White-whiskered Puffbird by Gianfranco Gomez

Not only does the White-whiskered Puffbird (Malacoptila panamensis) rank pretty high on the cuteness scale, it is also an interesting species from an ecological perspective.  Puffbirds are most closely related to jacamars, toucans and woodpeckers.  They are primarily insect and arthropod eaters and are considered to be flycatching birds along with tyrant flycatchers, and nunbirds.  Even though they eat spiders, frogs and lizards taken from the ground they are known for sitting perfectly still in the forest understory until a flying insect meal passes by when it darts out to catch its prey in midair.  It will then take it back to its perch to beat it against the branch before swallowing it.  Their apparent lethargy, as they sit and wait for prey to come by, is really a honed hunting behavior.

You can find either White-necked Puffbirds or White-whiskered Puffbirds here on the trails of Friends of the Osa’s Osa Biodiversity Center between Piro Research Station and the Greg Gund Conservation Center.  Both species separate themselves vertically in the forest.  You’ll find the White-necked Puffbird higher up in the canopy and the White-whiskered Puffbird down low where they don’t directly compete with each other for food resources.  In either case however they are difficult to see for their stealthy style.

Puffbirds build their nests in active termite nests or dig out a burrow in the ground or on the side of a small hillock with a short entrance tunnel with twigs and dead leaves extending out an additional 3 inches.  The actual nest is lined with leaves.  Those that build in termite nests seem to tolerate termites crawling all over them during incubation (From Alexander Skutch’s book of Birds of Tropical America, 1983).  Ground burrows can be as long as 22 inches.

So why are they called puffbirds?  As you can see from the photo, they are stout birds with fairly large heads and their feathers have a puffed-out appearance.  When they get excited they puff out and swing their tail back and forth.  Their abundant puffy plumage makes their short legs almost invisible.  Note the striking red eyes as well!

We would like to thank Gianfranco Gomez for allowing us to showcase his photographs.  You can find more of his work at The Drake Bay Rainforest Chalet website.

Osa Peninsula Christmas Birding Tour

Osa Christmas Bird Count

2011 Conservation Birding Trips

Osa Peninsula Christmas Birding Tour

December 12 – 18, 2010

Scarlet Macaw, an Osa Peninsula Icon

Spend 5 days/6 nights in one of the most intensely biodiverse tropical rainforests on earth, the Osa Peninsula.  Friends of the Osa is organizing the first annual Osa Peninsula Christmas Bird Count and weeklong guided birding tour held December 12 – 18, 2010.  You will spend 4 full days birding in a lush tropical setting where over 460 bird species can be found, including the healthiest population of Scarlet Macaws in Central America, Red-capped Manakins, and Turquoise Cotingas.  Once you have your birding feet firmly planted, on day 5 you will participate in the Audubon Society’s Annual Christmas Bird Count, a tradition extending for over 100 years.

Your trip will not only be planned around birding but will also have a conservation component to include optional nightly presentations about Friends of the Osa’s programs:  sea turtle monitoring, amphibian natural history and conservation issues, the wild cats of the Osa and the Yellow-billed Cotinga project.  Trail walks will also include insights into tropical rainforest ecology and natural history.

In the spirit of the conservation of bird populations on the Osa Peninsula, we hope you’ll join us for lots of great birding, the Audubon Christmas Bird Count and what will prove to be a memorable journey into paradise.

General itinerary:

Day 1 – Sunday, December 12

4pm pickup from Puerto Jimenez airport (flights not included in tour cost)

Drive to Cerro Osa for sunset and orientation presentation

Evening birds you may expect to see or hear:  Chestnut-mandibled Toucan, Common Pauraque, Red-lored Parrot and Little Tinamou

Day 2 – Monday, December 13

AM birding at Cerro Osa

PM birding hike to Bamboo Platform overlooking the Pacific

Wildcat Presentation (optional)

Birds you may expect to see or hear: Blue-crowned Motmot, Blue-crowned Manakin, any one of four trogon species and Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager

