Rise and Shine: All Natural Wake-Up Calls in Costa Rica
One of the most notorious natural wake-up calls has got to come from… the rooster. Or, in some parts of Australia, locals might rise to the sounds of kookaburras laughing raucously outside.
But here in the Southern Zone of Costa Rica, it’s the howler monkeys offering up the loudest morning call you’ve ever heard.
In case you’ve never visited a wildlife haven, like the Osa, this is a proper forewarning. The insects, birds and animals love to wake up early.
During your stay at one of our beautiful luxury vacation homes, it’s highly likely that one of the following three locals will be the first sound you hear as you rise and shine in this tropical paradise.
The Howler Monkey
According to the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the howler monkey clocks in at No. 15 on the list of loudest animals on earth, based on the 90 decibels their calls can reach. Lots of folks online have chimed in sharing what they think a howler sounds like. Some of the descriptions include a whooping bark, a loud roar and a deep, guttural growl. Others liken it to a garbage disposal, a haunting cry and a gregorian chant.
Wow, apparently it’s in the ear of the beholder!
Howler monkeys are often referred to online as the loudest of all mammals, but this accolade actually goes to the sperm whale. The sperm whale can hit a whopping 230 decibels, similar to a jet engine. The humpback whales that migrate off the coast of our rental vacation homes can sing quite a song, too, reaching 175 db. This vocal humpback song was recorded last year in Drake Bay, south of our vacation villas in Ojochal. A lion’s roar also comes in slightly higher than the howler monkey, at 114 db.
But the howler monkey is most definitely the loudest of all monkeys. Their troops of about 10 to 15 use howling to warn nearby troops to keep their distance.
If you woke up to the howler’s call and didn’t have time to record it, there’s a strong chance you’ll hear it again at sunset. They spend the majority of their time in the treetops, rarely leaving. They also tend to alternate between a good snooze and delicious, albeit leisurely, meal of greens, so they don’t move too far each day. Their large bodies aren’t as agile as some of the other monkeys common to the area, though we’ve seen them make some pretty big leaps between tree limbs.
The Scarlet Macaw
Macaws really know how to steal the spotlight.
They demand your attention as their brightly colored bodies fly overhead. And they also help you get up and ready for the 8 AM zip-line tour you reserved. By the way, was that a wise vacation decision?
On the decibel scale, these squawkers can hit an impressive 105 db. To put this into perspective, the sound level at the majority of sporting events log in around 100 dBA. The exception are American football fans at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, who broke their previous Guiness world record for loudest outdoor open air stadium in 2014, reaching 142.2 decibels in a matchup with the Patriots of New England.
But don’t worry, unlike a three-hour football game, the macaws will sound off just a couple calls as they pass overhead. Not unlike your standard alarm clock, ringing in at 80 db. But if you’re lucky enough to hear the Macaw arriving — it’s likely the loudest bird call you’ve heard — you’ll be grateful for the advance warning.
Quickly grab your camera and capture one of the most coveted bird snapshots around.
The “Dawn Chorus”
While the decibel level of these early birds is far lower than the last two loudmouths, the “Dawn Chorus” is amplified thanks to the number of individuals chiming in. Hence, it’s a chorus. We think the simultaneous singing of tons of species at dawn is one of the healthiest sounds to wake up to. It certainly beats the boring pre-loaded audio selection that comes on your cell alarm.
It’s no secret that Costa Rica is a birder’s playground. There’s no shortage of audio clips online of the Dawn Chorus in Costa Rica, and that’s for good reason. It’s not uncommon for birders to spot up to 100 different species during their trip to our side of the rainforest. This sunrise serenades comes courtesy of a number of bird species that might include: tanagers, banded wrens, manakins, toucans, and my personal alarm clock, the chiricotes.
“In the field, we could hear Banded Wrens matching one another’s songs,” said Sandra Vehrencamp, researcher at Cornell Lab. “Sometimes we could hear song types rippling through the population.” The analyses confirmed high rates of song matching, suggesting that competitive interactions are particularly intense during the dawn chorus. The dawn chorus is a complex phenomenon, and most likely it functions in more than one way, not just in social signaling.”
All About Birds
Ready to join us and experience the sweet sounds of the Costa Rica jungle? Email [email protected] for information about all of our luxury vacation villas.
