Birding in Costa Rica with Grandma

Exciting Birdwatching Destination - Costa Rica!

While visiting Costa Rica, take your grandchildren to Zoo Ave (La Garita, south of Alajuela) - This wildlife conservation park is a great way to see animals local to Costa Rica. In the wild it's hard to catch a glimpse of the gorgeous quetzal bird, but at Zoo Ave you're guaranteed a long look at two beautiful emerald-colored quetzales. In the open air enclosures, you'll find colorful parrots, toucans, macaws, a crusty crocodile, caimans, iguanas, kinkajous and many birds.

Explore my lenses

Bird Migration Map, Western Hemisphere Art Print

Singer, Arthur

Buy at AllPosters.com

This National Geographic classic shows the mystery of bird migration and the incredible journeys that birds undertake in the Americas each year with sixty-seven full illustrations. It is printed at a scale of 1 inch to every 316 miles.

Hummingbirds of Costa Rica

Fiery-Throated Hummingbird, Feeding at Fuchsia Microphylla, Volcan Poas National Park, Costa Rica Photographic Print

Fogden, Michael

40 in. x 30 in.

Buy at AllPosters.com

Hummingbirds of Costa Rica

by: Michael Fogden, Patricia Fogden

Amazon Price: $36.46 (as of 07/11/2009)

* Biology
* Predators
* The relationship between hummingbirds and flowers
* Feeding strategies
* A year in a hummingbird's life
* Hummingbird site guide.

More than 90 plant species -- belonging to 34 families and over 60 genera -- are featured along with the hummers, so Hummingbirds of Costa Rica is also a useful guide to an astonishing diversity of Costa Rican flora.

Guides to Birds of Costa Rica

Photographic Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica

by: Susan C. L. Fogden

An excellent pocket-size reference and field guide enabling quick identification to the 252 species of birds found in Costa Rica. Over 250 full-color photographs.

Amazon Price: $15.95 (as of 07/11/2009)
List Price: $15.95

Site Guides: Costa Rica & Panama - A Guide to the Best Birding Locations (Site Guides)

by: Dennis W. Rogers

Extensive coverage of the best birdwatching sites in Costa Rica and Panama with information on other aspects of visiting each country. Directions and a list of species likely to be seen are included for each location.

Amazon Price: (as of 07/11/2009)
List Price: $19.95

A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica (Comstock Book)

by: F. Gary Stiles, Alexander F. Skutch

This book is much more than a field guide to the birds; it is a complete guide to birding in Costa Rica.

Amazon Price: $26.37 (as of 07/11/2009)
List Price: $39.95

Travel & Site Guide to Birds of Costa Rica With Side Trips to Panama

by: Aaron D. Sekerak, Elissa Conger

Costa Rica is world famous for the stunning diversity of its bird life. Includes bird lists by region and by season, bird specialties at specific sites, checklist for birds of Costa Rica, travel routes and tour maps, and accommodations and local guiding information.

Amazon Price: (as of 07/11/2009)
List Price: $16.95

Sounds of Nature

Sounds of the Earth: Birds In Rainforest

Amazon Price: $13.98 (as of 07/11/2009)

This is a good CD. You'd think that both tracks would be the same because they both start the same - light rain falling and birds chirping. But the tracks are quite different. And there's not just birds on this CD. There are also frogs and howler monkeys. Well, the point is that its a great CD!

Shining Honeycreeper

The Shining Honeycreeper Cyanerpes lucidus is a small bird in the tanager family.

The photo is from the Alex Vargas collection. Thank you for your permission to use this photo. Click here to enlarge the photo: Shining Honeycreeper

Costa Rica Photo Gallery belonging to Alex Vargas

Photo's of Birds in Costa Rica: The photograph's are nicely organized into:
Caribbean Lowlands
Pacific Lowlands
Highlands and Middle Elevations
Hummingbirds

Costa Rica Hummingbird poster art

Snowcap Hummingbird, Costa Rica Art Photographic Poster Print by G. W. Willis, 64x48

Amazon Price: (as of 07/11/2009)

Hummingbirds of Costa Rica

Vibrant photos and fascinating text bring Costa Rica's hummingbirds to life.

