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A highly opportunistic bird that forages usually forages on the ground, feeding mostly on carrion, but it will eat reptiles, fish, palm fruits, etc. It is found from the Southern United States to the southern tip of South America.
This species is a member of the falcon family.
I know that I have already placed a photograph of this species on the blog, but I ran across this one by accident and it’s too pretty to not post. The colors of this species is hard to fathom with its intense greens, blues and yellows.
This one was seen in Southern Costa Rica near its border with Panama.
A strange bird indeed. It behaves much like a vulture and looks a lot like a hawk, but it is actually a falcon. This species is often seen walking on the ground and feeding on carrion. It is an opportunistic feeder and will eat items other than carrion such as fish, insects, etc. They are unable to open large carcasses so they are often found with buzzards who open the carcass allowing the Crested Caracara to feast.
We have seen this species in Texas at the Brownsville Landfill associating with Black Vultures. Much to our surprise we saw one not far from Portal, Arizona where this species is not common.
Golden-hooded Tanager (David Zittin, Costa Rica 2018)
I know I have posted this species earlier, but darn, it’s hard to get tired looking at such beauty. A few birds really take the breath from me when I encounter them in the field and this is one of those species.
Some quick sketches I did while Dave was photographing tanagers in Costa Rica.
It’s hard to describe the feeling that a birder has seeing one of these for the first time. They are strikingly beautiful with a color combination that takes the breath away from the viewer.
Speckled Tanager (David Zittin, Costa Rica 2018)
Speckled Tanager (David Zittin, Costa Rica 2018)
Scarlet Macaw Pair 12” x 6” acrylic on wood panel
This is also the first time I’ve tried painting a scarlet macaw! It was amazing to see them in the wild.
Red-eyed Tree Frog
Costa Rica was not all birds, we did see some frogs. This one in particular is stunningly beautiful. I had a 100-400 mm zoom telephoto lens which was not ideal for this shot. I had to back up against a mud bank while Floy held the leaves back so I could get a clear shot.
I found a sketch of a third honeycreeper, the Shining Honeycreeper which we saw on a hike later in the Costa Rica trip.
Honeycreepers are common in Costa Rica. They are often seen at places where fruit is put out to attract birds.
The Green Honeycreeper male is blue, but the female is green.
The female Green Honeycreeper, unlike the male, is green.
Walking across the Stone Bridge at the La Selva Research Station. I was more or less not paying attention to what was in front of me and you can imagine my surprise when I lifted my head and came eye to eye with an adult Broad-winged Hawk.
This hawk migrates across Costa Rica in large numbers and will flock with other hawks and Turkey Vultures. Some of these migrants will winter in Costa Rica and others keep going to locations further south.
Golden-hooded Tanager eating fruit
(David Zittin, La Selva BIological Station, Costa Rica, 2018)
Golden-hooded Tanager
The Golden-hooded Tanage (Tangara larvata) is a neotropical bird mostly found in lowlands from Southern Mexico to Northwestern South America. As with other small, blue tropical birds, they catch the eye. The contrasting golden hood against blues and blacks makes this a neotropical delight. They are common around feeders and places where preferred food sources are found. Like many birds, they are opportunistic omnivores and will eat fruit and small arthropods.
Black-throated Trogons live mostly in dark forested areas of the American Tropics and can be difficult to photograph. Fortunately these two were cooperative. The one on the pipe rail just sat there and allowed me to approach to within about 20 feet. The one on the tree was next to a path and didn’t seem alarmed at my presence.
This trogon eats mostly insects, but will also take lizards and fruit.
Black-throated Trogon (David Zittin, Costa Rica 2018)
Black-throated Trogon (David Zittin, Costa Rica 2018)
Blue Dacnis (David Zittin, La Selva Research Station, Costa Rica, 2018)
This beautiful blue neotropical bird is found from Nicaragua south to the northern half of South America. Like many birds, it is an opportunistic feeder eating insects, seeds and fruit.
The electric blue color of the male is eye catching. This one is probably a young male because it still has some green color on its wings. The female is an intense green with a blue head.
