Selva Verde Lodge & Private Reserve is widely known for its biodiversity. Home to a large number of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and insects, it is also one of the strategic spots for bird watching in Costa Rica. The reserve boasts a bird count of around 400 species including migratory birds. 

If you’ve visited Selva Verde before, you may recognize Iván Castillo, who was our lead naturalist guide for many years. In December, Iván went on to become a guide at the national level, but he recently returned to his home turf to lead a guided virtual hike in support of the Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center.

In this webinar recording, Iván and his cameraman Luis Vega take us on a guided nature walk around the grounds of Selva Verde to learn about some of the region’s flora and fauna and answer viewer questions. You may even hear some Great Green Macaws and spot a frog or two. We hope you enjoy taking this journey with us!

Robert Alison photo

The collared aracari is a small awkward-looking toucan with a prominent enormously-oversized bill. It is fairly common throughout its 500,000 square mile Latin American range, and frequently seen at Selva Verde Lodge, where groups of aracaris often visit bird feeders and forage in local fruiting trees.

All 35 members of the toucan family occur exclusively in the New World tropics. There are 14 species of aracaris, all with slender bodies, richly-colored plumage and banana-shaped hollow bills. None of them are usually found far from forested areas, and most are generally encountered in groups of 6-16 individuals.

Collared aracaris seem to do everything in groups; foraging, loafing and even sleeping together. These birds are among the 16 species of Neotropical birds that have elaborate kinship behavior that includes cooperative care of offspring by non-parents. Research in Costa Rica