIVACEOUS (NEOTROPIC) CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax olivaceus). 

13 San José - Carara B.R., 75 Pigres, 46 Hacienda Solimar, 29 Tilaran - Fortuna and 2 Chilamate 

(Selva Verde Lodge). 

ANHINGA (Anhinga anhinga). 

25 Hacienda Solimar and 2 Tilaran - Fortuna. 

MAGNIFICENT FRIGATEBIRD (Fregata magnificens). 

Common along the coast, where we counted 311 birds. Highest number recorded were 150 Pigres, 

55 Cordovado and 51 Tiskita. 

FASCIATED TIGER-HERON (Tigrisoma fasciatum). 

1 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge). 

BARE-THROATED TIGER-HERON (Tigrisoma mexicanum). 

1 Carara Biological Reserve and 18 Hacienda Solimar. 

BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON (Nycticorax nycticorax). 

48 Hacienda Solimar. 

20

BOAT-BILLED HERON (Cochlearius cochlearius). 

1 ad. Hacienda Solimar. 

CATTLE EGRET (Bubulcus ibis). 

Common, 1200 birds were counted. Highest number recorded were 500 Hacienda Solimar. 

GREEN-BACKED HERON (Butorides virescens). 

2 Tárcoles River, 3 Pigres, 1 Puerto Caldera, 8 Hacienda Solimar and 2 Chilamate (Selva Verde 

Lodge). 

Note: Sometimes regarded as a subspecies of Striated Heron (B. striatus). 

LITTLE BLUE HERON (Egretta caerulea). 

13 Pigres, 1 Tárcoles River and 7 Hacienda Solimar. 

TRICOLORED HERON (Egretta tricolor). 

2 Pigres. 

SNOWY EGRET (Egretta thula). 

2 Pigres, 1 Tárcoles River, 1 Puerto Caldera - Hacienda Solimar and 1 Chilamate (Selva Verde 

Lodge). 

GREAT (GREAT WHITE) EGRET (Egretta alba). 

3 Tárcoles River, 1 Carara Biological Reserve, 6 Pigres, 327 Hacienda Solimar, 1 Hacienda 

Solimar - Monteverde and 5 Santa Elena - Fortuna. 

GREAT BLUE HERON (Ardea herodias). 

2 Pigres, 1 Tárcoles River, 6 Hacienda Solimar and 1 Tiskita. 

WOOD STORK (Mycteria americana). 

5 Carara Biological Reserve, 2 Pigres and 85 Hacienda Solimar. 

GREEN IBIS (Mesembrinibis cayennensis). 

3 La Gavilan Lodge. 

(AMERICAN) WHITE IBIS (Eudocimus albus). 

35 Pigres, 20 Carara Biological Reserve and 16 Hacienda Solimar. 

ROSEATE SPOONBILL (Platalea ajaia). 

4 Pigres and 8 Hacienda Solimar. 

BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK (Dendrocygna autumnalis). 

110 Tárcoles River and 15 Hacienda Solimar. 

MUSCOVY DUCK (Cairina moschata). 

4 Hacienda Solimar and 1 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge). 

BLUE-WINGED TEAL (Anas discors). 

8 San José - Carara B.R. 

TURKEY VULTURE (Cathartes aura). 

Common, 277 birds were counted. 

BLACK VULTURE (Coragyps atratus). 


KING VULTURE (Sarcoramphus papa). 

21

1 Carara Biological Reserve, 5 Corcovado and 4 Tiskita. 

OSPREY (Pandion haliaetus). 

2 Pigres, 1 Puerto Caldera, 9 Hacienda Solimar, 1 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge), 1 La Gavilan 

Lodge and 1 Corcovado. 

GRAY-HEADED KITE (Leptodon cayanensis). 

1 heard La Selva. 

AMERICAN SWALLOW-TAILED KITE (Elanoides forficatus). 

14 Hacienda Solimar - Monteverde, 21 Monteverde/Santa Elena area, 1 Tilaran - Fortuna, 1 

Fortuna, 1 Chilamate - Virgin del Socorro, 4 Virgin del Socorro, 2 Corcovado, 3 Tiskita and 6 

Cerro de la Muerte. 

BLACK-SHOULDERED KITE (Elanus caeruleus). 

2 Puerto Caldera - Hacienda Solimar, 3 Tilaran - Fortuna, 2 Chilamate, 1 La Gavilan Lodge, 1 

Virgin del Socorro - San José and 1 Cerro de la Muerte - San José. 

Note: The New world subspecies is sometimes regarded as a full species and called White-tailed Kite (E. leucurus). 

SNAIL KITE (Rostrhamus sociabilis). 

7 ad. 4 imm. Hacienda Solimar. 

DOUBLE-TOOTHED KITE (Harpagus bidentatus). 

3 Carara Biological Reserve, 2 La Selva and 3 Tiskita. 

PLUMBEOUS KITE (Ictinea plumbea). 

1 Carara Biological Reserve and 1 La Selva. 

MISSISSIPPI KITE (Ictinia mississippiensis). 


NORTHERN HARRIER (Circus cyaneus). 

1 migrate Caldera - Hacienda Solimar and 1 migrate Puerto Caldera - Hacienda Solimar. 

SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (Accipiter striatus). 

1 Braulio Carrillo N.P. - San José, 1 Puerto Caldera - Hacienda Solimar, 1 Monteverde and 1 

Virgin del Socorro. 

BLACK-CHESTED HAWK (Leucopternis princeps). 

2 Virgin del Socorro. 

Note: In South America the species is called Barred Hawk. 

SEMIPLUMBEOUS HAWK (Leucopternis semiplumbea). 

1 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge) and 1 La Selva. 

WHITE HAWK (Leucopternis albicollis). 

1 Virgin del Socorro, 5 Corcovado and 1 Tiskita. 

MANGROVE BLACK HAWK (Buteogallus subtilis). 

1 Carara Biological Reserve, 1 Pigres, 7 Hacienda Solimar and 2 Corcovado. 

Note: This species is now regarded as a full species and split from Common Black Hawk (B. anthracinus). 

GREAT BLACK HAWK (Buteogallus urubitinga). 

2 Corcovado. 

BAY-WINGED (HARRIS') HAWK (Parabuteo unicinctus). 

22

1 Puerto Caldera - Hacienda Solimar. 

GRAY HAWK (Buteo nitidus). 

3 Carara Biological Reserve, 1 Tárcoles River, 1 Carara B.R. - Puerto Caldera, 4 Hacienda 

Solimar, 1 Tilaran - Fortuna, 2 Fortuna, 1 Fortuna - Chilamate and 1 La Selva. 

ROADSIDE HAWK (Buteo magnirostris). 

1 Tárcoles River, 1 Puerto Caldera - Hacienda Solimar, 1 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge), 1 La 

Gavilan Lodge and 1 Tiskita. 

BROAD-WINGED HAWK (Buteo platypterus). 

770 migrate Braulio Carrillo N.P., 1 San José - Carara B.R., 1 Santa Elena - Monteverde, 3 

Tilaran - Fortuna, 4 Chilamate, 1 La Selva (Estacion Biologica La Selva), 1 Virgin del Socorro, 6 

Tapanti N.P. and 1 Corcovado. 

SHORT-TAILED HAWK (Buteo brachyurus). 

1 Hacienda Solimar, 1 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge), 1 La Selva, 1 Virgin del Socorro and 3 

Tiskita. 

SWAINSON'S HAWK (Buteo swainsoni). 

7 migrate Braulio Carrillo N.P., 1 Carara Biological Reserve and 4 migrate La Selva. 

RED-TAILED HAWK (Buteo jamaicensis). 

1 Tilaran - Fortuna and 7 Cerro de la Muerte. 

BLACK-AND-WHITE HAWK-EAGLE (Spizastur melanoleucus). 


BLACK HAWK-EAGLE (Spizaetus tyrannus). 

1 imm. La Selva. 

CRESTED CARACARA (Polyborus plancus). 

1 Tárcoles River, 1 Pigres, 1 Carara Biological Reserve, 1 Puerto Caldera - Hacienda Solimar and 


YELLOW-HEADED CARACARA (Milvago chimachima). 

1 Hacienda Solimar, 6 Corcovado and 2 Tiskita. 

LAUGHING FALCON (Herpetotheres cachinnans). 

4 Hacienda Solimar, 1 Tilaran - Fortuna and 1 heard La Selva. 

BARRED FOREST-FALCON (Micrastur ruficollis). 

1 heard Santa Elena Forest Reserve. 

COLLARED FOREST-FALCON (Micrastur semitorquatus). 

1 heard Carara Biological Reserve, 5 Hacienda Solimar and 1 imm. Cordovado. 

AMERICAN KESTREL (Falco sparverius). 

2 Braulio Carrillo N.P. - San José, 1 Hacienda Solimar and 2 Santa Elena - Tilaran. 

MERLIN (Falco columbarius). 

1 /imm La Selva and 1 Cerro de la Muerte (Villa Mills). 

BAT FALCON (Falco rufigularis). 

1 Tárcoles River, 2 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge), 1 La Selva and 1 Virgin del Socorro. 

23

PEREGRINE FALCON (Falco peregrinus). 

3 Hacienda Solimar and 1 Corcovado. 

GRAY-HEADED CHACHALACA (Ortalis cinereiceps). 

4 Carara Biological Reserve, 3 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge) and 3 La Selva. 

CRESTED GUAN (Penelope purpurascens). 

2 Carara Biological Reserve, 1 Tilaran - Fortuna, 3 La Selva and 1 heard Corcovado. 

BLACK GUAN (Chamaepetes unicolor). 

