MONTE SKY RESERVE & TAPANTI NATIONAL PARK & LIST
COSTA RICA
Region (Compass)
Lat:00o00´S/00o00´W ha topography msl
Protected/registered status
Best Time for visit (21st-22nd & 30-31st January, 2005)
Birding Site Guide
These 2 reserves were reached from the town of Orosi where there were several places to stay. I stayed at a cheap hostal called Montana Linda (Dorm $6.50). Orosi is within easy reach of San Jose. First take a bus to Cartago from the Sacsa terminal in the South of the San Jose which take just 45 minutes and leave often. The bus from Cartago to Orosi leaves every half hour and also takes 45 minutes. I stayed in Orosi twice. On my first visit, the Tapanti National Park had been cut off by a land slide so I visited the nearby Monte Sky reserve. The road had been cleared by my second visit. Monte Sky was up a steep gravel road through coffee plantations about half way to Tapanti. It was a right turning and well signed. Tapanti is 12km from town. There is no public transport but some buses go as far as Purisil (just after Monte Sky). It is easy to hitch a ride with friendly locals the rest of the way. Otherwise a taxi can be hired in Orosi (about 2000 colons per person in a group) all the way to Tapanti. Arrange a time to be picked up with the taxi driver. Many birds can be seen in the coffee plantations between Orosi and the reserves. From the turning to Monte Sky it is a long walk up a steep hill. This has good birding as does the reserve. Tapanti has several trails and a long central road. Black Guan was seen at Monte Sky but Blue-and-gold Tanager and Red-fronted Parrotlet were not seen at Tapanti. I saw 121 species including 24 lifers.
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Species seen
- Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea
- Snowy Egret Egretta thula
- Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
- Green Heron Butorides virescens
- Black Vulture Coragyps atratus
- Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
- Sharp-shinned Hawk ? Accipiter striatus
- Bicolored Hawk Accipiter bicolor
- Broad-winged Hawk Buteo platypterus
- Black Guan Chamaepetes unicolor Near-threatened
- Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularia
- Rock Dove Columba livia Introduced
- Red-billed Pigeon Patagioenas flavirostris
- Ruddy Ground-Dove Columbina talpacoti
- Inca Dove Columbina inca
- Crimson-fronted Parakeet Aratinga finschi
- Sulphur-winged Parakeet Pyrrhura hoffmanni
- White-crowned Parrot Pionus senilis
- Squirrel Cuckoo Piaya cayana
- White-collared Swift Streptoprocne zonaris
- White-tipped Sicklebill Eutoxeres aquila
- Green Hermit Phaethornis guy
- Little Hermit Phaethornis
- Violet Sabrewing Campylopterus hemileucurus
- Green-breasted Mango Anthracothorax prevostii
- Green Thorntail Discosura conversii
- Stripe-tailed Hummingbird Eupherusa eximia
- Rufous-tailed Hummingbird Amazilia tzacatl
- White-bellied Mountain-gem Lampornis hemileucus
- Purple-throated Mountain-gem Lampornis calolaema
- Collared Trogon Trogon collaris
- Red-headed Barbet Eubucco bourcierii
- Prong-billed Barbet Semnornis frantzii
- Blue-throated Toucanet Aulacorhynchus caeruleogularis
- Red-faced Spinetail Cranioleuca erythrops
- Spotted Barbtail Premnoplex brunnescens
- Ruddy Treerunner Margarornis rubiginosus
- Scaly-throated Foliage-gleaner Anabacerthia variegaticeps
- Lineated Foliage-gleaner Syndactyla subalaris
- Wedge-billed Woodcreeper Glyphorynchus spirurus
- Spotted Woodcreeper Xiphorhynchus erythropygius
- Streak-headed Woodcreeper Lepidocolaptes souleyetii
- Brown-billed Scythebill Campylorhamphus pusillus
- Slaty Antwren Myrmotherula schisticolor
