The Birds

84 cms in length and weighing 900grams. They produce anything from 2 - 4 eggs per clutch

One of the most beautiful Macaws - the scarlet has the widest distribution range of all the macaws, extending from southern Mexico to eastern Bolivia. The Scarlet Macaw was once prolific throughout the Caribbean and Pacific lowlands of Costa Rica in the 1900's, but by 1950's they had all disappeared except for small populations throughout the country.

Over the past forty years, habitat destruction, poaching and trapping has reduced the wild population to three groups of little over a thousand individuals.

The Scarlet Macaw is currently on CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) Appendix 1 since 1985, which "includes all species threatened with extinction.

The program for release of captive bred Scarlet Macaws into the 'wild' is unique and will answer many questions - can the birds survive? Will they endanger any wild population? Can they adapt to completely new surroundings? Will they be able to produce young? We hope to answer these vital questions and more.

This macaw is 84cm in length and weighs 900g for a fully grown bird. Brilliant colors, mostly red with yellow and blue markings, a long tail and powerful bill. The habitat frequented is solid or patchy deciduous or evergreen forests, feeding in the canopy on fruits and nuts of trees. Usually to be found in pairs of family flocks of 3/4 and can be joined by other family units in flocks of 25 and more at communal roosts. These birds can travel several kilometres in distance and will fly directly and steadily.

Nesting in natural cavities of trees, anywhere from 23 – 80 feet up the trunk, they will produce 1 or 2 eggs per season.

The gentle green giant of Macaws - the green has a limited distribution and is restricted to the lowlands tropical wet forests of Central and South America, from eastern Honduras to western Columbia and Ecuador. In Central America the population is restricted to the Atlantic forests where in Costa Rica the population of birds has been reduced to dangerous levels.

The Green Macaw was once abundant in all parts of the Atlantic coast of Costa Rica, but is now restricted to the area between the San Carlos and Sarapiqui Rivers, due to the loss of the almendro (dipterix panamensis) tree habitat in other areas. The almendro tree has been deforested in Costa Rica. This is the macaws main source of food and nesting.

The Northern Zone of Costa Rica has been subjected to rapid colonisation and a very high rate of deforestation during the past two decades. The Great Greens habitat has been reduced by 95.7%. Listed on Cites, Appendix 1 since 1985 (most endangered) species, the Green may disappear from Costa Rica entirely within 10 years. (Powell et al. 1996).

The great green is 79cm and weighs 1.3kg. They have a shorter tail than the scarlet macaw and are more solid and robust with a heavier bill. Green in colour with a red brow band, blue back and reddish yellow green tail. The greens prefer the canopy of humid lowland forest, feeding mainly on the fruit of Dipteryx panamensis. Nesting is usually in natural cavities during the dry season, producing 2 eggs.

Through necessity and the terms of our Zoocrodero, birds are being confiscated by MINAE, and people are leaving the country, our refuge has accepted birds at Amigos de las Aves for the last few years. This practice has brought us over half of our Scarlet Macaws and Great Greens, without which there would be no release program.

It has also brought us a wealth of birds indigenous to Costa Rica. The most important of which is now proving to be the Yellow Naped Amazon (Amazona auropalliata) which were declared Critically

The yellow naped amazon is the only large Amazon on the North Pacific slopes of Costa Rica. Approximately 35cm in length and weighing 480grams, they prefer deciduous and evergreen forests and savannahs with sparse trees and groves. They eat fruits and seeds complemented by some flowers and buds. They nest in tree cavities, knots and hollows and will produce up to 3 eggs per clutch. Their population has declined drastically due to the pet trade.

The Mealy Amazon(Amazona farinosa) are common to abundant in Costa Rica. Numbers are declining due to deforestation and the pet trade. Approximately 38cm in length and weighing 600grams.

They prefer forested areas generally keeping to the canopy. They eat fruits, seeds, palms, figs and green pods. Nesting in natural cavities and often dead wood trees and will produce up to 3 eggs per clutch.

The Red Lored Amazon (Amazona autumnalis) is approximately 34 cm in length and weighing 420grams. In some areas of Costa Rica these birds are abundant and in some are completely absent. The birds frequent the forest edge and scattered groves in open country,where they feed on fruits of palm, seeds, figs, leaf buds and mango and citrus. They usually nest in a dead tree and produce three to four eggs per clutch. Numbers are declining due to the pet trade.

