Nicaragua 2013: Montibelli and Refugio Bartola (1 Viewer)

I was in Nicaragua for work and added a half-day excursion to the private Montibelli reserve near Managua and 3 days birding + 2 days travel to Refugio Bartola at the famous Rio San Juan, a trip I have been dreaming about for quite a while now.

Montibelli is a 30 min. drive out of Managua, so ideal for a half to full day trip, though they have accommodation and also longer stays are possible. I had a bit more than 50 species in half a day there, last year’s visit produced a similar number. Both times where past migration, so less birds but easier for me, being quite a beginner in the western hemisphere.

Best birds for me: Thicket Tinamou, Gray Hawk and Zone-tailed Hawk, Black-headed and Elegant Trogon, Blue-crowned and Turquise-browed Motmot (which is easy to see even in the city, but always great to see one), White-necked Puffbird from the terrace, Dusky Antbird, Rufous-browed Peppershrike and fantastic views of a Long-tailed Manakin family.

Unfortunately I have only a compact camera, so only some snapshots through binocular and scope.

Fotos: Dry Forest, Iguana and Turquoise-browed Motmot in Montibelli

A week later and work done, I boarded the Cessna to San Carlos, took seat directly behind the pilots and off we went. Other than announced, the flight went to San Juan del Norte first, which is at the river mouth of Rio San Juan and as close to the end of the world as it can get in Central America. That meant that we flew right over the vast expanse of the Indio Maís lowland rain forest, one of the largest such forests remaining in Central America. Amazing sight! However, there is also plenty of deforested land to see before getting to the good parts, and as this is all so way off and difficult to control, I think the forest loss there is still going on at fast pace.

After a 5 min. stop at the end of the world, we headed back and again over the forest to San Carlos, where the landing was as breathtaking as the view before, with strong side winds and the runway being rather short, not very flat and not asphalted at all. I was a bit concerned as due to the detour I already had missed the boat that I announced to the people from Bartola I would take. But then the guy opening the door of the plane told me that I had to take the boat at 15.30 and that the lady of Refugio Bartola had already arranged the boat ticket for me.

Boarding the boat, there was excitement because of a big turtle floating along, which was unfortunately caught shortly afterwards to end up in a soup.

With the boat heading down river, things started to get interesting. Soon I had plenty of water birds along the river shore, most exited I was about a couple of Roseate Spoonbills, but also a good selection of Egrets, Herons, Green Ibis, Limpkin, the biggest Kingfisher I’ve ever seen, Ringed Kingfisher and a Bat Falcon zooming by.

It was almost dark when the boat reached El Castillo, the only settlement on the river that can be called town and a nice place with extremely laid back atmosphere. I was picked up there by Sandra Castrillo and her crew, who were shopping for supplies. Another 30 min. boat ride followed, now at moon light accompanied by ringing frog calls and fireflies all over. I’d probably had enjoyed it less, would I have known of all the rocks in the river that the boatman somehow managed to circumnavigate in the dark.

4 am the Howler Monkeys (Mantled Howler) tried hard to wake up everybody, and soon after the birds chimed in. I spend the first daylight hours standing in awe in front of my room and taking up the view of the Hummingbirds, Euphonias, Tanagers and other colorful wonders zooming around the flowers in the gardens. A healthy Nicaraguan breakfast followed, during which I had another ten or so lifers. Then Fernando (he works at the Marena post just over the Bartola river, but being on leave he would be my guide for the next days) brought the rubber boots and we got to business.

The next 3 days were a flowing sequence of short to long walks in the extensive trail network in Bartola’s forest and strolls around the gardens for studying hummingbirds or taking snapshots of garden birds through the scope (I’ve no real camera, so no forest bird pictures), pleasantly interrupted by delicious meals on the terrace with views of just more birds. Paradise! Once we took a boat 10 min down the river to explore the Aguas Frescas trail, the rest of the time was spend around the Refugio.

Being new to the Neotropics, naturally I was as fascinated as challenged by the numerous hummingbirds. I found Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, the most common one, Violet crowned Hummingbird, Green-breasted Mango, Black-crested Coquette and White-necked Jacobin in the gardens and Stripe-throated Hermit, Long-billed Hermit and Violet-crowned Woodnymph inside the forest.

Other garden birds I liked much were Passerini’s Tanager, Crimson-billed Tanager, Golden-Hooded Tanager, Blue Dacnis, Red-legged Honeycreeper, Yellow-tailed Orilole, Yellow-billed and Scarlet-rumped Caciques, Banaquit and Grey-necked Wood-Rail. Also from the gardens there was a souring King Vulture to be seen and a number of passing-by raptors I was not able to identify.

