Potters Bar & Barnet Local RSPB Group

Costa Rica

Brian Gray a member of the local RSPB group who took the pictures of the Sparrowhawk had a holiday in Costa Rica at the end of November 2002.  The guide, José Saenz, who accompanied him has since sent him some very colourful pictures of some of Costa Rica's birds. Brian admitted that if it had not been for José he would not have seen nearly as many birds as he did. These birds on this page are only a small sample of the vast array of exotic birds that can be seen in Costa Rica.

These were taken with a digital camera mounted on a telescope.

Click on the photo to enlarge, use back button to return to thumbnails.

1)  Scissor Tail Flycatcher taken on the road to Monte Verde in the Guanacastle Mountains.

2)  Barred Forest Falcon in the Cloud Forest of Monte Verde

3 - 7) The Quetzal also taken in the Cloud Forest

8)  The Roseate Spoonbill

9)  Bare Throated Tiger Heron

10) Summer Tanager

11) Great Ciskadee - all taken in Tortugerra National Park.

12) Great Potoo  (added October 2004)

13) Mangrove Hawk (added October 2004)

The description of the Great Potoo in the Time Life book Birds of Field and Forest states that the Great Potoo is of the Goatsucker or Nightjar family. Short legged and long winged. They are insect eating birds with huge gaping mouths, they tend to hunt at dawn and dusk and sleep during the day.

All the photographs © José Saenz