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Friends of the Osa's Avian Conservation Program has a strong focus on avian monitoring and protection of bird-friendly habitat on the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica. Our projects include scientific investigation and protection of endemic and endangered birds, monitoring the abundance and long-term health of bird species, and engaging in activities and partnerships that promote bird conservation throughout the Americas.
ENDEMIC AND ENDANGERED SPECIES OF THE OSA
Costa Rica's south Pacific coast is home to over 460 bird species. About a dozen of these species are endemic and restricted to this region and adjacent Panama. These regional endemics include five species of conservation concern, which inhabit the lush tropical forests and coastal mangroves of the Osa Peninsula.
- Yellow-billed Cotinga
- Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager
- Mangrove Hummingbird
- Turquoise Cotinga
- Baird's Trogon
The Yellow-billed Cotinga (Carpodectes antoniae)
This unique regional endemic is estimated to have a mere 250 – 999 individuals remaining. Historically distributed from central Costa Rica into Panama along the Pacific coastal slope, the Yellow-billed Cotinga is now believed to be further restricted mainly to the mangroves and adjacent rainforests of the Osa Peninsula and Golfo Dulce due to habitat loss. It is listed as endangered by BirdLife International but the limited information on its current distribution and abundance likely warrants this species to be uplisted to critical. See below for conservation measures underway.
Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager (Habia atrimaxillaris)
This skulking tanager alerts the observer to its presence with noisy contact calls and harsh chatter. During the breeding season, it sings a repeated series of whistles at dawn. You can listen to recordings of this species online at the Macaulay Library. The Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager is an endangered species restricted to forests of the Osa Peninsula and the Golfo Dulce as much of its habitat outside of these two areas has been destroyed. It also qualifies as an Alliance for Zero Extinction trigger species.
Mangrove Hummingbird (Amazilia boucardi)
The Mangrove Hummingbird is an endangered species endemic to Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, where it occurs mainly in mangroves. Despite being protected by law in Costa Rica, mangroves harboring this species, such as those around Puerto Jiménez, continue to be cleared for shrimp farms and coastal development.
Baird's Trogon (Trogon bairdii) & the Turquoise Cotinga (Cotinga ridgwayi)
Few birds are as brilliantly colored as an adult male Turquoise Cotinga or as regal as the Baird's Trogon. Both species are resident endemics to Costa Rica's south Pacific slope and western Panama. Most of their habitat in Panama has already been destroyed leaving southern Costa Rica and the Osa Peninsula as the species' final refuge. The conservation status for each species is listed as vulnerable by BirdLife International though the threat level may deserve upgrading to endangered pending further research. Cotingas in particular may make seasonal movements in search of fruit, but little is known about their behavior and conservation status despite important implications for the protection of rainforest throughout potential migratory routes.
Let's not forget about the Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao)!
In addition to these endemic birds, the Osa Peninsula supports one of the healthiest populations of wild Scarlet Macaws in Central America. One can see as many as 30 individuals at times in the coastal almond trees of Puerto Jiménez or pairs of macaws flying overhead making quite a racket as they move between feeding, roosting and breeding areas.
APPLIED SCIENCE AND CONSERVATION
The Yellow-billed Cotinga Project
Male Yellow-billed Cotingas have dove-like proportions and are adorned with almost pure white plumage. They look like a symbol of peace as they forage for fruit high in the forest canopy alongside Turquoise Cotingas, Tityras, Toucans, and other rainforest birds. High in the canopy during the breeding season one can find male cotingas gathered in courtship areas called leks where each performs a swooping flight display to attract a mate. This truly is a sight to see!
Little is known about their population distributions or seasonal movements and with only an estimated 250 – 999 cotingas found here there is reason for concern. They are thought to nest within mangroves, and wander widely through forests in search of fruit once the breeding season is done. The mangroves of the northern Osa Peninsula are thought to be a stronghold for this species, but recent surveys are demonstrating that the nearby forests provide critical foraging area for these birds.
