costalist

Species list

List of species seen

Brown Pelican	Only seen on the Pacific coast. ~20 birds were flying adjacent to the coast road on the approach to Punta Leona. A greater concentration of ~50 birds was resting on the sand at the mouth of the Tarcoles river. One or two were also fishing off the shore. One unfortunate moribund individual was looking most unhealthy on the tideline
Anhinga	Two birds were on the River Tarcoles at Carara
Magnificent Frigatebird	~30 overhead at Tarcoles. There seemed to be an equal mix of smartly plumaged males and the drabber females
Great Blue Heron	Singles at 3 locations – Tarcoles, the Tarcoles river at Carara, and on the Sarapiqui river at Selva Verde
Great Egret	1 at Carara and 2 at Tarcoles
Tricoloured Heron	1 at Carara and 1 at Tarcoles
Little Blue Heron	1 fishing on the River Tarcoles at Carara and 2 on the River Sarapiqui at Selva Verde
Snowy Egret	Only one seen during the whole week, fishing on the River Tarcoles at Carara
Cattle Egret	Small groups of birds were seen in cattle fields on the Pacific coast and Caribbean slopes. Up to 50 were seen on any one day
Green Heron	3 fishing in the grassy edges of the River Tarcoles at Carara
Boat-billed Heron	This was a species that we had been chasing since visiting Mexico in 2000. We had hoped to see some here, but thought that the best chance would be from a boat trip at Tarcoles. We needn’t have worried, since ~8 birds were roosting in a tree directly in front and above us at the edge of the River Tarcoles at Carara. Despite this species being mainly nocturnal, this group of birds was individually sporadically active within the tree – often moving to tell off one of its neighbours
Bare-throated Tiger-Heron	2 adults were feeding alongside the water’s edge on the River Tarcoles at Carara. Initially one was seen on the opposite bank, with a second appearing from the reeds and then feeding in the open, again on the opposite bank, but on a different section of the river. We also picked up a fishing juvenile Tiger-heron amongst the rocks of the river at Villas Lapas. Closer inspection revealed an all dark bill, and the habitat was quoted as being more characteristic of Fasciated rather than the more open waters frequented by Bare-throated Tiger-heron, but the bill shape and geographical distribution favoured the latter species
Least Bittern	1 feeding on the grassy edges of the River Tarcoles at Carara
Wood Stork	~8 of these rather unattractive birds were in a roadside pool at Tarcoles
Green Ibis	2 separate birds were seen at La Selva. One was flying over the visitor centre, with the second bird landing on a bare tree from one of the trails. Unfortunately, the light wasn’t kind enough to show off the green sheen of the plumage
White Ibis	The first bird seen was an apparition of white in the centre of the shallow river at Villas Lapas. ~10 birds were seen later in the day at the roadside pool in Tarcoles
Roseate Spoonbill	~6 birds at the roadside pool, Tarcoles
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck	This was the only wildfowl species seen, and can be in large numbers, particularly around the open marshes of the Guanacaste. The only birds we saw were in a group of ~20 on the River Tarcoles at Carara. Amusingly, although perhaps not for the ducks, one or two of the larger spectacled caimans made occasional half-hearted attempts to make them a morning snack, without success!
Black Vulture	These were seen on every day, in all habitats, and in good numbers. They were much the more common of the 2 vulture species seen
Turkey Vulture	Again, seen on every day in all habitats visited, sometimes numbering only single figures, and always in smaller numbers than Black Vulture
Osprey	2 seen – 1 coastal bird fishing at the mouth of the River Tarcoles, the other inland over La Selva
Swallow-tailed Kite	All the birds seen were either quite distant or from the car, but were nevertheless still spectacular. The first was seen early in the day at Savegre Lodge over the high ridges, with a further 5 later on, again over the higher areas. 2 more were seen from the car, one on the journey from Savegre to Punta Leona, the other in the Braullio Carillo area when exiting the mountains towards San Jose
Black-shouldered Kite	Only one bird was seen – a brief glimpse of a hovering individual shortly after leaving the Buena Vista hotel on the first full day
Grey Hawk	Another bird seen only singly. This individual was picked up over one of the trails at Punta Leona, but had the decency to land on an exposed branch for some time directly over our heads
Zone-tailed Hawk	Only one bird was positively identified, putting in 2 appearances over the gardens of the Buena Vista hotel on the last morning, the first very low and directly overhead. What was possibly another of this species flew past us on the descent to Savegre Lodge on the first full day
Red-tailed Hawk	3 separate birds were seen, 2 in the Savegre Valley, and the third hovering for a considerable time over one of the peaks at Cerro de la Muerte
Crested Caracara	All birds were seen from the car – 3 on the coastal track South of Punta Leona, 1 at Punta Leona, 3 on the journey from Punta Leona to La Paz, and 1 at La Selva
Peregrine Falcon	The appearance of a single bird was a bit of a surprise, since it was picked up flying low over the mouth of the River Tarcoles, landing on the sand not far from a group of waders. It must have been eyeing up a snack for some time, but left the way it came, ploverless, after about 10 minutes of eyeing up the menu
Crested Guan	2 pairs of these outrageously prehistoric birds were seen at La Selva. The first 2 flew in and landed in a tree over the visitor centre, giving only half decent views, despite their size and proximity. The second brace landed in a tree above on one of the trails through the secondary forest, this time showing more in the open
