The Macaw

Maquenque Bird Count to be held on Saturday, January 7th

2011-12-03T10:08:00.000-08:00

Fellow Birders and Nature Lovers,

We are still looking for volunteers for this year's Maquenque Bird Count to be held on Saturday, January 7th. In 2011, we had 18 volunteer ornithologists and experienced bird guides, together they were able to log an amazing 241 species and 3,662 individual birds! Click here to see the 2011 Maquenque Count results.

We are trying to survey the area as thoroughly as possible, so the more birders the better! If you would like more information about each of the birding sites locations you can check out our map or visit the Costa Rican Bird Route website at http://www.costaricanbirdroute.com/sites.htm. If you would like to share your photos of this year's event we would love to post some of them to our website. Please send your photos to Daniel at birdmandaniel@gmail.com.

Food and Lodging- To save some money, participants might want to bring their own food. Rooms are limited and will be filled on a first come, first served basis.

Transport - The Rainforest Biodiversity Group will once again be reimbursing participants for gas or for their bus tickets (economy class please, as our funds are limited). Just save your gas or bus receipt if you would like to be reimbursed. I can try to help arrange transportation to the site from a nearby town.

Please let me know: A) which of the following sites you would like to bird at; B) if you have transportation to get there; C) how many people are in your birding group.

Maquenque Ecolodge - Has 2 double rooms with 2 beds each available at no cost. Breakfast is included. All other meals available for purchase.
Finca Pangola - Has a volunteer house with 3 beds remaining at no cost. No meals are provided but the house has a full kitchen. There is also food nearby for a price of 2000-2500 per meal.
Quebrada Grande - Volunteers will be placed in a house near by the count area. There will be food available, most likely at a reduced cost to the volunteer.
Mi Pedacito de Cielo - is offering a special rate of 10,000. 00 colones per double room, breakfast 2500 colones, dinners and lunches are 5000 colones a piece.
Laguna Lagarto Lodge - is offering a special rate of 10,00.00 colones per person per day which includes accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Bosque Tropical del Toro - lodging is yet to be determined, but there will likely be 6 beds available at no cost. Food will likely be available for purchase at a price of 2000-2500 per meal.

__________________________________________________

Hola a todos observadores de aves!!

Todavía estamos buscando voluntarios para el Conteo de Aves de Maquenque el sábado, enero 7. En 2011, tuvimos 18 ornitólogos y voluntarios experimentados guías de aves, y fueron capaces de registrar un increíble 241 especies y 3.662 aves individuales! Haga clic aquí para ver los resultados del Conteo Maquenque en 2011.

Estamos tratando de reconocer el área con el mayor rigor posible, por tanto, el más observadores de aves la mejor! Si desea obtener más información acerca de cada uno de los sitios para el avistamiento lugares usted puede consultar nuestro mapa o visitar la Ruta de Aves de Costa Rica en sitio web http://www.costaricanbirdroute.com/sites.htm.

Si quieres compartir tus fotos del evento de este año nos encantaría puesto algunos de ellos a nuestra página web. Por favor envía tus fotos a Daniel en birdmandaniel@gmail.com.

La Comida y El Alojamiento - ahorrar algo de dinero, los participantes desean llevar su propia comida. Las habitaciones son limitadas y se llena de un primer llegado, primer servido base.

Transporte - El Rainforest Biodiversity Group será otra vez reembolsar los participantes de gas o de sus billetes de autobús (en clase económica por favor, como nuestros fondos son limitados). Solo hay que guardar el gas o el autobús recibo si le gustaría ser reembolsados. Puedo intentar ayudar organizar el transporte hasta el sitio de la ciudad vecina.

*****Por favor, hágamelo saber: A) cuáles de los siguientes sitios en los que usted desea ir; (B) si tiene transporte para llegar hasta allí; (C) ¿cuántas personas están en tu grupo. *****

1. Maquenque Ecolodge - Dispone de 2 habitaciones dobles con 2 camas cada uno disponible sin costo alguno. El desayuno está incluido. Todas las otras comidas disponibles para su compra.
2. Finca Pangola - Cuenta con un voluntario casa con 3 dormitorios restantes sin costo alguno. No servimos comidas pero la casa tiene una cocina completa. También hay comida cerca a un precio de 2000-2500 por comida.
3. Quebrada Grande - Los Voluntarios serán depositadas en una casa en el área de conteo. Habrá comida disponible, lo más probable es a un costo reducido para los voluntarios.
4. Mi Pedacito de Cielo - está ofreciendo una tarifa especial de 10.000. 00 colones por habitación doble, desayuno 2500 colones, cenas y comidas son una pieza 5000 colones.
5. Laguna Lagarto Lodge - está ofreciendo una tarifa especial de 10,00.00 colones por persona y día que incluye alojamiento, desayuno, almuerzo y cena.
6. Bosque Tropical del Toro - alojamiento aún está por determinarse, pero probablemente habrá 6 camas disponibles sin costo alguno. Alimentos probablemente estará disponible para su compra a un precio de 2000-2500 por comida.

