Tropical Ecosystems 543   

                       George Mason University - Costa Rica
Species List
The following is a list of species seen on this journey, though many were unidentifiable.   This is not a complete list of all species and does not represent data from all visiting class members.

BIRDS

Tinamiformes

Tinamidae
Tinamus major -- Great Tinamou
Crypturellus cinnamomeus -- Thicket Tinamou 

Pelecaniformes

Phalacrocoracidae
Phalacrocorax olivaceus -- Olivaceous Cormorant
Phalacrocorax brasilianus -- Neotropic Cormorant

Anhingidae
Anhinga anhinga -- Anhinga

Fregatidae
Fregata magnificens -- Magnificent Frigatebird

Ciconiiformes

Ardeidae
Botaurus pinnatus -- Pinnated Bittern
Ixobrychus exilis -- Least Bittern
Tigrisoma mexicanum -- Bare-throated Tiger-Heron
Ardea herodias -- Great Blue Heron
Casmerodius albus -- Great Egret
Egretta thula -- Snowy Egret
Egretta caerulea -- Little Blue Heron
Egretta tricolor -- Tricolored Heron
Bubulcus ibis -- Cattle Egret
Butorides striatus -- Green-backed Heron
Nycticorax nycticorax -- Black-crowned Night-Heron
Nycticorax violaceus -- Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

Threskiornithidae
Mesembrinibis cayennensis -- Green Ibis
Eudocimus albus -- White Ibis
Plegadis falcinellus -- Glossy Ibis
Ajaia ajaja -- Roseate Spoonbill

Ciconiidae
Mycteria americana -- Wood Stork
Jabiru mycteria -- Jabiru

          Cathartidae
          Coragyps atratus -- Black Vulture
          Cathartes aura -- Turkey Vulture
          Sarcoramphus papa -- King Vulture

Anseriformes

Anatidae
Dendrocygna autumnalis -- Black-bellied Whistling Duck
Dendrocygna bicolor -- Fulvous Whistling-Duck
Cairina moschata -- Muscovy Duck
Anas discors -- Blue-winged Teal
Anas acuta -- Northern Pintail
Anas crecca -- Green-winged Teal
Aythya collaris -- Ring-Necked Duck
Anas clypeata -- Northern Shoveler

Falconiformes

Accipitridae
Pandion haliaetus -- Osprey
Chondrohierax uncinatus -- Hook-billed Kite
Elanus caeruleus -- Black-shouldered Kite
Rostrhamus sociabilis -- Snail Kite
Circus cyaneus -- Northern Harrier
Leucopternis albicollis -- White Hawk
Buteogallus anthracinus -- Common Black-hawk
Buteo nitidus -- Gray Hawk
B. magnirostris -- Roadside Hawk
B. platypterus -- Broad-winged Hawk
B. jamaicensis -- Red-tailed Hawk

Falconidae
Daptrius americanus -- Red-throated Caracara
Herpetotheres cachinnans -- Laughing Falcon
Falco sparverius -- American Kestrel
F. peregrinus -- Peregrine Falcon

Galliformes

Cracidae
Penelope purpurascens -- Crested Guan
Crax rubra -- Great Curassow

Gruiformes

Rallidae
Porphyrula martinica -- Purple Gallinule
Gallinula chloropus -- Common Moorhen

          Eurypygidae 
          Eurypyga helias -- Sunbittern

Aramidae
Aramus guarauna -- Limpkin

Charadriiformes

Charadriidae
Charadrius vociferus -- Killdeer

Jacanidae
Jacana spinosa -- Northern Jacana

Scolopacidae
Tringa melanoleuca -- Greater Yellowlegs
T. solitaria -- Solitary Sandpiper
T. flavipes -- Lesser Yellowlegs
Actitis macularia -- Spotted Sandpiper

Laridae
Sterna maxima -- Royal Tern
Sterna hirundo -- Common Tern
Rynchops niger -- Black Skimmer