3 Santa Elena Forest Reserve, 2 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and 1 heard Tapanti N.P. 

GREAT CURASSOW (Crax rubra). 

2 La Selva. 

SPOT-BELLIED BOBWHITE (Colinus leucopogon). 

12 Hacienda Solimar (MHN). 

BLACK-BREASTED WOOD-QUAIL (Odontophorus leucolaemus). 

2 heard Santa Elena Forest Reserve and 1 heard Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. 

LIMPKIN (Aramus guarauna). 


GRAY-NECKED WOOD-RAIL (Aramides cajanea). 

1 heard Carara Biological Reserve, 2 Monteverde and 2 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge). 

WHITE-THROATED CRAKE (Laterallus albigularis). 


PURPLE GALLINULE (Porphyrula martinica). 

2 Tárcoles River and 1 Tilaran - Fortuna. 

SUNBITTERN (Eurypyga helias). 

2 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge). 

NORTHERN JACANA (Jacana spinosa). 

4 San José - Carara B.R., 7 Tárcoles River, 3 Carara Biological Reserve, 2 Pigres, 14 Hacienda 

Solimar, 2 La Selva and 2 La Selva - Chilamate. 

BLACK-NECKED STILT (Himantopus himantopus). 

9 San José - Carara B.R., and 88 Hacienda Solimar. 

Note: The New World subspecies is often given species rank: Black-necked Stilt (H. mexicanus). 

DOUBLE-STRIPED THICK-KNEE (Burhinus bistriatus). 


BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER (Pluvialis squatarola). 


SEMIPALMATED PLOVER (Charadrius semipalmatus). 


WILSON'S PLOVER (Charadrius wilsonia). 

2 Pigres. 

24

MARBLED GODWIT (Limosa fedoa). 


WHIMBREL (Numenius phaeopus). 

8 Pigres, 1 Puerto Caldera, 36 Hacienda Solimar and 1 Tiskita. 

GREATER YELLOWLEGS (Tringa melanoleuca). 


LESSER YELLOWLEGS (Tringa flavipes). 


WILLET (Catoptrophorus semipalmatus). 

4 Pigres, 1 Puerto Caldera and 14 Hacienda Solimar. 

SPOTTED SANDPIPER (Actitis macularia). 

3 Tárcoles River, 1 Carara Biological Reserve, 4 Pigres, 16 Hacienda Solimar, 1 La Gavilan 

Lodge, 1 Tapanti, 6 Corcovado and 1 Tiskita. 

RUDDY TURNSTONE (Arenaria interpres). 

40 Pigres. 

SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER (Limnodromus griseus). 


WESTERN SANDPIPER (Calidris mauri). 


SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER (Calidris pusilla). 


LEAST SANDPIPER (Calidris minutilla). 


STILT SANDPIPER (Calidris himantopus). 


SANDPIPER SPECIES (Calidris species). 

25 Pigres (Western/Semipalmated sandpiper) and 15 Hacienda Solimar. 

JAEGER SPECIES (Stercorarius pomarinus/parasiticus). 

1 Corcovado (TA & MHN). 

LAUGHING GULL (Larus atricilla). 

225 Pigres, 1800 Puerto Caldera, 42 Hacienda Solimar, 473 Cordovardo and 5 Tiskita. 

FRANKLIN'S GULL (Larus pipixcan). 

2 ad. Puerto Caldera and 298 migrate Corcovado. 

BLACK TERN (Chlidonias niger). 

1 Pigres and 250 Corcovado. 

GULL-BILLED TERN (Sterna nilotica). 

25


COMMON TERN (Sterna hirundo). 

2 migrate Corcovado (TA & MHN). 

BRIDLED TERN (Sterna anaethetus). 

1 Corcovado (LeP). 

ROYAL TERN (Sterna maxima). 

17 Puerto Caldera, 60 Hacienda Solimar and 1 migrate Corcovado. 

SANDWICH TERN (Sterna sandvicensis). 

2 Puerto Caldera, 12 Hacienda Solimar, 31 Corcovado, 2 Tiskita and 3 Tiskita - San José. 

ELEGANT TERN (Sterna elegans). 

1 migrate Corcovado (TA & MHN). 

BLACK SKIMMER (Rynchops niger). 


ROCK (DOMESTIC) PIGEON (Columba livia). 

150 Puerto Caldera - Hacienda Solimar, 3 Hacienda Solimar - Monteverde, 5 Tilaran, 8 San José, 

8 Tapanti - San José and 150 San José - Cerro de la Muerte. 

Note: The species is introduced to the country. 

SCALED PIGEON (Columba speciosa). 

2 La Gavilan Lodge. 

BAND-TAILED PIGEON (Columba fasciata). 

2 Hacienda Solimar - Monteverde, 1 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, 32 Tapanti N.P. and 80 


PALE-VENTED PIGEON (Columba cayennensis). 

1 San José - Carara B.R., 1 Tilaran - Fortuna, 1 La Gavilan Lodge and 2 La Gavilan Lodge - 

Chilamate. 

RED-BILLED PIGEON (Columba flavirostris). 

1 Braulio Carrillo N.P. - San José, 2 Tárcoles River, 1 Carara Biological Reserve, 33 Hacienda 

Solimar, 4 Monteverde area, 12 Santa Elena - Fortuna, 2 La Gavilan Lodge, 1 Virgin del Socorro, 

1 Tapanti N.P. and 2 Cartago. 

RUDDY PIGEON (Columba subvinacea). 

2 Santa Elena Forest Reserve and 2 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, 2 Tapanti N.P. and 3 


SHORT-BILLED PIGEON (Columba nigrirostris). 

1 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 4 Carara Biological Reserve, 1 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge), 

2 La Gavilan Lodge, 5 La Selva, 3 Corcovado and 11 Tiskita. 

MOURNING DOVE (Zenaida macroura). 

1 Puerto Caldera - Hacienda Solimar (SKR & TA) and 1 Hacienda Solimar (SKR & TA). 

WHITE-WINGED DOVE (Zenaida asiatica). 

12 Puerto Caldera, 25 Puerto Caldera - Hacienda Solimar, 5 Hacienda Solimar, 8 Tilaran and 4 

26

Tilaran - Fortuna. 

COMMON GROUND-DOVE (Columbina passerina). 

29 Hacienda Solimar, 2 Hacienda Solimar - Monteverde, 2 Santa Elena - Tilaran and 2 Fortuna. 

RUDDY GROUND-DOVE (Columbina talpacoti). 

1 Tárcoles River, 3 Pigres, 1 Carara B.R. - Puerto Caldera, 8 Puerto Caldera - Hacienda Solimar, 

4 Hacienda Solimar, 17 Fortuna - Chilamate, 4 La Selva (Estacion Biologica La Selva), 2 

Chilamate - Virgin del Socorro, 1 Tapanti, 1 Tapanti - San José, and 5 Corcovado. 

INCA DOVE (Columbina inca). 

3 San José - Carara B.R., 1 Tárcoles River, 3 Carara Biological Reserve, 36 Hacienda Solimar, 1 

Tilaran and 1 San José. 

BLUE GROUND-DOVE (Claravis petriosa). 


WHITE-TIPPED DOVE (Leptotila verreauxi). 

1 San José - Carara B.R., 9 Carara Biological Reserve, 2 Pigres, 2 Tárcoles River, 6 Hacienda 

Solimar, 1 Santa Elena - Tilaran, 2 Virgin del Socorro, 4 San José & 3 Tiskita. 

GRAY-CHESTED DOVE (Leptotila cassinii). 

3 Carara Biological Reserve, 1 La Selva, 1 Corcovado and 3 Tiskita. 

BUFF-FRONTED QUAIL-DOVE (Geotrygon costaricensis). 

2 heard Santa Elena Forest Reserve and 2 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. 

RUDDY QUAIL-DOVE (Geotrygon montana). 

1 Carara Biological Reserve. 

SCARLET MACAW (Ara macao). 

52 Tárcoles River/Carara Biological Reserve and 30 Corcovado. 

CRIMSON-FRONTED PARAKEET (Aratinga finschi). 

50 Chilamate and 37 Tiskita. 

OLIVE-THROATED PARAKEET (Aratinga nana). 

8 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge), 1 La Selva and 26 Chilamate - Virgin del Socorro. 

ORANGE-FRONTED PARAKEET (Aratinga canicularis). 


SULPHUR-WINGED PARAKEET (Pyrrhura hoffmanni). 

6 Cerro de la Muerte (San Gerardo). 

BARRED PARAKEET (Bolborhynchus lineola). 

4 Braulio Carrillo N.P. - San José and 1 Cerro de la Muerte (Reserva Forestas Los Santos). 

ORANGE-CHINNED PARAKEET (Brotogeris jugularis). 

10 Carara Biological Reserve, 27 Hacienda Solimar, 2 Tilaran, 2 Tilaran - Fortuna, 2 Chilamate , 

10 La Selva (Estacion Biologica La Selva), 8 Corcovado and 41 Tiskita. 

RED-FRONTED PARROTLET (Touit costaricensis). 

2 Tapanti N.P. (LeP). 

Note: Sometimes this species is lumped together with Blue-fronted Parrotlet (T. dilectissima) into a megaspecies called 

27

Red-winged Parrotlet (T. dilectissima). 

BROWN-HOODED PARROT (Pionopsitta haematotis). 

2 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 1 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, 1 La Selva and 7 Tiskita 

(PEM). 

WHITE-CROWNED PARROT (Pionus senilis). 


