Computerpackage and Entertainment: February 2008

Friday, February 29, 2008

How to Make a Warhammer Gaming Terrain Board

The first thing to consider in continuing a Warhammer gaming hobby is to construct a terrain board that will fit all your models. This will give you a fun and exciting place to put all you Warhammer games on which is much better place to play on rather than on the kitchen table or on the floor.

It will also provide you more options on your terrain pieces and create more terrain pieces that will fit on the your table, creating a gaming environment that appears and feels impressive and realistic. It will also enhance your gaming experience and allows you to play more with its wide space area depending on the size you will be doing.

This article is a step-by-step guide on how to make your own gaming boards. There are many options in creating your own gaming boards, it includes the materials to be use, but this is the one which is the easiest and the cheapest as i have found out so far.

What size board should you create?

There are a few options to choose from. They include:

-2' x 2'

-4' x 4'

-4' x 6'

-4' x 8'

(’ denotes feet - one foot = 30 cm)

The 2' x 2' boards are very flexible and allow you to create terrain that you can move around and form into various pieces, especially if you build in hills or rivers.

However, our favorite size to choose is 4' x 4' boards, as it is a very good standard board size and it is very good for battles as high as a few thousands points on each side. It is also easy to add two of these boards together to form a 4' x 8' playing area for especially large battles, whereas with the 2' x 2' boards this is a little more clumsy and creates a playing area with a lot of gaps and unsightly lines.

But in the end it is always you that will choose on what board that will best fit your gaming mood.

Materials and Tools Needed

Here is a list of materials that you will need:

-1/2 sheet of plywood (4' x 4')

-16' of 2?x1? (pine is what we use, but it doesn’t matter)

-16 x 1 1/4? screws

-power drill

-small drill bit (3/16? should work)

-measuring tape

-pencil

-saw

-sandpaper

(WARNING: You should ALWAYS have adult supervision when using any tools or power tools.)

Step 1 - Cut 2?x1? to size

Our first step that will be doing is to divide the 2?x1? into four pieces, two 4 feet long and the other two is 46 inches long.

Step 2 - Create foundation

Drill holes first on the wood before putting in any screws. This will prevent the wood from splitting. After you have drilled holes on the wood you can then screw in the screws using either your power drill if you have or simply by hand. Be sure to screw it tightly to gain enough strength on your foundation.

Step 3 - Attach Top

Attach the plywood on the top of your frame. Once again drill holes wherever you will be putting in screws to prevent splitting. Three to four screws on each sides should be fairly enough. Once you are finish in screwing down the plywood on your frame, use the sandpaper to polish all corners to get rid of any silvered wood. This will give you a smooth edge on your table for better look.

That's it after polishing all the edges and the sides be sure to check all the screws if it screwed tightly you have now your gaming board with a strong foundation. The next step is to finish the top but will be discuss in another article.

Warhammer 40k Bell Tower Project:WIP Part 1

In our article for today is all about building a bell tower. So lets just set aside some of our worries and focus our mind in creating something wickedly awesome a Warhammer 40K Bell Tower. The most important component in building a bell tower is a brass bell which can be purchased on a dollar store which is abundant during Christmas season. Now that we had already the brass bell we can already ready to construct. So pull up your socks, demist your glasses and repeat after me,”Warhammer is my life”. Did I say that out loud? Anyway, let’s build some terrain.

Materials list:

• 20?x30? foam board
• utility knife
• pencil
• ruler
• popsicle sticks
• white glue
• an Ipod playing Zeppelin and a little patience while cutting the foam board.(you’ll see what I mean)

Step 1 Marking the Windows

I tried making a Gothic/Imperial guard/city of death look to it. This is the part where your artistic instinct license comes in. Feel free to design and let your mind and basic instinct come to play in choosing your desired design of the windows. Draw your chosen design of the window on the foam board. It would be better to create a lot of windows on your tower. It creates a more clear feeling while looking through the building.

Step 2 Cut out your Windows

Cut out your windows according to what you have drawn, it should be pretty strait forward. This will test your patience sometimes cause you have drawn more windows so expect to cut more windows too. Although this is where you'll need to bite the bullet for a good while and just cut till you are so occupied in your work that when somebody come sup to bother you and call up your name three times, that only the time you begin to respond cause you do not want to be disturbed when cutting out the windows. After cutting out all the drawn windows its better to sand the insides to have a smooth sides.

Step 3 Cut out base

After cutting out the windows you're going to cut a base out so that the walls have something to stick in to. You can made it just large enough to fit two space marines along the outside of the building once in place.

Step 4 Glue popsicle sticks

Start this by slicing popsicle sticks width channels in each level. Next glue popsicles sticks according to its place. These will give enough support to the structure when everything is glued together and in order. Once finished gluing all the popsicle sticks let it sit to dry for 5-10 minutes.

Step 5 Glue structure together

This is where we make busted up flooring. Make it so it’s able to rest on both walls for stronger support. Hold the walls up perpendicular to each other and glue down the floors until it dries up. This will enable the building to stand by itself. Be sure that the wall can stand up all by itself. Next glue supports to the base. Use the windows that were cut from the walls.

How to Make a Warhammer 40k Fuel Tank

Fuel is very important for it is one thing that gave energy on our equipments and in every engines that uses fuel to run. Everybody needs fuel in flamethrowers used by the Space Marine squads or by a Land Raider that's just about empty. Or a Dreadnought who's thirsty or a Leman Russ who's all passed out. No matter who you are or what you are, if you've got fuel guzzling heavy support and equipments that need to be refueled, you're gonna need to have a fuel tank. Preferably a fuel tank that just near and close at hand. Just make sure its not too close or it may be a threat of attack and nobody wants to have a fuel tank shrapnels embedded in their jet packs. So after some introductions lets get down on our main agenda.

Materials:

Thin wood
Polystyrene (styrofoam)
Empty can of beans
Acrylic Black paint
Red gore or red paint
Terracotta (brownish red)
silver gray paint

Step 1 Creating the base

There are so many different ways and materials that can be use in for the creation of the base. Thin wood, Masonite, Polystyrene (Styrofoam) is the most popular of all because it so easy to cut and it is handy. Foam board is also one materials that can be use however due to its substances it has a tendency to curl once primed and painted. But for this project its better to use the thin wood as our base because of its lightness and durability.

We used polystyrene (styrofoam) and cut out cinder blocks from it then stick them together on the base. Then base coating all the cinder blocks in acrylic black, heavily dry brushing all of them in codex gray, and light dry brushing them in skull white we stuck in some rebar (also known as metal wire cut and stuck into the cinder blocks). Once everything is in place and already prepared its time to add the fuel tank.

Step 2 Adding the fuel tank (can of beans)

For an amazing and beautiful Warhammer 40k fuel tank (I have to differentiate this from a regular fuel tank) Lets use for our fuel tank an empty can of beans. Since the can is already opened, the other end is gone, we can traced the can into a piece of foam board for the replacement of the other end that was gone. Cut out the traced circled then stuck it into the other end of the can. Once all the end of the can is closed, perforate the can a little in your desired position in few different places. This will brought a beaten and battered look in the can.

Step 3 Base coat the fuel tank

After putting some designs onto the can its time to put color to it. Simply base coat the fuel tank with acrylic black paint. Be sure to base it a thin layer only for a couple of times. Putting a thick layer of paint in the fuel tank will result in major peeling of the paint.

Step 4 Painting the fuel tank

When the base coat is already dry its time to paint the fuel tank with red gore or simply red paint. Once again the painting should be lightly because more colors will be added later. I’ve chosen to paint streaks in certain sections only. Next add some terracotta (brownish red). Lastly add bolt gun metal (silver gray) or mithril silver to give the steel look. To emphasize the fuel tank and have a better place for it add a steel frame and base for the fuel tank. It can be made with some Popsicle sticks and Styrofoam. The Popsicle stick will be the steel frame and the Styrofoam will act as the cement base for the fuel tank. Simply base coat them with acrylic black. Paint the cement base codex gray and the steel frame with the same paints used for the rust effects on the fuel tank.