Gracias!

Daniel

Hawk Migration!

2011-10-28T08:11:00.000-07:00

The following pictures were sent in by Gary Moll of the Costa Rican Bird Route site Finca Pangola. Each year, the hawk migration in Costa Rica is a special treat for those fortunate enough to witness it. Thanks for sharing, Gary!

RBG Donates to Support Bonaire Parrots

2011-07-22T12:18:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month, 112 endangered parrots and endemic parakeets were illegally taken by poachers on Bonaire, bound for the pet trade on neighbouring Curacao. Thanks to the efforts of the Bonaire National Parks Foundation (STINAPA) and the island's police force, these birds were confiscated and entrusted to Echo, a non-profit organization that protects the parrots of Bonaire.

The birds were unfed while in possession of the poachers and were therefore starving and near death. The crew at Echo began working around the clock to mix food and hand feed all of these chicks.

There are currently 82 unweaned chicks which the Echo team are now hand feeding. This is a tremendous strain on their limited resources. The organization has received emergency aid from World Parrot Trust which covers the immediate needs of these parrots. The groups has already successfully released other confiscated illegal pet Amazon parrots, and hope to return all 112 of these parrots to the wild too.

Rainforest Biodiversity Group recently made a donation to help out with this effort. The organization has done an amazing job fundraising and have now reached their goals for raising enough money to take care of the immediate needs of the birds. They are continuing to accept donations, however, in order to protect these birds long-term by conducting anti-poaching campaigns, public education, nest site management, breeding research and habitat restoration efforts.

Follow this link to make your own donation to the effort.

Happenings at Costa Rican Bird Route Site Finca Pangola

2011-06-14T08:25:00.000-07:00

By: Holly Robertson, President, Rainforest Biodiversity Group

On the occasions that I have had the privilege of visiting Finca Pangola, it is never dull. This last visit was certainly no exception. At Finca Pangola/Cinco Ceibas, there is always activity to be found as the site develops to be a premier tourism destination within the Costa Rican Bird Route. While plans for the site's eco-lodge will have to be put on hold until next year, the site continues to develop its world class boardwalk and day trip program.

The name Cinco Ceibas is a reference to the five amazingly large ceiba trees to which the boardwalk will take you. And of course, there is no shortage of other vegetation under the canopy to intrigue and delight you along the way. In an effort to identify these species and produce a self-guided interpretive tour, Finca Pangola management invited a research team from May 25-29 from Purdue University led by Lori Snyder, Assistant Professor of Agronomy and researcher on sustainable cropping systems in the humid tropics.

Lori, assisted by a traditional medicine man from the Costa Rican Maleku tribe, was making her third visit to Finca Pangola to complete species identification. The medicine man, Alex, was helping with the I.D. as well as supplying anecdotal information about the traditional uses of the plants.

Also along with Lori was a group of undergraduate students from Purdue on a three week field course on sustainable agroforestry in the tropics. During this three week course in Costa Rica, the students visit farms as well as the EARTH University and other locations to see examples and hear from farmers in Costa Rica. This year is the first year that the students taking this course have included Finca Pangola into their itinerary, and hopefully it will not be the last. While at Finca Pangola the students broke into teams and collected soil samples, water samples, and took measurements of trees to be analyzed for quality as well as future research possibilities.

The more than 1,000 acres of Finca Pangola provides ample opportunities for possible research. Those 1,000 acres consist of sustainable teak plantation, agriculture production, primary rainforest, riparian habitat, lagoons and wetlands. Rainforest Biodiversity Group looks forward to collaborating with Purdue on possible research ideas at the site in the future.

After meeting with the students, myself and the upper management team of Henk, Peter, and Gary were heading back to the main house when we came upon the site workers trying to unearth a tree from the riverbed. It is a fairly common occurrence that trees fall naturally and then are washed down the river, only to become lodged somewhere along the way. If enough of them get lodged at the same location, it can cause a backup of water and subsequent issues. Not only that, but the tree is valuable construction timber that can be salvaged, and will save a standing live tree from being cut! Once the tree dries, it is just as strong, and the wood can be that much more beautiful and unique as it has taken on markings and striations from the river water.

The workers at Finca Pangola, all hired from the surrounding community, were doing their best to retrieve one of the several logs lodged underneath the bridge on the site. However, it became apparent that they needed more hands. Never ones to be shy about getting dirty (or wet) Henk, Gary and Peter found themselves waist deep in the effort.

It was a solid afternoon of strategizing and effort, but eventually the log was freed and is drying at the lumber site!

Never a dull time, indeed!