Columbiformes


Columbidae
Columba cayennensis -- Pale-vented Pigeon
C. speciosa -- Scaled Pigeon
C. flavirostris -- Red-billed Pigeon
Zenaida macroura -- Mourning Dove
Leptotila verreauxi -- White-tipped Dove

Psittaciformes

Psittacidae
Aratinga finschi -- Crimson-fronted Parakeet
Ara macao -- Scarlet Macaw
Brotogeris jugularis -- Orange-chinned Parakeet
Pionus senilis -- White-crowned Parrot
Amazona autumnalis -- Red-lored Parrot
Amazona albifrons -- White-fronted Parrot
Amazona auropalliata -- Yellow-naped Parrot

Cuculiformes

Cuculidae
Crotophaga sulcirostris -- Groove-billed Ani

Strigiformes

Tytonidae
Tyto alba -- Common Barn-Owl

Strigidae
Glaucidium minutissimum -- Least Pygmy-Owl

Caprimulgiformes

Caprimulgidae
Chordeiles minor -- Common Nighthawk
Nyctidromus albicollis -- Common Pauraque

Apodiformes

Apodidae
Cypseloides niger -- Black Swift
C. rutilus -- Chestnut-collared Swift

Trochilidae

Phaeochroa cuvierii -- Scaly-breasted Hummingbird
Florisuga mellivora -- White-necked Jacobin
Colibri delphinae - Brown Violet-ear
Anthracothorax prevostii -- Green-breasted Mango
Klais guimeti -- Violet-headed Hummingbird
A. tzacatl -- Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
A. rutila -- Cinnamon Hummingbird
Heliomaster longirostris -- Long-billed Starthroat
Archilochus colubris -- Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Trogoniformes

Trogonidae
Trogon violaceus -- Violaceous Trogon
T. elegans -- Elegant Trogon
T. rufus -- Black-throated Trogon

Coraciiformes

Momotidae
Momotus momota -- Blue-crowned Motmot

Alcedinidae
Ceryle torquata -- Ringed Kingfisher
C. alcyon -- Belted Kingfisher
Chloroceryle amazona -- Amazon Kingfisher
C. americana -- Green Kingfisher

Piciformes

 
Ramphastidae
Pteroglossus torquatus -- Collared Aracari
Ramphastos sulfuratus -- Keel-billed Toucan
R. swainsonii -- Chestnut-mandibled Toucan

Picidae
Melanerpes pucherani -- Black-cheeked Woodpecker
Dryocopus lineatus -- Lineated Woodpecker
Campephilus guatemalensis -- Pale-billed Woodpecker

Passeriformes

Dendrocolaptidae
Dendrocincla fuliginosa -- Plain-brown Woodcreeper

Formicariidae
Formicarius analis -- Black-faced Antthrush
Hylopezus perspicillatus -- Spectacled Antpitta

Tyrannidae
Leptopogon amaurocephalus -- Sepia-capped Flycatcher
Todirostrum sylvia -- Slate-headed Tody-Flycatcher
T. cinereum -- Common Tody-Flycatcher
Rhynchocyclus brevirostris -- Eye-ringed Flatbill
Tolmomyias sulphurescens -- Yellow-olive Flycatcher
Terenotriccus erythrurus -- Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher
Myiobius sulphureipygius -- Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher
Aphanotriccus capitalis -- Tawny-chested Flycatcher
Contopus borealis -- Olive-sided Flycatcher
C. sordidulus -- Western Wood-Pewee
C. virens -- Eastern Wood-Pewee
C. cinereus -- Tropical Pewee
Empidonax flaviventris -- Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
E. minimus -- Least Flycatcher
Colonia colonus -- Long-tailed Tyrant
Myiarchus tuberculifer -- Dusky-capped Flycatcher
M. crinitus -- Great Crested Flycatcher
Pitangus sulphuratus -- Great Kiskadee
Tyrannus melancholicus -- Tropical Kingbird
T. tyrannus -- Eastern Kingbird
Pachyramphus cinnamomeus -- Cinnamon Becard