Step 5 Add some pipes

Get some straws that can be bend on the other end and glue them together. Cut them to equal sizes then glue them to one of the ends of the tank. On the foam board we used to replace the missing end of the can. For the paint use the rust effects on the pipes too.

Step 6 Flock it!

This step completely finishes it off. I used a mixture of home made modeling flock, static grass, sand, and some weeds I pulled from a nearby trench. Simply brush PVA glue (white glue) onto the parts of the base you want flocked. I also added flock to the cinder blocks and a little on top of the fuel tank

How to Make Warhammer Modeling Flock

Spending almost $200 of your budget for a modeling flock is too big just to produce a 4' x 4' grassland gaming board. Is always be a problem you will face in making a gaming terrain but this will not be a hindrance for you to experiment on what decision to undertake. Because you want to work on a small budget this is something you had get over.

Doing research on Yahoo or Google on how to create a modeling flock or by just simply asking a friend who knows how to create one. That can lower the $200 to a $10 or less. But be sure to watch and read on the instructions for they will cause you problems in the results of your modeling flock. You should admit that making your first modeling flock will not be that easy for it will not produce similar to the modeling flock that cost $200. You should not be afraid to try every thing every possible way to have your modeling flock be the flock you want.

Without further delay the content of this article is the detailed instruction on how to make a modeling flock.

Step 1 - Get Your Materials Ready

Here is what you’ll be needing:

-a container to mix it in (we use a gallon sized ice cream container)

-a cookie sheet to dry the modeling flock on (don’t use new ones, your mother / wife won’t be happy)

-a tube of green paint (in the picture it shows a tube of blue paint and a tube of yellow paint, but we found it easier to just get a tube of green paint)

-water

-a stirring stick

-sawdust (that’s right, modeling flock is just dyed sawdust!)

-a fine strainer

The tubes of paint that we use are 4 U.S. fl oz, or 118 mL. We buy them at the dollar store for $1.

You can get the sawdust from any lumber mill that near your place. They should be more than happy to hand over a garbage bag full free of charge. If not, then just find someone you know who is a carpenter.

Take note that the sawdust should have been made from sanding, not from cutting wood.

Step 2 - Dilute The Paint

First you will need to dilute the paint that you are going to use to dye the saw dust. The amount of paint that you water down will determine how much flock you will make.

You will discharge the entire 118 mL tube of green paint into the container and then fill the container 3cm (about 1 1/4 inches) full of water.

WARNING: If you water down the paint too much your flock will be brown.

This is the common mistake which will end up with ugly stuff and waste. Even though it started out a nice green it will end up an ugly brown, which was useful only to be used as dirt and not grass. But we are going to create a grassland so better careful.

Mix the water and paint with a stirring stick. You can use any typical stirring sticks that you get from the paint stores, but you can really use anything that you don’t care getting stained with green paint.

(Important Note: The colour of your flock will be slightly browner than the green paint that you mix, so choose a colour paint that is slightly brighter than your desired modeling flock colour.)

Step 3 - Add the Sawdust

The next procedure is to add the sawdust on the paint. First add a small amount just to turn the watered down paint mixture into a compact sludge. Then continue adding more and more sawdust until it is mixed in well with the paint.

The easiest way to tell when to stop adding sawdust is when you add a bit more and it is very hard to mix in (i.e. it is hard to get rid of the brown sawdust). This is the point where you should stop.

Warning: If you stop sooner your flock will not be fine enough.

However, don’t expect your flock to be as fine as the Games Workshop version at this point for they already perfected the mixing of the paint and the sawdust. That will come sooner or later.

Once you have finished mixing the flock you are ready to move to next step.

Step 4 - Spread Out Your Modeling Flock to Dry

You will now need to spread out the modeling flock to dry. You can use two cookie sheets to dry out the amount of flock made with your desired proportions.

In spreading out the damp modeling flock it should be evenly as possible, then put it in a cool dry place and not be hit by strong winds for 24-48 hours. Make sure it is completely dry before proceeding to the next step, or else you will not get the same quality results as what Games Workshop produces.

Step 5 - Screen the Modeling Flock To Make It Finer

A fine strainer with a small openings you will have in doing the last step and that is to screen the modeling flock through it. There may be bunches that are just too hard deal with. You should really work if this happen until you cannot screen a dust from it. This will not be garbage cause it can be use as a mossy rock on another models.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Hamara NREGA, Rahul reminds Manmohan

NEW DELHI: Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, accompanied by other ‘young MPs’ of the party, met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to press for better implementation of the UPA government’s flagship development programme, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA).

The move by the Congress to seek greater Central monitoring of the scheme comes in the wake of Opposition-ruled states taking the credit for the success of the scheme where it is working and the Congress having to take the flak for the drawbacks.

Mr Gandhi, who has used the NREGA to signal his concern for the ‘aam aadmi’ even earlier, and the young MP who met the PM asked that the scheme should be made to reach the poor, for whom it is meant. Their concern was articulated a day before the budget and soon after Congress President Sonia Gandhi herself noted that “some reports suggest that NREGA has not been systematically implemented across states”.

Writing in the January issue of the Congress mouthpiece, Sandesh, Ms Gandhi had said: “This (problems with implementation) must change if social development measures are not to remain only on paper. Here our party cadre must come forward and work with NGOs involved in the sector to weed out corruption and mismanagement”.

The matter has been discussed in top-level meeting of the party as well. Ms Gandhi’s mention of the ‘reports’ could indicate a CAG draft document on performance of NREGA in 2005, which had found the scheme failing to meet its target of providing 100 days of employment per household.

The party, which is banking on NREGA to serve as the showpiece of its pro-poor thrust in the upcoming elections, is therefore working on strategies to dispel the impression that the scheme is not working.

A Congress statement said that the party’s genext leaders met the PM to suggest measures to improve efficiency and impact of the scheme where possible. They asked for a social auditing mechanism to check if those for whom the scheme was meant were getting benefiting. They also asked for the mechanism to be institutionalised all across India.

The Congress added that the group told the PM that as the Centre was spending a lot of money on the scheme it should specifically monitor grass-root spending by the state and seek formats by which such monitoring could be made possible.

However, asked whether the Congress was in favour of making amendments to the NREGA to have it implemented by the Centre fully, party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said that already the ‘entire contour of the scheme was central’.

Mr Gandhi’s group also asked for progressive national implementation of the scheme, creation of IT infrastructure so that the ‘nitty gritty’ and ‘facts’ of the scheme were available at the press of a button.

The Congress has also singled out Andhra Pradesh, where it is in power, for mention while talking of states that have performed well on this count.

Mr Gandhi was accompanied by MPs such as Tushar Amar Singh Choudhary, Milind Deora, Sandeep Dikshit, Deepinder Hooda, Jitin Prasada, Pallam Raju, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Devrat Singh, Tejaswini Ramesh, and Balashowry Vallabhaneni.

N-power: French envoy meets Basu

KOLKATA: With the Left still stubborn about its stand against the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, France has started lobbying hard with the defiant Left, trying to use the deadlock to its advantage.

Days after external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee called on CPM patriarch Jyoti Basu, Jerome Bonnafont, French ambassador to India, followed suit. He paid a visit to Basu's Salt Lake residence on Thursday with the proposal for a strategic partnership between India and France on several areas, including civil nuclear energy.

Though Bonnafont called it a "courtesy call", his visit on Thursday left political circles abuzz with speculation that the French diplomat had come to Kolkata to sound Basu out on the deal that will have no strings attached to it like the US Hyde Act that the Left have been swearing at.

In fact, French companies had evinced interest in setting up a nuclear power plant near the Sagar island when Basu was the chief minister. But the proposal had to be shelved due to stiff opposition from the CPM state secretariat.

"France is looking for a strategic partnership with India in key areas, including civil nuclear energy," Bonnafont said earlier in the day, on the sidelines of an Indian Chambers of Commerce gathering in the city. "The two countries will have a level playing ground with a little extra for India," he added.

