Since the 2022 census, there has been a lot of activity surrounding the Buffon’s Macaw project. Due to different censuses being conducted by different organizations, it is difficult to track exact developments. Every time a census is organized, Adopt Rainforest participates. However, there are plenty of signs of change coming from the reserve:

From 0 to 25 Macaws!

When Maarten and Matthijs started the foundation in 2017, macaws never came to this area, San Miguel. A few years later, occasional sightings began. Nowadays, from September to December, we have a group of about 16-25 Buffon’s macaws that live permanently in and around the reserve. At the end of December, they leave again for the north to breed.

Maarten: “We have noticed that more and more macaws are coming to our area. They are creatures of habit, both in terms of feeding and breeding behavior. Most of the macaws in Costa Rica breed in the north of the country, between January and April. After that, the young birds fly the nest and in the second half of the year, the macaws migrate to the foothills, areas such as the Adopt Rainforest reserve.”

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Breakthrough in 2025: two couples

However, this year two pairs remained in the area throughout the year. They seem to be making use of the adjacent Barbilla National Park, Nairi Awari Indigenous Reserve, and the Adopt Rainforest reserve. They are clearly two pairs, but no one knows yet whether they have stayed here to breed. Maarten: “In any case, it’s another indication that the macaw feels at home with us. Now we just have to wait and see if they will use the nesting boxes!”

Nest boxes in use?

Nest boxes have now been placed high up in the trees, an exciting operation as no crane can drive into the reserve. In true Costa Rican style, the nest boxes were hung using rope and (will)power. In the video, you can see how this was done in 2024.

Maarten: “Normally, macaws use cavities in almond trees, for example where a branch has broken off and the wood has started to rot. Since many almond trees have been cut down and it takes a very long time (about a hundred years!) for them to grow large enough and reach nesting cavity size, breeding sites are scarce.” As an experiment, Maarten and his team are installing nesting boxes to see if the birds consider them a good alternative. In the north, these boxes have already been used by macaws (Cinco Ceibas). There is also a population in Manzanillo, on the Costa Rican coast, where confiscated macaws have been released, rescued from illegal animal trade. This population breeds exclusively in artificial nesting boxes. The design of these nesting boxes is now also being used in the Adopt a Rainforest reserve. “No one knows whether macaws outside their usual breeding areas would use an artificial nest box; it’s something new. We do know that the area (the reserve, Barbilla National Park, and the Indian reservations) is suitable for macaws.”

Macaw feathers spotted under a nesting box

The first successes have been achieved, such as macaw feathers under a nesting box. During a maintenance round, the team also found breeding barn owls and toucans in the nesting boxes. The research team will continue to keep a close eye on the nesting boxes in the coming period. Thanks to the new observation tower, it is now easier to monitor the birds in and around the reserve, including the Buffon’s macaw, of course. Our foundation can also make a greater contribution to bird counts. The research is ongoing, and we are hopeful that the Buffon’s macaw will make a permanent return to this area!

Almond trees planted in 2021

The macaw’s main food source is the fruit of the almond tree. Since 2021, the Adopt a Rainforest team has planted hundreds of almond trees. This is where human patience comes into play; it takes at least 8 years for these trees to bear fruit. This is one of the reasons for the disappearance of the macaw, because the trees simply do not have time to grow. In the foundation’s reserve, they do have time; we are waiting patiently…

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Het bericht Update: Great Green Macaw returns verscheen eerst op Adopteer Regenwoud.

“When I close my eyes, I’m back there again…“

“…In the heart of an overwhelming oasis of greenery, where the rainforest embraces me like a loyal friend. The wind whispers softly, the leaves sway rhythmically to its message. The sun always finds a crack to peek through and casts one last glimpse. Evening falls, the cicadas give the signal. The rainforest of Costa Rica never sleeps—and will always remain with me.”

My name is Nienke, I am married to Patrick, and together we share a love of bird watching. Our motto: “Follow the birds and you’ll find the most beautiful places.” That brought us to Costa Rica for five weeks in the spring of 2025, the country I still dream about. In this blog, I’ll take you to one of our first birding moments during this trip: an experience that further fueled my passion.

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Preparing for our birding trip through Costa Rica

Five weeks of intensive birdwatching requires some preparation. Standard travel guides don’t tell you where to find the Long-tailed Manakin (“you say what?!”). That’s why Richard Garrigues’ “The Birds of Costa Rica” was already worn out before we left. Our list of target species grew into a true mantra.

The moment Patrick shouted “Honey, Oropendula!” at 5:30 a.m., I knew the journey had begun. As on many mornings after that, I jumped out of bed, put on my hiking pants, and grabbed my binoculars and camera. Even though we had five weeks, it felt like we had no time to lose. I wanted to take in everything this beautiful country had to offer.

