Bird Behaviour – Bird Lens

Andean Goose in the highest parts of Argentina

Morning on the high Andean plateau arrives quietly. Frost still clings to the grasses, and the shallow bog pools reflect a pale sky. In these open wetlands, movement is easy to spot against the sparse vegetation. A pair of large white birds stands near the water’s edge, occasionally lowering their heads to graze. Their black… Continue reading Andean Goose in the highest parts of Argentina

Yungas White-bellied Hummingbird in Argentina

There is a moment in the subtropical foothill forests of northwestern Argentina when the light hits the leaves just right and everything seems to vibrate with movement. If you stand still long enough, the forest begins to reveal its smaller residents. A flash of bronze, a hovering silhouette, and a brief metallic chirp often give… Continue reading Yungas White-bellied Hummingbird in Argentina

Bicolored Antvireo: a poorly known species of antbird

I am not expecting it. The morning along the edge of Tatamá National Natural Park in Risaralda is already generous with tanagers and mixed flocks moving through the mid-elevation forest. Then a dark shape shifts quietly inside a dense tangle of bamboo. At first it is just movement and shadow. When the bird turns, the… Continue reading Bicolored Antvireo: a poorly known species of antbird

Rufous-gaped Hillstar in fast flight

It is hovering right in front of me, close enough that I can hear the thin, insect-like buzz of its wings. For a second I forget the camera in my hands. The Rufous-gaped Hillstar (Urochroa bougueri) seems suspended in the fresh Andean air of the late evening, facing me directly, its breast a combination of… Continue reading Rufous-gaped Hillstar in fast flight

Lesson’s Motmot Hotel Bougainvillea San José presents a dowry to his beloved

A male tenderly presents the dowry to his beloved in the early Morning at the Hotel Bougainvillea in San José, Costa Rica. Many birds are most active during dawn and dusk. I follow flowering shrubs and fruiting trees, quiet pathways bordered by tropical plants and natural clearings where insects are abundant. It a well-maintained area… Continue reading Lesson’s Motmot Hotel Bougainvillea San José presents a dowry to his beloved

Munchique Wood Wren defend its territory

Above a certain altitude in the cloud forest, you can hear it long before you see it. Deep from the dense undergrowth comes a sudden, sharp, rapid, and incredibly loud sound for such a small bird. Its song echoes through the vegetation as if the forest itself were speaking. Somewhere in the shadows, a Munchique… Continue reading Munchique Wood Wren defend its territory

Collared Inca in dispute

Mist has settled once again over the western slopes of the Andes in Tatamá National Park. At the highest point, near the entrance to the Montezuma military base, the low-lying forest of Paramo-style hums silently, its sound interrupted only by the sharp, metallic beat of wings. A flash of green and blue cuts through the… Continue reading Collared Inca in dispute

Common Cranes gather on ice

A single patch of open water holds its ground on the lake. Around it, winter tightens its grip. Early in the morning, a light haze drifts across the wide ice surface, softening edges and muting sound. For weeks, temperatures did not rise above freezing. The cold feels settled, confident it will not be chased away… Continue reading Common Cranes gather on ice

Antbirds & Ants at lowland rainforests along the Madre de Dios River

For bird enthusiasts visiting the lowland rainforests along the Madre de Dios River in eastern Peru, experiencing an army ant swarm is one of the most exciting spectacles. Following a raiding column of Burchell’s Army Ant (Eciton burchellii) not only reveals the fascinating behavior of these relentless predators but also provides a rare opportunity to… Continue reading Antbirds & Ants at lowland rainforests along the Madre de Dios River

A Flash of Scarlet: Passerini’s Tanager in Costa Rica

Walk into a sunlit banana plantation or a dense thicket along Costa Rica’s Caribbean slope, and you’ll quickly notice them—flashes of deep black and vibrant red darting through the foliage. Scarlet-rumped Tanager or Passerini’s Tanager (Ramphocelus passerinii), is impossible to miss. These social birds move in noisy, energetic flocks, constantly chasing one another as if… Continue reading A Flash of Scarlet: Passerini’s Tanager in Costa Rica

Acrobatic dancer: a Long-tailed Hermit

The morning air in the forest clearing feels alive with motion. Over a patch of Heliconia blooms, a small shape darts, hovers, and pivots in midair as if the world has no gravity. It’s the Long-tailed Hermit (Phaethornis superciliosus), one of the Amazon’s most acrobatic nectar-feeders. Its long central tail feathers flick like twin pendulums… Continue reading Acrobatic dancer: a Long-tailed Hermit

The Flash of a Sunbittern Over Costa Rica’s Wild Waters

For bird enthusiasts visiting the mountains of Costa Rica is an exciting experience anyway. As you stand by the edge of a rushing river near Turrialba in Costa Rica, something remarkable happens—a sudden burst of color, a flash of patterned wings. For a moment, the bird seems suspended in midair, its intricate plumage illuminated by… Continue reading The Flash of a Sunbittern Over Costa Rica’s Wild Waters