The Man Behind Earth Day: Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson

2011-04-22T13:18:00.000-07:00

From NelsonEarthDay.net:

Gaylord Nelson, the ambitious junior senator from Wisconsin, grew accustomed to disappointment in the 1960s. In his first Senate speech, supporting a bill banning phosphates in detergents, he insisted that "we need this...just as desperately as we need the defense against atomic missiles." That did not stop his fellow legislators from voting down the bill, just as similar pleas could not win him a single co-sponsor for his 1966 bill banning DDT. While he was able to lure President Kennedy to take a "conservation tour" of Wisconsin and the West in 1963, he watched helplessly as the President, the press, and audiences preferred to debate taxes and Cold War politics.

To wake up Washington, he would need a new plan.

The idea came to him in August of 1969 after surveying the oil spill in Santa Barbara. For the past few years, college students had been staging teach-ins to educate their campuses about the war in Vietnam. What if, Nelson wondered, students used the same forum to raise environmental awareness, and what if they coordinate their events to fall on the same day, grabbing headlines and sending a strong environmental message to the Capitol? He proposed the idea in front of a small, fledgling conservation group in Seattle on September 20. A short wire story broadcast the idea.

Seven months later Nelson's idea resulted in the largest demonstration in U.S. history. Millions of Americans observed Earth Day in April 1970, whether in groups of tens of thousands in New York or Philadelphia or with events big and small at thousands of colleges and schools across the country. While Nelson with his staff worked tirelessly to promote the day and coordinate select events, he would grow fond of saying Earth Day "organized itself." Nelson encouraged all Americans to celebrate the day "in any way they want."

For the first time, the Earth Day stage gathered together the diverse constituents of the modern environmental movement: youthful idealists, liberal Democrats, middle-class women, scientists, professionals, and representatives of conservation groups, labor unions, and churches.

Addressing the Earth Day 1970 audience in Denver, Nelson proclaimed, "Our goal is not just an environment of clean air and water and scenic beauty. The objective is an environment of decency, quality and mutual respect for all other human being and all living creatures."

Click here to watch videos of Gaylord Nelson speaking about the environment and Earth Day.

New Bird Species Discovered in Madagascar

2011-03-01T13:49:00.000-08:00

From Mongabay.com

The rich and unique biodiversity of Madagascar has a new member: a forest dwelling bird in the rail family, dubbed Mentocrex beankaensis. In 2009 US and Malaygasy scientists conducted a survey in Madagascar's dry Beanka Forest. They discovered several new species, of which the new rail is the first to be described.

"This bird they’ve known about for decades, but no one has been able to go find it and get a specimen of it," said Nick Block, a graduate student at the University of Chicago who studied the new birds molecular genetic told the Chicago Sun Times, describing the new species as 'not common at all'.

Similar to another Malagasy rail, researchers were able to show Mentocrex beankaensis is a new species with taxonomic and DNA studies.

The dry Beanka forests, where the species survived, rest on limestone, which in some cases have formed dramatic spires. The Beanka forest protected area is currently managed by Biodiversity Conservation Madagascar (BCM).

"We [BCM] have taken an approach to the conservation of the Beanka Forest resting on working in unison with local people to fulfill aspects of their economic and development needs and bestowing a sense of natural patrimony of the organisms that live in their forest. These are aspects critical for any long-term successful project. The discovery of this new species of bird and other organisms during the late 2009 expedition underlines the importance of our mission and the uniqueness of the Beanka Forest," the director of BCM, Aldus Andriamamonjy, said in a press release.

Artist's view of the Mentocrex beankaensis. Illustration by: Velizar A. Simeonovski. CITATION: Steve M. Goodman, Marie Jeanne Raherilalao, and Nicholas L. Block. Patterns of morphological and genetic variation in the Mentocrex kioloides complex (Aves: Gruiformes: Rallidae) from Madagascar, with the description of a new species. Zootaxa. 2776: 49-60 (2011).

Is There Really an "Aflockalypse?" It's Not the One in the News.

2011-01-26T20:53:00.000-08:00

From Cornell Lab of Ornithology - January 24, 2011

Ever since blackbirds fell from the sky in Arkansas on New Year's Eve, the Cornell Lab has continued to receive numerous inquiries from the media and the concerned public about the significance of that event and other reports of dead birds at locations around the world. These isolated events, although dramatic, are not highly unusual in frequency or scale. Within the United States, for example, the USGS has recorded 188 events during the past 10 years involving more than 1,000 birds per incident--about 18 events per year on average, or more than one per month, attributed to disease and other causes.

"Although wildlife die-offs always pose a concern, they are not all that unusual," said Jonathan Sleeman, director of the USGS NWHC in Madison, Wis., which is completing its analyses of the Arkansas and Louisiana birds. "It's important to study and understand what happened in order to determine if we can prevent mortality events from happening again."

