Photos with this report (click to enlarge) | |||
 Resplendent Quetzal |
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This winter, I had an amazing Costa Rica birding experience. The birds were numerous, the people were friendly, the food was good, and the cost was low. I highly recommend birding there. I traveled with my family for two weeks and my trip was not the usual birding tour. However, I was able to work the area around Golfito pretty extensively and did have a very nice side trip to Monteverde. In the field, I used the new field guide by Garrigues and Dean: The Birds of Costa Rica. I highly recommend this book. It is small yet has everything you need with great illustrations. Furthermore, the pages do not become saturated and disfigured when they get wet. My book got wet everyday I just dried it overnight. I also brought the classic Siles and Skutch book, A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica, which was helpful but not necessary. I brought a pair of heavy duty waterproof hiking boots. The pair I use in the snow. They worked great, did not get stuck in the mud, and provided better traction on inclines than the large rubber boots that are commonly used. I was able to identify most birds to species but had a particularly difficult time with flycatchers. I looked up many of the songs for free on www.xenocanto.org before the trip. This helped with a lot of the birds that are usually heard only. Overall the trip was a huge success netting 118 life birds and 203 for the trip total.
ITINERARY:
12/17/07: Flew into San Jose and drove to San Isidro arriving at dark. Only species of note was a Paraque in the driveway of the friend’s house where we stayed.
12/18/07: My first am in CR! Stepped out on the balcony and saw the beautiful land around San Isidro and a White-crowned Parrot teed up on a palm. In the yard, a fruiting tree was attracting: Golden-hooded (#800 lifer), Bay-headed, Cherrie’s (common), Speckled (only three of the trip), Silver-throated, Blue-gray (common) Tanager, Bananaquit, White-ruffed Manakin, Green and Red-legged Honeycreeper, 4 Gray-headed Chachalacas (which I renamed Costa Rican Tree-Turkeys), and neotropical migrants. Some new swallows were a highlight: Blue-and-white and Southern-Rough-winged.
Next we drove to Golifto with a few stops I saw a Fork-tailed Flycatcher from the car and Orange-chinned Parakeets at a lunch stop. At a native village, I saw the first of 3 Gray Hawks for the trip. This one was soaring and being harassed by Gray-breasted Martins in much different habitat than the riparian zones that this species frequents in Southern AZ.
After a stop to fix a diesel line leak, we made it to Golfito where I was greeted by non-stop Magnificent Frigatebird action. Laughing Gulls, Sandwich Terns and Royal Terns were always around the gulf. We got in a boat and motored to Playa Cacao, which is across the gulf and to the north of its exit to the bay. As I watched the sun set, White Ibis, Little Blue Herons, and Tricolored Herons streamed south. Mangrove swallows were abundant. I decided to check out the mudflats in the north end of the gulf the following day.
12/19/07: This am, went for a quick boat ride near the shore. It was a difficult angle to bird from, but did see my first Chestnut-mandibled Toucan and Yellow-headed Caracara. Both of these species were fairly common near Golfito. Soaring overhead were 3 King Vultures in with the abundant Blacks and uncommon Turkeys, this was the only sighting of this species that I had.
I got back around 10 and walked the dirt road that connects Playa Cacao to Golfito by looping around the northern bit of the gulf. This road goes through some nice primary and secondary forest, has access to some mangroves, mud flats, bamboo, and one grassy flat area. On this scouting trip, I had a blast but had to return due to heat and humidity: Great Tinamou (H), several Charming Hummingbird leks, Ringed Kingfisher, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, a male and female Black-hooded Antshrike, Gray-crowned Flycatcher, Tropical Gnatcatcher, Blue-black Grassquit, Black-striped Sparrow, Thick-billed Seedfinch, Buff-throated Saltator. Exceptional highlights were watching a Gray-necked Wood-Rail nonchalantly walk down the road with two White-tipped Doves. The most intense experience was following some mobbing songbirds and finding a Spectacled Owl with rat in talons staring straight at me.