Bonnafont also promised to lobby for India during negotiations at the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) meeting after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) talks are over.

The French diplomat also named companies such as Electicite de France and Areva SA, which have a worldwide presence in the nuclear power sector and are keen on setting up plants in India. He also assured of technology transfer to India.

The CPM patriarch though reserved his comment on the proposal. Even party mandarins at Alimuddin Street remained tight-lipped on the nuclear deal, whether with the US or France.

"It goes without saying that the Hyde Act won't have any implication on a deal with France. Nevertheless, the kind of waiver India gets from the NSG will largely depend on the role of the US.

"Anyway, this issue is not relevant now because it is under discussion at the IAEA. We can respond only after the government reports the outcome of the IAEA talks to the Left-UPA coordination committee set up on the proposed Indo-US nuclear deal," said CPM central committee member Nilotpal Basu.

Cops, Todis face the heat

- Rizwanur killed himself: CBI

Calcutta, Feb. 28: The CBI has indicted the erstwhile top brass of Calcutta police for what it termed as Rizwanur Rahman’s suicide, “abetted” by the Todis, in its report to Calcutta High Court.

“The report states that there was abetment to commit suicide and that criminal proceedings should be initiated against the persons responsible for this,” Justice Dipankar Dutta said, revealing a part of it on a day former police commissioner Prasun Mukherjee was due for promotion.

Prasun, since shunted out to telecom, was asked by the court today to file an affidavit explaining his public statement that the police had done their duty by interfering in Rizwanur’s marriage with Priyanka Todi. This statement had caused outrage at the role of the official machinery and blown up the death of the graphic designer into a public issue.

The CBI has held deputy commissioner Ajoy Kumar, assistant commissioner Sukanti Chakraborty and sub-inspector Krishnendu Das guilty of abetting suicide along with Rizwanur’s father-in-law Ashok Todi, his brother Pradip and relative Anil Saraogi and an associate of the Rahman family, Pappu.

Pappu’s role in trying to separate Rizwanur and Priyanka in exchange for money was exposed by The Telegraph. The Todis, who own the Rs 200-crore Lux Hosiery Industries, were against the marriage.

The CBI has sought the court’s permission to start criminal proceedings against all of them under Sections 306 (abetment to commit suicide), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 120B (conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and to file chargesheets. The maximum punishment that can be awarded is a life term under 120B.

If the court gives the go-ahead, all the suspects charged under Sections 306 and 120B would have to be arrested as soon as the case is registered because these are cognizable offences.

The Todis’ lawyer, D.N. Mitra, said: “Unless the court takes a decision to act on the report, we cannot say what our next step will be. We will wait for the court to decide on March 12.”

Permission to file the chargesheet is likely to be granted, with Justice Dutta saying: “A prima facie case has been made out for proceeding further against some of the applicants.”

The CBI report has also recommended departmental proceedings against Prasun, who today completed the stipulated years to be eligible for promotion to the rank of director-general. He is an additional director-general at present. A meeting to discuss his elevation ended inconclusively.

“Serious” departmental measures have been recommended against deputy commissioner Gyanwant Singh, officer-in-charge of Karaya police station Swapan Mitra and two sub-inspectors of the same police station, Jayanta Mukherjee and Pulak Dutta.

Justice Dutta directed the state government to file an affidavit by March 12 — when a detailed hearing is scheduled — stating what steps it would take against these officers, and another listing the action it had taken when the Rahmans complained at Karaya police station that senior police officials were illegally interfering in Rizwanur and Priyanka’s marriage.

Home secretary Prasad Ranjan Ray said the government was awaiting the court order and would have to comply with it. But advocate-general Balai Ray said the “question of filing affidavits did not arise”.

“Only a small portion of the report was read out,” Ray said. “We do not know why these charges have been brought against them. That portion of the report has been held back by the judge.”

Rizwanur’s brother Rukbanur, who was present in the court, said: “It is proved that Rizwanur was forced to commit suicide, and not only the Todis, but senior police officials were also responsible for his death.”

But mother Kishwar Jahan said: “I still think he was murdered.”

Rizwanur was found dead on September 21, a month after his marriage.

Eco Survey: Welcome change in focus

The finance ministry’s Economic Survey for 2007-08, tabled in Parliament yesterday, represents a significant and welcome change in focus. In recent years, as the number of government economic reports coming out in the weeks and months before the Survey has increased, its utility has diminished as a source of data and as the ministry’s assessment of the state of the economy. The ministry itself publishes a Mid-year Review in time for the winter session of Parliament in December, while the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council publishes a review in January.

So, what more can anyone get in the extra month? A change of focus therefore would do quite nicely and that has happened with the addition of a full chapter entitled “Challenges, Policy Response and Medium-term Prospects”. This is essentially an expansion of the “Issues and Priorities” section that used to conclude the opening chapter and reflected the ministry’s wish-list for policy reforms. However, the new chapter provides an analytical foundation for the issues that it addresses, which makes it more cogent and persuasive than a mere listing. The analysis of inflection points in India’s growth path provides a useful backdrop for the challenges to sustaining the growth rate that the chapter goes on to discuss.

The importance of clusters of reform in accelerating growth at key turning points is highlighted and this leads to a number of specific recommendations with respect to reforms in urban and rural infrastructure, the delivery of social services by both the Centre and the states and the future agenda for financial sector reforms. Many of these do not have direct budgetary implications, but this new emphasis in the Survey does give the impression that the Budget is being formulated in the context of a long-term view of the links between reforms and sustainable growth.

That is re-assuring, and a luxury that the finance minister can afford, now that the short-term outlook is relatively comfortable. In Chapter 1, which addresses the state of the economy, the picture that emerges is one of both acceleration and stability, even as previously dormant threats are beginning to re-emerge. A very strong positive development during this high growth phase is the substantial increase in both savings and investment. Growth has clearly moved from a one-horse (consumption) process to a far more powerful twin-engine (consumption and investment) one.

On the negative side, inflation in food prices has been causing problems for some time now and, if global trends are anything to go by, these problems could well intensify in the near future. The somewhat unconvincing reference to a “second green revolution” to significantly raise agricultural productivity does not offer any mitigation to an immediate threat. Notwithstanding this, the Survey is relatively confident that “close monitoring and appropriate interventions” will be adequate to keep the pressure under check; the coming months will show whether this confidence is justified.

The Survey points out, rather bravely, that the increased expenditure on social programmes does not find sufficient reflection in any changes in human development indicators. It also points to increased unemployment levels (up from 6.06 per cent in 1993-04 to 8.28 per cent in 2004-05) despite rapid growth, but fails to square the sustained drop in per capita cereal and pulses availability with trends in poverty and hunger — these latter suggest an improving position. There are real issues in all this that need to be debated fully.

CARS small cars

People Sounds

hese are people sounds - we're an incredibly noisy species!

Remember, all sound clips are copyrighted to Doug Von Gausig, 1997. Non-commercial use is granted freely, but commercial use is expressly forbidden without prior written consent.

Let's say you're out recording birds and you are suddenly amidst a herd of horses, and let's say these horses follow you to the car, then they stick their heads into the car! Becky's the one who's losing control - I'm the one who remains calm and collected. (113K)

Here's what the humans do one day each year, believe it or not: They all go out in the dark and they set the sky on fire, make as much noise as possible, and then they all yell and whoop and holler. Strange ritual! I hope you have a sub-woofer on your system for this one. Either way, better turn down the volume the first time you play it! (251 K, I couldn't get it smaller and retain the flavor!)

Miscellaneous Sounds

Remember, all sound clips are copyrighted to Doug Von Gausig and Naturesongs.com, 1997 to 2000. Non-commercial use is usually granted freely, but must be in writing from Naturesongs.com. See our licensing page for commercial and other uses.

