COSTA RICA

Our first long-haul trip in 1989 was to Costa Rica and we visited again in 1999. Both visits were for 3 weeks in July/August and on each visit, the accommodation and internal transport were arranged by Simon Ellis of Birdwatch Costa Rica (Apartado 7911, San Jose).

1989

The party comprised Brian and Pat Wetton and Keith Corbett. Our only guide (and hostess at Tuis) was Lisa Erbe.

This was a two-centre trip with the following itinerary:

   26 July                Depart Heathrow and Schipol (with KLM)

   27 July                Arrive San Jose (Hotel Ambassador) (via Curacao(CU) & Guatemala
                               City)

   28 July                Travel to Finca Selva Verde in Chilamate

   29 July-6 Aug     Selva Verde(SV): lowland Caribbean forest (300 ft)

   6-7 Aug                Rancho Naturalista at Tuis(TU): pre-montane forest (3000 ft)

   8 Aug                    Visit to Cachi Dam(CD) and Tapanti Forest Reserve(TA) (7000 ft)

   9 Aug                    Tuis

   10 Aug                  Visit to CATIE(CA) Agricultural Research Centre near Turialba

   11 Aug                  Tuis

   12 Aug                  Visit to Cerro de la Muerte(CM): cloud forest & paramo (9-10000 ft)

   13-16 Aug            Tuis

   17 Aug                  Depart San Jose

   18 Aug                  Arrive Heathrow via Curacao and Schipol

           Birds recorded: (see itinerary for site codes)

