2 - 13 March 1996
by Allen Chartier
For those who are interested, here is a report from our recent trip to Costa Rica (March 2-13, 1996). The trip was organized for a group of local birders and co-led by me, at the request of a local birder/bander that we all have helped in the field at one time or another. We visited Tarcol Lodge and Carara Reserve on the Pacific slope, Savegre Lodge, Genesis II, KM. 66, KM. 76-1/2, and Cerro de la Muerte in the highlands, Rancho Naturalista, the Tuis River Valley, CATIE, and Tapanti Wildlife Reserve in the Caribbean foothills, and Lankester Gardens in the Central Valley. We found a total of 398 species in 12 days, with 203 in 3 days at Tarcol Lodge and Carara. Of these, 57 were life birds. We have been to Costa Rica twice before. We booked our arrangements through Martin Reid, Birding Consultant at Clockwork Travel.
Our guide at Rancho Naturalista was Jay Vandergaast, and he was excellent.
Our guide at Tarcol, Carara, and the highlands was Lisa Erb. I would rate her birding skills as adequate and her guiding/interpersonal skills as poor.
A complete 34 page detailed report is available as a Foreign Field Note from ABA Sales. Bird list follows, along with approximate number of each seen.
Personal life birds are asterisked.
BIRDS
A total of 398 species was recorded, with about 10 species seen or
heard
only by the guides. A total of 22 species was heard only.
An
excellent total of 203 species was recorded in our 3 days at Tarcol and
Carara. We found 79 species around Savegre and other highland
areas,
166 species at Rancho Naturalista and the Tuis River Valley, and 81
species
at Tapanti. Most participants recorded more than 350 species and
150 life birds.
1. Great Tinamou 5
2. Little Tinamou 4
3. Least Grebe
3
4. Magnificent Frigatebird 65
5. Neotropic
Cormorant
75
6. Brown Pelican 80
7. Tricolored
Heron
4
8. Little Blue
Heron
24
9. Snowy Egret
25
10. Reddish Egret 1
11. Great Blue
Heron
3
12. Great Egret 13
13. Cattle Egret 182
14. Green Heron 12
15. Yellow-crowned Night
Heron
30
16. Boat-billed
Heron
12
17. Bare-throated
Tiger-Heron
5
18. White Ibis
15
19. Roseate
Spoonbill
5
20. Wood Stork
8
21. Black Vulture 230
22. Turkey Vulture 86
23.
Osprey
8
24. Swallow-tailed Kite
8
25. White-tailed
Kite
1
26. Double-toothed Kite
1
27. Sharp-shinned
Hawk
1
28. Crane Hawk
1
*29. Mangrove Black Hawk
5
30. Gray
Hawk
6
31. Roadside Hawk 6
32. Broad-winged
Hawk
20
33. Swainson's Hawk 1
34. Zone-tailed
Hawk
1
35. Red-tailed Hawk 2
36. Crested
Caracara
2
37. Yellow-headed Caracra 12
38. Laughing Falcon 2
39. American
Kestrel
1
40.
Merlin
1
41. Peregrine
Falcon
1
42. Gray-headed Chachalaca 19
43. Black Guan
8
44. Marbled
Wood-Quail
2h
45. Black-breasted
Wood-Quail
2h
46. White-throated Crake
1h
47. Gray-necked Wood-Rail 1h
48. Purple
Gallinule
8
49. Northern Jacana 31
50.
Whimbrel
8
51. Greater
Yellowlegs
6
52. Lesser
Yellowlegs
1
53. Spotted
Sandpiper
11
54.
