So far as international locations go, Costa Rica is on the smaller finish of the spectrum. A bit bigger than the Netherlands however with much less land than Latvia and Eire, by way of territory, we rank 126. We would have restricted area however we make up for it with a large quantity of biodiversity together with nicely over 900 fowl species on the official Costa Rica fowl record. With good cause, a lot of birders go to Costa Rica and we even have a great sized native birding neighborhood.
One would assume that with a lot fowl commentary occurring, there would not be something left to find. Nonetheless, because the previous few years have proven, that is simply not the case. As with so many locations on the globe, particularly the tropical locations the place biodiversity runs amok, it looks as if the extra that biophiles look and search and probe, the extra bio treasures we discover. In Costa Rica, this previous yr has seen anticipated additions like Lesser Black-backed Gull and Crimson-backed Tanager together with considerably much less anticipated birds like Yellow-nosed Albatross within the Caribbean and an equally mega possible Salvin’s Albatross within the Pacific. There was additionally that unbelievable go to by a Spectacled Petrel at Tortuguero.
There are different birds nonetheless anticipated, I’ve a couple of in thoughts that most likely additionally happen someplace within the border space with Nicaragua (hiya Altamira Oriole and Ladder-backed Woodpecker). Nonetheless, the most recent addition wasn’t any of those. It was one thing that really caught me without warning, a fowl often heard or seen in Mexico or sure, out of the best way gulches in Arizona. It’ a fowl I truly nonetheless want and will probably be on the lookout for as a result of amazingly, an area birder discovered a number of at a website close to a seaside in northwestern Costa Rica in Santa Rosa Nationwide Park!
Once I noticed the eBird notification for Buff-collared Nightjar, I assumed, oh, that should be a mistake. However no, there have been photographs and recordings made by an skilled native birder, Gerald Pereira. Little doubt about it, Buff-collared Nightjar, a number of of them and new and surprising for Costa Rica! The sightings increase a number of questions. The place did they arrive from? Have they all the time been there? Are different remoted populations ready to be discovered? Why weren’t they found earlier than then?
I do not know the solutions however in all chance, that they signify a newly established localized inhabitants. If that they had already been current, one would assume that somebody would have discovered them however then once more, they have been seen in a restricted and little visited space, and are nocturnal. Maybe different populations exist in a couple of different spots in Guanacaste? Maybe they solely sing at sure occasions of the yr? There’s not a lot evening birding taking place up that approach, Gerald’s discovery exhibits that possibly we ought to be doing extra trying in out of the best way locations, each day and evening. I ponder what else is ready to be present in closely birded Costa Rica?
