26-3-2017 RANCHO NATURALISTA - LESSON'S MOTMOT (Momotus lessonii)

Lesson's motmot (Momotus lessonii) or the blue-diademed motmot, is a colorful near-passerine bird found in forests and woodlands of southern Mexico to western Panama. This species and the blue-capped motmot, whooping motmot, Trinidad motmot, Amazonian motmot, and Andean motmot were all considered conspecific.

The central crown is black and surrounded by a blue band. There is a black eyemask. The call is a low owl-like ooo-doot.

These birds often sit still, and in their dense forest habitat can be difficult to see, despite their size. They eat small prey such as insects and lizards, and will also regularly take fruit.

Like most of the Coraciiformes, motmots nest in tunnels in banks, laying about three or four white eggs.

26-3-2017 RANCHO NATURALISTA - BLACK STRIPED SPARROW (Arremonops conirostris)

The black-striped sparrow (Arremonops conirostris) is a passerine bird found from eastern Honduras to western Ecuador, northern Brazil, and Venezuela.

It is a stocky sparrow with grey body, green back and black stripes on the head. Separated from other sparrows and finches by head pattern. Sexes alike. Found singly or in pairs in vines and thickets, usually at forest edges or in secondary forest shrubs. Listen for loud, sweet calls and quickening song.

The black-striped sparrow (Arremonops conirostris) is a passerine bird found from eastern Honduras to western Ecuador, northern Brazil, and Venezuela.

Stocky sparrow with grey body, green back and black stripes on head. Separated from other sparrows and finches by head pattern. Sexes alike. Found singly or in pairs in vines and thickets, usually at forest edges or in secondary forest shrubs. Listen for loud, sweet calls and quickening song.

This American sparrow is a common bird in humid lowlands and foothills up to 1,500 m (4,900 ft) altitude, in semiopen habitats such as thickets, young second growth, overgrown fields, shady plantations, and gardens.

The large, domed nest, built by the female, is made of coarse plant material and has a wide side entrance. It is normally placed less than 1 m (3.3 ft) up in dense growth, but may be as high as 1.8 m (5.9 ft). The clutch is two, rarely three, unmarked white eggs, which are incubated by the female alone for 12–14 days before hatching.

The black-striped sparrow is a mainly terrestrial species, 16.5 cm (6.5 in) long and weighing 37.5 g (1.32 oz). The adult is distinctive, with a grey head which has broad black stripes each side of the crown and narrower black stripes through each eye. The upperparts are olive, with yellow on the bend of the wing. The underparts are dull white shading to grey on the breast sides and to olive on the lower belly. Young birds have brown stripes on a yellower head, brownish-olive upperparts and yellow-olive underparts.

This species resembles the olive sparrow, but is larger, and the ranges do not overlap. 

The black-striped sparrow feeds on insects, spiders, and seeds taken on the ground, and also picks berries and invertebrate prey from low bushes. It is seen in pairs, never in flocks, and is a shy and retiring species.

Habitats are Forest: Subtropical/Tropical Dry, Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland, Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane; Shrubland: Subtropical/Tropical Moist; Artificial/Terrestrial: Plantations, Rural Gardens, Subtropical/Tropical Heavily Degraded Former Forest

27-3-2017 RANCHO NATURALISTA - WHITE IBIS (Eudocimus albus)

The American white ibis (Eudocimus albus) is a species of long-legged wading bird that often flies in long loose lines or V formations. During the breeding season, American white ibises gather in huge colonies near water where males don’t hesitate to pirate food from unmated females and juveniles. Populations of this species in central Venezuela overlap and interbreed with the Scarlet ibis and the two have been even classified by some authorities as a single species.

American white ibises breed along the Gulf and Atlantic Coast and the coasts of Mexico and Central America. Outside the breeding period, the range of these birds extends further inland in North America and also includes the Caribbean. They are also found along the northwestern South American coastline in Colombia and Venezuela. American white ibises live in a variety of habitats, although shallow coastal marshes, wetlands, and mangrove swamps are preferred. They also frequent muddy pools, mudflats, and even wet lawns. Populations that are away from the coast and shoreline, particularly in southern Florida, often reside in marshes, ponds, and flooded fields. In summer, these move to more coastal and estuarine habitats as inland waterways become flooded with summer rains and ibises find the water levels too deep to forage effectively.

The white plumage and pink facial skin of adult American white ibises are distinctive. Adults have black wingtips that are usually only visible in flight. In non-breeding condition, the long downcurved bill and long legs are bright red-orange. During the first ten days of the breeding season, the skin darkens to a deep pink on the bill and an almost purple-tinted red on the legs. It then fades to a paler pink, and the tip of the bill becomes blackish. It is difficult to determine the sex of an adult American white ibis from its external appearance since the sexes have similar plumage. However, there is sexual dimorphism in size and proportion as males are significantly larger and heavier than females and have longer and stouter bills. This species is moderately large for an ibis but is relatively short legged, compact and bulky for a large wader. The newly hatched American white ibis is covered with violet down feathers, deepening to dark brown or black on the head and wings. 