Day 3 – Tuesday, December 14

AM birding walk from Cerro Osa to Piro Research Center

PM forest/beach birding

Sea Turtle Presentation (optional)

Birds you may expect to see or hear:  Scarlet Macaw, Long-billed Hermit, Chestnut-backed Antbird and Cherrie’s Tanager

Day 4 – Wednesday, December 15

AM birding at Luna Lodge and brunch buffet

PM birding along Osa Biodiversity Center Trails

Amphibian Monitoring Presentation (optional)

Birds you may expect to see or hear:  Turquoise Cotinga, Great Curassow, and White Hawk

Day 5 – Thursday, December 16

AM drive to Rincon mangroves

Lunch at Iguana Lodge on Playa Preciosa

PM birding at Tranquility Lagoon and Matapalo Beach

Yellow-billed Cotinga presentation (optional)

Birds you may expect to see or hear:  Yellow-billed Cotinga, Mangrove Hummingbird, Masked Tityra, Wattled Jacana

Day 6 – Friday, December 17

All day Audubon Christmas Bird Count

5pm Barbeque with all Osa Peninsula Bird Count participants

Farewell

Day 7 – Saturday, December 18

6am breakfast at Piro Research Center and drive to Puerto Jimenez airport.  Flights to San Jose should be no earlier than 9am.

Package Tour Cost – $750.00/person

Minimum: 4 people Maximum: 8 people

Birding at Rio Tigre

Price includes lodging, 3 meals per day, local transportation, professionally guided tours, and daily conservation presentations

Price does not include international or domestic flights or $26 departure tax from San Jose international airport

For tour registration or questions please contact Karen Leavelle.

Osa Christmas Bird Count

December 17, 2010

This year Friends of the Osa is organizing the first annual Osa Peninsula Christmas Bird Count, a more than century long Audubon Society tradition.  On December 17^th 2010 Friends of the Osa along with Osa Peninsula lodges, birding experts and bird enthusiasts will head out at dawn to count and log into the international Audubon Society database as many birds of the Osa Peninsula that we can see, hear or flush out from under foot.  We will be covering an area the size of a 15 mile diameter circle that includes Puerto Jimenez, Dos Brazos, Matapalo Beaches and Carate just south of Corcovado National Park.  Each participating lodge will send out their highly experienced birding guides on a regular tour and will walk routes and trails through lush tropical rainforest, palm and almond tree lined beaches, lagoons, and creeks and steams that run through one of the most biodiverse areas on the planet: the Osa Peninsula.

Osa Peninsula Christmas Bird Count Circle

All throughout the Americas citizen scientist volunteers from Canada down through Argentina come out, in some parts of the world in frigid cold temperatures, to count birds on one single day between December 14^th and January 5^th as part of a long running tradition in avian conservation and science.  Those of us here in the tropics won’t need to worry about freezing temperatures.  You’ll see us instead in T-shirts and shorts but with the same eagerness to document the birds of the Osa this year and for years to come.

The Christmas Bird Count helps protect bird species and their habitats, but how?  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 over 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.  We will now be able to include Osa birds in Audubon’s database to help protect and conserve them for years to come.

Lodge participation

We would like to thank the following lodges for participating in the Osa Christmas Bird Count: Bosque del Cabo, Bosque del Rio Tigre, El Remanso, Iguana Lodge, Lapa Rios and Luna Lodge. Please see their websites if you’re interested in staying with them for the CBC.

Please contact Karen Leavelle if you’d like to participate in the 2010 Osa CBC, or check out the 2010 Christmas Birding Tour that we’re offering.

2011 Osa Conservation Birding Trips

January 29 – February 5, 2011 FULL

February 5 – February 12, 2011 Spaces available! Contact Kory Kramer for details.

In 2011 Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative’s International Program (WBCI), Friends of the Osa, and American Bird Conservancy (ABC) are hosting two, weeklong conservation birding trips to the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica.