These thunderclaps are from a storm in Central Arizona, July, 1997. Thunderclap 1 (32 seconds, 340K) Thunderclap 2 (7 seconds, 77K) Thunderclap 3 (5 seconds, 108K)

The sound of rain is requested a lot - it's a nice, relaxing sound, so here you go - real Arizona rain (a rarity!) (266K)

Here is a rainstorm I mixed just for fun - the sounds are all real, I just added the thunder to the rain - it's 2:35 long, so I could only post it as an MP3. (233K)

I often get requests for water sounds - so here's a good one. This is 15 seconds of the Verde River of central Arizona, recorded 6/97. (161K)

Here is a short sample of surf - this was receorded at Bird Rock Beach, La Jolla, California. (MP3, 310K, 1:03)

I recorded these Shotgun shots while my son, Douglas, and I were target shooting. (124K) These shots are from a .22 rifle (includes ricochet sounds). (129K)

Here's one of the big diesel V-8 irrigation pumps they use to pump ground water to crops in Arizona - sounds kind of like a WWI airplane. (130K)

These are recordings of Elaine, Becky's and my 1999 Mazda Miata: Starting Up Revving the Engine Driving Away Driving By Horn Honks Door Closing

Here is the bane of all nature recordists - an airplane. In this case, a Beechcraft Bonanza V-Tail Piper Seminole on climbout. (MP3, 235K, 59 sec.) (MP3, 1:03, 351K). Aircraft noise is an accepted fact of everyday life in this world - it pervades all natural soundscapes and destroys our natural quiet. When will we do something about this? Here's a

How about a little steam train? This is the Durango-Silverton narrow-gauge steam locomotive Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad website. (537K, MP3) as it passes Hermosa Meadows, Colorado - a fun recording! To learn more about this wonderful train trip, see the

These two Cobra Helicopters flew right over the house at low altitude, 6/9/03. They were picked up by my River Forks CVX mic outside the office, recorded direct to hard drive through the sound card. Note that the birds just keep singing through all the commotion! (MP3, 1min 15 sec, 292K)

Insect Sounds

Here are some insect sounds. Many of these I will have classified by family only, since I have not been able to find each of them so they can be classified. If you know what one is, or if you feel I've mis-classified one, please let me know. All are Windows wav files, and all have been edited for file size and clarity. More exacting sound collectors may contact me for larger, unedited versions of these sounds. Costa Rican Insect sounds are on the Costa Rica page, below.

Remember, all sound clips are copyrighted to Doug Von Gausig, 1997-2007. Non-commercial use is granted freely, but commercial use is expressly forbidden without prior written consent.

A Field Cricket (Gryllus pennsylvanicus) sings to me from my compost pile - he loves it in there! Examination of the wave or spectrum reveals that each chirp is actually three sound pulses! (78K)

An Acridid Grasshopper keeps me company while I sit observing at Tavasci Marsh in the early morning. This guy was a small "short-horned" grasshopper, which are characterized by their short antennae and severely sloping "foreheads". He was about 3/4 inch long. (125K)

Pallid-winged Grasshoppers (Trimerotropis pallidipennis) are common Summer Grasshoppers around Arizona (and almost everywhere else). They're the small, brown and tan mottled grassshopper you probably used as bluegill bait when you were a child (didn't everyone?). This is the sound of their flight - it will be familiar to you, for sure! (105K)

A beautiful Red-winged Grasshopper (Arphia pseudonietana) with bright red wings, edged in black, flies up near Tavasci Marsh, 10/21/97. He clicks loudly like this as he flies - sometimes for 10-15 seconds at a time. Dr. William L. Pratt, Curator of Invertebrates at the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Natural History, University of Nevada, Las Vegas kindly helped me ID this one. (40K)

This Cicada (fam. Cicadidae) sings continually from the branches of a Mesquite tree near Peck's Lake, Clarkdale, Arizona in the early evening. The sound is so loud that it easily overloads my mics at anything closer than 4 feet. This particular one is about 1" long, small for Cicadas. (82K)

This is a sample of the night insects at Peck's Lake. There are 5 distinct species singing in this sample - see if you can pick out all of them (it's easier when you see the spectral view of the file). I think there are two species of Tree Cricket (Oecanthus sp.) and a Field Cricket (Gryllus sp.) along with others (Katydids?). (107K)

Tree Crickets (Oecanthus spp.) are a common sound around Central Arizona - they sing day and night, but they're very hard to find. They inhabit thickets and trees an are green, inconspicuous insects about 3/4 inch (19mm) long. This sample has two insects - the first was recorded one August evening at 80° F plus, and the second was recorded November 4th at 68° F. Maybe they are two species, maybe it's just the time of year or temperature. If you know, fill me in! (70K)

Here's one for the entomological detectives out there! This sound emanates from Becky's baseboard when you disturb the carpet right where it joins the baseboard. It's quite faint (this sample is miked very closely and amplified) and sounds like a cricket who can't quite sing. He is there night and day, and has been ther over a week. We noticed when we recorded this sample that there are two of them - you'll hear that, too. Whassat? (142K)

One of the dominant sounds of Arizona Summers is the chorus of Cicadas which you hear everywhere. These were recorded in the Junipers between Flagstaff and Grand Canyon, and are mostly a miniature species, just .75" (19mm) long. Note that some are singing and some are just ckicking. The spectrogram (61K) reveals that they emit their sounds over a very broad band (3,000 to 11,000 Hz) and at high volume all along that spectrum. This no doubt accounts for the almost painful nature of their trilling. Very high frequencies coupled with very high volume leaves my ears ringing! (wav file 62K)

Occasionally a whole tree will sound like a popcorn popper when these little Cicadas decide to click together, but nobody wants to sing.(48K)

More Cicadas - this time the large variety which sings from Cottonwoods and other deciduous trees in the late Summer. I don't know the species (if you do, please let me know!), but this guy is large (1.5 inches long or so, without the wings), and is brown and black with clear wings which have green veination. (62K)

A cloud of Phantom Midges (fam. Chaoboridae) hovers overhead at Peck's Lake, Clarkdale, Arizona. Midges often form swarms so large and thick that they appear to be a fog or an apparition (hence the name) at a distance. I have a photo of Notre Dame Cathedral in which you can clearly see two columns of midges swarming above the trees. (35K)

The buzz of Honeybees (Apis mellifera) means Summer to me - this recording was made in the Buenos Aires Wildlife Refuge one Spring day. The bees were gathering nectar and pollen in a field of fiddleneck. In the background you'll hear a Northern Cardinal and a Gila Woodpecker.(MP3, 44 sec., 261k)

Bumblebees (Bombus sp.) buzz a little lower - again it's a great sound. This one is feeding at sunflowers around Tavasci Marsh. The spectral analysis indicates a wingbeat of 101-108 bps. (49K)

A Yellowjacket (Vespula sp.) is very interested in my parabolic reflector. Maybe the smell of the plastic attracts him, maybe the dish reflects strongly in some wavelength he likes. Analysis of his hum idicates that he beats his wings at 200 bps! The spectrogram shows 400 pulses per second, but there seem to be "major" pulses and alternate "minor" pulses, so I suppose one major/minor pair is one complete cycle - can anyone help me on this? (35K)

Green June Beetles (Junebugs) (Cotinus nitida) appear in August and September here in Central Arizona - in time to feed on ripening peaches and apricots! This one flew right in and landed onthe mic, then proceeded up the mic to my hand, then onto my arm - all while I was trying to stay very still, recording birds at Tavasci Marsh. His wingbeat measures 72 BPS by spectral analysis. (35K)

Other Animal Sounds

hese are sounds of animals which aren't people, birds, or insects.

Remember, all sound clips are copyrighted to Doug Von Gausig, 1997. Non-commercial use is granted freely, but commercial use is expressly forbidden without prior written consent.

Bullfrog
Pacific Chorus Frog
Boreal Chorus Frog
Pacific Tree Frog
Woodhouse's Toad
Sonoran Bullsnake
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

Mexican Free-tailed Bat
Orca ("Killer Whale")
California Sea Lion
Collared Peccary (Javelina)
Coyote
Gray-collared Chipmunk
Pika

Striped Skunk
Harris's Antelope Squirrel
Rock Squirrel
Gunnison's Prairie Dog
Beaver
Mystery Rodent
Domestic Cattle

A Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) parties down at Peck's Lake. During his first and fourth calls you'll hear a Woodhouse's Toad.(58K)

Hear the Bullfrog Chorus! - that's right, a collection of 25 different Bullfrogs recorded in one 20 minute stretch at Tavasci Marsh (see the Bird Sounds Page)! This started out as an 8Mb file spanning 15 minutes of samples, which I trimmed down to just one croak from each different frog, then downsampled to 8000 samples/sec, then reduced resolution to 8 bit, leaving us with a 146K file! Remember, you heard it here first!

