Diego Birding & Nature

02/04/2024

Between March 03rd and March 28th 2024, we at Birding Experiences had the joy of hosting a group of Aussies (+1 Canadian) organized by my friend Ken Cross.

What an amazing group it was, enthusiastic naturalist and birders, with the best sense of humor and always ready to go out for more.

I really enjoyed this trip, a long one indeed, but with amazing birds and wildlife in general. We visited every possible habitat in the country, and by doing so, we saw many species of insects, butterflies, frogs, reptiles and a great selection mammals including Tapirs, Tayra, Tamandua, the 4 species of Monkeys for the country, Kinkajous, Cacomistles and much more!

Here is our eBird Trip report with our final tally at 555 species.

03 Mar, 2024 – 28 Mar, 2024. Created by Diego Quesada

07/02/2023

Snowcap (Microchera albocoronata)

A stunning male of this most south-after species feeds on the Verbenas at Naturalista, Costa Rica.

03/02/2023

Jabiru (Jabiru mycteria)

A closer view of this magnificent bird.
Taken in the tropical dry forest area near Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica.

02/02/2023

Jabiru (Jabiru mycteria)

A large stork, found in lowland wetlands from Northern Central America throughout South America.

In Costa Rica their numbers have declined, due to lost of habitat and pouching. Conservation efforts are in place to protect the species and recover their populations.

This picture shows a congregation of Jabirus near a wetland, within a private ranch located in the Tropical Dry Forest lowlands near Palo Verde National Park in Costa Rica.

31/01/2023

Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus)

This boreal specialist has always been high on the species of birds that I ever wanted to see, and finally got it during our recent adventure in the Boreal Forest in Northern Minnesota.

On our last day of birding we found 3 individuals near Superior, Wisconsin with and Barry Thompson.

During winter they migrate South and are often found in airport runways, which they relate to the flat snowy areas where they hunt up North.





birding_minnesota

23/10/2022

Roseate Spoonbill
(Platalea ajaja)

The Roseate Spoonbill frequents shallow aquatic habitats and feeds by tactolocation: While walking, it swings its head and the slightly open “spoon” of its bill in the water from side to side in a semicircular motion. The bill snaps shut when it contacts prey, mainly fish and aquatic invertebrates. It is gregarious while feeding, nesting, and roosting (Birds of the World).

27/09/2022

Razorbill (Alca torda)

Black-and-white seabird with a thick and blunt bill. Breeds in colonies on rocky islands; winters on the ocean.

12/08/2022

A few more pictures from my visits to Pacuare Reserve / Reserva Pacuare last May and July.

The Agami Heron nesting colony is an amazing nature spectacle.

By visiting we were also supporting their conservation efforts to learn more about their natural history, behavior and reproductive cicle.

Enjoy!

01/07/2022

Crested Eagle (Morphnus guianensis) the second largest raptor of the Neotropics. We had the wonderful opportunity to see this chick‘s interaction with its parents near Yaviza, Darien, Panama in June 2022.

Thanks to the hospitality and wonderful service of all the staff at

26/06/2022

Geoffroy’s Tamarin, it was really fun to have them so close at the Canopy Tower.

Thanks for the hospitality and amazing birding and nature!

14/02/2022

Happy Valentines Day!

Love is in the air, and if you don’t believe it m, ask this Blue-footed Boobies… check out the series on which you can see their process of love!

Taken in Española Island, Galapagos

11/02/2022

The Giant Hummingbird (Patagonas gigas) is the largest species of hummingbird, and is found only in South America. Resident in the Andes, from southern Colombia south through Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia to central Chile and northwestern Argentina.

Without a doubt a favorite during our birding trips to Ecuador, Colombia and Peru.

Photographed here at in the Antisana Ecological Reserve in Ecuador.

In the second picture, you can see it perched next to Rufous-collared Sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis) for size reference.

10/02/2022

Its been a year since the Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoomania.

A year ago a group of this Ghosts of the Rainforest was spotted at Children's Eternal Rainforest, Monteverde and delighted birders from the Costa Rican Birding Community and beyond! Great friends from Colombia, USA, Finland and beyond got to enjoy the wonderful nature event.

