Tag Archives: green

Keel-billed Toucans

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Keel-billed Toucans

I have not seen nearly as many Keel-billed Toucans (Ramphastos sulfuratus) as I have Chestnut-mandibled Toucans (Ramphastos swainsonii), in part because I have traveled most often to the Osa Peninsula, where there are none of the Keel-billed species. So I was delighted when I came across this photo taken in 2004 near Tortuguero. I love this pair’s bright lime beaks touched with orange and red, which compliment the birds’ bright yellow throats so well.

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Young Green Heron

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Young Green Heron

A youthful Green Heron (Butorides striatus) perches on the wood of a dock along the Tortuguero River. It’s just beginning to lose its stripes, and to show the rusty red neck and shoulder feathers that distinguish adults of the species. A few mature green feathers are growing in on its wings too.

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Green Jeans Frog

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Green Jeans Frog

This species of poison-dart frog (Dendrobates granuliferus) is sympatric with the species traditionally called the “Blue Jeans Frog” (Dendrobates pumilio), meaning the two are essentially the same. This particular variation, with granularity of the skin and jade-colored limbs, is found in the southwest lowlands of Costa Rica, where there is a population in the Golfo Dulce region. The specimen here was photographed near La Tarde. Since I’m not sure what the common name for this amphibian might be, I’ve decided “Green Jeans Frog” is as good a moniker as any. “Red Hoodie Frog” might be even better!

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Fer-de-lance

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Fer-de-lance

The Fer-de-lance (Bothrops asper) is Costa Rica’s most notorious poisonous snake. I have only seen this pit viper species once, and it was during my most recent visit to Costa Rica. The good people at La Tarde knew where this one had staked out a place on the rainforest floor. We took a night hike to find it, and used our flashlights to illuminate it for this photograph.

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Emerald Toucanet

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Emerald Toucanet

Emerald Toucanets (Aulacorhynchus prasinus) are smaller than their Toucan cousins, and have their own bright feather and bill patterns. This one was photographed in the upper valley of Costa Rica’s Savegre River, and it’s the only snapshot I’ve managed to capture of the species. I particularly like the color of this bird’s dark blue throat.

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White-crowned Parrot

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White-crowned Parrot

Named for its forehead and cap, the White-crowned Parrot (Pionus senilis) is common in most lowland and middle elevations, except in the northwest Pacific region. These multi-colored, bright-eyed birds are very noisy too!

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Parrot Snake

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Parrot Snake

The Parrot Snake (Leptophis ahaetulla) in the above photo is furious because it just lost an epic battle with its lunch. Wrestling in the mud of the rainforest floor near Serena, the unidentified frog (possibly a member of the genus Phrynohyas) kept scrambling, and the writhing reptile just couldn’t get a solid grip. After several minutes, the amphibian finally slipped free and made a break for it!

A Parrot Snake winds and twists in its attempt to grab ahold of a slippery frog.

A Parrot Snake winds and twists in its attempt to grab ahold of a slippery frog.

Parrot Snake and Frog

The frog’s body appears to swell and secrete a mucus that aids in its escape.

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Male Resplendent Quetzal

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Male Resplendent Quetzal

Resplendent Quetzals (Pharomachrus mocinno) are part of the trogon family, and while the females of this dimorphic species do look like other trogons, male Resplendent Quetzals are, well, quite resplendent! I’ve always thought they looked more like elaborate women’s hats than birds, with their frizzy heads, extra long upper-tail coverts, and fancy shoulders. Resplendent Quetzals live in limited regions of the central highlands, and I’ve only seen them in one area near the upper Savegre River valley where these dandies were photographed.

Male Resplendent Quetzal

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Golfo Dulce Poison Frog

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Golfo Dulce Poison Frog

The author of my fiercely scientific guidebook about amphibians and reptiles in Costa Rica doesn’t believe in common names. “Poison Frogs of the Genus Phyllobates” is about as close to a vernacular description as I can find in the text for this shiny little gem. This particular specimen (Phyllobates vittatus) was found in a tiny mud cave in the Corcovado National Park by expert guide, Nito. The species is endemic to the area near the Osa Peninsula and the Golfo Dulce, and so I’ve assigned it the not-very-scientific appellation “Golfo Dulce Poison Frog.”

Golfo Dulce Poison Frog

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Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

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Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

During birding tours in Costa Rica, I have generally dismissed hummingbird identification as too difficult. They flit about very quickly, and are extremely challenging to photograph. Even when they rest on a branch for a moment, they are tiny, and their jewel-like feathers shimmer as they shift about, making coloration and markings hard to discern with confidence. I think this is probably a Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (Amazilla tzacatl) based on its solid, ruddy tail and the site where these photographs were taken. Even if I’m mistaken, it’s fun to have at least a couple snapshots of a hummingbird doing what it does best: hovering with its long bill buried in bright-colored flowers, drinking nectar.

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

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