Green-crowned Brilliant (Heliodoxa jacula)
Here is the Green-crowned Brilliant (Heliodoxa jacula), a large hummingbird commonly found at higher elevations in Costa Rica. It can be seen on edge clearings and in the forest, protecting certain feeding plants. This is an adult male, as juveniles usually have a mix of green and white plumage with a orange gorget. It turns purple as it ages, and as you can see by the full purple gorget this is indeed an adult male. Photographed by RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser for the Meet Your Neighbours global biodiversity project in Costa Rica while on assignment for the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of...
Read MoreRed-legged Honeycreeper (Cyanerpes cyaneus)
Here we have the vibrant male and subtle female Red-legged Honeycreeper (Cyanerpes cyaneus). You can see the contrast in plumage between the breeding male and green female, and non-breeding and juvenile males also have green plumage. It is a common species in mixed feeding flocks on forest edges. Photographed by RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser for the Meet Your Neighbours global biodiversity project in Costa Rica while on assignment for the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History.
Read MoreWhite-necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora)
The White-necked Jacobin (Florisuga mellivora) is one of the most uniquely colored hummingbird species in Central America. The adult males have this beautiful blue bib that has a splendid sheen to it. They can be found in many different habitat types making it an especially interesting species to study. Photographed by RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser for the Meet Your Neighbours global biodiversity project in Costa Rica while on assignment for the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History.
Read MoreBarred Antshrikes (Thamnophilus doliatus)
Zebra? Not quite. Here are the Barred Antshrikes (Thamnophilus doliatus) of Costa Rica including a female, juvenile male and male from left to right, photographed by RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser for the Meet Your Neighbours global diversity project.
Read MoreFemale White-breasted Nuthatch
This looks to be a female White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) – can you determine why? The crown stripe on this bird is gray rather than the solid black of a male. This lovely lady inquisitively watched me for a moment before continuing to forage with what seems to me to be a tad higher than average numbers of the species in our region. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
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