We have identified 221 species of birds. Some are included in the lists of species protected by the Nicaraguan government and in CITES appendices. Therefore some birds are completely banned from being hunted and others are banned in specific seasons.
Among the birds are the harpy eagle (Harpia harpia), the green macaw (Ara ambiguus), the three-wattled bellbird (Procnias tricarunculatus) and the great curassow (Crax rubra).
Name: White-faced nunbird.
Scientific name: Monasa morphoeus.
Natural history: The white-faced nunbird (Monasa morphoeus) is a species of piciform bird of the puffbird family that lives in the tropical zone of the American continent.
The white-faced nunbird is black or dark gray in color. It has a thick, orange-red bill and white spots on the face, at the base of the bill and on the upper part of the neck; from there it gets its name. Their eyes and legs are black or dark gray.
Its natural habitat is tropical forests. Although it depends on the trees and the climate of these forests to reproduce and nest, it can tolerate some level of alteration of its habitat.
Name: Green kingfisher.
Scientific name: Chloroceryle americana.
Natural history: The green kingfisher or little kingfisher (Chloroceryle americana) is a species of resident coraciiform bird in the family water kingfisher that is distributed from southern Texas in the US through Central America to central Argentina.It has a total length of 19 centimeters, weighs 27 grams.
It has the shape of the typical kingfisher, with a short tail and a long beak. It is olive green on top, with white spots on the wing and tail. Males have a white underside, with a chestnut chest. The females have a white underside, but the chest is greenish. Presenting a yellowish, cinnamon throat.
Name: Motmot (national bird).
Scientific name: Momotidae.
Natural history: The momotids (Momotidae), commonly known as motmots, barranqueros or guardabarrancos, are a family of tropical birds of the order of the coraciiformes, an order that also includes kingfishers, bee-eaters and carracks.
They are medium-sized birds of dense jungles. They are found only in the tropical New World. These birds have soft plumage and long tails, which move from side to side. The central tail feathers (which are the longest) have a bare shaft part, so they resemble a racket.
Studies carried out on turquoise-browed motmots indicate that they perform their peculiar tail movement when they detect predators, to communicate to them that the motmot is aware of their presence and is ready to escape.
This behavior provides benefits to the motmot and its prey, since it avoids a hunt and constant stalking of the predator, while it saves the motmot a possible escape and wasting its energy fleeing from a predator that will hardly capture it. There is also evidence that the male motmot’s tail is slightly longer than that of the female, as a function of sexual signaling.
Name: Summer tanager.
Scientific name: Piranga rubra.
Natural history: The summer tanager bird already resident, mainly in the North North Zone (Piranga rubra) is a species of passerine bird of the Cardinalidae family (although some sources place its genus, Piranga in Thraupidae).
Adult individuals measure between 17 and 19 cm. The males are completely red, with a very pale yellowish bill, and do not change plumage in winter, like other tanagers of the genus. Females have pale gray beaks, are olive plumage in the dorsal region and dark yellow in the ventral parts; unlike P. olivacea, the wings are lighter.
The immature males are similar to the females, but when they acquire adult plumage, they present a red, olive and yellow plumage.
In summer, they inhabit oak forests and gallery forests in the central and southern United States and northern Mexico. In autumn they migrate south, and winter from central and southern Mexico, in Central America, and in northwestern South America (to Peru and western Brazil), where they mainly inhabit tropical forests.
They feed on insects, small fruits, and tropical fruits. They build a bowl-shaped nest on horizontal branches of medium and tall trees.
Name: Great egret.
Scientific name: Ardea alba.
Natural history: The great egret also known as the white heron (Ardea alba) is a species of bird in the Ardeidae family. This heron measures from beak to tail between 80 and 104 cm, its wingspan is between 131 and 170 cm. Its weight ranges between 700 and 1,500 g.
It is an aquatic bird with white plumage, large and slender, which can reach a meter in height. It flies with its long neck retracted, but usually walks with it stretched out. It has a yellow bill and black legs with black fingers (its beak may darken, and the underside of the legs may become lighter during the breeding season). The species is partially migratory.
It is one of the most widely distributed herons in the world, occupying all continents except Antarctica. In Mexico, this heron has been observed in all the states of the country. It inhabits all kinds of wetlands in temperate and tropical regions. The IUCN 2019-1 classifies it in its category of least concern. Among the risk factors for this species is the reduction of habitat due to urban development.
In parts of the southern United States, their numbers have decreased due to habitat loss, especially due to the degradation of wetlands, increased salinity from overexploitation of aquifers, and invasion by exotic plants. Still it adapts well to humanized habitat and can be easily seen near wetlands and bodies of water in urban and suburban areas.
