Bell Bird Singing in the Early Morn'

On Wednesday morning, the CCM group was treated to an informative presentation and breathtaking tour of the Bosque Eterno de los Niños, or BEN for short. Before the walking tour we learned about the BEN's history and how a group of Swedish children, concerned about a diminishing rainforest, raised money from thousands of miles away to purchase land here in Monteverde. The protected land has now expanded to 23 hectares and is home to endagered birds and wild large cat populations. Unfortunately, we didn't see any jaguars on our adventure, but the baby monkeys and coati family made up for it. 

The coolest find of the day was definitely the three-waddled bell bird. These birds are native to this part of the world and are known for their fancy mustaches and distinct mating call. Our guide was so skilled at whistling that he could mimic their sound to help locate them in the trees. Though you'll have to travel into the rainforest for the in-person experience, we recommend listening to a recording of their song. The longer the waddles and louder the yodel, the more enticing they are to their mate. 

In addition to the beautiful birds, our guide lured a female tarantula from her nest by mimicking the vibrations of a bug. Because tarantulas are blind and nocturnal, they depend on movement to sense food in the area and are willing to wake from their slumber for a nighttime snack. Surprisingly enough, these arachnids aren't poisonous to humans, but have tiffs with other species like giant wasps who will lay their eggs inside of the spiders and eat them from the inside out. OOF! 

On a lighter, less carniverous note, we spent the afternoon inside watching and learning traditional Folklore dance. The local dancers brought floor-length skirts and silk scarves that sent the room into a tizzy of colors and twirls. This weekend we travel to Rio Celeste for tubing and hopefully some tapir sightings. Stay tuned!