Refugio de Los Angeles is the home to many bird species. Over the years, dedicated birders have visited the property. Prominent among them is naturalist and author, Michael Godfrey.

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Godfrey writes about his birding experiences at Refugio de Los Angeles:

“Refugio de Los Angeles is perfectly located for bird sightings. The sharp elevational change from sea level to the high ridges of Quebrada Grande is a key to high density biodiversity. The ascending landscape presents different climates, soils, and plant communities which sustain birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles obligate to those communities. Remember too that many of North America’s birds migrate to winter in the tropics, further boosting Quebrada Grande’s diversity with birds familiar to the U.S. as well as those endemic to Central America. Also, Refugio de Los Angeles is a great place to observe Bergmann’s Rule at work — Biodiversity is richest near the equator and decreases northward. The natural heritage of upper elevations on the Nicoya Peninsula has seen good stewardship through a benign agricultural history and enlightened national policy.”

Michael Godfrey is an accomplished bird videographer who has produced videos for the National Audubon Society. One of his popular videos is the “National Audubon Society Video Guide to 258 Birds of North America”.

When Godfrey visits Refugio de los Angeles he often prefers to spend the evening in a hammock on the front porch to be closer to the birds he loves to observe.

“The pleasure of sleeping in the drift of ideal temperatures and the music of night birds followed by the dawn chorus that greets the day at Refugio de Los Angeles is the most beautiful of sounds.”

Operation Ruby-throat

In the winter of 2008 educator-naturalist Dr. William Hilton spent the day at Refugio de Los Angeles with his research team catching, banding and releasing hummingbirds for his field study on migration patterns of the ruby-throated hummingbird. Dr. Hilton was pleased to find an active hummingbird population in residence on the property. Within an hour of their arrival, Dr. Hilton and his associates observed nine species of hummingbirds. (www.rubythroat.org)

During the past 10 years, Dr. Hilton has led more than 2000 U.S., Canadian, and Costa Rican citizen scientists on 24 Neotropical hummingbird field expeditions, (through Oct., 2014), including 12 to Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica. There he became the first researcher to systematically band and observe ruby-throats on their non-breeding grounds in the tropics; 798 ruby-throated hummingbirds have been banded in Guanacaste. (Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History)

Banding the hummingbird is a skill few are qualified to do. Dr. Hilton accomplishes this feat with calm precision. One of a select group of “master banders” in the United States, Dr. Hilton received his certification from the U.S. Bird Banding Labratory, part of the U.S. Geological Survey.

 Bird Watching at Refugio de Los Angeles

Friends and valued teachers, Linda and Ernie Carman are owners of Cafe Cristina, an organic coffee farm in Paraiso, Costa Rica.  (cafecristina.com) The Carmans have visited  Refugio de Los Angeles on many occasions. Their son, Ernesto, is one of Costa Rica’s outstanding naturalists and bird guides. On a rare break from leading birding tours all over Costa Rica, Ernesto spent a brief time at Refugio de Los Angeles. On a warm afternoon during the dry season he rested in the shade of the main house front porch and did what he does best! In the span of a few hours, he sighted 72 different bird species.

Refugio De Los Angeles, Quebrada Grande, Guanacaste
Compiled By E.M. Carman on 31-March-2002.

(all of the photographs of birds that appear in this list were taken by Michael Godfrey on Refugio de Los Angeles, except where otherwise noted.)