In 2010, the USGS NWHC documented eight die-off events of 1,000 or more birds. The causes: starvation, avian cholera, Newcastle disease and parasites, according to Sleeman. Such records show that, while the causes of death may vary, events like the red-winged blackbird die-off in Beebe, Ark., and the smaller one near Baton Rouge, La., are more common than people may realize.

Should we be worried about an "aflockalypse?" Yes, but not about the media coverage focusing on isolated events that affect only a few hundred or thousand birds at a time. It's the constant, chronic losses from habitat destruction and other causes that should truly concern us. Consider that 100 million birds are estimated to die from window collisions in the United States alone each year. That's more than 270,000 per day on average. Cats are estimated to kill another 100 million per year. And that's just the tip of the iceberg; habitat loss and degradation are the largest causes of massive declines in the numbers of birds.

Although we cannot witness these declines on a given day, citizen-science participants have contributed decades of data that point to truly alarming declines. Data from the Breeding Bird Survey show that Rusty Blackbirds, for example, have declined by 95% since the 1960s, indicating a loss of tens of millions of birds. Data from Project FeederWatch show that Evening Grosbeaks have also declined rangewide since the 1980s.

Don't underestimate the power of bird watchers to "witness" and document the large-scale declines that might otherwise go undetected until it's too late. With your help, the Cornell Lab and other organizations are working hard to monitor bird species and address the root causes of decline. Check out www.ebird.org for more information on how you can help document bird observations.

Converting Palm Oil Companies from Forest Destroyers into Forest Protectors

2011-01-05T09:57:00.000-08:00

By Jeremy Hance and Rhett Butler from Mongabay.com

In efforts to save the world's remaining rainforests great hopes have been pinned on "degraded lands" — deforested lands that are presently sitting idle in tropical countries. Optimists say shifting agriculture to such lands will help humanity produce enough food to meet growing demand without sacrificing forests and biodiversity and exacerbating social conflict. But to date, degraded lands remain an enigma, especially in Indonesia, where deforestation continues at a rapid pace. Degraded lands are often misclassified by various Indonesian ministries—land in a far-off province may be listed as "wasteland" by Jakarta, but in reality is blanked by verdant forest that sequesters carbon, houses wildlife, and affords communities with food, water, and other essentials. Granting logging and plantation concessions on these lands can result in conflict and environmental degradation.

Click here to keep reading.

Losing Nature's Medicine Cabinet

2010-11-17T13:26:00.001-08:00

By Jeremy Hance
Mongabay.com

In all the discussions of saving the world's biodiversity from extinction, one point is often and surprisingly forgotten: the importance of the world's species in providing humankind with a multitude of life-saving medicines so far, as well as the certainty that more vital medications are out there if only we save the unheralded animals and plants that contain cures unknown. Already, species have provided humankind everything from quinine to aspirin, from morphine to numerous cancer and HIV-fighting drugs.

"As the ethnobotanist Dr. Mark Plotkin commented, the history of medicine can be written in terms of its reliance on and utilization of natural products," physician Christopher Herndon told mongabay.com. Herndon is co-author of a recent paper in the journal Biotropica, which calls for policy-makers and the public to recognize how biodiversity underpins not only ecosystems, but medicine.

"Our dependence today on nature for health has not diminished as significantly as commonly presumed. Over the past quarter century, more than half of all pharmaceuticals brought to market were directly derived from or modeled after compounds from other species," Herndon explains.

Click here to keep reading.

Cuba opens Cuban Bird Banding Centre

2010-10-19T15:33:00.000-07:00

On July 17th, 2010, the Johann Christoph Gundlach Cuban Bird Banding Centre (CBBC) was officially opened. The banding centre was opened in commemoration of the Johann Christoph Gundlach bicentenary, a German naturalist regarded as the third discoverer of Cuba ,

The CBBC is located at the Siboney-Jutic¡ Ecological Reserve, managed by the Eastern Centre of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (BIOECO) in Santiago de Cuba .

The main goals of this permanent banding centre are to study Cuban birds moult patterns, postnatal dispersion, sex ratios and life expectancy, to obtain survival estimates and to assess the importance of Cuban habitats for bird migration. We also aim at creating a data base that could help ornithologists and conservationists from Cuba , the Caribbean basin and North America to better preserve this key resource we share: birds.

This initiative is part of the Cuban efforts to implement the Caribbean Biological Corridor together with Haiti and the Dominican Republic , and we expect that in the future the CBBC serves as a training facility for young ornithologists and conservationists from the region. The rings used at the CBBC are the first labelled rings used in Cuba with the name of a Cuban institution (BIOECO) and the name of the country ( CUBA ).

Feeders & Breeders

2010-10-05T14:25:00.000-07:00

In a surprise, extra birdfeed produces fewer chicks.

