Collared Araçari (Pteroglossus torquatus) can be found on the Caribbean and north-Pacific coasts. They have black bands across their breasts and white on their upper mandibles, which differ from the Fiery-billed Araçari (Pteroglossus frantzii) native to the south-Pacific region. This Collared Araçari was photographed in Selva Verde.
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Smaller than the American Crocodile, the Spectacled Caiman (Caiman crocodilus) is the only other member of the Crocodylidae family that lives in Costa Rica. The primary distinguishing feature is a transverse ridge in front of the eyes. Caimans are common in lowland rivers, streams, ponds, and mangroves, where there is a lot of rainfall. This one was photographed from a kayak near Tortuguero.
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Yellow-crowned Night-herons (Nyctanassa violacea) are common all along Costa Rica’s coasts, both Caribbean and Pacific. They like to roost during the day near streams and mangroves. This one was photographed at the Tortuguero River in 2004.
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This young Northern Jaçana (Jacana spinosa) was so adorable that I wanted to take it home. The little bird and its companions were unafraid of the boat, and just kept hunting for water bugs as we slowly drifted past snapping pictures. Their extraordinarily long toes allow Northern Jaçana to walk on the web of plant life that floats on the Tortuguero river. Adults of the species have black bellies instead of white, and no stripe above the eye.
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Scarlet Macaws, like this pair, mate for life. I’m amazed by how loving and affectionate these gentle, giants of the rainforest can be. Happy Valentine’s Day!
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Male Orange-collared Manakins (Manacus aurantiacus) are easy to identify by their yellow bodies, black caps, and orange throats. Females and juveniles, however, are olive green, and difficult to distinguish from females and juveniles of other manakin species. The little woodland birds are fairly common and endemic to the southern-Pacific region of Costa Rica and western Panama.
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The Parrot Snake (Leptophis ahaetulla) in the above photo is furious because it just lost an epic battle with its lunch. Wrestling in the mud of the rainforest floor near Serena, the unidentified frog (possibly a member of the genus Phrynohyas) kept scrambling, and the writhing reptile just couldn’t get a solid grip. After several minutes, the amphibian finally slipped free and made a break for it!
A Parrot Snake winds and twists in its attempt to grab ahold of a slippery frog.
The frog’s body appears to swell and secrete a mucus that aids in its escape.
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In rain forests all over Costa Rica, it’s not difficult to find Leafcutter Ants (Atta cephalotes) parading in a line, and carrying leaf pieces they’ve extracted from a tree. The vegetation is not eaten by the ants, but rather is used to fertilize a special fungus that only grows within the Leafcutter’s colony. Thus, this agrarian society of insects grows its own food!
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Neither shouts nor whistles would wake this sleepy Silky Anteater.
On the last day of my most recent visit to the Osa Peninsula, I noticed and photographed this fuzzy little ball in a tree not far from Luna Lodge. Without a guide, I wasn’t sure what I was seeing. I knew it wasn’t a sloth as it didn’t have thick matted fur, and lacking a black “vest,” it couldn’t be a Northern Tamandua. Later that day, when I saw expert guide Nito in Puerto Jimenez, I tried to describe the creature, mentioning a black stripe on its back. Nito was confused until I showed him this snapshot, and then his eyes grew wide. “That’s a Silky Anteater,” he exclaimed. Silky Anteaters (Cyclopes didactylus) are the rarest of the three anteater species in Costa Rica, and Nito told me he had only seen it one or two times himself. He was not surprised that my shouts and whistles failed to wake the animal so it would show its face. Strictly nocturnal, Silky Anteaters roll into a ball to sleep away the day. The genus Cyclopes – derived from the Greek words kyklos, meaning “circle”, and opsis, “appearance” – alludes to this distinguishing behavior.
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Male Pale-billed Woodpecker
The characteristic double-rap sound made by Pale-billed Woodpeckers (Campephilus guatemalensis) drilling for wood-boring insects is often heard before the birds are seen. While both the males and females of the species have red heads, the females are distinguished by black on their foreheads. Long, stiff tail feathers provide support for Pale-billed Woodpeckers as they hang vertically on tree trunks while hunting bugs. This pair was photographed along the hiking trail between La Tarde and Serena on the Osa Peninsula.
Females of the Pale-billed Woodpecker species have a black forehead, as seen on the bird on the right.
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