In the afternoon went for a brief boat ride with the family and dogs into La Trocha; a canal through the mangroves, dredged 20 years ago by the Banana Co. Marked by Styrofoam stuck in mangroves, it is hard to find and easy to get lost in, and not to be attempted at low tide. I was awestruck to see two flyover Mangrove Hummingbirds and a male perched on a branch in the middle of the channel. Nice groups of Costa Rican Swifts overhead, but this was the only day that I saw this species.
12/20/07: This morning I took a walk along the shore at Playa Cacao and birded from a bridge that crosses a small stream as it exits to the gulf. This is near a school. Here I had extended views of a male and female Green Kingfisher hunting. At a fruit feeder on the way back, I saw a Palm Tanager and as I listed, an Amazon Kingfisher flew by.
My family and I then took a day trip to Zancudo, A small town on the bay that we accessed via The Trocha. Lots of shorebirds and frigatebirds perched up. The sandbars where the Trocha ends at the bay had a lot of action but I wasn’t able to pick through the birds. My only Caspian Tern of the trip was notable. Zancudo was pretty quiet birdwise but had a nice beach where we body surfed. In the small forest zone between the beach and the town, I saw a Panama Flycatcher catch a cicada, bang it against a branch, and swallow it while it was still buzzing.
The tide had dropped more than we expected and on the way back we had to pull the boat while waist deep in muck. Of course, the birding got great at this point. I did manage to see two Slaty-tailed Trogons and a possible mangrove warbler which flew right at me.
Before heading back to Playa Cacao, we stopped by a friend’s house. This is on a piece of land called the big island. It is between the gulf and the bay, above the trocha, and below the large channel. He has a farm and owns a lot of private land that we would explore later. On this day, I was able to see 3 Wilson’s Plovers on the mudflats from his house. A family group of Golden-naped Woodpeckers was hanging out in his yard.
12/21/07: We came back for a more in depth exploration of our friend’s island. His daughter guided us along a primitive trail, which led up through some really nice primary growth forest. There was a lot of potential for birds but I was not in control of the speed at which we were hiking and so walked right past a lot of stuff. I did manage to see some very nice birds though. My only Violet-crowned Woodnymph of the trip perched a few feet from me and 2 White-crowned Parrots showed well for everyone. I was also able to whistle in a Cacao Woodcreeper. Nice birds such as Slaty Antwren were seen at every stop, but there weren’t many such stops.
Near the house there is also a short trail that leads to a waterfall. I was able to take this trail at my leisure and enjoyed fabulous looks of a Double-toothed Kite doing some weird wing flapping display. I also ran into a nice mixed species flock that had my first Riverside Wren, Ochre-bellied Flycatcher, and Blue-crowned Manakin. My mom stayed behind with me and we enjoyed extended views of a close Blue-crowned Motmot. It even did the side to side pendulum tail movements. Blue-throated Goldentail perched up on the way out.
12/22/07: This morning my sister gave me my Christmas present. She woke up early and provided great company for a birding expedition down the Microwave Tower Road. The birding was great with many spectacular looks at amazing birds perched out over gorgeous scenery. However, a lot of the birds were in small mixed species flocks that were a bit difficult to follow. Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager was not found but White-crested Coquette was located. Three of the cute little flirts were found feeding on trees with pink flowers at the first of two switchbacks below the largest lookout with several large round picnic tables.
