Birds & Birding in Costa Rica: (Species Blog #16) – 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: White-tipped Dove

The White-tipped Dove (Leptotila verreauxi) is a large New World tropical dove with a widespread distribution. It is a resident breeder found from southernmost Texas in the United States through Mexico and Central America south to western Peru and central Argentina. Additionally, it breeds on offshore islands of northern South America, including Trinidad and Tobago and the Netherlands Antilles. These doves inhabit scrub, woodland, and forest environments. They are usually seen singly or in pairs, and their flight is fast and direct. Their call is a deep hollow “ooo-wooooo.” White-tipped Doves primarily feed on seeds obtained by foraging on the ground, but they also consume insects. They build large stick nests in trees and lay two white eggs, with an incubation period of about 14 days and fledging occurring after 15 days. The population status of the White-tipped Dove is currently categorized as “Least Concern” by the IUCN

OBSERVATION ANECDOTES

From our first day’s mid-elevation birding at Rancho Naturalista to the humid lowland Caribbean rain forests at Sarapiqui, the White-tipped Dove was a nonchalant, unassuming bird that frequently visited feeding station.

PHOTO GALLERY

View the three most recent Birds & 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