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Birdingcraft's 2013 Costa Rica list (1 Viewer)

Birdingcraft

Well-known member
I had hoped to start posting my 2013 list right from the start but I just haven't had time until today. Just three real days of birding and a weekend and the list is over 300. I hope I can get the time to do a proper Big Year (minus honest to goodness pelagic trips). We will see...

So, in taxo. order, here is what I have identified from two day trips to Carara and vicinity (as you will see, the Carara area is a very birdy locale):

1. Great Tinamou
2. Little Tinamou
3. Brown Pelican
4. Neotropic Cormorant
5. Anhinga
6. Magnificent Frigatebird
7. Bare-throated Tiger-Heron
8. Great Blue Heron
9. Great Egret
10. Snowy Egret
11. Green Heron
12. Little Blue Heron
13. Cattle Egret
14. Boat-billed Heron
15. Roseate Spoonbill
16. Wood Stork
17. Black Vulture
18. Turkey Vulture
19. Muscovy Duck
20. Gray-headed Kite
21. Gray Hawk
22. Common Black Hawk
23. Short-tailed Hawk
24. Collared Forest Falcon
25. Yellow-headed Caracara
26. Laughing Falcon
27. Bat Falcon
28. Crested Guan
29. Purple Gallinule
30. Southern Lapwing
31. Northern Jacana
32. Willet
33. Spotted Sandpiper
34. Ruddy Turnstone
35. Franklin's Gull
36. Royal Tern
37. Short-billed Pigeon
38. Inca Dove
39. Ruddy Ground Dove
40. White-tipped Dove
41. Gray-chested Dove
42. Orange-fronted Parakeet
43. Scarlet Macaw
44. Orange-chinned Parakeet
45. Brown-hooded Parrot
46. White-crowned Parrot
47. Red-lored Parrot
48. Mealy Parrot
49. White-fronted Parrot
50. Squirrel Cuckoo
51. Groove-billed Ani
52. Spectacled Owl (day roost!)
53. Ferruginous Pygmy Owl
54. Lesser Nighthawk
55. Costa Rican Swift
56. Long-tailed Hermit
57. Stripe-throated Hermit
58. Scaly-breasted Hummingbird
59. Green-breasted Mango
60. Violet-crowned Woodnymph
61. Blue-throated Goldentail
62. Charming Hummingbird
63. Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
64. Steely-vented Hummingbird
65. Cinnamon Hummingbird
66. Purple-crowned Fairy
67. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
68. Black-headed Trogon
69. Black-throated Trogon
70. Baird's Trogon
71. Gartered Trogon
72. Slaty-tailed Trogon
73. Blue-crowned Motmot
74. Turquoise-browed Motmot
75. Ringed Kingfisher
76. Green Kingfisher
77. White-whiskered Puffbird
78. Rufous-tailed Jacamar
79. Fiery-billed Aracari
80. Chestnut (Black)-mandibled Toucan
81. Golden-naped Woodpecker
82. Pale-billed Woodpecker
83. Lineated Woodpecker
84. Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner
85. Plain Xenops
86. Tawny-winged Woodcreeper
87. Olivaceous Woodcreeper
88. Long-tailed Woodcreeper (which is not the same as Amazonian Long-tailed).
89. Wedge-billed Woodcreeper
90. Northern Barred Woodcreeper
91. Cocoa Woodcreeper
92. Black-striped Woodcreeper
93. Streak-headed Woodcreeper
94. Barred Antshrike
95. Black-hooded Antshrike
96. Russet Antshrike
97. Slaty Antwren
98. Dot-winged Antwren
99. Dusky Antbird
100. Chestnut-backed Antbird
101. Streak-chested Antpitta
102. Black-faced Antthrush
103. Bicolored Antbird
104. Southern Beardless Tyrannulet
105. Yellow Tyrannulet
106. Greenish Elaenia
107. Ochre-bellied Flycatcher
108. Paltry Tyrannulet
109. Northern Bentbill
110. Slate-headed Tody Flycatcher
111. Common Tody Flycatcher
112. Yellow-olive Flycatcher
113. Stub-tailed Spadebill
114. Golden-crowned Spadebill
115. Royal Flycatcher
116. Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher
117. Tropical Pewee
118. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
119. Bright-rumped Attila
120. Dusky-capped Flycatcher
121. Panama Flycatcher
122. Great-crested Flycatcher
123. Great Kiskadee
124. Social Flycatcher
125. Boat-billed Flycatcher
126. Gray-capped Flycatcher
127. Streaked Flycatcher
128. Thrushlike Schiffornis
129. Rufous Piha
130. Rose-throated Becard
131. White-winged Becard
132. Masked Tityra
133. Black-crowned Tityra
134. Turquoise Cotinga (2 males in a fruiting fig and only the second time I have seen this species in the park!)
135. Yellow-billed Cotinga
136. Orange-collared Manakin
137. Long-tailed Manakin
138. Blue-crowned Manakin
139. Yellow-throated Vireo
140. Philadelphia Vireo
141. Lesser Greenlet
142. Tawny-crowned Greenlet
143. Green Shrike Vireo
144. White-throated Magpie Jay
145. Brown Jay
146. Mangrove Swallow
147. Northern Rough-winged Swallow
148. Barn Swallow
149. Rufous-naped Wren
150. Plain Wren
151. Riverside Wren
152. Black-bellied Wren
153. Rufous-breasted Wren
154. House Wren
155. Scaly-breasted Wren
156. Long-billed Gnatwren
157. Tropical Gnatcatcher
158. Wood Thrush
159. Golden-winged Warbler
160. Tennessee Warbler
161. Yellow Warbler
162. Chestnut-sided Warbler
163. Black and white Warbler
164. Prothonotary Warbler
165. Kentucky Warbler
166. Tropical Parula
167. Northern Waterthrush
168. Gray-crowned Yellowthroat
169. Rufous-capped Wabler
170. Buff-rumped Warbler
171. Gray-headed Tanager
172. White-shouldered Tanager
173. Summer Tanager
174. Cherrie's Tanager
175. Blue-gray Tanager
176. Palm Tanager
177. Bay-headed Tanager
178. Golden-hooded Tanager
179. Blue Dacnis
180. Green Honeycreeper
181. Red-legged Honeycreeper
182. Variable Seedeater
183. Orange-bellied Sparrow
184. Stripe-headed Sparrow
185. Buff-throated Saltator
186. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
187. Blue-black Grosbeak
188. Blue Grosbeak
189. Bronzed Cowbird
190. Orchard Oriole
191. Baltimore Oriole
192. Montezuma Oropendola
193. Scrub Euphonia
194. Yellow-crowned Euphonia
195. Spot-crowned Euphonia
196. Yellow-throated Euphonia

