Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Piranga (from Tupi name for an unknown bird) rubra ("red")

 

 Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) at San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica - November 2025

Featured Subspecies: Piranga rubra rubra
Weight: 30g  /  Length: 17cm  /  Wingspan: 28-30cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Despite the name, the Summer Tanager has a recently been reevaltuated as a member of the cardinal family, which makes sense with it's bright red plumage. In so far as the Summer part of it's name goes, it primarily breeds in the US South and Northern Mexico, and here where I saw it in Costa Rica, was in it's Wintering range
 
Related Species: 
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Cardinalidae
Genus: Piranga
SUBSPECIES: P. r. cooperi, P. r. rubra
 
- Sighting Locations -

COSTA RICA - Spanish - Tángara Roja Migratoria ("Migratory Red Tanager")

A widespread Winter visitor
- COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Seen at Tarcoles, San Jose, San Gerardo de Dota and Hotel Robledal

 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Blue-gray Tanager (Thraupis episcopus)

OTHER NAMES: Blue Jean
Latin Etymology: Thraupis (an unidentified bird mentioned by Aristotle) episcopus ("bishop")

Blue-gray Tanager (Thraupis episcopus) at San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica - November 2025

Featured Subspecies: Thraupis episcopus cana
Weight: 30-40g  /  Length: 16-18cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

One of the more common and instantly recognisable birds in Costa Rica, the Blue-grey Tanager is precisely the bird of it's name - a distinctively pale blue bird with azure wings and tail. They have adapted well to human disturbance and their varied diet of nectar, insects and fruits is versatile enough to support them in a range of habitats. 
 
Related Species: 
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Thraupidae
Genus: Thraupis
SUBSPECIES: T. e. cana, T. e. caesita, T. e. cumatilis, T. e. nesophilus, T. e. berlepschi, T. e. quaesita, T. e. leucoptera, T. e. mediana, T. e. coelestis, T. e. episcopus, T. e. caerulea, T. e. major, T. e. urubambae
 
- Sighting Locations -

COSTA RICA - Spanish - Tanagara Azuleja ("Blue Tanager")
A widespread and common species
- COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Seen throughout
 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Clay-coloured Thrush (Turdus grayi)

OTHER NAMES: Clay-colored Robin
Latin Etymology: Turdus ("thrush") grayi (named for a naturalist)

Clay-coloured Thrush (Turdus grayi) at Hotel Robledal, Costa Rica- November 2025

Featured Subspecies: Turdus grayi casius

Weight: 75g  /  Length: 23-27cm  /  Wingspan: 34-38cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A widespread and common bird of Central America and the National Bird of Costa Rica where it is known as yigüirro - a role it was chosen for in 1977 due to it's ubiquity and familiar and memorable song. Like many thrushes, they have a varied diet including fruit and invertibrates, and from my sightings of them at least, seemed to particularly favour hanging around wet muddy areas.

 
Related Species: 
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Turdidae
Genus: Turdus
SUBSPECIES: T. g. tamaulipensis, T. g. microrhynchus, T. g. lanyoni, T. g. yucatanensis, T. g. linnaei, T. g. grayi, T. g. megas, T. g. casius, T. g. incomptus, T. g. suarezi
 
- Sighting Locations -

 COSTA RICA - Costa Rican Spanish - yigüirro
A widespread and common species
- COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Seen at all locations
 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Hoffmann's Woodpecker (Melanerpes hoffmannii)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Melanerpes ("black creeper") hoffmannii (for naturalist Karl Hoffman)

Hoffmann's Woodpecker (Melanerpes hoffmannii) at Hotel Robledal, Costa Rica - November 2025

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 62-84g  /  Length: 18-21cm  /  Wingspan: 40-43cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A fairly range restricted species found in a narrow band of North West Costa Rica, West Nicaragua and Southern Honduras where it prefers more open forests and even more disturbed areas like parks and gardens. They are a close relative of the Red-crowned woodepecker and a hybrid zone between the two exists in Costa Rica where the species overlap.
 

Related Species: 
Order: Piciformes
Family: Picidae
Genus: Melanerpes
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 
- Sighting Locations -

COSTA RICA - Spanish - Carpintero de Hoffman ("Hoffman's Carpenter")

A locally common species in North West Costa Rica
- COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Seen at San Jose, Hotel Robledal and Tarcoles

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Lineated Woodpecker (Dryocopus lineatus)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Dryocopus ("tree beating") lineatus ("lined")

Male Lineated Woodpecker (Dryocopus lineatus) at Hotel Robledal, Costa Rica - November 2025

Featured Subspecies: Dryocopus lineatus lineatus
Weight: 126-264g/kg  /  Length: 31-36cm  /  Wingspan: 49-58cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A large, powerfully built woodpecker, the equivalent and closest relation to the Black Woodpecker of Europe and the Pileated of North America, filling a similar niche. They use their bills to excavate large holes in trees in their search for insect prey and can be detected by their drumming on trees.  The male and female differ in appearance in that the female lacks the red patch below the bill.

Related Species: 
Order: Piciformes

Family: Picidae

Genus: Dryobates

SUBSPECIES: D. l. capularis, D, l, similis, D. l. lineatus, D. l. fuscipenns, D. l. erythrops

 - Sighting Locations -

COSTA RICA - Spanish - Picamaderos listado ("List Woodcutter")

A common resident
 - COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Seen at Tarcoles and Hotel Robledal

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga)

OTHER NAMES: Snakebird, American Darter, Water Turkey
Latin Etymology: Anhinga (Tupi word approximating "Devil bird") anhinga (Tupi word approximating "Devil bird")

Adult Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) at Alajuela, Costa Rica - November 2025

Featured Subspecies: Unclear
Weight: 1-1.35kg  /  Length: 89cm  /  Wingspan: 114cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

One of the more widely distributed of the four darter species ranging from the Southern United States in the North to Uruguay in the South. As with the rest of their family they are fishing specialists, particularly favouring warm shallow waters such as rivers and marshland where they dive for fish and other aquatic prey. 

Related Species:
Order: Suliformes
Family: Anhingidae
Genus: Anhinga
SUBSPECIES: A. a. anhinga, A. a. leucogaster

 - Sighting Locations -

COSTA RICA - Spanish - Anhinga Americana ("American Anhinga")

A widespread but local resident.
 - COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Seen  over Hotel Robledal, Alajuela

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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