Birdwatching in the Nectar Pollen Reserve, Costa Rica

On the third day, we visited the Nectar Pollen Reserve, a private estate where more than 300 bird species have been observed via eBird. This is where my enthusiasm was ignited. Together with our guide and two local retirees, we explored the densely vegetated terrain. The birds here rarely show themselves at feeding places, so it requires real detective work. My eye was not yet trained enough to distinguish every silhouette among the greenery, but listening helped me along. That’s how we discovered a beautifully colored bird with a striking tail: the Broad-billed Motmot. This bird species hunts large insects from a fixed perch. That gave me time to observe and take pictures. That alone made the day a success for me! But we came here with one specific bird in mind.

The special encounter with the Long-tailed Tyrant

After a walk through hilly terrain, we suddenly saw it: perched on the very top of a dead tree was an elegant bird with long tail feathers and a white crown. The Long-tailed Tyrant—a flycatcher that breeds in dead trees, sometimes in abandoned woodpecker holes, and feeds on insects such as stingless bees. Our local walking companions, true bird lovers, were unaware of the existence of this bird. We stood there together, amazed and happy, enjoying this special moment. Afterwards, we exchanged contact details and shared our observations via eBird.

Birdwatching as a connection with nature and people

For us, birdwatching means more than just seeing birds: it’s about wonder, connection, sharing passion, and respect for nature. That experience in Costa Rica deepened my love for birdwatching and strengthened my commitment to nature conservation. Because caring for birds starts with caring for their habitat.

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Het bericht Nienke’s story: ‘Follow the birds and discover Costa Rica’s bird paradise’ verscheen eerst op Adopteer Regenwoud.

Many people are a bit creeped out by vultures because of their specific appearance and the fact that they eat cadavers. However, vultures are indispensable to nature; they are real cleaners. Read all about vultures and why they are indispensable to the ecosystem here.

How do you recognize a vulture?

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  First of all, mainly by their bald heads. This is not random, nature has thought about this. A head without feathers is relatively easy to clean, which is handy and necessary after the vulture has rooted its head in a cadaver. This bald head of vultures also plays an important role in their thermoregulation. During cold weather, many vultures tuck their heads between their feathers with their shoulders raised. When it is hot, they spread their wings and stretch out their necks. This allows them to regulate their body temperature.

• Secondly, you can recognize vultures by their large body with broad wings. The wing muscles are rather weak in proportion to their body weight. This is why you usually see them hovering on thermals. Therefore, you will not often see them flying in the early morning. Once the air has warmed up, you often see them hovering in groups. Then they are looking for carcasses to eat.

Scavengers

Usually vultures circle above a found carcass for a time before descending. They generally have weak legs, so they rarely fly away with carrion in their talons.

Most species of vultures rarely if ever attack their prey. They eat dead animals, preferablly fresh. Their strong gastric juices can eliminate harmful bacteria and viruses found on such carcasses. Because of this, vultures fulfill an important role in the ecosystem. Namely, they help keep nature clean, and prevent the spread of deadly diseases.

Vultures often cover their legs with feces. This feces contains a corrosive uric acid that kills bacteria. This offers them protection when they walk over a carcass. Just goes to show how ingenious nature is.

Vultures in Costa Rica

• Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture (58-64 cm, wingspan about 160 cm)
• Black Vulture (Raven Vulture)
• Turkey Vulture (Red headed vulture)
• King vulture (71-85 cm, wingspan 180-200 cm)

The vultures in Costa Rica belong to the family Cathartidae (turkey and yellow-headed vultures), the vultures of the New World. They are found throughout most of North and South America. They use their sense of smell when searching for food. Hovering above the treetops of the rainforest, they can find rotting carcasses lying invisible under the canopy

Vultures cooperate

Not all vulture species have such a well-developed sense of smell. Other vultures find their food by keeping a close eye on turkey vultures, for example. When the turkey vultures go down, the other species follow. However, turkey vultures have a weaker beak, which prevents them from tearing larger and tough carcasses well. For this, they need the more powerful king vultures. In this way, turkey vultures can also easily reach the meat, so this interaction benefits both species. Vultures primarily descend on fresh carcasses. New World vultures do not build nests; they lay their eggs on bare ground, often on rocks.

Black Vulture

The black vulture easily adapts to conditions. It is a common species found in many different biotopes, including forests, coastal areas and savannas, as well as urban areas. However, they avoid dense rain forests and mountain areas.

Black vultures live in large groups. They are very bold and also frequent the outskirts of cities or garbage dumps. They find their food with their eyes and sometimes allow themselves to be led to food by the Red-headed Vulture. They like rotting food. They also like to eat fruits and nuts, or eggs, lizards and young birds. Parents may keep food in their crop so they can break it out to feed to their young.

King Vulture

The King Vulture lives in pairs or small groups of 5 individuals at most. At large carcasses, sometimes as many as 50 King Vultures come to feast together. The King Vulture can detect carrion with its sense of smell. It has a powerful beak with which it can process all kinds of carrion. Furthermore, it also catches live prey such as mice, small birds and lizards.

While feeding, the King Vulture is vulnerable to large predators such as jaguars and pumas. Due to its large body, the bird is unable to quickly detach from the ground and fly away.