Species CU SV TU CA CD TA CM Species CU SV TU CA CD TA CM
Little Tinamou     h       h Black Phoebe     X     X  
Least Grebe         X     Long-tailed Tyrant   X          
Neotropic Cormorant   X     X     Tropical Kingbird   X X        
Magnificent Frigatebird     X         Piratic Flycatcher     X        
Great Blue Heron     X         Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher     X        
Green Heron   X X   X     Streaked Flycatcher     X        
Cattle Egret X X           Boat-billed Flycatcher   X X        
Boat-billed Heron       X       White-ringed Flycatcher   X          
King Vulture   X           Social Flycatcher   X X        
Turkey Vulture   X X         Grey-capped Flycatcher   X          
Species CU SV TU CA CD TA CM Species CU SV TU CA CD TA CM
Black Vulture   X X         Great Kiskadee   X X        
White-tailed Kite   X           Dusky-capped Flycatcher     X        
Swallow-tailed Kite   X X     X X Dark Pewee           X  
Double-toothed Kite     X         Yellowish Flycatcher           X  
Plumbeous Kite   X           Black-capped Flycatcher             X
White-tailed Hawk   X           Tufted Flycatcher           X X
Short-tailed Hawk     X         Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher      X        
Roadside Hawk     X         Yellow-margined Flycatcher     X        
Black-chested Hawk   X           Common Tody Flycatcher   X X        
Semi-Plumbeous Hawk   X           Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant     X         
Species CU SV TU CA CD TA CM Species CU SV TU CA CD TA CM
Common Black Hawk   X X         Yellow Tyrannulet   X          
Black Hawk-Eagle     X         Torrent Tyrannulet     X        
Crane Hawk   X           Yellow-bellied Elaenia   X X        
Osprey   X           Lesser Elaenia   X X        
Bat Falcon   X           Paltry/Mistletoe Tyrannulet   X X        
Grey-headed Chachalaca   X X         Slaty-capped Flycatcher     X        
Uniform Crake   X           Olive-striped Flycatcher     X        
American Purple Gallinule       X X     Ochre-bellied Flycatcher     X        
Northern Jacana   X   X       Mangrove Swallow   X X        
Spotted Sandpiper   X            Barn Swallow   X          
Species CU SV TU CA CD TA CM Species CU SV TU CA CD TA CM
Black-necked Stilt X             Blue-and-White Swallow     X     X  
Red-billed Pigeon     X         Southern Roughwing   X X        
Short-billed Pigeon   X X         Brown Jay   X X        
Ruddy Ground-Dove   X X     X   American Dipper     X        
Blue Ground-Dove   X           Band-backed Wren   X          
White-tipped Dove   X X     X   Plain Wren     X        
Grey-headed Dove   X           Stripe-breasted Wren     X        
Olive-backed Quail-Dove   X           Bay Wren   X          
Ruddy Quail-Dove     X         House Wren   X X        
Great Green Macaw   X           Ochraceous Wren           X X
Species CU SV TU CA CD TA CM Species CU SV TU CA CD TA CM
Crimson-fronted Parakeet    X X         White-breasted Wood-Wren     X        
Sulphur-winged Parakeet             X Grey-breasted Wood-Wren     X     X  
Orange-chinned Parakeet   X           Black-faced Solitaire           X  
Brown-hooded Parrot   X X         Clay-coloured Thrush   X X        
White-crowned Parrot     X         Mountain Thrush           X  
White-fronted Parrot    X X     X   Sooty Thrush             X
Red-lored Parrot   X           Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush              X
Yellow-headed Parrot   X           Tropical Gnatcatcher   X X        
Mealy Parrot   X           Black-and-Yellow Silky-Flycatcher           X X
Squirrel Cuckoo   X X         Yellow-winged Vireo             X
Species CU SV TU CA CD TA CM Species CU SV TU CA CD TA CM
Groove-billed Ani   X X         Yellow-Green Vireo     X        
Andean Pygmy-Owl             X Brown-capped Vireo     X        
Mottled Owl     h         Lesser Greenlet   X X        
Pauraque     X         Bananaquit     X        
White-collared Swift    X X          Slaty Flowerpiercer           X X
Chestnut-collared Swift     X         Shining Honeycreeper   X          
Grey-rumped Swift   X           Green Honeycreeper   X X        
Green-fronted Lancebill           X   Blue Dacnis     X        
Green Hermit     X         Scarlet-thighed Dacnis     X        
Long-tailed Hermit   X X         Flame-throated Warbler             X
Species CU SV TU CA CD TA CM Species CU SV TU CA CD TA CM
Little Hermit     X         Tropical Parula     X        
White-necked Jacobin   X           Olive-crowned Yellowthroat    X X        
Violet-headed Hummingbird   X X         Grey-crowned Yellowthroat   X          
White-crested Coquette     X         Slate-throated Redstart     X     X  
Green Thorntail     X         Collared Redstart           X X
Crowned Woodnymph     X         Three-striped Warbler           X  
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird   X X         Golden-crowned Warbler     X     X  
Black-bellied Hummingbird           X   Black-cheeked Warbler             X
Snowcap     X         Rufous-capped Warbler     X        
Variable Mountaingem           X X Buff-rumped Warbler     X        
Species CU SV TU CA CD TA CM Species CU SV TU CA CD TA CM
Magnificent Hummingbird             X Montezuma Oropendola   X X        
Purple-crowned Fairy   X X         Chestnut-headed Oropendola   X X        
Long-billed Starthroat    X           Scarlet-rumped Cacique     X        
Volcano Hummingbird           X X Yellow-billed Cacique   X          
Scintillant Hummingbird              X Bronzed Cowbird   X X        
Resplendent Quetzal             X Great-tailed Grackle X X X     X  
Collared Trogon     X     X X Orchard Oriole   X          
Violaceous Trogon     X         Black-cowled Oriole   X X        
Ringed Kingfisher   X X         Yellow-tailed Oriole   X          
Amazon Kingfisher   X           Eastern Meadowlark   X          
Species CU SV TU CA CD TA CM Species CU SV TU CA CD TA CM
Green Kingfisher   X X         Golden-browed Chlorophonia             X
Broad-billed Motmot     X         Tawny-capped Euphonia     X        
Rufous Motmot     X         White-vented Euphonia   X X        
Blue-crowned Motmot     X         Yellow-crowned Euphonia   X           
Black-chinned Jacamar     X         Olive-backed Euphonia   X          
Red-headed Barbet     X         Speckled Tanager     X        
Prong-billed Barbet           X   Silver-throated Tanager     X        
Emerald Toucanet           X   Golden-hooded Tanager   X X        
Collared Aracari   X X         Plain-coloured Tanager   X          
Keel-billed Toucan   X X         Bay-headed Tanager     X        
Species CU SV TU CA CD TA CM Species CU SV TU CA CD TA CM
Chestnut-mandibled Toucan   X           Spangle-cheeked Tanager           X  
Golden-Olive Woodpecker     X         Blue-Grey Tanager   X X     X  
Lineated Woodpecker   X X         Palm Tanager   X X        
Acorn Woodpecker             X Scarlet-rumped Tanager   X X        
Black-cheeked Woodpecker   X           Crimson-collared Tanager   X X        
Hoffman's Woodpecker     X         Olive Tanager     X        
Hairy Woodpecker   X         X Red-throated Ant-Tanager   X          
Pale-billed Woodpecker   X           White-lined Tanager     X        
Plain Brown Woodcreeper   X X         White-shouldered Tanager     X        
Wedge-billed Woodcreeper   X X         Grey-headed Tanager     X        
Species CU SV TU CA CD TA CM Species CU SV TU CA CD TA CM
Buff-throated Woodcreeper   X           Dusky-faced Tanager   X          
Spotted Woodcreeper     X         Black-and-Yellow Tanager     X        
Streak-headed Woodcreeper   X X         Common Bush-Tanager           X  
Slaty Spinetail     X         Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager             X
Red-faced Spinetail           X   Black-headed Saltator   X X        
Ruddy Treerunner           X X Buff-throated Saltator   X X        
Buff-throated Foliage-Gleaner     X         Greyish Saltator     X        
Plain Xenops     X         Black-faced Grosbeak   X X        
Great Antshrike   X           Blue-Black Grosbeak   X          
Checker-throated Antwren     X         Yellow-faced Grassquit   X X        
Species CU SV TU CA CD TA CM Species CU SV TU CA CD TA CM
Dusky Antbird     X         Blue-Black Grassquit   X          
Chestnut-backed Antbird   X           White-collared Seedeater     X        
White-collared Manakin     X         Variable Seedeater   X X        
Snowy Cotinga   X           Thick-billed Seed-Finch   X X        
Bright-rumped Attila   X           Yellow-thighed Finch           X X
Rufous Mourner   X X         Yellow-throated Brush-Finch     X        
Cinnamon Becard     X         Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch     X        
Barred Becard           X   Sooty-faced Finch           X  
White-winged Becard     X         Orange-billed Sparrow   X