20 La Selva and 2 Tapanti N.P. 

WHITE-FRONTED PARROT (Amazona albifrons). 

29 Hacienda Solimar, 3 Monteverde and 3 Santa Elena - Tilaran. 

RED-LORED PARROT (Amazona autumnalis). 

6 Tárcoles River and 6 Carara Biological Reserve. 

YELLOW-NAPED PARROT (Amazona auropalliata). 


Note: Now considered a full species and split from the Yellow-crowned Parrot (A. ochrocephala). 

MEALY PARROT (Amazona farinosa). 

6 Carara Biological Reserve, 7 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge), 15 La Selva, 2 Chilamate - La 

Selva, 1 Corcovado and 4 Tiskita. 

MANGROVE CUCKOO (Coccyzus minor). 

2 Hacienda Solimar and 1 Corcovado. 

SQUIRREL CUCKOO (Piaya cayana). 

1 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 2 Carara Biological Reserve, 4 Hacienda Solimar, 2 Chilamate 

(Selva Verde Lodge), 3 La Selva and 1 Virgin del Socorro. 

GROOVE-BILLED ANI (Crotophaga sulcirostris). 

6 Tárcoles River, 144 Hacienda Solimar, 3 Hacienda Solimar - Monteverde, 1 Fortuna - 

Chilamate, 3 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge) and 2 La Selva. 

SMOOTH-BILLED ANI (Crotophaga ani). 

2 Corcovado (airstrip). 

STRIPED CUCKOO (Tapera naevia). 


LESSER GROUND-CUCKOO (Morococcyx erythropygius). 

5 Hacienda Solimar and 2 Hacienda Solimar - Monteverde. 

PACIFIC SCREECH-OWL (Otus cooperi). 


BARE-SHANKED SCREECH-OWL (Otus clarkii). 

1 Cerro de la Muerte (Tapanti Albergue de Montana Lodge). 

SPECTACLED OWL (Pulsatrix perspicillata). 

1 Hacienda Solimar and 2 Tiskita (MB). 

ANDEAN PYGMY-OWL (Glaucidium jardinii). 

28

1 heard Cerro de la Muerte (LeP & MHN) (Tapanti Albergue de Montana Lodge). 

FERRUGINOUS PYGMY-OWL (Glaucidium brasilianum). 


MOTTLED OWL (Ciccaba virgata). 


COMMON NIGHTHAWK (Chordeiles minor). 


LESSER NIGHTHAWK (Chordeiles acutipennis). 

35 Tárcoles River, 1 Carara Biological Reserve and 7 Hacienda Solimar. 

COMMON PAURAQUE (Nyctidromus albicollis). 

1 Carara Biological Reserve, 12 Hacienda Solimar and 1 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge). 

CHESTNUT-COLLARED SWIFT (Cypseloides rutilus). 

1 La Selva. 

WHITE-COLLARED SWIFT (Streptoprocne zonaris). 

400 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 10 Hacienda Solimar, 160 Hacienda Solimar - Monteverde, 75 

Monteverde, 20 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, 25 Fortuna - Chilamate, 100 Chilamate (Selva 

Verde Lodge), 35 La Selva, 75 Virgin del Socorro, 100 Virgin del Socorro - San José, 3 Tiskita 

and 1 Cerro de la Muerte. 

VAUX'S SWIFT (Chaetura vauxi). 

5 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 2 Fortuna, 5 La Selva & 4 Cerro de la Muerte. 

BAND-RUMPED SWIFT (Chaetura spinicauda). 


GRAY-RUMPED SWIFT (Chaetura cinereiventris). 

1 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 2 La Gavilan Lodge and 25 La Selva. 

LESSER SWALLOW-TAILED SWIFT (Panyptila cayennensis). 

2 Tárcoles River. 

WHITE-TIPPED SICKLEBILL (Eutoxeres aquila). 

2 Corcovado. 

BRONZY HERMIT (Glaucis aenea). 

2 La Selva, 1 Corcovado and 1 Tiskita. 

BAND-TAILED BARBTHROAT (Threnetes ruckeri). 

1 Corcovado (PEM) and 1 Tiskita. 

LONG-TAILED HERMIT (Phaethornis superciliosus). 

2 Carara Biological Reserve, 1 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge), 1 La Gavilan Lodge, 4 La Selva, 


GREEN HERMIT (Phaethornis guy). 

3 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 1 Santa Elena Forest Reserve, 2 Monteverde Cloud Forest 

Reserve, 1 Virgin del Socorro - San José (Chincona) and 2 Tapanti N.P. 

29

LITTLE HERMIT (Phaethornis longuemareus). 


SCALY-BREASTED HUMMINGBIRD (Phaeochroa cuvierii). 

1 Tiskita. 

VIOLET SABREWING (Campylopterus hemileucurus). 

1 Monteverde, 14 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and 4 Virgin del Socorro - San José 

(Chincona). 

WHITE-NECKED JACOBIN (Florisuga mellivora). 

2 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge), 1 La Selva, 3 Corcovado and 2 Tiskita. 

BROWN VIOLETEAR (Colibri delphinae). 

1 Virgin del Socorro - San José (Chincona). 

GREEN VIOLETEAR (Colibri thalassinus). I alt 17. 

2 Monteverde, 2 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, 1 Virgin del Socorro - San José (Chincona), 2 

Tapanti N.P. and 10 Cerro de la Muerte (San Gerardo). 

GREEN-BREASTED MANGO (Anthracothorax prevostii). 

2 Hacienda Solimar and 2 La Selva. 

VIOLET-HEADED HUMMINGBIRD (Klais guimeti). 

1 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 1 La Selva and 2 Virgin del Socorro. 

GREEN THORNTAIL (Discosura conversii). 

3 Virgin del Socorro - San José (Chincona). 

FORK-TAILED EMERALD (Chlorostilbon canivetii). 

8 Hacienda Solimar, 1 Monteverde and 1 Tilaran - Fortuna. 

CROWNED WOODNYMPH (Thalurania colombica). 

2 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 2 Carara Biological Reserve, 1 Tilaran - Fortuna, 1 La Selva, 3 

Virgin del Socorro, 1 Corcovado and 4 Tiskita. 

FIERY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD (Panterpe insignis). 

7 Cordillere de Talamanca. 

BLUE-THROATED GOLDENTAIL (Hylocharis eliciae). 

1 Tilaran - Fortuna, 1 La Selva, 1 Corcovado and 4 Tiskita. 

BERYL-CROWNED HUMMINGBIRD (Amazilia decora). 

2 Tiskita. 

Note: Sometimes considered conspecific with Blue-chested Hummingbird (A. amabilis) of Caribbean slope. 

BLUE-CHESTED HUMMINGBIRD (Amazilia amabilis). 

1 La Selva. 

Note: See comments for the Beryl-crowned Hummingbird. 

STEELY-VENTED HUMMINGBIRD (Amazilia saucerrottei). 

15 Hacienda Solimar, 5 Monteverde and 1 Tilaran - Fortuna. 

CINNAMON HUMMINGBIRD (Amazilia rutila). 


30

RUFOUS-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD (Amazilia tzacatl). 

Common, 58 birds were counted all over the country. 

STRIPE-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD (Eupherusa eximia). 

1 Monteverde and 3 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. 

BLACK-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD (Eupherusa nigriventris). 

1 Tapanti N.P. 

COPPERY-HEADED HUMMINGBIRD (Elvira cupreiceps). 

3 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and 5 Virgin del Socorro - San José (Chincona). 

RED-FOOTED PLUMELETEER (Chalybura urochrysia). 

1 La Selva. 

WHITE-BELLIED MOUNTAIN-GEM (Lampornis hemileucus). 


PURPLE-THROATED MOUNTAIN-GEM (Lampornis calolaema). 

1 Monteverde, 6 Santa Elena Forest Reserve, 22 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, 2 Tapanti 

N.P. and 3 Cerro de la Muerte (San Gerardo). 

GRAY-TAILED MOUNTAIN-GEM (Lampornis cinereicauda). 

6 Cerro de la Muerte. 

GREEN-CROWNED BRILLIANT (Heliodoxa jacula). 

1 Santa Elena Forest Reserve, 22 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, 10 Virgin del Socorro - San 

José (Chincona) and 1 Tapanti N.P. 

MAGNIFICENT HUMMINGBIRD (Eugenes fulgens). 

13 Cerro de la Muerte, whereas 9 San Gerardo. 

PURPLE-CROWNED FAIRY (Heliothryx barroti). 

2 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 2 Carara Biological Reserve, 1 Fortuna and 1 La Selva. 

PLAIN-CAPPED STARTHROAT (Heliomaster constantii). 


LONG-BILLED STARTHROAT (Heliomaster longirostris). 

1 Tiskita. 

MAGENTA-THROATED WOODSTAR (Calliphlox bryantae). 

2 Monteverde and 5 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. 

SCINTILLANT HUMMINGBIRD (Selasphorus scintilla). 

6 Cerro de la Muerte (San Gerardo). 

VOLCANO HUMMINGBIRD (Selasphorus flammula). 


RESPLENDENS QUETZAL (Pharomachrus mocinno). 

9 Santa Elena Forest Reserve and 11 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. 

SLATY-TAILED TROGON (Trogon massena). 

31

7 Carara Biological Reserve, 3 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge), 8 La Selva, 1 Corcovado and 5 

Tiskita. 

LATTICE-TAILED TROGON (Trogon clathratus). 

1 Braulio Carrillo National Park. 

BAIRD'S TROGON (Trogon bairdii). 

