Excerpts from a nice long recording expedition to Costa Rica in December 2023. Several days were spent at the San Gerardo Biostation in Bosque Eterno de los Niños (Children's Eternal Forest) cloud forest near Monteverde, several more in the lowland forest on the Eastern side of Osa Peninsula, and nearly two weeks on the coastal side of Osa.

I'll be adding more as I have a chance to comb through the full set of recordings.

Costa Rica 2023

Black Hawk-Eagle, Spizaetus tyrannus, calling from a nearby perch early in the morning of 2023-12-04

Family: Accipitridae

The Black Hawk-Eagle is a frequent soarer in the skies of Neotropical American forests

Excerpt from a long soundscape recording from San Gerardo Biological Station in Provincia Guanacaste, Costa Rica

image credit: "aguililla-negra menor, buse noire, common black hawk, common black-hawk" by Dario Taraborelli is marked with CC0 1.0. To view the terms, visit http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/?ref=openverse.

AMNS Costa Rica

Black Hawk-eagle, Spizaetus tyrannus

Spectacled Owl, Pulsatrix perspicillata
calling from a nearby perch in the pre-Dawn Astronomical Twilight of 2023-12-04

Family: Strigidae

The softly pulsating song of the Spectacled Owl is a common voice in the nighttime chorus of Neotropical forests throughout Middle America

Excerpt from a long soundscape recording from San Gerardo Biological Station in Provincia Guanacaste, Costa Rica

image credit: "búho de anteojos, spectacled owl" by Liam Steele is marked with CC0 1.0. To view the terms, visit http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/?ref=openverse.

Spectacled Owl, Pulsatrix perspicillata

Black-faced Solitaire, Myadestes melanops - song
(background: Common Chlorospingus)

Family: Turdidae

The tonal, metallic voice of the Black-faced Solitaire is heard in  dense montane habitats at higher elevations of Costa Rica.

Excerpt from a long soundscape recording from San Gerardo Biological Station in Provincia Guanacaste, Costa Rica on the morning of 2023-12-04

image credit: "black-faced solitaire" by Dario Taraborelli is marked with CC0 1.0. To view the terms, visit http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/?ref=openverse.

Black-faced Solitaire, Myadestes melanops 01

Black-faced Solitaire, Myadestes melanops - song
(background: Common Chlorospingus)

Family: Turdidae

The tonal, metallic voice of the Black-faced Solitaire is heard in  dense montane habitats at higher elevations of Costa Rica

Excerpt from a long soundscape recording from San Gerardo Biological Station in Provincia Guanacaste, Costa Rica, on the morning of 2023-12-04

image credit: "black-faced solitaire" by Dario Taraborelli is marked with CC0 1.0. To view the terms, visit http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/?ref=openverse.

Black-faced Solitaire, Myadestes melanops 02

Common Chlorospingus, Chlorospingus flavopectus

Family Passerellidae

Common Chlorospingus is a chatty bird heard through the cloud forests of Middle America

Excerpt from a long soundscape recording from San Gerardo Biological Station in Provincia Guanacaste, Costa Rica, on the morning of 2023-12-04

image credit: "chlorospin des buissons, clorospingo común, common bush tanager, common bush-tanager, common chlorospingus, common tanager finch" by Dario Taraborelli is marked with CC0 1.0. To view the terms, visit http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/?ref=openverse.

Common Chlorospingus 01

Common Chlorospingus 02

Common Chlorospingus 03

Lineated Foliage-gleaner, Syndactyla subalaris

Duet

Lineated Foliage-gleaners are more likely heard than seen  in the dense undergrowth of higher elevation cloud forests of Costa Rica.

Family Furnariidae

Excerpt  from a long soundscape recording from San Gerardo Biological Station in Provincia Guanacaste, Costa Rica, on the morning of 2023-12-04.

"buff-browed foliage-gleaner" by Diego Carús is marked with CC0 1.0. To view the terms, visit http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/?ref=openverse.

Lineated Foliage-gleaner duet

Ochraceous Wren, Troglodytes ochraceus 

Family: Troglodytidae

Endemic to Costa Rica and Panama, Ochraceous Wrens are often found foraging or singing from mossy trunks and branches

Excerpt  from a long soundscape recording from San Gerardo Biological Station in Provincia Guanacaste, Costa Rica, on the morning of 2023-12-04.

"ochraceous wren" by Malo Ramírez is marked with CC0 1.0. To view the terms, visit http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/?ref=openverse.

Ochraceous Wren 01

Ochraceous Wren song 02

Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant, Lophotriccus pileatus

Family: Tyrannidae

The piecing-voiced Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant  ranges in high mountain forests throughout Middle America.

Excerpt  from a long soundscape recording from San Gerardo Biological Station in Provincia Guanacaste, Costa Rica, on the morning of 2023-12-04.

image credit: "scale-crested pygmy tyrant, scale-crested pygmy-tyrant" by Guy Babineau is marked with CC0 1.0. To view the terms, visit http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/?ref=openverse.

Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant 01

ScaleCrested PygmyTyrant 02

Song Wren, Cyphorhinus phaeocephalus

Family Troglodytidae

The mechanical, clunky song of the Song Wren, an inhabitant of lowland tropical rainforests of Middle America that is often seen foraging at higher elevations.

Excerpt  from a long soundscape recording from San Gerardo Biological Station in Provincia Guanacaste, Costa Rica, on the morning of 2023-12-04.

original - "song wren" by Dario Taraborelli is marked with CC0 1.0. To view the terms, visit http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/?ref=openverse.

Song Wren 01

I had the pleasure of spending the month of December 2023 recording in a few different jungle locations in Costa Rica. The experience was wonderful and inspiring. Most of the trip was spent on Osa Peninsula, in lodges that bordered Parque Nacional Corcovado (Corcovado National Park).

The peninsula and the park are recognized as one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet, with 2.5% of the world's species represented, many of them endemic.

While the history of the park is fraught with controversy dating back to European colonization, the importance of conservation cannot be understated. 

My recordings are filled with wonderful moments that deserve to be heard. I'm parsing through everything, but I thought I'd start with one of my favorite, 90 minutes midnight insect chorusing. Growing up in the mid-Atlantic states of the US and with roots and time lived in the Deep South, few sounds bring me to a state of transcendence like the orchestrated song of insects at night. The spectrally tight but densely-layered score of hundreds or thousands of insects in concert is soothing to the ears and the best sleep-aid I can experience for myself. From time to time hungry bats flutter past.

Normally I'd point out a few voices along the way, but I'm out of my depth when it comes to identifying insects in neotropical forests, so I'll let the ecosystem speak for itself.

Recorded at Finca Sueño De Osa Lodge, Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica

Parque Nacional Corcovado https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corcovado_National_Park

Interested in my recordings? Contact me here: https://linktr.ee/AndyMartinNatureSound

Costa Rica Midnight Insect Chorus near Corcavado

I got to spend December 2023 recording in several jungle locations in Costa Rica. The experience was wonderful and inspiring. Most of the trip was spent on Osa Peninsula, in lodges that bordered Parque Nacional Corcovado (Corcovado National Park). With nearly 2.5% of the world's species represented, many of them endemic, it is  recognized as one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet.

On the same morning as the previous  Midnight Chorus recording https://soundcloud.com/soundeziner/cr-fincasueno-midnightchorus, a troop of Golden Mantled Howler Monkeys greeted the Dawn and their neighbors (and the rest of the jungle) the only way they know how. Male mantled howlers have an enlarged hyoid bone, a hollow amplifying bone near their vocal cords that gives the ability to generate great "howling"  calls that can heard for kilometers.  Howling allows the monkeys to exercise territory and remain in contact  without expending energy through movement or bearing the risks of physical confrontation. As someone who likes little more than sitting in a forest listening to nature speak, I approve of this lazing behavior.

While this howling is their most well-known vocal characteristic, I'm rather fond of the popping and grunting that warms up to the howl and pads the time in between. It's relatively quiet, and is most noticeable only when near the vocalizing howler. The best description of it that I can think of is like the "vocal fry" not uncommon in many of today's pop singers. Check it out near the start of the first round of howling around 2:40 (link in the comments)

After a first round of loud howls, the group takes a break. With what is known about Mantled Howler activity, they're likely sleeping, or maybe eating. After 20-is minutes, they pick up again for a brief session before settling back down. It's possible they've been moving during this time as they're quieter during this round. Finally, just before Sunrise at 05:38 in the morning, they pick up again, slowly building and then tapering off after nearly 30 minutes of vocal exercising.

After speaking with other recordists, I know I am far from alone as someone who loves their sound, but I I may be one of the few that enjoys waking up to their calls. Every morning I heard this in the distance or nearby was a morning I walked out to breakfast with a big silly grin on my face.

Another voice that has become a personal favorite is the Yellow-throated Toucan, with their rhythmic, bouncing song that seems to carry on forever. There is at least one singing for most of this recording, but you can get your first good listen behind the Howlers at 53:27 or skip ahead to 1:06:02 to hear two singing at each other.

Hummingbirds are abundant, and you'll hear their buzzing wings fly by and around the microphones numerous times. Also coming and going are raucous and noisy Scarlet Macaws and Red-lored Parrots, a lone Red-eyed Tree Frog, a visiting Little Tinamou, and more. 

I'll point out a few voices along the way in the comments, but I'm out of my depth when it comes to identifying neotropical birds, so I'll largely let the ecosystem speak for itself. Feel free to poke around with links in the comments to scoot around the recording, or just let it play out over your morning coffee like I do.

Feel like seeing some fancy colors? I've been playing at visualizing soundscapes lately. Check out the video for this recording on YouTube: https://youtu.be/duxU2INkyXI?si=xhIrgiHiOSOk922l

AMNS Costa Rica 01

Golden Mantled Howlers at Dawn

Field Recordist / Sound designer
Shhhhh. Listening to nature.

To license sounds or for all other inquiries: info@andymartinsound.com

#naturesound #naturesoundscape #fieldrecording #naturesounds #savequiet #listentonature #soundscape

Costa Rica 2023

Andy Martin, Field Recordist