Costa Rica News – Costa Rica already boasts 5% of the world’s biodiversity and as a land bridge between North and South America Costa Rica is the causeway for migrating bird species between these 2 continents making this country famous for bird watching.
In January Costa Rica has another bird to the registry called the Spizella Pallida, commonly known as Pale Sparrow, which was placed first in the Botanical Garden of CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education) in Turrialba.
The bird was seen and photographed by Steven Aguilar, a student of tourism at the University of Costa Rica (UCR), while on a tour of the Botanical Garden birds of the institution.
In January 2013, Julio Sanchez and Daniel Martinez, Ornithologists Union, Costa Rica, visited the garden to observe the bird, its habitat and take pictures of the new species.
“For us this is great news, shows that sustainability policies that CATIE has been developed and implemented in recent years are paying off. It also confirms Turrialba fame as a destination for tourism like bird watching, “said Alejandro Solano, head of CATIE Botanical Garden.
According Ornithologists Union, Costa Rica, the Spizella Pallida has never before been recorded in Costa Rica, since the bulk of the migrant population of this bird goes to Mexico, which is why the new record is considered accidental.
In this regard, Sanchez explained that this record does not necessarily mean that the species has increased its range, but rather it is a casual or occasional visitor.
The Pale Sparrow belongs to the family Emberizidae, measured between 12 and 13.5 cm, his chest is pale and unlined, has a clear feature borders through the crown and a brown patch clearly delineated in the ear, feeding on seeds, insects and small fruits. Usually this bird nests in Canada and the United States and winters primarily in Mexico.
The Costa Rica News (TCRN)
San Jose Costa Rica