1 Carara Biological Reserve and 3 Tiskita. 

Note: Sometimes regarded as a subspecies of White-tailed Trogon (T. viridis). 

BLACK-HEADED TROGON (Trogon melanocephalus). 


Note: Sometimes considered as a race of Citreoline Trogon (T. citreolus). 

COLLARED TROGON (Trogon collaris). 

2 heard Braulio Carrillo National Park, 1 Virgin del Socorro and 4 Tapanti N.P. 

ORANGE-BELLIED TROGON (Trogon aurantiiventris). 

4 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. 

BLACK-THROATED TROGON (Trogon rufus). 


VIOLACEOUS TROGON (Trogon violaceus). 

1 Hacienda Solimar, 5 La Selva and 1 Tiskita. 

RINGED KINGFISHER (Ceryle torquata). 

1 Pigres, 1 Hacienda Solimar, 1 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge) and 1 Corcovado. 

BELTED KINGFISHER (Ceryle alcyon). 

1 Pigres and 1 Tilaran - Fortuna. 

AMAZON KINGFISHER (Chloroceryle amazona). 

2 Tárcoles River, 2 Tilaran - Fortuna, 1 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge) and 1 La Selva - 

Chilamate. 

GREEN KINGFISHER (Chloroceryle americana). 

3 Carara Biological Reserve and 4 Corcovado. 

AMERICAN PYGMY KINGFISHER (Chloroceryle aenea). 


BROAD-BILLED MOTMOT (Electron platyrhynchum). 

10 La Selva. 

TURQUOISE-BROWED MOTMOT (Eumomota superciliosa). 

2 Tárcoles River, 24 Hacienda Solimar and 2 Hacienda Solimar - Monteverde. 

RUFOUS MOTMOT (Baryphthengus martii). 


BLUE-CROWNED MOTMOT (Momotus momota). 

1 Hacienda Solimar - Monteverde, 1 Monteverde, 2 Monteverde - Monteverde C.F.R, 1 

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, 1 Santa Elena - Tilaran, 1 Tapanti N.P. and 8 Tiskita. 

32

RUFOUS-TAILED JACAMAR (Galbula ruficauda). 

1 heard Carara Biological Reserve, 1 La Gavilan Lodge, 1 heard Virgin del Socorro, 1 heard 

Tapanti National Park and 1 Tiskita. 

WHITE-NECKED PUFFBIRD (Bucco macrorhynchos). 

1 Hacienda Solimar and 3 La Selva. 

PIED PUFFBIRD (Bucco tectus). 

1 La Selva. 

WHITE-WHISKERED PUFFBIRD (Malacoptila panamensis). 

2 Tiskita. 

WHITE-FRONTED NUNBIRD (Monasa morphoeus). 


PRONG-BILLED BARBET (Semnornis frantzii). 

6 Santa Elena Forest Reserve, 3 heard Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and 6 heard Tapanti 

National Park. 

EMERALD TOUCANET (Aulacorhynchus prasinus). 

1 Braulio Carrillo N.P. - San José, 4 Santa Elena Forest Reserve, 1 Monteverde C.F.R. - 

Monteverde, 11 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and 2 Cerro de la Muerte. 

COLLARED ARACARI (Pteroglossus torquatus). 

3 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 2 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge), 1 La Gavilan Lodge, and 12 

La Selva. 

FIERY-BILLED ARACARI (Pteroglossus frantzii). 

4 Carara Biological Reserve and 12 Tiskita. 

Note: Sometimes considered a subspecies of Collared Aracari (P. torquatus). 

YELLOW-EARED TOUCANET (Selenidera spectabilis). 

1 Braulio Carrillo National Park (TA). 

KEEL-BILLED TOUCAN (Ramphastos sulfuratus). 

1 Carara Biological Reserve, 1 Fortuna, 7 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge) and 11 La Selva. 

CHESTNUT-MANDIBLED TOUCAN (Ramphastos swainsonii). 

3 Carara Biological Reserve, 1 Fortuna, 2 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge) and 4 La Selva 

(Estacion Biologica La Selva), 3 Corcovado and 9 Tiskita. 

ACORN WOODPECKER (Melanerpes formicivorus). 


GOLDEN-NAPED WOODPECKER (Melanerpes chrysauchen). 


BLACK-CHEEKED WOODPECKER (Melanerpes pucherani). 

1 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 1 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge), 2 La Gavilan Lodge and 5 La 

Selva. 

HOFFMANN'S WOODPECKER (Melanerpes hoffmannii). 

1 San José - Carara B.R., 2 Carara Biological Reserve, 1 Pigres, 1 Tárcoles River, 2 Carara B.R. - 

Hacienda Solimar, 17 Hacienda Solimar, 1 Monteverde, 4 San José, 3 Cartago, 1 San José - Cerro 

de la Muerte. 

33

RED-CROWNED WOODPECKER (Melanerpes rubricapillus). 


HAIRY WOODPECKER (Picoides villosus). 

1 Cerro de la Muerte (Tapanti Albergue de Montana Lodge). 

SMOKY-BROWN WOODPECKER (Veniliornis fumigatus). 

1 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 1 La Selva and 1 Tapanti. 

GOLDEN-OLIVE WOODPECKER (Piculus rubiginosus). 

1 heard Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. 

RUFOUS-WINGED WOODPECKER (Piculus simplex). 

1 Corcovado. 

Note: Sometimes considered as a subspecies of White-throated Woodpecker (P. leucolaemus). 

CHESTNUT-COLORED WOODPECKER (Celeus castaneus). 


LINEATED WOODPECKER (Dryocopus lineatus). 

1 heard Carara Biological Reserve, 2 heard Hacienda Solimar, 1 Tilaran - Fortuna, 1 Chilamate 

(Selva Verde Lodge) and 1 heard Tiskita. 

PALE-BILLED WOODPECKER (Campephilus guatemalensis). 

4 Carara Biological Reserve, 1 heard Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge), 1 heard La Selva and 13 

Tiskita. 

PLAIN-BROWN WOODCREEPER (Dendrocincla fuliginosa). 

1 Braulio Carrillo National Park and 1 La Selva. 

TAWNY-WINGED WOODCREEPER (Dendrocincla anabatina). 

3 Tiskita. 

OLIVACEOUS WOODCREEPER (Sittasomus griseicapillus). 

4 Braulio Carrillo National Park and 4 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. 

WEDGE-BILLED WOODCREEPER (Glyphorynchus spirurus). 

1 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 1 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge), 9 La Selva, 3 Tapanti N.P., 1 

Corcovado, 4 Tiskita and 1 Cerro de la Muerte. 

BARRED WOODCREEPER (Dendrocolaptes certhia). 


COCOA WOODCREEPER (Xiphorhynchus susurrans). 

1 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 5 La Selva, 3 Corcovado and 8 Tiskita. 

Note: The "small" Northern and Central American forms are now considered full species rank and split from Buff-throated 

Woodcreeper (X. guttatus). 

BLACK-STRIPED WOODCREEPER (Xiphorhynchus lachrymosus). 


SPOTTED WOODCREEPER (Xiphorhynchus erythropygius). 

1 Braulio Carrillo National Park and 3 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. 

STREAK-HEADED WOODCREEPER (Lepidocolaptes souleyetii). 

6 Carara Biological Reserve, 6 Hacienda Solimar, 1 Monteverde, 2 La Gavilan Lodge and 2 La 

34

Selva. 

SPOT-CROWNED WOODCREEPER (Lepidocolaptes affinis). 


Note: The South American forms are now considered full species rank and called Montane Woodcreeper (X. lacrymiger). 

BROWN-BILLED SCYTHEBILL (Campylorhamphus pusillus). 


SLATY SPINETAIL (Synallaxis brachyura). 

1 La Selva. 

RED-FACED SPINETAIL (Cranioleuca erythrops). 

2 Santa Elena Forest Reserve, 4 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and 1 Virgin del Socorro. 

SPOTTED BARBTAIL (Premnoplex brunnescens). 

2 Santa Elena Forest Reserve, 2 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and 1 Tapanti N.P. 

RUDDY TREERUNNER (Margarornis rubiginosus). 


BUFFY TUFTEDCHEEK (Pseudocolaptes lawrencii). 

1 Santa Elena Forest Reserve. 

STRIPED FOLIAGE-GLEANER (WOODHAUNTER) (Hyloctistes subulatus). 

1 Corcovado. 

LINEATED FOLIAGE-GLEANER (Syndactyla subalaris). 


STREAKED-BREASTED TREEHUNTER (Thripadectes rufobrunneus). 


GRAY-THROATED LEAFTOSSER (Sclerurus albigularis). 


SCALY-THROATED LEAFTOSSER (Sclerurus guatemalensis). 

1 Tiskita. 

PLAIN XENOPS (Xenops minutus). 


GREAT ANTSHRIKE (Taraba major). 

2 Tilaran - Fortuna and 1 on nest La Gavilan Lodge. 

BARRED ANTSHRIKE (Thamnophilus doliatus). 

13 Carara Biological Reserve, 10 Hacienda Solimar, 2 Tilaran - Fortuna, 1 La Selva and 1 Tiskita. 

BLACK-HOODED ANTSHRIKE (Thamnophilus bridgesi). 


WESTERN SLATY ANTSHRIKE (Thamnophilus atrinucha). 

2 La Selva. 

Note: Now the formerly Slaty Anshrike are split into two full species. The Western Slaty Antshrike includes the western 

forms (atrinucha, subcinereus and gorgonae). 

35

STREAK-CROWNED ANTVIREO (Dysithamnus striaticeps). 


