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Introduction |
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Costa Rica is one of the few countries in the world where in such a small area so many bird species coexist. With 878 birdspecies Costa Rica contains more or less 10 % of all known birdspecies, while its area of 51 000 km2 is only 0.01 % of the total surface of the earth. This fact makes birdwatching in Costa Rica a real treat ! Its huge diversity in habitats and its unique position as a landbridge between North and South America are the main reasons for this. Besides well-known cosmopolitan families like Thrushes, Cuckoos, Owls, Herons,...Costa Rica's avifauna also contains many neotropical families, like Toucans, Hummingbirds, Jacamars, Cotinga's, Motmots,... |
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Migrants-Residents |
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| Yearround you can enjoy birdwatching in Costa Rica, eventhoudh not all birds are present all the time. About 600 bird species are resident in Costa Rica. This means that they breed there and stay in the country year round. The others are migrants, of which most come from the north (Canada and US) to winter in the tropical climate of Costa Rica. They normally arrive around September - October and go back to the north to breed around April - May. |
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| Bird migration patterns in Costa Rica |
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Examples are the many New World Warblers: Chestnut-sided Warbler (dendroica pensylvanica), Golden-winged Warbler (vermivora chrysoptera), Yellow Warbler (dendroica petechia), Wilson's Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler,...), the vireo's (Yellow-throated Vireo (vireo flavifrons) and Philadelphia Vireo (vireo philadelphicus), sandpipers: Spotted Sandpiper (actitis macularius), Lesser Yellowlegs (tringa flavipes), Solitary Sandpiper (tringa solitaria),... and raptors: (Broad-winged hawk (buteo platypterus), Zone-tailed Hawk(buteo albonotatus).
Other northern migrants travel farther south then Costa Rica and can only be seen a few weeks during spring and fall migration. Examples are Scarlet Tanager (piranga olivacea), Eastern Kingbird (tyrannus tyrannus) and Canada warbler (wilsonia canadensis). A spectacular fenomenon is the mass migration of the Swainson's Hawk (buteo swainsoni), who can make the sky black for several days, especially during spring migration. |
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| Chestnut-sided Warbler (Dendroica pensylvanica) |
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Besides northern migrants there are also a few southern migrants: they do exactly the opposite: they migrate from South America and arrive in Costa Rica around January - February to breed. Around September - October they return to avoid Costa Rica's heaviest rains. Examples are: Swallow-tailed Kite (elanoides forficatus), Plumbeous Kite (ictinia plumbea), Piratic Flycatcher (legatus leucophaius) and Yellow-green Vireo (vireo flavoviridis). |
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