Woodpeckers are extraordinarily gorgeous birds. They're colourful, lovable and they peck around for insects or for supplies for nest building. But their presence around your place might be enough to drive you loony. They're known to make pecking sounds at dawn that will disturb your beauty sleep. What's worse, these birds have the disposition to puncture your wooden house, transforming your smooth, wooden exterior into a dartboard ( minus the darts ).

1. Canopy Tour: It is an exciting adventure that will take you along zip lines on the forest's canopy. This is the thing to do in Costa Rica.

Common Black Hawks are successful predatory birds. It has very broad wings, and is mainly black or dark gray. The short tail is black with a single broad white band and a white tip. The bill is black and the legs and cere are yellow.

The Black-necked Stilt is a locally abundant shorebird of American wetlands and coastlines. The tail is white with some grey banding. A continuous area of black extends from the back along to the head. There, it forms a cap covering the entire head from the top to just below eye-level, with the exception of the areas surrounding the bill and a small white spot above the eye. They also have partially webbed feet, which allow them to swim - but they rarely do. Stilts' legs are longer in proportion to their bodies than any other bird except the flamingo.

The frigate birds are a family of seabirds and are also called frigate pelicans. It can be found breeding along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and in the Corcovado National Park.

Just to try something new my husband and I decided to head off to the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica. I had heard stories about how remote yet interesting this area was so to be honest we didn't know what to expect. After thinking a lot about that comment we finally decided to fin out what the Osa Peninsula really was and off we went.

The Cattle Egret is a cosmopolitan species of heron. These guys are found all over Central America and in Costa rica they can be found in the Manuel Antonio National Park. The non-breeding adult has mainly white feathers, a yellow bill and grayish-yellow legs. During the breeding season, adults of the western subspecies develop orange-buff plumes on the back, breast and crown.

Basilisks are lizards that have large hind feet with flaps of skin between each toe. This allows them to move quickly across the water and gives them the appearance of "walking on water". Because of that they were given the nickname "Jesus Lizard". They are native to Panama, Belize, and northwestern Colombia and Costa Rica. In Guatemala, this species is widespread, found practically anywhere where there is a water source. This species can be found in tropical and subtropical wet, moist, and dry forests.

The ocelot's appearance is similar to that of the domestic cat. Its fur resembles that of a Clouded Leopard or Jaguar. These guys receive many names and some are: McKenney's Wildcat, Jaguatirica, Jaguarete, Tigrillo, Cunaguaro, or Manigordo (in Costa Rica and Panama). It has a tawny to reddish brown coat marked with black spots and rosettes. The fur is short, and lighter beneath. There are two black lines on either side of its face and has a black-banded tail. There is a single white spot on the back of each of its ears.

The Clay Colored Robin is a small common bird throughout all Central America. In Costa Rica it can be easily found in Manuel Antonio National Park and Cahuita National Park. The habitat of these birds ranges from South Texas to northern Colombia in South America. In much of its range it is familiar for locals in yards and gardens. Currently, the conservation rating for the Clay-colored Robin is Least Concern.

White-Faced Capuchin Monkeys are small and inquisitive new world monkeys and the easiest to observe in the wild. They are always around jumping from tree to tree. In Guatemala they are seen in forests along the Atlantic Coast. There are also populations of these monkeys in Honduras and Costa Rica. They can be found in forests and mangroves up to 2,100m elevation.

Orioles could be recognized by their vibrant orange plumage and dark head. Almost as stunning as their visual appeal is their pleasant demeanor, a warm and friendly whistle, that is really a delightful indicator of springtime. Orioles feed on insects, causing them to be a great companion to your garden. Moreover, orioles possess a sweet tooth and enjoy sweet nectar and fruit. Positioning fruit or a nectar bird feeder in your yard can help to draw in these birds.

These guys also get their name from its brownish to yellowish fur color and the creamy white spot that they have above each eye. Brown Four eyed Opossums are tiny marsupials with huge eyes that look a lot like big rats. They can be found in all forested habitats of Costa Rica but especially in the South Pacific Region. Their range extends to all Central America and the Northern Region of South America.

The Turquoise-browed Motmot is a migratory bird very well-known in its range that lives in fairly open habitats such as forest edge, gallery forest and scrubland. It inhabits Central America from south-east Mexico mostly the Yucatn Peninsula, to Costa Rica, where it is common and not considered threatened.

These are part of the family of the New World Monkeys and one of the 4 species of monkeys living in Costa Rica. Their full name is Black Crowned Central American Squirrel Monkeys and can be found in the tropical forests of the Pacific Coasts of Costa Rica. Unlike the other New World monkeys, their tail is not used for climbing, but as a kind of "balancing pole" and also as a tool.

It is a crocodilian reptile. The species' common name comes from a bony ridge between the eyes. It gives the appearance of a pair of spectacles. Al though they are one of the smallest crocodilian species these guys are fierce predators. In Guatemala it can be found in the northern department of Petn. It can be found in much of Central and South America. It lives in a range of lowland wetland and riverside habitat and can tolerate salt water as well as fresh.

The distinctive Oriole bird could be determined by their bright orange plumage and dark head. Nearly as impressive as their visual appeal is their pleasant demeanor, a friendly whistle, that is really a welcome sign of spring. Orioles feed on pesky insects, which makes them a great accessory for your backyard. Also, orioles possess a sweet tooth and enjoy sweet nectar and fruit. Positioning fruit or a nectar bird feeder in your yard can help to entice these birds.

There are many different ways to see Orca whales in the wild. From large boat excursions to small boat tours and even by kayak, viewing Killer whales can be done in a variety of ways. However, the most touted and effective and therefore enjoyable way to see these fabulous creatures is by whale watching from a small boat.

Killer (their true name is Orca) whales are incredibly beautiful, extremely social, highly intelligent and often very playful animals. The past perception of them as blood thirsty killers, the wolf pack of the sea, needs to be re-evaluated as there becomes more and more interaction between humans and Orca whales. The increasing interest in whale watching around the world has given us a new in-sight and a better understanding about these incredible animals. This new wisdom on humans part is due to the ever increasing interaction between the species and this increasing interaction is because more people are joining in whale watching activities.

The San Juan Islands, an archipelago of over 170 different islands located in the Pacific Northwest of Washington state is home to many whale watching companies. This is because living in these enchanted waters are almost 90 Orca(killer)whales. At times it really does seem that the whale are as curious about the whale watchers as the whale watchers are curious about the whales. With so many different whale watching companies claiming to offer the best tours it can be difficult to decide which company would be best for you. The information below should help make your choice much easier.

There are many different ways to see Orca whales in the wild. From large boat excursions to small boat tours and even by kayak, viewing Killer whales can be done in a variety of ways. However, the most touted and effective and therefore enjoyable way to see these fabulous creatures is by whale watching from a small boat.

Guatemala is a place with many beautiful destinations which are also filled with and amazing amount of exotic species of animals. Here is a list with some of the most popular animals of this beautiful country:

My grandfather served as a game warden in northern Pennsylvania during the 1930s to the 1950s. As a boy, I always enjoyed visiting him, because he had lots of stories to share with me and my brothers. We especially liked his stories about black bear behavior.

Winter is a tough time for animals generally, and wild birds are no exception. Those that don't fly south for warmer climes have a difficult task finding enough food to survive until the spring. When they come across a reliable food source in a local garden you can be sure they will return there often.

They are also known as honey bear, because when tin captivity they seem to enjoy eating honey. Kinkajous are related with the raccoon and coati. The kinkajou's woolly fur consists of an outer coat of gold or brownish-gray overlapping a gray undercoat.