White-bellied Bustard (Eupodotis senegalensis)

(374 views)
by Terry Costales

I was quite taken with this two foot tall, chicken-turkey-like bird. It's a ground dwelling native of eastern Africa.

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

(372 views)
by Denver Welte

Bald Eagles are very numerous in Dutch Harbor, where they live year round. They are used to people and you see them perched on dumpsters and piers, looking for an easy meal. Bald comes from the Old English "pie-bald", which means partially white.

Cormorant

(371 views)
by Terry Costales

This bird is resting on an urn placed next to a reflecting pool inside the Stuttgart Zoo. It isn't caged and flew in on its own. I witnessed many herons, storks and cormorants fly into various enclosures to take advantage of the plentiful food supply.

Heermann's Gull

(371 views)
by Terry Costales

This juvenile Heermann's gull exhibits its main identifying marks clearly: black feet, red bill and dusky body. As an adult, its head will become pure white.

Long-nosed bat

(370 views)
by Terry Costales

On a tour of the Canal of Palms, this was the first animal spotted by our guide. There were three of these tiny bats on the underside of a dead branch. How the guide even saw them was a mystery because they were perfectly camouflaged. The guide identified them as long-nosed bats.

American White Pelican

(364 views)
by Terry Costales

There was this one lone white pelican at the nature center that day. It was probably an injured bird being nursed back to health, or it just knew a good hand-out when it saw one.

Black-Crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)

(364 views)
by Terry Costales

A large fledgling appears mesmerized by the camera.

Black Crowned Night Heron

(363 views)
by Terry Costales

It's breeding season again for the Night Herons and Snowy Egrets. Here is a Heron settling a property dispute with his Egret neighbor.

Green Heron

(362 views)
by Terry Costales

Green herons are abundant in Costa Rica. We saw them on both coasts and in a preserve near the center of Costa Rica. It took me a while to remember their name however, because they are hardly green at all.

Neotropic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus)

(362 views)
by Terry Costales

The light color of this bird indicates that it is a juvenile. The adult of this bird is all black. Neotropic is the only species of cormorant that resides in Costa Rica.

Juvenile Yellow-Crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea)

(362 views)
by Terry Costales

This juvenile was perched directly across the canal from the adult bird I posted on this blog yesterday.

Amazon Kingfisher (Chloroceryle amazona)

(362 views)
by Terry Costales

The mangrove tour's pilot and guide were very supportive of our photographic efforts. This little bird either flew away as soon as the boat moved close, or hid invisibly in the bushes. Near the tours end, one bird thankfully stayed still long enough for me to get this photo.

Wood Stork (Mycteria americana)

(362 views)
by Terry Costales

Wood storks are common in this area, unlike the Jabiru. They aren't as tall as the Jabiru but equal them in their unusual appearance.

Rufescent Tiger Heron (Tigrisoma lineatum)

(362 views)
by Terry Costales

I knew at the time this was a Tiger Heron, but a kind I hadn't seen before. Later I identified it as Rufescent Tiger Heron, where rufescent simply means red.

Bare-Throated Tiger Heron (Tigrisoma mexicanum)

(361 views)
by Terry Costales

We saw a lot of these solitary herons on the trip. Although it's called bare throated, you can't see that detail in this flying shot.

Mangrove Swallow (Tachycineta albilinea)

(361 views)
by Terry Costales

This swallow is one of a pair we saw from the boat. They patiently remained perched for several minutes while everyone photographed them.

Semiplumbeous Hawk (Leucopternis semiplumbeus)

(361 views)
by Terry Costales

On my way breakfast I happened upon a hawk hunting near our room at the lodge. He had taken some small prey, yet he looked at me with little concern. A few seconds later he flew off. The word plumbeous means leaden, dull. The hawk is half grey thereby clearly earning its name.

Spectacled Caiman (Caiman crocodilus)

(361 views)
by Terry Costales

This poor Caiman probably wished he was invisible. As the boat came closer, he slowly moved from exposure on the mud bank and into the welcoming murky water.

Black River Turtle (Rhinoclemmys funerea)

(361 views)
by Terry Costales

There are numerous Black River Turtles in the canals and rivers of Costa Rica. We stopped to view a caiman near the riverbank and this curious turtle came up to the boat. It was definitely used to people and was looking for a handout. Of course feeding the wildlife is frowned upon. It makes them dependent on humans and puts them at risk of disease and abuse.

Keel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus)

(361 views)
by Terry Costales

This was the first Toucan I saw in Costa Rica. A keel-billed or Fruit Loops Toucan.

Greater Scaup (Aythya marila)

(361 views)
by Terry Costales

Greater Scaups are very common in the Bay Area. This is a male.

Black and White Ruffed Lemur (Varecia variegata variegata)

(361 views)
by Terry Costales

The lemurs at the zoo have a large natural exhibit that gives them many opportunities to climb, relax and relate to one another.

Brown Basilisk (Basiliscus vittatus)

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by Terry Costales

Unlike yesterday's bright green plumed basilisk, this brown one has a yellow stripe. Here the male shows off his crest.

Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)

(361 views)
by Bryan Costales

I had no camera that day in Union Square. So I became the director of the photo shoot. That means I said, "Honey, get a shot of that starling for me!" I'm not sure if I said please, but Bryan is always forgiving.

Standard Poodle

(361 views)
by Terry Costales

Beautiful poodle with a decent haircut and a colorful back.