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The American Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) does not only look evil; it is evil to the core. Horrid. American Black Vulture (thanks Redgannet for letting me use your photo) I must admit that I too completely underestimated them when I first say the American Black Vulture in Costa Rica. Bizarre looking with that funny grayish [...]

Costa Rica enjoys an international reputation as an iconic birding location, bursting with epic Neotropical species and breathtaking natural attractions.  The country blazed broad ecotourism trails that many other Central American countries still hope to follow. Understandably, certain lodges have, over the years, come to be associated with the Costa Rican birding circuit. Yet, bird [...]

We’ve all heard the rough calculus equating a bird in the hand to two in the bush. One has to wonder, however, whether certain birds in hand may have even greater value. Depends on the bird, right? My contemplation of this creaky avifaunal aphorism is prompted by my recent trip to Costa Rica. Patrick O’Donnell, [...]

The national bird of Costa Rica is the Clay-colored Thrush, perhaps my favorite decision for a national bird of any country’s.  The Yigüirro, as it is called in Costa Rica, was declared Costa Rica’s national bird on 3 January 1977.  But why choose the Yigüirro at all in a country teeming with iconic and flashy [...]

The name says it all. Costa Rica. The “Rich Coast” is stuffed full of birds and has wonderful biological richness. For many US birders wanting to expand their hobby beyond the US border, Costa Rica is the first port of call. The birding locations are easily accessible, the country is safe, the infrastructure is good [...]

From time to time during the filming of our TV series we come across something totally unexpected. Mostly the unexpected event is caused by Aderman, my trusty videographer. Like the time he dropped his 12-inch knife at the door of an Australian nightclub in full view of the biggest bouncer I’ve ever seen. Or the [...]

In the 1980s, single-species conservation projects abounded with concerned groups fighting to save the rhino, cheetah, tiger, blue whale, and many others. People ‘declared war’ on poachers and made a lot of impassioned noise. In the ‘90s, people started to see how the conservation of particular species was contingent on our ability to conserve entire [...]

Many moons ago, I worked for a conservation organisation based in Costa Rica, called Asociación Amigos de las Aves (The Ara Project) who specialised in the captive breeding, reintroduction and conservation of Central American macaws and parrots. I spent most of my time and research efforts in the coastal forests of extreme southwestern Costa Rica [...]

They say that March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb. I don’t know how this month will end but we’ll be roaring right into it. After my unforgettable week in Guatemala and Corey’s extended odyssey in Honduras, we’ll be unpacking our Neotropical adventures for the foreseeable future. And yet, just because [...]

“Visions of cloud forests with limited visibility, rain forests with dripping trees, snakes, slippery trails, mosquitoes, and spectacular birds. Take all the birds in North America and place them in a country the size of West Virginia, and you have some idea of the density of the birdlife in Costa Rica.” Guest author Jack Cole [...]