Aurora and I caught a taxi that dropped us off about 1/4 of the way up because the road was a little rough and he wimped out. We walked up to the first large lookout where there are a few picnic tables. In the morning, brilliant blue Morpho butterflies were abundant along this stretch. We were lucky to randomly chance upon a taxi dropping his fare here. We then caught a ride to the top and walked down. The birding was good all along the road with many small mixed species flocks. Some of the standouts in these flocks were; White-whiskered Puffbird (fem), Plain Xenops, Black-hooded Antshrike, Ochre-bellied Flycatcher, Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher, Rufous Mourner, Red-capped Manakin, Tawny-crowned Greenlet, Lesser Greenlet, Tropical Gnatcatcher, Riverside Wren, White-shouldered Tanager, white-throated Shrike-Tanager, Golden-hooded Tanager, Bay-headed Tanager, Silver-throated Tanager (low elevation?), and Blue Dacnis. Lots of birds were seen outside of these mixed species flocks in single species flocks/groups/pairs: Chestnut-mandibled Toucan (one particularly photogenic one ate a guava 15 feet from us), Fiery-billed Aracari (The first one flew in and perched in front of a 180 panoramic view of the gulf, we also ran into a group of 5 preening), Streaked Flycatcher (a pair), Masked Tityra, and Black-crowned Tityra. The walk yielded an incredible diversity of hummingbirds: Stripe-throated Hermit (working singly, slowly, and low in the vegetation), Purple-crowned Fairy (flitting its tail madly), Charming Hummingbird, White-necked Jacobin, Blue-throated Goldentail, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, White-crested Coquette (words can not describe this amazing bird). Perhaps the experience that best embodies this entire trip was eating lunch in front of an amazing panorama of the golf, the mangroves, and the bay and seeing my life Swallow-tailed Kite float by at eye level!
12/23/07: Today the whole family drove up to San Vito to see the Wilson Botanical Garden. This place was awesome. There was virtually no one else present and the birding was relatively easy due to the open nature of the plantings. I picked up a nice suite of birds that were only found here: Blue-headed Parrot (two high in a tree), Lineated Woodpecker, Ruddy Foliage-Gleaner, Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush, Rufous-breasted Wren, and Gray-chested Dove, Red-crowned Ant-Tanager, and Lesser Goldfinch. Some other standouts were large noisy flocks of Crimson-fronted Parakeets, 5 Blue-crowned Motmots, Common Tody Flycatcher, and Slate-throated Redstarts with yellow bellies!
12/24/07: On the way back from Wilson, we drove the dirt track to Playa Cacao that I have mentioned previously. Near the flooded grassy area we almost ran down a small brown rail. I decided to check out the grassy area and tape for rails. I forgot batteries needed to play tape, but luckily the White-throated Crakes were very vocal. This grassy area also held a nice group of Smooth-billed Anis, a regular Mourning Warbler, and another unidentified bird that I have been calling a Connecticut until I sit down to write this report. The chip note was to harsh and I didn’t see the whole bird. What I did see was a dark hood and a complete eye ring. The trial was birdy as usual and I happened upon some very cool experiences such as a Long-billed Hermit fight, a Common Paraque flush underfoot, and a group of 4 Cinnamon Becards accompanied by a larger Rose-throated Becard that looked much different from the race I have seen in Arizona. Singles of the following birds were only seen on this excursion: Thrushlike Schiffornis, Black-bellied Wren, and White-throated Robin. Close to Playa Cacao, I found a little trail that worked its way to the mudflats. I was immediately rewarded with a distant Amazon Kingfisher, and brief Mangrove Hummingbird, and several Collared and Wilson’s Plovers.
12/25/07: Spent all night and day sick with food poisoning from a potlatch that we attended.
12/26/07: Still recovering, went on a little kayaking trip along the shore by Playa Cacao. Had amazing looks at Sandwich Terns, Green Kingfisher, and my only Short-billed Pigeon.
12/27/07: This morning Mario, the Tico who was taking care of our property, guided me on a trail that followed a small stream. This trail can be accessed if you walk to west of Playa Cacao to the mouth of the stream. Mario cautioned against going past the sign that demands money for camping privileges. Mario has seen Jaguars here and he found a few tracks on the day we walked it.
On the way over, I hurriedly saw two Yellow-bellied Eleania with their crests raised. At the bridge by the school, a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron was quickly walking away. On the trail Little Tinamous were heard often and I had a few fleeting looks. Great Tinamou was also heard but wouldn’t come in to tape. Mario was able to call in some good birds. Chestnut-backed Antbirds and Tawny-crowned Greenlets were quite responsive and a pair of Black-throated Trogons came in and stuck around for a long time. The trips only Orange-billed Sparrows foraged on the ground in dense jungle that was dripping with mosquitos. At one time, we had a male Blue-crowned Manakin sharing binoc views with a Red-capped Manakin. These are incredibly fun and dapper birds. The one that got away was a very small kingfisher that kept flushing ahead of us and eventually retreated into its burrow. Consolation was found in a Green Kingfisher that was actively fishing at the bridge near the church on the way back.