2010 Osa Conservation Birding Trip

These trips are designed to immerse you in one of the world’s most spectacular tropical forests while providing in-depth exposure to a conservation project supported by a unique Wisconsin partnership. Wisconsin’s interest in the project is underpinned by the fact that the Osa’s forests support 54 species of birds that breed in the state, 18 of which are considered conservation priorities. The Osa has been designated a Costa Rican Important Bird Area (IBA), an Endemic Bird Area (EBA) by Birdlife International, an Alliance for Zero Extinction Site, and is considered a global conservation priority. Don’t be shy if you aren’t from Wisconsin; anybody is welcome to sign up and join the crowd!

We’ll stay at three facilities – the Greg Gund Conservation Center, the Piro Research Center (both part of Friends of the Osa’s Osa Biodiversity Center) and a private lodge. Accommodations at the OBC are basic, but clean. Note that basic means concrete buildings, tin roofs, and cold showers. Our final destination, Bosque del Rio Tigre Lodge (BDRT), is positively charming and the surrounding area is remarkably “birdy.”
We’ll eat meals as a group. All are served family style and prepared by local women employed as FOO staff – wonderful folks, great cooks. The meals at BDRT surpass all expectations.
Most days will involve moderately strenuous hiking, although you always have the option to stay at the facilities to soak up the warmth and enjoy the local wildlife. Throughout the week local biologists will give evening presentations on their projects. We may also have the opportunity to spend time in the field with them.

This trip promises to be a delightful experience, chock full of great people, spectacular birds, monkey’s galore and a very rare opportunity for hands-on exposure to one of Latin America’s most important conservation projects.

General itinerary:

2009 Osa Conservation Birding Trip

Day 1 – Saturday, February 5

4pm pickup from Puerto Jimenez airport

Drive to Cerro Osa for sunset, dinner and welcome orientation

Evening birds you may expect to see or hear:  Chestnut-mandibled Toucan, Common Pauraque, Red-lored Parrot and Little Tinamou

Day 2 – Sunday, February 6

AM birding at Cerro Osa

PM birding hike to Bamboo Platform overlooking the Pacific

Wildcat Presentation (optional)

Birds you may expect to see or hear: Blue-crowned Motmot, Blue-crowned Manakin, any one of four trogon species and Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager

Day 3 – Monday, February 7

AM birding walk from Cerro Osa to Piro Research Center

PM forest/beach birding

Sea Turtle Presentation (optional)

Birds you may expect to see or hear: Fiery-billed Aracari, Puffbirds, Antbirds, various Tanagers, and coastal birds such as Brown Pelican, Gulls, Terns and Sandpipers

Day 4 – Tuesday, February 8

AM birding around Piro Research Center on OBC trails

PM birding around Carbonera and Matapalo

Amphibian Monitoring Presentation (optional)

Birds you may expect to see or hear: Orioles, Tanagers, Hawks, and Great Curassows

Day 5 Wednesday, February 9

AM birding at Luna Lodge and brunch buffet

PM birding along Osa Biodiversity Center Trails

Amphibian monitoring presentation (optional)

Birds you may expect to see or hear:  Turquoise Cotinga, Cuckoos, Tanagers, Woodpeckers and White Hawk

Day 6 Thursday, February 10

AM drive to Rincon mangroves and transfer to Bosque del Rio Tigre (BDRT)

Lunch at BDRT

PM birding at BDRT lodge

Yellow-billed Cotinga presentation (optional)

Birds you may expect to see or hear:  Yellow-billed Cotinga, Mangrove Hummingbird, Masked Tityra, Three-wattled Bellbird

Day 7 Friday, February 11

AM birding on BDRT trails

PM birding on BDRT trails

Birds you may expect to see or hear:  Orange-collared Manakin, Yellow-billed Cotinga, Gray-necked Woodrail

Day 8 Saturday, February 12

AM birding and breakfast at BDRT

7am Depart to Puerto Jimenez for flights to San Jose.  Flights to San Jose should be no earlier than 9am.

