Green Ibis

Green Ibises have shorter legs than do other ibis. The bird is placed in its own genus, Mesembrinibis. The species ranges from southern Central America through much of the Amazon Basin. It feeds on invertebrates in shallow water and in mud (Molfetto 2011). This Green Ibis foraged along the Rio Frio in northern Costa Rica on 12 July 2017.

Green Basilisk and Green Iguana

Both Green Basilisks, Basiliscus plumifrons, and Green Iguanas, Iguana iguana, hugged the tree limbs we passed under as we floated up and down the Rio Frio near the Hotel de Campo in northern Costa Rica.

Green Basilisks are among the largest of the Jesus Christ lizards. They get that name from their ability to run short distances across water. They can also swim on the water surface or dive to river depths. They are found from Honduras to Panama.

Green Iguanas are common across much of South and Central America. They are herbivores. Although difficult to properly care for, they are often kept as pets. Escaped populations exist in Florida, south Texas, and Hawaii. We saw many during our travels in Costa Rica.

Nicaraguan Grackle

Nicaraguan Grackles are relatively small but long-tailed blackbirds. They are restricted to southwestern Nicaraguan and far northern Costa Rica. Our intrepid leader, Dennis Paulson, was the first to discover Costa Rican populations in 1966. These grackles prefer lake-shores and cattle pastures. Their numbers appear to be increasing. We saw a small flock of these birds on 12 July 2017 on our Rio Frio, Costa Rica, boat trip.

Spectacled Caiman

On the morning of 12 July 2017, our tour hustled into a tourist boat at the Hotel de Campos for a short ride up the Rio Frio. I really don’t like boat rides. Invariably, the critters I want to photograph are on the other side of the boat, which tends to be wobbly. Its hard to get close to wildlife. Getting good images of dragonflies is pretty much out of the question.

Nevertheless, I have to admit you do see from a boat wildlife that you otherwise would miss. Also the Rio Frio is relatively narrow, which helps for seeing things. Take this Spectacled Caiman, Caiman crocodilus. This species is the most common caiman in Central and South America, mainly because this reptile is tolerant of both fresh and salt water. These caimans eat small prey like insects, crustaceans or mollusks and, sometimes, small fish.

Caimans are interesting because their nest temperatures determine the sex of their young. Nest temperatures over 32 degrees C produce females; temperatures under 31 degrees become males. Further, adults can regulate temperatures by placing decaying vegetation in the nests (Wikipedia).

Pale-green Darner

We were enjoying breakfast at the Hotel de Campo, Caño Negro, Alajuela Province, Costa Rica on 12 July 2017. Into the open dining area flew a Pale-green Darner. Those who had them ran for their nets. Before it could be captured, the dragonfly became entangled in a spider’s web in the rafters. We retrieved the darner, but it had already been killed by the spider.

Pale-green Darners are found in the woodlands of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, where they can be common, south to Bolivia and Brazil. They are also known from the West Indies and southernmost Florida. They fly at dusk and dawn. Females probably oviposit in dead wood that becomes flooded in the rainy season (Paulson 2009).

Bare-throated Tiger-Heron

These are three photos of Bare-throated Tiger Herons at the Hotel de Campo on 11 and 12 July 2017. We saw tiger-herons many times in Costa Rica. I have already blogged about one. The bird in the first two photos may be trying to cool down by drooping its wings. Other species of herons show similar behavior. The bird in the last photo looks quite different since it is young.

Bananaquit

This Bananaquit, at the Hotel de Campo in northern Costa Rica, appears to be tailless. Normally Bananaquits feed on nectar and fruit in flowering trees and shrubs. Some people in Costa Rica would like to pass legislation against feeding wild birds. Among other issues, they feel that bird feeding makes wild birds dependent on handouts from the ecotourist industry. On the other hand, feeders make wild birds easier to see, thus fueling income from ecotourists. I can not imagine that the few feeders we enjoyed watching have affected more than a infinitesimally small proportion of Costa Rican birds.

Olivaceous Piculet

Piculets are tiny woodpeckers. Olivaceous Piculets are found from Guatemala south to Northwestern Peru and northwestern Venezuela. They inhabit open forests and clearings, such as the gardens at the Hotel de Campo. We found this piculet on 11 July 2017.

Piculets differ from other woodpeckers in that their tails are small and not used for support. They often join mixed-species flocks. They tap on branches, looking for ants and termites.

Snowy Owl

For the past six weeks, Erika and I drove a monumental road-trip to Key West and the Rio Grande Valley. I will write about our adventures after I finish my Costa Rican posts. Today, 1 March 2018, we ran errands around southern Minneapolis. Between the errands and a celebratory dinner at our favorite restaurant, ie-Italian Eatery, we stopped at the airplane viewing area at the Minneapolis airport. 

At least two and possibly more Snowy Owls frequented the airport all winter. We made at least a half dozen visits in search of these owls. Amongst a big pile of snow sat a dirty snowball. Except it wasn’t—the female Snowy Owl turned its head and looked straight at me. To my surprise, the half-dozen observers at the viewing area were not birders. Instead they were airplane enthusiasts, taking photos of jet planes. I did not bring my camera, so I asked one of the the plane spotters, Patrick Lentsch, if he would send me a photo of the owl. He quickly and graciously agreed, and here is his photo. The copy-right, of course, belongs to Patrick.

Black-headed Trogon

Trogons are primitive birds found in many of the world’s tropical areas. Ornithologists are uncertain about to which birds they are most closely related. Surprisingly, genetic research indicates a relatively close affinity to African mousebirds (Collar 2018).

Black-headed Trogons range from southeastern Mexico to northern Costa Rica. Unlike most trogons, this one is found in open habitats—this bird flew between trees and shrubs in a suburban area near the Hotel de Campo on 11 July 2017.

Trogons nest in arboreal termite colonies. Here the make nesting cavities, which contain a long, curved tunnel that ends in a circular nesting chamber. They eat fruit and arthropods, such as caterpillars and large insects (Riehl 2012).