Willet
5
55. Ruddy Turnstone 8
56. Western
Sandpiper
6
57. Least Sandpiper 40
58. American Oystercatcher 1
59. Black-necked
Stilt
6
60. Black-bellied Plover
16
61. Semipalmated Plover
22
62. Wilson's Plover 10
63. Collared Plover 8
64. Laughing Gull 750
65. Royal Tern
400
66. Sandwich Tern 200
67. Elegant Tern 6
68. Gull-billed
Tern
1
69. Common Tern 1
70. Black Skimmer 40
71. Rock
Dove
35
72. Band-tailed
Pigeon
3
73. Red-billed
Pigeon
17
74. Ruddy Pigeon 2
75. Short-billed Pigeon
10
76. Mourning Dove 3
77. Inca
Dove
8
78. Common
Ground-Dove
2
79. Ruddy
Ground-Dove
35
80. Blue
Ground-Dove
5
81. White-tipped
Dove
14
82. Gray-chested
Dove
3
83. Purplish-backed
Quail-Dove
1h
84. Scarlet Macaw 49
85. Crimson-fronted
Parakeet
136
86. Sulphur-winged Parakeet 25
87. Orange-chinned Parakeet 60
88. Brown-hooded Parrot
15
89. White-crowned Parrot
71
90. White-fronted Parrot
22
91. Red-lored
Parrot
12
*92. Yellow-naped Parrot
4
93. Mealy Parrot 8
94. Squirrel Cuckoo 8
95. Groove-billed
Ani
30
*96. Pacific Screech-Owl
3
97. Bare-shanked
Screech-Owl
3
98. Mottled Owl 1
99. Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl 2
100. Andean
Pygmy-Owl
1h
101. Lesser
Nighthawk
8
102.
Pauraque
13
103. Dusky Nightjar 3h
104. White-collared Swift 18
105. Band-rumped
Swift
33
106. Vaux's Swift 115
107. Lesser Swallow-tailed
Swift
1
*108. Bronzy Hermit 1
109. Green Hermit 6
110. Long-tailed Hermit
5
111. Little Hermit 5
112. Green-fronted Lancebill 2
113. Scaly-breasted
Hummingbird
10
*114. Violet
Sabrewing
6
115. White-necked Jacobin 20
116. Green
Violet-ear
10
117. Green-breasted Mango 6
*118. Violet-headed
Hummingbird
1
*119. Black-crested Coquette 2
*120. Green Thorntail 5
*121. Crowned Woodnymph
18
122. Fiery-throated
Hummingbird
3
*123. Blue-throated
Goldentail
2
124. Rufous-tailed
Hummingbird
32
125. Steely-vented
Hummingbird
3
126. Cinnamon Hummingbird 1
*127. Black-bellied
Hummingbird
3
*128. Snowcap 7
*129. Bronze-tailed
Plumeleteer
2
130. White-bellied
Mountain-Gem
5
131. Variable Mountain-Gem 13
132. Green-crowned Brilliant 4
133. Magnificent Hummingbird 25
134. Purple-crowned Fairy 2
135. Ruby-throated
Hummingbird
4
136. Volcano Hummingbird
10
137. Scintillant Hummingbird 12
138. Resplendent Quetzal
5
139. Slaty-tailed Trogon
2
*140. Baird's Trogon 4
141. Black-headed Trogon
11
142. Collared Trogon 6
143. Violaceous
Trogon
1
144. Belted
Kingfisher
1
145. Ringed
Kingfisher
3
146. Green
Kingfisher
2
147. Broad-billed Motmot
2
148. Turquoise-browed Motmot 4
149. Rufous Motmot 2
150. Blue-crowned Motmot
1
151. Rufous-tailed Jacamar 3
*152. White-whiskered
Puffbird
1
153. Red-headed
Barbet
6
154. Prong-billed Barbet
8
155. Emerald
Toucanet
6
156. Collared
Aracari
3
*157. Fiery-billed Aracari 7
*158. Yellow-eared Toucanet 2
159. Keel-billed Toucan
6
160. Chestnut-mandibled
Toucan
8
*161. Olivaceous Piculet
1
162. Acorn
Woodpecker
6
163. Black-cheeked
Woodpecker
2
164. Golden-naped Woodpecker 1
165. Hoffmann's Woodpecker 15
166. Hairy
Woodpecker
1
167. Smoky-brown Woodpecker 1
*168. Rufous-winged
Woodpecker
1
169. Golden-olive Woodpecker 5
170. Lineated Woodpecker
1
171. Pale-billed Woodpecker 3
172. Plain-brown Woodcreeper 1
*173. Tawny-winged
Woodcreeper
2
174. Olivaceous Woodcreeper 5
175. Wedge-billed
Woodcreeper
