Woodpeckers are one of those bird families that are so cool and distinctive that they are even immediately recognized by most non-birders. Thanks to Woody Woodpecker and the unforgettable antics of birds that thrive on “head-banging”, someone who has no idea what a chickadee or flycatcher is can still correctly identify a woodpecker when they [...]
Continue reading about What Woodpeckers are You Going to See When Birding Costa Rica?
Playa Hermosa is a beach in the northwestern part of Costa Rica. There may be other places called “lovely beach” in the country but this is the official one. The beach is decent but, for birding, you should really head inland. I went up that way this past weekend for a short family vacation with [...]
Continue reading about Good Birding in Costa Rica near Playa Hermosa
Last weekend came and went like a flash. Not this past weekend but the weekend before. Although I did see a bunch of high-flying Chestnut-collared Swifts foraging above the house with a light phase Short-tailed Hawk taking to the thermals beneath them, that was a muuuuch more relaxed experience than the last Saturday of March [...]
Continue reading about A Rundown of a Big Day in Costa Rica (or Getting and Missing Birds part Dos)
As every birder knows, a “Big Day” doesn’t refer to some sort of sales scheme, the Super Bowl, or the day when an expectant mother gives birth. Depending on who you talk to, yes, those dates are certainly auspicious BUT when it comes to birding, there is only one “Big Day”. This is a 24 [...]
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Poas Volcano is somewhat overlooked as a birding destination. Birders in search of highland specialties head off to the more extensive forests on Cerro de la Muerte and have a grand old time with the R. Quetzal, Collared Redstarts, Zeledonias, and other birds that got an evolutionary foothold in the rising Talamancas. Nevertheless, you can [...]
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The new year is so well underway that it has essentially ceased to be “new”. Nevertheless, I feel compelled to make some sort of birding forecast for Costa Rica in 2012. Don’t worry, there won’t be any predictions about the end of the world based on the Mayan calendar, just some ideas about birds and [...]
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Costa Rica is definitely a hot, tropical country. At 9 degrees latitude, the sun’s rays can burn with the intensity of some vicious alien device. In the humid lowlands, you sweat but just can’t seem to cool off. 80 degrees is the norm, it feels like summer most of the time, and thank goodness for [...]
Continue reading about Birding in Costa Rica at Paraiso de Quetzales
Sleep was almost as evasive as a Harpy Eagle or a dry day in Tortuguero National Park. This did not bode well for the long day of birding that awaited us in the Veragua count circle. Who knows how long we would have to hike in the humid Caribbean lowland heat? Not to mention, we [...]
Montezuma always makes me think of Mexico but there is another one much closer to home (at least for me). This is the seaside village of Montezuma located on the southern part of the Nicoya peninsula. If any birders make it there, it’s usually by accident or with a non-birding tour group set on checking [...]
Continue reading about A Brief Guide to Birding around Montezuma, Costa Rica
Before heading down to Costa Rica for a healthy dose of bird biodiversity, studying that field guide is imperative for knowing what you are looking at. Even if you plan on hiring a birding guide (always a good idea), it’s still important to gaze at illustrations, try to learn field marks, and read about the [...]
Continue reading about Tips on Woodcreeper Identification when Birding Costa Rica