In the afternoon, we went for a tour around the gulf and flushed hundreds of herons and Ibis. On the way back, my sister was zipping along the water and we almost ran over a bird that I quickly ID’d as a booby sitting on the water. I had her turn and she got within feet of a juvenile Brown/Red-footed Booby. The bird appeared uniform brown all over with yellow-green bare parts and a pale iris.
12/28/07: Today was a travel day. We drove from Golfito to Monteverde via the coastal route and a terrible road near Dominical. Along this stretch I saw a Gray Hawk, Amazon Kingfisher, and a Crested Caracara. We stopped at the Tarcoles Bridge, which was packed with tour groups that watched as tour leaders fed the alligators. I walked out on the crowded bridge not expecting much and vying with American tourist stereotypes for space. I was flabbergasted when a Scarlet Macaw flew over and was quickly followed by a Roseate Spoonbill. From the car on the road to Monteverde, I had nice looks at a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher hawking for insects in a bucolic pasture as the sun set in the background.
12/29/07: Today was the climax of the trip, an amazing birding experience that I will treasure for the rest of my life. After listening to me rave about quetzals for years, my mom was sufficiently intrigued to join me for the hike through the Monteverde Preserve. The weather proved to be perfectly horrendous. Wind, rain and mud greeted us and accompanied us for most of the day. I was amazed that see so many tourists out hiking and using trash bags as raingear and looking down at the mud. I am surprised that they even attempted the trails. I did not hire a guide as I wanted to find my own quetzal. My mom and I made a nice loop via the El Camino, Pantanoso, and Rio trials.
Starting up Sendero El Camino, which is a wide road-like trail, I almost tripped over a Three-striped Warbler and Slate-throated Redstart foraging at 5 feet. These birds were very common throughout the day. Common Bush-tanagers were abundant. After this initial success, the rain and wind began to accumulate and views of birds were few and fleeting: Green Hermit, Violet Sabrewing, and Azure-hooded Jay. Rounding a corner near a stream, I ran into a nice mixed flock that had a few backlit Spangle-cheecked Tanagers. Between this section and the viewpoint at the intersection of El Camino and Pantoso we saw a lot of nice birds in great light. My mom spotted my 900th life bird; an immense Black Guan perched up at eye level that stared at us for 10 min and then slowly moved away. Also present in a nice mixed flock were several Ruddy Treerunners and Collared Redstarts. In this area, I saw my first of several very cool Black-faced Solitaites but I sadly did not hear any.
Senero Pantanoso goes through a cool swampy area. There are plenty of very nice boardwalks and pavers made out of tree cross-sections. However, this trail did have several sections of intense mud. At a spotty opening, the sun began to shine through large trees that were heavily laden with moss and bromeliads. I subconsciously picked up on movement in the peripheral of my peripheral and thought, “should I check it out? I don’t think I even saw anything.” I pointed my binoculars at the limb in question and saw the distinctive silhouette of a male Resplendent Quetzal! I got my mom on the bird and as we were watching, it dashed out in a whirling frenzy of tail streamers and snatched something then perched above our heads. We followed it for about 20 minutes as it performed 3 more of these spectacular dashes but mostly sat silently and appraised our presence. There were also several Gray-breasted Wood-Wren and a mixed flock with a male Golden-winged Warbler. Near the intersection of Sendero Pantanoso with the Rio trail a large treeless area housed two incredibly adorable and charismatic Tufted Flycatchers. The waterfall is more of a chocolate waterslide. In this area another Black Guan was found.
The Hummingbird Gallery is not to be missed. It is free but the hummingbirds are easy and priceless. 9 species of Hummingbird: Green Hermit, Violet Sabrewing, Green-crowned Brilliant, Green Violet-ear, Stripe-tailed Hummingbird, Coppery-headed Emeral, Purple-throated Mountain-Gem, and Magenta-throated Woodstar
12/30/07 Today we drove from Santa Elena to the airport in San Jose. On the way down the mountain I saw a nice family of Rufous-naped Wrens. I picked up a Hoffman’s Woodpecker when we were stopped to fix the truck’s diesel line (for the third time).