A Pacific Chorus Frog (Hyla pseudacris) calls from the edge of a stream on Carmel Valley Road, east of Carmel, California, 3/25/99. (34K)

These Boreal Chorus Frogs (Pseudacris triseriata maculata) were singing their chorus in a ditch on a cold May morning near Gunnison, Colorado. (7 sec., 150K)

Here is a Pacific Treefrog (Hyla regilla) recorded at the Elkhorn Slough near Moss Landing, Central California, 3/99. (85K) This second example is from Andrew Molero State Park, near Big Sur, 3/23/99. (128K)

These Woodhouse's Toads (Bufo woodhousei) sing a lovely serenade every warm evening at Peck's Lake, Clarkdale, Arizona. (100K)

Here is a sound that very closely resembles the rattler's rattle - and it's meant to! This is a sound made by the Bullsnake, or Sonoran Gopher Snake (Pituophis catenifer/melanoleucus affinus) when disturbed. The sound is made by a vigorous exhalation, followed by inhalation. He also shakes his tail at the same time, which can enhance the illusion that you are dealing with a rattlesnake. (16.8 sec, 83K, MP3) Here's a photo of him making this sound (JPEG, 200K).

Another mandatory sound from Arizona is the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) (253K). This one was at the East edge of Tavasci Marsh, and was about 4 feet (1.2 meters) long, and 3½ inches (90mm) in diameter - a big guy! His warning was in plenty of time, and well-meaning. Rattlesnakes are an important part of the ecosystem, as they keep mouse and rat populations in check. They are almost never aggressive, and would rather escape than do any harm to a human.

Mexican Free-tailed Bats are summer residents of central Arizona. They roost in very large colonies, sometimes numbering over a million! This is the species that also inhabits New Mexico's Carlsbad Caverns. While they roost, especially close to supper time, they talk amongst themselves. This is what we hear when they're just discussing the night's foraging strategy. (170K) I noticed in the spectrogram of this file (click here to see it) that their vocalizations at roost are in bands - the lower frequencies occupy the 500Hz to 3000 Hz range and the higher-range vocalizing is in the 6000Hz to 20,000 Hz (the upper limit of my mic's sensitivity) range. There is a "gap" between 3000 Hz and 6000 Hz where there is virtually no sound. I'm unsure what causes this phenomenon, but I'm researching it. It could be that they use two diffferent mechanisms to produce the "low-range" and "high-range" sounds. I took the high-range sounds and digitally lowered the pitch by half, and here is what resulted (153K) - interesting! Here is an MP3 in which I slowed the same sample down to one-third normal speed - in it you can get a better idea of what's going on in all this chatter.

Here is what the echolocation of these same bats sounds like when processed through the Anabat II Bat Detector. Two "feeding buzzes" are heard in the first half of the sample and at about midpoint the single bat is joined by a second. Notice that the bats emit pulses of echolation fairly regularly at about 12-15 pulses per second as they fly and navigate, then they increase the rate to about 150 ppm for a "feeding buzz", which is used to examine prey more accurately. At the same time the pulse rate is increased, the pulse frequency increases, this gives a higher resolution image to the feeding bat (more information about the target is gathered in a shorter time). Here is another sample wherein four, then six bats join the fray - aren't you glad these guys are silent to our ears? (192K)

By far the largest animal I have on these sounds pages is the Orca, or Killer Whale (Orcinus orca). These are the breathing sounds of members of the "L" pod of Orcas in the San Juan Islands. Listen carefully and you will hear first the explosive exhalation followed by the implosive inhalation. We know these are "L" pod whales because Kelly Balcomb-Bartok, of Sound Watch, came by to tell us all about them while we were observing. This was a wonderful example of an educational approach to wildlife conservation. Be sure to visit the Whale Museum in Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, Washington if you're ever up that way. They sponsor Sound Watch and do lots of great work to conserve and study the whales of the San Juans.

Where there are California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus) there is noise! The males love to let everyone know just how they feel about the world at all times! These were recorded at the Santa Cruz, CA pier, where they sit under the boardwalk and play seal chess. Example 1 (116K) Example 2 (150K) (MP3 42 sec 124K)

If you sit in the same place long enough, you never know what will walk right up to you - this has happened to me many times - Otters, Raccoons and now Javelina (aka Collared Peccaries)(Dicotyles or Tayassu tajacu) have walked up and been very surprised to find themselves almost in my lap! The Javelina, for those of you who don't live in the Southwestern US, are a pig-like mammal of the Peccary family (Tayassuidae). They're about 18" tall, and covered with dark brown and gray bristles. They are not really dangerous to humans normally (unless they're protecting young, or you've cornered one), but they do a great imitation of a threatening animal! This pair looked up when they saw me, raised their hackles, took a couple of deep breaths to smell what I was, then she took off and the boar (I think) came charging past me, huffing and barking. You'll hear all this on the sample. (207K) On October 3rd, 2002, a herd of a dozen or so visited my bird feeders (they love to snuffle up all the seed on the ground) and stayed for an hour and a half. In the group were two females with two young each. This recording is a compilation of their sounds that night. Most of the deep gutteral sounds are the mothers warning others not to get too close to the babies. The second half of the recording is a shoat who had temporarily misplaced his mom, and was calling out to her. (MP3, 35.5 sec, 278K)

OK, I'm in Arizona so I have to give you a Coyote (Canis latrans) or two! The first is the typical Coyote's moonlight howl, recorded in Sedona, Arizona one moon-y evening, and the second is what they do while chasing game down. The point of all the racket is to confuse and panic the prey by making it seem like there are a hundred Coyotes after you. In reality this is probably only two animals! (229K) Here's a much longer MP3 file for those of you who have a decoder (if you don't have one, visit my North American Birds page to download a free one. (53 seconds, 155K)

In the fall, the Striped Skunks (Mephites mephites) gather outside our dining room every night to forage on the left over birdseed. There are about a dozen that visit each night - very interesting guys! Did you know that no two have the same pattern on their backs and tails? Write to me if you'd like pictures of some of our "clan". Anyway, here is the sound they occasionally make when one invades another's space - a brief tussle ensues, but nothing serious. (176K, WAV, 4 sec.)

This is a Chipmunk, probably the Gray-collared Chipmunk (Eutamius cinereicollis), recorded 2/28/99 on top of Mingus Mountain, Central Arizona. (46K).

Pikas are wonderful little lagomorphs (related to hares and rabbits) That inhabit the high rocky talus slopes in the western US. They love to warn all the other Pikas and Marmots in the area, using this loud squeak. (273K)

Harris's Antelope Squirrels are cute little desert dwellers - they look a lot like a long chipmunk, with stripes down their backs. They sing this trill over and over in the springtime. This one was recorded in the Gila Box Nat'l Riparian Conservation area, near Safford, Arizona. (118K) In this recording a young Antelope Squirrel seems to be practicing his song as he goes about his daily foraging. The song is unusual with its trailing chirps, which sometimes went on for a minute or more. Recorded 6/27/02 at my house in Clarkdale, AZ. (152K MP3)

Rock Squirrels (Spermophilus variegatus) sing from Spring to Mid-Summer around the rocky slopes of Central Arizona. This one was in the mountains behind Jerome, Arizona, 8/15/99. (117K)

Gunnison's Prairie Dogs (288K) (Cynomys gunnisoni) are the subjects of a long-term study of animal communication by Dr. Con Slobodchikoff at Northern Arizona University. His study indicates that Prairie Dogs have distinctly different calls for specific predators in their territory. The call at the beginning of this paragraph is one they use when the see a domestic dog. When the threat is a human, they use this call (254K), and when it is a hawk, this is the call (232K) they use. To learn more about Dr. Slobodchikoff and his studies, visit his NAU web page at http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~cns3/. To learn more about Gunnison's and other Prairie Dogs, visit the University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web page for this species.