Package Tour Cost – $1350.00/person + a $500 tax deductible contribution to the project (your donation will be used to directly support migratory bird habitat protection on the Osa Peninsula).  Read more about the importance of conserving neotropical migrant bird habitat on our website.

Group size: 8 people

Price includes domestic flights from San Jose-Puerto Jimenez-San Jose, lodging, 3 meals per day, local transportation, professionally guided tours, and daily conservation presentations

Price does not include international flights or $26 departure tax from San Jose international airport

For tour registration or questions please contact Kory Kramer

This is a hilarious video taken at the Greg Gund Conservation Center at Cerro Osa.  The kung-fu style fight scene starts at 37 seconds!  Check it out and pass it along to your friends.

Karen Leavelle presenting the Yellow-billed Cotinga spatial distribution project

The Costa Rican Ornithological Union’s second annual conference was held July 28 – 30^th 2010 in the school of biology at the University of Costa Rica in the capital of San Jose.  The conference was dedicated to Daniel Janzen and his pioneering work in the field of conservation and reforestation in Costa Rica over the last several decades.  Attendees present represented national and international organizations working hard at avian science and conservation throughout the country coming together to share common interests in the more than 830 resident and migrant bird species found in this tropical landscape.

Friends of the Osa’s avian ecologist Karen Leavelle was in attendance to present a poster outlining the upcoming Yellow-billed Cotinga radio telemetry project slated to begin at the end of this year.  Also in attendance were Liz Jones and Abraham Gallo to present their findings from a two year study looking at the current distribution of the Yellow-billed Cotinga, Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager and the Mangrove Hummingbird all of which are endemic species considered to be endangered by BirdLife International.  This project was supported by Friends of the Osa, the American Bird Conservancy and the Evergreen Foundation producing vital information highlighting the conservation status of each species and the importance of the rainforest and mangrove habitats to species survival remaining on the Osa Peninsula and surrounding areas.  You can read the full report by Jones et al. 2009 on our Science Report page at Friends of the Osa website.

Elizabeth Jones presenting Yellow-billed Cotinga project results

The Yellow-billed Cotinga project was born out of Liz and Abrahams results on the species current distribution.  This project will focus on tracking Cotingas throughout the Osa Peninsula in order to determine the spatial and temporal distribution of a population of Cotingas from the Rincon area.  Essentially this project will show temporal habitat use and the spatial movements of the birds between feeding, nesting and roosting areas.  Information gained will indicate forested areas in need of protection for this species and others that also depend on the same habitats for their survival.  Keep your eye for more information on this project as its December date approaches.

The conference itself and Friends of the Osa’s participation proved to be important as a manner of disseminating information to a national and international ornithological audience on project results, upcoming studies and our role on the Osa Peninsula in avian science and conservation.

The objectives are for students to learn the importance of sea turtle conservation, why Golfo Dulce is a tropical fjord, and the ecological and scientific implications of this designation.

Students learn about the four sea turtle species that nest every year on the beaches of the Osa Peninsula: Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), East Pacific Green or black turtle (Chelonia mydas agassizii), Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) and Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea). They also learn about the nesting process, migration, life cycle, threats and efforts being made in the conservation of these species.

The topographical features of the Golfo Dulce, major ecosystems, both resident and non-resident species, such as humpback whales and the environmental impacts on ecosystems, are topics that are treated within the marine ecosystems program.

This section of the Environmental Education program seeks to foster student interest in understanding this unexplored area within the school curriculum, which has traditionally focused only on terrestrial ecosystems.

It’s really interesting for students to learn about species previously unknown to them, such as marine plankton, species that make aquatic ecosystems sustainable and contribute between 50-90% of the oxygen to the Earth’s atmosphere.

Unfortunately 39% of depredated nests found in our monitoring is due to egg poaching by humans.To prevent this situation from getting worse during the rest of the season, we will need the support of local people, MINAE (the government authority in charge of enforcing conservation laws), and you.