TINAMIDAE
Thicket Tinamou	Crypturellus cinnamonmeus

CATHARTIDAE
Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura
Black Vulture	Coragyps atratus

ACCIPITRIDAE
Tiny Hawk	Accipiter superciliosus
White Hawk	Leucopternis albicollis
Gray Hawk	Asturina nitida

CRACIDAE
White-bellied Chachalaca	Ortalis leucogastris

COLUMBIDAE
Red-billed Pigeon	Columba flavirostris
Inca Dove	Columbina inca
White-tipped Dove	Leptotila verreauxi

PSITTACIDAE
Orange-fronted Parakeet	Aratinga canicularis
Orange-chinned Parakeet	Brotogeris jugularis
White-fronted Parrot	Amazona albifrons

CUCULIDAE
Squirrel Cuckoo	Piaya cayana
Groove-billed Ani	Crotophaga sulcirostris

STRIGIDAE
Pacific Screech-Owl	Otus cooperi
Mottled Owl	Ciccaba virgate

CAPRIMULGIDAE
Pauraque	Nyctidromus albicollis

TROCHILIDAE
Little Hermit	Phaethornis longuemareus
Canivet’s Emerald	Chlorostilbon canivetii
Steely-vented Hummingbird	Amazilia saucerrottei
Cinnamon Hummingbird	Amazilia rutile
Ruby-throated Hummingbird	Archilochus colubris

TROGONIDAE
Black-headed Trogon	Trogon melanocephalus
Elegant Trogon	Trogon elegans

MOMOTIDAE
Turquoise-browed Motmot	Eumomota superciliosa
Blue-crowned Motmot	Momotus momota

RAMPHASTIDAE
Collared Aracari	Pteroglossus torquatus

PICIDAE
Hoffmann’s Woodpecker	Melanerpes hoffmannii
Pale-billed Woodpecker	Campephilus guatemalensis

DENDROCOLAPTIDAE
Streak-headed Woodcreeper	Lepidocolaptes souleyetii

THAMNOPHILIDAE
Barred Antshrike	Thamnophilus doliatus

TITYRIDAE
Masked Tityra	Tityra semifasciata

PIPRIDAE
Long-tailed Manakin	Chiroxiphia linearis

TYRANNNIDAE
Tropical Kingbird	Tyrannus melancholicus
Piratic Flycatcher	Legatus leucophaius
Boat-billed Flycatcher	Megarhynchus pitangua
Bright-rumped Attila	Attila spadiceus
Streaked Flycatcher	Myiodynastes maculatus
Social Flycatcher	Myiozetetes similis
Great Kiskadee	Pitangus sulphuratus
Brown-crested Flycatcher	Myiarchus tyrannulus
Nutting’s Flycatcher	Myiarchus nuttingi
Dusky-capped Flycatcher	Myiarchus tuberculifer
Yellow-olive Flycatcher	Tolmomyias sulphurescens
Northern Beardless  Tyrannulet	Camptostoma imberbe

HIRUNDINIDAE
Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica

CORVIDAE
White-throated Magpie	Jay Calocitta formosa

TROGLODYTIDAE
Rufous-naped Wren	Campylorhynchus rufinucha
Plain Wren	Thryothorus modestus
Rufous-and-white Wren	Thryothorus rufalbos
House Wren	Troglodytes aedon

TURDIDAE
Clay-colored Robin	Turdus grayi
Swainson’s Thrush	Catharus ustulatus
Orange-billed Nightingale Thrush	Catharus aurantiirostris

SYLVIIDAE
White-lored Gnatcatcher	Polioptila albiloris

VIREONIDAE
Yellow-throated Vireo	Vireo flavifrons
Yellow-green Vireo	Vireo flavoviridis

PARULIDAE
Black-and-white Warbler	Mniotilta varia
Tennessee Warbler	Vermivora peregrine
Yellow Warbler	Dendroica petechial
Rufous-capped Warbler	Basileuterus rufifrons

THRAUPIDAE
Scrub Euphonia	Euphonia affinis
Thick-billed Euphonia	Euphonia laniirostris
Blue-gray Tanager	Thraupis episcopus
Summer Tanager	Piranga rubra
Western Tanager	Piranga ludoviciana
Red-crowned Ant-Tanager	Habia rubica

EMBERIZIDAE
Indigo Bunting	Passerina cyanea
Painted Bunting	Passerina ciris
Yellow-faced Grassquit	Tiaris olivacea
Olive Sparrow	Arremonops rufivirgatus