Birds & Birding in Costa Rica: (Species Blog #1) – Costa Rica’s national motto and tourism slogan, “La Pura Vida” loosely translates to Live Life or Enjoy Life. With over 900 bird species recorded here, there is certainly lots to enjoy! Join with me as I guide you through the scenic wonderland that is Costa Rica. From the slow-moving waters of the Coastal Mangrove Wetlands to the heights of the Talamanca Páramo, over 300 species of birds will be featured in this blog series. **Some of this Blog Series photos (all taken by me) may have been taken in other nearby countries.

A Reflections of the Natural World Blog Post Series by Jim Gain

BIRDS & BIRDING IN COSTA RICA WEBSITE LINK: Great Tinamou

The Great Tinamou (Tinamus major) is a large, almost tailless game bird that lives on the ground. It inhabits subtropical and tropical forests, including rainforests, lowland evergreen forests, river-edge forests, swamp forests, and cloud forests. It can be found at altitudes ranging from 300 to 1,500 meters (1,000 to 4,900 feet). Unlike some other tinamous, the Great Tinamou is less affected by forest fragmentation, and its nest is typically located at the base of a tree.

OBSERVATION ANECDOTES

Our Eagle-Eye tour group came upon a single Great Tinamou while we walked along the trail at Carara National Park in Puntarenas Province. The bird strolled quite slowly and with little concern about our presence. Even with such a cooperative bird, it was a challenge to get decent photographs. Due to the darkness of the understory I had to shoot at 51,000 ISO and had to make great use of the Topaz DeNoise app to get rid of the digital noise.

PHOTO GALLERY

View the three most recent Birds and Birding in Costa Rica series blog posts below.

• A Streak-headed Woodcreeper Feeds its Offspring Near the Arenal Observatory Lodge, Costa Rica
• PALE-BILLED WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
• SMOKY-BROWN WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
• HOFFMANN’S WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding
• BLACK-CHEEKED WOODPECKER – Pura Vida Birds and Birding