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Elegant Euphonia (Euphonia elegantissima)

This probably is the best named species of euphonia in Costa Rica. Just as the Olive-backed Euphonia, the Elegant Euphonia is very peculiar since it is not blue and yellow like most other euphonias. Instead, the male has a deep orange belly with blue back and wings, dark blue throat and light blue hood, and a very small orange patch on the front of the head, which the female also shares. The female is green overall, but with the light blue hood. Both male and female are gorgeous, a great sight for any birdwatcher.

Elegant Euphonia
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Olive-backed Euphonia (Euphonia gouldi)

The Olive-backed Euphonia is very peculiar among the family of euphonias. Most euphonias are blue and yellow, but the Olive-backed has green and brown tones in the underparts, with olive in the back and a small yellow patch on the nape. In a lucky sight, I witnessed a parent feeding small pieces of banana to a juvenile, which agitates the wings very fast to get some food. Interestingly, the juvenile was near banana in the feeders, but instead of grabbing their own pieces, it preferred the pieces that the parent was giving him / her.

Olive-backed Euphonia
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Amazon Kingfisher (Chloroceryle amazona)

The Amazon Kingfisher is a mid-sized kingfisher, larger than the other green kingfisher species, but smaller than the Ringed and Belted Kingfishers, which are overall blue in color, the smaller to inhabit Costa Rica. It is very similar to the Green Kingfisher, however the Green is larger and lacks both the white spotting on the wings and the white outer feathers of the tail. Like most species of Kingfishers, it is found close to any wetland habitats, where they can catch small fish and crustaceans. The male featured in the pictures below frequented a small stream of water, which had risen due to recent heavy rains, about 100 meters from my parent’s home. It would perch on the fence wire and stay motionless for minutes at a time, only balancing as the wire would start to move upon landing on it.

Amazon Kingfisher
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Coppery-headed Emerald (Elvira cupreiceps)

The Coppery-headed Emerald is one of the few species of birds that are true endemics of Costa Rica, meaning only found in this country. The male is mostly green, with the copper hues on the head that can only be seen in the appropriate light and angle. The female has grey underparts and lacks the copper colors on the head. Both have a black downcurved bill, which help with identification versus similar species like the Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, with which it shares the brownish-red rump. They are one of the tiniest species of hummingbirds in Costa Rica. They are seen in the mid to high elevations, in places where there is high humidity, but specially in the Cinchona and Vara Blanca zone.

Coppery-headed Emerald
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Crowned Woodnymph (Thalurania colombica)

The Crowned Woodnymph is a medium sized hummingbird with a violet belly and glittering green throat, along with different shades of blue and green on the back. The female has white underparts and throat instead, with golden patches along the neck and head; the rest of the body is green like the male. They are mid sized among Costa Rican hummingbirds and might resemble a little bit the Violet-bellied Hummingbird that is found in Colombia. They inhabit low tropical rain forest locations like Braulio Carrillo and Bosque Eterno de los Niños, where they feed from the nectar of a variety of flowers, including Porter Weed.

Crowned Woodnymph
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Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)

The Northern Rough-winged Swallow is a small bird, mostly brown color in the upper parts and grey to white on the underparts. They are frequently seen, both flying and perched in lowlands in Costa Rica; they like to perch in utility wires. They are able to catch insects in mid air, during acrobatic performances. The Southern Rough-winged Swallow is very similar, however this species lacks the orange throat of the Southern.

Northern Rough-winged Swallow
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Southern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx ruficollis)

The Southern Rough-winged Swallow is a small bird, mostly brown color in the upper parts and grey to white on the underparts; it shows a light orange patch on the throat. They are frequently seen, both flying and perched in lowlands in Costa Rica. They are able to catch insects in mid air, during acrobatic performances. The Northern Rough-winged Swallow is very similar, however that species lacks the orange throat of the Southern.

Southern Rough-winged Swallow
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White-throated Crake (Laterallus albigularis)

The White-throated Crake is a member of the Crakes family of birds, which dwell inside deep foliage and swamps. They are frequently heard, but not easily spotted, as the dense tangle of leafs and twigs cover them completely. It is said that their call resembles and egg that is being fried, hence its Costa Rican popular name, “Huevo Frito”. The juveniles are grey, and even more difficult to spot. One very interesting behavior of this bird is that they go out of the foliage very cautiously, and if a predator seems to be nearby, they cross the trail running very rapidly, and then hop into the air, putting a lot of effort to fly, something they are not very adept at.

White-throated Crake
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Green-crowned Brilliant (Heliodoxa jacula)

The Green-crowned Brilliant is a relatively large hummingbird of the Heliodoxa family, which contains nine species, but the jacula is the only species to inhabit Costa Rica. It has a weird face, resulting from the elongated form towards the long and thin bill. The male is mostly green with glittering metallic-green crown as the name suggests, which becomes visible only with some angles due to the iridescence phenomenon that the bird displays; it also has a small purple patch on the throat. The female is similar, but has a white belly with scaling pattern in the throat and the flanks.

Green-crowned Brilliant,
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Yellow-bellied Seedeater (Sporophila nigricollis)

Yellow-bellied Seedeater seems to be a bad name for a species that has a white belly. In a true seedeater fashion, it is found eating seeds from the grass. Its upperside is gray, with a darker head. Its pale bill is short but very strong, enabling it to crack bigger seeds. It shows some dark patches on the flanks and on the separation of throat and chest.

Yellow-bellied Seedeater