Tag: Clay-colored Thrush

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Clay-colored Thrush or Yigüirro

Clay-colored Thrush or Yigüirro
The National Bird of Costa Rica 
Joined me for breakfast this morning.
Atenas, Costa Rica
“With its unmistakable tune and people-friendly character, the clay-colored thrush is the national bird of Costa Rica. The melodious thrush, known locally as the Yigüirro, is one of the country’s most common birds. While the species ranges from South Texas to northern Colombia, it holds a special place in the heart of Ticos.

“In January 1977 the clay-colored thrush was designated as Costa Rica’s bird, under the government of Mr. Daniel Oduber Quiros. It was chosen in large part for its gorgeous song, which represents the arrival of the green seasons.”   Copied from the Go Visit Costa Rica website

This bird is the same size and a relative of the American Robin with similar behavior, though the song is more distinctive. He is here and singing year around but some say his song in May is what brings the Green Season rains which we are thirsty for after 6 months of dryness. 🙂 This simple bird as a national bird says a lot about Costa Rica and its practical people when we have so many showy birds like toucans and macaws and more resplendent quetzals than Guatemala who call it their national bird. Thankfulness for the life-giving rain that this bird supposedly brings notes the priorities of the happy Costa Rica people! ¡Pura Vida!  ~Charlie


Some of my other shots of this bird   (“Search” on my gallery)

Or the Costa Rica Birds section of my BIRDS photo gallery

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Thrushes, Warblers & Swallows at Sarapiquí

Clay-colored Thrush or Yigüirro
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica
The national bird of Costa Rica

Wood Thrush (possibly Swainson’s or Gray-cheeked)
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica

Buff-rumped Warbler
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica

Chestnut-sided Warbler
Selva Verde Lodge Sarapiquí, Chilamate, Costa Rica

Southern Rough-winged Swallow
Puerto Viejo & Sarapiquí Rivers, Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica

Mangrove Swallows
Puerto Viejo & Sarapiquí Rivers, Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Costa Rica

See also my Photo Gallery of Costa Rica Birds
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Last of the Birds from Montibelli Nicaragua

Smooth-billed Ani
Montibelli Nature Reserve, Nicaragua

White-winged Dove
Montibelli Nature Reserve, Nicaragua

White-tipped Dove
Montibelli Nature Reserve, Nicaragua
The difference from White-winged is the tail is tipped white

Inca Dove
Montibelli Nature Reserve, Nicaragua

Bronzed Cowbird
Montibelli Nature Reserve, Nicaragua

Clay-colored Thrush
Montibelli Nature Reserve, Nicaragua

Rufous-naped Wren
Montibelli Nature Reserve, Nicaragua

Melodius Blackbird
Montibelli Nature Reserve, Nicaragua

Streak-headed Woodcreeper
Montibelli Nature Reserve, Nicaragua

Whew! It was a lot of birds! A wonderful trip!

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Last of Birds from El Jaguar, Nicaragua

Black-headed Saltator
El Jaguar Nature Reserve, Nicaragua

Bushy-crested Jay
El Jaguar Nature Reserve, Nicaragua

Baltimore Oriole
El Jaguar Nature Reserve, Nicaragua

Clay-colored Thrush
El Jaguar Nature Reserve, Nicaragua

Great-tailed Grackle
El Jaguar Nature Reserve, Nicaragua

El Jaguar Nature Reserve was a great place for birding, maybe the best yet!

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More Balcony Birds

The balcony of my new house is providing a lot of birds, I just haven’t had time to sit still and wait on them for photos. Here’s 5 made in about a week, plus the hummingbird and toucan shown earlier. 7!

