This was a difficult Quiz Bird.  We did have one correct guess on Facebook from the great and powerful Gabriel Calvo, who correctly identified the…NORTHERN SCHIFFORNIS.

I often refer the Northern Schiffornis as a ‘birder’s bird’, due its rather monotonous  plumage, sluggish behavior and secretive lifestyle.  The Northern Schiffornis definitely does not fall into the ‘charismatic’ category.  But it has a jolly good song!  Click in the ‘Listen’ button in the lower right of the screen (below).

https://ebird.org/species/thlsch2

Plus, no one (not even those wacky taxonomists) has ever really known what to call it.  Not long ago it was known as the Thrushlike Schiffornis and before that it was thought to be some sort of Manakin

Is it a Flycatcher?  Is it a Becard?  Is it a Manakin? Is it a Thrush?  Nope.  It is our one-and-only Northern Schiffornis.

(photo courtesy of Randall Jimenez)

Oh man, I do love this bird.

If you are able to correctly identify this species (without any hints from me), you have mad birding skills!

Send your IDs to:

eltangaral@gmail.com

(photo courtesy of Randall Jimenez)

Congratulations to Leticia Andino for correctly identifying our Quiz Bird for May 2019; the INCA DOVE.

About the same size and of similar behavior as our extremely common Ruddy Ground Dove, the Inca Dove is a regular resident in the dry country of Guanacaste.

Well done Lety!

This month’s quiz bird isn’t seen in San Vito.  It has been spotted down the hill around Coto 47.  Could this bird be another species that is expanding its range?  I hope so!

Send your best guess to:

eltangaral@gmail.com

(photo courtesy of Alison Olivieri)

(Last quiz bird photo, Cooper’s Hawk, courtesy of Gail Hull)

Congratulations to the great and powerful Randall Jimenez for submitting the first correct answer to our April 2019 Quiz Bird.

Randall (from the Pajareros del Sur) correctly identified the Cooper’s Hawk.  This medium-sized Accipiter hawk is occasionally seen in San Vito during its migration north.

We also had guesses of Sharp-shinned Hawk.  The ‘Sharpie’, though slightly smaller than the Cooper’s, looks very, very similar.  The most significant difference between the two species is the rounded tail of the Cooper’s Hawk; the Sharp-shinned has a squared off distal end of the long tail.  (see below)

Again, please join me in congratulating Randall Jimenez.

(Cooper’s Hawk tail on L–Sharp-shinned tail on R)

Look familiar?  Send your best guess to Greg Homer at—

eltangaral@gmail.com

The first correct ID will receive respect, applause and a posting on the SVBC website and Facebook…but no cookies.

Good luck!

Photo taken at Las Tablas, March of 2019.

Send your guesses to:

alison.w.olivieri@gmail.com

The first correct response wins something home made, sweet and delicious!

If your last name has four letters and begins with ‘Z’, you are not eligible to win.

(photo courtesy of Alison W. Olivieri)

The following sharp-eyed SVBC members correctly identified Pixilated Bird #4.0 as an Elegant Euphonia!  Well done.

Roni Chernin

Alison Olivieri

Bley Fernandez Vega

R. Ruvalo

Linda Threatte

And now here is Pixilated Bird Photo ID #5.0.  This will be our last one for a while.  Thanks to all who played along.

Send your answer to:

eltangaral@gmail.com

For correctly identifying Pixilated Bird #3.0, the Blue-Gray Tanager, congratulations to the following SVBC members:

Roni Chernin

Linda Threatte

Nancy Warshower

David Fielding

Tom Wilkinson

Here’s our next bird; more challenging? It is a beauty.  Send your responses to:

eltangaral@gmail.com

Good luck.