The largest rodent in the US is the Beaver (Castor canadensis,). I find them endlessly fascinating - they are marvelous engineers, creating new wetlands and maintaining older ones (it's self-serving, of course, but it works for me). In the springtime at Peck's lake they like to eat the stems of the water lilies, right where the stem and the leaf join. Here is what they sound like as the crunch these delicacies! (132 K) When they are startled or sense danger, they let all the other beavers (and everyone else within earshot) know about it by slapping their tails on the water's surface and diving - this is what it sounds like (these are two different instances). (84K)

I recorded this sound near Rosario in the San Juan Islands of Washington state, 8/20/97 - it is probably one of the "Chickaree" Squirrels - Tamiascius spp. - thanks to Steve Summers of Cedar City, UT for ID help! (62K)

When that Charolais Bull in the field where you're recording thinks you're a little too close - he lets you know (and I pay attention)! (117K)

Here's a barnyard favorite for your kids! This calf is calling to its Mom in Grano de Oro, Costa Rica. (117K)

The Sights and Sounds of Costa Rica

Travels in Costa Rica

Bird Sounds | Amphibian & Reptile Sounds | Insect Sounds | Mammal Sounds | Other Sounds & Humans | Trip Reports | Bottom of Page | Search Naturesongs' Pages

All content, including text, sounds and graphics is copyrighted to Naturesongs and Doug Von Gausig, 1998-2001. Any unauthorized use is prohibited. Educational and non-commercial license is usually granted without charge, but must be in writing from Naturesongs. For information on other uses and licensing of sounds and files on these pages see our Licensing Page. All illustrations are copyright 1999 to Dana Gardner, who illustrated Gary Stiles and Alexander Skutch's "A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica", and many other books. Visit his web site for more information, or visit our on-line store to purchase his art work and note cards.

QUICK JUMPS TO BIRD ORDERS

TINAMIFORMES (Tinamous)
GAVIIFORMES (Loons)
CICONIIFORMES (Waders/Vultures)
ANSERIFORMES (Ducks/Geese)
FALCONIFORMES (Raptors)
GALLIFORMES (Fowl)

GRUIFORMES (Rails, etc.)
CHARADRIIFORMES (Gulls, Sanpipers, Jacanas)
COLUMBIFORMES (Doves/Pigeons)
PSITTACIFORMES (Parrots and Parakeets)
CUCULIFORMES (Cuckoos)
STRIGIFORMES (Owls)
CAPRIMULGIFORMES (Nightjars)

APODIFORMES (Hummers/Swifts)
TROGONIFORMES (Trogons)
CORACIIFORMES (Kingfishers)
PICIFORMES (Woodpeckers)
PASSERIFORMES (Perchers)
MYSTERY SOUNDS (Can you help?)

Tinamiformes - Tinamous

The Great Tinamou (Tinamus major) is the most ancient of birds in Costa Rica. Its call is ancient-sounding, simple, quavering, primieval. In this sample one calls in the distance at La Selva, then is answered by another right at our feet! (41K)

Little Tinamous (Crypturellus soui) are more often heard than seen - a great jungle sound! (223K) (MP3, 22.5 sec., 66K)

Ciconiiformes - Waders and Vultures

Cattle Egrets (Bubulcus ibis) are common residents of the country, though I seldom hear them call. This one was recorded in flight in Grano de Oro, in the Talamancas, 11/98. (60K)

Green Heron (Butorides virescens) This is just a sample to compare to North American birds. I found a little marshy area 10 miles north of Quepos that was absolutely full of Green Herons and Northern Jacanas. (22K)

Little Blue Herons (Egretta caerulea) Not a great recording, but all I got - the herons are the gagging sounds. This recording was made in June, when the adults have by and large left to breed in the north, so you see almost exclusively juvenile Little Blues. (36K)

Anseriformes - Ducks & Geese

Black-bellied Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis) short sample (65K) a longer sample (166K). These ducks were very common around Manuel Antonio and the Pacific coast.

Muscovy Ducks (Cairina moschata) are seldom heard at all! These were flying into that marsh 10 Mi. north of Quepos. (69K)

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Falconiformes - Raptors

Black-chested or Barred Hawks (either name is OK) (Leucopternis princeps) are common around Guayabo National Park, which is where these soaring hawks were recorded, 6/99. (262K) Here's an example of a single bird, sitting in a tree and calling. (148K)

Gray Hawks (Asturina nitida) sound like a typical buteo, with which they were, until very recently, classified. This one was recorded near La Selva, 11/98. (15K)

Common Black Hawk (Buteogallus anthracinus) This poor soul was being harrassed on the beach at Manuel Antonio by Blue-gray Tanagers. (143k)

Collared Forest Falcons (Micrastur semitorquatus) are widely-distributed large hawks, mostly found in the lowlands. This one was recorded at La Selva, 11/98. (158K)

Laughing Falcon (Herpetotheres cachinnans) - short version (161K), demonstrating the transitions. The entire "song" - 53 seconds, 414K(MP3, 53 sec, 105K). Laughing Falcon songs sometimes last a few minutes - they start softly and slowly, building to a crescendo in pitch and volume - a magical sound. These were recorded in the forest at Manuel Antonio. In this sample, one sits above the sendero going into the hills west of El Pizote, near Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, 6/21/99, and laughs! Don't miss this recording! (344K) Here is a regular call, often heard in duet with another. (286K) Illustration by Dana Garder

This Bat Falcon (Falco rufigularis) was recorded as he flew high overhead near Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, in the SE corner of the country. He was difficult to ID, as he was "skylighted", but Jason Sutter, who is very familiar with them through his work at Tikal, confirmed my ID. (244K)

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Galliformes - Quail, Pheasants, Grouse, etc.

A Gray-headed Chacalaca (Ortalis cinereiceps) family perched in the tall brush at the No. end of Lake Arenal. Both parents and three youngsters were there. We saw the same (or an identical) family in the same location three days earlier. (68K)

This is the rattling alarm call (and most commonly-heard sound) of a Black Guan (Chamaepetes unicolor), as he escapes from our path in the Monteverde Preserve, 6/16/99. (82K)

This Spot-bellied Bobwhite (Colinus leucopogon) was recorded in a vacant field across from the Hampton Inn parlking lot in Alahuela, 6/17/99. (114K) This species is sometimes lumped with Colinus cristatus. He was sitting in the top of a small shrub right in the middle of the traffic & hubbub of the city!

A covy of Black-breasted Wood-Quail (Odontophorus leucolaemus) call in the distance at Cabinas el Bosque, Monteverde, 6/17/99. (84K) In this recording a single quail calls (146K) - this is a bit unusual, as they are normally call in a chorus.

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Gruiformes - Rails, Coots, Cranes, etc.

A White-throated Crake (Laterallus albigularis) calls from a meadow/marshy area on a road leading across the river out of downtown Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui into a marshy area and farmlands, 6/19/99. They can surprise you with this call, right at your feet, when you surprise them! (132K) Here is their clucking call, recorded in a small slough near Grano de Oro, 6/24/99. (138K)

Just about my favorite sound in Costa Rica is the "song" of the Gray-necked Wood-Rail (Aramides cajanea) . In this recording a flock of forages in the forest near the El Pizote lodge, near Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, 6/23/99. They were heard every day there, morning and evening. Locals said they are good to eat ("like chicken"). It was unclear how many birds were calling in this sample. (204K) Illustration by Dana Gardner

Purple Gallinule(Porphyrula martinica) - with lots of frogs! This ws recorded in the marshy area 10 mi. North of Quepos. (106K) Here is a bit more vocalization, recorded in a small marsh on a road leading out of Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui, 6/19/99. (116K)

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Charadriiformes - Gulls, Sandpipers, Jacanas, etc.