and, from around the house:
197. White-tailed Kite
198. Rock Dove
199. Red-billed Pigeon
200. White-winged Dove
201. Crimson-fronted Parakeet
202. White-collared Swift
203. Vaux's Swift
204. Hoffmann's Woodpecker
205. Yellow-bellied Elaenia
206. Blue and white Swallow
207. Barn Swallow
208. Rufous-naped Wren
209. Clay-colored Thrush
210. Rufous-collared Sparrow
211. Grayish Saltator
212. Melodious Blackbird
213. Great-tailed Grackle
 
A trip to El Toucanet Lodge in the highlands turned up these new species for the year:

214.Sharp-shinned Hawk
215.Red-tailed Hawk
216.Black Guan (only heard the wing rattle as it flew but that still counts!)
217.Spotted Wood Quail- great looks!
218.Ruddy Pigeon
219.Sulphur-winged Parakeet
220.Barred Parakeet (good one or the year!)
221.Bare-shanked Screech Owl
222.Violet Sabrewing
223.Green Violetear
224.White-throated Montain-Gem
225.Magnificent Hummingbird
226.Volcano Hummingbird
227.Scintillant Hummingbird (missed that one last year, saw dozens around El Toucanet)
228.Collared Trogon
229.Acorn Woodpecker
230.Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (nice to pick up this rare migrant so early in the year)
231.Hairy Woodpecker
232.Red-faced Spinetail
233.Ruddy Treerunner
234.Streak-breasted Treehunter
235.Spot-crowned Woodcreeper
236.Silvery-fronted Tapaculo
237.Mountain Elaenia
238.Rough-legged Tyrannulet (finally saw this very difficult to see species instead of just hearing it)
239.Dark Pewee
240.Tufted Flycatcher
241.Yellowish Flycatcher
242.Black-capped Flycatcher
243.Black Phoebe
244.Barred Becard
245.Yellow-winged Vireo
246.Rufous-browed Peppershrike
247.Brown-capped Vireo
248.Ochraceous Wren
249.Gray-breasted Wood Wren
250.Ruddy-capped Nightingale Thrush
251.Black-faced Solitaire
252.Mountain Thrush
253.Long-tailed Silky Flycatcher
254.Flame-throated Warbler
255.Black-throated Green Warbler
256.Blackburnian Warbler
257.Louisiana Waterthrush
258.Wilson's Warbler
259.Slate-throated Redstart
260.Collared Redstart
261.Common Bush Tanager
262.Sooty-capped Bush Tanager
263.Flame-colored Tanager
264.White-winged Tanager
265.Spangle-cheeked Tanager
266.Silver-throated Tanager
267.Yellow-faced Grassquit
268.Slaty Flowerpiercer
269.Yellow-thighed Finch
270.Chestnut-capped Brush Finch
271.Indigo Bunting
272.Yellow-bellied Siskin