Grey-necked Wood-Rail	This species is reputed to be difficult to see in the open in this area, despite its widespread distribution. The 2 that we saw alongside one of the tracks in the secondary forest obviously were keen on bucking trends
Sunbittern	This is one of those mythical species that most birders have high on their most wanted lists, and it has usually been on that list for what seems like decades. The reason for this is probably a combination of it being an elusive species, singularly different to any other, and in short quite stunning in plumage, particularly when it deigns to flash the “suns” on its wings. We were aware of the fact that Selva Verde Lodge had a reputation for producing sightings, but not how accurate those reports actually are. A pair of birds seemed to have chosen this stretch of river for their home, and after a couple of fruitless crossings of the footbridge, one of the local guides pointed out initially one bird, with a second appearing minutes later, on one of the pools in the rocks adjacent to the river. They were more than happy for us to approach quite closely, when we not only gorged on them fishing, but also one preening and displaying the stunning pattern on one of its wings
Northern Jacana	We have seen quite a few Jacana species around the world, but only one brief juvenile of this species, at Coba in the Mexican Yucatan. The 4 adults and 2 juveniles seen on the River Tarcoles at Carara thus filled in a void. They were initially on the opposite bank, but 2 of the 4 adults and both juveniles eventually landed only a few metres from us
Black-necked Stilt	1 feeding in the Crocodile bearing river at Carara
Collared Plover	We had trudged the couple of kilometres of beach in the heat at Tarcoles in the hope of seeing some of the reputed breeding Lesser Nighthawks. We dipped on them, but were rewarded with our only new species of wader for the trip. After the initially close first Collared Plover, a group of ~30 was seen further up the beach towards the mouth of the river, being eyed up as brunch by a standing Peregrine Falcon
Whimbrel	A single bird of the dark rumped new world subspecies was feeding on the shoreline at Tarcoles
Spotted Sandpiper	3 were on the semi dry river at Villas Lapas lodge
Ruddy Turnstone	1 on the beach at Tarcoles
Sanderling	~20 on the beach at Tarcoles
Royal Tern	One surprise of the trip was seeing no gulls, and Royal Tern was the only tern spp seen. A single bird landed in front of us on the return walk along the beach at Tarcoles, with another 2 fishing offshore
Band-tailed Pigeon	2 groups of ~6 birds were around the Savegre Lodge, both landing for some time behind the cabins while waiting for Quetzal to put in an appearance
Red-billed Pigeon	This was most common around the Buena Vista hotel, with ~5 on the first morning, and ~20 on the last. Only one other bird was seen, at Punta Leona
Short-billed Pigeon	This species and Ruddy Pigeon are almost identical in appearance, which made the birds seen calling something of a godsend. There is also a variation in the altitudinal distribution, which made identification less of an impossibility than had been expected. 2 were along the trail at Carara, with another 4 at La Selva
White-winged Dove	Only 4 identified / noticed, at Orotina
Ruddy Ground-Dove	These were particularly common on the journey from Savegre to Punta Leona, most of which were along the coast road. Smaller numbers were also seen elsewhere
Inca Dove	2 at Buena Vista on the first morning, 1 on the last morning, and 1 at Villas Lapas
Grey-chested Dove	These birds behave quite differently than expected – very rarely flying, they tend to prefer slowly wading through the leaf litter of the forest floor, being occasional also seen on grassed areas within the shade of trees. The first ones we saw were an elusive pair beside the track through the forest at Carara. The afternoon of the same day found another 4 in the forests of Villas Lapas in two separate pairs. There was also a pair at Selva Verde, but we had to wait until La Selva to find a pair out in the open, where 2 of the 4 were foraging under the cover of sporadic trees just outside of the main gates
Ruddy Quail-Dove	These have tended to be a bit of a bogey bird in the past, since they tend to be very elusive forest dwellers, and I have only heard them when in the correct habitat. However, a single bird did show itself in the undergrowth of the forest at Carara, not far from the main track
Scarlet Macaw	These incredibly noisy, large, and unnaturally bright birds are unfortunately now becoming a speciality of the Tarcoles area, due to population losses elsewhere. The first couple that we saw were coming in to roost within the grounds of Punta Leona on our first evening, although many more were heard. 3 were subsequently seen flying over the trees in the Tarcoles area, and 2 were presumably making their way to roost late afternoon at Villas Lapas
Sulphur-winged Parakeet	A group of ~15 was seen twice over the rear of the cabins at Savegre Lodge
White-crowned Parrot	This was our first parrot of the trip, when a group of 3 individuals landed noisily in flowering trees to the rear of the owners house at the Buena Vista hotel. A larger group of ~15 returned to this spot on the last morning there. The only other members of this species positively identified were 2 separate birds at La Selva
Mealy Parrot	La Selva was the location for these confiding birds, with a group of 3 on the morning walk along the entrance drive on the first morning in the area, and a fourth bird in La Selva itself the next morning. The 3 birds seen first landed in trees next to the entrance road, happily feeding on fruiting trees in our presence
Squirrel Cuckoo	All 3 birds seen were within foliage – the first at Carara was at the very tip of one of the tallest trees, the second at the top of a lower tree not far from us on the entrance drive to La Selva, and the third in the lower branches of one of the trees near to La Selva main gate on the second morning visit
Groove-billed Ani	2 groups of 4 were found, one in sparse bushes in front of the cabins at Villas Lapas, the second group at Tarcoles
