Category: Birds

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FAVE BIRDS – Toucans at Home

Okay, I’m kind of “cheating” here by showing two different types of toucans that have perched in my Cecropia or Guarumo Tree: The Fiery-billed Aracari (eBird description) and the Keel-billed Toucan (eBird description). And with many more shots of both from all over Costa Rica, see my Fiery-billed Aracari Gallery and/or my Keel-billed Toucan Gallery. Since I have so many photos from so many different places, I will not try to feature the locations, though the location for both of these shots is my own garden in Roca Verde, Atenas, Alajuela Province, Costa Rica! 🙂 I am indeed fortunate!

Keel-billed Toucan, My Garden, Atenas, Costa Rica
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FAVE BIRDS – Squirrel Cuckoo

I was really excited the first time I saw a Squirrel Cuckoo (eBird description) in my garden, thinking that all cuckoos were rare exotic birds. I’ve since learned that this particular one is fairly common all over Costa Rica and you will find 5 locations in Costa Rica in my Squirrel Cuckoo Gallery. Plus eBird says it is “widespread” throughout Central and South America. It is one of 6 different species of Cuckoos found in Costa Rica. Beyond this one, I have photos of just 2 other species in Costa Rica: The Mangrove Cuckoo (2) and the Lesser Ground-Cuckoo (1). See more information and links in The Backstory below . . .

Squirrel Cuckoo, My Gardens, Roca Verde, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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FAVE BIRDS – Spot-crowned Euphonia

The Spot-crowned Euphonia (eBird description) is a favorite for many reasons, including that this photo is so detailed of the female eating a little berry that even her tongue is showing. 🙂 Plus this bird is endemic to Costa Rica, meaning it is found only here and a few spots over the border in Panama. In my Spot-crowned Euphonia Gallery I have shots from only two places and will link to those places and TRIP GALLERIES in The Backstory below, plus I’m adding a photo of the male so you can see the difference. It was photographed at the same time and place as the female and thus they could be mates.

Spot-crowned Euphonia Female, Esquinas Rainforest Lodge, Piedras Blancas NP.
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FAVE BIRDS – Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

The Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (eBird description) is definitely the most common hummingbird in my garden, to the point of having chased away other types of hummingbirds. 🙂 And it may be the most common all over Costa Rica or at least I’ve seen it all over! In my Rufous-tailed Hummingbird Gallery you will see my shots from 9 locations in Costa Rica. It is found only in Central America and the northern edges of South America. Because it is found almost everywhere in Costa Rica, I will not link Trip Galleries for this bird but just credit the feature photo and my second favorite Rufous-tailed shot which appears below with the two places linked . . .

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Esquinas Rainforest Lodge, Costa Rica
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FAVE BIRDS – Rose-throated Becard

I became aware of the Rose-throated Becard (eBird description) when in 2017 I got this close-up of a female in my own garden! 🙂 See other shots in my Rose-throated Becard Gallery from only 2 different locations in Costa Rica, one other in my neighborhood and one at Punta Leona on the Pacific Coast.

Rose-throated Becard, My Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica
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FAVE BIRDS – Red-legged Honeycreeper

The Red-legged Honeycreeper (eBird description) is a favorite bird and this photo a favorite shot, shown by the fact that I used in on my “Big Bird Book” cover seen below. You can see a sampling of my photos of this bird in My Red-legged Honeycreeper Gallery with shots from 5 different locations in Costa Rica which are noted in The Backstory below with links to all of the TRIP GALLERIES of where the shots were made.

Red-legged Honeycreeper, Maquenque Lodge, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica
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FAVE BIRDS – Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl

It is both a fave bird and favorite photo of the Pygmy Owl! Read about them at Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (eBird description) as the Central & South American version of the pygmy owls found around the world. See also my Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl Gallery for my shots from 3 different locations in Costa Rica. Plus below I’m adding a shot from Guatemala of a whole family of them! 🙂 My other favorite pygmy owl photo! 🙂 And also below I will include the TRIP GALLERIES of all 4 trips where I photographed this owl and The Backstory of the featured photo.

Pygmy Owl, Tarcoles River, Costa Rica.
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FAVE BIRDS – Pale-billed Woodpecker

I have lots of woodpecker photos of 9 different species, but this one seems the most unique to me and one that is not seen as often and can easily be confused with the common Pileated Woodpecker. And because it is also similar to the now-extinct Ivory-billed Woodpecker in the states, I will call it the CR substitute! 🙂 I first saw one of these on the Bribri Yorkin Indigenous Reserve, but not as good a photo as this one at Arenal. Read about the Pale-billed Woodpecker (Link to eBird description) or see my Pale-billed Woodpecker Gallery for my shots from 5 different locations in Costa Rica with links below to the trip galleries where I made the photos. As with so many birds I have found this one easier to find and photograph at Maquenque Eco-Lodge and the Arenal Observatory Lodge that I highly recommend for birding and bird photography. 🙂

Pale-billed Woodpecker, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica
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FAVE BIRDS – Montezuma Oropendola

This bird has always intrigued me with its bright colors and unique nests and because I have seen him all over the country from coast to coast, mountains, valleys and lowlands! Read about the Montezuma Oropendola on eBirds site or see my collection of photos in my Montezuma Oropendola Gallery. I tell more about this photo and the unique nests they make in my Backstory below plus links to the places I made my photos as trip galleries.

Montezuma Oropendola, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Arenal Volcano NP.
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FAVE BIRDS – Little Blue Heron

In some ways the Little Blue Heron (eBird description) is more photogenic than the Great Blue Heron, maybe because most are a solid color. See my other shots in my Little Blue Heron Gallery from 9 different locations in Costa Rica. I like bird photos with simple, solid backgrounds like this one, plus he’s flying with great aerodynamics! 🙂 But I also like traditional portraits like the one I’m including below as an extra. Both photos were made at or near Rancho Humo which you can read more about in The Backstory below.

Little Blue Heron, Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica
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