What you may see or hear!

 

Below are partial lists of some species seen, or heard, at our sanctuary, most of them full time residents, in the dynamic dance of interdependence, found in a mountain forest ecosystem, 1200' above sea level, with steep ravines, farm breaks and forest edges.

Butterflies & Moths

 

Butterflies

Morpho Amathonte

Common Blue Morpho

Banded Morpho

Owl Butterfly

Passionflower Butterfly

Malachite

Arcus

Pink Cattleheart

Banded King Shoemaker

Grecian Shoemaker

Spotted Grecian Shoemaker

Grey Cracker

Starry Cracker

Red Cracker

Glasswing

Zebra Longwing

Isabella

Julia

Small Postman

White Peacock

Banded Peacock

Smooth-Banded Sister

Mosaic

Leptoles cassius

Brown Siproeta

Snout Butterfly

Clorinde

Cabbage

Cloudless Sulphur

Orange-Barred Sulphur

Monarch

Scarce Bamboo

Ruby-Spotted Swallowtail

Black Swallowtail

Thoas Swallowtail

Broad-banded Swallowtail

Common Mechenitis

Lots of Parides & Helconias & more

Moths

Oriziba Silkmoth

Giant Silkmoth

Io Moth

Green Page Moth - incredible migration

Ornate Moth

Snowy Eupseudosoma 

Striped Morning Sphinx

Tiger Moth and more!

 

Birds

 

Great Curassow

Crested Guan

Great Tinamou

Little Tinamou

Crested Caracara

Chachalaca

Grey-necked Wood-Rail aka: Chirincoco

King Vulture

Black Vulture

Black Hawk-Eagle

Black Hawk

White Hawk

Roadside Hawk

Many Falcons, Hawks & Kites!

Laughing Falcon

Forrest Falcon

Grey-headed Kite

American Swallow-tailed Kite

Mealy Parrot

White-crowned Parrot

Blue-headed Parrot

Red-lored Parrot

Fiery-billed Aracari

Chestnut-manidibled Toucan

White-necked Puffbird

Owl - heard often, never seen

Sqirrel Cuckoo

Smooth-billed Ani

Nightjars

Swifts & Swallows 

Cattle Egret

Lots of different Hummingbirds!

Hermits

Purple-crowned Fairy

Crowned Woodnymph

Trogon

Blue-crowned Motmot

Lineated Woodpecker

Black-crowned Tityra

Eastern Kingbird

Great Kiskadee

Chestnut-headed Oropendola

Woodpeckers, Sapsuckers, Woodcreepers

Gleaners, Antbirds, Furnariids, Wrens

Manakins, Becards, Flycatchers, Vireos,

Warblers, Orioles, Gnatcatchers, Caciques,

Euphonias, Tanagers, Honeycreepers

In 2007, a Lovely Cotinga was seen on our road!

 

 

 

 

 

Mammals

 

Common Visitors

White-throated Capuchin Monkeys aka:

White-face Monkey - diurnal visitor to the santuary

White-nosed Coati aka: Pizote (Raccoon Family) long head & body, long, slightly upturned nose, long ringed prehensil tail, diurnal - terrestrial & arboreal, solitary & in large family groups, not timid

Pacas aka: Tepezcuintle ~ slightly pig/rodent-like, small head, large rump ~ nocturnal (however, have been seen during the day) ~ terrestrial ~ solitary or in pairs ~ feeds on fallen fruit & tubers

Kinkajous aka: Martilla ~ dense, soft, short fur, long body, long prehensil tail, head round, muzzel short, large round dark eyes~nocturnal & arboreal ~ agile & quick, heard at night noisily moving through forest canopy~feeds on fruit, insects, flower nectar

Three-toed Sloth aka: Perezoso ~ diurnal & nocturnal ~  mostly arboreal & solitary ~ head round, short body & tail, long limbs, very hard to spot as it moves sooo slowly & is camouflaged by coarse fur that collects a green algae

Collard Peccary aka: Sajino or Chancho de Monte ~

(relative of pigs) diurnal & terrestrial ~ solitary or in small groups ~ feeds on palm nuts, snails, fruit & small vertebrates

Variegated Squirrel, who's developed a taste for the seeds of Sexy Pink Hellconia! Plus various other mammals. Howler Monkeys are heard but not yet seen.

 

Less Common

Anteater aka: Northern Tamandua or Hormiguero ~ diurnal & nocturnal ~ arboreal & terrestrial ~ long narrow head, furry, black vested, thick prenhensil tail, & big curled claws

Tayra aka: Tolomuco (Weasel Family )~ beautiful, chocolate brown to black fur, long body, with long bushy tail ~ diurnal~ terrestial & arboreal

Ocelot aka: Manigordo (seen foot prints) ~ beautiful wildcat with tawny yellowish fur with black spots & lines ~ nocturnal ~ terrestrial & solitary, walks on man-made trails at night

 

Other species 

There are host of other species, fascinating bugs & insects, and bats, frogs, lizards & snakes, all who eat insects, helping to keep our environment in comfortable balance :-)