Another nice view

Here's another nice view of a coatimundi (Nasua narica) taken by Frank Buck while at Chan Chich Lodge. This shows the typical stance as the coati moves through the forest, with the ringed tail upright. The males often travel alone, but it is not at all uncommon to see large groups of females and young animals.

Coati Portraits

We are treated to these portraits of coatimundis (Nasua narica) from Frank Buck. They are such curious animals and rarely seem to worried about encountering people which is probably fairly frequently, around Chan Chich Lodge. Frank had this story to share:

"As we walked down a trail, these coatis were coming up. At first they seemed somewhat distressed by encountering us as I shot this picture and the next. As we watched each other, the troupe became more alarmed and dissipated. When we got back to the lodge about an hour later, we learned that two ladies who had followed us had seen a jaguar just a little later in the same vicinity."

A Pair of Ant-followers

Although these two birds look dissimilar (dimorphic), they are in fact, the same species. This denizen of the forest, is found commonly around Chan Chich Lodge: the Red-throated Ant-tanager (Habia fuscicauda). The female is the mustard colored bird and the male is the red bird. As the name suggests, they are ant followers and are often seen in pairs or small flocks. They are loud and noisy birds and thus fairly easy to find.

Thanks to Frank for sharing these images!

Not a Peacock

Many people, used to the plainer North American version, can hardly believe this large bird is a turkey. In fact, I've heard it referred to as "that peacock that hangs around by the Lodge." This is the Ocellated Turkey (Meleagris ocellata), a species that has nearly been wiped out throughout its range. Fortunately for us, this gorgeous bird, is common, really common around Chan Chich Lodge and the Gallon Jug Estate.

While I don't often "guarantee" that visitors will see a particular bird, I'm not going out on a limb when I say I absolutely guarantee that you'll see this one. And you'll be lucky enough to get as close as Frank Buck did, to get some spectacular pictures of a spectacular bird.