Natural Farms in Costa Rica Offer Refuge to Birds

A Costa Rican study discovered that certain bird species might find sanctuary on small farms with native trees and woods that shade sunlight. Bird expert James Zook has been documenting the almost 430 species of tropical birds that may be found in the nation of Central America’s farms and natural woods for the past eighteen years. Although natural rainforests are the ideal habitat for birds, according to Zook, certain forest-dwelling species can also establish populations in “diversified farms.” Farms that have sections resembling a natural forest setting are said to be diverse farms. “Your farming style matters,” Nicholas Hendershot remarked. He is an environmental scientist at Stanford University. He contributed to the study’s writing, which was just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“You see long-term growth in bird species with specialized needs in these diversified farms,” Hendershot added. These specific requirements include a variety of food sources as well as secure, shaded locations for birds to construct their nests. According to him, industrial agriculture and farming with a single crop, such as bananas or pineapples, are extremely different from that type of farming. Environmental scientist Natalia Ocampo-Penuela of the University of California, Santa Cruz was not involved in the study. Without more investigation, she said, the results would seem reasonable. However, she also noted that it is quite uncommon to have long-term, comprehensive data from tropical regions demonstrating that varied farming may sustain certain populations of forest birds.

“You can demonstrate the species is persisting in that area, not just passing through, with 18 years of data,” the speaker stated. Seventy-five percent of the 305 species discovered in varied farms had populations that were either steady or increasing during the study period. These include beautiful birds with intricate mating rituals, such as the collared aracari, and various members of the manakin family. Scientist Ruth Bennett works with the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. She did not participate in the study. “It’s a huge contribution to have documented that some birds are staying there and that their populations are increasing,” the speaker remarked.