14

Abbreviations and Some Terms Explained

We have limited the use of abbreviations and have tried to use widely understood terms for geography,

habitat, bird topography, and such. Nonetheless, a few terms may be unfamiliar to some users and are

explained below (also see Figure 5).

We use cen. for central, and n., s., ne. for north, south, northeast, etc. (capitalized for major regions,

as in N Pacific or S America, etc.); I. for island, and Is. for islands. For months we use 3 letters: Jun =

June, Sep = September, etc. For plumages we use nonbr. for nonbreeding, juv. for juvenile (a bird in

its first non-downy = juvenile plumage) and imm. for immature (any non-adult plumage). We use WS

for wingspan. Finally, in some places we use ID for identification and the Latin abbreviation cf. for

compare with.

Bamboo Woody perennial grass that grows in dense mats or stands; flowers and seeds at long and

unpredictable intervals, sometimes of many decades.

Central Mountains (Mts.) Collectively the four massifs along the northern edge of the Central Valley,

namely the Viejo, Poás, Barva, and Turrialba/Irazú Volcanoes.

Cere A bare leathery patch of skin into which the nostrils open; mainly seen on hawks and falcons, often

brightly colored.

Cloud Forest Humid evergreen broadleaf forest growing mainly on ridgetops where cloud forms and

provides moisture throughout the year; often dense, with impressive tree ferns and loaded with epiphytes.

Culmen The upper ridge of the maxilla.

Dry Forest Deciduous forest, with an obvious dry season when trees look dead and gray for several

months; but in the rainy season appears green and lush.

Elfin Forest Stunted cloud forest (usually <5m tall) sculpted by wind on ridgetops; typically tangled,

mossy, and impenetrable.

Gallery Forest Corridors of humid forest growing along watercourses, usually in otherwise dry or scrubby

habitats.

Heliconia Genus of herbaceous flowering plants with long broad leaves (suggestive of banana leaves)

growing in successional and swampy habitats, the ornate and colorful flowers attractive to hermits and

other hummingbirds; also known as wild plantain or platanillo.

Holarctic Temperate regions of North America and Eurasia.

Humid Forest Evergreen broadleaf forest without a marked dry season; includes rainforest in lowlands

and foothills, and cloud forest.

Lore(s) The area between a bird’s eye and the base of its bill; dark lores or pale lores can greatly influence

facial expression.

Mandible The lower half of the bill; sometimes called lower mandible.

Mangroves Specialized evergreen plant community permanently or periodically inundated with salt or

brackish water; can be low and scrubby or tall and forest-like, some species with stilt roots.

Maxilla The upper half of the bill; sometimes called upper mandible.

Neotropical Of New World tropical regions.

Northern Mountains (Mts.) Collectively the Guanacaste and Tilarán Cordilleras.

Northwest Lowlands (nw. lowlands) Includes the north Pacific slope and adjacent areas of the north

Caribbean slope, east to the Caño Negro region.

Overslurred Of a sound that rises then falls; overslurs may be brief and sharp, as in píp, or drawn-out,

as in peeéeer.

Pantropical Of tropical regions worldwide.

Páramo Above timberline, a low wet vegetation dominated by bamboo, cushion plants, grasses, low

shrubs.

Pelagic Offshore, deeper marine waters beyond the continental shelf; also used for pelagic trips—ventures

offshore in boats to seek oceanic birds not normally seen from land.

Rainforest Humid evergreen broadleaf forest with tall trees, many with buttress roots, and a fairly open

understory that includes low palms.

Savanna Natural grassland with scattered trees and bushes, growing mainly on poorer soils.