SLATY ANTWREN (Myrmotherula schisticolor). 

1 Tapanti N.P. (TA,PEM & SKR). 

DOTTED-WINGED ANTWREN (Microrhopias quixensis). 

2 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 9 Carara Biological Reserve and 4 Tiskita. 

DUSKY ANTBIRD (Cercomacra tyrannina). 


CHESTNUT-BACKED ANTBIRD (Myrmeciza exsul). 


DULL-MANTLED ANTBIRD (Myrmeciza laemosticta). 


BLACK-FACED ANTTHRUSH (Formicarius analis). 

2 Carara Biological Reserve, 10 La Selva and 1 heard Tiskita. 

SILVERY-FRONTED TAPACULO (Scytalopus argentifrons). 

1 heard Braulio Carrillo National Park, 4 heard Santa Elena Forest Reserve, 2 heard Monteverde 

Cloud Forest Reserve and 1 heard Virgin del Socorro. 

CINNAMON BECARD (Pachyramphus cinnamomeus). 

2 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 1 Fortuna and 2 La Selva. 

WHITE-WINGED BECARD (Pachyramphus polychopterus). 


ROSE-THROATED BECARD (Pachyramphus aglaiae). 


MASKED TITYRA (Tityra semifasciata). 

1 Carara Biological Reserve, 4 Hacienda Solimar, 3 Fortuna, 3 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge), 5 

La Selva, 2 Chilamate - Virgin del Socorro and 5 Tiskita. 

BLACK-CROWNED TITYRA (Tityra inquisitor). 

2 La Selva. 

RUFOUS PIHA (Lipaugus unirufus). 

3 Carara Biological Reserve, 1 heard La Selva, 5 Corcovado and 5 heard Tiskita. 

SNOWY COTINGA (Carpodectes nitidus). 


PURPLE-THROATED FRUITCROW (Querula purpurata). 

2 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge), 1 La Gavilan Lodge and 6 La Selva. 

THREE-WATTLED BELLBIRD (Procnias tricarunculata). 

3 Santa Elena Forest Reserve and 1 heard Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. 

RED-CAPPED MANAKIN (Pipra mentalis). 

8 La Selva and 3 Tiskita. 

36

BLUE-CROWNED MANAKIN (Pipra coronata). 


LONG-TAILED MANAKIN (Chiroxiphia linearis). 


ORANGE-COLLARED MANAKIN (Manacus aurantiacus). 


WHITE-COLLARED MANAKIN (Manacus candei). 


GRAY-HEADED MANAKIN (Piprites griseiceps). 

1 La Selva (TA,EM & PEM). 

BLACK PHOEBE (Sayornis nigricans). 

2 Santa Elena - Tilaran, 1 Virgin del Socorro, 1 Tapanti and 2 Tapanti N.P. 

LONG-TAILED TYRANT (Colonia colonus). 

1 Tilaran - Fortuna and 3 La Selva. 

SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER (Tyrannus forficatus). 

7 Puerto Caldera - Hacienda Solimar and 12 Hacienda Solimar. 

EASTERN KINGBIRD (Tyrannus tyrannus). 


TROPICAL KINGBIRD (Tyrannus melancholicus). 


PIRATIC FLYCATCHER (Legatus leucophaius). 

1 Tárcoles River, 2 Carara Biological Reserve, 2 Fortuna, 2 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge), 3 La 

Selva, 1 Corcovado and 4 Tiskita. 

WHITE-RINGED FLYCATCHER (Coryphotriccus albovittatus). 


BOAT-BILLED FLYCATCHER (Megarhynchus pitangua). 

1 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 3 Carara Biological Reserve, 5 Hacienda Solimar and 1 La 

Selva. 

BRIGHT-RUMPED ATTILA (Attila spadiceus). 

1 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 1 Santa Elena Forest Reserve, 5 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge), 

5 La Selva, 1 Virgin del Socorro, 2 Tapanti N.P. and 3 Tiskita. 

SULPHUR-BELLIED FLYCATCHER (Myiodynastes luteiventris). 

10 Hacienda Solimar, 1 Fortuna, 1 La Selva, 3 Virgin del Socorro and 1 Tiskita. 

STREAKED FLYCATCHER (Myiodynastes maculatus). 

4 Carara Biological Reserve, 2 Hacienda Solimar and 2 Tiskita. 

GOLDEN-BELLIED FLYCATCHER (Myiodynastes hemicrysus). 

1 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 2 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and 1 Virgin del Socorro. 

37

GRAY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER (Myiozetetes granadensis). 

3 Carara Biological Reserve, 1 Fortuna, 4 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge), 6 La Selva and 3 

Tiskita. 

SOCIAL FLYCATCHER (Myiozetetes similis). 


GREAT KISKADEE (Pitangus sulphuratus). 


RUFOUS MOURNER (Rhytipterna holerythra). 

1 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 4 La Selva and 2 Tapanti N.P. 

PANAMA FLYCATCHER (Myiarchus panamensis). 

7 seen in the mangrove at Hacienda Solimar. 

BROWN-CRESTED FLYCATCHER (Myiarchus tyrannulus). 


GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER (Myiarchus crinitus). 

2 Carara Biological Reserve, 1 Fortuna and 4 Tiskita. 

DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER (Myiarchus tuberculifer). 

3 Carara Biological Reserve, 1 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, 2 La Gavilan Lodge, 3 La 

Selva, 1 Virgin del Socorro - San José, 1 Tapanti N.P., 1 Corcovado and 1 Tiskita. 

OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER (Contopus borealis). 

1 La Selva. 

EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE (Contopus virens). 

3 La Selva. 

TROPICAL PEWEE (Contopus cinereus). 

1 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 1 Carara Biological Reserve, 1 Monteverde Cloud Forest 

Reserve and 1 La Selva. 

DARK PEWEE (Contopus lugubris). 

1 Braulio Carrillo National Park and 2 Cerro de la Muerte. 

Note: Sometimes regarded as a subspecies of Smoke-colored Pewee (C. fumigatus). 

YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER (Empidonax flaviventris). 

1 Virgin del Socorro (TA). 

ACADIAN FLYCATCHER (Empidonax virescens). 


WHITE-THROATED FLYCATCHER (Empidonax albigularis). 

2 Braulio Carrillo N.P. - San José. 

YELLOWISH FLYCATCHER (Empidonax flavescens). 

3 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and 1 Tapanti N.P. 

BLACK-CAPPED FLYCATCHER (Empidonax atriceps). 


38

TUFTED FLYCATCHER (Mitrephanes phaeocercus). 

3 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, 1 Virgin del Socorro, 1 Tapanti N.P. and 2 Cerro de la 

Muerte. 

RUDDY-TAILED FLYCATCHER (Terenotriccus erythrurus). 

1 Tiskita. 

SULPHUR-RUMPED FLYCATCHER (Myiobius barbatus). 

2 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 2 Carara Biological Reserve and 2 Tiskita. 

ROYAL FLYCATCHER (Onychorhynchus coronatus). 


WHITE-THROATED SPADEBILL (Platyrinchus mystaceus). 


GOLDEN-CROWNED SPADEBILL (Platyrinchus coronatus). 


YELLOW-OLIVE FLYCATCHER (Tolmomyias sulphurescens). 

4 Carara Biological Reserve, 5 Hacienda Solimar, 1 La Selva, 1 Virgin del Socorro and 1 

Corcovado. 

YELLOW-MARGINED FLYCATCHER (Tolmomyias assimilis). 

1 La Selva. 

EYE-RINGED FLATBILL (Rhynchocyclus brevirostris). 

2 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and 1 Corcovado. 

BLACK-HEADED TODY-FLYCATCHER (Todirostrum nigriceps). 

1 La Selva. 

COMMON TODY-FLYCATCHER (Todirostrum cinereum). 

1 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 1 Tárcoles River, 3 Carara Biological Reserve, 2 Chilamate 

(Selva Verde Lodge), 4 La Selva, 2 Tapanti, 2 Corcovado and 1 Tiskita. 

SLATE-HEADED TODY-FLYCATCHER (Todirostrum sylvia). 


NORTHERN BENTBILL (Oncostoma cinereigulare). 


SCALE-CRESTED PYGMY-TYRANT (Lophotriccus pileatus). 

1 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 1 Virgin del Socorro and 6 Tapanti N.P. 

BLACK-CAPPED PYGMY-TYRANT (Myiornis atricapillus). 

1 La Selva. 

Note: Sometimes considered conspecific with cis-Andean Short-tailed Pygmy-Tyrant (M. ecaudatus). 

YELLOW TYRANNULET (Capsiempis flaveola). 

2 La Selva. 

TORRENT TYRANNULET (Serpophaga cinerea). 

2 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 1 Chilamate, 1 Virgin del Socorro and 4 Cerro de la Muerte. 

39

YELLOW-BELLIED ELAENIA (Elaenia flavogaster). 

1 Tilaran - Fortuna, 1 Fortuna, 2 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge), 1 La Selva, 1 Tapanti, 2 

Corcovado and 2 Tiskita. 

MOUNTAIN ELAENIA (Elaenia frantzii). 

1 Santa Elena Forest Reserve, 2 Monteverde - Monteverde C.F.R, 2 Monteverde Cloud Forest 

Reserve and 15 Cerro de la Muerte. 

GREENISH ELAENIA (Myiopagis viridicata). 


NORTHERN SCRUB FLYCATCHER (Sublegatus arenarum). 

5 seen in the mangrove at Hacienda Solimar. 

