@ Punta Leona Resort – forest reserve, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Birds & Birding in Costa Rica: – 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 in Costa Rica, there is certainly lots to enjoy! With 12 of the world’s 18 life zones, its diverse landscapes, including tropical rainforests, cloud forests, mangroves, and savannas, provide habitat for a wide range of iconic birds A Reflections of the Natural World Blog Post Series by Jim Gain

BIRDS & BIRDING IN COSTA RICA WEBSITE LINK


PALE-BILLED WOODPECKER(Species Account Blog #120)

TAXONOMIC TREE:  

  • ORDER: Piciformes – Woodpeckers, Barbets, Toucans and Honeyguides
  • FAMILY: Picidae – Woodpeckers,
  • BINOMIAL NAME: Campephilus guatemalensis

The Pale-billed Woodpecker is one of the largest and most spectacular woodpeckers in Central America. Found in lowland forests from northern Mexico south to western Panama, this species is fairly common throughout most of its range, but is not present in heavily deforested areas, and may now be extirpated from the northwestern limit of its reported distribution in Sonora, Mexico. (from Birds of the World)

Pale-billed Woodpecker Distribution Map (from Birds of the World)

In Costa Rica we observed Pale-billed Woodpecker while in the Punta Leona area and near5 Sarapiquí.


**Some of these Photo Gallery images (all taken by me) have been taken in other nearby countries.

@ PN Tikal – sitio arqueológico, Petén District, Guatemala
@ PN Tikal – sitio arqueológico, Petén District, Guatemala
@ PN Tikal – sitio arqueológico, Petén District, Guatemala
@ PN Tikal – sitio arqueológico, Petén District, Guatemala




View the five most recent Birds & Birding in Costa Rica series blog posts below.

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ABOUT THE SITE

With a primary focus on birds, each blog series has it’s own unique look at the wildlife and wild places encountered at different locations that I have visited around the world.

ABOUT ME

I earned my college degree in biology, a foundation that shaped not only how I see the world, but how I’ve spent my life sharing it with others. For more than 40 years, I taught and led in public education, helping students discover the wonder woven into every corner of the natural world. That same drive has carried me through decades of citizen science and conservation work. As an active member of the Modesto Camera Club, I’ve developed a photographic practice that blends natural history with visual artistry, and my award‑winning images have been featured across the Internet on dozens of sites and field‑oriented platforms. This blog brings together my passions for birding, conservation, and storytelling.

~ Jim Gain