If you’re asking yourself, “How can I help?”  here are several ways: 1) Let others know about our Sea Turtle Conservation Program and the importance of protecting sea turtles, 2) Sign up to volunteer and 3) Make a donation to allow us to continue our sea turtle conservation efforts in the southern Osa Peninsula.

The Osa Biodiversity Center (OBC) provided a brilliant opportunity for biological research at an accessible location bordering Corcovado National Park (CNP). CNP represents the largest remaining tract of tropical lowland forest left standing on the pacific coast of Central America. The Osa Peninsula is phytogeographically unusual with high floral species diversity of an estimated 500 species of woody plants and exhibits high primate abundances as well as being home to charismatic large felids such as puma and jaguar.  The work undertaken at the OBC during April 2010 primarily aimed to clarify insights into the microhabitat preferences of particular dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) identified in earlier study investigating the fidelity of ecological methods used for inventorying insect functional groups at Sirena Biological Station (CNP) during the months of July and August 2009.  In order to efficiently and cost effectively map diversity it is widely recognised that the use of indicator groups is necessary. The sensitivity of Dung Beetles to light, soil type, moisture, temperature, leaf litter, structural complexity, vegetative cover, and resource type are widely recognized, advocating their utility as an indicator of the influence of abiotic environmental parameters on patterns of diversity in tropical ecosystems on a global scale. In order to map spatio-temporal distributions of biological organisms it is important to measure habitat variables on the scale at which they influence the taxa studied. If the habitat is not defined from the perspective of the organism then inference made from data reporting environmental influences on distribution of populations may be inaccurate.  The material generated during the study at the OBC will be identified at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. It is an exciting prospect that the work at OBC may back earlier work that has identified a microhabitat preference of dung beetles on trap placement, work that potentially has serious implications for sampling methodologies currently employed in comparative ecological work which  aims to report the influence of deforestation and habitat degradation on tropical biodiversity.

All photography by Zia Mehrabi on night walks at OBC during April 2010

The accommodation facilities at the OBC are superb, with comfortable beds, clean running water and delicious food. Furthermore the staff are extremely friendly and helpful, facilitating communication with the local community and achievement of research objectives. In addition, accessibility from the nearby town of Puerto Jimenez and contact via satellite connection ensure ease of logistics. There is a nicely set out trail system that provides some great tracks for night walks where a plethora of insects , arachnids and reptiles may be easily observed and photographed. Overall I was very happy in the time I spent at the OBC and would recommend it to other researchers wishing to explore this interesting region of the world.

Common Pauraque by Karen Leavelle

Have you ever been out at night driving along a country road and been startled by red ember eyes darting across the hood of the car, and then to have it happen every few hundred meters or so?  If you are driving anywhere on roads, especially dirt roads, from South Texas on down to Argentina you are bound to see the Common Pauraque (Nyctidromus albicollis).

Here on the Osa Peninsula on the road to the Osa Biodiversity Center it is a common sight to see the nocturnal nightjar hunting along these roads or other open areas at dusk, dawn or during the night.  As twilight approaches, Pauraques will position themselves on the ground which is a good spot from which to see insects backlit against the night sky, or on a favorite perch sallying around in search of the nights meal.

They have very small beaks yet large gaping mouths with which to scoop up large insects such as beetles, moths and fireflies.  The bristles around the face resembling whiskers are modified feathers which are highly tactile and controlled by muscles and are used to help hunt insects at night.  They are likely there to also keep out-of-control insect legs and wings out of the bird’s eyes!  This 11” (28cm) bird also has low wing loading which means their body is proportionally small to their large wings which makes them powerful flyers through wooded areas especially at night.

The genus Nyctidromus gives the Common Pauraque its first name “night runner” describing its nighttime ground foraging behavior and the species name albicollis is in reference to its white throat patch.  In various parts of Central America it is commonly refered to as “Don Pucuyo” or “Caballero de la noche” for its association with love.  Some parts of Costa Rica call this species “Tapacaminos comun” meaning common road coverer.  Here on the Osa Peninusla it is known as Cuyeo.  There is lots of legend surrounding this and other nighthawk (goatsucker) species related to both love and darkness.