Fotos: Long-billed Hermit, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Passerini's Tanager, Common Tody-Fatcher, Cinnamon Becard

Inside the forest then it was first mainly the new-to-me environment of neotropical rain forest that kept me fascinated: the lush vegetation, highways of leaf-cutter ants, constant calls and sight of Howlers and also Geoffrey’s Spider Monkeys and White-headed Capuchins, several Brown-throated Three-toed Sloths, lots of Agoutis and no leaches, yeah!

But colorful frogs such as a Blue jeans Strawberry Poison Dart Frog and a Green and Black Poison Dart Frog.

Birds then, first the big ones: awesome Crested Currasow and Great Tinamou.

Parrots of course! White-crowned, Red-lored and Mealy Parrots. And the highlight, not in the forest but in the evening from the terrace, a group of Great Green Macaws flying over.

Very cool the Antbirds hopping around the army-ant swarms, there was: Chestnut-backed, Bicolored and the stunning Ocellated Antbird. Also antbirds but not seen with the Ants were Fasciated Antshrike, lots of White-flanked Antwrens and a single Dot-winged Antwren.

I also loved the many Wrens, being used to having just one, they always give a good challenge before finally giving in with nice views, I found 5 species there: Black-throated, Plain, Bay, and House Wrens as well as White-breasted Wood-Wren.

The Red-capped Manakins were quite entertaining with their good looks and weird sounds.

Many Woodcreepers were around, often with the Ants: Plain Brown, Wedge-billed, Northern Barred, Spotted and Streak-headed Woodcreepers. As for Woodpeckers, we found Black-cheeked, Chestnut-colored and Pale-billed Woodpeckers. In the gardens there was a Plain Xenops as well.

The Aguas Frescas trail had a few stoic White-whiskered Puffbirds and a Mouse Opposum was also a great discovery in midst a down-pour (which kept on for almost 3 hours but was the only one, only occasional drizzles else).

There was more (I'll put the full list at the end) and there could have been much more with more skills and experience in the region, more time, and during times with migrants present.

It was really great birding there and such a pleasant and friendly place, thanks to Sandra and her staff. Actually I had the place to myself except the last evening when a US birding group arrived.

Fotos: Chestnut-mandibled Toucan, Grey-necked Wodd-Rail, Mouse Opossum, Plain Xenops, Variable Seedeater with Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

Time was over too soon and I had to head back. This time I took the fast boat which was less ideal for seeing birds. But I had a very nice end of the trip in San Carlos where from the terrace of the restaurant Kaoma I could see (again during a meal) a lot of birds on a mudflat in the bay. The majority where Neoptropic Cormorants, Anhingas, Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons, among which there were five American White Pelicans. Lots of resting gulls and terns as well, but quite far and I could only identify Laughing Gulls and Royal Terns, but also 3 Black Skimmers among them.

That was it, but it was certainly not the last time. There are still many more trails to explore around Refugio Bartola, boat trips can be made deeper in the forest, and then there is the Los Guatuzos Reserve near San Carlos and other wetlands around the Nicaragua Lake.