Name: House wren.
Scientific name: Troglodytes aedon.
Natural history: The House wren (Troglodytes aedon), also called common mouse wren, common cockroach wren, chercán, chivirínsaltapared, northern continental saltapared, soterreycucarachero, CreoleWren, curucucha, cucurucha, pititurri and tacuarita, is a species of passerine bird family Troglodytidae, which is distributed throughout most of America.
It is a small, stocky bird with a narrow tail. It measures approximately 10 cm and weighs around 12 g. Both the male and the female have brown plumage on the upper parts, with black stripes on the wings and tail.
Their underparts are lighter brown tones, becoming lighter towards the belly. It also has darker brown stripes on the flanks and underflow.
Young specimens are darker than adults. It has a short and repetitive song at times and can sometimes even be melodious.
Name: Red-legged honeycreeper.
Scientific name: Cyanerpes cyaneus.
Historia natural: The dark-backed honeycreeper or red-legged honeycreeper (Cyanerpescyaneus) is a small bird of the Thraupidae family. It is distributed in the tropics of the New World, from southern Mexico to Peru, Bolivia, central Brazil and the Guianas. Also, in Trinidad and Tobago, and in Cuba, an island where it may have been introduced.
Adults are 12 cm long and weigh 14 g; they have a medium, black, slightly curved bill. The males are blue-violet plumage, with black wings with a blue-violet stripe in the middle of them, and the lower part, visible only in flight, is lemon yellow. The tail and the back are also black, and there is also a mask around the eyes. The legs are bright red. They have a turquoise blue crown.
Females and immatures are dull green in color, lighter in the ventral parts, which have a slight streaking. The legs of the females are reddish brown, and those of the immature ones, brown.
The adult male is one of the few tropical birds that changes its plumage during the breeding season, outside the breeding season the blue-violet parts of its plumage turn green, the back and crown also turn green; thus remaining with a plumage similar to that of a female but with black wings.
Name: Bare-throated tiger heron.
Scientific name: Tigrisoma mexicanum.
Natural history: The necked hocó, Bare-throated tiger heron or Mexican avetigre (Tigrisoma mexicanum) is a species of pelecaniform bird of the Ardeidae family, native to Central America and northern Colombia. Its name is due to its neck completely adorned with stripes. Its population is estimated at about 10,000 specimens.
Name: Scarlet-rumped tanager.
Scientific name: Ramphocelus passerinii.
Natural history: The scarlet-rumped tanager or velvet tanager (Ramphoceluspasserinii) is a species of passerine bird of the Thraupidae family that lives in tropical forests of Mexico and Central America. It owes its scientific name to the Italian ornithologist Carlo Passerini.
These birds measure 16 cm when they are adults. The males are mainly black plumage, in contrast to the red of the lower back, rump and upper tail covert feathers. His eyes are red. The plumage of the female is olive brown, lighter and tending to gold on the rump and breast.
The immature ones are similar to the females. The bill of both sexes is thick, bluish-gray color, and the legs are black.It lives in the lowlands in the southeast of Mexico (from the south of the state of Veracruz) and in the countries of Central America to the west of Panama. Prefers shrubs to trees.
Name: Finsch’s parakeet.
Scientific name: Psittacara finschi.
Natural history: The Finsch’s parakeet (Psittacara finschi) is a species of psittaciform bird in the parrot family (Psittacidae). It is native to the south of Central America, being present in Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. It measures approximately 28 cm and weighs around 150 g.
Its plumage is green with variations of bright green tones on the head, passing through a yellowish green hue in the abdomen area and a dark green in the wings. On the forehead or crown it has an area of red feathers that do not cover the eye area; Furthermore, it occasionally has isolated red feather spots on the head and nape.
Their wings have bright orange feathers on the inner upper part and a degradation of yellow and olive-green feathers from the center of the wing to its final extension. It has a long, pointed tail that is bright green on the outside and olive green on the inside.
Its beak is hooked, pinkish in color with a darker tip. Their legs range from pinkish gray to dark gray. The eyes vary from a reddish orange to light brown color and are surrounded by a prominent white halo.
Name: Nicaraguan seed finch.
Scientific name: Sporophila nuttingi.
Natural history: The Nicaraguan seed finch or stone-billed seed finch (Oryzoborus nuttingi) is a species of passerine bird of the Thraupidae family typical of Central America. Its scientific name commemorates the zoologist Charles Cleveland Nutting.
