Speckled Tanager: Las Cruces Biological Research Station, San Vito, Costa Rica, December 2022 — The Speckled Tanager is reason enough to visit the Wilson Botanical Gardens at Las Cruces Biological Research Station. It is a bird of upper and mid-canopy in the foothills of the Caribbean slope and the South Pacific slope, but it does come down to fruit feeders. They are regular visitors to the periodic feeding station on the terrace by the dinning hall at LCBRS. I say periodic since there is really only fruit out when a group of birders/photographers are visiting (it is a BYOF feeder, and we always stop in town for fruit on our way to Las Cruces). The Speckled Tanager of Central America and northern South America is very closely related to the Spotted Tanager found further south in South America. They might, at one time, have been the same species but they have become geographically separated. That’s one theory anyway. I have only ever seen them at the Wilson Botanical Garden and early in the morning when the rising sun makes them glow. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/500th.