Black-and-white Owl	One of the strangest sites that we came across was that of a pair of these deep forest dwelling species which had taken up residence in the trees of the small town square at Orotina. The town is on the main road between our stops at Punta Leona and La Paz, so we had to make the detour to see them. All the locals seemed to know not only of their presence, but also which branch of which tree to locate them. One bird was exactly where it should be, the other a few trees distant. The only disappointment we had was not seeing the Sloth which has reputedly also taken up residence in this unlikely spot
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl	It’s likely that this is perhaps one of the easiest to see owls in the region, due to its wide range and abundance, and also the fact that it is diurnal and confiding. It was something of a surprise that we only came across one individual, in a low bare branch just behind the football field at Tarcoles. We stumbled upon it just before we exited the field to reach the beach on our nighthawkless trudge, and it provided ample compensation
White-collared Swift	These are a notably large swift, with very long, thin wings, and an obvious collar. They were the only swift spp we were happy enough to identify, although some slightly smaller all dark (apparently) birds with slightly broader wings were tentatively pigeonholed as Chestnut-collared. They were particularly common in the mountains around Savegre, overhead at the Buena Vista hotel, and in the skies over La Selva, where numbers probably easily eclipsed three figures. The only area we didn’t notice them was on the Pacific coast
Eastern Long-tailed Hermit	4 birds were seen, and they are quite spectacular when seen feeding in flight, which all of the birds seen were doing. The long decurved bill and equally long central white tail streamers turn a plain coloured hummer into an event. The first was feeding alongside the track at Carara, the second in more dense foliage next to the entrance road at La Selva, and the last two within the secondary forest of La Selva
Little Hermit	1 seen briefly flying through while staking out our first White-collared Manakin on the entrance road to La Selva
Violet Sabrewing	This hummer is one of those that looks all dark in most lights, but glistens a beautiful violet (not surprisingly when the light hits it). It was also one of the commoner hummingbirds to regularly visit the feeders at La Paz. At least 8 birds were seen here, all of which seemed to be males
White-necked Jacobin	Only one seen, on one of the flowering trees adjacent to the restaurant at La Selva
Green Violet-ear	This was one of the most common hummers at Savegre Lodge, where they were a constant visitor to the feeders. They are an iridescent shimmering green, and not being the most sociable of birds, often flashed their purple ear tufts at others, both of their own and different species. ~20 were seen on any one day at Savegre, with ~5 visiting the feeders at any one time, and ~15 away from the feeders, mainly within the forest
Green-breasted Mango	A single female was at La Selva
Violet-headed Hummingbird	Another species seen only once – on a flowering shrub directly in front of reception at La Selva
Fiery-throated Hummingbird	The best place for this species seemed to be at our mountain stop (K76 on the way from San Jose to Savegre). This small area had at least 3 individuals. They were a little confusing at first, appearing as an all dark bird, but the flash of red on the throat solved the puzzle. Another bird landed briefly on the feeders at the Hotel Georgina on the way out of Savegre, with a further bird at La Selva
Coppery-headed Emerald	Of the 6 endemics to Costa Rica, only this species and Mangrove Hummingbird were on our potentials list, since they are the only ones to inhabit the areas we visited. We missed out on Mangrove, and the Coppery-headed male that was seen took some sorting out, eventually relying on video backup for identification. They are a very small bird, and when seen from the front, as our bird was, are mainly a shimmering, but unstartling green. Looking back, the coppery glow on the crown could be seen in certain lights, as well as the white undertail coverts
Black-bellied Hummingbird	This species is about the same size as Coppery-headed Emerald, in other words small, and at least 1-2 males put in regular appearances at the feeders of La Paz. However, as opposed to the other common feeder regulars, the Black-bellied seems to be forever on the move, visiting more than one feeder in a short space of time, not staying for long on any one, and then flying off
Blue-throated Goldentail	1 seen from below along the track at Carara. The most obvious feature is the thick and broad based red bill, quite characteristic of the hummers in this area
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird	This is one of the more widespread hummingbirds throughout Costa Rica, and was seen in virtually every habitat, from coast to mountain. The only day when they weren’t seen was the full day at Savegre Lodge (none were seen at this location, although we did see one a little further along at K76). Numbers were never very high (peak of 6 on any one day) – 2 at Buena Vista on the first morning, with 3 on the last morning; 2 at K76; 1 at Punta Leona; 1 at Carara; 1 at Villas Lapas; 4 on the entrance driveway to La Selva; 4 at La Paz; 2 at Selva Verde; and 3 within La Selva
Steely-vented Hummingbird	Along with Plain-capped Starthroat, this was one of the 2 hummers only to be seen at the Buena Vista hotel, and both on the last morning of the trip. The first we saw of the bird was a green hummingbird with shining dark blue tail. We eventually had better views, when front on the white “socks” could also be seen. A point of interest is that Stiles & Skutch mentions its preference for coffee plantations – the exact spot where we found the bird!