Name: Common buzzard.
Scientific name: Buteo sp.
Natural history: Buteo is a genus of medium-sized accipitriform birds of the Accipitridae family, with a robust body and strong wings. In Spain they are known as buzzards and busardos and in Spanish America they are commonly called hawks.
Name: Ruddy ground dove.
Scientific name: Columbina talpacoti.
Natural history: The little dove, columbina colorada or cocochita (Columbina talpacoti) is a small Columbinae from America.He lives from Mexico to the north of Argentina and Uruguay; we also find it in Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago.
It can sometimes be seen as far north as the southeastern United States in southern Texas and southern California; mainly during winter. The Ruddy Ground Dove is very common in stubble areas and other open moors.
Usually it builds a nest of twigs in the treetops where it lays two white eggs. Incubation takes 12 to 13 days with 12 to 14 complementary days for fledging. Occasionally a third chick may hatch.
Its flight is fast and direct, with regular flaps and occasionally with vigorous and rapid movements of the wings, which are characteristic of pigeons in general.The Ruddy Ground Dove is a short-tailed pigeon, measuring 17 cm with a weight of approximately 47 g.
Adult males have a pale gray head and neck, with black spots under the wings; the tail is blackish and the underside of the wings is tan and black. Females are dark gray, generally red and with less contrast between head and body than male.
Name: Montezuma oropendola.
Scientific name: Psarocolius montezuma.
Natural history: The Montezuma oropendola (Psarocolius montezuma), also known as the oropendola de Moctezuma, cacique de Moctezuma, conoto de Moctezuma, papan, oropendola major, urupa or chacarero, is a species of passerine bird of the Icteridae family native to Central America and it is distributed in tropical rainforests and plantations in Central American lowlands.
Name: Anhinga.
Scientific name: Anhinga anhinga.
Natural history: The American Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga), also known as the American anhinga, the American needle duck, the royal corua, or the little bird, is a species of suliform bird of the Anhingidae family typical of the tropical regions of America.
When swimming, it submerges its whole body under the water and leaves only the head and neck on the surface; the names snake bird and needle duck allude to this aspect. Similar to a cormorant, it differs in having a longer beak and tail, and a hooked end of the beak.
It lives in freshwater swamps (marshes), where it catches fish by diving underwater, harpooning them with its beak, and engulfing them on the surface. Like cormorants, it spreads its wings to dry off.
Name: Rainbow-billed toucan.
Scientific name: Ramphastos sulfuratus.
Natural history: A species threatened with extinction that live in the canopy and edges of forests, old secondary forests, and cocoa plantations. Sometimes they visit scattered trees in a pasture. They form scattered flocks of 6 or more individuals.
Its name is due to it having a flaming 16 cm long beak with the colors of the rainbow. They are black bodied; in the male, the beak is larger and its neck and chest are bright yellow. They feed on fruits, invertebrates, and small reptiles.
They measure between 18 and 63 cm long, their body and neck are short, their tail, depending on the species, measures from almost half to almost the entire body. The female Rainbow-billed
Toucan usually lays two to four white eggs. The male and female share the care of the eggs, taking turns hatching them. The eggs hatch in approximately 15-20 days.
Afterwards, both the female and the male take turns feeding the chicks. At birth, the young are featherless and keep their eyes closed for about three weeks. They remain in the nest for eight to nine weeks while their beaks fully develop and prepare to fly.
Name: Black-crowned night heron.
Scientific name: Nycticorax nycticorax.
Natural history: It is a chubby heron of medium size (between 60 and 65 cm). The short length of its neck is remarkable, if we compare it with that of other herons, such as the gray heron or the little egret. It is characterized by its deep red eyes.
The plumage of the underparts is mainly grayish-white. The collar can be white or light gray. The face, throat and belly are pure white. The crown, nape and back are blackish, although of a changing hue, and the wings are gray. Two or three long and narrow white feathers emerge from the nape of adults, somewhat longer in the male than in the female.
The legs and feet are pale yellow (somewhat more intense during the breeding season). The beak, robust but not excessively long, is greenish at the base and black at the top.
Juveniles show brown and white streaked plumage, as well as honey-colored or yellow eyes. They do not present the feathers of the nape until the first year of life.
It is a bird with eminently twilight and nocturnal habits, although during the breeding season it is possible to see it in activity in daylight.
Name: Sunbittern.
Scientific name: Eurypyga helias.
Natural history: It is an endangered bird that prefers fast-flowing rocky streams, although it is sometimes found on sandy riverbanks, slow-moving streams, or wells in swamps, usually in forested areas.