Hummingbirds of Costa Rica

by: Michael Fogden, Patricia Fogden

Each bird is depicted in its natural habitat and with the flower with which it naturally associates. Hundreds of detailed close-ups show each bird's unique features and allow the reader to fully appreciate these stunning marvels of nature.

Amazon Price: $36.46 (as of 07/11/2009)
List Price: $49.95

Costa Rica with Kids

Costa Rica and Families: Many magical moments await you when you travel to Costa Rica with kids.
Green Frog Adventures: We design custom family adventure vacations

Hummingbird Jewelry and music jewelry box

Music Box "Hummingbird with Fuchsia"

Handcrafted by Italian artisans, this limited edition music box will bring joy year after year. Made of wood, imprinted with the painting of famous artist Lena Liu "Hummingbird w/Fuchsia", and finished in lacquer, this music box is also a jewelry box for your most cherished pieces. Lined with fine velvet. An unforgettable gift that will be appreciated from one generation to the next. Music tune: Memory. Imported from Italy.

Amazon Price: $135.00 (as of 07/11/2009)
List Price:

Beautiful! Yellow-gold Black Hills Gold Women's Hummingbird Diamond-cut Post Earrings

Amazon Price: $98.88 (as of 07/11/2009)
List Price: $144.95

Authentic Yellow-gold Black Hills Gold Hummingbird Pendant-necklaces

Amazon Price: $59.95 (as of 07/11/2009)
List Price: $99.99

Exquisite!Yellow-gold Diamond-cut Black Hills Gold Women's Hummingbird Ring

Amazon Price: (as of 07/11/2009)
List Price: $199.95

Costa Rica Toucan

Chestnut-Madibled Toucan, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica Art Photographic Poster Print by Gustav Verderber, 24x18

Amazon Price: (as of 07/11/2009)
List Price:

Kids Art of a Toucan

Kids Art of Toucan Teddy Bear

From: Grama Barb's Planet Earth Shop

Teddy Bear

Price: 19.49

Costa Rica's National Bird is the "Yig?quot; or Clay Colored Robin

The Yig?quot; (Turdus grayi), also known as the clay colored robin or gray thrush, was designated National Bird on November, 1976. The "Yig?" found throughout Costa Rica, represents the fertility of the earth, the symbol of the rain fertilizing the earth, the richness of Costa Rican soil. The "Yig?quot; sings to claim rain since it generally sings at the beginning of the rainy season and mate during that season.

The nesting season takes place between April and May. During this time, the "Yig?quot; does not sing and lays from two to three eggs. The "Yig?" a friendly and peaceful bird, is not afraid of humans, however, it protects its brood.

Travel to Costa Rica - travel arrangements start here

Costa Rica DVDs

Costa Rica - A Traveler's Guide

Release Date: 08/21/2004

Amazon Price: (as of 07/11/2009)
List Price: $19.95

The New World Tropics - An Introdution for Naturalists - Belize / Costa Rica / Trinidad