Purple-throated Mountain-gem	The Mountain-gems at La Paz all proved to be of this species, as opposed to the Grey-tailed in the mountains. They were not the most regular hummingbirds to the feeders, but could often be picked up on branches in the surrounding vegetation. In all, we probably saw 3 males and 1 female
Grey-tailed Mountain-gem	These were the Mountain-gems of the mountains, with regular sightings on the feeders at Savegre Lodge. Both females and males were seen in equal numbers, with a minimum of 4 of each sex, all being seen in the vicinity of the hotel
Green-crowned Brilliant	This species was the most common visitor to the feeders at La Paz. The vast majority were males, and probably numbered at least 20. They were also very confiding, not appearing to notice our presence
Magnificent Hummingbird	While the Green-crowned Brilliant was the most common hummingbird to the feeders at La Paz, the equivalent at Savegre Lodge was the Magnificent Hummingbird. Again, most that appeared were males, with at least 20 on any one day. An extra bird was on Cerro de la Muerte, and 1 male amongst the equally large Green-crowned Brilliants of La Paz
Plain-capped Starthroat	The first we saw of Starthroat was two birds with very long straight bills tussling in the air within the coffee plantation of the Buena Vista hotel. One landed briefly, but didn’t show many characters apart from the long bill. Subsequent observations also revealed the purple throat and plainish head. This species was surprisingly only seen in the grounds of the Buena Vista
Scintillant Hummingbird	Of the four regular hummingbirds to the feeders at Savegre Lodge, the Scintillant was far and away the smallest. We had expected Volcano Hummingbirds also here, but as far as we could make out, all the smaller hummers were Scintillant. Most were females, and it took some time to pin down one or two wonderful little males with shining scarlet moustaches. The first birds were a couple of females at the K76 stop in the mountains, with a subsequent 12+ at Savegre Lodge. 3 were also amongst the more common Volcano Hummingbirds on Cerro de la Muerte
Volcano Hummingbird	After “missing out” on Volcano Hummingbird at Savegre Lodge, where they were more or less expected, it was a pleasure to catch up with this superb little bird on our way out from Savegre, when we stopped of for a sortie on Cerro de la Muerte. At least 10 birds were performing superbly, with a possible lek at one point, and showing the lilac throats characteristic of the form present in this area
Violaceous Trogon	The female of this particular trogon can cause confusion with male of Black-headed, and we fell into this trap at La Selva (as did one of the guides – shame on him!). We eventually decided that we had seen 2 females – one at the reception area, and one on the drive track between checkpoints, before we saw a male just outside of the main gate
Collared Trogon	A male was seen briefly around the grounds of Savegre Lodge on the first full morning at the hotel
Black-throated Trogon	A pair flew in over our heads and landed nearby along one of the tracks at Punta Leona. The male stayed for some time, moving to a nearby branch. We found a third bird quite high up along the track at Carara
Resplendent Quetzal	Many birders would consider this one of the Holy Grails of birds, certainly when visiting Central and North-western South America, and we were keen to include ourselves on this list. Thus it was that we were given the location of a currently nest building bird (reputedly doing so for the last week) within the forest, and spent at least 2 hours staking out the site from a comfortable distance. We even checked that there were shavings below the hole, indicating current hole making activity. After more than 2 hours – no Quetzal. So it was a great surprise to us that, on the same evening at around 5:15pm, after over an hours waiting (all other prospective Quetzal watchers had left for the bar!), we watched our first Quetzal fly into an avocado tree in front of our viewpoint. And this only about 30 metres from the doorstep of our cabin at Savegre Lodge. The predictability of this bird (or another equally stunning male) was proved when we dined on another in the same tree at 6:00am the next morning. We left satiated – at least 3 birds were seen at the same spot later in the morning, with an additional sighting at the hotel entrance by the bridge!