Since, reports of this amazing species are happening more often, we actually got one a month ago at the Arenal Observatory Lodge & Spa and right now there are two of them showing at Parque Aventura San Luis

Go to our story or link in bio, to access the blog we wrote about the experience!




https://www.birdingexperiences.com/birding-experiences-and-the-holy-grail/

04/02/2022

Lesser Violetear (Colibri cyanotus). Really is hard to miss the outstanding plumage of this middle elevation and highland forest species. You can hear them constantly calling from an expose branch on the tree tops, trying to impress the females with their endurance.

This beautiful bird was captured at @ Miriam’s Quetzals, another of our favorite birding spots during our Costa Rica trips in the Talamanca Highlands.

01/02/2022

Black-crested Coquette (Lophornis helenae) always a favorite during our birding and photography tours in Costa Rica.

This tiny bumblebee like hummingbird feeds on small flowers at various levels of the tropical rainforest and sometimes goes unnoticed due to its small size.

24/01/2022

Snowcap (Microchera albocoronata) a regional endemic shared between the countries of Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. This sought-after target can be found in the foothills of the Caribbean slope in Costa Rica, and was photographed at in Turrialba, during one of our 2021 August Birding Trips.

21/01/2022

To follow up with more uncommon species, check out this Thicket Tinamu (Crypturellus cinnamomeus) that was quietly and peacefully foraging the forest floor at Rincon de la Vieja National Park, completely oblivious of us super excited birders by having it that close, actually sometimes way too close for the camera.

An elusive and secretive species that in Costa Rica can be found in the Tropical Dry Forest habitat.

17/01/2022

A member of the cotinga family, the enigmatic Andean Cock-of-the-Rock (Rupicola peruvianus) photographed last year during our Ecuador trip at

Every morning and afternoon these birds gather to perform their Lek, dances and call are part of this display ritual intended to attract the females for mating.

08/01/2022

Birding in the highlands of the Talamanca mountain range always brings good birds.
Like a couple of stunning Long-tailed Silky-Flycatchers (Ptiliogonys caudatus) captured this morning birding the grounds of Savegre Hotel.
This beautiful Costa Rica and Western Panama endemic is not an actual flycatcher as its name suggest, instead one of its closest relatives is the also incredible Phainopepla.

26/12/2021

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

15/09/2021

Barred Antshrike (Thamnophilus doliatus) always a favorite during our birding trips on both Caribbean and Pacific slopes of Costa Rica.

06/09/2021

During early July 2021 our guide Diego Birding & Nature took our dear friends Denise Littleton and Barry Thompson from Alabama, USA in a 12 days tailor-made birding/photo tour.

Needless to say that the DBD Team did it again and managed to get an amazing amount of bird species while traveling some of the best birding destinations in Costa Rica.

Enjoy this selected gallery by Diego Quesada.

04/08/2021

Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) 


04/07/2021

Kirtland’s Warbler (Setophaga kirtlandii)

Is a very interesting species, that was on the brink of extinction and managed to recover thanks to the titanic efforts to recover their breeding habitat. Here a few facts on their time line from near extinction to recovery.

In 1951 on the 100th anniversary of its discovery, KIWA became the first songbird in the world to have its entire population censused. The total population was estimated in 1000 birds. ��Since, the efforts to provide breeding habitat started.

In 1967 the species was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Preservation Act.

However the populations kept dropping, and by 1974 the population was down to only 167 singing males, judging the same amount of females.��In 2001 the count of singing males exceeds the recovery goal for the first time. Annual census of singing males indicate a population of 1083 pairs.

In 2019 Kirtland's Warbler was removed from list of endangered species due to the recovery of their population.�

02/07/2021

Kirtland’s warbler (Setophaga kirtlandii)

Let us tell you about this very interesting North American breeding Warbler.��Listed as an endangered species since 1967 due in part to the loss of young jack pine forests in the bird’s range. This bird has specific nesting preferences as it nests on the forest floor of jack pine forests where the trees are between 5 and 20 years old. Natural, low-intensity fires historically created patches of this type of forest. These wildfires burned the bigger, older trees and cleared the understory to create space for jack pine seeds to thrive. But, the pressure to suppress these large fires have interrupted this cycle. No fire has meant no young trees and no young Kirtland’s warblers.

01/07/2021

Our next post will be about a very interesting and favorite species. Can you find it and ID it on this picture?

28/06/2021

Evening Grosbeak (Coccothraustes vespertinus)
Hartwick Pines State Park, Michigan

25/06/2021

Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)
Tawas Point State Park, Michigan

22/06/2021

Bay-breasted Warbler (Setophaga castanea)
At Headland Dunes State Nature Park, Cleveland.