When we got the airport hotel, my mom mentioned that she wanted to see Poas Volcano. The clerk offered to call us a cab and we quickly hopped in and were zipped up the mountain in an hour-long dash of frenzied driving. When we got to the volcano we were informed that it closed in 20 minutes. We paid the 24 dollar fee and hurried out to the edge of this a great crater with sulfur water in the bottom and cool smokers. Along the way my mom found me a nice small group of several Yellow-thighed Finch and a Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager. We took several pictures at the rim and I enjoyed close views of a Rufous-collared Sparrow (the lost member of the Zonotrichia genus). We then took our time coming back and enjoyed the interesting flora above timberline. Along this stretch, I was able to locate perhaps the easiest to ID empid: Black-capped Flycatcher. My sister also pointed out a Black-billed Nightingale Thush that was walking along the side of the road and provided crippling looks.
12/31/07: This was my last day in Costa Rica. I had time for a quick neighborhood stroll in the morning and was able to find my last bird of the trip, Red-billed Pigeon.
1. Great Tinamou: FC heard around Playa Cacao.
2. Little Tinamou: C heard and seen around Playa Cacao
3. Gray-headed Chachalaca: UC one group seen in San Ysidro and one at Playa Cacao.
4. Black Guan: 2 observed in Monteverde Reserve.
5. booby ssp. 1 juv sitting on water in the gulf. Uniform brown plumage, light iris, and yellow-green bare parts.
6. Brown Pelican: C around Golfito.
7. Neotropic Cormorant: 2 around Golfito.
8. Magnificent Frigatebird: A soaring overhead around Golfito and Zancudo.
9. Little Blue Heron: A around mudflats and mangroves near Golfito.
10. Great Egret: FC around Golfito.
11. Great Blue Heron: UC ~3 seen in Mangroves bordering the Trocha.
12. Cattle Egret: A near cattle throughout.
13. Snowy Egret: VC around mudflats and mangroves near Golfito.
14. Green Heron: C around mudflats and mangroves near Golfito.
15. Tricolored Heron: C around shoreline, mudflats, and mangroves near Golfito.
16. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron: 2 seen near Playa Cacao.
17. Roseate Spoonbill: 1 in flight over Tarcoles Bridge.
18. White Ibis: A around mudflats and mangroves near Golfito.
19. Black Vulture: A throughout
20. Turkey Vulture: FC throughout.
21. King Vulture; 3 seen soaring overhead near Playa Cacao.
22. Osprey: FC near Golfito.
23. Double-toothed Kite: 1 perched and sunning/dancing at the big island across from Golfito.
24. Swallow-tailed Kite: 3 seen soaring at eye-level along the road to the Microwave Towers.
25. Gray Hawk: 3 seen at different midelevation locations.
26. Roadside Hawk: 1 along road from Golfito to Playa Cacao.
27. Broad-winged Hawk: 1 along road from Golfito to Playa Cacao.
28. Crested Caracara: 1 Along road near Dominical.
29. Yellow-headed Caracara: UC near Playa Cacao. One at Tarcoles bridge.
30. Gray-necked Wood-Rail: 1 walking along road from Playa Cacao to Golfito. Several responded to tape along stream mouth at Playa Cacao.
31. White-throated Crake: About 5 heard at grassy section along road from Playa Cacao to Golfito.
32. Collared Plover: 4 at mudflats along north side of the gulf.
33. Wilson’s Plover: 3 at mudflats along north side of the gulf. 3 at stream mouth on big island.
34. Black-bellied Plover: UC at stream mouths and mudflats.
35. Whimbrel: FC at stream mouths, mudflats, and mangroves.
36. Willet: C at stream mouths. mudflats, and mangroves. Eastern subspecies?
37. Lesser Yellowlegs. 1 at mouth of the Trocha.
38. Spotted Sandpiper: VC along rocky shores and in mangroves.
39. Ruddy Turnstone: FC along rocky shores and mudflats.
40. calidris sp: UC along mudlats and river mouths. Most likely Western Sandpiper.