The chest is often bare and there can be a white tuft on the head. The irises are brown. The exposed skin is pinkish initially, apart from the tip of the bill which is dark gray, but turns gray within a few days of hatching. The bill is short and straight at birth and has an egg tooth that falls off between days five and nine, and develops three black rings from around day six, before turning gray by around six weeks of age. The gray to sandy gray brown juvenile plumage appears between weeks two and six, and the face and bill become pink a few weeks later, while the legs remain gray. The irises have turned slate-gray by this stage. Once fledged, the juvenile American white ibis has largely brown plumage and only the rump, underwing, and underparts are white. The legs become light orange. As it matures, white feathers begin appearing on the back and it undergoes a gradual molt to obtain the white adult plumage. This is mostly complete by the end of the second year, although some brown feathers persist on the head and neck until the end of the third year. Juvenile birds take around two years to reach adult size and weight.

American white ibises are gregarious birds, however, they are territorial and defend the nesting and display sites against intruders. When threatened or defending a territory American white ibises perform displays that include lunging forward with the bill in a horizontal posture, standing upright, and snapping the bill opposite another bird engaging in the same display. Birds also lunge and bite, often holding onto an opponent's head or wings. American white ibises are active during the day and for the most part, they forage for food by tactile probing. They wade slowly through shallow water and stick their long, downcurved bill into the substrate of the water body and sweep it back and forth across the bottom to pick out suitable food items. Groping with a wide open bill is a technique used by ibis in deeper water when alone, as is head swinging, in which the ibis swings its wide open bill widely in open water. On land, American white ibises locate prey by sight and pecks and do not have to insert their bill into the substrate. When not feeding they spend their time resting, roosting, attending to their nests, and flying. American white ibises fly with necks and legs outstretched, often in loose lines. These lines fly in an undulating pattern as they alternately flap and glide. Soaring in a circular pattern is also seen. Heights of 500 to 1,000 m (1,600 to 3,300 ft) may be reached as birds glide over flights of 20 km (12 mi) or more. More commonly, they fly between 60 and 100 m (200 and 330 ft) above the ground, gliding or flapping. When roosting these birds spend much time preening, biting, and working their feathers with their long bills, as well as rubbing the oil glands on the sides of their heads on back plumage. Before preening ibises often bathe; they squat in water 5-20 cm (2-7.9 in) deep and flick water over themselves with each wing in succession. Hundreds of birds may also bathe together around the time of courtship. The main call of American white ibises is a honking sound, transcribed as ‘urnk, urnk’, or ‘hunk, hunk’. This call is used in flight, courtship, or when disturbed. Birds also utter a muted ‘huu-huu-huu’ call while foraging, and make a squealing call in courtship. Young in the nest give a high-pitched ‘zziu’ as a begging call.

26-3-2017 RANCHO NATURALISTA - BUFF THROATED SALTATOR (Saltator maximus)

27-3-2017 VILLA LAPAS, COSTA RICA - GREAT KISKADEE (Pitangus sulphuratus)

27-3-2017 VILLA LAPAS, COSTA RICA - SPOTTED SANDPIPER (Actitis macularius)

25-3-2017 RANCHO NATURALISTA, COSTA RICA - RUFOUS TAILED HUMMINGBIRD (Amazilia tzacatl)

The rufous-tailed hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl ) is a medium-sized hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found from east-central Mexico through Central America and Colombia into Ecuador and Venezuela.

Like most hummingbirds, the rufous-tailed feeds on nectar and small insects. It is common at sugar water feeders and often seen in coffee and banana plantations. It is extremely territorial and aggressive at feeding sites such as flower patches and feeders, from which it chases other hummingbirds and large insects.

The rufous-tailed hummingbird is polygynous. Though it is aggressive while feeding, the species sometimes nests in loose colonies. Its breeding season varies widely across its range, but is within the February to November span. The female is entirely responsible for nest building, incubation of eggs, and care of nestlings. She lays two white eggs in a compact cup nest constructed from plant fibers, leaves, and spiderwebs covered with lichens and mosses. It is typically placed up to 6 m (20 ft) high on a thin horizontal twig. Incubation takes 15 to 19 days, and fledging another 18 to 22 days.

25-3-2017 RANCHO NATURALISTA, COSTA RICA - BARE THROATED TIGER HERON (Tigrisoma mexicanum)

25-3-2017 RANCHO NATURALISTA, COSTA RICA - SUN BITTERN (Eurypyga helias)

25-3-2017 RANCHO NATURALISTA, COSTA RICA - SUN BITTERN (FEMALE) (Eurypyga helias)

24-3-2017 RANCHO NATURALISTA, COSTA RICA - WHITE NECKED JACOBIN (MALE) (Florisuga mellivora)

26-3-2017 RANCHO NATURALISTA, COSTA RICA - RUFOUS CRESTED COQUETTE (Lophornis delattrei)

The rufous-crested coquette (Lophornis delattrei) is a species of hummingbird native to the tropical slopes of pacific South America. Due to its small size and population, it is a rare sight even within its native region. Males of the species can be easily distinguished by their striking rufous coloured spiked crests, and females, while less obvious, can be identified by their small size and rufous coloured foreheads.