And guiding yesterday on the road to Manuel Brenes Reserve resulted in these new species:

273.Pied-billed Grebe
274.Osprey
275.White Hawk
276.White-throated Crake
277.American Coot
278.Purplish-backed Quail Dove
279.Common Pauraque
280.Green Hermit
281.Violet-headed Hummingbird
282.Orange-bellied Trogon
283.Emerald Toucanet (one flew across the road on the drive back)
284.Collared Aracari
285.Black-cheeked Woodpecker
286.Slaty Spinetail
287.Spotted Woodcreeper
288.Brown-billed Scythebill
289.Yellow Tyrannulet
290.Slaty-capped Flycatcher
291.Rufous-browed Tyrannulet
292.Scale-crested pygmy-Tyrant
293.Golden-bellied Flycatcher
294.White-ruffed Manakin
295.Black-throated Wren
296.White-breasted Wood Wren
297.Stripe-breasted Wren
298.Nightingale Wren
299.Tawny-faced Gnatwren
300.Black-headed Nightingale Thrush
301.Slaty-backed Nightingale Thrush
302.Pale-vented Thrush
303.Mourning Warbler
304.Olive-crowned Yellowthroat
305.Golden-crowned Warbler
306.Wilson's Warbler
307.Black and yellow Tanager
308.Carmiol's Tanager
309.White-throated Shrike Tanager
310.Hepatic Tanager
311.Passerini's Tanager
312.Emerald Tanager
313.White-collared Seedeater
314.Black-faced Grosbeak
315.Black-thighed Grosbeak
316.Bronzed Cowbird
317.Giant Cowbird
318. Golden-browed Chlorophonia

I accidentally counted Yellow Tyrannulet and Wilson's Warbler twice so my year list is 316 as of January 18.
 
A nice day of guiding yesterday at El Tapir and part of Quebrada Gonzalez turned up some goodies for the year:

317.Slaty-breasted Tinamou: Very happy to get this one since I missed it the past two years!
318. King Vulture: Right on cue
319. Barred Hawk: Distant but countable
320. Black Hawk Eagle: Great looks of a soaring bird from the El Tapir entrance before it was chased off by a Peregrine Falcon (a bird I never see at this site!).
321. Olive-backed Quail Dove: Fantastic bird for the year, one was heard at El Tapir and two were seen very well at Quebrada!
322. White-necked Jacobin
323. Brown Violetear
324. Black-crested Coquette
325. Snowcap
326. Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer
327. Green Thorntail
328. Lattice-tailed Trogon
329. Broad-billed Motmot
330. Smoky-brown Woodpecker
331. Striped Woodhaunter
332. Streak-crowned Antvireo
333. Checker-throated Antwren
334. White-flanked Antwren
335. Dull-mantled Antbird
336. Spotted Antbird
337. Yellow-margined Flycatcher
338. Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher
339. Cinnamon Becard
340. Red-capped Manakin
341. Bay Wren
342. Tawny-crested Tanager
343. Olive-backed Euphonia
344. Tawny-capped Euphonia
345. Speckled Tanager
346. Shining Honeycreeper
347. Slate-colored Grosbeak
348. Scarlet-rumped Cacique
 
I spent the past two days birding at Tapanti National Park and made a brief stop at CATIE to look for Costa Rica's first record of Clay-colored Sparrow. Despite waiting and watching seedeaters for an hour, I seriously dipped on the sparrow so that amazing mega does not make it onto my year list (yet).

