COSTA RICA 31 MARCH 14/22 APRIL 2012 LEADER: MATT DENTON

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1 This pair of Great Green Macaws was very memorable and the tour s bird-of-the-trip (Matt Denton) COSTA RICA 31 MARCH 14/22 APRIL 2012 LEADER: MATT DENTON Birdquest has been operating birding tours in Costa Rica for 25 years now. Throughout this time we have adapted our itinerary to offer the very best that this superb destination has to offer. This year our overall total number of bird species recorded was 577. Ten of these are species of conservation concern as determined by Birdlife with four of them listed as endangered (Great Green Macaw, Mangrove Hummingbird, Yellowbilled Cotinga and Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager). An impressive sighting of a pair of Great Green Macaws was for many the bird of the trip. With its three endemic bird areas, regional endemism is a strong influence in the Costa Rican avifauna, and many of these charismatic species were among the tour highlights. Black Guan, Purplish-backed Quail-Dove, Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl, Mangrove Hummingbird, Snowcap, Goldennaped Woodpecker, Buffy Tuftedcheek, Streak-breasted Treehunter, Ochraceous Pewee, Silvery-throated Jay, Turquoise, Yellow-billed and Lovely Cotingas, Three-wattled Bellbird, Bare-necked Umbrellabird, Long- 1 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica

2 tailed Manakin, Wrenthrush (Zeledonia), Blue-and-gold Tanager, Chiriqui Yellowthroat, Costa Rican Brush- Finch and Nicaraguan Grackle were but a few of these. Among the 20 species of wren observed some of the favourite performers were Rufous-and-white Wren, Southern Nightingale-Wren and Song Wren. Additional highlights included Thicket Tinamou, an amazing total of 13 Great Curassows, Spot-bellied Bobwhite, Semiplumbeous and Zone-tailed Hawks, White-throated, Gray-breasted and Yellow-breasted Crakes, Rufous-necked Wood-Rail, Sungrebe, Sunbittern, Mangrove Cuckoo, Lesser Ground-Cuckoo, Spot-fronted Swift, White-tipped Sicklebill, Brown-billed Scythebill, Ocellated and Dull-mantled Antbirds, Black-headed Antthrush, Thicket Antpitta and Rufous-browed Tyrannulet. Additionally, ours was the first organized bird tour to record three species expanding their ranges north, which have only been recently recorded in the country: Wattled Jacana, Sapphire-throated Hummingbird and Veraguas Mango. Our first morning began in the lovely gardens of the Hotel Bougainvillea. Early-morning flocks of Crimsonfronted Parakeets were a sure sign we were in the tropics along with hummingbirds flashing past and boisterous Rufous-naped Wrens picking off the previous night s moths from a nearby lamp. Other birds seen this morning included White-winged Dove, Red-billed Pigeon, Vaux s Swift, Blue-crowned (Lesson s) Motmot, Hoffman s Woodpeckers, Melodious Blackbird, Baltimore Oriole and Rufous-collared Sparrow. A pair of White-eared Ground-Sparrows foraging out on the open lawn made quite an impression as did a large flock of low flying White-collared Swifts. Then after breakfast we met our driver Bigotes and made our way up to Volcán Irazú. We got off to a nice start by seeing a migrant Merlin, which flew on to a nearby perch at our first stop. A bit further on we saw two male Scarlet Tanagers and our first Long-tailed Silky Flycatcher. We watched Common Bush-Tanagers having a bath and also had close looks at a few Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Mountain Elaenia. A moment later the Long-tailed Silky Flycatcher gave us superb views along with an Acorn Woodpecker. Higher up we birded the paramo where there were numerous Volcano Hummingbirds and where we eventually had good views of Volcano Junco. A small kettle of migrating Broad-winged Hawks was an interesting sighting showing that often the spring migration can be quite dispersed. Some of the other regional endemics we enjoyed this morning included Fiery-throated Hummingbird, Timberline Wren, Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush and Flame-throated Warbler. We never had a sniff of Buffy-crowned Wood-Partridge, although we gave it a good effort at a few sites where we have seen them in previous years. Volcano Junco (left) and Flame-throated Warbler were among the first highland endemics seen (Matt Denton) Later after a few Mourning Dove sightings and a pleasant lunch overlooking the valley, we moved down in elevation to bird a vegetable plantation (chayote squash). After we gained entry from a local farmer we found it very easy to walk under the elevated trellis, which provided a wonderful shaded canopy for both us and the birds. Here we found an abundance of activity with Rufous-tailed and Blue-vented (split from Steely-vented) Hummingbirds, Indigo Bunting, Yellow-faced Grassquit and Variable Seedeater all fairly numerous. Sadly we did not find the Prevost s Ground-Sparrow but otherwise enjoyed this very birdy area. Afterwards, the reservoir where we usually stop was dried up but the mud left behind may have well been to the liking of the Killdeer, Solitary and Spotted Sandpipers that we saw there. Then we continued our journey to the foothills 2 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica

3 of the Talamanca Mountains at Rancho Naturalista. En route we were glad to see the Green Ibis were still present feeding in the same field we saw them the previous year. At Rancho Naturalista, the hummingbird feeders on the balcony were very busy with good numbers of Green-breasted Mango and White-necked Jacobin. We spent the rest of the afternoon down at the hummingbird pools where in addition to seeing Snowcap, Violet-crowned Woodnymph and Purple-crowned Fairy all coming to bathe, we also saw an admirable selection of forest passerines that included Tawny-throated Leaftosser, Buff-throated Foliagegleaner, Northern Schiffornis (split from Thrush-like), Dull-mantled Antbird (our first antbird!), and Kentucky Warbler. Our pre-dawn start the next morning allowed us to spy on a Whistling Wren (split from Scaly-breasted) in its roost hole already awake and no doubt eager to begin foraging. A Common Potoo was not so cooperative and later we listened to the dawn-chorus as light made its way into the forest. Rufous Motmot and Carmiol s Tanager were seen here before we made our way down to the moth lamp. En route we had a pair of the near-endemic Tawny-chested Flycatcher that showed extremely well and moments later we were watching moth-savvy birds taking advantage of the easy pickings. Cocoa and Wedge-billed Woodcreepers, Plain Antvireo, Red-throated Ant-Tanager and White-breasted Wood-Wren all made many visits even coming out into the open on occasion. Next we moved to the lodge veranda where we had good activity with Grayheaded Chachalacas and Montezuma Oropendolas coming in for the bananas along with Black-cheeked Woodpecker, Crimson-collared, Passerini s, White-lined, Blue-gray and Palm Tanagers and Baltimore Orioles. We scoped a pair of Piratic Flycatchers that called incessantly up in the big Erythrina and the garden s fig tree brought in lovely Golden-hooded and Bay-headed Tanagers and Green Honeycreeper at eye-level. After a hearty Costa Rican breakfast Rancho style we went up to the forest hummingbird feeders where we saw a male Snowcap along with Brown Violetear and Green-crowned Brilliant. A migrant Canada Warbler was a good find in the subcanopy and most of us had a good view of the Bicoloured Hawk perched in the subcanopy near its nest. Afterwards we packed up and said goodbye to our hosts to visit a couple of nearby birding spots, our first of which came up trumps for the localized White-throated Flycatcher. Next we walked down to the river where we saw the young Sunbittern that had fledged earlier in the year along with one of its parents. Our views of this magical bird were superb as we were able to look down on them from above allowing us to see their amazing wing pattern each time they took a short flight. Our next stop was a particularly good cattle pasture with Roadside Hawk, Southern Lapwing, Groove-billed Ani, Tropical Mockingbird and Shiny Cowbird and a moment later we had a Snail Kite in the scope on the nearby lake. Then we continued our journey back towards Cartago where we had our picnic lunch before making our way up the Panamerican highway. We encountered little traffic along the way and soon we were once again in the highlands enjoying its splendid avifauna rich in regional endemics. Immediately upon stepping off the bus into the refreshing mountain air we were greeted with freshly brewed coffee to drink as we took in one of the country s best hummingbird spectacles with dozens of Fiery-throated and Magnificent Hummingbirds crowded around several feeders at nearly arm s length. Pulling ourselves away from this hummerfest we began our afternoon excursion with walk-away views of a Wrenthrush with its orange crest shining brightly as it perched in view for ages. This is one of the most sought after of the highland specialities which likely represents its own family. A short walk took us to an active quetzal nest where a male was perched next to the nest when we arrived. The nearly full-grown chick could also be seen begging from the nest cavity entrance located in a tall standing dead trunk. The male quetzal eventually left, and after an apparent territory dispute with a second male quetzal that had both quetzals zooming past in flight, the first male quetzal then returned to feed the young bird again. Our afternoon s grand finale was a male Golden-browed Chlorophonia feeding on some low heath shrubs at close quarter, a magnificent sighting that made us all weak in the knees. Saying our goodbyes, we then drove down into the Savegre valley where we stopped en route for Dusky Nightjar which some of us managed to see on a somewhat high perch. Early morning at Hotel de Montaña Savegre is magic for any birder to wake up to, and today was no exception. The lovely gardens and numerous birds make for quite an impression. Some of us started out with a Yellow-throated Brush-Finch (split from White-naped) on the lawn. The most common birds included Flame-coloured Tanagers and Acorn Woodpeckers, Slaty Flowerpiercers, Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush and Blue-and-white Swallow. At a fruiting tree we scoped a Blue-throated Toucanet (formerly split from Emerald), a bird that was otherwise rather inconspicuous in the green foliage. Then after breakfast, the lodge 3 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica

4 staff drove us up to the lodge s impressive Los Robles forest reserve named for the beautiful forest of live oaks here. The previous night s rain made for good bird activity along the road where we saw our first Hairy Woodpecker and Black-faced Solitaires perched out. Amidst the oak trees festooned with moss and bromeliads, we had a bit of a wait but eventually we had good success in seeing a party of Silvery-throated Jays. Other birds here included Spotted Barbtail, Tufted Flycatcher and Black-cheeked Warbler. Our walk continued along the lovely mountain stream where mixed flocks had Buffy Tuftedcheek, Spot-crowned Woodcreeper, Yellow-thighed Finch, Collared Redstart, Spangle-cheeked Tanager and numerous Ruddy Treerunners. We made it back to the lodge to enjoy a nice lunch seeing a singing male Yellow-bellied Siskin that was very obliging. After lunch we enjoyed the lodge feeders where Green Violetear, Magnificent and Volcano Hummingbirds, and Gray-tailed Mountain-gem (split from White-throated) were seen in abundance. We then attempted a few forays around the lodge but sadly the rather heavy rain dampened our birding. Nonetheless we did manage to squeeze in our first Black Guan sighting as well as American Swallow-tailed Kite, Stripe-tailed Hummingbird, Dark Pewee and the charming Torrent Tyrannulet. A Golden-browed Chlorophonia showed incredibly on our first afternoon on Cerro de la Muerte, but Ochraceous Pewee required a bit more effort! (Matt Denton) We enjoyed a second enjoyable early-morning session at Savegre and after breakfast we returned to Los Robles where we hoped to see Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl. A pair has nested in a massive standing oak snag for many years now but the pygmy-owls are not always home. As luck would have it, we saw the pygmy-owl just a moment after arriving when it suddenly arrived bringing a rodent to the nest. After several excellent views through the scope of this diurnal predator, we then returned to the Paraiso reserve higher up the mountain where our luck continued with our remaining highland target species, namely Black-and-yellow Silky-Flycatcher, Ochraceous Pewee and Barred Becard. After one last look at the amazing hummer spectacle here we continued our journey down in elevation into the foothills of the Chirripo region above San Isidro. Our lunch stop here featured easy birding from the veranda where we had amazing views of American Swallow-tailed Kites in close flight; multiple studies of a feeding Grey-necked Wood-Rail; the always impressive Violet Sabrewing visiting the feeder; and a Purple-crowned Fairy in hovering feeding flight. Other birds at this enjoyable spot included Green-crowned Brilliant, Paltry Tyrannulet, Cherrie s Tanager and Streaked Saltator. Afterwards we moved on to a patch of flowering trees visited by good numbers of hummers where we all had decent views of Garden Emerald and Snowy-bellied Hummingbird. Sadly there were no coquettes around at the time of our visit, but our first perched White-crowned Parrots looked quite good in the scope. We then enjoyed the rest of the afternoon birding around Talari Lodge s wonderful grounds where we had a thrilling Gray-headed Kite; the always interesting Greenish Elaenia; a Black Phoebe at the lodge pool; good comparisons between Dusky-backed (split from Vaux s), Whitecollared and Chestnut-collared Swifts; Stripe-throated Hermit visiting the garden hedges; and a couple of easily-observed Blue-crowned (Lesson s) Motmots. The abundant birdlife here also included Red-crowned 4 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica

5 Woodpeckers, Streak-headed and Cocoa Woodcreepers, Black-crowned Tityra, Yellow-green Vireo, Brown Jay, the superb Rufous-breasted Wren, Tropical Gnatcatcher, and Red-legged Honeycreeper. The number of migrant Swainson s Thrushes was quite amazing here with over 40 seen on the lodge grounds (just about anywhere you looked!). An added bonus was having the lodge staff show us a male roosting Turquoise Cotinga that they had been keeping tabs on each afternoon, which allowed us to have quite good scope studies standing right beneath this amazing blue frugivore. From the south Pacific slope, out first of 4 male Turquoise Cotingas seen; and our first of several Great Tinamous. (Matt Denton) This morning we started off with a cup of coffee at Talari before heading off to Los Cusingos, the home of the late ornithological legend, Dr. Alexander Skutch. En route the loud calls of a Laughing Falcon caught our attention and upon stopping it became immediately obvious that a massive fruiting tree had brought in frugivores from all over, including two male Turquoise Cotingas and nearly a dozen Scarlet Tanagers. Meanwhile several of us were amazed to see our first ever toucan when a Chestnut-mandibled Toucan posed for very nice views in the scope. Upon arriving at Los Cusingos we had a look around the garden first, where we enjoyed watching a Riverside Wren building its nest in a hurried manner, grabbing and stuffing moss into form repeatedly. The garden proved to be a good place for antbirds with a pair of confiding Blackhooded Antshrikes along with Chestnut-backed and Bicoloured Antbirds and a subcanopy Russet Antshrike all showing well. However the most impressive sighting for many was a Great Tinamou that eventually came right out of the forest to walk across the garden. After a very nice picnic breakfast we went up into the trails where we had our first Orange-collared Manakins of the trip as well as a handsome male Baird s Trogon and at least two easily observed individuals of the shrill-sounding Rufous Piha. For anyone who has read Skutch s books, to see his home now preserved as a museum is a real treat. It is as if you had gone back in time and Skutch had only stepped out for a short walk. Saying goodbye to the staff, we continued our journey stopping for lunch en route before we arrived for a pleasant afternoon excursion around San Vito where at the local marsh we saw several Common Gallinules, our first Purple Gallinule, Pale-breasted Spinetail, and a pair of Chiriqui Yellowthroats (split from Masked), the latter at one of the few accessible sites in Costa Rica. We also had great success in seeing two more important southern specialities this afternoon with three Costa Rican Brush-Finches (split from Stripe-headed) as well as two White-tailed Emeralds. That evening we settled into our comfortable rooms and enjoyed a tasty family-style meal at the Las Cruces Biological Station, which is run by the Organization for Tropical Studies and is home to the Wilson Botanical Garden. We spent all of the next morning walking around the Wilson Botanical Garden enjoying good weather and the many birds present. Early morning flocks of Crimson-fronted Parakeets and Blue-headed and Brownhooded Parrots were all seen from the station veranda; but best of all was a White-crowned Parrot peering out of its nest cavity in a dead palm during one of our walks. Some of us that missed White-tailed Emerald 5 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica

6 the previous day caught up with this regional endemic together with Charming (Beryl-crowned) Hummingbird. Here from the veranda we also enjoyed seeing Chestnut-mandibled Toucans at close-quarter. Meanwhile on the banana feeder there was a steady procession of birds that included Cherrie s, Bayheaded, Silver-throated, Speckled and Golden-hooded Tanagers, Streaked Saltator, Black-striped Sparrows, Thick-billed Euphonia and Green Honeycreeper. In addition to the amazing variety of botanical specimens, the garden has a wonderful mix of forest edge as well as forest trails where we found Golden-olive Woodpecker, Costa Rican Swift, Gartered (split from Violaceous) and Jalapa (split from Collared) Trogons, Blue-crowned (Lesson s) Motmot, Eye-ringed Flatbill, a migrant Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, male White-ruffed Manakins, Scarlet-thighed Dacnis, Orange-billed Sparrow and Spot-crowned Euphonias. Meals on the veranda at Wilson Garden were always enjoyable particularly when a family group of Fiery-billed Aracaris showed up! Sapphire-throated Hummingbird from near the Panama border; and a Black-throated Trogon at Esquinas (Matt Denton) In the afternoon we made our way down to the pacific lowlands, with highlights during the short journey including Zone-tailed Hawk as well as Crested Oropendola at their colony, and further south we found a number of open-country species expanding their ranges northwards which have only been recorded in Costa Rica recently. Our first stop along a river yielded over one hundred Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks along with smaller numbers of Tricoloured Herons, Pectoral and Least Sandpipers, many Blue Ground-Doves, and a perched flock of Orange-chinned Parakeets. As we made our way deeper into this agricultural landscape we found Smooth-billed Anis to be very common and at one particular spot there was a whole slew of waterbirds that included Little Blue, Great Blue and Green Herons, Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, and Wood Stork. However, we were here in search of rarities, and thankfully we did not have long to wait as our next stop produced the goods with both Veraguas Mango and Sapphire-throated Hummingbird allowing us to study them at length, both species having only recently been recorded in Costa Rica for the first time. An American Osprey was present; small numbers of Red-lored Amazons winged past in the distance; and a Lineated Woodpecker passed us in flight. A Fork-tailed Flycatcher impressed and a family group of Yellow Tyrannulets showed well. Then on our return journey we stopped at the little marsh again this time finding a smart-looking Wattled Jacana, here at the northern edge of its range and seldom recorded in Costa Rica. Here we also had the pleasure of watching yet another open-country specialist when a flock of Brownthroated Parakeets settled into a tree over the road to feed. Our journey then continued to the village of La Gamba with dark clouds menacing but we still managed to see White-tailed Kite, a few Roadside Hawks, more Costa Rican Swifts, and at least two pairs of Rusty-margined Flycatchers, with the original pair still at the site where we discovered this species for Costa Rica in By late afternoon we arrived at Esquinas Rainforest Lodge to get settled into this wonderful lodge. The next morning at Esquinas we took advantage of the good weather to go out and see a calling Spectacled Owl pre-dawn in the lodge garden. After this good result we had some coffee before going a few 6 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica

7 paces down one of the trails where we had great success in seeing a family group of the endemic Blackcheeked Ant-Tanager. There were Band-tailed Barbthroats feeding at heliconias, Wedge-billed, Tawnywinged and Cocoa Woodcreepers, Black-hooded Antshrikes and Dot-winged Antwrens moving in the subcanopy, a male Red-capped Manakin just as astonishingly bright as ever, and a cute Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher perched at close-quarter. Further along we came upon what was very likely the same Spectacled Owl we had seen earlier but now in broad daylight perched over the trail glaring at us menacingly! We spent the rest of the morning exploring the lodge garden and a few of the trails. However we did not really have to go far with two female Great Curassows and Gray-chested Doves feeding at the garden compost pile; Brown-hooded and Blue-headed Parrots perched and in flight; Long-billed and Stripe-throated Hermits feeding on the ginger plants; a female Turquoise Cotinga and noisy Scarlet-rumped Caciques in the clearing; and Rufous-tailed Jacamars a prominent fixture. We tried several different tactics to see a calling Uniform Crake without success but instead had many good views of Buff-rumped Warblers pumping their tail and walking in front of us along the trails. One of the other big performers for us this morning was a Western Woodhaunter that perched out at the forest edge for so long that we even had good scope views of it. Along one of the other side trails we had good success in a slightly different type of woodland where a male Blackthroated Trogon obliged brilliantly, as did a Rufous Mourner. Here we also had good studies of a Black-tailed Flycatcher in the viney second growth habitat; Black-bellied Wren made an appearance; and we caught up with the unobtrusive Northern Bentbill. In the afternoon we did our best to bird out in the open country of La Gamba but rain hampered our efforts. We watched four Fork-tailed Flycatchers foraging together in a field who did not seem to mind the rain nor did the over 300 Barn Swallows swooping low over the green fields but lightning kept us in the bus. From the Rio Tarcoles estuary we saw Double-striped Thick-Knee and Common Black-Hawk among many other species (Matt Denton) In the morning we set off for Rincon in order to seek out Yellow-billed Cotinga, one of the most localized of the south Pacific slope regional endemics presently classified as endangered. There were at least five Common Pauraques along the road as we made our way out to the Panamerican. After daylight we made a couple of opportunistic stops to look at a White-necked Puffbird and a handsome male Golden-naped Woodpecker at his nest hole. This year required a bit of a wait but we eventually all had a distant scope view of at least one male Yellow-billed Cotinga perched in the canopy and feeding. Here we also had a White Hawk in flight and perched; several Pale-vented Pigeons; four amazing looking Scarlet Macaws; small numbers of Gray-breasted Martins and Mangrove Swallows; Ringed, Amazon and Green Kingfishers; and a male Ruddy-breasted Seedeater feeding at the edge of the road. After seeing the cotinga we made our way along the road seeing Slaty-tailed Trogon and a female Baird s Trogon and both Northern Barred and the striking-looking Black-striped Woodcreepers. Paul then spotted a King Vulture overhead for us and to top off our morning session we had a Mangrove Hummingbird (endemic) respond very well allowing us all many good views. The sun was fairly strong as we made our way back to the Panamerican with the highlight being a male White-collared Seedeater in a local s garden patch. A few more stops amidst the brilliant yellow 7 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica

8 flowering Vochysia trees made for lovely scenery with the blue Golfo Dulce in the background but sadly there were no coquettes about. That afternoon we made good time on our journey north to the Carara area along the Pacific coast. It was a hot afternoon but an ice cream brought relief for some and soon we set off on our mangrove boat tour along the Rio Tarcoles estuary. We started upriver in the marsh and pasture habitat where we had good views of Collared Plover and Double-striped Thick-knee. We all had a laugh when a Yellow-headed Caracara perched on the bow of our boat for nearly an hour. The tide was high at the time of our boat tour which is not best for birds but sure brings out the crocodiles and indeed the number of American Crocodiles was at times astounding particularly given their immense size (at least 6 meters or 18 feet). Other raptors we saw included Common Black-Hawk of which we saw several and a Plumbeous Kite that went zooming past us at nearly the speed of a falcon. When the kite banked in flight we had good views of this aerial insectivore. Eventually we arrived in the estuary s mangrove habitat where we enjoyed seeing a roost of strange-looking Boat-billed Herons. Our good luck continued with our first mangrove birds with Northern Scrub-Flycatcher, Mangrove Vireo and Rufous-browed Peppershrike in the same area. Other mangrove specialities seen well this afternoon included several smart-looking male Mangrove Warblers (split from Yellow) and a cooperative Panama Flycatcher. A family group of Scarlet Macaws feeding over the roadside was truly spectacular! (Matt Denton) We spent most of the next day at Carara National Park, which is surely one the best national parks for birds and birding in the Americas. Our visit started off with an excellent result in the form of a Green Shrike-Vireo proclaiming its territory on an open perch in the canopy. Over the next couple of hours we enjoyed good luck with many of the interior forest birds many of which were in full song or building nests with the recent rains. We saw at least four Streak-chested Antpittas with our fourth seen hopping along the path and singing. We saw yet another Great Tinamou and there was also a very confiding Black-faced Antthrush slowly strutting rail-like across the trail that was quite something to watch. Here in the primary forest we saw responsive Tawny-crowned Greenlets, both Golden-crowned and Stub-tailed Spadebills in the understorey, and a Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher foraging redstart-like in the subcanopy. We spied on a group of Muscovy Ducks 8 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica

9 resting on a forest stream along with several White Ibis looking so bright under the forest canopy. Mealy Parrots were seen perched squawking in the canopy; a pair of Dusky Antbirds skulked in the tangles; and Riverside Wrens were as abundant as usual with a few showing well. We also ventured over to the river trail where in addition to many previously mentioned species we had good luck in seeing Northern Royal Flycatcher, Plain Xenops, Rufous-tailed Jacamar and a nesting female Red-capped Manakin. Retiring Slateheaded Tody-Flycatchers eventually showed well to all and low-hanging Stemmadenia fruits brought in White-shouldered Tanagers and Green and Red-legged Honeycreepers. A lek of dancing Orange-collared Manakins impressed us and later in the day we visited the manakin pools where we saw both Blue-crowned and Red-capped Manakins bathing in the cool shallows. Our hotel also provided folks with a number of good sightings that included Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Scarlet Macaws and a Black-and-white Warbler among others. We visited a nearby lodge to wait for Black-and-white Owl to come out to feed on insects at a light, and though the pair had been easily seen the previous night, they were no-shows for our visit! Thankfully we fared better after dinner around Jaco where we enjoyed excellent views of a Striped Owl perched on a power line. The next morning after breakfast we left for the dry country north of Carara where we started out looking for Rufous-necked Wood-Rail but due to the high tide we had to give this spot a miss and try for the wood-rail elsewhere. Instead we visited a vast tidal mudflat where we had an enjoyable waterbird session sorting through quite a nice variety of shorebirds which included Black-bellied and American Golden Plovers, Wilson s and Semipalmated Plovers, Semipalmated, Western, and Least Sandpipers, Sanderling, Ruddy Turnstone, Marbled Godwit, Hudsonian Whimbrel, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Western Willet and Shortbilled Dowitcher. This morning we also saw Brown Pelican, Neotropic Cormorant, two Reddish Egrets, over 30 Great Egrets, 50 White Ibis, Wood Storks, Laughing Gull as well as Caspian and Royal Terns and Black Skimmer. On the journey most of the group missed a Crane Hawk that went over the bus, so it was particularly gratifying when a second bird appeared soaring near the road which allowed us all to enjoy good studies of this distinctive raptor. Other raptors seen this morning were White-tailed Kite, two Common Black- Hawks, Roadside and Gray Hawks (the latter of the Gray-backed form). For some the highlight were the various different Lesser Nighthawks flying about here midmorning and then settling onto accessible perches for us to have superb studies of them. Some of the more common birds here in the dry country included lots of White-winged and Inca Doves, Common Ground-Doves, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Melodious Blackbird and handsome Streak-backed Orioles. Dry country specialities such as Orange-fronted Parakeet, Nutting s and Brown-crested Flycatchers, Rose-throated Becard and the always impressive looking White-throated Magpie-Jay all showed very well. By late morning we still had not seen our Rufous-necked Wood-Rail but we still had at least one more site left and thankfully this site delivered the goods. We had no sooner gotten off the bus and walked over to a patch of mangroves when Stella says, oh, there it is! Most of us saw the bird in this moment before it ran off and thankfully the rest of the group caught up with the bird when it was found again foraging amidst the mangrove roots nearby. We followed this excellent result up with a brief stop to admire a group of foraging Stilt Sandpipers and other waders before making our way to enjoy a tasty lunch in celebration. Our journey then took us up the road to Monteverde arriving in very good time to check in to our hotel and then visit a nearby patch of evergreen woodland where our primary target was Chiriqui Quail-Dove which on this first visit only a couple of us saw surprisingly close before the bird moved off. There were Red-billed Pigeons here, as well as Salvin s Emeralds feeding in the garden, and Orange-bellied Trogon, yet another new regional endemic for us. The real stars of the show were the Long-tailed Manakins we watched singing on their lek. A Rufous-and-white Wren seen giving its flute-like song on a close perch provided more magic. Other species we saw this afternoon included Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush, Golden-crowned, Blackburnian, Wilson s and Black-and-white Warblers, Ovenbird and White-eared Ground-Sparrow. Early the next morning after some coffee and tea we left for our site for Bare-shanked Screech-Owl. Thankfully the screech-owl responded immediately and we soon had the bird in the spotlight perched over our heads. Moments later we found ourselves walking down through beautiful cloud forest with the dawn chorus echoing all around. Soon the strange sound of a displaying bellbird became obvious, and thankfully the trail took us right to a giant tree snag with the bellbird atop it shrieking and waving its wattles wildly. We quickly had the bird in the scope, watching as it came and went repeatedly in a crazed state. As if this was not enough, a male Resplendent Quetzal suddenly flew in and perched in quite nice light, which also made for very nice 9 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica

10 views. Looking at both a bellbird and a quetzal while standing in the same spot is not a bad result. We had a cluster of scopes aimed in different directions! Here in the beautiful cloud forest we also had close-up sightings of Lineated Foliage-gleaner, Sooty-faced Finch and Slaty-backed and Ruddy-capped Nightingale- Thrushes as well as Collared Redstart and Black-faced Solitaire. Sadly two encounters with the same Highland Tinamou were both misses for nearly everyone save Paul. After this superb session, we returned to the reserve headquarters (having caught up with Judy!) for a breakfast of traditional gallo pinto, eggs and coffee. Just before we set off to San Gerardo there was an Orange-bellied Trogon whacking a massive Cecropia moth in the reserve parking lot that got a lot of attention from all sorts of folks. After loading our small bags and cases of beer onto Giovani s quad-bike, we walked down the jeep track which was very enjoyable with birds including Tufted, Yellowish and Olive-striped Flycatchers, Western Wood-Pewee, Three-striped Warbler and Gray-breasted Wood-Wren. The weather was completely clear which made for very good viewing of the impressive looking Arenal Volcano as we approached the station. We arrived in time for lunch and some siesta time as we settled into the easy rhythm of this peaceful place. This Orange-bellied Trogon was seen whacking a huge moth at Santa Elena; a Black Guan from one of the canopy bridges at Monteverde (Matt Denton) We enjoyed two full days at the San Gerardo station exploring the Children s Eternal Rainforest on the wellmaintained trails. The station hosts Giovani and Ivannia took really good care of us during our visit with Ivannia s tasty home cooking keeping us strong for all the walking we did up and down the hilly trails. The Bare-necked Umbrellabird was the star of the show with male birds seen at their display lek as well as feeding at a very busy fruiting tree. None of us will soon forget as we watched several umbrellabirds feeding in a fruiting tree along with Black and also Crested Guans and other frugivores when suddenly a raptor zoomed in lightning fast, slamming into one of the umbrellabirds that thankfully sustained the impact and escaped along with all the other birds crazily fleeing this surprise attack. The forest trails had other goodies we saw as well, such as a nearly tame Buff-fronted Quail-Dove on the trail with us; a Blue-and-gold Tanager feeding and preening in view for quite a show; a Black-headed Antthrush walking across the forest floor (great work everyone!); and that Rufous-browed Tyrannulet that we persevered with until everyone saw. Mixed flocks of insectivores inside the forest contained a good variety of birds including Scaly-throated Foliage-gleaner, Slaty-capped Flycatcher and Slaty Antwren. We had Great Curassow along the trails; a perched young Barred Forest-Falcon in the scope; the ground-dwelling Gray-throated Leaftosser; a migrant Chuck-Will s-widow; and good scope views of the often-shy Pale-vented Thrush. Other forest birds included White-bellied Mountain-gem, White-throated Spadebill, Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant, Song Wren, Blue-black Grosbeak and Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch. From the station veranda with its spectacular view of the volcano we saw American Swallow-tailed Kite, King Vulture and Black Hawk-Eagle and a fruiting tree here brought in regular visits from Emerald (Blue-throated) Toucanet, Spangle-cheeked Tanager, Passerini s and Silver-throated Tanagers, Scarlet-thighed and Blue Dacnises, and Green and Red-legged Honeycreepers. A 10 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica

11 family group of Band-backed Wrens was prominent around the station and in the nearby clearings where we also saw Golden-olive and Smoky-brown Woodpeckers, Slaty Spinetail, Masked Tityra, Cinnamon Becard, Golden-bellied Flycatcher, Tropical Pewee, White-throated Thrush, Olive-crowned and Gray-crowned Yellowthroats, Tropical Parula and Yellow-faced Grassquit. Another highlight for some was seeing a Brown Violetear in the hand that we rescued from Stella s room. After our adventures down at San Gerardo we returned to Monteverde where we had a chance to clean up before heading over to the hummingbird gallery of Michael and Patricia Fogden. Here the show was just as good as ever with hummingbirds of all sizes and colours. We spent plenty of time here observing their differences and getting to know these amazing creatures. The usual suspects were all present with Green Hermit, Green Violetear, Magenta-throated Woodstar, Stripe-tailed Hummingbird, the endemic Coppery-headed Emerald, Purple-throated Mountaingem, Green-crowned Brilliant and Violet Sabrewing. The rest of the afternoon was spent in the cathedral like forest of the Monteverde preserve where we were thrilled by a covey of Black-breasted Wood-Quail along the trail, and we connected brilliantly with a male Silvery-fronted Tapaculo and Streak-breasted Treehunter, a handsome furnariid. Blue-and-gold Tanager is a rather scarce Caribbean slope speciality; however Keel-billed Toucans are a common sight (Matt Denton) On our last morning at Monteverde we once again visited an area of evergreen forest where we had great success in seeing Ruddy Woodcreeper and eventually most of us were able to see a Chiriqui Quail-Dove. On the drive down from Monteverde we stopped to try for Lesser Ground-Cuckoo and had immediate success with a bird that just blew our minds. Once we reached the lowlands we had a flat tire en route to Palo Verde, but Bigotes had it fixed in no time at a shop en route and before long we found ourselves staring at a pair of Spot-bellied Bobwhites along the roadside in the middle of the afternoon. Our next stop featured a Yellow-naped Amazons quietly resting in the shade and moments later we saw Cinnamon Hummingbird, Nutting s Flycatcher and the diurnal Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl. Most surprising were four Grasshopper Sparrows that perched up for us, although this has been an unusual year for this species in Costa Rica with several other records reported. A pair of Double-striped Thick-knees resting in the shade was also appreciated. Once we arrived at Palo Verde we were saddened to see the extreme dry season of this year, an invasive Typha grass, plus all of the irrigation for farming in the surrounding area had completely dried out the marsh. However later in the evening, after seeing a male Black-headed Trogon near the station, we managed to track down the far-carrying sound of a Thicket Tinamou, which eventually crossed the road for us for magical views. Our birding at Palo Verde also featured three Great Curassows, a soaring Doubletoothed Kite, several Scarlet Macaws, a pair of Elegant Trogons, hefty Brown-crested Flycatchers, and distinctive looking Olive and Stripe-headed Sparrows. Some of the migrants we saw included Least and Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers and Yellow-throated and Philadelphia Vireos. After breakfast at the station there where White-fronted Amazons perched in the lovely yellow morning light. As we made our way out of the 11 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica

12 park we stopped in dry woodland where Paul and Dudley made a superb spot of a Mangrove Cuckoo, which along with Banded Wren and White-lored Gnatcatcher made for a very good stop. Keel-billed Motmot is a localized foothill species in Costa Rica; Mantled Howler Monkey from the hanging bridges at Heliconia Lodge (Matt Denton). Our next venue was Heliconia Lodge located on the forested slopes of Tenorio Volcano, one of two dormant volcanoes in the northern section of the country that are of huge importance for a huge number of migratory forest species. Many of the butterflies and moths of the lowland Pacific dry forest spend part of the year on the green verdant slopes of the northern volcanoes. Probably the highlight of our short visit here to this friendly lodge was the Crested Owl we spotlighted on our only evening here. This lodge is famous for its Tody Motmots and Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo, both of which were glimpsed but sadly neither cooperated on this visit. However there were lots of other birds about with Violet-headed Hummingbird and Black-crested Coquette making regular visits to the garden hedge; Crested Guan and Great Curassows along the trails, flocks of Olive-throated Parakeets winging past; and a cooperative Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush showing well along the trails. A couple of us had the first White-tipped Sicklebill sighting for the group, and at an antswarm we had very good views of Spotted Antbird. After a full morning at Heliconia Lodge, we then made our way to Caño Negro making one very birdy stop along the way that featured a busy mixed flock led by noisy Black-faced Grosbeaks. Once we arrived at Caño Negro, we settled in at our well-appointed lodge seeing Yellow-throated Euphonia visiting the feeder and Spot-breasted Wrens feeding in the trees around our cabins. We birded the nearby marsh habitat in the afternoon and many of the same birds were seen the next morning on our very enjoyable boat ride. There were good numbers of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks and Blue-winged Teal as well as a Northern Shoveler. The marsh held numerous Neotropic Cormorants, Anhingas, Black-necked Stilt, Northern Jacana, Spotted and Solitary Sandpipers, lots of Least Sandpipers, Great Blue, Little Blue, Tricolored, Green Herons, Snowy and Great Egrets, Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Roseate Spoonbill, White Ibis and Limpkins. A few Boat-billed Herons were seen at their roost; several Gray-necked Wood-Rails were seen at various times; and garrulous Crimson-fronted and Olive-throated Parakeets crowded amidst the brilliant orange flowering Erythrina trees. The handsome Bay Wren showed incredibly well; the Pacific Screech-Owls were at their roost; a group of Nicaraguan Blackbirds showed brilliantly; and our patience was rewarded when a Sungrebe was suddenly discovered right next to our boat. After our superb Sungrebe experience we went for a bash across a patch of marsh where we successfully flushed three species of rails. We found at least three Yellow-breasted Crakes, one of which was seen flushing nearly at our feet and at least one Gray-breasted Crake was also found. We returned to our boat happy with our efforts, and looking forward to breakfast back at our hotel. After breakfast we loaded up to next visit a stake-out for nesting Jabiru. Eventually we located their giant Ceiba tree where we found two nearly full-grown youngsters waiting patiently on a huge stick nest for mom and dad to bring something large and fishy home for dinner. Our wait for the parents was never fulfilled but 12 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica

13 was actually quite productive otherwise allowing us to have good views of Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture and Laughing Falcon but eventually we had to pull ourselves away. Our last Caño Negro bird was a male Nicaraguan Seed-Finch with its massive pink bill perched up along the road right outside our bus. Once again we had great success with seeing Sungrebe at Caño Negro (Matt Denton) Leaving behind one very good birding spot for another, next up was Arenal Volcano, which some consider some of the best birding in all of Costa Rica. We enjoyed two nights at the amazing Arenal Observatory Lodge where on our fist morning we found birds in all directions with Crested Guans and Gray-headed Chachalacas walking around the gardens; Collared Aracaris and Keel-billed Toucans gulping down fruits, Rufous-tailed Jacamars perched out on the power lines; smart-looking Long-tailed Tyrants sallying out for insects; and exquisite looking Crimson-collared Tanagers perched up. All of this while we watched an amazingly bright male Lovely Cotinga perched in the distance through our scope for over an hour. Nearby at the Hanging Bridges reserve we were successful in seeing a good selection of new birds for the tour with probably the most amazing sighting being a love-crazed courting pair of Purplish-backed Quail-Doves that were incredibly tame allowing us to nearly reach out and touch them. Here we also had good luck in seeing the improbable White-tipped Sicklebill, our second Western Woodhaunter, the locally common Streakcrowned Antvireo, and a Dull-mantled Antbird perched up on in the forest understorey that had even the nonbirding tourists interested. In the viney second growth of the forest edge we had good luck with the birds that specialize in this habitat with a pair of Thicket Antpittas showing quite well to nearly everyone along with a family group of Yellow-billed Caciques, but sadly the Bare-crowned Antbirds here gave us only flight views. Hummingbirds are also feature at Arenal with a Blue-throated Golden-tail on the hedge probably our best find possible given that we had missed the bird up until this point. Some of the other wonderful forest birds we saw at Arenal included the redstart-like Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher, Black-throated, Stripe-breasted and Song Wrens, the delicate Long-billed Gnatwren, noisy Black-headed Saltators, Black-cowled Oriole and Tawny-capped Euphonia. Leaving Arenal we stopped at a local hummingbird garden in the montane foothills where the show was really quite spectacular with a couple of hundred hummers coming and going among them the delicate Green Thorntail, exquisite Black-bellied Hummingbirds, White-bellied Mountain-gem, the endemic Copperyheaded Emerald, and numerous Green-crowned Brilliants. Some of us also took a walk around the short trail system here where we had good views of a soaring Great Black-Hawk as well as our second covey of Blackbreasted Wood-Quails. One of the tour highlights was a Black Guan feeding at eye-level on canopy fruits from one of the bridges. 13 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica

14 Dull-mantled Antbird sings from the forest understorey of Arenal; and Black-bellied Hummingbird from a cloud forest feeding station visited (Matt Denton) Our final port-of-call on our annual Costa Rican odyssey is OTS La Selva, a biologist's paradise, and one of the leading tropical research facilities in the world, which also happens to be extremely birdy. As usual we found most of the bird activity around our accommodation as well as near the dining hall with Great Curassow, Crested Guan, Short-billed Pigeon, Brown-hooded Parrots, Red-fronted and Mealy Amazons, numerous Keel-billed and Chestnut-mandibled Toucans, White-ringed Flycatcher, Plain-coloured Tanager, Shining Honeycreeper and White-vented Euphonia, all seen from the station clearing. A pair of Semiplumbeous Hawks resides at La Selva but is always a good find. The large Pale-billed Woodpecker always impresses (Matt Denton). Upon arriving we saw a female Snowy Cotinga on our first afternoon, and had brilliant views of a male feeding at a fruiting tree outside of the dining hall on the following morning. With local guide Lenin s help we enjoyed a very productive and educational walk through La Selva s primary forest seeing a Guatemalan (Vermiculated) Screech-Owl on its day roost deep inside the forest; the amazing looking Rufous Motmot along with its serrated bill; the much-wanted Ocellated Antbird; a pair of Western Slaty Antshrikes on territory and effectively the world s smallest passerine in the Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant. Other walks featured yet more new birds such as Hook-billed Kite, Blue-chested Hummingbird, Northern Barred Woodcreeper, Fasciated and Barred Antshrikes, Rufous-winged, Chestnut-coloured, and Pale-billed Woodpeckers. A lek of 14 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica

15 White-collared Manakins left us all grinning as they popped and sped about in the understorey. We also made an excursion out to Braulio Carrillo National Park where some of the highlights included Checkerthroated Antwren and Black-and-yellow, Tawny-crested, and Emerald Tanagers. However the real show stopper was a pair of White-throated Shrike-Tanager acting as the sentinel for a large flock and showing really well to us in the subcanopy. At La Selva we had a Semiplumbeous Hawk perched in the subcanopy for walk-away views; a close-flying Short-tailed Nighthawk at dusk; scope studies of Common Pauraque, and at least three Spot-fronted Swifts among a flock of Gray-rumped Swifts. We saw the distinctive Caribbean race of Plain Wren known otherwise as Canebreak Wren and enjoyed yet another superb sighting when a pair of White-throated Crakes came trotting out of the marsh to peer about. Surely the top billing for us all was the pair of Great Green Macaws that have taken up residence in a cavity near the station property. We timed our visit perfectly on our first afternoon, as we were able to first hear the macaws returning from their day spent foraging. We looked on in amazement as these amazing creatures gradually came into view passing by our position in low flight and then perching outside their tree cavity in the tropical glow of the late afternoon light. We were able to appreciate that Great Green Macaws are far more colourful than just green with nearly the full colour spectrum in their plumage. Everyone agreed seeing these threatened macaws was definitely one of the tour highlights. Finally, after one last bird-filled morning at La Selva and a smooth drive back to San Jose, we had suddenly reached the end of this very enjoyable tour with each of us happy to have seen so much of this truly special country. Purplish-backed Quail-Dove is among the most wanted of the quail-doves--from the path at Arenal Volcano (Matt Denton) 15 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica

16 Magnificent Hummingbird is one of several highland hummers common on Cerro de la Muerte (Matt Denton) SYSTEMATIC LIST OF SPECIES RECORDED DURING THE TOUR Species which were heard but not seen are indicated by the symbol (H). Species which were not personally recorded by the leader are indicated by the symbol (NL). Species which were only recorded by the leader are indicated by the symbol (LO). Species marked with the diamond symbol ( ) are either endemic to the country or local region or considered special birds for some other reason (e.g. it is only seen on one or two Birdquest tours; it is difficult to see across all or most of its range; the local form is endemic or restricted-range and may in future be treated as a full species). Conservation threat categories and information are taken from Threatened Birds of the World, BirdLife International s magnificent book on the sad status of the rarest 10% of the world s avifauna, and updates on the BirdLife website: E = Endangered, V = Vulnerable, NT = Near Threatened, DD = Data Deficient. Highland Tinamou Nothocercus bonapartei One seen in the Monteverde area. Great Tinamou Tinamus major Total of 5 seen on both slopes. Little Tinamou Crypturellus soui (H) Heard in the Esquinas area. Thicket Tinamou Crypturellus cinnamomeus One seen and others heard at Palo Verde NP. Slaty-breasted Tinamou Crypturellus boucardi (H) Pursued at La Selva but never close enough. Black-bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis Common in lowlands of both slopes. Muscovy Duck Cairina moschata Small numbers seen in lowlands of both slopes. Blue-winged Teal Anas discors Fifty seen at three locations. Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata One drake at Cano Negro. Gray-headed Chachalaca Ortalis cinereiceps Most common at Ranch Naturalista and Arenal Volcano. 16 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica

17 Crested Guan Penelope purpurascens Seen on both slopes but most common on Caribbean slope. Black Guan Chamaepetes unicolor (NT) First seen at Savegre, small numbers seen in the highlands. Great Curassow Crax rubra An incredible total of 13 individuals was seen! Spotted-bellied Bobwhite (Spot-b B) Colinus leucopogon Excellent views of two near Palo Verde. Black-breasted Wood-Quail Odontophorus leucolaemus Superb close-ups at Monteverde. Spotted Wood-Quail Odontophorus guttatus (H) Heard from close at Savegre but they eluded us. Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis Around 15 seen at Chomez. Neotropic Cormorant (Olivaceous C) Phalacrocorax brasilianus Fairly common in the lowlands near water. Anhinga Anhinga anhinga Nearly 20 seen in lowlands of both slopes. Magnificent Frigatebird Fregata magnificens Small numbers on the Pacific coast. Fasciated Tiger-Heron Tigrisoma fasciatum One scoped on the Caribbean slope. Bare-throated Tiger-Heron Tigrisoma mexicanum Many fine views. Bare-throated Tiger-Heron featured at several sites. Northern Jacana showing its long slender toes (Matt Denton) Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias A total of 10 seen. Great Egret (G White E) Ardea alba Seen regularly, highest day count was 30. Snowy Egret Egretta thula Small numbers seen on both slopes. Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea Approximately 20 seen during the tour. Tricoloured Heron (Louisiana H) Egretta tricolor A dozen seen during the tour. Reddish Egret Egretta rufescens Two birds seen on the mudflat at Chomez. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Abundant in open country. Green Heron Butorides virescens At least 40 seen on the tour. Boat-billed Heron Cochlearius cochlearius Roosting birds seen in lowlands of both slopes. White Ibis Eudocimus albus Small numbers seen in lowlands of both slopes Green Ibis Mesembrinibis cayennensis Excellent views of three near La Suiza. Roseate Spoonbill Platalea ajaja Seen in lowlands of both slopes. Jabiru Jabiru mycteria Two large chicks seen standing in their nest high up in a Ceiba at Cano Negro. Wood Stork Mycteria americana Up to 75 seen at scattered sites. Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Seen almost daily. Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura Numerous and widespread. Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture Cathartes burrovianus Two seen in the Cano Negro area. King Vulture Sarcoramphus papa A total of 6 individuals seen between four different sightings. American Osprey Pandion carolinensis A total of 4 seen on the Pacific slope only. Gray-headed Kite Leptodon cayanensis One at Talari Lodge; a second glimpsed at La Selva. Hook-billed Kite Chondrohierax uncinatus Excellent studies at La Selva. American Swallow-tailed Kite Elanoides forficatus Many good views, best above San Isidro. White-tailed Kite Elanus leucurus Five seen in open country. 17 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica

18 Snail Kite Rostrhamus sociabilis Seen on Angostura Reservoir near Turrialba. Double-toothed Kite Harpagus bidentatus One at Palo Verde. Plumbeous Kite Ictinia plumbea One on the Rio Tarcoles. Bicoloured Hawk Accipiter bicolor A perched bird seen near its nest at Rancho Naturalista. Crane Hawk Geranospiza caerulescens Good studies of a low soaring bird in the dry northwest. Semiplumbeous Hawk Leucopternis semiplumbeus Unbeatable views of a perched bird at La Selva. White Hawk Pseudaster albicollis One at Rincon seen in flight and perched. Common Black-Hawk Buteogallus anthracinus Fairly common along the Rio Tarcoles. Great Black-Hawk Buteogallus urubitinga One soaring from the Rincon area and one at Cataratas del Toro. Roadside Hawk Rupornis magnirostris A total of 18 individuals seen during the tour. Broad-winged Hawk Buteo platypterus A few sightings of this migrant. Gray Hawk Buteo nitidus A total of 5 seen during the tour. See note. Short-tailed Hawk Buteo brachyurus One seen en route to Rancho Naturalista. Swainson s Hawk Buteo swainsoni Three individuals of this migrant seen. Zone-tailed Hawk Buteo albonotatus Good views for most of a low soaring bird below San Vito. Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Two of the resident race costaricensis seen on Cerro de la Muerte. Black Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus tyrannus Likely the same bird was seen at San Gerardo on both days. Ornate Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus ornatus (H) Heard at Braulio Carrillo National Park. Barred Forest-Falcon Micrastur ruficollis Two seen at San Gerardo including a juvenile in the scope. Collared Forest-Falcon Micrastur semitorquatus (H) Heard at several sites but no response. Crested Caracara (Northern C-C) Caracara cheriway At least 15 seen during the tour. Yellow-headed Caracara Milvago chimachima Around a dozen seen including one perched on our boat. Laughing Falcon Herpetotheres cachinnans A very good sighting of a perched bird at Cano Negro. Merlin Falco columbarius Excellent scope views of this migrant on Volcan Irazu. Bat Falcon Falco rufigularis (LO) One perched at edge of road flew off before we could all see it. White-throated Crake Laterallus albigularis One seen at Cano Negro followed by superb close-ups near La Selva. Gray-breasted Crake Laterallus exilis Flight views of a flushed bird at Cano Negro. Rufous-necked Wood-Rail Aramides axillaris Good views of this rarity in Pacific coast mangroves. Gray-necked Wood-Rail Aramides cajaneus Over 10 seen at scattered sites. Uniform Crake Amaurolimnas concolor (H) We tried hard at Esquinas but they stayed out of sight. Yellow-breasted Crake Porzana flaviventer Good views of at least two flushed birds at Cano Negro. Purple Gallinule (American P G) Porphyrula martinicus One count was 100 in one field near Ciudad Neilly. Common Moorhen (C Gallinule) Gallinula chloropus A dozen seen near San Vito. Sungrebe Heliornis fulica One at Cano Negro was very much appreciated. Good spotting Paul! Sunbittern Eurypyga helias A young bird and parent seen at La Mina, Rancho Naturalista. Limpkin Aramus guarauna Most common at Cano Negro. Double-striped Thick-knee Burhinus bistriatus One along Rio Tarcoles and a pair at Santa Rosa NP. Southern Lapwing Vanellus chilensis Four seen near Turrialba, and five more seen along Rio Tarcoles. Black-bellied Plover (Grey P) Pluvialis squatarola Ten seen on Pacific coast. American Golden Plover Pluvialis dominica At least one seen on Pacific coast. Collared Plover Charadrius collaris Two seen along Rio Tarcoles. Wilson s Plover (Thick-billed P) Charadrius wilsonia At least 15 seen on Pacific coast mudflats. Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus Over 20 seen on Pacific coast mudflats. Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Two seen en route to Rancho Naturalista. Black-necked Stilt Himantopus mexicanus Up to 100 seen in the shrimp ponds and adjacent coast. Northern Jacana Jacana spinosa Fairly common in the lowlands. Wattled Jacana Jacana jacana A good find near Ciudad Neilly, few prior records for Costa Rica. Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius Most common on the Pacific slope. Solitary Sandpiper Tringa solitaria Four records on the tour. Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Small numbers at a few sites. Western Willet Tringa inornata A total of 15 were seen on the Pacific mudflats. Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes Six seen on the Pacific coast. Hudsonian Whimbrel Numenius hudsonicus Around 30 seen on the Pacific coast. Marbled Godwit Limosa fedoa Ten seen on the Pacific coast. Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres Thirty seen on the Pacific coast. 18 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica

19 Sanderling Calidris alba At least 20 seen on the Pacific coast. Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla At least 20 seen on the Pacific coast. Western Sandpiper Calidris mauri A total of 8 seen on the Pacific coast Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla Over 100 seen at several sites. Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos One seen along river near Ciudad Neilly. Stilt Sandpiper Calidris himantopus A group of 15 seen foraging on salt flat. Short-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus At least 20 seen on the Pacific coast. Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla Around 75 seen on the Pacific coast. Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia Up to 15 seen on the Pacific coast. Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis One seen on the Pacific coast. Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus Up to 40 seen on the Pacific coast. Black Skimmer Rynchops niger Up to 15 seen on the Pacific coast. Rock Pigeon (R Dove, Feral P) Columba livia Small numbers of feral birds around larger towns and cities. Pale-vented Pigeon Patagioenas cayennensis Small numbers seen on both slopes. Red-billed Pigeon Patagioenas flavirostris Fairly common, particularly around San Gerardo. Band-tailed Pigeon Patagioenas fasciata Largest count 40 on Cerro de la Muerte. Ruddy Pigeon Patagioenas subvinacea Glimpsed at Savegre and also seen at Monteverde. Short-billed Pigeon Patagioenas nigrirostris Small numbers on both slopes, most easily seen at La Selva. White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica Seen in Central Valley but common in the dry northwest. Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura A few seen on the lower slopes of Irazu Volcano. Inca Dove Columbina inca Abundant in the dry northwest. Common Ground-Dove Columbina passerina Fairly common in the dry northwest. Ruddy Ground-Dove Columbina talpacoti At times abundant. Blue Ground-Dove Claravis pretiosa Good views of both sexes in the Pacific lowlands. White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi Recorded regularly. Gray-headed Dove Leptotila plumbeiceps Excellent views of courting birds at Cano Negro. Gray-chested Dove Leptotila cassini Both races seen on either slope. Chiriqui Quail-Dove (Rufous-breasted Q-D) Geotrygon chiriquensis Two seen in the Monteverde area. Purplish-backed Quail-Dove Geotrygon lawrencii An intimate experience with a pair at Arenal! Buff-fronted Quail-Dove (Costa Rican Q-D) Geotrygon costaricensis Wonderful views at San Gerardo. A White-fronted Amazon early morning sunbathing in the dry country. A White-crowned Parrot from Las Cruces (Matt Denton) Sulphur-winged Parakeet Pyrrhura hoffmanni Flight views only at Savegre. Crimson-fronted Parakeet (Finsch s P) Aratinga finschi Fairly common in Central Valley and San Vito. Olive-throated Parakeet Aratinga nana Over 100 seen in the Caribbean lowlands. Orange-fronted Parakeet Aratinga canicularis Just three seen in the dry northwest. 19 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica

20 Brown-throated Parakeet Aratinga pertinax A flock of 20 admired feeding near Ciudad Neilly. Scarlet Macaw Ara macao One of the tour highlights watching birds feeding near the road at Play Azul. Great Green Macaw Ara ambiguus (E) The bird of the trip for most! A pair at La Selva was superb. Orange-chinned Parakeet (Tovi P) Brotogeris jugularis Fairly common in the lowlands of both slopes. Brown-hooded Parrot Pyrilia haematotis Excellent views of perched birds at Las Cruces. Blue-headed Parrot Pionus menstruus Perched birds seen at Las Cruces. White-crowned Parrot Pionus senilis Many good views. White-fronted Parrot (W-f Amazon) Amazona albifrons Another excellent sighting at Palo Verde. Red-lored Parrot (R-l Amazon, Yellow-cheeked A) Amazona autumnalis Small numbers on both slopes. Mealy Parrot (M Amazon) Amazona farinosa Oddly not seen until the end of the tour at La Selva. Yellow-naped Parrot (Y-n Amazon) Amazona auropalliata A total of 5 seen on the Pacific slope. Squirrel Cuckoo Piaya cayana Regular encounters Mangrove Cuckoo Coccyzus minor An excellent sighting of one bird at Palo Verde. Striped Cuckoo (American S C) Tapera naevia (H) One distant heard only record at Cano Negro. Lesser Ground-Cuckoo Morococcyx erythropygius One below Monteverde was simply amazing! Smooth-billed Ani Crotophaga ani Fairly common in the south Pacific lowlands. Groove-billed Ani Crotophaga sulcirostris Frequent sightings. Pacific Screech-Owl Megascops cooperi One with young on their day roost at Cano Negro. Guatemalan (Middle American) Screech-Owl Megascops guatemalae Seen on day roost at La Selva. Bare-shanked Screech-Owl Megascops clarkii One seen pre-dawn in the Monteverde area. Crested Owl Lophostrix cristata One seen in spotlight on Volcan Tenorio. Spectacled Owl Pulsatrix perspicillata One bird at Esquinas seen pre-dawn and later on day roost. Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium costaricanum One seen at nest above Savegre. Central American Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium griseiceps (H) One heard at La Selva but could not be found. Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium brasilianum Excellent views of one at Palo Verde. Mottled Owl Ciccaba virgata (H) Heard at a few sites but never able to connect. Striped Owl Pseudoscops clamator One posed beautifully at Jaco. Short-tailed Nighthawk Lurocalis semitorquatus Great performance at dusk at La Selva. Lesser Nighthawk Chordeiles acutipennis We watched several at Chomez jostling for favored day time perches. Lesser Nighthawks put on a day-time show for us (Matt Denton) Common Pauraque Nyctidromus albicollis Nearly 20 seen at scattered sites. Chuck-will s-widow Antrostomus carolinensis One seen and flushed at San Gerardo. See note. Dusky Nightjar Antrostomus saturatus One seen at Savegre. Common Potoo (Gray P) Nyctibius griseus One heard at Cano Negro but remained distant. Spot-fronted Swift Cypseloides cherriei Three seen at La Selva. 20 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica

21 Chestnut-collared Swift Streptoprocne rutila Small numbers seen in the San Isidro area. White-collared Swift Streptoprocne zonaris Largest count was 150 seen en route to Rancho Naturalista. Dusky-backed Swift (Richmond s S) Chaetura richmondi Seen in the Central Valley as well as Monteverde. Costa Rican Swift Chaetura fumosa Nearly 20 birds seen between five sightings. Gray-rumped Swift Chaetura cinereiventris Over 150 seen in the Caribbean lowlands. Band-tailed Barbthroat Threnetes ruckeri Two sightings in the lowlands of both slopes. Green Hermit Phaethornis guy Over 20 seen in both natural settings as well as at feeders. Long-billed Hermit (Western Long-tailed H) Phaethornis longirostris Eight seen on both slopes. Stripe-throated Hermit Phaethornis striigularis Regular sightings. White-tipped Sicklebill Eutoxeres aquila Good views of a close bird for most of us at Arenal. Scaly-breasted Hummingbird Phaeochroa cuvierii First seen at Talari and more seen at Tarcoles. Violet Sabrewing Campylopterus hemileucurus Most spectacular above San Isidro and at Monteverde. White-necked Jacobin Florisuga mellivora Numerous on the feeders at Rancho Naturalista. Brown Violet-ear Colibri delphinae Seen at Rancho Naturalista as well as San Gerardo. Green Violet-ear Colibri thalassinus Fairly common at Savegre. Green-breasted Mango Anthracothorax prevostii Most abundant on the feeders at Rancho Naturalista. Veraguas Mango Anthracothorax veraguensis Up to three seen near Ciudad Neilly. Violet-headed Hummingbird Klais guimeti Most common at Tenorio and Arenal Volcanos. Black-crested Coquette Lophornis helenae Both sexes were observed at Heliconia Lodge flowers. Green Thorntail Discosura conversii One at Rancho for some and then common at Cataratas del Toro. Salvin s Emerald Chlorostilbon salvini A total of 11 seen at a few sites. Garden Emerald Chlorostilbon assimilis Two in the San Isidro area. Violet-crowned Woodnymph (Purple-c, Blue-c W) Thalurania colombica Most common at Rancho. Fiery-throated Hummingbird Panterpe insignis Seen on Irazu and abundant on Cerro de la Muerte. Sapphire-throated Hummingbird Lepidopyga coeruleogularis A perched male near Ciudad Neilly. Blue-throated Goldentail (B-t Sapphire) Hylocharis eliciae Close-ups of one on hedge at Arenal. Blue-chested Hummingbird Amazilia amabilis Good views of a displaying bird at La Selva. Charming Hummingbird (Beryl-crowned H) Amazilia decora A total of 7 in the southwest. Mangrove Hummingbird Amazilia boucardi (E) Three seen near Rincon. Blue-vented Hummingbird (Hoffman s H) Amazilia hoffmani Nearly 10 seen at several sites. Snowy-bellied Hummingbird Amazilia edward Six seen near San Isidro. Rufous-tailed Hummingbird Amazilia tzacatl Common. Cinnamon Hummingbird Amazilia rutila 8 seen in the dry northwest. Stripe-tailed Hummingbird Eupherusa eximia 3 on Cerro de la Muerte, and 5 in the Monteverde area. Black-bellied Hummingbird Eupherusa nigriventris Wonderful views at Cataratas del Toro. White-tailed Emerald Elvira chionura 3 birds at Wilson Garden. Coppery-headed Emerald Elvira cupreiceps Seen in the Monteverde area as well as near Poas. Snowcap Microchera albocoronata Three at Rancho Naturalista. Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer (Red-footed P) Chalybura urochrysia One at Rancho and three at Arenal. White-bellied Mountain-gem Lampornis hemileucus Three at San Gerardo and one near Poas. Purple-throated Mountain-gem Lampornis calolaema Common at Monteverde and near Poas. Gray-tailed Mountain-gem Lampornis cinereicauda Common on the feeders at Savegre. Green-crowned Brilliant Heliodoxa jacula Available at various sets of feeders. Magnificent Hummingbird (Rivoli s H) Eugenes fulgens Common on the feeders at Cerro de la Muerte. Purple-crowned Fairy Heliothryx barroti Our first was seen bathing at Rancho s forest pools. Magenta-throated Woodstar Calliphlox bryantae Five seen at Monteverde. Volcano Hummingbird Selasphorus flammula 25 seen in the paramo of Irazu and Cerro de la Muerte. Scintillant Hummingbird Selasphorus scintilla Just two seen in the Savegre valley, scarce this year. Slaty-tailed Trogon Trogon massena A male at Rincon, two at Carara and one at La Selva. Black-headed Trogon Trogon melanocephalus Four seen in the northwest. Baird s Trogon Trogon bairdii (NT) A male at Skutch s and a female at Rincon. Gartered Trogon Trogon caligatus Seven seen. Formerly known as Northern Violaceous Trogon. Black-throated Trogon Trogon rufus Six records. Elegant Trogon (Coppery-tailed T) Trogon elegans A pair at Palo Verde National Park. Bar-tailed Trogon (Jalapa T) Trogon puella Two at Wilson Garden. See note. 21 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica

22 Orange-bellied Trogon Trogon aurantiiventris Two in the Monteverde area. See note. Resplendent Quetzal Pharomachrus mocinno 11 seen on Cerro de la Muerte. One male at Santa Elena. As usual, Resplendent Quetzals were a major highlight (Matt Denton) Tody Motmot Hylomanes momotula (H) Only heard on Volcan Tenorio, but we tried hard! Lesson s Motmot (Blue-diademed M) Momotus lessonii Fifteen records. See note. Rufous Motmot Baryphthengus martii Brilliant views at La Selva. Keel-billed Motmot Electron carinatum Excellent studies in the forest of Volcan Tenorio. Broad-billed Motmot Electron platyrhynchum Eight sightings between Arenal and La Selva. Turquoise-browed Motmot Eumomota superciliosa Thirteen seen between Playa Azul and Palo Verde NP. Ringed Kingfisher Megaceryle torquata Several sightings on either slope. Amazon Kingfisher Chloroceryle amazona Several encounters, with 10 seen at Cano Negro. Green Kingfisher Chloroceryle americana Regular sightings. White-necked Puffbird Notharchus hyperrhynchus Two seen en route to Rincon. White-whiskered Puffbird Malacoptila panamensis One at Braulio Carrillo and a second at La Selva. Rufous-tailed Jacamar Galbula ruficauda Many superb close-ups, here the race melanogenia. Prong-billed Barbet Semnornis frantzii Two at Monteverde. Blue-throated Toucanet Aulacorhynchus caeruleogularis Two at Savegre, three at Monteverde. Collared Aracari Pteroglossus torquatus First seen below Monteverde, most common on Caribbean slope. Fiery-billed Aracari Pteroglossus frantzii An exciting appearance during breakfast at Wilson Garden. Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus Common on the Caribbean slope. Chestnut-mandibled Toucan Ramphastos swainsonii Showed well on many occasions. Olivaceous Piculet Picumnus olivaceus (LO) Only glimpsed at Skutch s, odd! Acorn Woodpecker Melanerpes formicivorus A couple on Irazu and common around Savegre. Golden-naped Woodpecker Melanerpes chrysauchen A male at nest cavity en route to Rincon. Black-cheeked Woodpecker Melanerpes pucherani Numerous in the Caribbean lowlands and foothills. Red-crowned Woodpecker Melanerpes rubricapillus Regular sightings in the southwest. Hoffmann s Woodpecker Melanerpes hoffmannii A common bird of open country and woodland edge. Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus Five seen on Cerro de la Muerte, here of the race sanctorum. Smoky-brown Woodpecker Picoides fumigatus One at San Gerardo and a second at Arenal. Rufous-winged Woodpecker Piculus simplex Four seen on the Caribbean slope. Golden-olive Woodpecker Colaptes rubiginosus Five seen, here of the race yucatanensis. Cinnamon Woodpecker Celeus loricatus One in the La Selva clearing was initially misidentified. Chestnut-coloured Woodpecker Celeus castaneus Two at La Selva and one at Braulio Carrillo. 22 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica

23 Lineated Woodpecker Dryocopus lineatus Seven records. Pale-billed Woodpecker Campephilus guatemalensis A male performed in grand style at La Selva. Tawny-throated Leaftosser Sclerurus mexicanus One bathing at Rancho Naturalista s pools. Gray-throated Leaftosser Sclerurus albigularis Two in the Monteverde area. Pale-breasted Spinetail Synallaxis albescens Brilliant views at the San Vito marsh. Slaty Spinetail Synallaxis brachyura Two at San Gerardo and a third seen at Cano Negro. A very cooperative Slaty Spinetail (Matt Denton) Red-faced Spinetail Cranioleuca erythrops One at Volcan Irazu and a third seen at San Gerardo. Spotted Barbtail Premnoplex brunnescens One above Savegre and one at San Gerardo. Ruddy Treerunner Margarornis rubiginosus Over 20 seen on Cerro de la Muerte, two seen at Monteverde. Buffy Tuftedcheek Pseudocolaptes lawrencii Six seen on Cerro de la Muerte. Western Woodhaunter Hyloctistes virgatus Two seen at Esquinas, and a third seen at Arenal. Lineated Foliage-gleaner Syndactyla subalaris Two at Santa Elena reserve. Scaly-throated Foliage-gleaner (Spectacled F-g) Anabacerthia variegaticeps One seen at San Gerardo. Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner Automolus ochrolaemus Three seen plus several more heard. Ruddy Foliage-Gleaner Automolus rubiginosus A pair at Las Cruces but they never stopped moving. Streaked-breasted Treehunter (Streak-b T) Thripadectes rufobrunneus Excellent sighting at Monteverde. Plain Xenops Xenops minutus Just three records. Tawny-winged Woodcreeper Dendrocincla anabatina Three good sightings in the southwest. Ruddy Woodcreeper Dendrocincla homochroa An excellent sighting below Monteverde. Olivaceous Woodcreeper Sittasomus griseicapillus Just one seen, several heard. Here the race sylvioides. Wedge-billed Woodcreeper Glyphorynchus spirurus Regularly encountered. Northern Barred Woodcreeper Dendrocolaptes sanctithomae Two at Rincon and a few at La Selva. Cocoa Woodcreeper Xiphorhynchus susurrans One of the most numerous woodcreepers. Black-striped Woodcreeper Xiphorhynchus lachrymosus One seen at Rincon, several more heard. Spotted Woodcreeper Xiphorhynchus erythropygius Common at mid-elevations, here the race punctigula. Streak-headed Woodcreeper Lepidocolaptes souleyetii A regularly seen/heard woodcreeper. Spot-crowned Woodcreeper Lepidocolaptes affinis Ten seen on Cerro de la Muerte. Brown-billed Scythebill Campylorhamphus pusillus Fantastic close views at San Gerardo. Fasciated Antshrike Cymbilaimus lineatus A male at La Selva showed quite well. Great Antshrike Taraba major (H) Heard but would not respond. Barred Antshrike Thamnophilus doliatus A pair was enjoyed at La Selva. Black-hooded Antshrike Thamnophilus bridgesi 10 seen and more heard. Western Slaty Antshrike Thamnophilus atrinucha A pair seen at La Selva. Russet Antshrike Thamnistes anabatinus One at Skutch s, three others seen on Caribbean slope. Plain Antvireo Dysithamnus mentalis Singles at Rancho Naturalista and Arenal Volcano. 23 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica

24 Streaked-crowned Antvireo (Streak-c A) Dysithamnus striaticeps Three seen at Arenal Volcano. Slaty Antwren Myrmotherula schisticolor Five seen at San Gerardo and a male seen at Arenal Volcano. Checker-throated Antwren Epinecrophylla fulviventris Two at Braulio Carrillo National Park. Dot-winged Antwren (Dotted-w A) Microrhopias quixensis Good studies of both sexes. Dusky Antbird Cercomacra tyrannina Two at Carara and a second pair at Arenal. Bare-crowned Antbird Gymnocichla nudiceps Several flight views only of a male at Arenal. Chestnut-backed Antbird Myrmeciza exsul Five seen at Carara. Dull-mantled Antbird Myrmeciza laemosticta One at Rancho Naturalista and a second at Arenal Volcano. Immaculate Antbird Myrmeciza immaculata Two seen at San Gerardo. Spotted Antbird Hylophylax naevioides A pair seen at Heliconia Lodge on Tenorio Volcano. Bicoloured Antbird Gymnopithys leucaspis A total of 10 sightings from both slopes. Black-hooded Antshrike (left) of the south Pacific slope. Ocellated Antbird at an antswarm (Matt Denton) Ocellated Antbird Phaenostictus mcleannani We all had good views of this ant-swarm obligate at La Selva. Black-faced Antthrush Formicarius analis One on the trail at Carara was magic. Black-headed Antthrush Formicarius nigricapillus One seen at San Gerardo. Rufous-breasted Antthrush Formicarius rufipectus (H) Several heard at San Gerardo despite our efforts. Streak-chested Antpitta (Spectacled A) Hylopezus perspicillatus Eventually a total of 4 seen at Carara. Thicket Antpitta (Fulvous-bellied A) Hylopezus dives A pair seen well at Arenal Volcano. Ochre-breasted Antpitta Grallaricula flavirostris One seen by a few of us at San Gerardo. Silvery-fronted Tapaculo Scytalopus argentifrons Good views at Monteverde. Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet Camptostoma imberbe Three seen at Cano Negro. Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet Camptostoma obsoletum Two seen at Carara. Yellow Tyrannulet Capsiempis flaveola Many good views. Greenish Elaenia Myiopagis viridicata One at Talari. Yellow-bellied Elaenia Elaenia flavogaster Numerous encounters. Mountain Elaenia Elaenia frantzii At least 15 seen in the highlands. Torrent Tyrannulet Serpophaga cinerea Two seen in the highlands. Olive-striped Flycatcher Mionectes olivaceus Several seen at San Gerardo. Ochre-bellied Flycatcher Mionectes oleagineus Seven seen at various sites. Slaty-capped Flycatcher Leptopogon superciliaris Four records. Rufous-browed Tyrannulet Phylloscartes superciliaris One eventually seen by all at San Gerardo. Paltry Tyrannulet (Mistletoe T) Zimmerius vilissimus Numerous sightings. Northern Scrub-Flycatcher Sublegatus arenarum One seen well along Rio Tarcoles. Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant Myiornis atricapillus Superb scope views at La Selva. Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant Lophotriccus pileatus Two seen at San Gerardo, many more heard. Northern Bentbill Oncostoma cinereigulare A few records of this retiring flycatcher. 24 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica

