Selva Verde – Costa Rica Eco-Lodge Updates

The rufous-tailed hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl) is a medium-sized perky, active and aggressive species that occurs in a variety of habitats. It prefers open scrubby areas, gardens and plantations. It regularly visits nectar-feeders.

Males are extraordinarily vocal, some singing all day virtually non-stop. The call is shrill, raspy and often metallic, sometimes repeated in bursts.

Research in Costa Rica shows that these hummingbirds often become entangled in spider webs (sometimes fatally). They are apparently drawn to the webs by entrapped insects upon which they sometimes feed.

This species occurs regularly at Selva Verde and in the surrounding countryside. It is a tame species, easily approached, often frequenting the gardens near the cabins.

The golden-hooded tanager is among the most striking of the neotropical tanagers, a group of more than 200 species, most with extraordinarily colorful plumages. In common with most other tanagers, this species is not a proficient songster and its vocal repertoire comprises a few coarse rattles and a sharp ‘tsit’.

This tanager, sometimes called ‘golden-masked tanager’, is common in the Selva Verde area, where it occurs primarily in the upper forest canopy and in clearings. However, pairs and small flocks often can be seen in gardens and at fruit feeding stations, where bananas seem to be a particular favorite item. They occur regularly on the Selva Verde grounds.

Golden-hooded tanagers engage in ”cooperative breeding”, a phenomenon in which offspring from previous broods assist their parents in rearing the young of subsequent broods.

October was a great month to see the migration of birds in Costa Rica. Each year, more than 221 species of migrating birds pass through our territory, and October is an ideal time to see thousands of birds flying over Selva Verde Lodge.

Lots of these birds stop in Costa Rica, but many continue south. Some [...]

The pale-vented pigeon is one of 285 species of pigeons and doves that occur virtually all over the world, except Antarctica. Smaller species tend to be known as doves; larger ones are pigeons. Most have soft subdued coloration, often punctuated with metallic iridescence on the neck feathers. Some are strictly arboreal; others forage mainly on the ground.

The pale-vented pigeon is a smaller-sized bird which is widely distributed in Costa Rica, and is a permanent resident. It is quite common, especially at lower elevations (up to about 2000 feet).

Forest edges are the best places to see these pigeons, but they also frequently occur in pastures, palm plantations and along rivers. They tend to avoid thick mature forests.

These are often very shy birds, typically avoiding close proximity to humans. But, in some more isolated areas, they can be quite approachable, especially at foraging sites.

The rufous motmot is the largest of six motmot species in Costa Rica. Motmots typically have short broad beaks and striking plumage coloration. All motmots in Costa Rica have two elongated central tail feathers; racket-tipped because the loosely-attached barbs of the upshaft fall off, leaving much of the shaft itself bare.

These are mainly solitary birds, sometimes occurring in pairs, which usually perch inconspicuously in shade, with the tail swinging frequently like a pendulum.

The rufous motmot is an important seed-disperser. Studies confirm the fruit-digestion process is so rapid that fruit seeds are excreted intact and scattered on the forest floor, often far from the parent fruit trees. Forest regeneration thereby ensues.

Motmots sometimes eat poison dart frogs, seemingly immune to their deadly toxins; one poison dart from carries enough lethal toxin to kill ten humans. Researchers have documented that pair members sometimes capture poison dart frogs and feed them to each other.

The Slaty-tailed Trogon is one of several trogon species that regularly occur at Selva Verde, often observed in clearings close to the guest lodgings and dining room, especially early in the morning. They are obligate frugivores, (fruit eaters) although they sometimes eat insects, and might even consume small lizards on occasion. They focus their foraging activities in the upper and middle levels of lowland forest, where they are especially fond of ficus and palm fruits. They often frequent the fig trees at Selva Verde.

They characteristically feed by sallying out from perches and delicately plucking fruit from the tips of twigs, usually without alighting, then return to a nearby perch.

These are mainly solitary birds, except during the breeding season. They tend to perch motionless for long periods, and finding them in thick foliage is often challenging. But, at times, they perch on exposed and usually vertical branches, in plain view. Otherwise, despite their striking colors, they are not easy to discover in the shadowy foliage where they typically occur. Their main call is a steady unmelodious barking, distinctly throaty and raspy; these birds are often heard before they are actually seen.