41. Laughing Gull: FC At river mouths and in the gulf.
42. Caspian Tern: One at mouth of Trocha.
43. Royal Tern: C on open water.
44. Sandwich Tern: FC diving over shallow water in northern pat of the gulf. UC on open water.
45. Rock Pigeon: UC in San Jose and urban areas?
46. Pale-vented Pigeon: FC in second growth near Golfito.
47. Red-billed Pigeon: FC near airport west of San Jose.
48. Short-billed Pigeon: One seen in mangroves along north end of the golf.
49. White-winged Dove: C in San Jose and near Tarcoles bridge.
50. Inca Dove: FC near Tarcoles Bridge.
51. Ruddy Ground-Dove: C in lowland areas.
52. White-tipped Dove: FC along road from Playa Cacao to Golfito.
53. Gray-chested Dove: 2 seen at Wilson Botanical Garden.
54. Crimson-fronted Parakeet: A large group of about 25 at Wilson, overhead near airport.
55. Orange-chinned Parakeet: FC in mid-low elevations near Golfito.
56. Blue-headed Parrot: 2 at Wilson.
57. White-crowned Parrot: 1 at San Ysidro, several pairs on big island.
58. Scarlet Macaw: 1 in flight at Tarcoles bridge.
59. Squirrel Cuckoo: 1 at Wilson.
60. Smooth-billed Ani: A group of 8 at grassy portion of the Playa Cacao/Golfito road.
61. Spectacled Owl; 1 along road from Playa Cacao to Golfito with large rodent being mobbed by songbirds.
62. Common Paraque: 1 at residence in San Ysidro. 4 at Playa Cacao at start of the road to Golfito.
63. Costa Rican Swift: UC along mangroves near golfito.
64. Green Hermit: 1 in Monteverde, 2 at Hummingbird Gallery.
65. Stripe-throated Hermit: 1 along Microwave Tower road. Two along Playa Cacao road.
66. Long-billed Hermit: 2 along Playa Cacao road. 1 along Playa Cacao stream trail.
67. Violet Sabrewing: ~3 at Hummingbird Gallery. 1 in Monteverde.
68. Green-crowned Brilliant: ~15 at Hummingbird Gallery.
69. Purple-crowned Fairy: 1 along Microwave Road.
70. Charming Hummingbird; FC several leks along Playa Cacao road and one on big island.
71. White-necked Jacobin: 3 on Microwave Tower road.
72. Garden Emerald; 1 near houses along Playa Cacao stream trail.
73. Violet-crowned Woodnymph: 1 along trail on big island.
74. Blue-throated Goldentail: 1 on big island, 1 on Playa Cacao road.
75. Rufous-tailed Hummingbird: UC throughout.
76. Mangrove Hummingbird: 3 in the Trocha. 1 along Playa Cacao road.
77. Green Violet-ear: ~5 at Hummingbird Gallery.
78. Stripe-tailed Hummingbird: 3 at Hummingbird Gallery.
79. Coppery-headed Hummingbird: 5 at Hummingbird Gallery.
80. Purple-throated Mountain-gem. 5 at Hummingbird Gallery. Male shows darker underparts that the book depicts.
81. White-crested Coquette: 2 males along Microwave road in pink flowers after 2 switchbacks before the first large lookout with ~ 5 picnic tables.
82. Magenta-throated Woodstar: 1 male, female, and imm. At Hummingbird Gallery.
83. Black-throated Trogon: 2 pairs called in along Playa Cacao stream trail.
84. Resplendent Quetzal; 30 magic minutes with a male, perched and going on forays in Monteverde preserve.
85. Slaty-tailed Trogon; 2 males in the Trocha.
86. Blue-crowned Motmot: 1 on big island, playa Cacao stream trail, 5 at Wilson.
87. Ringed Kingfisher: 2 near Golfito.
88. Green Kingfisher: 4 near Playa Cacao at stream mouths and mangroves.
89. Belted Kingfisher: 3 in the Trocha and around Zancudo.
90. Amazon Kingfisher: 2 One flyover at Playa Cacao. Another near Dominical.
91. White-whiskered Puffbird; 1 female in a mixed flock along the microwave tower road.
92. Chestnut-mandibled Toucan: FC throughout south pacific lowlands.
93. Fiery-billed Aracari: 2 groups of ~5 birds, one at top of microwave towers and the other along the Playa Cacao stream trail.
