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Birders? Checked a big one off the bucket list today.

2,332 Views | 20 Replies | Last: 21 days ago by thenational
Hank the Grifter
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8:52p, 8/23/26
Finally got to see a Resplendent Quetzal today deep in the mountains of Costa Rica. They're molting this time of year so his eponymous tail feather was nowhere the length it will be in December but no matter. I've chased this one for years and feel pretty damn happy about it.











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The System
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In reply to Hank the Grifter • 9:29p, 8/23/26
AG
That's amazing. What a find! Thanks for sharing.
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Brush Country Ag
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9:44p, 8/23/26
Ayto Siks
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9:57p, 8/23/26
One of the prized birds in The Feather Thief. Really cool to see these pics!
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87Flyfisher
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In reply to Ayto Siks • 10:18p, 8/23/26
AG
I read "The Feather Thief" while staying at Sleeping Giant Lodge in the Mayan Mountains of Belize with Toucans, Scarlet Macaws and a lot of other cool tropical birds flying around.

Congrats! Hank that is a beauty!
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Gunny456
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In reply to Hank the Grifter • 10:59p, 8/23/26
AG
What a beautiful creature. God truly is a master in his creation. What a cool gift to see this with your own eyes. Thank you sir for sharing this with us.
TAMU Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences

Boat racing is like a beautiful woman.......expensive, high maintenance, but well worth the fun!
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Newoldarmy
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11:10p, 8/23/26
AG
Great pics. Ridiculously beautiful birds.
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MaoriAg
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12:36a, 8/24/26
Traveled thousands of miles only for your focus to be off by a fraction of an inch.

All kidding aside, what an incredible lifer. Congrats!
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Chipotlemonger
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12:38a, 8/24/26
AG
Very cool
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FSGuide
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4:49a, 8/24/26
Very cool!
I love adding birds to my life list when I travel. My PH in South Africa almost got frustrated with me in 2025 for stopping to open my Merlin app one too many times
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marcel ledbetter
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7:19a, 8/24/26
Excellent! I understand those birds can be hard to spot. Costa Rica is a great place to bird watch. We spent a weekend in the Quetzal National park south of San Jose looking for them but didn't see any. It was the one bird I wanted to see. We did get to see lots of varieties of hummingbirds, though.
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AV8ORAG84
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In reply to FSGuide • 7:42a, 8/24/26
AG
FSGuide said:
Very cool!
I love adding birds to my life list when I travel. My PH in South Africa almost got frustrated with me in 2025 for stopping to open my Merlin app one too many times

my PH would love you , we stop for birds all the time , there are so many to see
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CapeAggie89
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In reply to 87Flyfisher • 7:46a, 8/24/26
AG
87Flyfisher said:
I read "The Feather Thief" while staying at Sleeping Giant Lodge in the Mayan Mountains of Belize with Toucans, Scarlet Macaws and a lot of other cool tropical birds flying around.

Congrats! Hank that is a beauty!

Stayed at that Lodge, great experience, had a great time !
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Less Evil Hank Scorpio
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10:48a, 8/24/26
AG
Not a birder but have had them in the family my whole life. Seems like a pretty fun hobby. Awesome pics!
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AgGrad99
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11:29a, 8/24/26
AG
You guys need to watch 'Listers' on Youtube.

Hilarious documentary about a couple of guys, who know nothing about birds, doing a Big Year.
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Junction71
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11:45a, 8/24/26
AG
Great find Hank. I guess the only one of that species I will see is the picture in my "Birds of Costa Rica" Field Guide.
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ThatOneGuy
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1:57p, 8/24/26
AG
I saw a few at the Curi Cancha Reserve near Monteverde in CR. It's cool to watch them eat the small avocados they feed on then cough up the huge seeds.



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texag_89
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2:47p, 8/26/26
Not a birder, per sey, however my wife has this app on her phone and it works amazingly well to ID birds around you via their sound and calls

It will ID the bird by name, pic and info of all kinds and if you spot the bird, you log it into your lifetime list.

Can also play many calls of birds to draw birds in.

Again, it's more fun than I thought it could be and we go out early on Sundays before Mass and see what birds are in our part of the Concho Valley a few blocks off the Concho River on a given morning.

Its called Merlin Bird ID.

https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/

_89
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S.A. Aggie
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In reply to texag_89 • 3:36p, 8/26/26
AG
texag_89 said:
Not a birder, per sey, however my wife has this app on her phone and it works amazingly well to ID birds around you via their sound and calls

It will ID the bird by name, pic and info of all kinds and if you spot the bird, you log it into your lifetime list.

Can also play many calls of birds to draw birds in.

Again, it's more fun than I thought it could be and we go out early on Sundays before Mass and see what birds are in our part of the Concho Valley a few blocks off the Concho River on a given morning.

Its called Merlin Bird ID.

https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/

_89

I got that app. Pretty cool.
OP: Did you just give us the bird? Nice pick!
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thenational
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4:01p, 8/26/26
AG
Birds are cool

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thenational
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4:02p, 8/26/26
AG
Watch Birders on Netflix
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