From Conservation Magazine: That tube of seed in your backyard may not necessarily be helping prop up bird populations. In an unexpected result, British researchers found that feeding some birds through the breeding season actually reduced reproduction rates. The finding could have implications for efforts to aid endangered species by supplementing their diet.

Researchers have been studying the impact of bird feeding on wild populations for decades. Few studies, however, have looked at how long-term feeding affects reproduction. To find out, a team led by S. James Reynolds of the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom decided to offer free food to birds living in the Chaddesley Woods National Nature Reserve, a 101-hectare woodland in Worcestershire.

Click here to continue reading article.

Is Brazil planning to turn the Amazon into a series of stagnant reservoirs?

2010-09-20T09:44:00.000-07:00

From mongabay.com:

The decision last week by the Brazilian government to move forward on the $17 billion Belo Monte Dam on the Xingu river will set in motion a plan to build more than 100 dams across the Amazon basin, potentially turning tributaries of the world's largest river into 'an endless series of stagnant reservoirs', says a new short film released by Amazon Watch and International Rivers.

The film, narrated by Sigourney Weaver, uses a Google Earth 3-D tour to illustrate the potential impact of the dam. Belo Monte's reservoirs will flood 668 square kilometers, including parts of the city of Altamira, displacing more than 20,000 people. It will reduce the flow of the mighty Xingu to a trickle during parts of the year, reducing water supplies for downstream indigenous populations, blocking fish migration thereby disrupting local fisheries, and likely condemning several aquatic species to extinction. Flooding of forest areas will generate massive amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent that CO2, and increase the risk of malaria in surrounding areas. Furthermore, if earlier dam projects in the Amazon are any model, Belo Monte will contribute to large-scale deforestation by local people who can no longer earn income from fishing or traditional livelihoods. Electricity grids, transmission lines, and access roads will put further pressure on the rainforest.

Click here to continue reading.

NEW SPECIES DISCOVERED: The adorable titi monkey

2010-09-07T19:18:00.000-07:00

From Conservation International News:

What’s adorable, furry and has never been seen before? Callicebus caquetensis, a new species of titi monkey discovered on a scientific expedition to the Colombian Amazon. Researchers from the National University of Colombia who discovered the new primate consider it to be critically endangered due to rapid loss of the forest where it lives and its small population.

Titi monkeys (or zogui zogui as they are called in Spanish) have one of the most complex calls in the animal kingdom and use it every morning to mark their territory.

"This discovery is particularly important because it reminds us that we should celebrate the diversity of earth but also we must take action now to preserve it," said José Vicente Rodríguez, head of science at Conservation International in Colombia and president of the Colombia Association of Zoology.

Ecuador Launches International Offset Program

2010-08-06T10:10:00.000-07:00

By Laura Peterson.

While prospects for an international climate agreement this year dwindle, Ecuador is proposing its own solution to help the developed world offset its carbon footprint: pay the South American country $3.6 billion to keep 20 percent of its oil reserves in the ground.

Ecuadorean government officials signed an agreement yesterday establishing a trust fund for the Yasuni-ITT Initiative that the United Nations Development Program will administer. Donors will receive certificates that guarantee 850 million barrels of oil will not be extracted from pristine tropical forest.

"We don't want to be an oil-exporting country forever and ever," said María Fernanda Espinosa, Ecuador's minister of patrimony. "We really want to be a service economy, a low-environmental-impact economy, and a bio-knowledge society based on our huge biodiversity."

Several European countries, including Germany and Spain, have indicated they will participate but needed a secure donation structure, Fernanda Espinosa said. The trust fund and guarantee certificates create the financial mechanism to implement the initiative, which was first proposed by President Rafael Correa in 2007.

Oil is Ecuador's leading export and accounts for about 25 percent of its gross domestic product. Instead of relying so heavily on oil, the government is trying to generate revenue through carbon offsets. Not drilling the Ishpingo-Tambococha-Tiputini (ITT) oil block would keep 407 million tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.

The oil and carbon offsets are valued at $7 billion. Ecuador is asking the international community to compensate it for half of that -- $3.6 billion, over 13 years. The government is expecting to raise $100 million the first year, Fernanda Espinosa said. The money will be used to improve the nation's protected area system; reforest degraded habitat; and invest in renewable energy, science and technology and social development programs.

The proposal would also preserve 750,000 acres of the Yasuni National Park in the northeast region of the equatorial country. The park is designated as a biosphere reserve through the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), with extremely diverse plants and animals. Scientists have counted more species of trees in 2.5 acres of the park than in all of North America. The park is also home to three indigenous tribes, including two that live in voluntary isolation. There is oil drilling in other parts of the Yasuni park, but the ITT block is untouched.