However, other birds did and these were:

349. Blue-winged Teal
350. Crested Caracara
351. Gray-headed Chachalaca
352. Black-bellied Hummingbird
353. Purple-throated Mountain Gem
354. White-bellied Mountain Gem
355. Keel-billed Toucan
356. Golden-olive Woodpecker
357. Spotted Barbtail
358. Tawny-throated Leaftosser
359. Lineated Foliage-gleaner
360. Immaculate Antbird
361. Olive-striped Flycatcher
362. Southern Rough-winged Swallow
363. American Dipper
364. Orange-billed Nightingale Thrush
365. White-throated Thrush
366. Three-striped Warbler
367. Plain-colored Tanager (at CATIE, didn't know they were there)
368. Elegant Euphonia
369. Blue-black Grassquit
370. Yellow-bellied Seedeater
371. Prevost's Ground Sparrow
372. Black-headed Saltator
373. Black-cowled Oriole
374. Chestnut-headed Oropendola
375. Streak-breasted Treehunter

Also, I forgot to mention the Peregrine Falcon seen at El Tapir last week:
376. Peregrine Falcon
 
Ok, I need to subtract two, double-counted birds from the list- Streak-breasted Treehunter and Barn Swallow. After recent guiding at Carara and vicinity, I picked up several more species out of 120 or so that were identified for the day.

They were:

374. Gray-breasted Martin
375. Brown Booby
376. Roadside Hawk
377. Laughing Gull
378. Yellow-naped Parrot
379. Bronzy Hermit
380. Nutting's Flycatcher
381. White-lored Gnatcatcher
382. Yellow-naped Parrot
383. Red-winged Blackbird

I also forgot to mention these other species-
384. Least Grebe on Cachi lake
385. White-naped Brush Finch
386. Broad-winged Hawk
387. Kildeer
388. Band-tailed Pigeon
389. Tropical Kingbird
 
Picked up quite a few species while guiding in the Dominical area this past weekend:

390. Tricolored Heron
391. Yellow-crowned Night Heron
392. White Ibis
393. Swallow-tailed Kite
394. Pearl Kite
395. Double-toothed Kite
396. Gray-lined Hawk
397. Great Curassow
398. Gray-necked Wood Rail
399. Black-bellied Plover
400. Semipalmated Plover
401. Black-necked Stilt
402. Least Sandpiper
403. Western Sandpiper
404. Sanderling
405. Greater Yellowlegs
406. Whimbrel
407. Sandwich Tern
408. Pale-vented Pigeon
409. Ruddy Quail Dove
410. Smooth-billed Ani
411. Barn Owl
412. Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift
413. Mangrove Hummingbird
414. Amazon Kingfisher
415. American Pygmy Kingfisher
416. White-necked Puffbird
417. Red-crowned Woodpecker
418. Great Antshrike
419. Eye-ringed Flatbill
420. Black-tailed Flycatcher
421. Piratic Flycatcher
422. Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
423. Three-wattled Bellbird
424. Rufous and white Wren
425. Ruddy-breasted Seedeater
426. Black-striped Sparrow
427. White-vented Euphonia
428. Thick-billed Euphonia

I just noticed yet one more double-count, Rufous-naped Wren, so subtract that from the list for a total of 427 as of February 3rd. Sorry, just too many birds!
 
Two days of guiding at and near Carara managed to turn up more birds for the year, including a surprise or two:

428. Plumbeous Kite: Was hoping this would show- 2 birds high above the mangroves.
429. Tiny Hawk: No, not supposed to be there but it occurs! We had one on the lower part of the Cerro Lodge road.
430. Double-striped Thick-Knee: Beautiful, close views on the Guacimo Road.
431. Common Ground Dove
432. Lesser Ground Cuckoo: A few heard and one stunner seen on the Guacimo Road.
433. Band-tailed Barbthroat: Several on the Meandrica trail at Carara.
434. Northern Scrub Flycatcher
435. Mangrove Vireo
436. American Redstart
437. Red-crowned Ant Tanager
438. Olive Sparrow
439. Eastern Meadowlark
440. House Sparrow
 
I didn't think I would turn up anything new while guiding in and around Carara National Park but still managed to get some nice birds for the year. These were:
441. Black-bellied Whistling Duck- a common species and given for the year.
442. Plain-breasted Ground Dove- uncommon but reliable at several spots.
443. Striped Cuckoo- heard one near Villa Lapas-usually get this one by sound.
444. Mangrove Cuckoo- one on the road to Bijagual was a nice surprise! Great bird to get for the year.
445. Northern Beardless Tyrannulet- expected to get this one by now as it is fairly common in dry habitats.
446. Worm-eating Warbler- nice to get this uncommon species.
447. Thick-billed Seed Finch- an expected species at many sites.
448. Streak-backed Oriole- a nice surprise on the Guacimo Road.
449. Banded Wren- expected on the Guacimo Road.
 
