More about Capuchin Monkeys
The white-faced monkey also known as capuchin (Cebus capucinus), is native to the forests of Costa Rica and is important to the ecology of the Cloud Forests for its role in dispersing seeds and pollen.
White-faced monkeys spend practically the whole day searching for food, taking short naps at times but they sleep at night in the trees. White-faced monkeys enjoy fruit, nuts, seeds, as well as insects, spiders, eggs and small vertebrates.
White-faced capuchins are social creatures and live in groups of up to about 40 members, mainly related females as well as some males. Usually one dominate male leads the groups with the help of an alpha female. Monkeys are territorial animals that defend their homes fiercely.
The capuchins have one baby every 2 years. The young cling to their mother's chest when very young and when older they move to their backs. Child care is left to the females. They are fully mature at around age 4 for females and 8 for males. White-faced monkeys live for about 15-25 years in the wild. They are very intelligent and have been seen to use tools (stones) to open seeds and nuts.
Hummingbirds of Costa Rica
The world has over 338 species of hummingbirds and remarkably, Costa Rica has over 51 species of them. Hummingbirds (or Colibris), have tiny, rapidly-beating wings which make a distinctive humming sound which give the birds their name. They expel vast amounts of energy per day and in fact have the highest metabolic rate of any bird in the world; it is known that their heart rate can reach 1,200 beats a minute or more! Hummingbirds have to eat at least half their body weight in food in order to maintain this. At night, their body temperature drops greatly to conserve energy.
The Hummingbird's bright colors that shine and shimmer, and their fearless nature (given their size), has made them popular with nature lovers. The hummingbirds we are most likely to see in our garden in Monteverde Costa Rica are the Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds and the Violet Sabrewings but others may visit. The Rufous-tailed is the most common hummingbird in gardens.
The Violet Sabrewings are large, beautiful hummingbirds with glittering-violet hues. They like the forest edge and come often to our garden to drink from the sugar water in our feeders.
"Most Hummingbirds supplement their diet of nectar with insects either caught while they are perched or in flight where they can reach flying speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. Hummingbirds are able to fly with a unique figure of eight movement of their wings which allows them to fly forward,backwards, sideways, up, down and even upside down for short distances"... Robert Dean, illustrator of 'A Field Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica', (best birding book in Costa Rica!). You can read more about this book at zonatropical.net