The species inhabits the Pacific and Caribbean mountainsides of Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Costa Rica; and at least one observation of the species has been reported in western Brazil. The species is primarily found in altitudes of 500m 1,900m above sea level, likely inhabiting higher altitudes when breeding and lower when not. Rufous-crested Croquettes favour humid forests with evergreen or semi-deciduous compositions, and travel large distances within these ecosystems in search of suitable foods. In a homing experiment with frilled coquettes, this genetically similar species was seen to navigate ranges of up to 15 km.

26-3-2017 RANCHO NATURALISTA, COSTA RICA - BARRED ANTSHRIKE (Thamnophilus doliatus)

The barred antshrike (Thamnophilus doliatus) is a passerine bird in the antbird family. It is found in the Neotropics from Tamaulipas, Mexico, through Central America, Trinidad and Tobago, and a large part of South America east of the Andes as far south as northern Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. There is one accepted record from southern Texas. It is found in a wide range of wooded habitats (even gardens and parks) in both humid and arid regions. Throughout a large part of its range, it is among the most common antbirds.

24-3-2017 RANCHO NATURALISTA, COSTA RICA - BLACK CHEEKED WOODPECKER (Melanerpes pucherani)

The black-cheeked woodpecker (Melanerpes pucherani ) is a resident breeding bird from southeastern Mexico south to western Ecuador.

This woodpecker occurs in the higher levels of wet forests, semi-open woodland and old second growth. It nests in an unlined hole 6–30 m (20–98 ft) high in a dead tree. The clutch is two to four glossy white eggs, incubated by both sexes.

The binomial commemorates the French zoologist Jacques Pucheran.

The black-cheeked woodpecker feeds on insects, but will take substantial quantities of fruit and nectar.

This common and conspicuous species gives a rattling krrrrrl call and both sexes drum on territory.

Medium-sized woodpecker of evergreen forests and their edges in tropical lowlands. Less numerous than the larger and more conspicuous Golden-fronted Woodpecker, which occurs in the same areas. Distinctive, with a large black mask, white patch behind the eyes, black upperparts with narrow white bars and a large white patch on the rump. The male has an entire red crown. In the female the front is greyish and the back is red.

The adult is 18.5 cm (7.3 in) long and weighs 63 g (2.2 oz). It has black upperparts with white barring on the back, white spotting on the wings and a white rump. The tail is black with some white barring, and the underparts are pale buff-olive with a red central belly. There is a black patch through the eyes and on the cheeks, a yellow forehead, and a red nape. The crown is red in the male and black in the female. Young birds are duller, have less white above and less red on the belly.

The Black-cheeked Woodpecker has black upperpart with white-barred mantled and spotted wings. The face and sides of the neck are also black. The throat and breast are brownish-buff with barred belly and central red area. The male has a red cap and nape. Females have only the nape red. It is the only medium size woodpecker with a dark back within its range. Resembles the Yellow-tufted Woodpecker, but their ranges do not overlap.

23-3-2017 TROGON LODGE, COSTA RICA - TREE SWALLOW (Tachycineta bicolor)

The Tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) is a migratory bird found in the Americas. It was first described in 1807 by French ornithologist Louis Vieillot as Hirundo bicolor. This bird spends most of its time flying and chasing after insects in acrobatic twists and turns. Because of its large range and stable population, the Tree swallow is considered to be least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In the US, it is protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, and in Canada by the Migratory Birds Convention Act.

The male Tree swallow has mostly glossy blue-green upperparts, the wings and tail being blackish. The underparts and the cheek patch are white, although the underwing coverts are grey-brown. The bill is black, the eyes dark brown, and the legs and feet pale brown. The female is duller in colour than the male, and sometimes has a brown forehead. The second-year female also has brown upperparts, with a variable number of blue feathers; some third-year females also retain a portion of this subadult plumage. The juvenile Tree swallow can be distinguished by its brown upperparts and grey-brown-washed breast.

Tree swallows breed in the United States and Canada. They winter along southern US coasts, along the Gulf Coast, to Panama and the northwestern coast of South America, and in the West Indies. The breeding habitat of these birds is primarily open and wooded areas, especially those near water; these may include marshes, ponds, bogs, wooded swamps, and lakes. Tree swallows prefer to rest in cane or reed beds over water, but may also be found over land and on trees and wires.

23-3-2017 TROGON LODGE, COSTA RICA - RUFOUS COLLARED SPARROW (Zonotrichia capensis)