Nest boxes visitors in Bosque Escondido Costa Rica
The breeding season in Bosque Escondido has finally kicked off. It is the first breeding season that the nest boxes have been up, and they are definitely attracting attention. Even before the breeding season started, it was the iguanas and the kinkajous, but now the birds have moved in. We have seen Yellow-naped parrots in the entrance of 2 nest boxes, and several owls are nesting as well.
The Scarlet macaws are not using our artificial nest boxes yet, but they are nesting in two natural cavities in the area. Our data from Tambopata showed that it takes from 2 to 3 breeding seasons for a new nest box to be occupied by Scarlet Macaws. So, maybe next year they will use them.
We have found 2 nest boxes with Mottled owls (Megascops cooperi) nesting in them with a total of 5 confirmed eggs. When the chicks hatch, we will collect some photographic information from them. However, not all is happiness in paradise… 1 of our nest boxes had a Pacific screech owl in it with 1 egg, but soon after the nest was invaded by bees and the pacific screech owl was evicted. Such is life in the jungle, or as they say in Costa Rica: Pura vida.
Written by Loic De Leeuw. Edited by Dr. Gabriela Vigo-Trauco
