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Variable Seedeater (Sporophila corvina)

The Variable Seedeater is very common in Costa Rica, whenever there is grass either on lots or at the edge of roads. On the Caribbean side, the male is almost entirely black and looks pretty similar to the male Thick-billed Seed-Finch, but is smaller in size; on the pacific side, the male has white belly and rump. The female is drab brown, also very similar to the female Thick-billed Seed-Finch, but smaller and with duller colors. The juvenile has similar coloration to the female. In terms of behavior, it is common to see this species jumping into the air in an acrobatic fashion and then just fall in the same perch, which is part of the mating display of the male trying to attract nearby females.

Variable Seedeater
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Green Thorntail (Discosura conversii)

The Green Thorntail has a tail with a unique shape, where the feathers are disjoint and look like an X. While generally the body of the male is glittering green, its head looks grayish unless seen from the perfect angle. In low light, the head may take on dark purple tones. Both male and female show a white band on the back. The female also has white on the cheeks and belly, interspersed by black markings which join in a stripe running through the center of the belly. These are very small hummingbirds with a flight pattern very much like a bee, being smooth and slow, instead of the very fast movements that larger hummingbirds display.

Green Thorntail
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Green Ibis (Mesembrinibis cayennensis)

The Green Ibis is a large bird with a peculiar bill that almost looks like a sickle. The name is misleading, as most of the time this bird is found perched high in the trees early in the morning, so the lighting conditions make it look black. If you pay close attention, there is some green iridescence in the neck, and the body does look greenish, however most of the time it will resemble a Black Vulture. Their noisy call is only heard when they are flying from one tree to another one. They do come to the ground for feeding, but at the first sign of potential danger, they will fly off to safety high in a tree.

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Black-crowned Tityra (Tityra inquisitor)

The Tityras are peculiar bird species. In spanish, they are known as the “Pájaro chancho” or Pig Birds, because of their calls, which resemble a pig´s sound. The Black-crowned Tityra has mostly white body and a… black crown, hence the name. The female has brown face, while the male has black face instead. Both have black feathers in the wing linings. They make their nests by reusing a woodpecker’s hole made into a tree, and we even saw one woodpecker coming into the nest that the tityras were preparing. The female was going out of the nest after having deposited twigs that served as construction material, then landed just outside of the nest with more twigs. The male was not far away from the female and guarded the nest when she was not present.

Black-crowned Tityra
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King Vulture (Sarcoramphus papa)

The King Vulture is a really magnificent bird. The other three species are black in general, with different color of head and neck. The Black Vulture is commonly seen soaring around the country, but the King Vulture is not seen that often. However, when you see it, you are amazed. The juvenile is mostly black, with white underparts, while the adult is mostly white, with black wing secondaries and orange to red neck. Both have white irises, which contrasts nicely with the head colors. Immature adults retain some of the black feathers from the juvenile stage, showing an intermediate color pattern. The pink maw protrudes from the chest´s feather and is a very conspicuous feature, specially when the individual is full of eating meat. I am supposing that during hot days it helps to cool off by having it outside of the feathers.

King Vulture

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Green Honeycreeper (Chlorophanes spiza)

Ever since I first see the Red-legged Honeycreeper, I immediately knew I was seeing one of the most gorgeous species Costa Rica has. Then I met the Green Honeycreeper, and I stood delighted. The male has a striking combination of dark green body, deep black hood, bright yellow bill and dark red iris, which just looks amazing, even when wet. In fact, I would say a wet male screams Rain forest, that’s enough to love it. The female is not as exotic, however the green color of their feathers is so bright as to defy belief. I also spotted this species in Colombia, which seemingly looked more turquoise than green.

Green Honeycreeper
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Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)

The Black Vulture is one of the most commonly seen soaring birds in Costa Rica. They glide through warm air currents, congregate in numbers on a tree during the morning while waiting for the formation of those currents. They look for dead animals through their eyes, since their smell sense is not as acute. Due to that, they sometimes follow Turkey Vultures, whose sense of smell is well more advanced. As implied by its name, they are entirely black, with their face and throat bare skinned, which together with their scavenger nature makes for a disgusting reputation. They are admired though for their ability to eat contaminated food, which has been found to be derived from strong stomach acids and resistance to bacteria toxins. This is an important trait, as it enables them to act as recyclers, eating discarded food and turning it into fertilizer for the soil.

Black Vulture
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Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)

Even though the Great-tailed Grackle has become unpopular for most people due to their feeding habits, the male is a beautiful black bird that shines in blue when exposed to sunlight. Granted they cause trouble to other birds, as they will readily raid nests with eggs and hatchlings, but in some sense that’s really their role in the ecosystem, as with their predatory behavior they prevent some species to grow out of control. Males are very noisy and display as they sing their metallic tones into the air; their tails have a v-shape as they are wider in the end that in the base. The females are entirely drab brown with a yellow iris. They thrive near human settlements, eating insects, but also a variety of plants, including fruits, which has gained them the reputation of pests in many areas.

Great-tailed Grackle
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Great Green Macaw (Ara ambiguus)

The Great Green Macaw is a pretty uncommon sight in Costa Rica. It is a huge bird, their calls are very loud. I had the opportunity to observe the birds very close in Rio Cuarto. Our wildlife photography guide explained that Green and Scarlet Macaws do not hybridize in the wild, however in this refuge, a pair of Macaws have been interbreeding in the last few years, resulting in hybrids being born. In Rio Frio, where my parents live, it is common to see a pair of these birds flying overhead most of the times I am there. Either they are more common in the area, or a single pair of birds has taken residence. They are easy to identify, as their harsh call is heard from very far away and no other parrot has such a characteristic call, other than the Scarlet Macaw. They like to feed on almond and are likely to be seen perching relatively high in those trees.

Great Green Macaw