There's More to it than the Stripes

Scattered pools of still, dark water painted the stream bottom, interspersed with a bed of smooth flat stones and moss covered rocks, large and small. The moment my foot settled onto the stony bottom, an abrupt and unexpected growl interrupted the silence and sent a shiver through my torso. Snapping my head in the direction of the threat, I scanned the stream bed and surrounding forest, to no avail. A cautious step brought another growl.

A step downstream brought silence; upstream, again the growl. Three more steps and the intensified to a barely restrained roar, bringing me to a halt. Binoculars raised, I scanned the area again, but the source of the threat remained obscure. Ocelots have, on rare occasions, been known to attack people, and I was hesitant to push my luck any further. I backed off a few steps. Without warning a long-necked, narrow-stripped form launched itself into the air, from a branch directly above and in front of me, wings flapping wildly. The Bare-throated Tiger heron (Tigrisoma mexicanum) landed on the opposite side of a large pool, a stone's throw upstream. I had always thought that the stripes had inspired the name, but now I know it's more than that.

“What fascinating creatures birds are, I mused, watching the long-legged Tiger Heron, a picture of elegance, watching patiently, head cocked slightly to one side, waiting to pluck an unlucky fish from the glassy water.

Every year, more bird watchers comb the face of the earth in hopes of adding another species to their lifetime lists. Getting up with the sun, tramping through the bush, carrying binoculars and bird book, and adding the name of every feathered friend they happen across to their lists, may seem like strange behavior to the uninitiated, but the truth is: bird watching produces unforgetable experiences, and birds really are fascinating creatures.

I continued up the trail on the other side of the stream, shrouded in thought, overwhelmed by my experience with the heron. A movement brought me back to the here and now. A plain gray, chicken-sized bird, a dozen meters in front of me, would have escaped my sight had it remained still. I stopped to observe the Great Tinamou (Tinamus mayor) wander slowly across the trail. Its tranquility was a good sign. Where poaching is prevalent, the Tinamou is nervous and easily flushed, bursting noisily into awkward flight at the slightest disturbance. The eerie call of this grouse-like bird might be described as a wail reminiscent of ghosts in a haunted house. Males make nests on the ground at the base of trees, between buttress roots. After mating, the female lays up to five blue-green eggs in the nest. Bye bye, she says, sauntering off in search of another lover. The male remains to tend the eggs and rear the brood.

Bird watching is by far the largest sector of ecological tourism. It has been estimated that bird watchers worldwide spend well over a billion dollars a year on books, travel binoculars, cameras and other equipment. And what wonderful ecotourists they are. Birders go to bed early, get up early, walk and observe, purchase goods and services, and when they go home, they take only their memories.

Get ready for the birding season everybody, because it is already upon us. The Path of the Tapir Biological Corridor between the Savegre River and the Terraba River is a special place for birders. In the 18 years since we began keeping records at Hacienda Bar ú National Wildlife Refuge over 350 species of birds have been identified. Last year at the Christmas Bird Count, ornithologists covered a circular area, extending from Dominical to the Tinamastes Ridge. They counted 395 species in a single day, giving the area a ranking of third place among more than 2000 bird counts worldwide.

From now until mid-March, when the migrants fly back north, is the best time for birding. So why don't you beg, buy or borrow a pair of binoculars, a Birds of Costa Rica Field Guide , and try your hand at it. Start your own lifetime list. But let me offer a word of warning. Bird watching is addictive.

Tel. (in C. R.): (506) 787-0003
Fax (in C. R.): (506) 787-0057
Email: info@haciendabaru.com

Focussed in Birdwatching Costa Rica and Ecotourism