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Great green macaw (Ara ambigua) |
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The great green macaw (Ara ambiguus) has a limited distribution in the Atlantic wet lowlands of Central America, from Honduras south to northern Colombia, with a small isolated population in the Pacific in Esmeraldas and Guayaquil, Ecuador. The world population is about 7.000 individuals. In Costa Rica, this species is currently limited to approximately 600 km2 of tropical very wet forest in the northern part of the country, in the border area with Nicaragua. It highly depends on the Almendro tree (Dipteryx panamensis) both for feeding and nesting substrate. This endangered species, which is listed in Appendix I of CITES, is in serious danger of disappearing from Costa Rica in the near future. |
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Read more... [Great green macaw (Ara ambigua)]
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Agami Heron /chesnut-bellied heron(Agamia agami) |
28” (71cm); 550g. very long neck and bill, relatively short legs. Adults:head black, with long, blue-gray occipital plumes; neck maroon, with chestnut and midventral stripe, silvery “filigree” on lower foreneck; belly chestnut; upperparts dark glossy green. Iris orange to reddish-brown; bill blackish, shading to grayish-green at base of lower mandible; facial skin yellow-green; legs blackish. |
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Read more... [Agami Heron /chesnut-bellied heron(Agamia agami)]
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Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata) |
Macho: 34”(86cm), 3kg; Hembra: 25”(64cm), 1.3kg. very large, heavy-bodied, broad –winged. Adult: below dusky-black; above black, strongly glossed with metallic green; conspicuous white upper and lower wing-coverst. Male not only much larger but also has conspicuous crest and extensive bare, black faced with red caruncles. Bill banded with with black whitish; legs black. Immature: browner, less glossy; only a small square of white on upperwing. |
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Read more... [Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata)]
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Great Curassow (Crax rubra) |
36”(91cm); 4kg. Very large and robust, with long tail and prominent crest of erectile, forward-curled feathers. Adult: Male, glossy black with white belly; yellow cere surmounted by bulbous knob. Bill dusky with pale tip, legs grays. Female, variable; head and crest barred with black and sometimes white; tail more or less barred. |
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53” (135); 6.5kg. huge; bill heavy, sharp-pointed, slightly upturned. Adults, plumage entirely white; head and neck bare, black except for red area at base of neck( brighter in male). Bill and legs black. Immature, head and neck covered with sparse grayish down, rest of plumage grayish more or less mixed with white. |
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Read more... [Jabiru (Jabiru mycteria)]
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Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) |
32” (81cm); 1.4kg. Distinctive spatulate bill; only large pink bird in our area. Adults: head bare, greenish; neck and body white to pale pink ; wings deep pink with rose red lesser coverts; tail buffy orange. Iris brick-red; bill greenish; legs reddish. Breeding: facial skin suffused with orange; bill, crown and gular pouch bluish-green. Immature: body pinkish-white; head covered with dull white down; wings pale pink, primaries dusky-tipped ; legs and feet blackish. Three years to full adult plumage. |
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Read more... [Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja)]
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Green Ibis (Mesembrinibis cayennensis) |
22” (56cm); 650g. heavy – bodied , very broad –winged , rather long tailed, bill relatively small and slender, decurved. Adults: above glossy , iridescent greenish –black ; below sooty –black with slight greenish gloss , small shaggy occipital crest; feathers of neck lanceolate; facial skin dark gray, more greenish above eye, pinkish on chin, and dull bluish –gray on throat. Bill pale green with horn –color along culmen, yellowish tip; legs dull pale green. Immature: much duller overall, head and neck sooty with little gloss. Glossy Ibis slimmer with longer bill and legs , more pointed wings. |
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Read more... [Green Ibis (Mesembrinibis cayennensis)]
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Sunbittern (Eurypyga helias) |
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19”( 48cm) ; 255g. long bill rather heavy body held horizontally. Head black with white superciliaries and malar stripes; throat white; neck and breast brown, vermiculated with black; belly white, upperparts barred with olive –brown and blackish; upper surface of wing with striking “sun” pattern in chestnut, yellowish –buff , black, white, olive, and gray(revealed when wings spread); tail marbled with gray and white, with 2 broad bands of chestnut and black. Iris red; eyelids yellow; bill orange with black culmen; legs orange. |
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Read more... [Sunbittern (Eurypyga helias)]
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