Its cryptic browns, tans and buff coloration make this bird hard to see unless you are about to step on it.  It will flatten itself close to the ground when danger approaches and then will flush at the last moment.  It will then keep its eyes slightly open as you can see from the photograph to keep an eye on the possible ensuing predator.  It places its nest of two eggs right on the ground with no pomp or circumstance usually in shady wooded areas.

So why hunt from a country road exactly?  Studies have shown that Pauraques will actually sit along the side facing the road and are more likely to be found there during a full moon which reflects light on the dirt surface making it easier to find and catch insects.

You can find this and other photographs from Alan Dahl at Focused on Nature.  The light morph bird was taken by me along the trail up on our Arbolito property just last week early August.  This bird flushed from my feet and was very cooperative with her photo shoot allowing me to get quite close so I could bring you her image today.

Morning breaks, an explosion of pastel paints splashing up from the dark horizon. Within minutes low-slung clouds are trimmed in gold leaf and violet water licks the beach. Manuel and I have just arrived at the shore, emerged from the dense green understory in perfect time to catch this glorious sunrise.

Twenty-five minutes of rainforest prevails between our camp and the coast. We navigate a familiar trail every night, and every morning. Winding between trees, ducking under vines, shuffling down muddy slopes and across shallow rivers, we move in a tunnel of leaves and shadows until, at last, we are coughed out onto the beach facing 10,000 miles of water.

As the sun arcs up and pelicans pass overhead, we begin walking. The A.M. job is to check all the marked nests along this five kilometer section of coastline and we chatter in Spanish as we amble from one yellow tag to the next. Generally speaking, Manuel and I are looking for three things:

1. NEW NESTS: Nests that were dug in the wee hours after Night Patrol while we were asleep in our bunks. Upon finding fresh tracks, we follow them to the nest for measurements and evaluation.

2. DEPREDATED NESTS: Depredated means the nests have had some of their eggs eaten. These are often unmarked nests. (Remember, marked nests are covered with squares of metal fencing to discourage digging predators like coatis and raccoons—the protection is not perfect but it works quite well.)

At depredated nests, we clean up any exposed eggshells, counting them and logging the loss in our field notebook. We also dig down into the nest to ensure there are no broken or half-eaten eggs, which could foster an infestation of maggots or lure crabs with their rotting smell. When the nest is properly tidied and sand has been carefully repacked over the remaining eggs, we move on.

Brooke and Manuel clean a turtle nest

3. HATCHED-OUT NESTS: Nests that have hatched-out are easily identified by dozens of tiny tracks squiggling toward the frothy tide. Held in the quiet safety of their sandy maternity ward, baby sea turtles may hatch out at different times over a period of 1-4 days, but they wait to surface together so they can shuttle into the ocean under safety of the group. Old nests must be cleaned out to collect as much data as possible, so the screen is rolled back and the hole thoroughly excavated.

Today we discover a freshly hatched-out nest. I am disappointed… we missed the dashing slew of green bodies. Opening the nest, I begin hauling up curls of white leathery shell while Manuel pencils the findings. We count all the empty eggshells to see how many turtlings hatched and left the nest. We also examine any un-hatched eggs, tearing them open to determine at what stage life failed. Was the egg fertile? If yes, when did development stop? These details are scratched onto spiral-bound paper for future analysis by Friends of the Osa.

I dig slowly, methodically. I find one round egg, pristine. Inside, it still holds a perfect yellow yolk but no sign of life. A dud. Another egg is already torn and reveals a near-term baby covered in small fly larva.

In the next scoop I feel a few ounces of supple flesh. It placidly stirs in my hand. A straggler, an infant still buried in the chamber. He is alive but extremely weak and looks misshapen. I dust off his crumpled body and set him on the sand to see what he does. Nothing. Still. Utterly motionless. Perhaps he just died.