Their nest is a globular mass with a thickness of about 30 cm. and is composed of decomposing leaves, sticks, and green moss. They lay 2 pink eggs with scattered brown and gray spots and splashes.
They reproduce from march to june. They are lonely. They fly with one or two deep flaps followed by a long glide with outstretched wings.
Name: Great tinamou.
Scientific name: Tinamus major.
Natural history: They live in the interior of humid and very humid tropical forests. They lay their eggs directly in the litter on the ground, usually located at the base of a log, next to the shrimp or another shelter. The clutch consists of 3 to 5 eggs, rarely more.
They are bright, turquoise blue or greenish blue. They reproduce from December to August. They forage as they walk collecting seeds, fruits, insects, spiders, small lizards and frogs; sometimes they accompany the “arrieras” ants (Eciton sp.) to catch the insects that try to escape from their attack. They are solitary, unless they are accompanied by the chicks.
Name: Great green macaw.
Scientific name: Ara ambiguus.
Natural history: In danger of extinction. It is a bird of great natural beauty that frequents the treetops of the humid forests of the lowlands. It flies great distances in search of its food, visiting yellow almond trees (Dipteryxpanamensis) remaining in paddocks and semi-open sites. They fly in flocks of up to 18 individuals. The green macaw forms partners for life and is faithful to their nests.
In Nicaragua, the green macaw nests from January to June. The female incubates the eggs, while the male brings food to the nest. Both parents are responsible for feeding the chicks, doing it approximately every two hours.
Once the chicks are larger, visits to the nest to feed them are between longer periods. After two weeks of leaving the nest, the chicks know how to fly and are ready to start their migration in search of food sources.
In Nicaragua since 2002, Fundación del Río has developed an environmental awareness and education campaign aimed at the conservation of the species, which has included workshops, talks, festivals, incentives for nest conservation, publication of educational materials and has promoted in in 2005 the declaration of this species as the emblem bird of the Town of El Castillo.
Name: Great curassow.
Scientific name: Crax rubra.
Natural history: The Great Curassow is a large bird that prefers to walk on the ground rather than in the trees. It can weigh up to 5 kg. The male and the female are different. The male is black with a yellow bill, has a bulge above the bill.
The female is usually brown with white spots on the tail and head. They live in dry and deciduous forests and humid forests. They prefer primary forests. Its nest consists of a cushion of leaves and branches with a slight depression in the center, disproportionately small.
They place it on a fork or at the intersection of several branches and vines, 3 to 6 m. in a forest tree or thicket. They lay 2 rough-shelled, opaque white eggs. They reproduce from March to May; they eat ripe fruits and small animals.
They walk on the forest floor in search of food and sometimes scavenge for it. They are solitary or groups of up to 6 individuals. They perch in trees and sometimes fly into low branches when alarmed, although they prefer to run away.
They leap from branch to branch to take flight, which consists of a few flaps and a long glide. It is a species considered in danger of extinction and is protected and regulated by law.
Name: Scarlet macaw
Scientific name: Ara macao.
Natural history: Species in danger of extinction. They live in the canopy, on the edges of patches or deciduous or evergreen primary forests. They build their nest in large natural cavities in trees or in old woodpecker nests in soft wood, which they expand; it is located mainly at heights of 7 to 25 m.
They lay 1 or 2 eggs. They reproduce during the dry season. They form pairs or family groups of 3 to 4 individuals. Sometimes they unite in groups of up to 25 to 50 individuals in communal roosts, tall trees, or mangroves.
Some people appreciate it for its colorful plumage, which is why they are kept in captivity in cages, which is prohibited by law.
In Nicaragua they reproduce well in captivity, but require large cages, nesting boxes, isolation and extreme patience. Some places where they breed in captivity is the National Zoo.
Name: Neotropic cormorant.
Scientific name: Phalacrocorax brasilianus / Phalacrocorax olivaceus.
Natural history: It is a totally black bird except for a tuft of white feathers above the ears, and white feathers on the sides of the head and neck, only in the breeding season where it also passes on the face (lores) and gular sac to orange or dark yellow.
The upper feathers are slightly more greyish than the rest of the body. Adult males weigh 1.1-1.5 kg, and females 50-100 g less. The information on their prey is well known, they feed on fish of smaller size than those of common interest and small crustaceans such as wild or farmed shrimp.
They nest in colonies (small to at least 20,000 individuals), making nests a few meters above the ground (or water) in shrubs or trees (on the edges of mangrove habitat). Many pairs lay three eggs, but the average number of clutches is less than two.