Note: Now considered a full species and split from the superspecies Scrub Flycatcher (S. modestus). 

NORTHERN BEARDLESS TYRANNULET (Camptostoma imberbe). 


PALTRY TYRANNULET (Zimmerius vilissimus). 

1 Santa Elena Forest Reserve, 15 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, 1 Chilamate (Selva Verde 

Lodge), 4 La Selva, 4 Virgin del Socorro and 5 Tapanti N.P. 

SLATY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER (Leptopogon superciliaris). 


OLIVE-STRIPED FLYCATCHER (Mionectes olivaceus). 

2 Tapanti N.P. and 1 Cerro de la Muerte. 

OCHRE-BELLIED FLYCATCHER (Mionectes oleagineus). 


GRAY-BREASTED MARTIN (Progne chalybea). 

5 Tárcoles River, 2 Carara - Pigres, 1 Hacienda Solimar, 1 Monteverde, 1 Tilaran - Fortuna, 6 La 

Selva - Chilamate, 1 La Selva, 6 Chilamate - Virgin del Socorro and 1 Tiskita. 

BARN SWALLOW (Hirundo rustica). 

Common, 1591 birds were counted. Highest number recorded were 150 Tárcoles River and 1150 

Puerto Caldera - Hacienda Solimar. 

SOUTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW (Stelgidopteryx ruficollis). 

2 Fortuna and 5 La Selva. 

NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW (Stelgidopteryx serripennis). 

2 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 25 Tárcoles River, 14 Tilaran - Fortuna, 20 Fortuna and 10 La 

Selva. 

ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW SPECIES. (Stelgidopteryx ruficollis/serripennis). 

109 unidentified birds were recorded. 

BLUE-AND-WHITE SWALLOW (Notiochelidon cyanoleuca). 


BANK SWALLOW (SAND MARTIN) (Riparia riparia). 

1 Tárcoles River (MHN) and 1 La Selva (TA). 

40

MANGROVE SWALLOW (Tachycineta albilinea). 

2 Tárcoles River, 6 Pigres, 12 Hacienda Solimar, 3 Tilaran - Fortuna and 2 La Gavilan Lodge. 

WHITE-THROATED MAGPIE-JAY (Calocitta formosa). 


BROWN JAY (Cyanocorax morio). 

6 Braulio Carrillo N.P. - San José, 2 San José - Carara B.R., 2 Carara Biological Reserve, 3 

Hacienda Solimar - Monteverde, 2 Monteverde, 1 Monteverde C.F.R. - Monteverde, 1 

Monteverde - Santa Elena, 6 Santa Elena - Fortuna, 2 La Selva, 1 San José and 1 Tapanti. 

AZURE-HOODED JAY (Cyanolyca cucullata). 

1 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 5 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, 1 Monteverde C.F.R. - 

Monteverde and 2 Tapanti N.P. 

SILVERY-THROATED JAY (Cyanolyca argentigula). 

2 birds seen before the main trip (March, 22) by Jesper Meedom and Erik Mølgaard at Cerro de 

la Muerte (KM 80). 

AMERICAN DIPPER (Cinclus mexicanus). 

2 Virgin del Socorro, 2 Virgin del Socorro - San José and 1 Tapanti N.P. 

SEDGE (GRASS) WREN (Cistothorus platensis). 


BANDED-BACKED WREN (Campylorhynchus zonatus). 

1 Braulio Carrillo National Park and 2 La Gavilan Lodge. 

RUFOUS-NAPED WREN (Campylorhynchus rufinucha). 

3 San José - Carara B.R., 2 Tárcoles River, 1 Pigres, 5 Puerto Caldera - Hacienda Solimar 19 

Hacienda Solimar. 

PLAIN WREN (Thryothorus modestus). 

2 Braulio Carrillo N.P. - San José, 1 San José - Carara B.R., 2 Hacienda Solimar, 2 Monteverde, 1 

La Selva, 1 Virgin del Socorro, 3 Corcovado and 8 Tiskita. 

Note: The birds seen at La Selva were the subspecies zeledoni there sometimes is considered as a full species and called 

Canebrake Wren. 

RUFOUS-AND-WHITE WREN (Thryothorus rufalbus). 


STRIPE-BREASTED WREN (Thryothorus thoracicus). 

8 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 1 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge), 2 La Selva and 1 Virgin del 

Socorro. 

BAY WREN (Thryothorus nigricapillus). 


Socorro. 

RIVERSIDE WREN (Thryothorus semibadius). 

4 Carara Biological Reserve, 3 Cordovado and 6 Tiskita. 

BANDED WREN (Thryothorus pleurostictus). 


41

BLACK-THROATED WREN (Thryothorus atrogularis). 

1 La Selva. 

BLACK-BELLIED WREN (Thryothorus fasciatoventris). 

5 Tiskita. 

RUFOUS-BREASTED WREN (Thryothorus rutilus). 


HOUSE WREN (Troglodytes aedon). 

2 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 1 Braulio Carrillo N.P. - San José, 2 Monteverde, 1 Chilamate 

(Selva Verde Lodge), 1 La Gavilan Lodge, 1 La Selva, 1 Tapanti N.P. and 3 Corcovado. 

OCHRACEOUS WREN (Troglodytes ochraceus). 

1 heard Santa Elena Forest Reserve and 1 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. 

Note: Sometimes considered conspecific with the Mountain Wren (T. solstitialis) of South America. 

TIMBERLINE WREN (Thryorchilus browni). 


WHITE-BREASTED WOOD-WREN (Henicorhina leucosticta). 


GRAY-BREASTED WOOD-WREN (Henicorhina leucophrys). 


Reserve, 4 Virgin del Socorro, 9 Tapanti N.P. and 1 Cerro de la Muerte. 

NORTHERN NIGHTINGALE WREN (Microcerculus philomela). 

2 heard Virgin del Socorro. 

Note: We follow Ridgely and Stiles and given the North Middle American subspecies philomela full species rank, based 

mainly on their different songs. 

SOUTHERN NIGHTINGALE WREN (Microcerculus marginatus). 


Note: We follow Ridgely and lumped Whistling Wren (M. luscinia) into the megaspecies Southern Nightingale-Wren. 

GRAY CATBIRD (Dumetella carolinensis). 

1 La Selva. 

WHITE-THROATED ROBIN (THRUSH) (Turdus assimilis). 

1 Braulio Carrillo N.P. - San José, 3 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, 2 Tapanti N.P. 

Note: Sometimes considered conspecific with White-necked Thrush (T. albicollis). 

CLAY-COLORED ROBIN (THRUSH)(Turdus grayi). 

Common in the lowlands, 59 birds were counted. 

PALE-VENTED ROBIN (THRUSH) (Turdus obsoletus). 


MOUNTAIN ROBIN (THRUSH) (Turdus plebejus). 

4 Santa Elena Forest Reserve, 3 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, 7 Tapanti N.P. and 24 Cerro 

de la Muerte. 

SOOTY ROBIN (THRUSH) (Turdus nigrescens). 

37 Cordillere de la Muerte. 

42

BLACK-FACED SOLITAIRE (Myadestes melanops). 


WOOD THRUSH (Hylocichla mustelina). 

1 Carara Biological Reserve, 1 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge), 1 La Selva, 1 Corcovado and 2 

Tiskita. 

SWAINSON'S THRUSH (Catharus ustulatus). 

Common, 74 birds were Counted. Highest number recorded were 49 Tiskita. 

BLACK-HEADED NIGHTINGALE-THRUSH (Catharus mexicanus). 


SLATY-BACKED NIGHTINGALE-THRUSH (Catharus fuscater). 

2 heard Santa Elena Forest Reserve, 4 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, 4 heard Virgin del 

Socorro, 1 heard Virgin del Socorro - San José and 13 heard Tapanti National Park. 

RUDDY-CAPPED NIGHTINGALE-THRUSH (Catharus frantzii). 

1 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and 7 Cerro de la Muerte. 

ORANGE-BILLED NIGHTINGALE-THRUSH (Catharus aurantiirostris). 

1 Braulio Carrillo N.P. - San José and 1 heard Monteverde. 

BLACK-BILLED NIGHTINGALE-THRUSH (Catharus gracilirostris). 

20 Cordillere de la Muerte. 

WHITE-LORED GNATCATCHER (Polioptila albiloris). 


TROPICAL GNATCATCHER (Polioptila plumbea). 

2 Carara Biological Reserve, 3 Hacienda Solimar, 1 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge) and 2 

Tiskita. 

LONG-BILLED GNATWREN (Ramphocaenus melanurus). 

4 Carara Biological Reserve, 1 Hacienda Solimar, 1 La Selva, 1 Corcovado and 12 Tiskita. 

LONG-TAILED SILKY-FLYCATCHER (Ptilogonys caudatus). 


BLACK-AND-YELLOW SILKY-FLYCATCHER (Phainoptila melanoxantha). 

2 Santa Elena Forest Reserve, 3 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and 4 Cordillere de la Muerte. 

RUFOUS-BROWED PEPPERSHRIKE (Cyclarhis gujanensis). 

2 heard in the mangrove at Hacienda Solimar. 

GREEN SHRIKE-VIREO (Vireolanius pulchellus). 


YELLOW-WINGED VIREO (Vireo carmioli). 

2 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and 4 Cerro de la Muerte. 

YELLOW-THROATED VIREO (Vireo flavifrons). 

1 Carara Biological Reserve (MHN) and 3 Hacienda Solimar. 

RED-EYED VIREO (Vireo olivaceus). 

43

1 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 1 Carara Biological Reserve, 1 La Selva and 2 Tiskita. 

