Central American Rattlesnake (Crotalus simus)
RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser says that he had wanted to see a Central American Rattlesnake (Crotalus simus) since he started getting interested in herpetology. Fortunately for him he knew they were in the area of Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula where he has worked for five avian wintering seasons. After all those thousands of hours spent in the field keeping an eye out for the species, and eventually wondering if they were a mythical and magical creature that once existed in the area, they finally found one this week! Sean says it was a very poetic finding as it came on their very last...
Read MoreLong-billed Starthroat
Here is a great close-up of the Long-billed Starthroat (Heliomaster longirostris) by RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser on the last day of hummingbird research on the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica. More information on some great finds and recaptures will be coming soon. Our thanks to him and his colleagues for their tremendous work and gorgeous photos like this one.
Read MoreFour Costa Rican Hummingbirds
Four species of resident Costa Rican hummingbirds: the Cinnamon Hummingbird (Amazilia rutila), Blue-throated Sapphire (Hylocharis eliciae), Steely-vented Hummingbird (Amazilia saucerottei) and Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl). These are species RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser catches often in his banding work. Sean says they species that commonly occur in degraded former forest or the dry secondary forest that occurs on the Nicoya Peninsula. They can add a glimmer of beautiful color to the dry and sometimes very uniform habitat. It’s bird week at Meet Your Neighbours –...
Read MoreSeason Begins in Costa Rica
It’s that time of year again; I have a number of different tropical research projects associated with the Roger Tory Peterson Institute coming up in the next few months, and I will be posting content to the blog. First up is my personal research project with my partner Tyler Christensen. Tyler and I will spend two months on the Nicoya Peninsula studying Neotropical migrant and resident bird species. We focus our efforts on studying the habitat and how migrants utilize it during their time here in the winter. With resident species we focus primarily on the understanding of their molt...
Read MoreNicoya Peninsula Avian Research Station seeking volunteers
The Nicoya Peninsula Avian Research Station is seeking volunteer banding technicians for a winter project in northwestern Costa Rica. The research is aimed toward the study of molt and aging criteria in Costa Rican resident bird species, and collection of data from wintering Nearctic-Neotropical migrants for the Institute for Bird Populations’ MoSI Program. Winter participants will aid in the operation of four bird banding sites on the Nicoya Peninsula. These positions are opportunities for students, educators, amateur or professional ornithologists, and nature enthusiasts to visit one of...
Read More
