Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) - new species for Costa Rica

1. Photo by José David Vargas Fernández

2. Photo by José David Vargas Fernández


On Nov 1, 2009, at 7:30 am, José David Vargas Fernández, who is a guide for Jacamar Tours S.A., found and photographed this juvenile Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) on the rocky coast between Playa Mansita, in Hacienda Pinilla, and the estuary at Playa Avellanas, Guanacaste. The lone Piping Plover was on the fringe of a large group of Semipalmated Plovers (C. semipalmatus). JD noted that the Piping Plover seemed to keep apart from the Semipalmateds and that it made high, whistled "peep" vocalizations that were different from the more nasal calls of the Semipalmateds.

On Nov 7, at 12:50 pm, JD went back with Edgar Brenes and Gustavo Mora, who are also both Costa Rican naturalist guides, to look for the bird. They were able to find it , and photograph it, again at the same spot. There have been no subsequent reports of this bird to date.

Piping Plover is ranked as a "Near Threatened" species by the IUCN. It breeds in the US and Canada in the great plains and along the northern Atlantic coast, and winters on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the southern US and Mexico, and in the Bahamas and Greater Antilles. Its occurrence south of the Yucatan Peninsula in winter is considered as accidental.

A Few Highlights From a Short WINGS tour

Dear Birders,

I've just finished leading a five-day tour in Costa Rica. There was just one avid birder in the group, a 13-year-old boy who has been birding for about a year and a half and was here on vacation with his family. His keen ears and eyes garnered us a total bird list around 250 species. Several other members of the family were also interested in seeing birds, but it wasn't a dawn-to-dusk birding group.

Just a few highlights:
At Savegre Lodge we had great views of a GREEN-FRONTED LANCEBILL hunting insects over the bridge at the entrance at about 6:15 a.m. on 29 Dec. In the gardens were two STRIPE-TAILED HUMMINGBIRDS, which I hadn't seen here before. I suspect they are usually quite a bit lower in elevation on this slope. As usual, this continues to be the best place for RESPLENDENT QUETZAL, and we watched a pair feeding from a Nectandra tree visible from the picture windows in our rooms. It was being reported that Los Lagos ($2 per person entrance) also had a very active fruiting tree.

Our morning at La Selva on 30 Dec was quite productive considering we were there for just 3 hours and that we spent time watching things such as poison dart frogs and Collared Peccaries. Great views of an immature RUDDY QUAIL-DOVE, a confiding GREAT TINAMOU, and three CRESTED GUANS by the start of the foot bridge were probably the most memorable birds, though we didn't see anything unexpected. Flocks of swifts overhead were mixed VAUX'S SWIFT and GRAY-RUMPED SWIFT.

The birding at Sueño Azul resort on 30 and 31 Dec was as good as always. A SLATY-BREASTED TINAMOU was calling a dusk at the end of the "rainforest" road, two FASCIATED TIGER-HERONS were almost always visible on the rocks downstream from the lodge, and a pair of SPECTACLED OWLS sang both nights just outside our rooms. A "whitting" empid that I did not see was probably a LEAST FLYCATCHER, but it's been long enough since I've heard a WILLOW FLYCATCHER call that I'm not sure it wasn't that species. Either would be rather rare here in mid-winter. A ROYAL FLYCATCHER on the far side of the little lake by the parking area was something of a surprise.

Finally, on the morning of 27 Dec at the Bougainvillea Hotel in Santo Domingo, Heredia, I briefly saw two birds fly over that I would have called SHINY COWBIRDS had I seen them anywhere I know the species to be common. Has this species spread into the Central Valley in recent years? I saw them so briefly that I admit I may have misjudged their size and flight style, the only other possibility being Bronzed Cowbird.

