Frigatebirds are large seabirds usually found over tropical oceans. Barn-owls are medium to large owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. These dainty birds resemble Old World warblers in their build and habits, moving restlessly through the foliage seeking insects. Toucans have a surprisingly light beak and love to eat fruit. Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal birds that usually nest on the ground. Hummingbirds are generally very small not getting bigger than 15 centimeters and have an incredible ability to flap their wing rapidly. The gnatcatchers and gnatwrens are mainly soft bluish gray in color and have the typical insectivore's long sharp bill. Corvids are above average in size among the Passeriformes, and some of the larger species show high levels of intelligence. In appearance and behavior they resemble the Old World bee-eaters, although they are more closely related to puffbirds. The antbirds are a large family of small passerine birds of subtropical and tropical Central and South America. Toucans are near passerine birds from the Neotropics. The woodcreepers are brownish birds which maintain an upright vertical posture supported by their stiff tail vanes. Another 73 are near-endemic with ranges that include only Costa Rica and Panama. They are typically associated with open woodland. These birds have a bouncing flight with alternating bouts of flapping and gliding on closed wings, and most sing well. They are small to medium-sized birds. Order: Caprimulgiformes   Family: Caprimulgidae. They are generally dull-plumaged, but the curassows and some guans have colorful facial ornaments. In the past, higher sea levels left the mountains as highlands, and isolation again led to distinct species developing, with over thirty now endemic to the mountains, especially the Talamanca range which extends from southern Costa Rica into Panama. Also, with legs strong but as thin as a pole. They are all similar in structure and habits, but have wide variation in plumage colors and patterns. The jacanas are a family of waders which are found throughout the tropics. Grebes are small to medium-large freshwater diving birds. The cardinals are a family of robust, seed-eating birds with strong bills. They have longish bills and webbed feet. Although Costa Rica is a small country, it is in the bird-rich neotropical region and has a huge number of species for its area. A sizable minority of them specialize in following columns of army ants to eat small invertebrates that leave their hiding places to flee from the ants. Order: Piciformes   Family: Semnornithidae. Clay-colored thrushes measure approximately nine inches tall, and both sexes exhibit yellow-brown plumage and a lightly striped neck, cream-colored stomach, and yellow-green bill. The females have much paler plumage especially on the neck and underparts. The species in this family were formerly spread over the families Tyrannidae, Pipridae, and Cotingidae. The clay-colored thrush was chosen as the national bird for several reasons. The family Trogonidae includes trogons and quetzals. For example, the Osa Peninsula where you will find the Scarlet Macaw as a common resident. Found in tropical woodlands worldwide, they feed on insects and fruit, and their broad bills and weak legs reflect their diet and arboreal habits. Birds like the hummingbird came from the south, while birds like the jay came from the north.[3]. They are found throughout Costa Rica but the most popular being the Scarlet Macaw is mainly found in the Osa Peninsula and Central Caribbean regions. Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans which have exceptionally long central tail feathers. Swifts are small birds which spend the majority of their lives flying. Tanagers come on the smaller scale of bird species but equally beautiful. Heliornithidae is a small family of tropical birds with webbed lobes on their feet similar to those of grebes and coots. Order: Procellariiformes   Family: Procellariidae. The New World quail are small, plump terrestrial birds only distantly related to the quails of the Old World, but named for their similar appearance and habits. Their upper mandibles have slight mobility in the joint with the skull and they have a generally erect stance. [4] Common and scientific names are also those of the Check-list, except that the common names of families are from the Clements taxonomy because the AOS list does not include them. Order: Ciconiiformes   Family: Ciconiidae. Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere. Recurvirostridae is a family of large wading birds which includes the avocets and stilts. Accipitridae is a family of birds of prey, which includes hawks, eagles, kites, harriers, and Old World vultures. keel-billed toucans, the blue-crowned motmot, the hummingbird, and many more. The males have black and dark-brown plumage, an erectile crest on the nape, and a larger bill than the female. The manakins are a family of subtropical and tropical mainland Central and South America, and Trinidad and Tobago. Typically they inhabit dense vegetation in damp environments near lakes, swamps, or rivers. Order: Passeriformes   Family: Grallariidae. Order: Podicipediformes   Family: Podicipedidae. Although their flight is fast, they are reluctant to fly any distance. Found in the humid rainforest and feasts on smaller birds, reptiles, and even monkeys. You may even see them pick up the odd snake for a snack. They are mainly brown, rufous, or gray, with large heads and flattened bills with hooked tips. Twenty-seven species, including five of the seven endemics, are globally vulnerable or endangered. Despite its name, this species is neither a wren nor a thrush, and is not closely related to either family. Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Haematopodidae. These birds have powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, powerful talons, and keen eyesight. If you are a Birder, Nature lover or just love animals Costa Rica truly is a paradise. The osprey is a medium-large raptor which is a specialist fish-eater with a worldwide distribution. In general they are shy and secretive birds, making them difficult to observe. However, they have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land. It is astonishing to see so many birds and recently recorded, Costa Rica holds over 918 species. This is where the signature humming sound comes from. They have an elongated lower mandible which they use to feed by flying low over the water surface and skimming the water for small fish. The Resplendent Quetzal is Beautiful and is readily seen throughout the country. Order: Passeriformes   Family: Rhodinocichlidae. [1] This number is more than have been recorded in all of the 49 mainland United States and Canada combined. They are brightly marked and have enormous, colorful bills which in some species amount to half their body length. As a family they are omnivorous, but individual species specialize in eating fruits, seeds, insects, or other types of food. Ovenbirds comprise a large family of small sub-oscine passerine bird species found in Central and South America. It was moved from the New World warblers (Parulidae) and placed in its own family in 2017. The Long Tailed Manakin is a small bird only 10 cm long, found in wet and dry climates. As the name implies, most are insectivorous. Wing spans can be almost a meter and a half long. Trogons have soft, often colorful, feathers with distinctive male and female plumage. In the Bohemian and cedar waxwings, these tips look like sealing wax and give the group its name. The procellariids are the main group of medium-sized "true petrels", characterized by united nostrils with medium septum and a long outer functional primary. Dippers are a group of perching birds whose habitat includes aquatic environments in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. They are strong fliers and despite their size and weight, very capable soarers. These ones in particular as they can stand as tall as a small child and love to fish. The mimids are a family of passerine birds that includes thrashers, mockingbirds, tremblers, and the New World catbirds. Many species lack bright color, with brown, black, and white being the dominant tones. The guans and curassows live in trees, but the smaller chachalacas are found in more open scrubby habitats. 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