Species List

Christmas Bird Counting

December 30, 2000.

DEAR FRIENDS:

A BRIEF SUMMARY OF 1999 CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT

Orlando V.

FIRST COUNT TO TOP 10,000 INDIVIDUALS ! ! ! !

COORDINATOR: Joel Alvarado, Henry Hernández.

COMPILERS: James Zook, Joel Alvarado.

Good weather and plenty of qualified observers led to another outstanding year with the highest count yet of individuals (10,610) and second highest count of species (355). The cumulative spp. total now stands at 484 spp. after eighteen years (1985-2002) of the La Selva Christmas Bird Count. Four new species were added to the count list this year: Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatuss), Rufous-winged Tanager (Tangara lavinia), Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), and Red-breasted Blackbird (Sturnella militaris).

The 2002 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 circle (7.5 mile radius) covers 177 square miles and is centered 1.7 miles south of the Magsasay shelter on the Peje River.

Seventy-four people participated in the count, and seventy of these were from Costa Rica. Participants included representatives of various organizations (OTS, MINAE-ACCVC, UNA, UCR, Tirimbina Rainforest Center, Guides of Monteverde, and Naturalist Guides of Sarapiquí) as well as independent guides and amateur birders, and were grouped into twenty-two 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, and open country roads. A total effort of 245 hours of observation and 164 miles of travel resulted in 355 species and 10,610 individuals recorded.

THANKS TO ALL PARTICIPANTS FOR HELPING TO MAKE THE 2002 COUNT A SUCCESS!