25 Slate-headed Tody-Flycatcher (S-h T-Tyrant) Poecilotriccus sylvia Four seen at Carara. Common Tody-Flycatcher Todirostrum cinereum Most frequently seen tody-flycatcher. Black-headed Tody-Flycatcher Todirostrum nigriceps One spotted by Paul at La Selva, others were heard. Eye-ringed Flatbill Rhynchocyclus brevirostris Two seen at Las Cruces. Yellow-olive Flycatcher (Y-o Flatbill) Tolmomyias sulphurescens Widespread, here the race cinereiceps. The diminutive Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant at La Selva (Matt Denton) White-throated Spadebill Platyrinchus mystaceus Two seen at San Gerardo. Golden-crowned Spadebill Platyrinchus coronatus Three seen at Carara. Stub-tailed Spadebill Platyrinchus cancrominus Two seen at Carara. Northern Royal Flycatcher Onychorhynchus mexicanus Two seen at Carara. Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher Terenotriccus erythrurus Two showed well at Carara. The near-endemic Tawny-chested Flycatcher at Rancho Naturalista (Matt Denton) Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher Myiobius sulphureipygius One seen at Carara and two on the Caribbean slope. Black-tailed Flycatcher Myiobius atricaudus One was studied at Equinas. Tawny-chested Flycatcher Aphanotriccus capitalis (V) Two at Rancho showed brilliantly Tufted Flycatcher (Common T F) Mitrephanes phaeocercus Several sightings. Olive-sided Flycatcher Contopus borealis Two records. Dark Pewee Contopus lugubris One at Savegre was oddly our only sighting. 25 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica

26 Ochraceous Pewee Contopus ochraceus Thanks to Jorge for a wonderful sighting at Cerro de la Muerte. Western Wood-Pewee Contopus sordidulus Three records. Eastern Wood-Pewee Contopus virens Three records. Tropical Pewee Contopus cinereus Scattered sightings from both slopes. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Empidonax flaviventris Five sightings. White-throated Flycatcher Empidonax albigularis A pair seen in typical habitat near Rancho Naturalista. Least Flycatcher Empidonax minimus Good studies of one bird at Palo Verde. Yellowish Flycatcher Empidonax flavescens A few sightings. Black-capped Flycatcher Empidonax atriceps Numerous on Cerro de la Muerte. Black-capped Flycatcher (left) and Yellowish Flycatcher from the highlands of Cerro de la Muerte (Matt Denton) Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans A few sightings. Long-tailed Tyrant Colonia colonus Four seen on the Caribbean slope Flammulated Attila Attila flammulatus Three seen and many more heard. The La Selva bird was good! Rufous Mourner Rhytipterna holerythra Six sightings and many more heard. Dusky-capped Flycatcher Myiarchus tuberculifer Two seen and others heard. Panama Flycatcher Myiarchus panamensis Good views at Tarcoles and the Nicoya Peninsula. Nutting s Flycatcher Myiarchus nuttingi Several in the dry country. Great Crested Flycatcher Myiarchus crinitus Just two of this migrant were recorded. Brown-crested Flycatcher Myiarchus tyrannulus Four records. Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus Common but always delightful. Boat-billed Flycatcher Megarynchus pitangua A few sightings. Rusty-margined Flycatcher Myiozetetes cayanensis A total of 8 seen or heard in the southwest. Social Flycatcher Myiozetetes similis Numerous and widespread. Gray-capped Flycatcher Myiozetetes granadensis Numerous in the lowlands and foothills. White-ringed Flycatcher Conopias albovittatus A few records of this canopy flycatcher. Golden-bellied Flycatcher Myiodynastes hemichrysus Two at San Gerardo. Streaked Flycatcher Myiodynastes maculatus Many good views. Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher Myiodynastes luteiventris Several at Wilson Garden. Piratic Flycatcher Legatus leucophaius Heard and seen often. Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus Numerous and widespread. Eastern Kingbird Tyrannus tyrannus Small numbers on the Pacific but several flocks on the Caribbean. Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus Several records on the Pacific slope. Fork-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus savana Five sightings in the Pacific lowlands. Northern Schiffornis (Brown S, B Mourner) Schiffornis veraepacis 4 seen; best was bird bathing. Rufous Piha Lipaugus unirufus Two sightings at Skutch s Los Cusingos. Barred Becard Pachyramphus versicolor Three individuals seen on Cerro de la Muerte. 26 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica

27 Cinnamon Becard Pachyramphus cinnamomeus Small numbers seen on the Caribbean slope. Rose-throated Becard Pachyramphus aglaiae Common in the dry northwest. Masked Tityra Tityra semifasciata Numerous sightings. Black-crowned Tityra Tityra inquisitor A pair seen at La Selva by some. Lovely Cotinga Cotinga amabilis A male was admired on his display perch at Arenal Volcano. Turquoise Cotinga Cotinga ridgwayi (V) A bumper year for this species with four males and one female. Yellow-billed Cotinga Carpodectes antoniae (E) Four individuals seen. Snowy Cotinga Carpodectes nitidus Good views of both sexes at La Selva. Bare-necked Umbrellabird Cephalopterus glabricollis Five males and a female at San Gerardo. Three-wattled Bellbird Procnias tricarunculata (V) Three seen in the Monteverde area. White-collared Manakin Manacus candei First seen at Arenal with lekking males seen at La Selva. Orange-collared Manakin Manacus aurantiacus Very good views at lekking bird in Carara. Orange-collared Manakin at a lek in Carara National Park (Matt Denton) White-ruffed Manakin Corapipo altera Excellent views of males on Volcan Tenorio. Long-tailed Manakin Chiroxiphia linearis Many good views in the Monteverde area. Blue-crowned Manakin Lepidothrix coronata Females were seen at Carara but alas no males! Red-capped Manakin Pipra mentalis Many good views of both sexes. Mangrove Vireo Vireo pallens Excellent looks at this mangrove speciality. Yellow-throated Vireo Vireo flavifrons One seen at Palo Verde. Yellow-winged Vireo Vireo carmioli A dozen seen on Cerro de la Muerte. Brown-capped Vireo Vireo leucophrys Three seen at Savegre. Philadelphia Vireo Vireo philadelphicus One seen at Palo Verde. Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus A few sightings. Yellow-green Vireo Vireo flavoviridis Two sightings from either slope. Scrub Greenlet Hylophilus flavipes (LO) One seen near Ciudad Neilly could not be refound. Tawny-crowned Greenlet Hylophilus ochraceiceps Eleven individuals seen in all at a few sites. Lesser Greenlet Hylophilus decurtatus Frequently seen. Green Shrike-Vireo Vireolanius pulchellus Excellent scope views of a singing bird at Carara. Rufous-browed Peppershrike Cyclarhis gujanensis One seen in the Rio Tarcoles mangroves. White-throated Magpie-Jay Calocitta formosa Nearly 20 seen in the dry northwest. Brown Jay Cyanocorax morio Frequent sightings. Azure-hooded Jay Cyanolyca cucullata One seen at San Gerardo. Silvery-throated Jay Cyanolyca argentigula A family group of three seen on Cerro de la Muerte. Gray-breasted Martin Progne chalybea Small numbers in both the Caribbean and Pacific lowlands. Mangrove Swallow Tachycineta albilinea Most numerous the along the coast. Blue-and-white Swallow Notiochelidon cyanoleuca Widespread at middle elevations. Northern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx serripennis Fairly common at middle elevations. 27 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica

28 Southern Rough-winged Swallow Stelgidopteryx ruficollis Small numbers in the lowlands of both slopes. Bank Swallow (Sand Martin) Riparia riparia Migrating flocks of 40 birds seen at Cano Negro and La Selva. Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota Two seen at Cano Negro. Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Frequent sightings of this migrant. Banded-backed Wren (Band-b W) Campylorhynchus zonatus Recorded at all of our Caribbean slope sites. Rufous-naped Wren Campylorhynchus rufinucha A conspicuous bird of the dry northwest lowlands. Black-throated Wren Pheugopedius atrogularis Good views at Arenal. Rufous-breasted Wren Pheugopedius rutilus Seen at Talari and also Carara. Spot-breasted Wren Pheugopedius maculipectus Two seen at our lodge in Cano Negro. Black-bellied Wren Pheugopedius fasciatoventris One at Esquinas Lodge. Rufous-and-white Wren Thryophilus rufalbus Wonderful performance by singing birds below Monteverde. Banded Wren Thryophilus pleurostictus Excellent views of this dry country bird at Palo Verde. Striped-breasted Wren (Stripe-b W) Cantorchilus thoracicus Good views of birds on the Caribbean slope. Plain Wren Cantorchilus modestus Seen on both slopes. Caribbean birds referred to as Canebreak Wren. Bay Wren Cantorchilus nigricapillus Brilliant, close views at Cano Negro. Riverside Wren Cantorchilus semibadius Seen on several occasions in the southwest lowlands. Stripe-breasted Wren (left) has a very lovely song. Canebreak Wren is very likely a cryptic species (Matt Denton). House Wren Troglodytes aedon Numerous and widespread. Ochraceous Wren Troglodytes ochraceus Two seen well on Cerro de la Muerte. Timberline Wren Thryorchilus browni Two seen well on Irazu Volcano. White-breasted Wood-Wren Henicorhina leucosticta The lowland wood-wren, seen at several locations. Gray-breasted Wood-Wren Henicorhina leucophrys The highland wood-wren, seen at Monteverde. Nightingale Wren (Northern N-W) Microcerculus philomela Brief views for some at San Gerardo. Whistling Wren Microcerculus luscinia Superb views of a bird in its roost hole. Song Wren Cyphorhinus phaeocephalus We all saw this strange wren on the Caribbean slope. American Dipper Cinclus mexicanus One seen at Talari on the Rio Chirripo. Tawny-faced Gnatwren Microbates cinereiventris Three seen well by most at Braulio Carrillo. Long-billed Gnatwren Ramphocaenus melanurus Two at Arenal Volcano, heard elsewhere. White-lored Gnatcatcher Polioptila albiloris Excellent studies of a pair in the dry country at Palo Verde. Tropical Gnatcatcher Polioptila plumbea Regular sightings. Black-faced Solitaire Myadestes melanops Seen and heard at several of the mid-elevation forests. Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush Catharus gracilirostris Confiding and providing many good views. Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush Catharus aurantiirostris Ten records. Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush Catharus fuscater Conspicuous in the Monteverde area. Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush Catharus frantzii Common on Cerro de la Muerte, a few at Monteverde. Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush Catharus mexicanus Four seen, best on Volcan Tenorio. 28 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica

29 Swainson s Thrush Catharus ustulatus The most numerous transient encountered. Wood Thrush Hylocichla mustelina One on Volcan Tenorio. Sooty Thrush (S Robin) Turdus nigrescens Abundant on Volcan Irazu. Mountain Thrush (M Robin, American M T) Turdus plebejus Small numbers seen/heard in the highlands. Pale-vented Thrush (P-v Robin) Turdus obsoletus Excellent scope views at San Gerardo. Clay-coloured Thrush (C-c Robin) Turdus grayi Ubiquitous. White-throated Thrush (W-t Robin) Turdus assimilis Common at San Gerardo. Gray Catbird (W) Dumetella carolinensis Two records. Black-and-yellow Silky-flycatcher (B-a-y Phainoptila) Phainoptila melanoxantha Four in the highlands. Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher Ptilogonys caudatus Small numbers on Irazu and Cerro de la Muerte. Tennessee Warbler Vermivora peregrina Many sightings throughout the country. Flame-throated Warbler Parula gutturalis Many good views. Tropical Parula Parula pitiayumi A few seen. Yellow Warbler Dendroica aestiva Encountered throughout the lowlands. Mangrove Warbler Dendroica erithachorides Seen incredibly well in the Rio Tarcoles mangroves. Chestnut-sided Warbler Dendroica pensylvanica One of the more frequently encountered warblers. Black-throated Green Warbler Dendroica virens Five records. Blackburnian Warbler (W) Dendroica fusca A handful of sightings, some birds in full breeding plumage. Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia A few seen. Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapillus Two sightings. Northern Waterthrush Parkesia noveboracensis Small numbers in the lowlands of both slopes. Mourning Warbler Oporornis philadelphia Two records. Olive-crowned Yellowthroat Geothlypis semiflava Two sightings. Chiriqui Yellowthroat Geothlypis chiriquensis Two birds seen at the San Vito marsh. Gray-crowned Yellowthroat Geothlypis poliocephala Two sightings. Wilson s Warbler Wilsonia pusilla Numerous on Cerro de la Muerte. Canada Warbler Wilsonia canadensis Two records from the Caribbean slope. Slate-throated Redstart (S-t Whitestart) Myioborus miniatus The common redstart at middle elevations. Collared Redstart (C Whitestart) Myioborus torquatus The common redstart at high elevations. Chestnut-capped Warbler Basileuterus delattrei A few sightings. Golden-crowned Warbler Basileuterus culicivorus Encountered on most days on the Caribbean slope. Black-cheeked Warbler Basileuterus melanogenys Fairly common locally on Cerro de la Muerte. Three-striped Warbler Basileuterus tristriatus Small numbers were seen in the Monteverde. Buff-rumped Warbler Phaeothlypis fulvicauda Seen very well on both slopes. Wrenthrush (Zeledonia) Zeledonia coronata Excellent views of a singing bird on Cerro de la Muerte. Bananaquit Coereba flaveola Widespread at lower and middle elevations. Common Bush-Tanager Chlorospingus ophthalmicus Common in several areas. Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager Chlorospingus pileatus Numerous on Cerro de la Muerte. Black-and-yellow Tanager Chrysothlypis chrysomelas Two at Braulio Carrillo National Park. Gray-headed Tanager Eucometis penicillata Easy to see at Skutch s. White-throated Shrike-Tanager Lanio leucothorax A male seen at Braulio Carrillo National Park. White-shouldered Tanager Tachyphonus luctuosus Three seen on either slope. Tawny-crested Tanager Tachyphonus delatrii A group of a dozen seen at Braulio Carrillo National Park. White-lined Tanager Tachyphonus rufus A pair at Rancho Naturalista. Passerini s Tanager Ramphocelus passerinii Delightfully common. Cherrie s Tanager Ramphocelus costaricensis Common in the humid southwest Pacific. Crimson-collared Tanager Ramphocelus sanguinolenta Nearly 10 seen on the Caribbean slope. Blue-gray Tanager Thraupis episcopus Common and widespread at lower elevations. Palm Tanager Thraupis palmarum Many good views. Blue-and-gold Tanager Bangsia arcaei (NT) Excellent views at San Gerardo. Golden-hooded Tanager Tangara larvata Numerous and widespread. Speckled Tanager Tangara guttata Best on the feeders at Wilson Garden. Spangled-cheeked Tanager (Spangle-c T) Tangara dowii Many good views at Savegre and San Gerardo. Plain-coloured Tanager Tangara inornata Two seen at La Selva. Bay-headed Tanager Tangara gyrola Nearly 10 seen including birds at feeders. 29 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica

30 Emerald Tanager Tangara florida Four at Braulio Carrillo National Park. Silver-throated Tanager Tangara icterocephala A common tanager at middle elevations. Scarlet-thighed Dacnis Dacnis venusta Many good views, most prominent at San Gerardo. Blue Dacnis Dacnis cayana Five sightings from the Caribbean slope. Green Honeycreeper Chlorophanes spiza Regular sightings. Shining Honeycreeper Cyanerpes lucidus Excellent views of a few birds at La Selva. Shining Honeycreeper from La Selva's dining hall (Matt Denton) Red-legged Honeycreeper Cyanerpes cyaneus Frequent encounters with this gem of a bird. Streaked Saltator Saltator striatipectus A few seen in the southwest lowlands and foothills. Middle American Saltator Saltator grandis Several seen at the Hotel Bougainvillea on the first day. Buff-throated Saltator Saltator maximus Numerous sightings. Black-headed Saltator Saltator atriceps A few were enjoyed at Arenal Volcano. Blue-black Grassquit Volatinia jacarina Scattered sightings in open country. Variable Seedeater Sporophila corvina Numerous in open country on both slopes. White-collared Seedeater Sporophila torqueola Seen well near Rincon in the Pacific lowlands. Ruddy-breasted Seedeater Sporophila minuta Good views in the Pacific lowlands and at Cano Negro. Nicaraguan Seed-Finch (Pink-billed S-F) Oryzoborus nuttingi Brilliant views near the bus at Cano Negro. Thick-billed Seed-Finch Oryzoborus funereus Seen in the rice fields of La Gamba and at Cano Negro. Yellow-faced Grassquit Tiaris olivacea A common open country bird in mountainous areas. Slaty Flowerpiercer Diglossa plumbea Common in the paramo and in highland gardens. Yellow-thighed Finch Pselliophorus tibialis Showed several times in mixed flocks on Cerro de la Muerte. Large-footed Finch Pezopetes capitalis Great views of this mountain endemic. Yellow-throated Brush-Finch Atlapetes gutturalis Found by the group at Savegre. Orange-billed Sparrow Arremon aurantiirostris Seen many times. Sooty-faced Finch Arremon crassirostris One showed well at Santa Elena. Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch Arremon brunneinucha Five sightings of this handsome forest floor species. Costa Rican Brush-Finch (Gray-striped B-F) Arremon costaricensis Three birds seen above San Vito. See note. Black-striped Sparrow Arremonops conirostris Repeated good views. Olive Sparrow Arremonops rufivirgatus Good views at Palo Verde in the dry northwest. White-eared Ground-Sparrow Melozone leucotis Excellent views in the Central Valley and Monteverde. Striped-headed Sparrow (Stripe-h S) Aimophila ruficauda Small numbers seen in the dry northwest. Grasshopper Sparrow Ammodramus savannarum A good record of four birds near Palo Verde. Rufous-collared Sparrow Zonotrichia capensis Numerous in open country in the highlands. Volcano Junco Junco vulcani Two at Irazu Volcano. 30 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica

31 Highland Hepatic Tanager Piranga lutea Eventually seen well at San Gerardo. Summer Tanager Piranga rubra Small numbers encountered. Scarlet Tanager Piranga olivacea A surprising 15 birds were seen. Flame-coloured Tanager (Stripe-backed T) Piranga bidentata Several males around the Savegre gardens. Red-crowned Ant-Tanager Habia rubica Three seen at Las Cruces. Red-throated Ant-Tanager Habia fuscicauda Seen best at Rancho Naturalista. Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager Habia atrimaxillaris (E) This endemic showed well at Esquinas Lodge. Carmiol s Tanager Chlorothraupis carmioli Fairly common in the middle elevations of the Caribbean slope. Black-faced Grosbeak Caryothraustes poliogaster Ten seen on the Caribbean slope. Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus A few seen at middle and upper elevations. Blue-black Grosbeak Cyanocompsa cyanoides Pairs were recorded at several sites. Blue Grosbeak Passerina caerulea A brief view of one bird in the dry northwest. Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea Many females were seen on our travel day to Rancho. Painted Bunting Passerina ciris One female seen in the dry northwest. Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus Numerous in open country in the north. Red-breasted Blackbird Sturnella militaris Small numbers seen in cattle pastures. Eastern Meadowlark Sturnella magna Around a dozen were seen at several sites. Melodious Blackbird Dives dives Several good views of this shrill songster. Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus Very common particularly near humans. Nicaraguan Grackle Quiscalus nicaraguensis A dozen birds were seen at Cano Negro. Shiny Cowbird Molothrus bonariensis A few were seen in cattle pastures near Turrialba. Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus aeneus Around 40 seen. Black-cowled Oriole Icterus prosthemelas Eight birds recorded. Streaked-backed Oriole (Streak-b O) Icterus pustulatus Nearly 10 seen in the dry northwest. Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula A fairly common migrant. Yellow-billed Cacique Amblycercus holosericeus This skulker showed well at Arenal Volcano. Scarlet-rumped Cacique Cacicus microrhynchus A noisy group showed well at Esquinas Lodge. Crested Oropendola Psarocolius decumanus A few were seen at a colony near Ciudad Neilly. Chestnut-headed Oropendola Psarocolius wagleri Most common on the Caribbean slope. Montezuma Oropendola Psarocolius montezuma Common in the Caribbean lowlands. Scrub Euphonia Euphonia affinis Two seen in the dry northwest. Yellow-crowned Euphonia Euphonia luteicapilla First seen at Talari Lodge, with two others seen. Thick-billed Euphonia Euphonia laniirostris One at the feeders at Wilson Garden. Yellow-throated Euphonia Euphonia hirundinacea Small numbers seen in second growth in the northwest. Spot-crowned Euphonia (Spotted-c E) Euphonia imitans A few were seen at Wilson Garden and Carara. Olive-backed Euphonia Euphonia gouldi A much-wanted bird readily seen at La Selva. White-vented Euphonia Euphonia minuta We had good scope studies of a singing bird at La Selva. Tawny-capped Euphonia Euphonia anneae A handful seen at foothill sites. Golden-browed Chlorophonia Chlorophonia callophrys Superb views of this eye-candy bird. Yellow-bellied Siskin Spinus xanthogastra One at Savegre was good. Lesser Goldfinch (Dark-backed G) Spinus psaltria One seen in open country in the south. House Sparrow Passer domesticus A few. MAMMALS Hoffmann s Two-toed Sloth Choloepus hoffmanni One at Finca Ecologica, Monteverde. Greater White-lined Bat (W-l Sac-winged B) Saccopteryx bilineata A group of 20 roosting at Esquinas. Northern Ghost Bat Diclidurus albus A real treat to see this scarce species at a day roost. White-faced Capuchin (W-throated C, W-throated C Monkey) Cebus capucinus A few sightings. Mantled Howler (M H Monkey) Alouatta palliata Amazing close-ups on the canopy walkway and La Selva. Central American Spider Monkey (Black-handed S M) Ateles geoffroyi Four on Cerro de la Muerte. Variegated Squirrel Sciurus variegatoides Common with many different colour morphs. Red-tailed Squirrel (Tropical Red S) Sciurus granatensis Small numbers in forest. Alfaro s Pygmy Squirrel (Central American Dwarf S) Microsciurus alfari One on Volcan Tenorio. Dusky Rice Rat Melanomys caliginosus One on the Pacific slope was likely this species. Alston s Singing Mouse (A Brown M) Scotinomys teguina (H) One probably heard at dawn in Monteverde. 31 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica

32 Central American Agouti Dasyprocta punctata Fairly common with around 50 seen during the tour. Gray Fox Vulpes cinereoargenteus A few in the Monteverde area. White-nosed Coati Nasua narica Scattered sightings occasionally with young. Collared Peccary Tayassu tajacu Rather common at La Selva. White-tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus One at Palo Verde. The always solitary Ghost Bat at a roost in Carara National Park (Matt Denton) NOTES TO THE SYSTEMATIC LIST Gray Hawk Buteo plagiatus The AOU has recently accepted that Gray Hawk is divided into Gray Hawk (newly named B. plagiatus), which is resident from southern Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas south to northwest Costa Rica; and Gray-lined Hawk (B. nitidus), which is resident from southwest Costa Rica south through much of South America. All of our birds observed belonged to B. plagiatus. Chuck-will s-widow Antrostomus carolinensis This species was formerly placed in Caprimulgus but has been moved back, along with many of the other American nightjars, to Antrostomus, which was their placement up until Old World nightjars remain in Caprimulgus. Bar-tailed Trogon (Jalapa T) Trogon puella This form is lumped by the AOU in Collared Trogon T. collaris. The subspecies puella of Middle American was formerly considered a separate species from T. collaris; they were considered conspecific by Peters (1945), and this treatment has been followed in subsequent classifications. Orange-bellied Trogon Trogon aurantiiventris This form continues to be recognized by the AOU as a full species, despite the published consensus that this form is a localized colour morph of Collared Trogon T. collaris. Vocalizations and plumage (apart from the colour/tinge of the belly) are practically identical. Indeed, genetic data indicate that Central American puella is more closely related to aurantiiventris than either is to Amazonian T. collaris. This same study found hybridization between the two (where individuals with an orange belly colour would actually show genetic characters of a red-bellied bird and vice-versa!). 32 BirdQuest Tour Report: Costa Rica