10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 3, 2011

If Mexico City itself was not high enough, the mountains to the south rise above 12,300 feet and I was there looking for a Sierra Madre Sparrow to confirm a sighting of this rare and local sparrow from 15 years ago. As I write, Popacatapetl, the volcano 50 miles south-east of Mexico city, is grumbling outside the window.

Costa Rica 202

Costa Rica Mexico Taiwan Honduras 202

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 14, 2014

In this first installment, I will focus on my impressions and experiences in the highlands portion of our tour. One of these islands may have been the present day Northern Central American Highlands which includes Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, and parts of extreme southern Mexico (Chiapas). This is a fascinating area of transition.

Honduras 213

Honduras Costa Rica El Salvador Arizona 213

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 12, 2016

But, while we are making sacrifices for the avian quest, we also experience side benefits much less trying in nature. I wish I could go there now and walk next to trees that were young when the island part of the Seneca nation but at least there are no shortage of mountains, old forests, and hundreds of birds to look at in Costa Rica.

Birds 153

Birds Costa Rica Chickens Goats 153

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 20, 2013

Lesser Ground-Cuckoos occur along the Pacific slope from Mexico to Costa Rica in tropical lowland thorn and deciduous forest up to approximately 1800 meters. Having failed many times already to see the Lesser Ground-Cuckoo throughout West Mexico, we headed down towards Tehuantepec in the state of Oaxaca in Mexico to try again.

San Diego 162

San Diego Mexico South America Costa Rica 162

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 20, 2012

Its native range stretches from the southern Pacific coast of Mexico south to northwestern Costa Rica, where it is an inhabitant of arid to semihumid woodland and open areas with scattered trees. Despite being tainted with this fact, I will sheepishly admit that this oriole is a welcome enrichment to our local avifauna.

Miami 174

Miami Costa Rica Florida 2005 174

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 28, 2014

This video by Kathi Borgmann shows an army ant swarm in Mexico. A bite from an army ant can really pack a punch; I speak from experience. One of our best was in the lowlands of Chiapas, Mexico. Instead, their bivouac, as it is called, which holds the queen, moves around in search of prey. Ruddy Woodcreeper.

San Diego 186

San Diego South America Costa Rica America 186

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2018

It was an all around quality experience. It is not over yet, we still have several adventures planed before the end of the year, with Canada, my home state of Oregon, and it is looking like an end of the year trip to Costa Rica, to put a finish on one of the most amazing years of my life. Mexico species 148.

South Africa 100

South Africa New Zealand Costa Rica Qatar 100

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 6, 2018

It actually makes a lot of sense, the geographic features of the isthmus between North America (including Mexico, because Mexico is part of North America) and South America cut across political lines, as do birds. Press, 1989); A Guide to the Birds to the Birds of Panama, with Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras, 2nd ed. ,

America 213

America El Salvador Costa Rica Honduras 213

10,000 Birds

JULY 6, 2021

Like all talented travel writers, Dunn is adept at drawing us into his experiences. His guides include our own Patrick O’Donnell, who leads Dunn on a quest to see as many hummingbird species as possible across Costa Rica in just two days, an adventure described in his 2015 post “ A Hummingbird Quest in Costa Rica.”)

Costa Rica 264

Costa Rica Brazil Ecuador Bolivia 264

10,000 Birds

APRIL 25, 2019

4%: Mexico, West Papua (Indonesia), New Zealand, South Africa, Kenya. 21%: Costa Rica. The high position of Costa Rica comes as no surprise and yet, with more than one fifth of the total votes, I was a bit surprised how strong its 1st place is. 8%: Brazil, Panama. 10%: Australia, Papua New Guinea.

Papua New Guinea 214

Papua New Guinea America Costa Rica Sri Lanka 214

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 9, 2022

But there are apparently almost a million Americans that have settled here in Mexico, far beyond any other country’s total. Those who retire here usually did so because their retirement money will go so much further in Mexico. Every lifer is, of course, a new experience, and Mexico offers a lot of them!

Mexico 215

Mexico Birds Costa Rica Alabama 215