Pied Puffbird

Pied Puffbird: La Selva Biological Station, OTS, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica — One of the highlights of our visit to La Selva Biological Station (Organization for Tropical Studies) was this small Pied Puffbird (small by Puffbird standards) that came down from the canopy to perch at eye-level for us. The Pied Puffbird, according to every resource I have checked (and according to Edwin, our guide) hunts insects and spiders from a perch in the high canopy, generally along the edges of openings. The area around the cabins and lab buildings on the far side of the Puerto Viejo suspension bridge certainly qualifies as a opening in the rain forest, but this bird was only about 6 feet from the ground in a bush between the buildings. Fine by us! It is a bird that repays a close look. The bold black and white pattern and the puff-ball shape are easy to see, even at a distance, but the speckling on the crown of the head is a treat to see. Sony Rx10iv at 586mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 640 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

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