I forgot to add the best bird of the weekend (probably because I never expect to see it around Carara).
Number 450 is a Common Potoo- the first that any of the guides recall seeing in the park!
Despite its name, this is a pretty uncommon species in Costa Rica so it was an excellent addition for my 2013 list.
 
A weekend trip to Manzanillo turned up a bunch of nice species for the year. Great birding overall and a much awaited lifer!

451. Semiplumbeous Hawk- one young bird heard and seen.
452. Swainson's Hawk- one bird migrating with the first kettles of migrating Turkey Vultures.
453. Olive-throated Parakeet- a given in Caribbean lowland forest.
454. Blue-headed Parrot- great views of several!
455. Vermiculated Screech Owl- this and the next 4 species heard, mostly in one night!
456. Crested Owl
457. Mottled Owl
458. Central America Pygmy Owl
459. Great Potoo
460. Gray-rumped Swift- another Caribbean lowland given.
461. Blue-chested Hummingbird- common around Manzanillo.
462. Pied Puffbird- also fairly common in that area.
463. Rufous-winged Woodpecker- not as common as I would have expected.
464. Chestnut-colored Woodpecker- heard 3-4 of these beautiful woodpeckers and saw a few. One was right in town.
465. Cinnamon Woodpecker- heard a couple of these canopy woodpeckers.
466. Fasciated Antshrike- fairly common in Carib. lowlands.
467. Western Slaty Antshrike- fairly common in forested areas of Carib. lowlands.
468. Brown-capped Tyrannulet- just one heard.
469. Black-capped Pygmy Tyrant- several heard and seen.
470. Black-headed Tody Flycatcher- a few heard, one seen very well.
471. Long-tailed Tyrant- a few heard and seen.
472. Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher- one migrating through or just arriving from wintering grounds to the south.
473. Purple-throated Fruitcrow- several seen and heard.
474. White-collared Manakin- still needed this very common Carib. lowland species!
475. Dusky-faced Tanager- heard a couple.
476. Sulphur-rumped Tanager- Finally saw this species! Saw a couple of them on the first afternoon and then again the following day hanging out with other tanagers.
477. White-lined Tanager- picked up a pair during lunch in town.
478. Red-throated Ant Tanager- several heard at dawn.
 
Guiding for the past two days at Tapanti (cloud forest) and Irazu (high elevation habitats) turned up several new year birds. They were:

479. Hook-billed Kite- nice looks at soaring male at Ujarras
480. Cooper's Hawk- brief views of a bird in flight on way up Irazu.
481. Buffy-crowned Wood Partridge- heard in the Orosi valley.
482. Black-breasted Wood Quail- heard calling from forested hillsides just outside of Tapanti.
483. Chiriqui Quail Dove- one heard in Tapanti
484. Mourning Dove- local in CR, easy on the slopes of Irazu.
485. Green-fronted Lancebill- not an easy bird in CR, saw two this morning as they hawked insects over the road just outside the entrance to Tapanti National Park.
486. Red-headed Barbet- pair seen in fruiting tree at Tapanti.
487. Prong-billed Barbet- heard and seen at Tapanti.
488. Rufous-breasted Antthrush- a few heard and one seen briefly at Tapanti.
489. Torrent Tyrannulet- one seen along river at Tapanti.
490. Rufous Mourner- one seen and heard Tapanti.
491. Timberline Wren- a few heard in Irazu paramo.
492. Black-billed Nightingale Thrush- several heard and a few seen on Irazu.
493. Sooty Robin- several seen on Irazu.
494. Wrenthrush- one heard in Tapanti.
495. Large-footed Finch- a few heard on Irazu.
496. White-eared Ground Sparrow- several in Orosi Valley.
497. Lesser Goldfinch- a few heard on Irazu.
498. Sooty-faced Finch- a couple heard at Tapanti.
499. Fiery-throated Hummingbird- Lots up on Irazu.
 