Good Birding,

Rich Hoyer

Cambios en la Lista Oficial de las Aves de CR 2009

Hola,

Ya pueden obtener detalles de todos los cambios realizados en la lista oficial para el periodo 2006-2009.

http://avesdecostarica.org/Page388.html

Saludos,

Gerardo Obando

Aguila Arpia en Tortuguero

Hola,

Ya esta disponible en le web de la AOCR fotos del individuo y ubicación en google maps del avistamiento del Aguila Arpia

http://avesdecostarica.org/Page370.html

Gerardo Obando

Lista Oficial de las Aves de Costa Rica 2009

Hola a todos,

Les comunico que la lista Oficial actualizada al 2009 ya esta disponible en la web de la AOCR. También las evidencias fotográficas aceptadas por el Comité Científico y archivadas en el MNCR (Depto. Historia Natural) para esta actualización y anteriores podrán verlas en el siguiente enlace http://avesdecostarica.org/Page582.html
La actualización 2009 detallada con todos los cambios ya esta circulando en la versión impresa de Zeledonia 13,2 Nov. y pronto estará disponible en el siguiente enlace http://avesdecostarica.org/Page388.html

Saludos,

Gerardo Obando
Comité Científico, AOCR

Sept 18-20 Pacific pelagic gets new species for Costa Rica - Tahiti Petrel (Pseudobulweria rostrata)

1. Tahiti Petrel (Pseudobulweria rostrata). One of five individuals seen September 18-19 off Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Surprisingly the species does not appear on the main list of the AOU for North America because of possible confusion with Phoenix Petrel (Pterodroma alba) although it has been reported regularly by researchers working in the eastern tropical Pacific and is included in Howell and Webb's Guide to the Birds of Mexico. This photo shows the long straight wing, and long thin tail profile typical of the species. Photo by Noel Ureña.

2. Tahiti Petrel (Pseudobulweria rostrata). The first individual was seen only 33 km south of the tip of the Nicoya peninsula, well within the range of a one day pelagic trip out of Los Sueños or Quepos. Photo by Noel Ureña.

3. Tahiti Petrel (Pseudobulweria rostrata). Distinctive large bill, dark unpatterned underwing, long thin tail, and grayish rump are all marks that help distinguish this species from Phoenix Petrel (Pterodroma alba). Photo by Noel Ureña.

4. Markham's Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma markhami) - another rare species we found on this trip. Two individuals were identified. Others were possible but couldn't be seen well enough to distinguish them from the more common and very similar Black Storm-Petrel. Photo by Noel Ureña.

5. Parkinson's Petrel (Procellaria parkinsoni) - only one bird was observed when it came to our chum along with a handful of Wilson's Storm-Petrels and a Pink-footed Shearwater at the end of the day on Sept 19th. Photo by Noel Ureña.

6. White Tern (Gygis alba) - again, only one individual was seen, this one just before sunset on the first day, Sept. 18th about 150 km from shore. Photo by Noel Ureña.

7. Red-footed Booby (Sula sula) - Dark morph adult, the form typically found in Costa Rican waters. We've had several trips where the last bird of the day is a Red-footed Booby that tries to land on the mast for the night. Photo by Noel Ureña.

8. Sabine's Gull (Xema sabini) - a common migrant out at sea this time of year. Most, like this bird, were almost molted into their winter plumage. We found a large flock attending a trawler that was hauling in it's nets out in the Gulf of Nicoya on Sept. 20th. Among the hundreds of Brown Boobies (Sula leucogaster) also in attendance we managed to spot one Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii). Photo by Noel Ureña.

9. Wedge-rumped Storm Petrel (Oceanodroma tethys) - by far the most common species of storm-petrel this time of year. Photo by Noel Ureña.

10. Audubon's Shearwater (Puffinus lherminieri) - always a regular though usually in smaller numbers than the other regular member of the genus in Pacific Costa Rican waters, the Wedge-tailed Shearwater (P. pacificus). Audubon's Shearwater complex is split by some into several species, the one found here on the Pacific side would be the Galapagos Shearwater (P. subalaris). Caribbean birds would still be Audubon's. We also saw one Manx/Townsend's Shearwater (P. puffinus/auricularis) but were unable to see it well enough, or get photos, to tell which species it might have been. Photo by Noel Ureña.

11. Paul Murgatroyd with American Redstart that came aboard the boat out in the middle of the Gulf of Nicoya. It stayed with us for about an hour and finally headed out on its own for land shortly before we reached Playa Herradura. At first timid, it soon became bold enough to perch on anyone's head or outstretched arm. Thanks to Paul for sponsoring yet another wonderful journey aboard the Floating Bear and for his contributions towards furthering our knowledge of Costa Rica's pelagic birds. Photo by Noel Ureña.

