Thursday, 18 January 2018
26-3-2017 RANCHO NATURALISTA - BUFF THROATED SALTATOR (Saltator maximus)
This is a species of dense vegetation. The buff-throated saltator feeds on fruit (e.g. of Cymbopetalum mayanum (Annonaceae), Trophis racemosa (Moraceae), and gumbo-limbo (Bursera simaruba)), buds, nectar and slow-moving insects. It forages at low and mid levels, sometimes with mixed species flocks.
The two pale blue eggs per clutch measure some 22–32 mm (0.87–1.26 in) long by about 16.5–21.5 mm (0.65–0.85 in) wide and weigh about 4.8–6.1 g (0.17–0.22 oz) each, which is large among Saltator eggs. They are laid in a bulky cup nest up to 2 m (6.6 ft) high in a tree or bush.
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26-3-2017 CATIE CENTER, COSTA RICA - ANHINGA (MALE) (Anhinga anhinga)
The anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) is a water bird related to cormorants and pelicans. The word anhinga comes from the Brazilian Tupi language and means "devil bird" or "snake bird". Anhingas are skillful swimmers with unique characteristics that help them when hunting for fish. Their feathers provide less buoyancy than ducks, so they are able to dive under the water, and swim with just their thin necks above the water, earning them the nickname of the "snake bird".
The anhinga is a large bird. Its bill is relatively long (about twice the length of the head), sharply pointed, and yellow, and the webbed feet are yellow as well. The male is a glossy black-green with the wings, base of wings, and tail a glossy black-blue. The tip of the tail is white. The back of the head and the neck have elongated feathers that have been described as gray or light purple-white. The upper back of the body and wings is spotted or streaked with white. The female anhinga is similar to the male except that it has a pale gray-buff or light brown head, neck, and upper chest. The lower chest or breast is a chestnut color, and the back is browner than that of the male. The hatchling starts out bald but gains tan down within a few days of hatching. Within two weeks the tan down is replaced by white down. Three weeks after hatching, the first juvenile feathers appear. Juveniles are mostly brown until they first breed usually after the second or third winter.
Anhingas live all year round in southwest coastal areas of the United States, from North Carolina to Texas. They are also found in Central America, Mexico, Panama, and Cuba, and in South America from Colombia to Ecuador, and in the east of the Andes to Argentina. Only birds that live in the extreme north and south of their range migrate and do so based on temperature and available sunlight. Anhingas will migrate towards the equator during winter but this range is "determined by the amount of sunshine to warm the chilled birds". Although not in their usual range, anhingas have been found as far north as the states of Pennsylvania and Wisconsin in the United States. Anhingas live in tropical and subtropical areas. They prefer warm shallow waters that are fresh or brackish and can sometimes be found on coasts. They live near lakes, rivers, marshes, and mangrove swamps with tall trees and thick vegetation, and in shallow lagoons and bays.
26-3-2017 CATIE CENTER, COSTA RICA - WESTERN CATTLE EGRET (Bubulcus ibis ssp. ibis)
The Cattle Egret, a member of the heron family Ardeidae, is a small white bird recognized for its association with grazing animals. It exhibits a stout build, with a wingspan ranging from 88 to 96 cm, and a body length between 46 to 56 cm. The species is relatively light, weighing between 270 to 512 grams. It is characterized by a short, thick neck, a robust bill, and a somewhat hunched posture.
Outside the breeding season, the adult Cattle Egret has predominantly white plumage, a yellow bill, and greyish-yellow legs. Come breeding time, the western variety develops striking orange-buff plumes on the back, breast, and crown, while the bill, legs, and irises turn a vivid red. The eastern variety differs slightly with buff coloration extending to the cheeks and throat during breeding, and the plumes taking on a more golden hue. Both sexes are similar in appearance, though males are marginally larger with longer breeding plumes.
Cattle Egrets are adaptable birds that exploit a variety of drier and open habitats more than other heron species. Their preferred environments include seasonally inundated grasslands, pastures, farmlands, wetlands, and rice paddies.
Originally native to parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe, the Cattle Egret has seen a significant expansion in its distribution, colonizing much of the rest of the world over the last century. It is now found in the tropics, subtropics, and warm-temperate zones globally.
Wednesday, 17 January 2018
Tuesday, 16 January 2018
Monday, 15 January 2018
26-3-2017 RANCHO NATURALISTA - PALM TANAGER (Thraupis palmarum)
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The palm tanager (Thraupis palmarum ) is a medium-sized passerine bird. This tanager is a resident breeder from Nicaragua south to Bolivia, Paraguay and southern Brazil. It also breeds on Trinidad and, since 1962, on Tobago. In Trinidad and Tobago, it is known by colloquial names such as the "palmiste" on American Spanish countries (Colombian pronn: "pūlmist "), Brazil Pipira-verde (Portuguese pronn: "pəəpəərā-værd ") and the "green jean" in American English.
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Adult palm tanagers are 19 cm (7.5 in) long and weigh 36 g (1.3 oz). They are grey to dull olive-green. The flight feathers are blackish, and the long tail is blackish edged with green. A yellow wingbar shows in flight. Sexes are similar, although females may be somewhat paler.
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It occurs in semi-open areas including cultivation and gardens. The bulky cup nest is built in a tree, usually a palm, or under the eaves of a house, and the female incubates three, sometimes two, brown-blotched cream eggs for 14 days, with another 17 days to fledging.