YELLOW-GREEN VIREO (Vireo flavoviridis). 

5 Carara Biological Reserve, 8 Hacienda Solimar and 2 Tiskita. 

Note: Now considered full species rank and split from Red-eyed Vireo (V. flavoviridis). 

PHILADELPHIA VIREO (Vireo philadelphicus). 

2 Virgin del Socorro, 1 Virgin del Socorro - San José, 12 Corcovado and 1 Tiskita. 

BROWN-CAPPED VIREO (Vireo leucophrys). 

1 Carara Biological Reserve, 1 heard Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and 1 Tapanti N.P. 

Note: Formerly regarded as a subspecies of Warbling Vireo (V. gilvus). 

LESSER GREENLET (Hylophilus decurtatus). 

2 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 4 Carara Biological Reserve, 1 Monteverde Cloud Forest 

Reserve, 1 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge), 1 La Selva, 2 Corcovado and 2 Tiskita. 

BANANAQUIT (Coereba flaveola). 

2 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 3 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, 2 La Selva, 3 Virgin del 

Socorro, 8 Corcovado and 10 Tiskita. 

BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER (Mniotilta varia). 

2 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 1 Carara Biological Reserve and 1 La Selva. 

GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER (Vermivora chrysoptera). 

2 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 1 Monteverde, 1 La Gavilan Lodge, 1 La Selva, 1 Virgin del 

Socorro and 2 Tapanti N.P. 

TENNESSEE WARBLER (Vermivora peregrina). 


FLAME-THROATED WARBLER (Parula gutturalis). 


TROPICAL PARULA (Parula pitiayumi). 


YELLOW WARBLER (Dendroica petechia). 

D. p. aestiva (Yellow Warbler): 1 Carara Biological Reserve, 1 Tárcoles River, 8 Hacienda 

Solimar, 2 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge), 1 La Selva, 1 San José, 3 Corcovado and 1 Tiskita. 

D. p. erithachorides (Mangrove Warbler): 1 Pigres and 40 seen in the mangrove of Hacienda 

Solimar. 

BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER (Dendroica virens). 

2 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 1 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and 2 Virgin del Socorro. 

BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER (Dendroica fusca). 

1 Brauli Carrillo National Park, 2 Virgin del Socorro and 1 Virgin del Socorro - San José. 

CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER (Dendroica pensylvanica). 

18 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 11 Carara Biological Reserve, 1 Fortuna, 9 Chilamate (Selva 

Verde Lodge), 15 La Gavilan Lodge, 20 La Selva, 6 Virgin del Socorro, 1 Tapanti N.P. and 4 

Tiskita. 

44

BAY-BREASTED WARBLER (Dendroica castanea). 

2 La Selva. 

OVENBIRD (Seiurus aurocapillus). 


NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH (Seiurus noveboracensis). 

5 Carara Biological Reserve, 5 Hacienda Solimar, 1 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge), 1 La 

Gavilan Lodge and 2 Corcovado. 

KENTUCKY WARBLER (Oporornis formosus). 

2 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 2 Carara Biological Reserve and 1 Corcovado (MHN). 

MOURNING WARBLER (Oporornis philadelphia). 

1 Corcovado (PEM). 

OLIVE-CROWNED YELLOWTHROAT (Geothlypis semiflava). 

2 La Selva. 

GRAY-CROWNED YELLOWTHROAT (Geothlypis poliocephala). 

2 Hacienda Solimar, 1 Santa Elena - Tilaran and 2 Tilaran - Fortuna. 

WILSON'S WARBLER (Wilsonia pusilla). 

1 Monteverde, 2 Santa Elena Forest Reserve, 5 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, 4 Virgin del 

Socorro, 1 Tapanti N.P. and 9 Cerro de la Muerte. 

AMERICAN REDSTART (Setophaga ruticilla). 


SLATE-THROATED REDSTART (Myioborus miniatus). 


Reserve, 2 Virgin del Socorro and 20 Tapanti N.P. 

COLLARED REDSTART (Myioborus torquatus). 

6 Santa Elena Forest Reserve, 8 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, 2 Virgin del Socorro, 2 

Tapanti N.P. and 1 Cerro de la Muerte. 

THREE-STRIPED WARBLER (Basileuterus tristriatus). 


GOLDEN-CROWNED WARBLER (Basileuterus culicivorus). 

1 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and 2 Monteverde. 

BLACK-CHEEKED WARBLER (Basileuterus melanogenys). 


RUFOUS-CAPPED WARBLER (Basileuterus rufifrons). 

4 Hacienda Solimar and 1 San José (San Joaquin). 

BUFF-RUMPED WARBLER (Basileuterus fulvicauda). 


2 La Selva and 1 Tiskita. 

CHESTNUT-HEADED OROPENDOLA (Psarocolius wagleri). 

27 La Selva, 7 Tapanti N.P. and 5 Tiskita. 

45

MONTEZUMA OROPENDOLA (Psarocolius montezuma). 

2 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 11 Santa Elena - Chilamate, 150 Chilamate/La Selva area, 5 

Chilamate - Virgin del Socorro, 1 San José - Tapanti and 1 Tapanti - San José. 

GIANT COWBIRD (Scapidura oryzivora). 

1 Chilamate - Virgin del Socorro. 

SCARLET-RUMPED CACIQUE (Cacicus uropygialis). 


YELLOW-BILLED CACIQUE (Amblycercus holosericeus). 

4 La Selva. 

BRONZED COWBIRD (Molothrus aeneus). 

40 Tárcoles River, 25 Carara Biological Reserve, 9 Santa Elena - Chilamate, 1 La Selva, 4 La 

Selva - Chilamate, 5 Chilamate - Virgin del Socorro, 2 Virgin del Socorro - San José, 1 San José - 

Tapanti and 2 Corcovado. 

GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE (Quiscalus mexicanus). 

Common, 565 birds were counted. Highest number recorded were 150 San José on the 24th of 

March. 

ORCHARD ORIOLE (Icterus spurius). 

5 La Selva. 

BLACK-COWLED ORIOLE (Icterus dominicensis). 


YELLOW-TAILED ORIOLE (Icterus mesomelas). 

2 La Selva. 

SPOTTED-BREASTED ORIOLE (Icterus pectoralis). 


NORTHERN ORIOLE (Icterus galbula). 

1 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 1 Tárcoles River, 7 Carara Biological Reserve, 4 Hacienda 

Solimar, 3 Monteverde, 1 Tilaran - Fortuna, 5 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge) and 2 La Selva. 

STREAK-BACKED ORIOLE (Icterus pustulatus). 


RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD (Agelaius phoeniceus). 

1 Pigres, 175 Hacienda Solimar and 3 Fortuna - Chilamate. 

EASTERN MEADOWLARK (Sturnella magna). 

2 Braulio Carrillo N.P. - San José, 2 Tárcoles River, 2 Puerto Caldera - Hacienda Solimar, 4 

Hacienda Solimar, 6 Santa Elena - Tilaran, 2 Chilamate - La Selva and 3 San José. 

GOLDEN-BROWED CHLOROPHONIA (Chlorophonia callophrys). 


BLUE-HOODED EUPHONIA (Euphonia elegantissima). 


46

TAWNY-CAPPED EUPHONIA (Euphonia anneae). 


WHITE-VENTED EUPHONIA (Euphonia minuta). 

1 Tiskita (SKR). 

SCRUB EUPHONIA (Euphonia affinis). 

2 Puerto Caldera - Hacienda Solimar and 6 Hacienda Solimar. 

YELLOW-CROWNED EUPHONIA (Euphonia luteicapilla). 


THICK-BILLED EUPHONIA (Euphonia laniirostris). 

2 Corcovado (TA & PEM) and 2 Tiskita. 

YELLOW-THROATED EUPHONIA (Euphonia hirundinacea). 

2 Carara Biological Reserve and 2 Monteverde. 

OLIVE-BACKED EUPHONIA (Euphonia gouldi). 


SPOTTED-CROWNED EUPHONIA (Euphonia imitans). 


EMERALD TANAGER (Tangara florida). 


SPECKLED TANAGER (Tangara guttata). 

5 Braulio Carrillo National Park and 2 Virgin del Socorro. 

SILVER-THROATED TANAGER (Tangara icterocephala). 

2 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, 5 Virgin del Socorro and 5 Tapanti N.P. 

GOLDEN-HOODED TANAGER (Tangara larvata). 


Verde Lodge), 6 La Selva, 2 Corcovado and 11 Tiskita. 

RUFOUS-WINGED TANAGER (Tangara lavinia). 

1 Virgin del Socorro (PEM). 

BAY-HEADED TANAGER (Tangara gyrola). 

5 Virgin del Socorro, 2 Tapanti N.P., 2 Corcovado and 1 Tiskita. 

SPANGLED-CHEEKED TANAGER (Tangara dowii). 

4 Santa Elena Forest Reserve, 2 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, 7 Tapanti N.P. and 2 Cerro de 

la Muerte. 

GREEN HONEYCREEPER (Chlorophanes spiza). 



RED-LEGGED HONEYCREEPER (Cyanerpes cyaneus). 

6 Carara Biological Reserve, 2 Monteverde, 5 Tilaran - Fortuna, 1 Fortuna, 9 Corcovado and 8 

47

Tiskita. 

SHINING HONEYCREEPER (Cyanerpes lucidus). 

2 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 6 La Selva and 6 Tiskita. 

BLUE DACNIS (Dacnis cayana). 

1 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 2 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge), 2 La Selva and 2 Tiskita. 