How Wildlife and People are Faring in the Gulf

2010-08-03T08:14:00.000-07:00

Visiting the Gulf: how wildlife and people are faring in America's worst environmental disaster, an interview with Jennifer Jacquet
By Jeremy Hance for mongabay.com, July 29, 2010

"President Obama called it 'the worst environmental disaster America has ever faced.' So I thought I should face it and head to the Gulf"—these are the opening words on the popular blog Guilty Planet as the author, marine biologist Jennifer Jacquet, embarked on a ten day trip to Louisiana. As a scientist, Jacquet was, of course, interested in the impact of the some four million barrels of oil on the Gulf's already depleted ecosystem, however she was as equally keen to see how Louisianans were coping with the fossil fuel-disaster that devastated their most vital natural resource just four years after Hurricane Katrina.

"It seems that the people of Louisiana are a special sub-population of humanity we could call Homo resilius. They have a certain resilience to disaster that probably only exists in challenged regions of the world, like Haiti, for instance," she told mongabay.com, adding that her experience was paradoxical.

"When I was there, I seriously thought parts of Louisiana were like hell on earth. And then I left and I thought everywhere else seemed boring in comparison. Louisiana and the people who live there are really special."

Jacquet says that while the news media is focusing on the obvious effects of the Gulf spill, such as oiled birds, "it seems many of the effects will be more insidious. Scientists I spoke to are particularly concerned about the larval phases of fish and invertebrates, which are planktonic and not able to avoid patches of oil the way free-swimmers might."

Click here to keep reading.

RBG Representatives go to Benin...

2010-07-07T15:47:00.001-07:00

Check out this article about a recent trip to Benin, Africa by representatives from Rainforest Biodiversity Group and the Sarapiqui Conservation Learning Center. The trip was made as part of a grant from the organization Program for South-South Cooperation in order to foster an international exchange of ideas in regards to community-based environmental conservation.

2010-05-21T08:28:00.000-07:00

“Saving Our Shared Birds” is the latest effort by Partners in Flight to help species at risk and keep common birds common—our mission since 1990. Partners in Flight achieves success in conserving bird populations in the Western Hemisphere through combining resources of public and private organizations in North and South America.

To celebrate Partners in Flight’s 20th Anniversary, Cornell Lab of Ornithology created a compelling movie highlighting Partners in Flight’s mission and approach. Spectacular bird footage and vocalizations bring the message to life—we must continue to work together to effectively conserve the Western Hemisphere’s amazing and diverse bird life. The video additionally showcases the International Migratory Bird Day 2010 artwork by Robert Petty that illustrates the theme “Power of Partnerships.”

Finca Pangola Update II

2010-05-03T20:08:00.000-07:00

GaryMoll the project manager at Finca Pangola has shared some great pictures with us and we wanted to share them with you. Gary a self taught naturalist from Florida, found a Black-throated Trogon Nest. Of the two eggs in the nest, one remained. He also found this Laughing Falcon with a snake in it's grasp! Also check out the Black-and-White Owl that was just outside of the main house.

Sign up for a trip to the Costa Rican Bird Route to visit Finca Pangola now at www.costaricanbirdroute.com

Finca Pangola Update

2010-05-03T08:49:00.000-07:00

Finca Pangola one of the sites of the Costa Rican Bird Route has been working hard on the creation of their new Rainforest Boardwalk. It will be one of the longest boardwalks in all of Costa Rica. Additionally of note a new species for the site, the Sunbittern has been observed on the site. See the accompanying picture by Pangola Project Director Gary Moll. There are also reports that Green Ibis's are nesting here as well. Look for more updates on the Bird Route sites soon. Visit www.costaricanbirdroute.com for more information.

Bird Migration Update

2010-04-30T12:49:00.000-07:00

From our friends at Journey North:

April 28, 2010

It was another good week for fallouts. That storm system that brought the terrible weather to many people across the country also forced many birds to land. In Galveston, TX, 350 Dickssels were seen, and an observer reported swallows passing by at the rate of 150 per minute! At nearby High Island, researchers at the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory reported hundreds of Blue Grosbeaks, Indigo Buntings, and Painted Buntings, along with 32 species of warblers!

The scene was similar along the southwest coast of Louisiana.The storm system arrived in Tennessee on Saturday, and a birder in Memphis went out after the storm passed and saw hundreds of Indigo Buntings, Blue Grosbeaks, and Eastern Kingbirds.

By Sunday, the system had reached the East Coast. On Monday, April 26, at Cape May, NJ (one of the best places in the country to be during both spring and fall migration) people tallied 50 Gray Catbirds, 30 House Wrens, and over 200 Yellow-rumped Warblers!!! Once the system passed, the strong north winds behind it have kept migrants grounded for a while. Before the system arrived, however, there was good flying weather, and migrants were able to make some progress. In New Hampshire, the first Eastern Kingbirds, Wood Thrushes, and Louisiana Waterthrushes showed up, while Nebraska had its first Warbling Vireo, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Cliff Swallows, and the first Western Kingbirds and Indigo Buntings showed up in Kansas.