Ringed Kingfisher	A single bird was seen briefly on the main river at Selva Verde from the foot bridge
Amazon Kingfisher	We first picked up this female hovering over the fast flowing river at Selva Verde lodge from the bridge. We followed it to a perch over a small tributary much nearer to the hotel, and were both surprised and delighted to be looking at a new species of Kingfisher, which was a smart bottle green on the back, with similar coloured slash across a white underside, and obvious crest on the crown
Green Kingfisher	We have built up better and better views of this species over the years, from a flash in front of our moving boat in Trinidad’s Caroni Swamp, to 2 birds along the waters edge at Bentsen in Texas, USA, last year, and culminating in a pristine female perched only metres away over the River Tarcoles at Carara. There were also an additional 2 birds seen on the same day, on the river at Villas Lapas and at Tarcoles
American Pygmy Kingfisher	Possibly my bird of the trip. This tiny and endearing bird was first picked up flying on to a single stick of a perch on the opposite side of the river at Carara. It was then seen to fly over to our side of the river, landing only about 20 metres away. Not content with this, it flew even closer, landing on a perch for some time which was only about 10 metres from us, seemingly unconcerned with our presence
Blue-crowned Motmot	This is another of the reasonable list of species that was only seen at the Buena Vista hotel. Our first bird, on the first morning sortie around the hotel grounds, was very approachable. On our return at the end of the week, the single bird had become a pair, with a third (separated by the absence of racquets) spotted from the coffee plantation
Turquoise-browed Motmot	One seen over the track through the forest at Carara
Rufous-tailed Jacamar	This is yet another of species which we seem to have been chasing for some time. Our patience was rewarded with a perched pair in front of us on the riverside walk at Carara. They were more than worth the wait! A third bird was seen briefly on the return walk from the river at the same location later in the morning
Red-headed Barbet	2 females and a brief male at the fruit feeders of La Paz were quite exhilarating – a chocolate box bird, but very welcome
Prong-billed Barbet	As opposed to the paint box Red-headed Barbet, the Prong-billed Barbet is more of a birder’s bird. The colours are reminiscent of the smart Hawfinch of Europe, with an added extra touch in the novel shape of the bill. 2 infrequently returned to the fruit feeders at La Paz
Emerald Toucanet	Only one bird was seen. It returned at reasonably regular intervals to the avocado tree behind the cabins of Savegre Lodge while waiting for Quetzal to put in an appearance
Collared Aracari	5 were seen outside the main gate of La Selva on the first visit, with ~8 within La Selva itself during the guided tour. In addition, ~5 flew in to the trees at the entrance of Quebrada Gonzalves at the Braullio Carrillo national park
Keel-billed Toucan	All birds seen were either around the reception area of La Selva, or flying in loose lines over the Sarapiqui River (from the bridge at La Selva). At least 25 were present
Black-mandibled Toucan	The first bird of this species was a singleton in front of the cabins at Villas Lapas. The main concentration was at La Selva, amongst the larger numbers of Keel-billed Toucans – at least 15 here
Acorn Woodpecker	These were only seen at Savegre Lodge and the surrounding forests, where they where quite regular. The greatest concentration was 5-6 birds amongst the cabins of the lodge on the morning of the first full day. ~10 were seen in total that day, with 2 on both the day before and the day after
Black-cheeked Woodpecker	These were only seen around the Sarapiqui area. 6 were at various points along the drive to La Selva, between the two security huts. 4 were the seen on the afternoon at Selva Verde lodge, with another 4 at La Selva on the following morning
Hoffmann's Woodpecker	These were more or less the most widespread of the woodpeckers, although we didn’t see them in all lowland localities as expected. First was a single bird on a bare tree in the coffee plantation below the Buena Vista hotel. A nesting pair with hole directly above some of the cabins were at Villas Lapas, with an extra 2 over the main road at Tarcoles. Most unexpected was the single bird in the town square at Orotina, and we ended up with at least 3 separate birds from the Buena Vista on the last morning
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker	A single bird was outside of the entrance to La Paz
Smoky-brown Woodpecker	2 pairs of birds were seen, both along the entrance drive to La Selva. The first were studied for some time, since they were hacking away on the bark of a slender tree, not far in from the road
Chestnut-coloured Woodpecker	This was arguably the most stunning of the woodpeckers seen, not just due to its admirable chestnut and golden plumage, but also its prolonged hammering on what was no more than a slender twig only metres from us
Pale-billed Woodpecker	These are the largest of the woodpeckers seen, and are somewhat comical in appearance. They were usually in groups of 2-3, which may have included at least in part some young birds. They weren’t difficult to pick up, since they were either noisily knocking on trees overhead, or showing themselves quite clearly on trunks lower down. First 3 were in a group at Punta Leona, with a subsequent 7 at Carara (3 separate groups of 3, 2, and 2), and another pair at La Selva, along the approach driveway