SCARLET-THIGHED DACNIS (Dacnis venusta). 

1 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 1 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve (SKR) and 4 Virgin del 

Socorro. 

BLUE-AND-GOLD TANAGER (Buthraupis arcaei). 


BLUE-GRAY TANAGER (Thraupis episcopus). 

Common in the lowlands, 52 birds were counted. 

PALM TANAGER (Thraupis palmarum). 

5 Carara Biological Reserve, 2 Tárcoles River, 16 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge), 1 Chilamate - 

La Gavilan Lodge, 2 La Selva, 3 Corcovado and 4 Tiskita. 

SCARLET-RUMPED TANAGER (Ramphocelus passerinii). 

4 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 1 Tárcoles River, 11 Tilaran - Chilamate, 20 Chilamate (Selva 

Verde Lodge), 1 La Gavilan Lodge, 30 La Selva, 10 Corcovado and 10 Tiskita. 

CRIMSON-COLLARED TANAGER (Phlogothraupis sanguinolenta). 


Socorro. 

SUMMER TANAGER (Piranga rubra). 


Verde Lodge), 1 La Gavilan Lodge and 1 La Selva. 

HEPATIC TANAGER (Piranga flava). 

1 Braulio Carrillo National Park and 1 Tárcoles River. 

SCARLET TANAGER (Piranga olivacea). 


FLAME-COLORED TANAGER (Piranga bidentata). 


OLIVE TANAGER (Chlorothraupis carmioli). 


RED-THROATED ANT-TANAGER (Habia fuscicauda). 


WHITE-THROATED SHRIKE-TANAGER (Lanio leucothorax). 

1 Corcovado. 

WHITE-LINED TANAGER (Tachyphonus rufus). 

2 Braulio Carrillo National Park and 1 La Selva. 

48

WHITE-SHOULDERED TANAGER (Tachyphonus luctuosus). 


GRAY-HEADED TANAGER (Eucometis penicillata). 


DUSKY-FACED TANAGER (Mitrospingus cassinii). 


BLACK-AND-YELLOW TANAGER (Chrysothlypis chrysomelas). 


COMMON BUSH-TANAGER (Chlorospingus ophthalmicus). 


Reserve, 5 Virgin del Socorro, 60 Tapanti N.P. and 1 Cerro de la Muerte. 

SOOTY-CAPPED BUSH-TANAGER (Chlorospingus pileatus). 

9 Santa Elena Forest Reserve, 2 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, 30 Cerro de la Muerte. 

ASHY-THROATED BUSH-TANAGER (Chlorospingus canigularis). 


BLACK-HEADED SALTATOR (Saltator atriceps). 

1 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 1 La Gavilan Lodge and 2 La Selva. 

BUFF-THROATED SALTATOR (Saltator maximus). 


1 La Gavilan Lodge, 4 La Selva, 1 Tapanti, 1 Corcovado and 2 Tiskita. 

GRAYISH SALTATOR (Saltator coerulescens). 

4 Tilaran - Fortuna and 2 La Selva. 

STREAKED SALTATOR (Saltator albicollis). 

1 Tiskita. 

BLACK-FACED GROSBEAK (Caryothraustes poliogaster). 

2 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 2 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge) and 3 La Selva. 

SLATE-COLORED GROSBEAK (Pitylus grossus). 


BLACK-THIGHED GROSBEAK (Pheucticus tibialis). 

1 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 1 Santa Elena Forest Reserve, 1 Virgin del Socorro and 1 Cerro 

de la Muerte. 

ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK (Pheucticus ludovicianus). 

5 Carara Biological Reserve, 3 Hacienda Solimar, 2 La Selva and 1 Virgin del Socorro. 

BLUE GROSBEAK (Guiraca caerulea). 


BLUE-BLACK GROSBEAK (Cyanocompsa cyanoides). 


YELLOW-FACED GRASSQUIT (Tiaris olivacea). 

49

3 Braulio Carrillo N.P. - San José, 12 Santa Elena/Monteverde area, 12 Santa Elena - Fortuna, 1 

Fortuna, 2 Tiskita and 1 Cerro de la Muerte. 

WHITE-COLLARED SEEDEATER (Sporophila torqueola). 

2 Hacienda Solimar, 3 Corcovado and 2 Tiskita. 

VARIABLE SEEDEATER (Sporophila aurita). 

20 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 1 Tilaran - Fortuna, 3 Fortuna, 4 Chilamate (Selva Verde 

Lodge), 10 La Selva, 9 Chilamate - Virgin del Socorro, 2 Tapanti, 18 Corcovado, and 5 Tiskita. 

PINK-BILLED SEED-FINCH (Oryzoborus nuttingi). 

2 2 La Selva. 

THICK-BILLED SEED-FINCH (Oryzoborus funereus). 

2 and 1 Tiskita. 

BLUE-BLACK GRASSQUIT (Volatinia jacarina). 

2 Tárcoles River, 28 Hacienda Solimar, 2 Tilaran - Fortuna, 4 Fortuna, 10 Corcovado and 1 

Tiskita. 

SLATY FLOWERPIERCER (Diglossa plumbea). 


LARGE-FOOTED FINCH (Pezopetes capitalis). 


YELLOW-THIGHED FINCH (Pselliophorus tibialis). 

8 Santa Elena Forest Reserve and 2 Cerro de la Muerte. 

YELLOW-THROATED BRUSH-FINCH (Atlapetes gutturalis). 


CHESTNUT-CAPPED BRUSH-FINCH (Atlapetes brunneinucha). 


SOOTY-FACED FINCH (Lysurus crassirostris). 


ORANGE-BILLED SPARROW (Arremon aurantirostris). 


5 La Selva (Estacion Biologica La Selva), 1 Corcovado and 1 Tiskita. 

OLIVE SPARROW (Arremonops rufivirgatus). 


BLACK-STRIPED SPARROW (Arremonops conirostris). 

2 Braulio Carrillo National Park, 3 La Selva, 1 Virgin del Socorro, 4 Corcovado and 2 Tiskita. 

PREVOST'S GROUND-SPARROW (Melozone biarcuatum). 

4 San José (San Joaquin). 

WHITE-EARED GROUND-SPARROW (Melozone leucotis). 

6 Monteverde. 

STRIPE-HEADED SPARROW (Aimophila ruficauda). 

50


VOLCANO JUNCO (Junco vulcani). 

10 Cerro de la Muerte (Cerro de la Muerte). 

RUFOUS-COLLARED SPARROW (Zonotrichia capensis). 

Common in the middle and higher parts of the country. 126 birds were counted. 

YELLOW-BELLIED SISKIN (Carduelis xanthogastra). 


HOUSE SPARROW (Passer domesticus). 

11 Fortuna - Chilamate, 2 Chilamate - La Selva, 1 San José - Tapanti and 1 San José. 

51

LIST OF MAMMALS AND REPTILES RECORDED. 

CENTRAL AMERICAN OPOSSUM (Caluromys derbianus). 


BAT SPECIES. 


CENTRAL AMERICAN SQUIRREL MONKEY (Saimiri oerstedi). 

39 Tiskita. 

MANTLED HOWLER MONKEY (Alouatta palliata). 

A flock heard Carara Biological Reserve, 1 Puerto Caldera, 38 Hacienda Solimar, heard 

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, a flock heard La Selva, a flock heard Virgin del Socorro and 3 

+ a flock heard Tiskita. 

CENTRAL AMERICAN SPIDER MONKEY (Ateles geoffroyi). 

9 Corcovado. 

WHITE-FACED CAPUCHIN MONKEY (Cebus capuchinus). 

1 Carara Biological Reserve, 4 Hacienda Solimar, 7 Corcovado and Tiskita. 

NORTHERN TAMANDUA (Tamandua mexicana). 


Note: Also called Collared Anteater. 

BROWN-THROATED THREE-TOED SLOTH (Bradypes variegatos). 

2 La Selva, 1 Chilamate - Virgin del Socorro and 1 Tiskita. 

NINE-BANDED ARMADILLO (Nasypus novemcinctus). 


VARIEGATED SQUIRREL (Sciurus variegatoides). 

1 Carara Biological Reserve, 2 Hacienda Solimar, 10 Chilamate (Selva Verde Lodge), 1 Virgin 

del Socorro and 1 Tapanti N.P. 

DEPPE'S SQUIRREL (Sciurus deppei). 

1 Santa Elena Forest Reserve. 

CENTRAL AMERICAN AGOUTI (Dasyprocta punctata). 

1 Carara Biological Reserve, 1 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, 2 Chilamate (Selva Verde 

Lodge) and 3 La Selva. 

COYOTE (Canis latrans). 

1 Monteverde (KR & MP). 

GRAY FOX (Urocyon cinereoargenteus). 


WHITE-NOSED COATI (Nasua narica). 

8 Hacienda Solimar, 1 La Selva and track seen at Tiskita. 

COLLARED PECCARY (Tayassu tajacu). 

52

2 Carara Biological Reserve, 8 Hacienda Solimar and La Selva. 

RED BROCKET DEER (Mozama americana). 


DOLPHIN SPECIES ( ). 

1 Tiskita (TA). 

AMERICAN CROCODILE ( ). 


COMMON IGUANA (Iguana iguana). 

1 Tárcoles River, 6 Carara Biological Reserve and 1 La Gavilan Lodge. 

BOA SNAKE (Constrictor constrictor). 

1 Corcovado and 1 Tiskita (MP). 

SNAKE SPECIES. 


53

Costa Rica Mar. - Apr. 1996 - Scanbird

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