Cost Rica Help I.D please (1 Viewer)

[Danredders87]

Hi All
Just joined so a bit new to all this. Going through some old pics during lockdown of a trip to Costa Rica, Ive found a few of birds i cant identify.

Please could any help

The pic of the Small raptor flying was taken in the canals of Tortuguero

The black headed bird (oriole looking) was taking hiking close to the Arenal Volcano

Small finch like bird was also taken near Arenal

The all Yellow bird was at the entrance to Monteverde National park

And the woodpecker like bird was walking down the road to manuel Antonio beach.

I just cant pinpoint them in my richard Garrigues birds of costa rica

Any help will be greatly appreciated and i do have a few more birds if its possible after.

Thanks

Dan

 

[KC Foggin]

Hi there and a warm welcome to you from those of us on staff here at BirdForum :t:

I'm gonna move your thread to the bird I D section of the Forum and I have subscribed you to the thread so you will get emails when anyone posts to your thread

 

[dwatsonbirder]

1) Looks like Merlin, but that's a rare bird in CR, and not sure I can see enough detail 2) Baltimore oriole 3) Looks like one of the seedeaters, probably Variable 4) Hepatic tanager 5) If it was a woodpecker, then Smoky Brown looks to be the only fit.

Hope this helps, and welcome to birdforum!

 

[pbjosh]

1- A falcon, must be a Kestrel, Peregrine, or Merlin on plumage it seems. Merlin should be quite uncommon and the head looks quite dark so perhaps a Peregrine? Hard to be certain from that photo.

2- Agree with Baltimore Oriole

3- Female Seedeater/Seedfinch (Sporophila spp) seems fine, but no way to ID on that photo I shouldn't think

4- Agree with Hepatic Tanager

5- I'd suggest female / juvenile Great-tailed Grackle. I don't see any Woodpecker that I can recognize in that photo. As an aside, unless I'm mistaken, I don't believe Smoky-brown is found around Manuel Antonio.

 

[Danredders87]

Thank you all for your replies. Thanks KC and sorry about that.

I have a couple more if its possible.

1.I have another (poor quality) pic of the woodpecker / grackle bird from the front.

2. This bird was seen around Arenal Volcano, possible elaenia?

3. This bird was seen low in the canopy inside Manuel Antonio National Park

4. This bird was seen at the Guapiles boat transfer place for Tortuguero. Pewee/Flycatcher sp

5. These were seen from a boat on Lake Arenal, Not sure if its 2 separate species or Male and female.

Again sorry about the quality and thank you for time and consideration

Kind Regards

Dan

 

[Andy Adcock]

1) Looks like Merlin, but that's a rare bird in CR, and not sure I can see enough detail 2) Baltimore oriole 3) Looks like one of the seedeaters, probably Variable 4) Hepatic tanager 5) If it was a woodpecker, then Smoky Brown looks to be the only fit.

Hope this helps, and welcome to birdforum!

Merlin is seen, here's ours in CR near San Gerardo.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Pic 3 second batch is Palm Tanager.

Pic 1 looks more like a Grackle too.

 

[njlarsen]

Regarding the first set: how do we explain a seemingly white eye in the "oriole"? I do not believe it is simple reflexes in the surfase of the eye, then the pupil would not be so obvious.

Niels

 

[Danredders87]

I have another poor pic of the same bird niels. Can Baltimore Orioles be mainly yellow and not orange? We saw several on the trip that had bright orange plumage hence why i didnt think it was a Baltimore

 

[pbjosh]

In the second group of photos:

1- Grackle again for me
2- Will have to look better later, looks like an Empid or Elaenia with little/no apparent eye ring. The lack of eye ring rules out Yellowish Fly and short primaries seem poor for a migrant Empid so likely an Elaenia I agree.
3- Palm Tanager
4- Elaenia, probably Yellow-bellied
5- ? Will look later.

 

[pbjosh]

#2 doesn't look quite crested enough to be a Tropical Pewee, and doesn't look like Mountain Elaenia to me. Then again it doesn't really look like Alder/Willow Flycatcher to me either. Do you remember exactly where around Arenal you took the picture or at least what altitude you were at?
#4 must be Yellow-bellied Elaenia. Lesser Elaenia is out of range and usually doesn't show that much crest or look that long/thin.
#5 Cowbirds or Melodious Blackbird I assume, doubt you can be certain from that photo.

 

[njlarsen]

So no comment about the pale eye of the "oriole"?

Niels

 

[THE_FERN]

So no comment about the pale eye of the "oriole"?

Niels

I think that's just a reflection/highlight. That the bird is so yellow rather than at least a little orange is perhaps more concerning. But there's no other obvious candidate than Baltimore Oriole that I can think of with that colour pattern. Perhaps the bird is ill or perhaps it's simultaneous contrast at work (but I don't think so in this case)

 

[Danredders87]

#2 doesn't look quite crested enough to be a Tropical Pewee, and doesn't look like Mountain Elaenia to me. Then again it doesn't really look like Alder/Willow Flycatcher to me either. Do you remember exactly where around Arenal you took the picture or at least what altitude you were at?
#4 must be Yellow-bellied Elaenia. Lesser Elaenia is out of range and usually doesn't show that much crest or look that long/thin.
#5 Cowbirds or Melodious Blackbird I assume, doubt you can be certain from that photo.

We were on a small hiking tour of the Lava fields around the volcano, It was spotted in a tree in field of tall grass on a sloped part of the trail. We also saw that "oriole" there along with tody flycatcher, Yellow faced Grassquit, Brown and white throated magpie jay in the same area. I only had a 300mm lens so most photos are quite distant and cropped. Thank you for your thoughts pbjosh a big help