14
176. Barred Woodcreeper
1
177. Black-banded
Woodcreeper
1
178. Buff-throated
Woodcreeper
5
179. Spotted Woodcreeper
6
180. Streak-headed
Woodcreeper
17
181. Spot-crowned
Woodcreeper
8
*182. Brown-billed Scythebill 1
*183. Slaty Spinetail 3
*184. Red-faced Spinetail 2
*185. Spotted
Barbtail
3
186. Ruddy
Treerunner
5
*187. Buffy Tuftedcheek
1
188. Buff-throated Foliage-Gleaner 2
*189. Tawny-throated
Leaftosser
2
190. Plain Xenops 15
191. Barred
Antshrike
11
192. Black-hooded Antshrike 6
*193. Checker-throated
Antwren
2
*194. Slaty Antwren 1h
195. Dot-winged Antwren
10
196. Dusky Antbird 18
197. Chestnut-backed Antbird 10
*198. Dull-mantled Antbird 4
*199. Immaculate Antbird
3
200. Silvery-fronted
Tapaculo
3
201. Rufous Piha 1h
202. Three-wattled Bellbird 5h
203. Lovely Cotinga 1
204. Sharpbill
1
205. Red-capped Manakin
1
206. White-ruffed Manakin 3
207. White-collared Manakin 4
208. Orange-collared Manakin 10
209. Olive-striped
Flycatcher
3
210. Ochre-bellied
Flycatcher
6
211. Slaty-capped Flycatcher 2
212. Slate-headed Tody-Flycatcher
2
213. Common Tody-Flycatcher 6
214. Black-headed Tody-Flycatcher
2h
215. Mistletoe (Paltry) Tyrannulet 9
216. Southern Beardless Tyrannulet 1
*217. Northern
Scrub-Flycatcher
3
218. Greenish
Elaenia
2
219. Yellow-bellied Elaenia 11
220. Mountain
Elaenia
4
221. Torrent Tyrannulet
4
*222. Scale-crested
Pygmy-Tyrant
11
223. Northern
Bentbill
6
224. Yellow-olive Flycatcher 17
225. Golden-crowned
Spadebill
1
*226. (Northern) Royal Flycatcher
2
227. Tufted
Flycatcher
16
*228. Dark Pewee 6
229. Tropical Pewee 8
230. Yellow-bellied
Flycatcher
7
*231. Yellowish Flycatcher 5
232. Black-capped Flycatcher 3
233. Black Phoebe 4
234. Bright-rumped Attila 5h
*235. Rufous Mourner 1h
236. Dusky-capped Flycatcher 14
237. Panama
Flycatcher
3
238. Great Crested
Flycatcher
9
239. Brown-crested
Flycatcher
1
240. Tropical
Kingbird
126
241. Scissor-tailed
Flycatcher
74
242. Boat-billed Flycatcher 10
*243. Golden-bellied
Flycatcher
3
244. Streaked Flycatcher
5
245. Sulphur-bellied
Flycatcher
7
246. Social
Flycatcher
41
247. Gray-capped Flycatcher 7
248. Piratic Flycatcher
5
249. Great Kiskadee 69
*250. Cinnamon Becard 6
251. White-winged Becard
2
252. Rose-throated Becard 4
253. Masked Tityra 12
254. Black-crowned Tityra 8
*255. Azure-hooded
Jay
3
256. Brown Jay
45
*257. White-throated
Magpie-Jay
1
258. Yellow-winged Vireo
3
259. Mangrove Vireo 6
260. Yellow-throated Vireo 9
261. Philadelphia Vireo
3
262. Brown-capped Vireo
4
263. Scrub Greenlet 2
264. Lesser Greenlet 7
265. Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher
14
266. Black-and-yellow
Silky-Flycatcher
8
267. North American Dipper 1
268. Black-faced Solitaire 8
269. Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush 6
270. Orange-billed Nightinale-Thrush 3
271. Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush 5
272. Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush 6
273. Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush 5
274. Swainson's
Thrush
1
275. Sooty Robin 2
276. Mountain Robin 38
*277. Pale-vented Thrush
2
278. Clay-colored Robin
75
279. White-throated Thrush 1
*280. Rufous-naped Wren
25
281. Band-backed
Wren
2
282. Black-throated Wren
2
*283. Black-bellied Wren
7
284. Rufous-breasted Wren 2