Red-headed Vulture

The Red-headed Vulture lives mainly in open and semi-open areas such as forests, brushwood or meadows. It also likes to stay near water such as rivers, lakes or the ocean coast. The Red-headed Vulture has a good sense of smell, which also allows it to find carcasses lying under leaves. Its food consists mainly of carcasses; it rarely, if ever, kills its prey. The Red-headed Vulture prefers to eat fresh carrion. Because it does not have a strong beak, it sometimes has to wait to eat until the skin has decayed enough. The Red-headed Vulture often flies low above the ground, or even below the upper layer of trees.

Its main form of self-defense is regurgitating half-digested food. The smell keeps most predators at bay. If an enemy is nearby, the red-headed vulture will attempt to vomit in its face. Like many other vultures, the red-headed vulture also sometimes regurgitates its food in order to fly away more easily.

Lesser yellow-headed vulture

The little yellow-headed vulture’s menu consists almost entirely of carrion, including road kill and washed-up fish. Insects and other invertebrates are also eaten, so the Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture is frequently found in recently plowed land, where the critters are easy to find. The Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture has a well-developed sense of smell, which it uses when searching for carcasses. The Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture usually lives solitary.

Indispensable to the entire ecosystem

As mentioned, due to their role as cleaners of nature and destroyers of bacteria and viruses living on carcasses, vultures are indispensable to the entire ecosystem.

Unfortunately, the habitat of this mighty bird is under pressure, due to large-scale deforestation. This is why it is so important that local conservationists can purchase pieces of land with support. Fortunately, this is happening more and more often, so that illegal logging can be prevented and larger areas are protected from the construction of large-scale plantations.

Do you also want to contribute to conservation? Help us and adopt a piece of rainforest. Every piece of protected rainforest helps.

Want to read more about other species of birds, animals and news from the foundation in Costa Rica? Then read our other blog posts.

Het bericht Vultures in Costa Rica verscheen eerst op Adopteer Regenwoud.

Hummingbirds in Costa Rica

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Hummingbirds descend on the nectar of flowers and therefore feel at home in Costa Rican flora. Hummingbirds can be spotted mainly in Uvita, Carara National Park, the Monteverde cloud forest, the cloud forests near San Gerardo de Dota and the valley of Turrialba. But actually, you will encounter them throughout Costa Rica. Costa Rica is home to some 52 different species of hummingbirds. Because they are so extremely fast, special drinking cups with honey water have been hung in various places in parks or nature reserves to lure the hummingbirds there. These feeders are ideal for getting a good photo. Some common hummingbirds in Costa Rica include: the ruby-throated hummingbird, black-bellied hummingbird, sparkling hummingbird, volcano hummingbird, white-throated mountain jay, red-tailed hummingbird, blue-throated hummingbird, green-throated mountain jay, and the magenta throated woodstar.

Special bird

Like a little helicopter, a hummingbird soars through the air. As it does so, it makes a distinctive humming or humming sound. Hence the name “hummingbird” in English. The sound the wings make sounds almost like a piano or violin. They can make different tones. A hummingbird makes this sound in the same way an insect makes the humming sound: namely, by flapping its tiny wings up and down at lightning speed. The bird does this up to 40 times per second. This creates vibrations in the air. And that’s how you hear the buzzing sound. They are called the helicopters among birds because they can hover while flying; they can even fly straight up or down!

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Speed

A male hummingbird flies fastest during a dive. He then flies as far as 385 times his own body length in one second. That’s as much as 100 kilometers per hour. So a hummingbird can almost overtake you on the highway. During that top speed, it flaps its wings up and down 15 to 80 times per second.

Pointed beak

The hummingbird uses its beak to suck nectar and pollen from flowers. Different species of hummingbirds have different beaks. Some have beaks almost as long as the entire body, about 10 cm long! For example, the sword hummingbird. But others have a beak that is strongly curved downward or one that is curved upward only at the tip. Each beak is specialized on a particular flower shape, so there is no competition between hummingbird species.

Colors

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The male hummingbird is variegated, usually metallic green in color, with a brilliant red, blue or emerald green throat color. The female is more inconspicuously colored. Hummingbirds can show and hide their bright colors when necessary.

Large differences in weight occur between species. The smallest, the Bee Hummingbird is only 5 cm tall and weighs 1.8 grams. The hummingbird most common in North America, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, weighs about 3 grams and measures 7.6 cm. Hummingbirds can live up to 15 years and return to the same place every year. During the colder months, the birds migrate to warmer, more southern regions.

Spiritual significance

The hummingbird symbolizes the joy of life and the lightness of being. The little bird flies from flower to flower and is always actively seeking the sweetest nectar. It teaches us to seek the beauty in each day, to enjoy in the Here and Now and to look for that which makes you happy and happy.
Hummingbirds in the reserve of Adopt Rainforest

Costa Rica is home to the reserve of the Adopt Rainforest Foundation. This reserve is home to 16 different species of hummingbirds. This is an unprecedented number when you consider that there are 52 species of hummingbirds in all of Costa Rica. A clear indication of how high biodiversity is in this foundation’s rainforest. Would you also like to contribute to the protection of this special nature reserve? Then adopt a piece of rainforest here.

Het bericht The Hummingbird verscheen eerst op Adopteer Regenwoud.