Here is the at sea list for the three day trip - September 18-20, 2009.

5 - Tahiti Petrel (Pseudobulweria rostrata)
13 - unidentified petrel sp.
1 - Parkinson's Petrel (Procellaria parkinsoni)
3 - Pink-footed Shearwater (Puffinus pacificus)
74 - Wedge-tailed Shearwater (P. pacificus)
14 - Audubon's Shearwater (P. lherminieri)
5 - unidentified shearwater sp.
9 - Wilson's Storm-Petrel (Oceanites oceanicus)
12 - Leach's Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa)
(Leach's rump color: 7 white, 4 dark, 1 intermediate)
2 - Band-rumped Storm-Petrel (O. castro)
59 - Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrel (O. tethys)
12 - Black Storm-Petrel (O. melania)
2 - Markham's Storm-Petrel (O. markhami)
1 - Least Storm-Petrel (O. microsoma)
33 - unidentified Storm-Petrel with white rump
3 - unidentified Storm-Petrel with dark rump
9 - Red-billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus)
1 - Masked Booby (Sula dactylatra)
4 - Masked/Nazca Booby (S. dactylatra/granti)
1 - Blue-footed Booby (S. nebouxii)
606 - Brown Booby (S. leucogaster)
10 - Red-footed Booby (S. sula)
246 - Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)
329 - Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens)
1 - Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus)
19 - unknown shorebird
250 - Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus)
5 - Red Phalarope (P. fulicarius)
59 - Sabine's Gul (Xema sabini)
1 - Franklin’s Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan)
4 - Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus)
1 - White Tern (Gygis alba)
9 - Bridled Tern (Onychoprion anaethetus)
41 - Black Tern (Chlidonias niger)
1 - Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus)
1 - Sandwich Tern (T. sandvicensis)
1 - Elegant Tern (T. elegans)
1 - Common/Arctic Tern (Sterna hirundo/paradisaea)
3 - Pomarine Jaeger (Stercorarius pomarinus)
6 - Parasitic Jaeger (S. parasiticus)
1 - Long-tailed Jaeger (S. longicaudus)
8 - unidentified jaeger sp.
7 - Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia)
19 - Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota)
10 - Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
9 - unidentified swallow sp.
1 - American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)

Visit to Veragua Rainforest July 2009

This past July, I visited Veragua Rainforest Park with Daniel Torres and Andres Daves. Both are great birders and passionate about their professions. I highly recommend it is a birding destination as well as a family destination. They have beautiful facilities and excellent habitat. The Frog exhibit and reptile vivarium are state of the art. They have a dark room to walk through with a guide to look for frogs. Their butterfly reasearch and collection are amazing.

They have reports of seeing the sulphur-rumped tanager, white-fronted nunbird, and bare-necked umbrella bird.

Veragua is 12km south from the Liverpool entrance near Limon. Very nice middle-elevation habitat.

I saw the following in a short period of time. I'm definately going to return to seek out the elusive sulphur-rumped tananger.....Lance

Great Tinamou
Plumbeous Kite
White-throated Crake
Sunbittern
Red-billed Pigeon
Short-billed Pigeon
Gray-chested Dove
Red-lored Parrot
Squirrel Cuckoo
Groove-billed Ani
White-collared Swift
Band-tailed Barbthroat
Western Long-tailed Hermit
Blue-chested Hummingbird
Green-crowned Brilliant
Violaceous Trogon
Rufous Motmot
Collared Aracari
Keel-billed Toucan
Chestnut-mandibled Toucan
Northern Barred-Woodcreeper
Western Slaty-Antshrike
Chestnut-backed Antbird
White-collared Manakin
Red-capped Manakin
Great Kiskadee
Social Flycatcher
Black-throated Wren
Stripe-breasted Wren
White-breasted Wood-Wren
Clay-colored Robin
Dusky-faced Tanager
Passerini's Tanager
Olive-backed Euphonia
Bay-headed Tanager
Golden-hooded Tanager
Green Honeycreeper
Blue-black Grassquit
Thick-billed Seed-Finch
Black-striped Sparrow
Black-faced Grosbeak
Scarlet-rumped Cacique
Montezuma Oropendola