Another great Christmas Bird Count in 2019 for Selva Verde Lodge

SELVA VERDE LODGE, COSTA RICA

On December 14th, Selva Verde Lodge naturalists and friends were extremely pleased to participate in the annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC). The CBC is a survey of birds taking place every year in December at points all around the Western Hemisphere by volunteer birdwatchers. In Sarapiquí, the Count is organized by the nearby La Selva Biological Station and Selva Verde is assigned a route that includes the Lodge ground and reserve as well as neighboring areas. To cover as much ground as possible, Selva Verde had three teams on three different routes. All together the Selva Verde groups saw 204 species and a total of 1762 total birds seen by 14 participants. Selva Verde even added a totally new bird to its list, the Bay-headed tanager. The Selva Verde bird list is now up to 399 species!

Team 1/Route 1 in yellow on map. 143 species, 6 participants, Ronald Jiménez Saborío (team leader), Melany Ocón Rojas, Juan Jose Umaña, Ingrid Quirós Vargas, Feliciano Suarez Murillo, Joser Rodriguez.

Team 2/Route 2 in red on map. 168 species, 3 participants, Randy Gómez Alvarado (team leader) Abelardo Benavides Murillo, Wilson Huertas Miranda.

Team 3/Route 3 in Green on map. 120 species, 5 participants, Iván Castillo Gómez (team leader), Andrew Conner, Joe Steensma, Nate Steemsma, Donald Vargas Molina.

Many thanks to the friends from near and far that joined Selva Verde’s naturalists in this year’s count!.

Team 2 ( Left to right)  Abelardo Benavides Murillo, Wilson Huertas Miranda, Randy Gómez Alvarado.

Team 2 ( Left to right)  Abelardo Benavides Murillo, Wilson Huertas Miranda, Randy Gómez Alvarado.

The birds most commonly seen were:

1) Scarlet-rumped tanager
2) Chestnut-sided warbler
3) Great kiskadee
4) Clay-colored thrush
5) Blue-Gray Tanager

The most representative species of Selva Verde:

1) Gartered trogon (Selva Verde's emblematic bird)
2) Collared aracari (emblematic bird of La Selva's CBC)
3) White-fronted nunbird
4) Snowy Cotinga
5) Red-capped manakin
6) White-collared manakin
7) Red-throated ant tanager
8) Great green macaw
9) Scarlet macaw

The most rare or difficult to observe species were:

1) Black swift
2) Lesser swallow-tailed swift
3) Southern lapwing
4) Black-and-white hawk-eagle
5) Slate-coloured grosbeak
6) Black-striped woodcreeper

And there was a new bird sighted at Selva Verde for the first time, the Bay-headed tanager. This first is an exciting addition to Selva Verde's list. Will there be a 400th species in 2020?

Selva Verde Lodge & Private Reserve is 9th on the list of eBird hotspots in Costa Rica. Here is the list up to #9:

1) Arenal Observatory Lodge
2) Rancho Naturalista
3) Arenal- Leaves and Lizards Retreat Hotel
4) La Selva Biological Station
5) Braulio Carillo National Park
6) Tapanti National Park
7) Arenal National Park
8) Rainforest Adventures, Braulio Carillo
9) Selva Verde Lodge & Rainforest Reserve