Species List

Christmas Bird Counting

December 29, 2001.

DEAR FRIENDS:

A BRIEF SUMMARY OF 1999 CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT

Orlando V.

ANOTHER RECORD YEAR ! ! !

COORDINATOR: Orlando Vargas.

COMPILERS: James Zook, Joel Alvarado.

Good weather and plenty of qualified observers led to another record year with highest counts yet for both the number of species (365) and individuals (9546). The cumulative spp. total now stands at 480 spp. after 17 years (1985-2001) of the La Selva Christmas Bird Count. 7 new species were added to the count list this year: Spotted Wood-Quail (Odontophorus guttatus), Plain-breasted Grownd-Dove (Columbina minuta), Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius), Traill's Flycatcher (Empidonax alnorum-traillii),.Townsend's Warbler (Dendroica townsendi), Canada Warbler (Wilsonia canadensis), and Dickcissel (Spiza americana ).

The 2001 La Selva Christmas Bird Count (formally known as Lower Braulio Carrillo National Park.- La Selva Biological Station) was held on December 29th and ran from 00:00 hours to 24:00 hours. The count covered a 7.5 mile radius (177 square miles) centered 1.7 miles south of the Magsasay shelter on the Peje River.

Eighty-Eight people participated in the count (80 Costa Ricans) representing various organizations (UNA, UCR, Museo Nacional, Tirimbina Rainforest Center, Guides of Monteverde and Naturalist Guides of Sarapiquí) and including other ecotourism guides and amateur birders who were organized into 22 parties. Fourteen parties walked the La Selva trails, and boated the Sarapiquí and Puerto Viejo rivers. Eight parties surveyed other areas including the Braulio Carrillo Corridor at the 500 m and 1070 m transect trail shelter sites and the El Ceibo Ranger Station, Tirimbina Rainforest Center, Chilamate town, Rara Avis Lodge, El Plástico and along roads in open country. A total effort of 240 hours of observation and 160 miles of travel resulted in 365 species and 9,546 individuals recorded.

THANKS TO ALL PARTICIPANTS FOR HELPING TO MAKE THE 2001 COUNT THE BEST EVER!