I sigh and turn away from the sad sight to continue my task of shoveling, counting, but several minutes later Manuel points out that the baby is moving, wiggling its little flippers and head. We stop our efforts to watch his, feeling a surge of foolish hope.

Minutes tick by. The tot is in no rush but does seem to be building energy, a tiny balloon inflating with life. When he begins his natural march to the sea, he moves only millimeters at first, but finds speed and enthusiasm as he paddles. Our hope gains confidence. It’s a long distance to the water’s edge. We would do him no service to make the journey shorter—he needs this time to rev his engines, gather his wits—so we simply stand there, watching, guarding against birds with a taste for turtle.

Turtle hatchling makes its way to sea

His commitment grows. Half way down the beach he is springing forward with vitality, as enthusiastic and powerful as any hatchling I’ve seen before him. He nears the lacy foam with brave zeal and we cheer silently, thrilled by his intense commitment to do what baby turtles do. As the next surge sweeps up and touches him, he instinctively paddles harder and faster to catch its lift. The surf wraps around his minuscule frame and gathers him up in a powerful embrace, like a loving grandfather who has been waiting a lifetime to see him.

The turtling dives for a minute—we, too, hold our breath.

But then we see him working his way past the breakers. We point and laugh with the giddiness of children as we spot his bitsy head bobbing above the cerulean waves. He has made it to the sea! If only he can string such moments of survival into an 80-year lifespan. This, we know, is the last we will see of him and I whisper farewell as he disappears into the pelagic swirl.

It is a blessing and an honor to walk this beach twice every day. To observe nature’s complexities, stand witness to its magnificence and, most profoundly, find my own place in its workings. Night Patrol is all reverence and mystery; we are strangers tiptoeing in the darkness. But Morning Patrol is about seeing the world in detail, a time when life’s magic is exposed in the glorious light of the rising sun.

Blue-crowned Motmot by Alan Dahl

The Blue-crowned Motmots (Momotus momota) have been spending a lot of time around a Nance tree (Byrsonima crassifolia), a prolific fruit producing tree in the garden here at Friends of the Osa’s Osa Biodiversity Center.  Lately there have been quite a few hanging around giving their distinctive soft low pitch “moot moot” call at dawn which has sounded like a large choral group, each bird with its own perfectly timed solo, and the group never missing a beat.  With the Nance fruiting right next to the house, one of them actually flew through the front door the other day making me realize that it was time to share this species with you on the blog.  Oh and by the way, he or she did find its way out of the house fairly quickly.

In this species the male and female look alike and as you can see from Alan Dahl’s photograph, they are brilliantly colored.  Motmots in general have two very distinct features worth noting: the racquet-shaped tail and a heavily serrated bill.  The tail is more than half the birds total length and has two long central feathers.  During feather preening sections of the tail barbs fall off leaving the exposed vane.  The tip of the feather or the racquet remains intact forming what looks like a racquet head.  Motmots are famous for slowly and methodically swinging their tail feather back and forth like a pendulum.

The bill has tooth like serrations allowing them to take small snakes and lizards as well as other insects and tear them apart.  They also accompany army ant swarms picking off what the other birds kick-up from the ground.  And yes, they like fruit.

A third and very interesting characteristic of the Motmot is the fact that they dig their nest into burrows.  They are most closely related to Kingfishes and todies which also dig into burrows.  Motmots excavate tunnels in the bank of a road or stream or in the side of a pit or hollow in the ground.  Their nests are unlined and can wind as far back as 5 – 14 feet (1.5 – 4 meters).  Now I don’t know about you all but I have a hard time seeing such a beautiful majestic bird digging a long tunnel in the dirt and coming out looking that good, but I truly hope to see it someday.

You can see the Blue-crowned Motmot all over Costa Rica, and at least at the moment, all over Cerro Osa on the Osa Peninsula.  You can also find them from Mexico down through Argentina and in just about any type of habitat most often perched in the shade saying “moot moot, moot moot”!

We would like to thank Alan Dahl for allowing us to showcase his photographs.  You can find his work at Focused On Nature.