The Chief, the newspaper of Squamish, British Columbia, has published a letter to the editor with twelve birds of (a Squamish) Christmas, riffing off of the famous song that Mike writes about here. What would the twelve birds of Christmas be where you live?
The 12 Birds of Christmas in Costa Rica would be:
1 Spot-bellied Bobwhite hiding in the grass.
2 White-winged Doves.
3 Roosters crowing (at midnight no doubt- where’s an Ocelot when you need one!)
4 calling Clay-colored Thrushes.
5 Golden-browed Chlorophonias!
6 Black-bellied Whistling Ducks a laying (sorry, no geese here).
7 Muscovy Ducks a swimming (no swans either).
8 Cattle Egrets accompanying cows.
9 Manakins dancing.
10 Blue-black Grasquits leaping.
11 Stripe-breasted Wrens giving their “piping” vocalizations.
12 Antpittas drumming (no drummer birds here but antpittas are cool so they get to be drummers).