Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) are large, migratory raptors that frequent Costa Rica primarily from October to April. As they prey on fish, Ospreys can be found near bodies of water. This one was perched along the Tortuguero River.
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Fully exhibiting its prehistoric form, this handsome iguana basks in the bright sun of the Pacific coast.
I just discovered that there are a few different species of iguanas living in Costa Rica. I think this one is is a Green Iguana (Iguana iguana), based on the very large smooth scale in the lower head area. Solitary adult Green Iguanas are usually spotted in trees near the canopy, and live in lowland rain forests, often at the edges, and, in drier areas, near rivers.
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This little bird is one of the first I ever spotted, photographed, and identified, in Costa Rica on my own in 2002. It took me quite awhile to page through my bird book, comparing color, markings, size, and beak shape, before I finally concluded that this is a Bananaquit. Today, the guidebook I consulted did not indicate that Bananaquits can be found in the central mountains, but I’m quite sure I photographed this one near Monteverde.
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A young great blue heron wades in the shallow water where the Madrigal River meets the Pacific.
This is one of my all-time favorite photos from Costa Rica. In 2006, I came upon this elegant young great blue heron fishing at the mouth of the Madrigal River in the Corcovada National Park. I watched and photographed it for a long time until it eventually took flight over the waters of the Pacific shore.
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I found this green and black poison-dart frog (dendrobates auratus) rummaging around among the damp ground cover of the forest floor near La Leona on the Osa Peninsula.
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A toe-toed sloth unhurriedly stretches as it maneuvers from branch to branch.
There are two types of sloths in Costa Rica: one with two toes and another with three. Often, when one spies an example of either species high up in a tree, the sloth is a motionless ball of matted fur, and it can be difficult to distinguish any features without binoculars or a spotting scope. This two-toed sloth happened to be on the move one evening, and it was fascinating to see just how slowly sloths maneuver. R e a l y r e a l y s l o w l y . R e a l y .
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A Mangrove Swallow roosts on the ruins of an old dock in Tortuguero.
Mangrove Swallows are handsome little birds that fly fast. They flit and swoop over water, nabbing bugs that frequent rivers, marshes, and creeks, on both the Caribbean and Pacific sides of Costa Rica.
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A young boa constrictor waits for something to eat on the Osa Peninsula.
Boa constrictors live on both the Caribbean and Pacific slopes of Costa Rica, from sea level to around 1000 meters. This small boa was found hanging among some roots along the beach between Carate and the Corcovado National Park. If you look closely just below the snout, you can see the blur of its flickering tongue. Unlike other snakes in Costa Rica, the boa constrictor is not poisonous, and while they grow very large, pose no real threat to people.
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A Great Kiskadee pauses in the morning sun along the Tortuguero River.
At around 23 cm, the Great Kiskadee is one the biggest members of the large Flycatcher, or Tyrannidae, family in Costa Rica. These strikingly handsome birds frequent the open, brushy areas of the Pacific forests and the Caribbean lowlands, where they eat insects and small vertebrates. I took both of these photographs during my first visit to Tortuguero in 2004.
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There are four types of monkeys that live in Costa Rica. The Capuchin, or White-Faced, Monkey can be found all over the county, but I photographed this one from a boat while visiting the Pacific coast.
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