Just got back from an excellent weekend at Cano Negro with a short visit to a big wetland near the Nicaraguan border. Managed to get 27 new birds for the year en route and at those sites including 3 lifers!:

500. Yellow-green Vireo- This auspicious slot went to the common Yellow-green Vireo heard singing from my backyard on the morning of the trip. A very much expected migrant that shows up in Feb.
501. Pinnated Bittern- Our group was very happy to get excellent looks at this rare bird in CR.
502. Black-crowned Night Heron- Cano Negro is perhaps the only site in CR where this widespread species is more common than Yellow-crowned Night Heron.
503. Green Ibis- Nice looks at a few here and there.
504. Fulvous Whistling Duck- Great looks at this uncommon bird.
505. Lesser Scaup- a few of these at Cano Negro.
506. Northern Harrier- distant bird was a nice one to get for the year. Very uncommon wintering species in CR.
507. American Kestrel- another uncommon wintering species.
508. Merlin- around in the winter and during migration but never common.
509. Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture- excellent looks at several of these wetland specialists.
510. Uniform Crake- while looking for owls sans success, we heard one of these rails!
511. Yellow-breasted Crake- perhaps best bird of the trip. Glimpses of more than one while watching our first Pinnated Bittern at Cano Negro.
512. Sungrebe- very pleased to get nice looks at two of these odd birds on a boat trip in Cano Negro.
513. Limpkin- great looks at a couple of these.
514. Solitary Sandpiper- just one but that was enough!
515. Blue Ground Dove- an overdue bird for the year.
516. Gray-fronted Dove- Cano Negro is the only area in CR where this species is common and easy to see.
517. Belted Kingfisher- saw just one of these.
518. Olivaceous Piculet- had nice, close looks at a few of these in our hotel gardens.
519. Thicket Antpitta- nice surprise on the ride home. One heard in back of the LoveEats cafe near San Lorenzo.
520. Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet- a few of this uncommon flycatcher were heard.
521. White-ringed Flycatcher- nice surprise at a stop for lunch on the way home.
522. Cliff Swallow- lots migrating overhead.
523. Band-backed Wren- seen at same spot as the White-ringed Flycatcher.
524. Spot-breasted Wren- Cano Negro is one of the only places where this species is commonly seen- we had several in our hotel garden.
525. Tropical Mockingbird- nice surprise while getting gas near Los Chiles!
526. Nicaraguan Grackle- good looks at a few of this very local species!
 
A day of guiding at Quebrada Gonzalez and El Tapir yielded some nice birds but the only new one was Canada Warbler (528.).
 
Guiding for a day in high elevation forests, cloud forest, and a bit of lowland birding around Poas and Varablanca resulted in more than 140 species, 5 of which were new for the year:
532. Coppery-headed Emerald- easy at Cinchona and shows that I had yet to properly bird that area for the year.
533. Plain-capped Starthroat- nice to pick this one up outside of Alajuela.
534. Black and yellow Silky Flycatcher- regular on Poas.
535. Ovenbird- has become uncommon in Costa Rica, so nice to get this in a hotel garden on the outskirts of Alajuela.
536. Scarlet-thighed Dacnis- this striking species is regular near Cinchona.
 
Although the Big Day on March 31st got more or less rained out at two key sites, we still identified nearly 250 species and I picked up a few new birds for the year:
537. Red-eyed Vireo
538. Swainsons Thrush
539. Scarlet Tanager
540. Western Tanager
541. Pacific Screech Owl
 
Guiding in cloud forests near San Ramon turned up some very nice new birds for the year (and from now on, most should be rare or uncommon species).
542. Long-billed Starthroat- nice surprise on road to Manuel Brenes Reserve. One of 10 hummingbird species recorded along that road on that day.
543. Plain Antvireo- expected but still nice to get in middle elevation forests.
544. Black-headed Antthrush- a pretty local species in Costa Rica, heard it twice but it did not want to come out and play.
545. White-throated Spadebill- small understory flycatcher with a loud voice heard and seen at the Cocora cloud forest.
546. Olive-sided Flycatcher- migrating through the country right now.
547. Bare-necked Umbrellabird- bird of the day by far! I decided to make a roadside stop in good cloud forest habitat to see what might show up. Just a minute or two into birding, a massive, male umbrellabird makes an appearance in a roadside Cecropia! We watched it feed on Cecropia fruits until it swooped right over our heads and down into a forested valley. I knew this species occurred in the area but it is always a crap shoot in seeing one because there are so few of them.
 

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