Farther west, they have had southerly winds most of the week, so migrants have been cruising along. People in Arizona and New Mexico have been seeing good numbers of Ash-throated Flycatchers, Yellow Warblers, Bullock's Orioles, Western Kingbirds, and Western Tanagers. Nevada has seen an influx of flycatchers (Ash-throated, Gray, Hammond's); vireos (Plumbeous, Cassin's, Bell's); Scott's Orioles; and Western Kingbirds. Wilson's Warblers, Orange-crowned Warblers, Nashville Warblers, and Western Kingbirds have shown up in Colorado and Washington.

Birding Adventures TV Focuses on Bird Route Region

2010-03-20T21:26:00.000-07:00

Birding Adventures TV recently shot an episode within the Costa Rican Bird Route at the Bird Route site Selva Verde Lodge. Click here to watch Birding Adventure TV host James Currie go in search of the highly endangered Great Green Macaw and in the process captures almost unheard of footage of an active Sunbittern nest with two baby chicks! During a torrential downpour no less!

Birding Adventures TV (BATV) is the first birding TV program that focuses on destination and adventure bird-watching. BATV portrays a unique blend of information and adventure, making bird-watching refreshing, contemporary, interesting and exciting. It explores the exotic birding destinations on the planet; the most unusual, rare and highly sought after bird species mixed with amazing cultures and other wildlife. The program has a strong conservation emphasis and highlights the importance and urgency of preserving the planet’s incredible birdlife.

2009 Christmas Bird Count Wrap-Up

2010-02-28T15:16:00.000-08:00

On January 9th, 2010, the Rainforest Biodiversity Group conducted the 2nd annual Maquenque Christmas Bird Count within the Costa Rican Bird Route. This year a total of 16 people counted at 8 sites within the Maquenque Bird Count Circle to find a total of 3,662 individual birds of 241 species.

The top two sites were Bosque Tropical del Toro and Maquenque Eco-lodge, who both had 107 species. Mi Pedacito de Cielo was right behind these two sites with 105 species found. Click here for a complete report including the bird list for the event.

The Maquenque Christmas Bird Count is an important event that Rainforest Biodiversity Group plans to continue each year as part of our bird monitoring efforts within the Costa Rican Bird Route.

If you have an interest in taking part in the next Maquenque Christmas Bird Count, please contact RBG at info@rainforestbiodiversity.org.

Eco-Benin visits Costa Rica (Day 7 and Day 8)

2010-02-17T05:07:00.000-08:00

The 7th day of the Eco-Benin / RBG journey together was one of many meetings as well as a historic event.

In the morning we met with Melky the Research Program Assistant at Tirimbina. Tirimbina has quite a few new things going on including some cool research. Video cameras have shown that many mammals, including Kinkajous, Raccoons, Ocelots and even sloths are using the bridge that crosses the Sarapiqui River. Tirimbina has also add new rooms for overnight guests, and are doing many things to improve sustainability. They already have 4 of 5 leaves by the Costa Rican Tourism Boards Sustainable Standards. Even so they are putting in a new large biodigestor at this moment, a great sustainable practice for waste management. Additionally they are expanding their research and learning opportunities and have recently teamed with Ball State University for a Tropical Ecology course. Max commented how his dream would be to have a place like Tirimbina in the Lama forest of Benin.

As we had internet access we spent a few hours catching up on emails that morning, ate lunch at my former local hangout los Portones, and then sped on to La Selva Biological where we met with Orlando Vargas. We learned about some very interesting new technology that La Selva will be using with its researchers. Soon they will have three fully powered, internet accessible remote canopy research towers in their forest. Some amazing data should be collected here. We also learned of the continuing expansion of the their sustainable tourism activities. All in all La Selva is receiving more than 30,000 visitor days per year. A good program that limits access to the forest helps keep impact low.

We stopped by CECOS later so that Nadine could meet the staff and we could check email quick once again. We then spent the evening with a local family the community of El Roble, one of the communities CECOS works closely with. We stayed with Don Norberto and Dona Marzarella. Marzarella is very involved with CECOS as part of the Grupo Morpha womens artisan group. Don Norberto manages his black pepper plantation. Also at the house was Douglas their teenage son, and Norberto's mother who was turning 89 that day!
It was a historic day for her. She was so happy and amazed that on her 89th birthday two people all the way from Africa would be at her house. She said never in her life would she imagine this and kept calling me an "angelito" (little angel) for bringing them to her house. I was literally almost tearing up hearing her talk. Especially as we sang happy birthday to her in Spanish then Nadine and Max sang to her in French.

We made tortillas and had a great big dinner with the family. It was a really nice night.

The next morning we were up early, said our good byes and headed to San Jose. The trip would end for Nadine this day. Max and I would meet up with Raquel in the afternoon to work on our mid-term report at Hotel Cacts. The last night with Max in San Jose was uneventful as we worked in our hotel rooms and watched the new episode of Lost.

