Brown-hooded Parrot at San Rafael de Santa Cruz, Turrialba

Heavy rains for the last week or so have curtailed my birding activities, but neighbour Sue Magree was able to take this beautiful photograph of a Brown-hooded Parrot (Pyrilia haematotis, recently changed scientific name) at her house in San Rafael, just behind the Espino Blanco Reserve. Since its ear patch is not quite red, I assume this is an immature.

Both of our local parrots are actually smaller than the long-tailed and common Crimson-fronted parakeet, with the Brown-hooded being much less common than the White-crowned Parrot (Pionus senilis). Most parrots here in San Antonio are fly-bys and I always assume the latter species unless I can see the red axillars of the Pyrilia in flight, or its head when perched.

Latest sensation in the village was a male Three-toed Sloth that was clinging to neighbour Fabio Orlando Zúñiga’s gate, right on the main (and only) road. Fabio promises to send me a picture soon! It then crawled slowly across the road, risking life and limb, but was helped on its way by a couple of young men from the village, who deposited it in a wooded lot on the other side (our side) of the road. Unfortunately, I missed all the excitement by being away on errands. Fabio, a talented artist, has now almost completed his new mural at our house, which shows La Muralla waterfall plus Sunbittern, Keel-billed Toucan and Blue-crowned Motmot.