Golden-naped Woodpeckers (Melanerpes chrysauchen) can only be found in the south-Pacific region of Costa Rica. This female of the species, which lacks the red cap that the males sport, was photographed on the Osa Peninsula.
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Named for its forehead and cap, the White-crowned Parrot (Pionus senilis) is common in most lowland and middle elevations, except in the northwest Pacific region. These multi-colored, bright-eyed birds are very noisy too!
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The Crested Guan (Penelope purpurascens) looks a bit like a large chicken or perhaps a turkey, and so it is surprising to see one hopping and flying in trees overhead. Crested Guans are fairly common in Costa Rica’s protected regions, and are distinguished by the red flap of skin on the throat and white flecks on the breast. This Crested Guan was photographed in Serena.
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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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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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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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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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Tanagers are a very large New World family of birds with more than forty species in Costa Rica. Although tanagers come in many colors and patterns, there are only two species with all red males. Unlike the much rarer Hepatic Tanager (Piranga flava), the Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) has a light-colored bill. Summer Tanagers can be found all over Costa Rica, except in the highest elevations.
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During breeding season, male Red-legged Honeycreepers (Cyanerpes cyaneus) are fairly easy to spot with their bright red legs, sapphire blue body, and turquoise crown. In the off season, however, they look more like the olive green females of the species, but keep their black wings and tails.
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Resplendent Quetzals (Pharomachrus mocinno) are part of the trogon family, and while the females of this dimorphic species do look like other trogons, male Resplendent Quetzals are, well, quite resplendent! I’ve always thought they looked more like elaborate women’s hats than birds, with their frizzy heads, extra long upper-tail coverts, and fancy shoulders. Resplendent Quetzals live in limited regions of the central highlands, and I’ve only seen them in one area near the upper Savegre River valley where these dandies were photographed.
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