Ruddy Treerunner	After the first bird seen from a little distance at the stop near K76 on the journey into the mountains, this species subsequently proved quite easy to catch up with. All the birds following that first sighting were in the Savegre area, with another ~11 on the first afternoon, with a further 6 during the full day at the lodge
Plain Xenops	By far the most common of the two Xenops species encountered. A pair and a separate singleton were at Carara, 1 alongside the approach road to La Selva, and another 4 in the La Selva area on the second morning visit
Streaked Xenops	1 in the woodland at Punta Leona
Streak-breasted Treehunter	A single bird initially appeared above the lower fruit feeder (next to the orchid house) at La Paz. It was followed a few metres to the other side of the feeder, where it was relocated preening directly above us for some time
Wedge-billed Woodcreeper	2 birds were in the woodland on the entrance drive to La Selva, with a third bird in the secondary forest of La Selva itself on the next morning
Northern Barred Woodcreeper	This is the largest of the woodcreepers that we saw, and is a very smart and eye-catching bird. The first sight of it was often a ruddy brown flash of wings as it landed, and then a chase to try to get good views before it disappeared round to the opposite side of the trunk. The bars on the back were difficult to see in most lights, but those on the throat and breast were more easily seen if the bird deigned to pose for any length of time. ~10 were in the grounds of the Selva Verde lodge, with another 2 at La Selva
Streak-headed Woodcreeper	Small numbers were seen throughout the week, with probably more unidentified birds escaping our lists, due to the pitfalls of woodcreeper identification. 2 initial light-billed Woodcreepers at Savegre proved to be Spot-crowned, with Streak-headed at Punta Leona (1), Carara (1), and La Selva (2)
Spot-crowned Woodcreeper	This species is very similar to Streak-headed, and despite the books seeming to indicate that the markings on the head are more defined and spotted, in practice this distinction is almost impossible to make. We thus had to resort to distribution for our identification, since this species tends to favour the higher altitudes such as at Savegre, with Streak-headed more of a lowland bird
Fasciated Antshrike	This was amongst the most stunning birds that we encountered, partly due to its remarkable striped plumage with red eye, and also because it appeared atypically right out in the open in front of us, lower in the same tree as a Chestnut-coloured Woodpecker moments earlier. Our first sighting of this or a nearby bird was much more typical, sitting motionless deep in the cover of foliage
Great Antshrike	Separate male and female birds briefly in foliage along the entrance drive to La Selva
Barred Antshrike	2 females and a male were seen all too briefly at Carara, with a similar sighting of a female near to the Great Antshrikes along the entrance drive to La Selva
Black-hooded Antshrike	2 males were picked up on or near to the ground in the woodland at Punta Leona, with one of the birds perching for some time more or less in the open. We then found a singing male, again near to the track and in the open, at Carara, with a subsequent female later in the morning. Another female was in the forest at Villas Lapas
Dot-winged Antwren	These are an eye-catching little antbird, and seem to be constantly on the move. A male and smartly plumaged pair of females were picked up flying across one of the trails at Punta Leona, and were pinned down for a short time before they continued on their way
Dusky Antbird	2 of these fairly secretive birds were seen, both trying to hide in the foliage of trees – 1 at Carara, and the second in the forest at Villas Lapas
Chestnut-backed Antbird	This bird was an end of the day addition to the list. I was returning for one last look at one of the feeders at Selva Verde, when I saw a couple of birds dart across the path, from and to deep foliage. The birds were calling, and the branches moving slightly just before dusk, when one of these dapper chestnut and black birds, with an obvious blue eye “ring”, showed itself in the open for seconds before moving on to yet more cover. Although only this one bird was identified for sure, the two other shadows seen were probably also of this species
White-collared Manakin	We had hoped to see some Manakins on the trip, and despite this being the only species seen, the individuals found put in worthy appearances. The first bird was located near to the first gate on the entrance road to La Selva. It had a penchant for some of the flowering plants in one particular spot, and returned here for at least an hour. Another male was seen more briefly back towards the second entrance gate, in the company of an even briefer female. The next morning, during the sortie around the tracks of La Selva, 5 males were chanced upon
Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet	1 along the trails in Punta Leona
Yellow-bellied Elaenia	These birds were only seen at the Hotel Buena Vista. Four were there on the last morning, and the one seen on the first morning may well have been one of these