94. Golden-naped Woodpecker: Family of 5 at private residence on the big island.
95. Hoffman’s Woodpecker: 1 at a stop in foothills near San Ramon.
96. Red-crowned Woodpecker: FC in lowlands around Golfito.
97. Lineated Woodpecker: 1 at Wilson.
98. Ruddy Treerunner: several at Monteverde in mixed flocks.
99. Ruddy Foliage-gleaner: 1 at Wilson in mixed flock.
100. Plain Xenops: UC on Microwave road and road to Playa Cacao.
101. Wedge-billed Woodcreeper: UC on road to Playa Cacao.
102. Streak-headed Woodpecreeper. One at a stop between San Ysidro and Golfito.
103. Cocoa Woodcreeper: 1 on big island and another on road to Playa Cacao. Both responded well to whistled imitations of their call.
104. Black-hooded Antshrike: C in pairs around in primary and secondary growth around golfito.
105. Chestnut-backed Antbird: C in primary and secondary growth around golfito.
106. Slaty Antwren: One on big island.
107. Yellow Tyrannulet: 1 on road to Playa Cacao.
108. Yellow-bellied Eleania: A pair at Playa Cacao.
109. Common Tody-Flycatcher: a pair at Wilson and another on the Playa Cacao rd.
110. Ochre-bellied Flycatcher: Uncommon in primary growth around Golfito.
111. Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher: 1 on Microwave tower rd.
112. Rufous Mourner: 1 in mixed flock on microwave tower trail.
113. wood-pewee sp.: 1 at grassy portion of road to Playa Cacao.
114. Empid sp.
115. Black-capped Flycatcher: 1 at Poas Volcano.
116. Tufted Flycatcher: 2 active in the rain in Monteverde Reserve.
117. Fork-tailed Flycatcher: 1 from car south of San Ysidro.
118. Scissor-tailed Flycatcher: 1 from car south of Monteverde.
119. Great Crested Flycatcher: FC in areas around Golfito.
120. Dusky-capped Flycatcher: 2 on road to Playa Cacao.
121. Panama Flycatcher; 1 in the Trocha and one in Zancudo. Beat a cicada to death and then swallowing it while it still buzzed.
122. Boat-billed Flycatcher: UC throughout.
123. Great Kiskadee: C around Golfito.
124. Social Flycatcher: 1 at San Ysidro,
125. Gray-capped Flycatcher: UC on road to Playa Cacao.
126. Streaked Flycatcher: 2 on road to microwave towers.
127. Tropical Kingbird: VC throughout lowlands.
128. Thrushlike Schiffornis: 1 along road to Playa Cacao.
129. Cinnamon Becard: A group of 3 on road to Playa Cacao.
130. Rose-throated Becard: 1 male resident race with Cinnamon Becards on road to Playa Cacao.
131. Masked Tityra: ~5 on road to microwave towers.
132. Black-crowned Tityra: 2 on road to microwave towers.
133. White-ruffed Manakin: male and female at residence in San Ysidro. One juv male at Wilson.
134. Blue-crowned Manakin: One on waterfall trail on big island. Another on Playa Cacao stream trail.
135. Red-capped Manakin: 3 on microwave tower road and one with Blue-crowned Manakin on Playa Cacao stream trail.
136. Yellow-throated Vireo: 3 seen on Playa Cacao rd.
137. Philadelphia Vireo: FC in areas around Golfito.
138. Tawny-crowned Greenlet: 1 on Playa Cacao Rd. Several whistled in on Playa Cacao stream trail.
139. Lesser Greenlet: 1 on road to microwave towers.
140. Azure-hooded Jay: 1 in Monteverde Reserve.
141. Blue-and-white Swallow: A in San Jose, San Ysidro, and San Ramon.
142. Mangrove Swallow: A over water around Golfito.
143. Gray-breasted Martin: FC throughout lowlands.
144. Southern Rough-winged Swallow: Several at residence in San Ysidro. UC around Golfito.
145. Tropical Gnatcatcher: FC around Golfito.
146. Rufous-naped Wren: Family group south of Monteverde.
147. Riverside Wren: UC in wet habitat around Golfito.
148. Black-bellied Wren: 1 on road to Playa Cacao.
149. House Wren: FC throughout.
150. Gray-breasted Wood-Wren: Several heard but only one seen in Monteverde.
151. Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush: Great close looks at one at Poas Volcano.
152. Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush: 1 dark headed individual at Wilson.
153. Black-faced Solitaire: Several seen in Monteverde.
154. White-throated Robin: One on road to Playa Cacao.
155. Clay-colored Robin: C throughout.
156. Tennessee Warbler: FC throughout.
157. Golden-winged Warbler: 2 stunning males. One at Wilson and another at Monteverde. Both in mixed flocks.
158. Yellow Warbler: UC in lower elevations.
159. Chestnut-sided Warbler: C in lower and mid elevations.
160. Blackburnian Warbler: UC in lower and mid elevations.
161. Black-and-white Warbler: UC in mid elevations.
162. American Redstart: 2 at Wilson.
163. Prothonotary Warbler: 1 on road to Playa Cacao.
164. Northern Waterthrush: 1 in a yard at Playa Cacao.
165. Wilson’s Warbler?
166. Mourning Warbler: 1 juv and a male on the road to Playa Cacao.
167. Common Yellowthroat: Heard at San Ysidro.
168. Collared Redstart. C in Monteverde with mixed flocks.
169. Slate-throated Redstart: C in Monteverde with mixed flocks. 2 at Wilson.
170. Three-striped Warbler: VC in Monteverde.
171. Bananaquit: C in mid and lower elevations.
172. Red-crowned Ant-Tanager: 1 female at Wilson.
173. Common Bush-Tanager: A in Monteverde. Several at Wilson.
174. Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager: 1 at Poas Volcano.
175. White-shouldered Tanager; 1 in mixed flock on road to microwave towers.
176. White-throated Shrike-Tanager: one male in mixed flock on road to microwave towers.
177. Summer Tanager: C in lowlands around Golfito.
178. Cherrie’s Tanager: A in low and mid elevations.
179. Speckled Tanager: 3 seen at private residence in San Ysidro, coming to fruiting tree.
180. Golden-hooded Tanager: C at mid and lower elevations coming to fruiting trees.
181. Bay-headed Tanager: FC at mid and lower elevations coming to fruiting trees.
182. Spangle-cheecked Tanager; 3 in a mixed flock in Monteverde.
183. Silver-throated Tanager: FC in mid elevations. A pair seen on road to microwave towers may be out of range.
184. Blue-gray Tanager: VC at mid and lower elevations.
185. Palm Tanager: UC in area around Golfito.
186. Blue Dacnis: UC in area around Golfito.
187. Green Honeycreeper: 2 seen at private residence in San Ysidro.
188. Red-legged Honeycreeper: UC in mid and low elevations.
189. Thick-billed Seed-Finch: 3 on road to Playa Cacao.
190. Variable Seedeater: A in area around Golfito, seen in mid elevations as well.
191. White-collared Seedeater: 1 near soccer field in Golfito.
192. Blue-black Grassquit: UC in areas around Golfito.
193. Yellow-thighed Finch: 4 in a group at Poas Volcano.
194. Orange-billed Sparrow: 2 seen at Playa Cacao stream trail.
195. Black-striped Sparrow; ?
196. Rufous-collared Sparrow: 3 seen at Poas Volcano.
197. House Sparrow: in urban areas.
198. Buff-throated Saltator: FC in areas around Golfito and mid elevations.
199. Great-tailed Grackle: VC throughout.
200. Baltimore Oriole: FC throughout low and mid elevations.
201. Lesser Goldfinch: 1 at Wilson.
202. Thick-billed Euphonia: m and f at Playa Cacao.
203. Yellow-crowned Euphonia: at residence in San Ysidro.