A bit of a challenge (Bird ID thru call descript) Carara National Park - Costa Rica (1 Viewer)

Hello everyone!

I'm new to the forum and the reason I subscribed is to ask everybody for some help.

I don't know if this is even possible but I've been listening to WAVs and MP3s online to try and find the exact song I heard yesterday, without any success, and it's driving me crazy.

So all I can do is give a description and see if anybody would be so very kind as to help me out. Brace yourselves, it might be long and chatty...but here goes:

I was in Carara National Park (in Costa Rica) yesterday, at about 8 a.m. and while walking the trails I heard a "tuk tuk" call in the distance, then nothing. As we walked a little bit more, the call went off again, this time a lot louder and more frequent (about one call every 2 minutes or so).

It sounded like a "moist" sound (if that makes any sense)...very loud, but not strident, but with a LOT of resonance instead. My husband describes it as two rocks hitting each other. For me it's more of a knock on wood.

One call is two sounds: Tuk-tuk, slightly ascending, "watery", very loud, very echoing....absolutely beautiful.

The park rangers outside told me it might be a woodpecker or a manakin...looked it up online and that's far from it.

The closest thing to it that I've round online is a mot mot call...but that is DEFINITELY not it.

Is it even a bird?

I've walked through many Costa Rican National Parks throughout my life, but have never heard this one sound before.

Please help! Thank you!

PS: It was a wonderful hike. I am by no means a bird watcher, but I did get to spot a Fiery beak Aracari!!! Very excited about that...and then some ibises, scarlet macaws, toucans, chacalacas, hummingbirds.

Hola Libael! :hi:

A warm welcome to Birdforum from all the staff and mods.

Costa Rica is a wonderful place for birdwatching. I had the pleasure to visit the ticos las November.

Is it possible that you heard the drumming of a Pale-billed Woodpecker? These Campehilus-Woodpeckers usually mark their territory by drumming twice on a dead tree.

Welcome to Bird Forum! I also live in Costa Rica-was in Carara about 10 days ago. Always great for birding and enjoying rain forest in general.
I am in agreement with Fritz- the first thing that comes to mind is the drumming of Pale-billed Woodpecker- a very recognizable "thudump"!

I just looked up a WAV file online and you are absolutely right!
Thank you so much, I will be able to sleep well tonight.

Thanks also for the warm welcome.

Costa Rica is a wonderful place for bird watching, that even if you're not into it, you eventually yield and become a fan of bird watching, even if it's very casual. Like me....so I will have many more questions in the future, and now I have somewhere to ask them.

Thanks!

Haha
Now that I think about it....this wasn't much of a challenge, after all, was it?
I'll try to come up with something more fun next time