Palm tanagers are social, restless but unwary birds which eat a wide variety of small fruit. They also regularly take some nectar and insects, including caterpillars. The song is fast and squeaky.
26-3-2017 CATIE CENTER, COSTA RICA - LEAF FOOTED BUG (Leptoscelis tricolor)
To date (2012) L. tricolor is known in Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana and Suriname. Like the other species of the genus present on the farm, they have a specific relationship with the plants of the order Zingiberales (heliconias, platanillas and related plants).
Females lay eggs individually and may spread their eggs among several different heliconia plants. Nymphs complete five instars on a single host plant. Both nymphs and adults feed on developing fruits, nectar from flowers, and phloem from inflorescences.
The generation time of Leptoscelis tricolor is approximately 30 days. The eggs hatch after approximately 14 days. First instar nymphs do not feed, but require access to water. This first instar is approximately two days, with the remaining nymphal instars five to ten days long. The cuticle of new adults remains soft for at least two days after hatching and reproductive maturity can occur within ten days. Adults can live up to 80 days or more.
Sunday, 14 January 2018
28-3-2017 VILLA LAPAS, COSTA RICA - NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH (Parkesia noveboracensis)
The northern waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis) is a species of ground-feeding migratory New World warbler of the genus Parkesia. It breeds in the northern part of North America in Canada and the northern United States including Alaska, and winters in Central America, the West Indies and Florida, as well as in Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador. It is a rare vagrant to other South American countries and to western Europe. Its closest relative is the Louisiana waterthrush.
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On the wintering grounds in Puerto Rico, northern waterthrushes leave daytime foraging areas and fly up to 2 km (1.2 mi) to nighttime roosts. The roosts are often located in red mangrove habitats. Northern waterthrushes winter in 4 main habitats in Puerto Rico: white mangrove, red mangrove, black mangrove, and scrub. Males, which are larger and migrate earlier in spring, prefer to winter in white mangrove, and are able to maintain or gain weight through the winter. Females winter in the other drier and less food-rich habitats. During the non-breeding period, northern waterthrushes are site-faithful and tend to be solitary.
Waterthrushes wintering in red and black mangrove can maintain body weight through the winter but lose weight in scrub. Another determinant in body mass increase in the wintering grounds is moisture.
Northern waterthrush territories are distributed across both upland and riparian habitats, but have limited occupation of harvested areas. Crowding into riparian buffer zones adjacent to harvested areas have more difficulty foraging compared to those in untouched areas.
The breeding habitat of the northern waterthrush is wet woodlands near water. It nests in a stump or among tree roots where it lays three to six eggs, cream- or buff-colored, with brown and gray spots. These eggs are laid in a cup nest constructed of leaves, bark strips, and rootlets.
The northern waterthrush is a terrestrial ground feeder, eating insects, spiders, mollusks (such as snails), worms, and crustaceans found amongst leaf litter, as well as minnows, found by wading through water.
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27-3-2017 RANCHO NATURALISTA, COSTA RICA - BLACK SPINY TAILED IGUANA (Ctenosaura similis)
Ctenosaura similis, commonly known as the black iguana or black spiny-tailed iguana, is a lizard native to Mexico, Central America, and some Colombian islands in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. It has been introduced to the United States in the state of Florida. It is the largest species in the genus Ctenosaura.
Black spiny-tailed iguanas are large lizards native to Mexico and Central America. They have distinctively black, keeled scales on their long tails, which gives them their common name. They have a crest of long spines that extends down the center of the back. Although coloration varies extremely among individuals of the same population, adults usually have a whitish-gray or tan ground color with a series of 4-12 well-defined dark dorsal bands that extend nearly to the ventral scales. Males also develop an orange color around the head and throat during breeding season with highlights of blue and peach on their jowls.
Black spiny-tailed iguanas range from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (Mexico) to northeastern Nicaragua and western Panama on the respective Atlantic and Pacific coasts. They are commonly found throughout Costa Rica, Honduras and have been reported in Colombia. These iguanas live in dry and moist forests and also occur in open terrains such as savanna, grassland, and shrubland. They can also be found on sandy beaches, in coastal lagoons, marshes, and near urban areas.
Black spiny-tailed iguanas are social and territorial animals that live in colonies. They are active during the day. Although mainly terrestrial, these iguanas are excellent climbers, and prefer rocky areas with plenty of crevices to hide in, rocks to bask on, and nearby trees to climb. They are fast-moving creatures that employ their speed to escape predators but will lash with their tails and bite if cornered.
Black spiny-tailed iguanas are primarily herbivorous (folivores, frugivores). They eat flowers, leaves, stems, and fruit, but will also sometimes prey on smaller animals, eggs, and arthropods. Juveniles tend to be insectivores and become more herbivorous as they get older.
Black spiny-tailed iguanas generally breed in spring. Males show dominance and interest by head bobbing and may chase the female until they can catch her. Within 8 to 10 weeks, the female will dig a nest and lay a clutch of up to 30 eggs. The eggs hatch 90 days later and the hatchlings dig their way out of the sand. The young are typically green in color with brown markings, although all brown hatchlings have been recorded as well.
Black spiny-tailed iguanas are heavily hunted for their meat but they do not appear to be endangered in any of their native range.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Black spiny-tailed iguana total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
Saturday, 13 January 2018
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