Currently underway is a scientific investigation focusing on the spatial and temporal distribution of this highly endangered species. Through radio telemetry, we will be able to determine movements and spatial patterns between nesting and feeding areas and seasonal patterns of habitat use. Information on vegetation and area use will allow us to model the current distribution based on habitat still available on the peninsula. The ultimate goal will be to protect important Yellow-billed Cotinga habitat, and in doing so, conserve the multitude of other flora and fauna that depend on the same habitat.
Read more about the distribution and conservation of the Yellow-billed Cotinga, Mangrove Hummingbird and Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager by Jones et al. 2009.
The Avian Monitoring Program
Friends of the Osa's avian monitoring program will estimate the abundance of resident and migratory bird species on the peninsula, species population trends over the long term and changes in species community composition. Essentially, we want to know what species are here, where they are and if there are changes in species presence or abundance due to changes in the habitat.
Because the primary threat to birds in the Osa Peninsula is the loss and fragmentation of their habitats, Friends of the Osa is helping to protect and restore habitats in the region through land acquisition, habitat restoration, and local education programs. On restoration plots, we are monitoring changes in bird species abundance and in the overall bird community over the course of forest growth. We have placed artificial nests boxes to monitor breeding behaviors of cavity nesting birds and several thousand native trees have been planted to assist in the regeneration of the forest. We are allowing natural regeneration of bird-friendly species such as melastomes and Ficus (figs), which are keystone species, which draw more birds into the restoration plots and increases the diversity of seed rain.
Monitoring Migratory Birds & Priority Species
With the use of US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) avian monitoring protocols and the US Geological Survey (USGS) database we are making our monitoring data for migratory birds available to fish and wildlife agencies in the US and Canada. Several North American breeding birds spend the winter on the Osa Peninsula and are on the US Partners in Flight (PIF) and the USFWS WatchList for species of conservation concern due to decreasing populations on their breeding grounds.
Listed here are the land birds of concern. Several shorebirds also appear on the list. For more information visit the Partners in Flight website.
- Olive-sided Flycatcher
- Wood Thrush
- Golden-winged Warbler
- Kentucky Warbler
- Prothonotary Warbler
- Canada Warbler
Because the wintering grounds of Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula provide refuge for non-breeding migratory birds in the wintertime, partnerships with North American organizations become vital in the monitoring of bird populations on both winter and summer territories.
Orioles and Ocelots: Wisconsin's Costa Rica Connection
Imagine billions of adult and new fledgling birds leaving North America to embark on one of the most awe inspiring migration events, funneling down through Latin America to their winter destinations. Now imagine those same birds meeting with forest loss and fragmentation in an area where they spend half their lives. Winter habitat protection is vital for these migrant birds.
Many of Wisconsin's breeding birds winter on the Osa Peninsula, several of which are species in decline such as the Prothonotary Warbler, the Golden-winged Warbler and the Wood Thrush. Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) through the Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative International Program in partnership with Friends of the Osa is trying to stave off declines in bird species and their habitats by establishing a protected area network from Matapalo to Corcovado National Park.
Through land acquisition, habitat protection and bird species monitoring, it is the goal of every partner involved to save what is known to be a global conservation priority and one of the most biodiverse places on earth. Read more about the partnership.
The Osa Peninsula Christmas Bird Count & Birding Tour
December 12–18, 2010
Friends of the Osa is organizing the first annual Osa Christmas Bird Count, a century long Audubon Society tradition. We will be holding a weeklong Christmas Bird Tour starting Sunday, December 12th, culminating in the Christmas Bird Count held on Friday, December 17th. In the spirit of the conservation of bird populations on the Osa Peninsula, ecolodges, Osa birding experts and you will be counting birds on this day and all bird observations will go into the Audubon international database.
How does the Christmas Bird Count help protect species and their habitats? Data collected from volunteers is used by biologists and other interested parties to study the long-term health and status of bird populations throughout the Americas, and to see how populations have changed over time and space throughout the last 100 years. Scientists have used CBC data to detect birds in decline from fragmentation and/or loss of habitat and effects on populations from climate change as well. With over 460 bird species on the Osa, we expect this day to be both fun and challenging. If you're interested in participating in either the weeklong Christmas Bird Tour or just the Osa CBC, please contact Karen Leavelle.
Please check our Conservation Trips page for other opportunities to participate in the conservation of the Osa Peninsula.
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