Release Date: 09/15/2005

Amazon Price: $19.95 (as of 07/11/2009)
List Price: $19.95

Gifts for Kids

Birding the World Kids Sweatshirt

Kids Sweatshirt

Price: 20.99

Birding the World Kids Hoodie

Kids Hoodie

Price: 26.59

Sandhill Crane Journal

Journal

Price: 13.49

Canada Goose on Pond Messenger Bag

Messenger Bag

Price: 27.59

Hummingbird Art

Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by

Links for Costa Rica Birding

Birding Club of Costa Rica: Monthly outings to great birding locations around the country.
Birds of Costa Rica: Costa Rican birds listed by region and by family and a searcher for individual species. Also provides info on how common the species are in the various regions.
Sights and Sounds of Costa Rica: Doug Von Gausig's birding trip to Costa Rica in June 1998, with sound clips of dozens of species.
Palo Verde, Costa Rica Bird List: English and Spanish common names, along with scientific names of species recorded from Palo Verde National Park in Costa Rica.
La Selva Birds: Scientific and English common names of the 420+ species recorded from the La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica.
Finding Birds in Costa Rica: Birding in Costa Rica with Richard Garrigues, one of Costa Rica's foremost birders; includes list of endemic bird species and a complete Costa Rica bird list.
Costa Rican Bird Photographs: Image gallery by Ron Eggert.
List of Birds of Costa Rica: Although Costa Rica is a small country, it is in the bird-rich neotropical region and has a huge number of species for its area. 894 bird species have been recorded in the country (including Cocos Island), more than in all of the United States and Canada combined. Of those species, seven are endemic and 19 are globally threatened. The Official List of the Asociación Ornitológica de Costa Rica contains 857 species.

Laughing Falcon

The Laughing Falcon, Herpetotheres cachinnans, also called the Snake Hawk (erroneously, since it is not a hawk), is a medium-sized bird of prey in the falcon family (Falconidae), the only member of the genus Herpetotheres. This Neotropical species is a specialist snake-eater. Its common and scientific name both refers to its distinctive voice.

Its English name comes from its loud voice, as does the specific name cachinnans, Latin for "laughing aloud" or "laughing immoderately"Lewis & Short (1879)...

read the rest of the Wikipedia article

Top picks for children's books on Costa Rica

The Umbrella

by: Jan Brett

An absolutely delightful Costa Rica rain forest story, fabulously illustrated.

Amazon Price: $11.55 (as of 07/11/2009)

Morpha: A Rain Forest Story (Wilderness Kids)

by: Michael Tennyson

Morpha, a shiny new butterfly, gets advice from an older wiser butterfly about how to survive in the rain forest. While looking for her favorite food, Morpha runs into friends from her caterpillar days, the leaf-cutter ants and a friendly slug gives her t

Amazon Price: $14.95 (as of 07/11/2009)

Flashy, Fantastic Rain Forest Frogs

by: Dorothy Hinshaw Patent

Open the pages into the amazing world of rain forest frogs - frogs with sticky toes that cling to branches, frogs with poisonous chemicals in their skin, frogs that lay eggs in foam nests instead of water. Rich, colorful illustrations

Amazon Price: $6.95 (as of 07/11/2009)

The Scarlet Macaw Scandal (Nancy Drew: All New Girl Detective #8)

by: Carolyn Keene

Nancy Drew and her two best friends volunteer for a week in Corcovado National Park. The rain forest and wildlife are amazing, but there's a mystery behind the disappearing monkeys, and someone's poaching the endangered scarlet macaws

Amazon Price: $5.99 (as of 07/11/2009)

Thank you for visiting Birding in Costa Rica

Please leave a message in my guestbook.

Lensmaster

rydigga wrote...

This is a super lens. I grew up with birds: a Mealy Amazon, Goffin's Cockatoo, African Grey, Military Macaw, and Sun Conure. My parents also had a cockatiel and Red Lory at one time. I would live to visit Costa Rica to see the parrots in their natural setting.

Posted January 01, 2009

Lensmaster

AlexDonGato wrote...

Hi World Birder...

I'm a Costa Rican living in Thailand and birds are a great passion for me... along with photography...

I just started creating my first lens and guess what... is about birds off course! :) Please have a look and let me know what you think...

I have a full personal gallery with high quality images of birds from around the world... please have a look : http://www.pbase.com/alex_vargas and let me know if you'll like to use any of my images... It would be for free, you just would have to mention me... Ok?

Best regards,

Alex
--------------------------///

Posted June 12, 2008

Lensmaster

Music-Resource wrote...

Hi World-Birder, Nice bird watching lens. I like the pics of the hummingbird and the toucan. Where I used to live there were eagles, pelicans, and swallows. I used to love to watch them. The swallows really love to play in the wind. Nice job. ~Music Resource~

Posted January 22, 2008