Northern Jacana (Jacana spinosa)(115K) Here's a Second Sample - Breeding Display (250K) For the Jacanaphile only! This 24-second sample of Jacana talk is quite nice, but may take a few minutes to download (512K) Another Jacanaphile sample This one's a threesome, 21 seconds (319K). All of these recordings were made in the marsh 10 miles north of Quepos, where the Jacana breeding season was in full swing. These guys are very interesting birds, lots of ritual behavior, and lots of vocalization. For a good primer on these fascinating and beautiful birds, take a look at Godfrey Jackson's Jacana pages. Illustration by Dana Gardner

Spotted Sandpipers (Actitis macularia) are the most numerous Sandpipers in Costa Rica, especially inland. They are neotropical migrants. This is a flight call. (42K) This is a call from a foraging bird. (50K)

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Columbiformes - Doves & Pigeons

The Pale-vented Pigeon (Columba cayennensis) calls in the distance at Manuel Antonio, 6/12/98. (36K) Pale-venteds are sometimes hard to tell from Short-billeds - their size is similar and they both have dark bills, and when wet (which is often) they are both predominantly dark pigeons. Their calls are quite different, though. The Pale-billed says "Who are you?" and the Short-billed asks "Who cooks for you?" (Silly mnemonic device: The Short-billed is a "Short order cook")

Scaled Pigeons (Columba speciosa) are beautiful birds, uncommonly so for a pigeon, with a scaled nape and breast, and white-tipped red bill (like a Red-bill's). This one lives near Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui, a few miles from La Selva, 11/13/98. (97K) Here is a slight variation on that theme - recorded at the same location, 6/19/99. (106K)

Red-billed Pigeons (Columba flavirostris) are fairly common residents of the middle elevations, especially in the central part of the country. Visually, they're difficult to tell from the Short-billed and Pale-vented Pigeons, but the song is distinct. (51K)

A Short-billed Pigeons (Columba nigrirostris) call the typical "Who cooks for you?" and "churrs" at El Pizote, near Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, 6/21/99. This is probably the most common and widespread pigeon in Costa Rica. See the entry above for help separating the Short-billed from the Pale-vented Pigeon.

White-winged Doves (Zenaida asiatica) are both permanent residents and neotropical migrants in Costa Rica, mostly along the Pacific lowlands. They are also one of the birds that frequents my yard in central Arizona, so it is a treat to see and hear them down south, too. This is their typical song, recorded near Orotina, 11/98. (183K)

Inca Doves (Columbina inca) are common residents in Costa Rica, where their range has been expanding since the 1930's. In this sample you'll hear their normal song followed by a mating call, sung while displaying by fanning the tail and a wing. (199K)

Ruddy Ground Doves (Columbina talpacoti) are common residents of the country. This one was recorded on the road leading out of Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui into a marshy area and farmlands, 6/19/99. (104K)

A pair of Blue Ground Doves Claravis pretiosa call on the road leading out of Bribri, near Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, 6/22/99. (120K)

A Gray-fronted Dove (Leptotila rufaxilla) calls in the distance at Manuel Antonio, on the Mirador trail, 6/15/98. (126K) Here is another, slightly different example of the call, recorded at El Gavilan lodge, near La Selva, 11/12/98. (59K)

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Psittaciformes - Parrots and Parakeets

A flock of Crimson-fronted Parakeets (Aratinga finschi) call in the forest off the road leading out of Bribri, near Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, 6/22/99. (252K)

Olive-throated Parakeets (Aratinga nana)(166K) This example is two birds sitting high in an Almond tree near Cerro Tortuguero.

Orange-chinned Parakeets (Brotogeris jugularis) A pair chattering in a tree (119K) A flock in flight (83K) This is certainly one of the most common parrots in Costa Rica - I can't think of many places we haven't seen (and heard!) them. Usually they travel in large flocks, and they always, always chatter.

Surely the most impressive parrot (and possibly the most impressive bird in Costa Rica is the Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao). Unfortunately, their breeding is now pretty much restricted to Carara and possibly a few sites in the Carribbean lowlands. These were recorded in Carara Biological Preserve, 11/98. (172K) (MP3, 52K, 17.5 sec.)

A pair of White-crowned Parrots (Pionus senilis) fly over at El Pizote, near Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, 6/22/99. (248K)

White-fronted Parrots (Amazona albifrons)(146K) Another example, a large flock near Arenal. (90K) And Another (78K) The White-fronted Parrot is an Amazon that is fairly common in Costa Rica.

Red-lored Parrot (Amazona autumnalis)(33K) This individual was recorded at Tortuguero, where lots of the locals have made pets of this species.

Mealy Parrots (Amazona farinosa ) enjoy the evening chat session when they come in to roost. Like many flocking birds, they must tell about their day to anyone listening before they bed down for the night. This is one such chat session. (193K) Here one sits in the big tree at El Pizote, near Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, 6/22/99, and produces various calls over a several minute session. (320K)

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Cuculiformes - Cuckoos and Anis

A Squirrel Cuckoo (Piaya cayana) calls at the El Pizote, near Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, 6/23/99. (160K). Here is the "song" of the species, recorded at La Selva, 6/19/99. (37K) And this is their rattle, from the El Pizote, near Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, 6/23/99. (50K)

A Striped Cuckoo calls in a tree in a field on the road leading out of Bribri, near Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, 6/22/99.(144K) He went on like this for more than 5 minutes. Here is an example of a more complex "song", recorded in a meadow area on a road leading across the river out of downtown Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui into a marshy area and farmlands, 6/19/99. There were two birds calling and answering, then one flew into a tree quite close and continued calling. (218K)

Groove-billed Ani (Crotophaga sulcirostris) - Flying in to a marsh (60K) Their normal flight songs (140K) This sample could also be titled "Why they call them "tijos""A third call (47K) Groove-billed Anis (which are Cuckoo relatives) are common residents of fields and clearings - they like to hang out around marshes, too, which is where I recorded these. Cattle are their best friends, as they like to eat the insects the cattle stir up. They always want to announce their arrival by calling their "Tijo, Tijo" call. Here is one talking to some others in a field nera Las Horquetas. (83K) Here is an example of a Groove-billed Ani recorded above Grano de Oro in the Talamancas, 6/24/99, illustrating the call notes leading to the "song". (120K) This unusual vocalization (82K) was made by a single bird in Monteverde - Jim Zook, an accomplished ear-birder in Costa Rica says that he has also heard this call from the species.

Strigiformes - Owls

A Spectacled Owl (Pulsatrix perspicillata) scolds me, as I am unexpectedly close to her child (I learn later) in the river bottom at El Gavilan, near Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui, 6/20/99. (138K)

A Mottled Owl (Ciccaba virgata) calls outside our cabin at about 4 AM, 6/17/99, Monteverde. (242K)

A Black and White Owl (Ciccaba nigrolineata) sits high in a tree at El Pizote, near Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, 6/22/99. (66K)

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Caprimulgiformes - Nightjars

A Common Pauraque (Nyctidromus albicollis) calls in the early evening at the "El Pizote" in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, 6/22/99, 5:40 PM. I had seen this guy earlier that morning, as I walked near his ground roost in a derelict cacao plantation. He apparently never strayed far from that spot, as these recordings were made 12 hours later only a few meters from where I had spotted him. (274K)

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Trogoniformes - Trogons

In this recording a female Violacious Trogon (Trogon violaceus), sits still in a tree (except when she calls, she flicks her tail and spreads it momentarily)in the lowlands 9 KM above Rancho Grande, down the Mt. from Monteverde and talks to herself, 6/17/99. (95K) This the normal "song" of the species, recorded at La Selva, 6/19/99. (80K) Here is a slight variation on that theme, from the El Pizote, near Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, 6/23/99. (130K)

A Slaty-tailed Trogon (Trogon massena) calls in the forest at La Selva, 6/19/99. (96K)

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Apodiformes - Hummingbirds and Swifts

Chestnut-collared Swifts (Streptoprocne rutila)(63K) These were flying high and fast near Fortuna Falls, talking all the time.