White-winged Dove
He ties with Yigüirro as the most heard birds. His is a coo-coo coo cooooooo
Yigüirro or Clay-colored Thrush
Day and night I hear him with his Tch, Tch, Tch, Tch or Toc, Toc, Toc, Toc
The National Bird of Costa Rica
Melodious Blackbird
My bird sounds app doesn’t have this one, but “melodious” must be happy!
The only all-black bird in Costa Rica with dark eye, shaking rainwater off here.
Gray-capped Flycatcher
He kind of squeaks in the morning among all the other bird sounds
then more of a chirp during the day
White-tipped Dove
His sound is not as noticed, a low-pitched uuuuuuu
His tail tip is white while above dove’s wing’s white

And if you’re wondering about the sounds, I got a new app for my phone, “The Bird Sounds of Costa Rica.”  Cool! Maybe I will begin to recognize more of them now. For more information, check your app source (I got it from GooglePlays) or direct from the birdsounds website in the Netherlands:  http://www.birdsounds.nl/   They have a bunch for all around the world.

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Costa Rica’s National Bird!

When I posted this yesterday I forgot to say that this is Costa Rica’s National Bird! Makes me like the photo even more! Thanks to Richard Barone for reminding me!

Costa Rica’s National Bird – Clay-colored Thrush
On Charlie’s apartment balcony, Hacienda La Jacaranda, Atenas, Costa Rica

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Clay-colored Thrush

Clay-colored Thrush
Hacienda La Jacaranda, Atenas, Costa Rica

There was one of these down by the river with the howler monkeys yesterday afternoon, but this little guy landed on my balcony rail at sunset tonight. In earlier years he was called Clay-colored Robin. Yes, I posted a photo of this bird earlier, but just not as good as this one. Won’t do repeats often! Promise!

Drove the rent car to Alajuela today to pick up a letter, eat lunch at Jalapeno Central and do a test drive through the airport twice; once through the departure lane where I will deliver Berdelle and Michael Wednesday morning, then through the arrival lane for Kevin on Friday and found how to park for arrivals, so now I feel prepared and not nervous about driving there. But I still plan to avoid driving in downtown San Jose!

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Lunch at Park Again & Two New Birds!

Looking out the Open Air Window of Don Tadeo’s at lunch Saturday,
Central Park is always a hub of activity for locals

I tried Don Tadeo’s Sports Bar and Grill for lunch yesterday and had a really good lunch of their day’s special, Lasagna and Salad, plus enjoyed watching these girls climb the tree and many other people socializing in Atenas Central Park, from teenagers stealing kisses to old men sitting and talking. It is what small town life in Costa Rica is.

I did not post this yesterday because our internet service was down until about noon today because some employee did not turn something on when needed. Management of the apartments is the biggest blip in my tropical paradise, but a new manager has been secured from Holland and hopefully he will be efficient! Patricia, the girl I’ve been working with, has already been let go. I wrote a letter to the new management with my issues and what it would take for me to sign a long-term lease. We will see. 
Now for yesterday’s birds, both new and Thrush from my front balcony with Wren seen from back balcony in a Mango Tree. As always, click to see larger image. And in my photo galleries there is one titled Birds Photographed at Apartment if you want to see all the birds I’ve photographed from my balconies, up to 12 now! This was something I had hoped for about the apartments, but the reality meets my expectation even if not Macaws or Toucans! For even more birds from Costa Rica and all of Central and South America, see the bigger gallery Central/South America Birds. and soon I will create a gallery for all of my Costa Rica Bird photos separate from these.
Clay-colored Thrush, formerly known as Clay-colored Robin

Rufous-naped Wren

Went to church this morning and the novelty has worn off. I’ve got to improve my Spanish a whole lot quick to fully worship and learn from the sermon. But I will keep loving the people! Today was the day that early and late services were combined into one at 9:00 AM and always two hours long! Today I slipped out quickly at end of service and walked to Central Park again and today ate by myself at Antano Restaurant, some great rice with vegetables and shrimp.

Came home and drank a Guanabana for desert. I buy the Guanabana (soursop) pulp at grocery store and mix it one part with three parts water or sometimes with milk for a really rich smoothie! It is a big green, spiny fruit with white meat inside that is usually used in a blender for yummy drinks. It is also known as the “cancer killer” in some circles for natural remedies.