Seneca Rocks Audubon Society presents “Costa Rica, a Birder’s Paradise”

CLARION, Pennsylvania: For years, birders have been drawn to a little jewel in Central America, Costa Rica. In a country the size of West Virginia, a visitor can encounter cloud forests, Caribbean and Pacific beaches, active volcanos, mangrove swamps, and tropical jungles, providing habitat for over 900 bird species. To put that in perspective, the entire United States (including its territories) has 1,176 species! The welcoming and warm people of Costa Rica have prioritized tourism and conservation, placing a quarter of their country in national parks, wildlife refuges, and reserves.

In March of 2024, five members of the Todd Bird Club traveled to Costa Rica for ten days, visiting habitats that ranged from the Caribbean lowland rain forest to the cloud forests of the Talamanca Mountains and all habitats in between. On May 14 at 6:30 PM, Roger and Margaret Higbee will share their trip photos including the Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant, the Jabiru, the Fiery-throated Hummingbird, the Great Potoo, and one of the most sought after species, the Resplendent Quetzel. Over 340 species were seen during their trip.

The program will be held at the Clarion Free Library, 644 Main Street, Clarion PA.

Leaders of the Todd Bird Club, Roger and Margaret have been birding and photographing birds for over 50 years. They are the county coordinators for Indiana County for the Pennsylvania Bird Atlas project, conduct or help with 10 Winter Raptor Survey routes, coordinate the Indiana Christmas Bird Count, and conduct five Breeding Bird Survey routes. They have birded in every state and most of the provinces of Canada.

For more information, visit the Seneca Rocks Audubon Society’s website at https:// www.senecarocksaudubon.org, or find us on Facebook.