- Lesser Elaenia Elaenia chiriquensis
- Mountain Elaenia Elaenia frantzii
- Torrent Tyrannulet Serpophaga cinerea
- Olive-striped Flycatcher Mionectes olivaceus
- Paltry Tyrannulet Zimmerius vilissimus
- Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant Lophotriccus pileatus
- Common Tody-Flycatcher Todirostrum cinereum
- Tufted Flycatcher Mitrephanes phaeocercus
- Dark Pewee Contopus lugubris Endemic
- Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Empidonax flaviventris
- Yellowish Flycatcher Empidonax flavescens
- Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans
- Dusky-capped Flycatcher Myiarchus tuberculifer
- Social Flycatcher Myiozetetes similis
- Golden-bellied Flycatcher Myiodynastes hemichrysus
- Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus
- Blue-and-white Swallow Pygochelidon cyanoleuca
- Black-and-yellow Silky-flycatcher Phainoptila melanoxantha
- American Dipper Cinclus mexicanus
- Plain Wren Thryothorus modestus
- House Wren Troglodytes aedon
- Ochraceous Wren Troglodytes ochraceus
- White-breasted Wood-Wren Henicorhina leucosticta
- Gray-breasted Wood-Wren Henicorhina leucophrys
- Black-faced Solitaire Myadestes melanops
- Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush Catharus aurantiirostris
- Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush Catharus fuscater
- Swainson's Thrush Catharus ustulatus
- Mountain Robin Turdus plebejus
- Clay-colored Robin Turdus grayi
- Tropical Gnatcatcher Polioptila plumbea
- Brown Jay Cyanocorax morio
- Azure-hooded Jay h Cyanolyca cucullata
- Yellow-throated Vireo Vireo flavifrons
- Brown-capped Vireo Vireo leucophrys
- Philadelphia Vireo Vireo philadelphicus
- Golden-winged Warbler Vermivora chrysoptera
- Tennessee Warbler Vermivora peregrina
- Tropical Parula Parula pitiayumi
- Chestnut-sided Warbler Dendroica pensylvanica
- Black-throated Green Warbler Dendroica virens
- Yellow-throated Warbler Dendroica dominica
- Black-and-white Warbler Mniotilta varia
- Wilson's Warbler Wilsonia pusilla
- Slate-throated Redstart Myioborus miniatus
- Collared Redstart Myioborus torquatus
- Rufous-capped Warbler Basileuterus rufifrons
- Three-striped Warbler Basileuterus tristriatus
- Bananaquit Coereba flaveola
- Common Bush-Tanager Chlorospingus ophthalmicus
- White-shouldered Tanager Tachyphonus luctuosus
- Summer Tanager Piranga rubra
- Passerini's Tanager Ramphocelus passerinii
- Blue-gray Tanager Thraupis episcopus
- Elegant Euphonia Euphonia elegantissima
- Tawny-capped Euphonia Euphonia anneae
- Golden-browed Chlorophonia Chlorophonia callophrys
- Silver-throated Tanager Tangara icterocephala
- Rufous-winged Tanager ?? Tangara lavinia
- Spangle-cheeked Tanager Tangara dowii
- Variable Seedeater Sporophila corvina
- Yellow-faced Grassquit Tiaris olivacea
- Sooty-faced Finch Lysurus crassirostris
- Yellow-thighed Finch Pselliophorus tibialis
- White-naped Brush-Finch Atlapetes albinucha
- Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch Buarremon brunneinucha
- White-eared Ground-Sparrow Melozone leucotis
- Rufous-collared Sparrow Zonotrichia capensis
- Grayish Saltator Saltator coerulescens
- Buff-throated Saltator Saltator maximus
- Melodious Blackbird Dives dives Rare/Accidental
- Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus
- Bronzed Cowbird Molothrus aeneus
- Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula
- Chestnut-headed Oropendola Psarocolius wagleri
- Montezuma Oropendola Gymnostinops montezuma
- House Sparrow Passer domesticus Introduced
Other Fauna
A total of -- species of mammals.
There are -- recorded species of amphibians and reptiles.
Flora
Author: Charles Hesse
www.birdingsiteguide.com