The White Fronted Parrot (Amazona albifrons) is 25cm in length and weighing 230 grams. These birds can be found in the canopy of deciduous and evergreen forest and in secondary growth and forest patches in the savannah. They nest in natural cavities or old woodpecker holes and produce between 3-5 eggs per clutch. Food sources are figs, seeds and nuts, blossoms and fruit. These birds are quite common throughout Costa Rica.

The White Crowned Pionus Parrot (Pionus senilis) 24cm in length and weighing 220 grams. These birds frequent forest canopy and edges, semi open and tall second growth. They nest in natural cavities and tend to lay 2 eggs per clutch. Food sources are fruits, seeds and nuts. These birds are localy common in certain areas of Costa Rica.

The Crimson Fronted Parakeet (Aratinga finschi) at 23cm in length and weighting 150grams, these noisy little birds do not appear to be dimishing in Costa Rica. They prefer open country and some are resident in San Jose centre. Highly social birds they often gather in hundreds at communal roosts. Food sources are corn, fruit, flowers and figs. They nest in any old holes of wood and produce 2 - 4 eggs per clutch.

The Orange Fronted Parakeet (Aratinga canicularis) is 22.5cm in length and weighting 80grams. They usually fly in flocks of 30 or more birds, around the forest edge, scattered trees in savannas and canopy tops. They nest in old woodpecker holes, termite cavities and lay 3-5 eggs per clutch. They like to eat fruits, flower and seeds.

The Olive Throated Parakeet (Aratinga nana) is 23cm and weighs 85gms. Numbers have been cut drastically over the years and are found in small pockets in the Caribean lowlands to Cordillera Central. Preferring forest and semi cutover areas, along river banks and forest edges. They tend to fly in small flocks. Usually excavating their own nest sites in an arboreal termite nest, they lay 3 - 4 eggs. Living mainly on fruits especially figs.

Keel Billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus) measures 47 & 44cm in length and weighting 500 & 380 grams. These birds frequent upper levels of forest and tall second growth and semi open areas. They eat fruits, large and small seeded and catkins and sometimes insects like small lizards or snakes. Tossing their food back into their throats. They nest in a deep tree hollow and produce 3 - 4 eggs per clutch. These birds are quite common in some areas of Costa Rica and almost non existent in other parts.

The Chestnut Mandibled Toucan (Ramphastos swainsonii) 56 to 52cm in length and weighting 750 to 580 grams. These birds live in upper levels of forest and tall second growth and semi open spaces. Their food sources are mainly fruits, but will eat small mammals, holding them by a foot and tearing the food into pieces. Nesting in a living tree or an old woodpecker cavity. This species tend to be fairly common in certain areas of Costa Rica.

The Collared Aracari (Pteroglossus torquatus) is 41cm and weights 230gms. A slender bird with long graduated tail, short rounded wings, and a large bill. These birds live in middle to upper levels of forest, semi open and old second growth in flocks of 6 – 15 birds, nesting in a natural cavity or woodpecker hole, producing 3 eggs. The eat mainly aroids and palm fruits some insects and eggs of small birds. Their status in Costa Rica is common to abundant in lowlands on the Caribbean slope, but not so abundant on the Pacific side.

The Fiery Billed Aracari (Pteroglossus frantzii) is 43cm and weights 250gms. Slightly larger that the collared aracari. Living on the South Pacific slopes of Costa Rica in the upper levels of humid forest. Nesting in old woodpecker holes with regurgitated seeds as the bottom cover, producing two eggs. The nest may be small communal. These birds eat fruit, insects and nestling birds.

And then there's Penelope!

The Crested Guan (Penelope purpurascens) is typically 86 cm and weighs 1700mgs. These birds live in lowlands between south Mexico and the Yucatan, to western Ecuador and northern Venezuela. It has a small head, long red legs a long broad tail. Mainly dark brown with white spots on the neck and breast. The rump and belly are rufous. The head has a bushy crest and a bare red wattle. The bird is rather noisy and lives in pairs or family groups of 6 - 12. They eat fruit and foliage.

References – A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica, Stiles, Skutch and Gardner