[:en]Bird Black-bellied Whistling-Duck[:es]Ave Pijije Común (Piche)[:]
07 Jun

Black-bellied Whistling-duck

The Black-bellied Whistling-duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis) is found from south Texas and northwest Mexico to west Ecuador and north Argentina. Its place is in open freshwater marshes and ponds, wet pastures, and shallow lagoons. Adults are 53 cm (21 inches) in height and 800 g in weight.

Its head is mostly brownish, and its throat and eye-ring are white. Crown and hindneck are dark brown, and body mostly chestnut. Belly, underwing, and tail black. Bill red and legs pink. This bird eats seeds, leaves and shoots, mollusks, and insects.

[:en]Bird Fulvous Whistling-Duck[:es]Ave Pijije Canelo[:]
09 Jun

Fulvous Whistling-duck

The Fulvous Whistling-duck (Dendrocygna bicolor) inhabits from south USA to Costa Rica, and in South America, Africa, and Asia. Its natural habits are in open freshwater, flooded fields, and pond margins. Its size is of 51 cm (20 inches) in height and weights 750 g.

They are mostly uniform cinnamon-buff, with black mantle, and broadly scaled with chestnut-rufous. Legs bluish-gray and dark wings. This bird usually lives in groups or flocks and feeds on seeds.

[:en]Bird Muscovy Duck[:es]Ave Pato Real[:]
09 Jun

Muscovy Duck

The Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata) ranges from north Mexico to west Colombia, east Peru, and north Argentina. It is found in forested watercourses of all sorts, like streams or rivers with gallery forest, wooded swamps, mangroves, marshes and grainfields. Matures are 86 cm (34 inches) in height and 3 Kg in weight.

Below is dusky-black, and above black, strongly glossed with metallic green. With white upper and lower wing-coverts. Bill banded with black and whitish, and black legs. Eats seeds, corn, rice, tubers, and occasionally frogs, crabs, and insects.

01 Dec

Cinnamon Teal

The Cinnamon Teal (Spatula cyanoptera) breeds from south Canada to central Mexico, in winters regularly to south Mexico, and casually to Costa Rica. Its place is in freshwater marshes, ponds, and sloughs. Its size is of 38 cm (15 inches) in height and weights 400 g.

Adults are mainly bright chestnut, and above scalloped with black and buff. With iris red, and bill black. Its diet is based on invertebrates and some plants.

[:en]Bird Northern Shoveler[:es]Ave Pato Cuchara[:]
09 Jun

Northern Shoveler

The Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata) breeds from Alaska and North Canada to central USA, and in winters from south USA to north South America. It lives in pairs or small groups in open freshwater marshes, sloughs, lagoons and salt ponds. Matures are 48 cm (19 inches) in height and 600 g in weight.

Its head is dark green, and white chest. Belly and sides are chestnut. Center of back, and bill black. Tail black with outer feathers white. They eat small animals like insects, crustaceans, and mollusks.

[:en]Bird American Wigeon[:es]Ave Pato Calvo[:]
09 Jun

American Wigeon

The American Wigeon (Mareca americana) breeds from Alaska and north Canada to north USA, and lives in winters to Panama and north South America. It prefers marshes, pond margins, and sloughs with open shoreline. Its size is of 51 cm (20 inches) in height and weights 700 g.

Its crown is white, and sides of head are glossy green. Neck whitish, and mottled with black. Mantle and sides are pinkish-brown, and chest purplish. Belly and sides of rump are white. Its diet is based on leafy vegetation.

[:en]Bird Mallard[:es]Ave Pato Cabeciverde[:]
09 Jun

Mallard

The Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) inhabits from Alaska and north Canada to south USA in breeding season, and from south to central Mexico, and rarely to Panama in winters. This bird is little known in Costa Rica and lives on freshwater ponds and marshes. Matures are 61 cm (24 inches) in height and 1.1 Kg in weight.

Its head is glossy green and separated from chestnut breast by narrow white ring. Body mostly pale-gray, and bill yellow. They feed on small aquatic invertebrates.

[:en]Bird White-tailed Kite[:es]Ave Gavilán Bailarín[:]
13 Jun

White-tailed Kite

The White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus) lives in North America and some parts of South America. It is found in coastal areas, marshes, savannas, cultivated fields, lowland scrub or grassland, and open land places. Its size is of 43 cm (17 inches) in height and 280 g in weight.

Females and males are similar, with white head and tail, and whit black shoulders. Its eyes are red and feet are yellow. This bird feeds on rodents, and lives in flocks of up to 100 birds.

[:en]Bird Hook-billed Kite[:es]Ave Gavilán Piquiganchudo[:]
13 Jun

Hook-billed Kite

The Hook-billed Kite (Chondrohierax uncinatus) has a heavy, deeply hooked bill. Lives from S Texas and West Indies to N Argentina. Feeds mostly of snails.

41cm (16”), 275g. Plumage variable. Iris whitish; bare spot on cere; legs yellow. Tail always banded with light gray and black. Gray phase (males): Above slaty; below barred gray and white. Black phase (males): mostly dull black. Rufous phase (females): face gray; crown black; nuchal collar rufous and buffy-white. Young: Above blackish brown; nuchal collar white; below white sometimes barred with black. Tail more finely and irregularly banded than in adult.

[:en]Bird Gray-headed Kite[:es]Ave Gavilán Cabecigris[:]
13 Jun

Gray-headed Kite

The Gray-headed kite (Leptodon cayanensis) is a medium-sized, broad-winged and  long-tailed bird. It dwells from E Mexico to W Ecuador and N Argentina. It eats eggs and nestlings of small birds, insects and small lizards and frogs.

51cm (20”), 440g. Above blackish; head light gray; below white; wing-linings black; remiges below pale gray, barred with black; tail banded with light gray and black. Iris dark; cere and legs bluish-gray. Young: often are best identifies by shape and behavior. Variable: above dark brown; head and underparts from entirely white (except for the crown and post-ocular streak) to mostly blackish with white streaks on belly and wing-linings; sometimes they have a rusty nuchal collar. Iris, cere and feet yellow.