A Band-tailed Barbthroat (Threnetes ruckeri) sits high above our heads in a tree and calls for long stretches at Guayabo Nat'l Park, 6/25/99. (188K)

Violet Sabrewing on Lek (Campylopterus hemileucurus)(172K) This sparrow-sized bird is one of the largest Hummers, and one of the most beautiful. This male was recorded on his "Lek". A Lek is a place where males of a species gather to display their wares to the available females in the area. It is usually a small area where several (10 or so in this case) males are within sight and earshot of each other. Leks can be found by listening for continuous calling coming from several birds of the same species. This was recorded in Early June.

Steely-vented Hummingbirds (Amazilia saucerrottei) are one of the most common hummers in Costa Rica. You'll hear this sound in a lot of your travels there. (90K)

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl)(45K) This is a common species around Arenal - this one was recorded at La Fortuna. Here's another example of their trill. (45K) This is the "feeding call" (222K) of a Rufous-tailed Hummingbird at a Heliconia flower at El Gavilan lodge, Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui, 6/18/99.

Long-tailed Hermits (Phaethornis superciliosus) lek, as do Little Hermits, below. This sample is a male on lek in Carara Biological Preserve. The lek was approximately 30x100 meters and held 8-10 males. (133K)

Little Hermit (Phaethornis longuemareus)(138K) Male on lek (see explanation under Violet Sabrewing, above) in Manuel Antonio, 6/15/98. These birds, when on lek, are almost impossible to see. They sit very near the ground in dense understory. I sometimes had to sit for 15 minutes, knowing I was only 3 meters away from them, before I saw one. If you wait long enough, one will fly out and take a look around occasionally.

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Coraciiformes - Kingfishers and Motmots

Blue-crowned Motmot (Momotus momota) (77K) Recorded at Rancho Oropendola near Orotina - this bird repeats this "bark" every 5 seconds or so over and over. Motmots are beautiful birds with long, knob-ended tails, which they swing back and forth side-to-side like a pendulum. The tail feathers emerge without the "knobs", but the barbs abrade off quickly in the area a few cm proximal to the end, leaving a "knob" attached only by the shaft. Here is a duet performed by a pair of Blue-crowned Motmots in the forest near Cabinas el Bosque, Monteverde - morning of 6/16/99. (89K)

Rufous Motmots (Baryphthengus martii) call to each other in the creek bottom the road to the Arenal Lodge, 6/15/99. (96K)

Broad-billed Motmots (Electron platyrhynchum)sound like a shortened train whistle to me. The sound is unmistakable. This one was receorded at La Selva, 11/98. (29K)

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Piciformes - Woodpeckers, Toucans, Jacamars, Barbets, etc.

Rufous-tailed Jacamars (Galbula ruficauda) like to hang out in the gallery forests. This one lives along the Sarapiqui River, at El Gavilan, the lodge where I stay when I'm recording in the La Selva area. They look a bit like a giant hummingbird. (108K) Here is an example of their "song" recorded 1 km from the Arenal Lodge in the creek bottom, 6/15/99. (170K) In this recording, a pair discuss the coming day early in the morning in the river bottom at El Gavilan, near Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui, 6/20/99. (328K)

Prong-billed Barbets Duetting (Semnornis frantzii)(112K) - also a distant recording from Monteverde, but well worth the listen! Here's a better recording of a duet, recorded in the forest at the Monteverde Preserve, 6/16/99. They sure love to duet! (178K)

Emerald Toucanets (Aulacorhynchus prasinus ) are one of the small toucans in Costa Rica. They are beautiful to see, and grating to hear - in fact they sound a bit like a cheese grater! They're quite talkative, and usually let you know when they're around. This pair was recorded at the top of Catarata (Waterfall) La Paz, which you can hear in the background. (134K) Here is a second example of the call - this one recorded near the Cabinas el Bosque, Monteverde, 6/17/99. (98K) A family of 4 Emerald Toucanets ate and conversed within 20 feet of me on the path behind the Cabinas el Bosque, Monteverde, 6/17/99. This is a juvenile chattering (whispering) to it's elder. Flight sounds are also Emerald Toucanet.

A Collared Aracari (Pteroglossus torquatus calls in the forest during a rainstorm in Tortuguero. (101K)

The image of the Keel-billed Toucans (Ramphastos sulfuratus) appears on every curio in Costa Rica. It is a spectacularly beautiful bird, and is very common. Their call is heard everwhere. (103K) Here's an example of a Keel-billed Toucan's "whisper song" recorded at El Pizote, near Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, 6/21/99. (58K)

Chestnut-mandibled Toucans (Ramphastos swainsonii) are one of the two large toucans in Costa Rica. They often coexist with their cousin, the Keel-billed Toucan, but their calls are entirely different. This one was recorded in La Selva, 11/98. (192K)

The Black-cheeked Woodpecker (Melanerpes pucherani) is one of the most widespread and common woodpeckers in Costa Rica. (24K) Compare this woodpecker's call to that of our to our related Gila Woodpecker (145K). Both are from the Melanerpes genus. here is another, "churring" call of this bird. (174K)

A Lineated Woodpecker (Dryocopus lineatus) drums just above his nest about 10 meters up a dead tree, right at the top of the tree, at El Pizote, near Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, 6/21/99. (72K)

Pale-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus guatemalensis)(224K) This male and female were interacting in a tall tree in Manuel Antonio. They seemed to talk to each other incessantly the whole time I observed them. They're a noble-looking woodpecker, with their striking red crest and white bill, much like the now extinct Ivory Bill, with which they share the genus. This is the sound of Pale bills excavating a nest in Carara, 11/98. (96K) Here is an example of their call, recorded at La Selva, 6/19/99. (196K) And this is their characteristic (and diagnostic) "double drum", usually done every 30 seconds or so. This bird was signalling in the river bottom at El Gavilan, near Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui, 6/20/99.

Hoffmann's Woodpecker (Melanerpes hoffmannii)(77K) This recording was made at a marsh 10 miles north of Quepos, on the Pacific coast, while the pair was tending a nest in a dead tree. Here is an example of their protracted call. This is a female calling from a bare tree behind the Cabinas el Bosque, 6/16/99, Monteverde. She called like this for several minutes, sitting in one spot near a Brown Jay in the same tree (was she complaining about the Jay?). (236K)

Smoky-brown Woodpecker (Veniliornis fumigatus)(48K) - a distant recording made in the park at Monteverde.

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Passeriformes - Perching Birds

QUICK JUMPS TO PASSERINE FAMILIES

FURNARIIDAE (Spinetails, Etc.)
DENDROCOLAPTIDAE (Woodcreepers)
THAMNOPHILIDAE (Antbirds)
FORMICARIIDAE (Ant Thrushes & Ant Pittas)
RHINOCRYPTIDAE (Tapaculos)
TYRANNIDAE (Tyrant Flycatchers)
COTINGIDAE (Cotingas, Bellbirds)

PIPRIDAE (Manakins)
VIREONIDAE (Vireos, Greenlets)
CORVIDAE (Jays)
HIRUNDINIDAE (Swallows, Martins)
TROGLODYTIDAE (Wrens)
SYLVIIDAE (Gnatcatchers)
TURDIDAE (Thrushes)
PARULIDAE (Warblers)

COEREBIDAE (Bananaquit)
THRAUPIDAE (Tanagers, Euphonias)
EMBERIZIDAE (Sparrows, Grassquits, etc.)
CARDINALIDAE (Grosbeaks, Saltators)
ICTERIDAE (Blackbirds, Orioles)
FRINGILLIDAE (True Finches)
PASSERIDAE (House Sparrow)

My Contents

Friday, February 29, 2008

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Bird Sounds | Amphibian & Reptile Sounds | Insect Sounds | Mammal Sounds | Other Sounds & Humans | Trip Reports | Bottom of Page | Search Naturesongs' Pages

These I recorded, and have some idea about, but was unable to sight-verify (it's a jungle out there, you know!). Please let me know if you recognize any of these sounds, which are posted with my recording notes.

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