Max is off to Paris this afternoon before heading back to Benin, and I will be hanging around San Jose or heading back to Sarapiqui to take care of accounting, organizing notes from our trip and planning the next steps of our grant. It was a wonderful trip with Max. I am sad to see him go but know he had a great time, met wonderful people, saw amazing places, and learned a lot.

Funding for this project came from the Programme from South-South Cooperation with financing from the Kingdom of the Netherlands as administered by Fundecooperacion.

Eco-Benin Visit to Costa Rica (Days 6)

2010-02-14T19:03:00.000-08:00

Wow. It's day 6 already? The trip is flying by. Nadine already heads back in two days and Maxim in 3.

Today I woke up at 5:30 and went out on to the porch of the rancho that Rainforest Biodiversity Group helped raise funds to reconstruct at Albergue el Socorro after the earthquake a year ago. I laid down on the couch pulled up the covers and awaited the arrival of the mornings birds.

Tucans, kiskadees and Short-billed Pigeons were the first to call. Then as the bushes started to move in the morning rain different birds appeared. Many of them Wisconsin migrants...Black and White Warbler, Baltimore Oriole, Wilson's Warbler, Northern Parula (Im sure Andy Paulios is jealous as this is one of his favorite birds..if I remember correctly). The migrants mixed with the local tanagers; Crimson collared, Silver-throated and Bay headed.

The rain continued throughout the morning and rained out our hike. Instead we lounged around and relaxed in the cool mountain air.

Around 11 we headed down the mountain to Tirimbina Rainforest Center, had lunch and took the world famous Chocolate Tour. We then met with Helen Rodriguez and had some great conversations about getting some things going with Tirimbina in the next few months for the Bird Route.

Max and I now have a bunch to work on! We have mid-term grant reports due ASAP, meeting notes to type, budgets to review etc, etc. To those under mad amounts of snow...at least I am in Costa Rica. :). Sorry, had to get that in there.

Oh yea...at Maquenque I saw the tail of an Ocelot! Can't believe I forgot to write about that.

Hasta manana.

Eco-Benin visit to Costa Rica (Day 5)

2010-02-14T18:44:00.000-08:00

The Anhinga was again in the Yollilo Palm when I woke up. The next bird I saw was the Bat Falcon. That was a good sign.

Today our party, which is now 3, said farewell to Viki and Pedro and Maquenque Eco-lodge, crossed the San Carlos river with their visitor ferry and began our trip back south to the mountains. After two steamy days in the northern lowlands, we were off to Albergue el Soccorro which sits at 1000 m above sea level. (Im not going to bother to convert meters into feet because everyone in the world except us stub born gringos use the metric system. So if you have not yet began to learn metric I will let you figure out what 1000 m in feet is on your own)

On the way we had an idea of taking a detour and quick run over to La Fortuna to see Volcan Areal, one of the most active volcanoes on the planet. However, when we got to the turn to go Areal there were many clouds to the west, and I decided it was not worth going two hours out of way. So we skipped that idea.

As we headed from Agua Zarcas to San Miguel and then on to Socorro, I thought I heard an Eastern Meadowlark in a field. I pulled the car over to have a look. It was a great idea that I did. Not only was there a Meadowlark which I had not had on this trip yet, but I pulled out a life bird; the Red-breasted Blackbird. I also noted the sign that said Toro River Waterfall. I ask Maxim and Nadine if they had interest in going and they said sure. Great decision. We discovered a great place. The Catarata del Toro Lodge. Here we encounterd Will, the very funny Dutch man, who was co-owner of the lodge, as well as one of the most beautiful waterfalls I have ever seen in my life. It was awesome! They are three guest rooms here and great birding. This is another hidden jewel of Costa Rica and we will soon be running trips that will include a visit to this site for sure.

After this unexpected adventure we arrived at Albergue el Socorro about 2 hours late. Don Jose was his happy go lucky self as always and no problem with our late arrival. We ate then took a short walk on one of the trails. The place is very birdy but I didn’t have enough time to stop and identify each one. A good 2 – 3 days here would be fantastic. I look forward to my hour or two of birding tomorrow morning.

After one of my favorite dinners in the world (chicken, vegetables, home made cheese and hand made tortillas with avocado, black beans and rice) Max showed us a film from Benin and the Benin Tourism Board. Man I am excited to go. He thinks I should come to Benin by the first of April at the latest, rather than in May as I had thought, as this is the beginning of the rainy season and still many wild animals such as hippos, lions, elephants and baboons can easily be seen April. Did I mention how incredibly excited to go. Even if it means I don’t get to go to South Africa for the world cup. But I suppose I can watch the World Cup in Costa Rica. That is always a blast. If April is when I get to go to Benin, Africa, April is when I will go!