Yellow throated Toucan Archives - Retired in Costa Rica

July 10, 2024July 10, 2024

Just Two Toucans This Trip

And the reason I say that is because I almost always get photos of all three of the toucans in that particular reserve, but the Keel-billed Toucan never showed up during my 6 days there this time. One of the family there said that it was because many fruit trees are fruiting right now throughout the rainforest and they have preferences elsewhere. 🙂

Here’s one shot of each of the other two and links to my galleries with earlier photos of each from all over Costa Rica.

Collared Aracari, Maquenque Eco Lodge & Reserve, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica

And my Gallery of CR Collared Aracari. You will see from the locations of those photos that this aracari is only on the Caribbean Slope or Atlantic side while the Pacific Slope has the Fiery-billed Aracari, which I’ve had in my garden a couple of times.

Yellow-throated Toucan, Maquenque Eco Lodge & Reserve, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica

See more of this bird in my Yellow-throated Toucan Gallery. And this guy and the similar Keel-billed Toucan can be seen on both slopes of Costa Rica.

¡Pura Vida!

May 7, 2024May 7, 2024

Nesting Time!

At least in this area, it is the time that most of the birds are nesting, meaning a different kind of bird activity. The feature shot at top is of a Yellow-throated Toucan coming out of her nest with a berry or seed in her beak. Below you can see a shot of how small the hole is that both the male and female squeeze through. I guess their beak determines the size of the whole, usually a remade or enlarged woodpecker hole. 🙂

And in the spirit of nesting season, there’s also a shot of an unidentified bird on her nest and a hummingbird nest. All this reproduction activity is an important part of the ecology of the rainforest that seems to be coming at the beginning of the rainy season.

The toucan nest hole seems to be just barely large enough for them to get their beaks through! 🙂

November 29, 2023November 27, 2023

An Elusive Toucan!

Though some flew over and I heard a lot of toucans calling out in the forest, I only got photos of this one, a Yellow-throated Toucan, Ramphastos ambiguus, about 30 feet up in the trees of the forest between my cabin and the dining room. Definitely not my best toucan photos, but glad to at least get one while at Macaw Lodge! 🙂

And though again I heard the squawking of many Scarlet Macaws, the namesake of the lodge, I got no photos. They told me that a flock came to the trees by the dining room in the middle of one afternoon, but of course none of us guests were there at that time! 🙂

Here’s four shots that are okay, though I have some better photos in my Yellow-throated Toucan Gallery. 🙂

Yellow-throated Toucan, Macaw Lodge, Carara National Park, Costa Rica

April 16, 2023April 15, 2023

Lizard for Lunch!

WARNING! The photos in this post are graphic and could be considered gross, especially if you are a lizard or have close friends who are lizards! 🙂

I was waiting for my driver from Atenas to arrive at Maquenque for lunch and our return trip home when one of the lodge staff come running in, excitedly telling me that there was a Toucan in a tree in front of the restaurant eating a lizard. Of course I grabbed my camera and ran out for some photos which were difficult because of the poor light in the tree at almost 12 noon! But here’s 5 shots of the Yellow-throated Toucan with his captured lizard and the final shot of another toucan either stealing lizard meat from him or having it shared. I could not tell which. 🙂

Yellow-throated Toucan eating a lizard for lunch at Maquenque Ecolodge, Boca Tapada, Costa Rica.

Continue reading “Lizard for Lunch!”

February 19, 2023February 18, 2023

3 Toucan Species

There are 3 species of toucans on each side of Costa Rica with the Keel-billed and Yellow-throated on both sides and a different Aracari (smaller toucan) on each side, Collared Aracari on the Caribbean (Atlantic) side and Fiery-billed Aracari on the Pacific slopes. And of course this past week I was in the Caribbean. Here’s two shots of each species with a link to my gallery for that species if you want to see more and different photos. One photo for the email notice and then the three galleries online . . .