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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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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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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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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Snowy Egrets (Egretta thula) can be distinguished from other white herons in Costa Rica by their slender black bill. They also have black legs with yellow feet, which aren’t visible on this specimen that I found wading in the shadows one morning in Torguguero.
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There are two races of the Variable Seedeater (Sporophila americana) in Costa Rica: one on the Caribbean side, and one, like this one with a white belly and rump, on the Pacific side of the country. The brown females of both races are identical. This fellow was chirping on the barbed wire that guards the airstrip in Carate on the Osa Peninsula.
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Although the shadows on their faces make it difficult to see their red foreheads and light-colored upper beaks, I am fairly certain these are Red-lored Parrots (Amazona autumnalis). There is a chance, however, that they are Mealy Parrots (Amazona farinosa). Both species have wide, white orbital rings and stout, green bodies that make this parrot pair look like strange, inquisitive aliens climbing up a skinny branch.
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A female Green Kingfisher surveys the Claro River near Sirena.
In some birds, the males and females of the species are dimorphic, meaning they have different features or markings. This female Green Kingfisher (Chloroceryle americana) lacks the rufous patch of breast feathers that distinguishes its male counterpart.
As their name implies, Green Kingfishers survive by fishing.
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