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.

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.

The red-lored amazon parrot is a fairly large and conspicuous parrot commonly encountered in pairs or small groups in the Selva Verde area. It is often heard long before it is seen; its presence is betrayed by a variety of raucous screeches, piercing shrieks, squawks and other throaty vocalizations comprising nine distinct call-types, with considerable individual variation among callers.

At Selve Verde, it is often most productive to look for red-lored parrots early in the morning, when pairs or small groups usually fly overhead and often perch to forage for fruit and seeds in nearby trees. They prefer palms, figs, legumes as well as some cultivated fruits (mangoes and citrus), as well as leaf buds…

The keel-billed toucan is a spectacular species with a preposterously over-sized bill, and one of the most recognized of all neotropical birds. Measuring 20-25 inches in body length, it is one of the larger toucans.

Its rainbow-colored banana-shaped bill is its main distinguishing feature. The structure is actually hollow and comparatively weightless, its keratin skin shaped by slivers of bone. Despite its large size, the bill is used with great dexterity, to toss food items into the air; the head is then flipped upward so the food falls into the mouth.

These birds are clumsy flyers, with rapid wing strokes interspersed with gliding. Since they are so awkward in flight, they tend to avoid being too far from cover. The forest canopy is where they are most likely to occur, often perched on leaf-less uppermost branches.

These are extremely social birds, usually encountered in groups of 6-12. These groups troop through the forest, foraging together. At night, they nest together in a cozy bundle…

The shining honeycreeper is one of two similar and strikingly-colored honeycreepers common in upper level forests and semi-open areas of Costa Rica. The bright yellow legs and feet of the shining honeycreeper are a primary distinguishing feature. At Selva Verde, it is most often encountered in pairs or small family groups. Although its prominent curved beak is specialized for nectar feeding, its main diet comprises succulent fruit.

These are very active birds, foraging energetically and acrobatically on fruit-laden trees and shrubs. Despite their sassy colors, they are so small (4 inches) that they are sometimes difficult to detect; often their thin high-pitched calls betray their presence before they are actually seen…

The blue-gray tanager is one of about 230 species of tropical and subtropical tanagers, and one of the most common and unmistakable birds in Costa Rica. It is a generalist frugavore (fruit-eater), found in a great variety of different habitats, most often in pairs.

It is plentiful and highly visible at Selva Verde, where it regularly frequents bird-feeding trays. Its primary diet comprises succulent fruit from trees, shrubs and vines.

These tanagers are restless, always on the move. Their call is a raspy squeaky twittering. In flight, they are easy to distinguish because they seem to bounce through the air, alternatively flapping their wings, then gliding with the wings tucked close to the body…

The great green macaw is arguably the most spectacular bird at Selva Verde. At almost 32 inches in total length and weighing close to three pounds, it is the 2nd-largest New World parrot. It is easily recognized by its robust body and long tail. It has an extraordinarily powerful bill and dexterous toes that grasp food items that are being eaten.

Unfortunately, despite its iconic status, the future of the great green macaw in Costa Rica is precarious. At present, it is believed there are no more than 200 in Costa Rica; the breeding population is roughly 35 pairs. Selva Verde is on the edge of the range of the last remaining population in Costa Rica; none of the approximately 20 known active nests are in the Sarapiqui zone, where Selva Verde is located.

Nonetheless, the birds are still seen fairly regularly at Selva Verde, either foraging in canopy of the property or flying above the trees. Deforestation is the main threat to these macaws; about 95 percent of the original macaw habitat in Costa Rica has disappeared over the last 100 years. According to the Great Green Macaw Research and Conservation Project, “uncontrolled” deforestation, mainly for livestock ranching, is the primary reason for macaw losses…