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A female currosow stalks the jungle floor

Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica is lauded for its intense variety of wildlife. The trees are crawling with howler monkeys, spider monkeys, and the endangered squirrel monkeys. Endangered Baird’s tapirs, coatis, peccanaries, pumas, and jaguars roam the jungles. The jungle of Corcovado is one of those few outdoor places that resemble a live zoo.

The female great currosow - One leaf away from a great shot

My favorite sight when I adventure traveled to Corcovado was the great currosow. A bird that is a cross between a wild turkey and a peacock, they are wild and exotic looking. The female is brown with a long tail and a formidable beak. The male is equally impressive with a jet black coat of feathers. Most often in the avian world, the males are the most beautiful as they need extravagant colors and plumes to entice a female. This is not the case with the great currosow: male and female are equally amazing.

The equally impressive male currosow

The jungle was crawling with several pairs of this incredible bird. We saw over ten within a couple of minutes. They were difficult to picture as they strutted soundlessly through the jungle always careful to put a safe distance between us and them. Taking animal photos in the jungle is tough. There seems to always be at least one branch or leaf in the way of the perfect photo.

I just missed a great shot here as the currosow moved from opening to behind the jungle canvass

Fast forward a month later, and I was hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. I had a full day of hiking in the Appalachian forest, and it was nearing dark as I approached my car. Movement to my left caught my eye. It was a gaggle of turkeys cruising through a small ravine. Seeing them in the forest made me think of the currosows I saw in Costa Rica.

Wild turkeys on an earlier trip in the Great Smoky Mountains

It is hard to describe the appeal of seeing interesting birds when you are adventure traveling. There is something about the memory that sticks with you and comes back in a magical way as you bang away at a keyboard in the middle of one of the most populous cities in the United States.

Although I am preparing a blog post and staring at a computer screen, I close my eyes and think of currosows and turkeys, and I am transported to a jungle in Costa Rica or the mountains of Tennessee. These are memories I am thankful of. What travel memories are you thankful of. Feel free to leave a small note in the comment section.

Stay tuned,

TT

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