Mountain Elaenia	Only seen on higher ground at Savegre Lodge. 3 were seen on the first afternoon, and 5 on the full day there, including some in the grounds of the hotel
Torrent Tyrannulet	The presence of a pair of these around the bridge at the entrance to Savegre Lodge was a pleasant surprise. Only one was evident while we were watching, with the second only making a brief appearance. A third bird was seen briefly alongside the river further into the forest
Common Tody-Flycatcher	2 were around the spot where we observed the River Tarcoles at the end of the track at Carara. At least one was present close to off and on most of the time that we were there
Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher	2 separate birds were seen well in the rain forest of Braullio Carillo. They were the only birds of note during our trek of around 1.6km. They are very similar to Black-tailed Flycatcher, with the possibility of them being a superspecies, and one of the best identification factors is distribution
Tufted Flycatcher	This is an endearing little flycatcher, and as the full day at Savegre went on, the 15 or so birds that we saw seemed to become more confiding. They appeared at first to be a canopy dweller, with most views being accompanied by a stiff neck, but it transpired that some fed from branches down to eye level. Only one other bird was seen away from Savegre, at La Paz, in the forest to the rear of the main part of the gardens
Yellowish Flycatcher	This species was impossible to miss in the forest around Savegre Lodge, since they tended to feed on the lower branches, and were also very confiding. Probably about 5 birds were seen, all at very close quarters
Black-capped Flycatcher	The first 2 birds seen were a little distant, flycatching around the higher branches in the clearing off K76. The third and last bird was very much closer, only a metre or so away at eye level on the edge of the forest at Savegre
Black Phoebe	Only one pair was seen, in a clearing next to a small “boating lake” at a recreation area just downstream from the Savegre Lodge. A point of interest is that the local race is all black, in comparison to the western USA birds I have seen in the past which have obvious white undertail coverts and belly
Bright-rumped Attila	A very confiding bird was followed as it foraged along the edge of the entrance drive to La Selva
Dusky-capped Flycatcher	2 outside the main entrance gate to La Selva
Panama Flycatcher	4 were at Punta Leona, and 2 at Selva Verde
Great Kiskadee	Seen regularly on most days in small numbers: 2-3 at the Hotel Buena Vista; 4 at Punta Leona; 4 at Villas Lapas; 2 at Carara; ~6 at La Selva; and 4 at Selva Verde lodge
Boat-billed Flycatcher	Seen only at 2 locations – 2 were above the cabins at Savegre Lodge, and 3 along the entrance drive to La Selva
Social Flycatcher	As with Great Kiskadee, seen regularly in small numbers throughout the week: 3 at Hotel Buena Vista (one of the first birds seen on the first morning); 3 at Savegre Lodge; 6 at Villas Lapas; 2 at La Selva; and 2 at La Quinta lodge, Sarapiqui
Grey-capped Flycatcher	This species is of a similar size to Social Flycatcher, and was usually in association with it, so they had to be checked carefully for identification. Most were at Villas Lapas (4, all with Social Flycatchers), and a fifth was at La Selva
Streaked Flycatcher	Only seen at Villas Lapas, a pair was along the track through the forest, directly overhead, with a third bird further on
Tropical Kingbird	Very common, seen every day in all habitats. Not too many were checked for Western Kingbird, which apparently can also be seen. Numbers weren’t high, perhaps barely reaching double figures on any one day, but they were always quite evident when present, perching out in the open
Cinnamon Becard	1-2 birds were along the circular forest trail, not high above our heads, but always busily foraging between bare branches
White-winged Becard	1 male seen briefly flying over the trail at Carara
Masked Tityra	3 birds were seen, but all were brief views (no more than 10 seconds at any one time): single males were at Selva Verde lodge and Buena Vista Hotel on the last morning , with a lone female along the entrance drive to La Selva
Black-crowned Tityra	2 were seen, both males, with one in the canopy at Carara, and the other barely closer and all too brief in trees opposite the White-collared Manakin stakeout along the entrance drive to La Selva
Blue-and-white Swallow	Very common in the Valle Central over and around the Buena Vista hotel, with perhaps even greater numbers in the mountains around Savegre Lodge. Strangely, they were not seen at all on the Pacific Coast or Sarapiqui, where they seemed to be replaced by Rough-winged Swallows
Northern Rough-winged Swallow	Those identified specifically (can be tricky when not seen well due to similarity with Southern Roughwings) seemed much more common than the latter species. Small numbers were at Carara, 2 at La Quinta, Sarapiqui, 4 at La Selva, and ~10 over Buena Vista
Southern Rough-winged Swallow	Only 2 specifically identified, at La Selva
Black-and-yellow Silky-flycatcher	Only one was seen, on the first full day, at the pull off at K76 while travelling from Alajuela to Savegre. It was also one of the first birds to be seen – after parking the car out of sight, we walked about 20 metres, and this bird appeared for a short time to feed on a low bush at the side of a track. And that was it – no more to be seen during the trip!
Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher	I couldn’t decide whether these were a chocolate box bird, or a birders’ bird. Whichever it was, we were pleased to see them, and they eventually put on a little bit of a show. The first two were seen poorly when we stopped off at the 3km point on the descent to Savegre Lodge. However, the clearing next to the “boating lake” just downstream from Savegre Lodge was the best spot for them. ~12 birds were noisily flying to and fro here, many of them in trees near to where we stood
Band-backed Wren	As with many of the wrens in Costa Rica, this species is both large and beautifully marked. There were two pairs along the entrance drive to La Selva, and both pairs seemed to be nest building. One of the pairs was probably seen twice on successive days, near to the second security gate, with another lone bird in one of the trees behind the restaurant at La Selva
Rufous-naped Wren	A single bird was seen amongst the coffee plants below the Hotel Buena Vista on the first morning, and a subsequent pair were above our heads at the edge of the River Tarcoles at Carara
Black-bellied Wren	This was probably the most elusive of all the wrens seen. On the return along the Riverside Trail at Carara, we heard an explosive song from a nearby bush. A bird subsequently flew across the trail, unidentified, and continued to sing sporadically. We eventually saw the bird for what must have been seconds – a classic skulking wren, with outstanding voice, and matching elusive nature
Rufous-breasted Wren	A pair were seen briefly at Carara
Riverside Wren	These were difficult to pin down for different reasons than the Black-bellied Wren. After crossing the first rope bridge across the river Villas Lapas, we picked up some of these birds in bushes at the base of the bridge. They were very active in the reasonably thick foliage, and we counted at least 5 separate individuals. However, they were constantly on the move, and so not easily viewed with any ease
Rufous-and-white Wren	A single bird was at Carara
House Wren	2 separate birds at the Buena Vista Hotel (presumably one of these birds was the one seen on the return visit on the last morning), 1 on the journey from Savegre to Punta Leona, and 1 at La Selva
Ochraceous Wren	Only 2 birds were seen – 1 at Savegre, in the woodlands during the full days birding there, and 1 at La Paz. The latter bird frequented the area around one of the fruit feeders, and appeared regularly. At one point, it almost hopped over my feet while crossing from one side of the arbour to the other, which was one of the entrances to the hummingbird garden
Grey-breasted Wood-Wren	For a small wren, this has a huge voice, and this is how the single bird seen at La Paz was first picked up. It was seen for a short time below the restaurant, and appeared a little closer in the bushes around the upper feeders later in the day
Black-faced Solitaire	A pair of birds was in the forest of Savegre
Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush	The bird seen at La Paz appeared at the base of the fruit feeders for a short time, and at first bore some resemblance to Sooty Robin. It was only there for a short time, and unfortunately didn’t reappear
Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush	A single bird landed close to briefly at the clearing just off the K76 marker on the way to Savegre
Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush	A nice surprise – probably around 5 birds frequented Savegre Lodge, mainly in the vicinity of the private housing above the reception. After being pleased with pinning down the first two in bushes, other birds were much more confiding, feeding on the lawns only metres away from us
Swainson's Thrush	The only bird seen was at the Buena Vista hotel on the last morning
Wood Thrush	Singles at Selva Verde lodge, La Selva, and the forest trail of Braullio Carillo at Quebrada Gonzalves
Sooty Robin	The first bird found was in the small hamlet 3km into the descent to Savegre Lodge, and fed quite happily alongside the edge of the road while we watched on. A second bird was also at the side of the road, seen from the car as we exited the hamlet, continuing on our way. On the return journey two days later, 2 more birds were seen from the car at the same place
Mountain Robin	After disturbing the odd Clay-coloured Robin at Savegre Lodge, we realised that Mountain Robins were amongst them, with the main identification factor being the black bill – the plumage colour wasn’t as distinctive as we had expected. In all, about 4 birds were around the lodge, with another couple seen in the forest
Pale-vented Thrush	A small group of thrushes was chanced upon along the trail in the secondary forest at La Selva. The pale under tail coverts were not nearly as obvious as expected, so it was fortunate that this group contained a tailless bird, which clinched the species. The other birds weren’t studied to any depth following the discovery of this bird, since there were other distractions such as Wood-rail and Fasciated Antshrike to observe at the same time!
Clay-coloured Robin	Very common – seen on every day in every locality, with a maximum of 30+ birds on any one day
Tawny-faced Gnatwren	A single bird was seen well on the entrance drive to La Selva
Tropical Gnatcatcher	One bird at K76
Brown Jay	The only location that these were seen (and heard) was at the Hotel Buena Vista, where they occasionally passed noisily through the coffee plantation. ~8 were seen on the last morning, with only 3 on the first morning