*285. Riverside Wren 1h
286. Stripe-breasted Wren 3
*287. Rufous-and-white Wren 1h
288. Plain Wren 12
289. (Southern) House Wren 9
290. Ochraceous Wren 10
291. Timberline Wren 3
292. White-breasted
Wood-Wren
7
293. Gray-breasted Wood-Wren 12
294. Whistling Wren 4
*295. Song Wren 1h
*296. Tawny-faced Gnatwren 1
297. Long-billed Gnatwren 2
298. Tropical Gnatcatcher 12
299. Mangrove
Swallow
5
300. Gray-breasted Martin 30
301. Blue-and-white Swallow 186
302. Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2
303. Southern Rough-winged Swallow 30
304. Cliff Swallow 2
305. Barn Swallow 61
306. House Sparrow 4
*307. Yellow-bellied Siskin 3
308. Golden-winged Warbler 9
309. Blue-winged Warbler
1
310. Tennessee
Warbler
17
311. Tropical Parula 9
312. Flame-throated Warbler 3
313. Yellow Warbler 12
314. Chestnut-sided Warbler 51
315. Black-throated Green Warbler
4
316. Blackburnian Warbler 5
317. Black-and-white Warbler 6
318. American
Redstart
2
319. Prothonotary Warbler 6
320. Worm-eating Warbler
1
321. Northern Waterthrush 4
322. Louisiana Waterthrush 3
323. Kentucky
Warbler
1
324. Mourning
Warbler
1
*325. Olive-crowned
Yellowthroat
1
326. Gray-crowned
Yellowthroat
1
327. Hooded Warbler 1
328. Wilson's
Warbler
27
329. Slate-throated Redstart 14
330. Collared
Redstart
13
331. Golden-crowned Warbler 5
332. Rufous-capped Warbler 6
333. Black-cheeked Warbler 2
334. Three-striped Warbler 3
335. Rufous-collared Sparrow 71
336. Volcano Junco 1h
337. White-eared
Ground-Sparrow
4
*338. Orange-billed Sparrow 2
339. Black-striped Sparrow 1
340. Yellow-throated
Brush-Finch
1
341. Chestnut-capped
Brush-Finch
2
342. Large-footed Finch
1
343. Yellow-thighed Finch 11
344. Sooty-faced
Finch
1
345. Bananaquit 10
346. Common Bush-Tanager
79
347. Sooty-capped
Bush-Tanager
37
*348. Black-and-yellow
Tanager
2
*349. Olive Tanager 2h
350. Gray-headed Tanager
5
351. White-shouldered
Tanager
11
352. White-lined Tanager
16
353. Red-throated
Ant-Tanager
1
354. Flame-colored Tanager 4h
355. Hepatic Tanager 1
356. Summer Tanager 16
357. White-winged Tanager 2
358. Crimson-collared
Tanager
1
359. Scarlet-rumped Tanager 27
360. Blue-gray
Tanager
33
361. Palm Tanager 13
362. Scrub Euphonia 2
*363. Yellow-crowned Euphonia 8
364. Blue-hooded Euphonia 4
*365. Tawny-capped Euphonia 6
366. Golden-browed
Chlorophonia
9
*367. Emerald Tanager 1
368. Silver-throated Tanager 35
369. Speckled Tanger 4
370. Bay-headed Tanager
14
371. Golden-hooded Tanager 19
372. Spangle-cheeked Tanager 23
373. Scarlet-thighed Dacnis 3
374. Blue Dacnis 1
375. Green Honeycreeper
12
376. Red-legged Honeycreeper 13
377. Peg-billed
Finch
3
378. Blue-black Grassquit 6
379. Variable Seedeater
33
380. White-collared
Seedeater
1
381. Yellow-faced Grassquit 73
382. Slaty Flower-Piercer 6
*383. Black-thighed Grosbeak 5
384. Rose-breasted Grosbeak 6
*385. Black-faced Grosbeak 3h
386. Black-headed Saltator 8
387. Buff-throated Saltator 18
388. Blue-black Grosbeak
2
389. Blue Grosbeak 1
390. Painted Bunting 1
391. Chestnut-headed
Oropendola
27
392. Montezuma Oropendola 47
393. Scarlet-rumped Cacique 4
394. Northern Oriole 13
395. Orchard Oriole 2
396. Melodious Blackbird
6
397. Great-tailed Grackle 263
398. Bronzed Cowbird 1
Allen Chartier
Inkster, MI
amazilia@aol.com