New research on endangered Costa Rican bird

From Wildlife Extra:

Rare Costa Rican bird tracked for the first time

03/03/2011 08:31:38

March 2011: Three endangered yellow-billed cotingas have, for the first time, been captured using mist nets, fitted with tracking devices and released unharmed near the Costa Rican town of Rincon.

Little is known about this rare bird, which is endemic to the Pacific slope mangrove forests of Panama and Costa Rica. Its capture and study is part of a project being carried out jointly by the American Bird Conservancy and Friends of the OSA.

‘This is a bird that we believe used to exist in large numbers but is now increasingly difficult to even glimpse, much less study. This is an outstanding opportunity to acquire information on this bird and take action to address its habitat needs now before it is too late,’ said Andrew Rothman, ABC conservation biologist who oversees ABC programmes in Costa Rica.

Birding in Costa Rica – Green-crowned Brilliant (Heliodoxa jacula): here.

Massive new marine protected area off Costa Rican coast: here.

BirdLife and the Ramsar Convention focus on mangrove conservation in the Americas: here.

Ant surprises on Murciélago Islands in Costa Rica: here.

This video of the Costa Rican forest canopy (via @treehugger) will definitely make you wish you were there: here.