Birdlist for Refugio Bartola / Rio San Juan

1 Great Tinamou
2 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
3 Great Curassow
4 Neotropic Cormorant
5 Anhinga
6 American White Pelican
7 Great Blue Heron
8 Great Egret
9 Snowy Egret
10 Little Blue Heron
11 Cattle Egret
12 Green Heron
13 Green Ibis
14 Roseate Spoonbill
15 Black Vulture
16 Turkey Vulture
17 King Vulture
18 Osprey
19 Semiplumbeous Hawk
20 Crested Caracara
21 Bat Falcon
22 Gray-necked Wood-Rail
23 Purple Gallinule
24 Limpkin
25 Northern Jacana
26 Spotted Sandpiper
27 Laughing Gull
28 Royal Tern
29 Black Skimmer
30 Pale-vented Pigeon
31 Short-billed Pigeon
32 White-tipped Dove
33 Great Green Macaw
34 Orange-chinned Parakeet
35 White-crowned Parrot
36 Red-lored Parrot
37 Mealy Parrot
38 Squirrel Cuckoo
39 Groove-billed Ani
40 White-necked Jacobin
41 Long-billed Hermit
42 Stripe-throated Hermit
43 Green-breasted Mango
44 Black-crested Coquette
45 Violet-headed Hummingbird
46 Violet-crowned Woodnymph
47 Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
48 Slaty-tailed Trogon
49 Guianan Trogon
50 Blue-crowned Motmot
51 Ringed Kingfisher
52 Amazon Kingfisher
53 White-whiskered Puffbird
54 White-fronted Nunbird
55 Collared Aracari
56 Chestnut-mandibled Toucan
57 Keel-billed Toucan
58 Black-cheeked Woodpecker
59 Chestnut-colored Woodpecker
60 Pale-billed Woodpecker
61 Plain Xenops
62 Plain-brown Woodcreeper
63 Wedge-billed Woodcreeper
64 Northern Barred-Woodcreeper
65 Spotted Woodcreeper
66 Streak-headed Woodcreeper
67 Fasciated Antshrike
68 Western Slaty-Antshrike
69 White-flanked Antwren
70 Dot-winged Antwren
71 Chestnut-backed Antbird
72 Bicolored Antbird
73 Ocellated Antbird
74 Common Tody-Flycatcher
75 Golden-crowned Spadebill
76 Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher
77 Tropical Pewee
78 Dusky-capped Flycatcher
79 Great Crested Flycatcher
80 Great Kiskadee
81 Social Flycatcher
82 Gray-capped Flycatcher
83 Tropical Kingbird
84 Red-capped Manakin
85 Masked Tityra
86 Cinnamon Becard
87 Yellow-green Vireo
88 Lesser Greenlet
89 Gray-breasted Martin
90 Mangrove Swallow
91 Black-throated Wren
92 Plain Wren
93 Bay Wren
94 House Wren
95 White-breasted Wood-Wren
96 Clay-colored Thrush
97 Bananaquit
98 Crimson-collared Tanager
99 Passerini's Tanager
100 Blue-gray Tanager
101 Palm Tanager
102 Golden-hooded Tanager
103 Blue Dacnis
104 Red-legged Honeycreeper
105 Buff-throated Saltator
106 Black-headed Saltator
107 Variable Seedeater
108 White-collared Seedeater
109 Thick-billed Seed-Finch
110 Black-striped Sparrow
111 Black-faced Grosbeak
112 Red-winged Blackbird
113 Great-tailed Grackle
114 Yellow-tailed Oriole
115 Yellow-billed Cacique
116 Scarlet-rumped Cacique
117 Yellow-crowned Euphonia
118 Yellow-throated Euphonia

Birdlist Montibelli (12.5.2013 + 8.07.2012)

1 Thicket Tinamou
2 Black Vulture
3 Turkey Vulture
4 Gray Hawk
5 Zone-tailed Hawk
6 Red-billed Pigeon
7 White-winged Dove
8 Inca Dove
9 Ruddy Ground-Dove
10 White-tipped Dove
11 Pacific Parakeet
12 Squirrel Cuckoo
13 Striped Cuckoo
14 Groove-billed Ani
15 Common Pauraque
16 Northern Potoo
17 Vaux's Swift
18 Stripe-throated Hermit
19 Cinnamon Hummingbird
20 Blue-throated Goldentail
21 Black-headed Trogon
22 Guianan Trogon
23 Elegant Trogon
24 Blue-crowned Motmot
25 Turquoise-browed Motmot
26 White-necked Puffbird
27 Collared Aracari
28 Hoffmann's Woodpecker
29 Streak-headed Woodcreeper
30 Barred Antshrike
31 Dusky Antbird
32 Common Tody-Flycatcher
33 Dusky-capped Flycatcher
34 Great Kiskadee
35 Boat-billed Flycatcher
36 Social Flycatcher
37 Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher
38 Tropical Kingbird
39 Long-tailed Manakin
40 Masked Tityra
41 Rose-throated Becard
42 Yellow-green Vireo
43 Lesser Greenlet
44 Rufous-browed Peppershrike
45 White-throated Magpie-Jay
46 Rufous-naped Wren
47 Banded Wren
48 Rufous-and-white Wren
49 Plain Wren
50 Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush
51 Clay-colored Thrush
52 Rufous-capped Warbler
53 Gray-headed Tanager
54 Blue-gray Tanager
55 Grayish Saltator
56 Buff-throated Saltator
57 Black-headed Saltator
58 Blue-black Grassquit
59 Olive Sparrow
60 Stripe-headed Sparrow
61 Melodious Blackbird
62 Great-tailed Grackle
63 Bronzed Cowbird
64 Spot-breasted Oriole
65 Altamira Oriole
66 Yellow-billed Cacique
67 Montezuma Oropendola
68 Scrub Euphonia
69 House Sparrow

Thanks so much for posting your report. I have wanted to go to Bartolo for a long time, ope I can make it there this year.

Thanks for taking the time to write that all out. I enjoyed your pictures and the mouse opposum is pretty cool!

Hi, here also a pdf with all the above plus some practical info on how to get there and costs.
Best, Florian

Enjoyed the good report from a less visited country. Thanks for posting!

Steve