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Figure 3. Four frequent distribution patterns for Costa Rican birds, at a glance;

remember, the asterisk indicates San José, a useful point of reference.

Humid lowlands

(and foothills)

Foothills

Highlands

Dry lowlands

(and foothills)

Figure 4. Groove-billed Ani is not known to occur on the south Pacific slope of Costa Rica, yet the eBird map

(left, accessed 21 October 2021) would suggest it does, and not rarely. However, when reports with documentation

were examined (right), only three photos existed—all very good—and all showed typical Smooth-billed Anis, the

expected species. Hopefully, this map will have been corrected by the time you read this, but such errors are not rare.