Cotingidae
Procnias tricarunculata -- Three-wattled Bellbird

Hirundinidae
Tachycineta albilinea -- Mangrove Swallow
S. ruficollis -- Southern Rough-winged Swallow
Riparia riparia -- Bank Swallow
Hirundo pyrrhonota -- Cliff Swallow

Corvidae
Cyanocorax morio -- Brown Jay

Troglodytidae
Thryothorus nigricapillus -- Bay Wren

Muscicapidae
T. grayi -- Clay-colored Robin

Emberizidae
Dendroica coronata -- Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga ruticilla -- American Redstart
Seiurus aurocapillus -- Ovenbird
Coereba flaveola -- Bananaquit
Chlorophanes spiza -- Green Honeycreeper
Euphonia Olive-backed Euphonia
Thraupis episcopus -- Blue-gray Tanager
T. palmarum -- Palm Tanager
P. olivacea -- Scarlet Tanager
R. passerinii -- Scarlet-rumped Tanager
Quiscalus mexicanus -- Great-tailed Grackle
Molothrus aeneus -- Bronzed Cowbird
I. mesomelas -- Yellow-tailed Oriole
I. galbula -- Northern Oriole
P. montezuma -- Montezuma Oropendola

MAMMALS

Chiroptera

        Emballonuridae
        Rhynchonycteris naso
        long-nosed bat (Manuel Antonio)

        Vespertilionidae
        Myotis nigricans 
    
    little brown bat (Palo Verde)

Primates 

        Cebidae 
        Cebus capucinus
        white-faced capuchin

        Saimiri oerstedii 
    
    Squirrel monkey

        Atelidae
        Alouatta palliata
        Howler monkey


Edentata 

        Bradypodidae 
        Bradypus variegatus

        Myrmecophagidae
        Tamandua tetradactyla (southern tamandua)

Lagomorpha 
        
        Leporidae 
        Sylvilagus brasiliensis

Rodentia 

        Sciuridae
        Sciurus variegatoides (red-bellied squirrel, Monteverde, Poas)

        Dasyproctidae 
        Dasyprocta punctata (agouti, Monteverde)

Carnivora 

        Felidae  (at the Feline Research Center!)
        Felis concolor
        Felis onca 
        Felis pardalis
        Felis wiedii 
        Felis yagouaroundi

      
  Procyonidae
        Nasua narica (coati mundi, Palo Verde)


Artiodactyla 

        Tayassuidae 
        Tayassu tajacu  (collared peccary, La Selva, Palo Verde)


REPTILES

Crocodilia

Crocodylidae
Crocodylus acutus

Testudinata

Emydidae
Terrapene carolina
(box turtle, Palo Verde)

Chrysemys picta
(painted turtle, Feline Research Center)

Sauria

Iguanidae
Iguana iguana
Ctenosaura similis
(ctenosaurs)

Corytophanidae
Basiliscus vitattus (brown basilisk)
B. plumifrons (green basilisk)
Coryphanes cristatus (Jesus Christ lizard, La Selva)

Polychrotidae
Anolis carolinensis


Serpentes

Viperidae
Bothrops lanceolatus (fer-de-lance, Selva Verde Lodge)


FISH

This list is under taxonimoc review from our SCUBA diving trip: information courtesy of Mike Henly, SI/NZP.

        King Angel
        Bumphead parrotfish
        Guineafowl puffer – both color phases, golden and the blue with white spots
        Spotted sharpnose puffer
        Sergeant major
        Adult giant damselfish
        Silverstripe chromis
        Rainbow wrasse
        Gold-rim tang

        http://www.reef.org/data/tep/fishsp.htm

        other marine creatures:
        Octopus
        Gorgonian corals
        Murex sp. (snails)
        Lobsters
        Sea stars
        Jelly fish gallore
        Scleractinian coral (Posillopora sp.)

        http://whelk.aims.gov.au/coralsearch/coralid_search.php


ARTHROPODS AND PLANTS

These groups are too numerous to list.  Click here to view the OTS species lists for these regions: