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Losses, Connections, and Costa Rica Birding Reflections- August and September, 2023

There is no late summer in Costa Rica. In this nation of uplifted land and high biodiversity, it’s August all year long. There is only the arrival and departure of rain, at times, on a daily basis. Even so, we are still touched by the weather cycles of the north.

Up north, the waning summer was and is marked by movements of Canada Warblers, Black-and-white Warblers, and sandpipers. These were the “early” migrants, the avian signals of another nesting season come to an end.

During the 80s up north, August was walking on the northern Lake Erie shore and looking for shorebirds feeding in the algae. Migration was also happening in the fields and woodlands that approached the lake; utterly fantastic migration with Accipiters flapping by and passerines parading through the woods.

Sometime 1980s, maybe 1984, I had great August lifers there; my first Yellow-billed and Black-billed Cuckoos, warblers, and a fantastic Loggerhead Shrike. During those years, there were lots more birds.

There was also wonderful music including this gem by the recently passed Robbie Robertson (RIP and so many thanks for the music!). To me, it was and still is a song of beautiful mystery, northern nights, and being 16 years old. At that time, I would have never have guessed that one of my brothers would eventually have children with one of Robbie’s relatives. We are all connected, eventually, in some way.

Sadly, Robbie wasn’t the only gifted person to have recently passed away. The extremely talented Sinead O’Conner has also passed on, always too soon. I loved her music, it was one of a kind, there was just nothing like it! Around the same time that CFNY was playing “Somewhere Down the Crazy River”, I was also seeing posters outside record stores that showed a bald woman and read, “The Lion and The Cobra”.

I wondered, what on earth is that? Answers came in the form of CFNY playing “Troy” by Sinead, over and over. There were other songs too, including “Just Like You said It Would Be“.

I could never have imagined that, in 1999, I would meet and befriend the guy playing guitar in that video while we both searched for our lifer Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager near Golfito.

Yes, not only has Robert Dean illustrated several field guides for birds, he also helped make lots of wonderful music, including songs with Sinead. He hasn’t stopped making music either, check out, Light of Day.

In the birding world, we have also lost a couple of cherished and irreplaceable people. Tom Johnson was one of the most innovative, expert, and well-liked birders in North America. His tragic passing was and will continue to be a terrible loss for his loved ones and the birding community at large. I often marveled over his amazing night photography of migrating passerines and saw him a couple times in Costa Rica while he led tours. I wish I would have had the fortune of knowing him as well as so many other birders did.

Sadly, Ron Pittaway also passed on recently. Ron created the fantastic Winter Finch Forecast and had an impact on birding in Canada, Western New York, and elsewhere in a number of ways. He was such a nice guy and I will always remember his smile while sharing the Niagara Gorge gull experience with his partner Jean Iron, friends Willy D’Anna, Betsy Potter, Dean DiTommasso, and other Larophiles. I particularly like this image and post by Alvaro Jaramillo.

These days, as I watch tanagers pick berries from cloud forest trees, and scan eternal ocean waters for seabirds, I’ll be thinking of these people and how they helped make the world a better place.

I will also think of them as I watch for the birds that connect us to Cape May and those northern shores of Lake Erie. I’ll be looking for many of the same shorebirds, and those “early” warblers, but we also find the first flocks of migrating kites, and Pacific shorebirds like the Surfbird.

It’s a good time to be birding in Costa Rica, it always is. Here are a few things to reflect and note while birding Costa Rica this August and September.

Helping a Hook-billed Kite in Costa Rica

Recently, Paz Irola and Ernesto Carman of Get Your Birds! and the Cabanisi Project helped rescue a young Hook-billed Kite. Watch this impressive video to see how they saved the life of this young bird by feeding it snails! It’s also interesting to hear the juvenile vocalize. Perhaps it’s antbird-like song is yet another adaptation to help hide these young kites from larger raptors that would eat them.

A young Hook-billed Kite from another day.

The First Fall Warbler Count for Costa Rica

A lot of warblers winter in and migrate through Costa Rica. Cerulean Warblers, Bay-breasted Warblers, and other species make important stops in the country as they make their way to South America. To promote this annual passage, encourage eBird use, and get more data about numbers of migrant warblers, some local guides and birders have organized a country-wide warbler count.

If you will be birding in Costa Rica in September, you can participate too! All you need to do is go birding in Costa Rica on September 9th, and share your lists with user name, “ReinitasCR”.

Oilbirds

Recently, an Oilbird was sighted in a night tour in the Monteverde area. August is a great time of year to see this bird in Costa Rica. If you will be visiting the Monteverde area soon, ask if they have been seeing Oilbirds at the night tour for the Monteverde Wildlife Refuge as well as other night walks. If so, you have a very good chance of seeing one on that night walk tour!

Umbrellabirds and Tiny Hawk at Centro Manu

Umbrellabirds are definitely back at Centro Manu. Recently, several local birders have gotten excellent shots of this rare and endangered cotinga. It may take a while to see one but birding this site will give you a fair shot.

Not to mention, the lowland-foothill forests are good for lots of other species too. Great Potoo has been roosting near the parking area, Song Wren has been seen in the forest, and local birders have also had good looks at a Tiny Hawk!

Ciudad Neily

Last but not least, this is one of the best times to year to go birding near Ciudad Neily and visit the Coto marshes. It’s probably also the easiest time to find Paint-billed Crake, see other crakes, and find Masked Duck. Check for vagrant shorebirds and other odd, rare birds among the thousands of waterbirds that use the area! Not to mention, folks are still seeing a pair of Lesser Kiskadees on the road in the Las Pangas sector of Coto 47.

To get ready for your trip and see where to go birding in Costa Rica, check out my 900 plus page ebook, “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica”. As always, I hope to see you in Costa Rica!

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The Top 5 Questions about Birding in Costa Rica

Male Snowcap one of the signature birds of El Tapir. It also shows up at Quebrada Gonzalez.

Questions about birding in Costa Rica. As with any birding destination, there’s a lot to think about. Where to stay? Where to watch birds? Can I find good New York style pizza? Well, maybe that last question isn’t as common but it’s still valid to wonder if you can have coffee each morning. Heck, when you travel, there’s a lot to think about, even if you are “just” visiting Cape May for the weekend.

No matter where you don those birding shoes, no matter where you sport them bins, all our questions are meant to fulfill our birding needs. You want your trip to be the best it can be, hopefully, to surpass expectations and give you a life experience high that lasts long after you walk back through your own front door.

Oh yeah, that is possible. Do the birding trip to Costa Rica right and you’ll be dreaming about quetzals for days to come. Yearning for twittering tanagers while trudging through traffic? Wondering why you are still haunted by the hidden words in woodcreeper whistles as you sip a choice craft brew? That’s Ok! All of it means your trip was a success, that it went way beyond the boundaries of average expectations.

Those are the type of results we would love for every birding trip, the type of birding that makes us feel fire-eyed alive. I suppose that if you move with the right type of expectations, you can have them fiery eyes any day of the week. Easier to have them after birding though, especially after watching the dizzying passage of a mixed flock in Costa Rica. Certainly after experiencing the ancient cries and flights of macaws in the humid skies of a late afternoon rainforest.

Expectations and state of mind will always be key factors for fire-eyed birding success but maybe answers to the following questions about birding in Costa Rica will help too.

Is there a quetzal season in Costa Rica?

A male quetzal is always the star of the avian show.

In a word, no. There is no real quetzal season in Costa Rica. At least I don’t believe there is. Yeah, for some reason, a number of people talk about there being a season to see quetzals but I think there are confusing “nesting season” with some actual best time for seeing the birds.

So, yes, the mega dream birds mostly nest in March and so, if you know where a nest is, yes, you can go and wait until they appear. But, not only should people NOT bother quetzals at nest sites, you don’t need to visit during their nesting season. Check out this birding truth; the Resplendent Quetzal is a permanent resident.

Yeah, unlike its famous cloud forest cotinga counterpart, the Three-wattled, ye olde quetzal is not migrating to some remote corner or playing hard to get.

Seeing a quetzal in Costa Rica is like seeing most birds. The formula goes like so- bird in the right habitat, visit the right place, know how to look for them, and you’ll probably see them. At least I see quetzals on just about every visit to their habitat, in every month of the year.

So, when planning a birding trip to Costa Rica, don’t worry too much about it being a so-called “quetzal season” or not. Think more about where the best places are to see them, how to find them, and if you should hire a local guide who knows what they are doing. Hint- if the guide tells you that no, sorry, it’s not quetzal season, find someone else.


When is the best time to visit Costa Rica?

This question is probably the top one and rightly so. I mean I wonder about the best time to visit places like Borneo and Argentina, it makes sense to concern oneself with choosing the best time to see the most birds.

That said, in Costa Rica, heck, no matter when you visit, yes, you will see lots of birds. Just like quetzals are here all here all year long, in Costa Rica, more than 600 other birds are also in this birding house, 24/7.

To figure out the best time to visit, I suggest asking yourself a few sub-questions:

-Do I really want to see a bellbird?- If so, visit any time from March to July and include the Monteverde area.

-Can I chance getting rained out for part of most days?- If yes, then you can visit any time of the year. If not, bird Costa Rica from January to April. The rains tend to be especially challenging in November and early December.

-Do I need to see wintering birds?- If yes, November to March will work (and part of April too).

-Should I experience migration?- I am a firm believer in experiencing migration no matter where you are. Visit the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica in April or October and you’ll be in for some major bird passage.

Where should I go birding in Costa Rica?

Another common and all important question. However, it’s one that doesn’t have any easy answers. Where you go depends on what you want to see, how you want to go birding, or if you want to focus on bird photography.

Figure those things out and then go from there. In the meantime, here are a few recommendations:

-Don’t necessarily base your trip on eBird hotspots. Whoah, but what? Isn’t that where the best birding sites are? Well, yes and no. Like, yeah, the top hotspots have great birding and you can’t go wrong birding at them but they aren’t the only places to watch birds in Costa Rica. AND, most hotspots have inflated site lists because they include birds that are no longer there or, most of all, include species at other, separate sites.

It’s still Ok to visit those eBird hotspots. I’m not saying they are bad, most are wonderful but remember that the birds are where the habitat is. Just because a site in good habitat has fewer species than a hotspot doesn’t mean that it isn’t as good. It only means that many more people have birded the hotspot and that sites in good habitat with low lists probably haven’t been adequately surveyed.

-Spend at least two nights in each major habitat. For lowland and foothill rainforest, three nights will be even better. You won’t see all the birds in an area in one day. No one can see them all in one day, not even psychic birding ninjas. But, you can have a fair chance at connecting with a good percentage of them during three or four days of birding.

-Think about where you would like to stay. If eco-lodges and good ,easy going birding in comfort is necessary, by all means, visit Hotel Quelitales, Rancho Naturalista, and Quinta Sarapiqui among other places. However, if you just need a place to spend the night, look into air bnbs and book your own cheap cabinas. However, be warned that cheap cabinas often also mean loud surroundings and possible bugs.

How can I see a Snowcap? What about an umbrellabird? Macaws?

The Snowcap is unreal. It looks like burgundy come to life and crowned with powdered sugar. I mean, yeah, that’s one heck of an enticing bird! And yes, you can and should see one. To make it happen, the best sites are Rancho Naturalista, El Copal, Nectar and Pollen, and Centro Manu. It can also show up elsewhere but those places are good for some of that lovely hummingbird madness.

Umbrellabird? The crazy crow-like bird is never easy but you’ll have a better chance at Veragua Rainforest, the Rainforest Aerial Tram just outside of Braulio, and Centro Manu. Keep in mind that it can also occur at various other sites but it’s easy missed; sadly, the umbrellabird of Central America is endangered.

Macaws! Compared to the other species mentioned above, thankfully, these fantastic birds are a piece of cake. That’s always good but especially for giant, larger than life, must-see parrots as these. The Scarlet is wonderfully easy in many places and the Great Green ain’t that tough either. Bird Sarapiqui, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, or Tortuguero and you’ll have a good chance of seeing them.

great-green-macaw

What field guide should I use?

Another common and important question indeed. These days, in terms of books, there are two main field guides for Costa Rica. There is the classic Birds of Costa Rica by Garrigues and Dean, and the Bird of Costa Rica by Dyer and Howell.

Both will be good but personally, I still like the Garrigues and Dean. However, the Dyer and Howell is more recent, and has some interesting and insightful takes on taxonomy. In any case, either book will be good to have and I know many people who have bought both.

In terms of a digital field guide, there is the Costa Rica Birds Field Guide app and the Merlin app. The Costa Rica Birds Field Guide app is currently only available for IOS while the Merlin app is available on IOS and Android devices. I admit that I am one of the creators and co-owners of the Costa Rica Birds Field Guide app but everything I say here is true. Both apps are good, here’s how they compare:

-Bird species- The Costa Rica Birds Field Guide app includes all birds on the Costa Rica list and several species that could eventually occur. Merlin has most of the species but leaves off some rare ones and some pelagic birds.

-Bird sounds- Merlin includes several sounds for most species. The Costa Rica Birds Field Guide app also includes sounds for most birds on the app- vocalizations for 870 species.

-Customization- Merlin is a great, easy to use app with good information but the Costa Rica Birds Field Guide app includes more features. You can customize it to include target lists, show regional endemics, show birds by region, and more. This makes it a good study guide before your trip as well as a handy tool during your trip.

-Accuracy- The maps on the Costa Rica Birds Field Guide app are up to date and pretty accurate. The ones on Merlin are mostly accurate but not entirely. The information for the Costa Rica Bird Field Guide app is also written specifically for Costa Rica and now includes tips on how to see each bird.

-Cost- Merlin is free and that is obviously a major bonus but the Costa Rica Birds Field Guide app has more features and more overall information.

Planning a birding trip to Costa Rica? I hope these questions can help! Just keep in mind that no matter where and when you visit Costa Rica, as long as you go birding in quality habitat in different eco-regions, you’ll see a lot! I hope you get here, I hope to see you here.

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Costa Rica Birding Tips- Southern Caribbean Zone, 2023

Birding in Costa Rica is all sorts of birding goodness. Lots of birds can be seen in all sorts of places, even away from the usual spots. Sure, watching quetzals with a bunch of other smiling people is fine. Marveling over hummingbird action is some “dolce vita” indeed but, in Costa Rica, there’s more. Always lots more.

If you don’t mind traveling a bit further afield, the birding might even be better. That’s how I feel when I visit the southern Caribbean zone. That would be the part of Costa Rica south of Limon, the corner of the country with Jamaican influence, intriguing seas, and fantastic birding.

The southern Caribbean might be at its best during migration. In October, the bird movement in this area is constant, fierce, and mesmerizing. Visit when the birds are passing through and you get enveloped in rivers of raptors, massive fronts of Hirundines, and rivulets of songbirds.

Sometimes, you can also see kettles of Swallow-tailed Kites.

However, if you have to check out the Southern Caribbean in other months, not to worry. The birding is still good! It’s all about rainforest and avian residents that reside in huge crowns of massive trees. They can be hard to spot way up there but isn’t that what a scope is for? Use it to scan the canopy, use it to scan the ocean.

You’ll see stuff, you’ll see lots.

We just got back from a short trip to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. Here’s some tips to improve your trip and help answer common questions.

How’s the birding in the Southern Costa Rica?

Expect a healthy selection of lowland rainforest birds. At times, I feel like the birding in on par with La Selva. It’s still a bit different but there’s a heck of a lot of birds to see and you don’t have to travel far to see them.

Most lowland species are present including lots of toucans, parrots, even Great Green Macaw (re-introduced), puffbirds, owls, Great Potoo, Green Ibis, yeah, you name it.

Some of the more regular, especially cool species include Purple-throated Fruitcrow, Snowy Cotinga, Central American Pygmy-Owl, Blue-chested Hummingbird, Great Potoo, Black-crowned Antshrike, and White-flanked Antwren.

birding Costa Rica

There aren’t as many tinamous and motmots seem hard to come by but there’s lots of everything else. Not to mention, when we factor in the lack of birding coverage, there’s probably more out there than we think. More Great Jacamars, probably rare species from Panama wandering in from time to time, and who knows what else?

Go birding in the southern Caribbean zone and you can expect a lot. You should also be ready for the unexpected; this region has some of the most exciting birding in Costa Rica.

When to go birding in southern Costa Rica

The best time to go birding in southern Costa Rica is whenever you visit. Yeah, April and October are the best months to experience some sweet fantastic tropical migration but the resident species are there all year long.

It tends to be a bit drier in September and October too but you should always be ready for rain.

How to get there (and driving expectations)

The birding sites south of Limon are reached by good roads. It’s pretty straightforward getting there but the main question is whether you want to drive yourself or have someone else do it.

From the San Jose area, the trip takes around four hours. However, construction and traffic can easily make it a five hour drive. Since the road to Limon is a major route for truck traffic, it’s hard to say what departure time is best. That said, I feel like it’s usually worse in the afternoon.

At the moment, there is still a lot of work being done on the section of the road between San Jose and Limon. All of that construction can slow things down but on this past trip, the main challenge was the lack of signage. I’m not talking signs that mention distances or places or any of that simple stuff. No, I mean good clear signage that shows you which lane to drive on.

At present, this two lane road is being converted into a four-lane highway. Much of it is already completed and in some places, there are four actual lanes! This is of course wonderful for driving and if the road is ever completed, the trip from San Jose to Limon might become an easy two hour trip.

At the moment, though, most of the highway is still two lane traffic. In many places, a pair of inviting, nice-looking lanes are present on the other side of the road. However, they aren’t officially open. You might see a few local cars using those yet to be opened lanes and, as you trudge behind some hefty truck, you will feel tempted to do the same. However, you need to just keep following that truck.

Because if you don’t, you might drive on a part of the road that ends with a drop off, odd concrete blocks, or other nasty ways to finish your trip. Fortunately, those seemingly open yet closed parts of the road are easy to avoid but other parts of the trip can generate anxiety.

At various spots, as you travel along, your lane may be detoured to the other side of the road. There’s little signage about it, there might be a hole or two, and you may wonder if you are about to drive headfirst, straight into oncoming traffic. Just follow the truck in front of you. At least we hope they know what they are doing.

Or, you might want to opt for a shuttle service. That would certainly be the easiest and most comfortable way to reach the southern Caribbean zone. The downside is not having a personal vehicle to visit birding sites around your destination. However, that can be fixed by renting anything from a bike to an electric moped or other small vehicles in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca.

If you do drive yourself, be sure to charge or fill up at the Hone Creek gas station. There aren’t any more after that one.

Oh, and one more thing. To keep stress on the downlow, don’t ever make the drive at night.

Where to go birding on the southern Caribbean slope?

One of the best things about this part of Costa Rica is easy access to good habitat with lots of birds. South of Limon, you’ll be happily surprised by the amount of mature rainforest right along the road.

Whether you stay in a hotel, small lodge, or rent a house, you’ll probably have good birding right there, on the grounds. For example, this past trip, we stayed at an Air BnB in the Playa Negra area. The habitat wasn’t ideal but there were still plenty of big trees and a few small streams and wet areas.

During casual birding, we had Great Potoo at night, and White-necked Puffbird, Scarlet-rumped Caciques, Red-lored Parrots, Green Ibis, and lots of other birds in the day.

Visit the Paradise Road or other roads that pass through more intact habitat and you’ll see more. During Friday morning guiding in that area, we had Black Hawk-Eagle, Snowy Cotinga (briefly), Pied Puffbird, Blue-headed Parrot, and more than 70 other species.

Where to stay?

There are honestly too many places to mention. Most hotels are small and lots of people rent houses and similar lodging. The best on-site birding is probably at Almonds and Corals, the few lodging options on Paradise Road, and any other place situated in good habitat.

But really, the birding will be good no matter where you stay. There won’t be as many species at places in the middle of Puerto Viejo but you will still be in easy striking distance of forest with lots of birds, even at the edge of town.

Restaurants

Once again, there are too many places to mention but I will say that there are places for various budgets. A good number of spots are not cheap but there are also several that serve really good food.

A few of my favorites are the DeGustibus bakery (a pretty good Italian bakery that also has good sandwiches and pasta), the Pecora Nera (run by a chef from Tuscany), and a great little spot called, “Take it Easy”.

Take it Easy is a roadside, outdoor spot owned by a Rasta guy in Playa Chiquita. It’s usually open from noon and if you are looking for some quality Caribbean food, oh this place will do the trick!

We had lunch there and the rice and beans with chicken was the best I have ever had (and I have sampled a lot). The chicken was juicy, just spicy enough, and had a delicious ginger zing. Even better, the spot is right on the beach and has seating on benches where you can scan the ocean or watch birds visit big trees just across the road.

Mosquitoes…

Some places in this area can have a mosquito problem, especially house rentals. Make sure to use that repellent, ask for mosquito coils, and check for and plug any holes in your mosquito bed netting.

Planning a birding trip to Costa Rica? Consider visiting the southern Caribbean zone. This region has a lot to offer and has some of the most exciting birding in Costa Rica. To learn more about places to go birding in Costa Rica and much more, support this blog by getting, “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica”.

I hope to see you here!

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Two Days Birding in Costa Rica= Resplendent Quetzal, Brown Violetears, and Galapagos Shearwaters

birding Costa Rica

Birding Costa Rica means different things to different people. If bird photography is your thing, that means several great sites for hummingbirds, tanagers, and lots more. Casual birding in Costa Rica? Verandah birding can yield trogons, motmots, and dozens of other exotic tropical species.

Costa Rica is also game for birders who choose to lose themselves in the local avifauna. This is birding that takes in as much as possible and keeps on going, all day long. If such all out, energizer birding is in your cards, Costa Rica is ideal. Let me tell you, ain’t no lie, this place is jam packed with biodiversity.

Even when I’m not birding, I hear the calls of two or three parrot and parakeet species flying over our urban neighborhood. Just before stormy weather, a pair or two of uncommon Spot-fronted Swifts chipper and display over the rows of houses.

There’s more urban birds than you think but there’s far more just a short drive away. The amazing assortment of random bird species possible within two hour’s drive really is sort of wonderfully ridiculous. These tidbits from two days of birding last week give an idea of what’s in store when you go birding in Costa Rica.

Resplendent Quetzal an Hour From the Airport

There are quetzals up in those there mountains. Yes, the ones visible to the north of San Jose. The closest spots are in the Poas area and if you know where to look, those amazing emerald and plush red mega birds are reliable.

This past Tuesday, during a day of bird photography, we had fantastic looks at a male Resplendent Quetzal. On our first stop, as Barred Parakeets zipped overhead and flocks of Band-tailed Pigeons powered upslope, a male quetzal also flew into view.

It gave the quetzal cackle as it’s long tail train rippled emerald green in the morning sun. Although it hid within the dense foliage of a mountain oak, we saw another male further up the road. By its behavior and penchant for for perching in a roadside tree in full view, I’m betting he’s the same quetzal I have shown to other people.

We also saw other high elevation species including Fiery-throated Hummingbirds, Yellow-winged Vireo, Large-footed Finch, Yellow-thighed Brushfinches, Sooty Thrushes, and other birds. That’s par for the course birding on Poas but the roadside quetzal stole the show.

Yellow-thighed Brushfinch

Brown Violetears, Barbets, Oh My!

That same day, lunch at the Cinchona Hummingbird Cafe (aka Mirador de Catarata de San Francisco) was accompanied by another suite of birds. Among the seven or so hummingbird species were Violet Sabrewings, a male Black-bellied Hummingbird, and a bunch of Brown Violetears.

These local hummingbirds were perching on railings, visiting feeders, sitting in bushes, and always giving too close for bino views!

At the feeder, Prong-billed Barbets made occasional visits, and one male Red-headed Barbet appeared among other regular species.

Later on, we topped off the afternoon with views of Costa Rican Warbler, Spangle-cheeked Tanagers, Green-fronted Lancebill, and other species of the upper middle elevations. Including heard birds, and only focusing on photography, we still had 90 species including 14 hummingbirds!

Galapagos Shearwaters…Peruvian Booby…Say What?!?

On Thursday, we saw another set of birds visiting birders don’t typically see in Costa Rica. Thanks to an invitation from friend and Big Year birder Yve Morrell (she got the highest ABA total in 2017!), my partner Marilen and I joined Yve and Anthony Arce (her guide and another friend of ours) on a short boat trip in the Gulf of Nicoya.

After a two hour drive to the hot coastal town of Puntarenas, we parked the car at Frank’s Cabinas (or just Frank’s Parqueo) and met up with Yve and Anthony. Shortly after, we were on a small boat making a beeline for a distant rocky island.

Known as “Isla Guayabos”, in recent days, this small island has a popular must visit destination for local birders. Three or maybe four mega rare for Costa Rica Peruvian Boobies have been living there along with a hundred of so Blue-footed Boobies (and other, more regular species).

We didn’t see much on the way there but at the island, we quickly got onto the star birds. We listened to their guttural calls as the many Sulids fly to and from the rock while others showed off their bright blue feet.

After getting our fill of big, diving seabirds, we told the boat driver to head straight into the gulf. That he did but we weren’t seeing anything until I finally spotted what I had been hoping for; a feeding flock of Black Terns!

If any shearwaters and other pelagic species were around, that’s where they would be. As we approached, sure enough, there went a Galapagos Shearwater doing its flutter, glide, flutter thing! Before long, we found ourselves next to a bunch of Black Terns and several Galapagos Shearwaters.

As the small terns dove into the choppy water, the shearwaters would float and dip their heads below the surface before fluttering along to keep up with the tern flock. Boat movements made scanning a challenge but when I could do it, I saw group after group of feeding flock; all made up of Black Terns and several Galapagos Shearwaters.

Try as I did, I did not notice any other pelagic species foraging with them but we still saw a few other choice birds away from the flocks! The first was Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrel. We had glimpes of a couple of these fast-flying birds and then got one right next to the boat!

Next up was a dark bird sitting on the water. I wondered, could it be one of those poor refugee Sooty Shearwaters? We motored over to it and sure enough, found ourselves face to face with another rare species for Costa Rica, a Sooty Shearwater! Sadly, this bird of cooler waters was not looking so good. I wish we could have given it a squid or at least something to eat.

Further scanning revealed another dark bird on a log. It flew towards us and yes, it was an expected but welcome species, a Brown Noddy!

If we had stayed out there longer, we would have surely seen more. A lot of birds were out there in the Gulf of Nicoya. However, if we had stayed longer, we would have also run out of gas so yes, we were pleased to return to port.

Those two memorable days were a reminder that there’s a lot of possibilities when birding in Costa Rica, more than you think! Check out the eBird trip report from July fourth, and our short pelagic list from July 6th (with much better images than this post). Hopefully, we’ll be birding at some other sites soon. Maybe look for some rarities, maybe explore little birded areas. Either way, it’s going to be good.

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5 Suggestions for Better Birding in Costa Rica, July, 2023

Birding in Costa Rica this July? Maybe you are already here! I hope so, I mean, one of my constant hopes is for every birder to experience the avian splendor in this beautiful Central American nation. Although most folks visit in the dry season, July is our other, mini high season for birding.

July usually gives us a break in the rains and more time for birding, Even better, a lot of resident species have just finished breeding, more juvenile birds are around, and the activity…well, the bird activity is simply delish and delightful.

Mixed flocks call, scramble, and roam the foothill rainforests, quetzals are doing their spectacular thing in the highlands, and there’s lots more, always lots more Costa Rica birds to experience.

To help improve and enhance your birding trip to Costa Rica, here are five tips for “better birding”.

Don’t Worry About eBird, Just Keep Watching Birds in Good Habitat

EBird data for Costa Rica are helpful but the platform doesn’t have the final say on where to go birding. Yes, you can see where certain birds have occurred and learn about various hotspots BUT birds are not restricted to where eBirders have seen them. Whether a site is on eBird or not, the best birding is always in the places with the best habitats.

Now that doesn’t mean that eBirders aren’t visiting excellent sites. They certainly are but there are lots of additional sites with just as good or better birding. Many areas of good habitat don’t stand out or even show on eBird simply because they don’t receive much coverage.

birding Costa Rica

With that in mind, don’t be shy about watching birds in Costa Rica wherever you find good forest and other suitable habitats. That’s where the birds are.

Visiting the Pacific? Scan the Ocean, Maybe Get on a Boat, and Take Pictures!

El Nino has been bringing us some seriously rare birds. The latest stars of the local birding show have been Peruvian Boobies, Blue-footed Boobies, and Sooty Shearwaters but various other species are possible too.

This is the year to scan the ocean or take a pelagic trip in Costa Rica. Scan the sea or get out on a boat and you’ll probably see something good! Since weird stuff can appear that is not in most field guides for Costa Rica, please take pictures of as many seabirds as possible. You never know, you might find some crazy rarity!

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To be ready for it, get the Costa Rica Birds-Field Guide app for IOS devices. All possible seabird species are on the app, including some that have yet to be found in Costa Rica but are expected to occur. Get ready for your trip by marking target birds, studying bird sounds, and more.

Visiting the Caribbean? Scan that Ocean and Take Pictures!

The Caribbean side of Costa Rica is also turning up major records. There have been tantalizing reports of a possible Gannet, Great Shearwater was seen from shore, and a pelagic trip turned up Cory’s, Great, Audubon’s, and Manx Shearwaters! Those might be normal off North Carolina but in Costa Rica, those birds are riding the aquatic Mega train!

Although I do suspect that these and other pelagic species visit the deep waters of the Caribbean more often than expected, they are still rare birds around here (except for the Audubon’s).

Once again, you might document some serious rarity. Keep looking!

Keep an Eye Out for Red-fronted Parrotlets

Costa Rica has a bunch of parrots, parakeets, and even two monstrous macaws. Most of these cool, fancy birds are easy to see but there’s one special little species that stays out of the spotlight; the Red-fronted Parrotlet.

This miniature parrot seems to be genuinely uncommon and is the toughest member of its family to see in Costa Rica. The challenge stems from its tendency to wander up and down mountains in search of just the right food coupled with its habit of quietly feeding high in the canopy of dense rainforest.

In June and July, Red-fronted Parrotlets may move around a bit more. With that mind, keep a close eye and ear out for these birds at fruiting figs and other fruiting trees, even in the Central Valley and the Caribbean lowlands. Lately, they have been seen in the high Talamancas as well as in typical sites like the Monteverde area and El Copal.

They make distinctive, high-pitched reedy calls, are small, and show red in their wings. Good luck!

Where to See The Cotingas

No matter where you go birding in the Neotropical Region, if cotingas are in range, these birds perch right at the top of the wish list. Colorful or cool and bizarre, cotingas are a welcome sight for any birding eyes.

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Unfortunately, in Costa Rica, most are not common and a few are kind of rare. With that in mind, here are some tips for seeing them in the next few weeks:

  • Bare-necked Umbrellabird- Some are still in middle elevation forests but others have already moved to lower elevations. At least one has been seen in Centro Manu and there have been other sightings from Monteverde, Veragua, and the foothills of Braulio Carrillo National Park. Other good areas right now may be the San Luis Canopy, Arenal, and other forested foothill sites on the Caribbean slope as birds move between middle elevations and the lowlands.
  • Three-wattled Bellbird– Several bellbirds are still on breeding grounds around Monteverde and near San Ramon but some are definitely on the move. There have been recent sightings from the Sarapiqui lowlands and other areas indicating that some of these cool, crazy birds are moving to post-breeding, lower elevations.
  • Snowy Cotinga– This awesome bird is at its usual lowland rainforest haunts. Best places are lowland forests from Guapiles to Panama (especially south of Limon), Sarapiqui, and Cano Negro.
  • Yellow-billed Cotinga– Although it is not listed as endangered on the IUCN list, this is definitely a mistake. The Yellow-billed Cotinga is seriously endangered and only occurs in a few areas. The most reliable site continues to be Rincon de Osa and mangroves near Sierpe. Sure, it can occur at a few other spots and you might still see it at Cerro Lodge or Carara but, tragically, that population is doomed. It has steadily declined, nothing has been done to improve habitat for it, there are further plans to destroy vital corridor habitat at the Nativa Resort, and there might only be three birds left.
  • Lovely Cotinga– Always tough in Costa Rica, they might still be on breeding grounds in middle elevation forest but some are surely moving lower. A female was recently seen at Arenal Observatory Lodge. Other suitable areas include any good middle and foothill elevation forest on the Caribbean slope.
  • Turquoise Cotinga– This uncommon bird is still showing at the usual spots in the General Valley, Esquipulas, and in and near the Osa.

Support a Local Conservation Project

The folks at the Ibycter project are working hard to learn more about one of the only known remnant populations of the Red-throated Carara in Costa Rica.

This formerly common species has seriously declined in Central America but no one knows exactly why.

To learn more about these birds and develop strategies to protect them, they have been observing and recording a small family of Red-throated Caracaras in northern Costa Rica. They hope to attain information about their life history and learn about their movements by place transmitters on the birds.

To learn about and help this local conservation effort, please visit the Carara site and Facebook page.

Supporting the project might help you see some very special birds in the future, and, most of all, you will be helping to conserve one of the most threatened bird species in Central America.

I could say a lot more but perhaps it’s best to finish by saying that as long as you go birding in Costa Rica, you’ll have good birding. The best birding depends on what you want to see and how you want to do your birding thang but, you’ll always see more if you, (1) get up and out there early, (2) go birding in high quality habitats, and (3) hire a good local birding guide.

To learn more about all of the best sites for birding in Costa Rica, and how to see cotingas and much more, support this blog by purchasing, “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica“. As always, I hope to see you in Costa Rica!

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The El Niño Birds Have Arrived in Costa Rica

It’s official, 2023 is an El Niño year. In other words, the waters of the central Pacific Ocean are warmer than usual and will affect weather in various places. Some regions will be wetter, others will be hot and begging for rain. We don’t know yet how long it will last but the peak might not happen until December.

In birding terms, this weather cycle means that some birds may take advantage of the rains but others will suffer. Sadly, seabirds have a rough time, especially species adapted to cold water, especially the ones that live in the Humboldt Current. Those cold waters off the coast of Peru and Chile are a true marine bio bonanza. I can easily picture the first time I witnessed their avian abundance.

Some years ago, I was traveling by bus in Peru, somewhere along the coast north of Lima, maybe near Lomas de Lachay, an important reserve protecting arid vegetation sustained by coastal fog. The land was incredibly dry and barren but offshore, there were flocks and flocks of birds. Hundreds of Belcher’s and Gray Gulls, wintering Franklin’s Gulls, Inca Terns, Peruvian Boobies, pelicans, and cormorants.

The contrast between life in the desert and in the cold gray waves was astounding. On a trip to the Paracas Peninsula, I got a closer look at the incredible amounts of life supported by the cold currents. As the boat made its way to view cormorant and penguin colonies, I noticed dark areas in the water, long, dark lines below the surface. Looking closer, I could see that they were fish!

There were literally millions of anchovies or some other baitfish, massive numbers of small lead-colored fish that formed living rivers beneath the waves.

These were the building blocks of the huge cormorant colonies offshore, the life support system for penguins, pelicans, larger fish, and, I suppose, most everything out there.

A scene from the Paracas Peninsula in Peru.

But those small fish need cold water and birds can only dive so deep. If the ocean warms up, I’m guessing the anchovies go deeper, head to the cool depths because it’s do that or die. Since this is such a big change to their regular ways, I’m supposing that the fish don’t fare well. For the birds, it’s a disaster.

The boobies and other birds that depend on those and other cold water fish simply don’t have enough food, To cope, they do like the gnus, so like any mobile animal that can’t find enough to eat. They split, and keep on moving until they find enough food to survive.

That basic need brings them far north of their usual range, this year, some as far as 1,586 miles (2 552 kms) to Costa Rica. That’s the distance from Lima to San Jose on a plane. For a bird, the trip is probably similar in length but instead of six boring hours of sudoku in a metal tube, they flap their way over countless waves, always pushing north, looking for cooler waters, joining the other birds of the oceans in their search for accessible baitfish.

Given the current El Nino situation and sightings of Peruvian Boobies from Panama, I figured the odds were good for this and other species reaching Costa Rica. A few days ago, that forecast came to pass when four Peruvian Boobies and a juvenile Inca Tern were found on rocks off of the Osa Peninsula. The arrival of Humboldt-related birds has also been happening in the form of Sooty Shearwaters.

Several of the dark shearwaters have been seen on recent pelagic trips, much more than usual. The sightings are notable but we’ve been hoping for rarer birds to appear on those trips. No dice, though, at least not yet.

With the recent Peruvian Booby sightings in mind, I figured today would be a good day to visit Puntarenas. The port city is the most accessible and reliable hotspot for vagrant seabirds in Costa Rica, all you gotta do it get there and start scanning from the lighthouse, right from the tip. Whether because of the mixing of inner and outer gulf waters or because it sticks straight into the ocean, or a blend of those and other factors, Puntarenas turns up the birds.

You might have to wait a while, you will be offered trips to watch dolphins by a guy a bike, and someone will probably try to sell you something but, if you are diligent, you will also see birds. Watch carefully too because you can see some seriously good birds!

Puntarenas is a place for the unexpected flying in with the usual. It’s all good and the longer you stay, the more you’ll see. This morning, we started our birding in Puntarenas at 7 a.m., scanning calm ocean waters. At first, it seemed dead. Where were the pelicans? What about all of the frigatebirds?! The seeming absence of birds was rather alarming but what could we do? The only thing to do was wait and keep watching and sure enough, the birds eventually showed.

One of the first ones we saw was a surprise young Elegant Tern. I expect the slender-billed birds in winter, not so much in summer. It flew past, we never saw it again and began to see more Royal Terns as other regulars flapped into view; small flocks of White Ibis and egrets flying across the gulf, Mangrove Swallows and Gray-breasted Martins zipping over the waves, and fish action.

Scanning the water, we could see dark patches here and there, baitfish being driven to the surface, some flying clear out of the water in their quest for immediate survival. Sometimes, an enticing larger fin would break the surface, a few Devil Rays jumped, and we had great views of the Bottlenose Dolphins that live in the Gulf of Nicoya.

With the baitfish happening, I still wondered, “Where were the birds?”. Scanning eventually revealed some terns and other birds flying inside the gulf and larger numbers as specks on the horizon. Some birds from the inner gulf flew towards us. A few Sulids….not dark enough to be a Brown Booby…dusky head, white tail….Blue-footed Booby!

A Blue-footed Booby from a few years ago.

We had at least four and that was sweet. I hadn’t seen any for a few years. Scan some more and wait…what’s that? Small black and white football of a bird fluttering and gliding low over the water. Yes! Galapagos Shearwater from shore!

It made its way to the inner gulf and that’s when I noticed a black and white bird floating way out there. I said, “Now that’s an interesting bird, I hope that comes closer!” From a distance, it looked black and white, a pattern sort of like a female frigatebird. The only thing that came to mind was one of those lost Peruvian Boobies but to clinch the identification of such a rarity for Costa Rica, closer looks were needed.

Thankfully, that suspicious black and white bird tired of sitting way out there, eventually took to the air, and made its way towards us. Closer it came and I wondered if it would keep coming and give us a super close, detailed flyby. No dice there but it did fly near enough to clearly see that it had a bright white head, dark back, and looked like some dark marking on the face or throat. No doubt about it, even trying to turn it into something else, I had to admit- Peruvian Booby!

I figured this would be a good year to find one at some point but it’s really nice when a hunch pays off. We watched this Costa Rica El Nino mega make shallow dives into the water and float way out there for at least half an hour but had to leave it to its floating ways so we could scan for other birds.

Heck, there might be a tropicbird nearby, there could be an Inca Tern flying way offshore or a storm-petrel or some other major bird. Further scanning failed to turn up any of those niceties and by 8:30, bird activity quieted down but I did manage to scope one more good bird to top off a memorable morning in Puntarenas. While scoping, I saw a dark shearwater flapping and then gliding but not like a small Galapagos Shearwater. This one was gliding in arcs, was bigger, and had a short tail. Sooty Shearwater!

If we had stayed longer, I bet more birds would have showed up. That’s how the birding in Puntarenas rolls but it would have also taken hours of watching, would have been a really long hot day.

We were happy to settle with four year birds, one of which was a major country tick, and at least three were lifers for Marilen. Back at home, I heard that an incredible 120 Blue-footed Boobies were seen from the ferry from Puntarenas along with two Peruvian Boobies. What’s next? I’m thinking Inca Tern and/or Guanay Cormorant. I can’t wait to go back, meditate on that ocean and see what I find!

Support this blog and get ready for your birding trip with my bird finding book for Costa Rica. I hope to see you here. If you do any seabirding, please tell us what you find!

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One Fine Day of Birding in Costa Rica= 150 Species

During one day of birding in Costa Rica, how many species can you find? The answer to that really depends on where and how you do your birding. For example, the current record for Costa Rica is 350 plus species; an incredible one day total for anywhere.

Identifying such an amazing bunch of birds was no simple feat. Local birding experts made it happen by visiting various habitats for nearly 24 hours.

At the lucky, extreme end of a non-stop birding Big Day in Costa Rica, I believe that even more are possible, 400 plus species. It would take stamina, focused skills, great fortune and other factors to fall into place but yes, it is a possibility.

That would be an incredible bunch of birds but they would come at a cost. It wouldn’t exactly be a day of rest. Birding would have to commence at midnight and wouldn’t end until late in the same calendar day. There would be literal running to and from sites while staying focused on birds the entire time. Really, there wouldn’t be much appreciation of birds either. It would be all about hearing as many as possible, maximizing the numbers to see how far you can bird to the limit.

That’s not the type of birding day most people would prefer and I would not recommend it for a birding trip to Costa Rica. You’d miss out on taking in the birds, enjoying them to the fullest. Instead, easier days of birding at various sites would be the ticket to happiness. The good thing is that even while birding like that, in Costa Rica, you can still see a heck of a lot of birds in one day.

Spend a full day in the field and you’ll probably see more than 100. Focus on birding in the right places and you’ll see and hear quite a few more. That’s how a recent day of guiding in the Poas-Cinchona area went. Out of 150 bird species identified, these were ten highlights:

Great Black-Hawk

The Great Black Hawk has declined in Costa Rica.

We had a few raptors and probably would have had more if there was sunny weather. Even so, we still saw one of the rarer species possible in this area, the Great Black-Hawk.

In Costa Rica, this forest raptor has become pretty uncommon and only occurs in high quality habitat. We had one suddenly fly close overhead in good habitat at the edge of Braulio Carrillo National Park. I wonder what else lives around there…

Resplendent Quetzal

In keeping with seeing this spectacular mega world bird in the Poas area, we had fantastic views of one or two males near the Volcan Restaurant. They probably move through that area on a daily basis but you gotta get there early.

We did just that and had the quetzal as one of our first birds of the day!

Black-bellied Hummingbird

Black-bellied Hummingbird

This uncommon hummingbird still shows at the Cinchona hummingbird cafe and is regular at the edge of Braulio Carrillo National Park. This square-headed local hummingbird is always a special one to see.

Fiery-throated Hummingbird

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Any day with Fiery-throated Hummingbirds is a good day! They are common in the upper parts of the road to Poas National Park. Even if I rarely spot color on their throats, I always love seeing them.

Scintillant and Volcano Hummingbirds

The two smallest hummingbirds in Costa Rica are also regular on this route. Watching birds that look like glittering feathered bugs is a treasured, surreal experience.

Zeledon’s Antbird

How can you not love the name of this bird? It sounds like something from another planet. With the big pale blue, natural eyering bling, this ant bird sort of looks like something from another planet too.

But this is of course our place, our world full of fantastic, sacred biodiversity meant to be treasured.

All nightingale-thrushes

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One…two…three..four..five! Ha ha ha! Five nightingale-thrushes! I admit, two were heard only but we still “had” all of them; one with an orange bill, one with a black bill, another with a ruddy cap, a fourth with a slaty back, and a final one with a black head.

Scarlet-thighed Dacnis

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In the Virgen del Socorro area, these small beauties were out in force.

Silky-Flycatchers

Quite a few Long-tailed Silky-Flycatchers were around.

Poas is a good area for both silky-flycatchers. We had excellent looks at several of both species.

Black-thighed Grosbeak

This hefty yellow and black grosbeak was singing and showing at a few different places. We had our first in the same spot as the quetzal, another beautiful bird to start a wonderful day of birding in Costa Rica.

When you can spend a day sharing birds in beautiful tropical surroundings with fun people, that unto itself is the best highlight of all. However, we also saw more birds than the ones mentioned above, birds throughout the day including three toucan species, Prong-billed Barbet, and more. See the whole list at my eBird trip report.

This was a great day of birding but to be honest, identifying that many species in a day atthose sites isn’t out of the question. If the weather cooperates, incredibly, that’s more or less the norm when birding Costa Rica.

To learn about all the best sites for birding in Costa Rica and what to expect, support this blog by purchasing “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica”. I hope to see you here!

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New and Rare Birds in Costa Rica- Coming Soon?

Black-bellied Hummingbird

When it comes to birding in Costa Rica, the country is fairly well covered. Many a birding pilgrimage is made to this beautiful and biodiverse nation and with good reason. There are hundreds of bird species and a high percentage of sites are accessible. We also have a sizeable local birding community and, as with every place, it’s a vital factor in finding more birds.

At present, the official Costa Rica bird list includes 930 plus species, including the Black-bellied Hummingbird shown above. It’s hard to imagine more bird species showing in a place the size of West Virginia and yet, during the past month, we added two more.

How is that even possible? What can I say, on our planet, it seems that high biodiversity is the norm, especially in tropical regions. Not to mention, as a bus driver friend of mine likes to say, “Patrick, remember, anything is possible in Costa Rica.” Gerardo was mostly referring to the behavior of local drivers but we can also apply such sage advice to birding, at least with some caveats.

While wild vagrant Emus are definitely not possible in Costa Rica, some other, more likely species can and will occur. As with anywhere, the main question is if those birds will be found.

Rare vagrants happen because they flew the wrong way, wandered a bit too far, were Dorotheyd by rough weather, or were driven far from home in search of food.

The vagrant birds are out there, waiting to be discovered, and in most cases its local birders who find them.

Pacific-Golden-Plover-Puntarenas-Costa-Ric

Pacific Golden-Plover is one of those vagrants being found with more regularity.

Luckily, in Costa Rica, we’ve got a good number of people paying close attention to birds, and they take pictures. This is how Chamba found a Yellow-billed Tern some years ago. It is also why local guides made sure to document an odd-looking duck at Lago Angostura in April. That odd duck turned out to be an incredible Common Pochard.

These factors are also how a crazy Lesser Kiskadee was found in Costa Rica! Discovered on May Global Big Day, 2023, a pair of these unlikely birds have been confirmed near Ciudad Neily (I sure hope they stay long enough to see them…).

I have a list of likely new additions for Costa Rica. To help birders be ready for any possibility, I included them on birding apps for Costa Rica, Panama, and Belize. I figured, it’s digital space, the more information the better and I would like to have those possibilities at my fingertips so…why not? Even so, I had not included the pochard nor the kiskadee! Neither of those odd birds were on my birding radar.

I had placed by birding bets on other, what I believed to be, more likely new species. Two of those prime candidates are the Guanay Cormorant and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper. Both of these birds have been seen in Panama and I’m sure a lost and adventurous Sharp-tailed has occasionally probed the mud in Costa Rica. I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before someone finds one.

Heck, Panama’s second record was seen this past Global Big Day! That of course means that the bird probably flew over and/or landed in Costa Rica. I guess we’ll have to keep on waiting and looking for that particular Siberian. As for the cormorant, I think there’s a pretty good chance one will appear in Costa Rica, sometime soon.

Sadly, I’m not expecting it for good reasons. It won’t be a lost and adventurous cormorant exploring new waters to the north. No, unfortunately, this bird of the cold Humboldt Current will appear because it can’t find food in its regular haunts. As I write, hundreds have apparently turned up in southern Ecuador. They are moving north because the waters where they usually occur are much warmer than normal. Hot really.

It’s the famed El Nino effect but this one is probably augmented by the oceans absorbing extra heat from the atmosphere. How long will it last? Who knows but it won’t be good for seabirds nor myriads of other creatures that rely on colder waters.

The effect could drive a Guanay Cormorant or two to Costa Rica along with birds like Inca Tern, Peruvian Booby, and maybe even Peruvian Pelican. Not to mention, we could see albatross species and other pelagic birds too!

I admit, seeing those birds in Costa Rica would be exciting but the event would also be bittersweet. Essentially, any Humboldt birds in Costa Rica are refugees searching for better conditions. I’m not sure if they will find them here but if they do show up, I hope they will survive and eventually make it back home.

Heck, such birds could be here right now! I’m guessing, though, that they are more likely to occur within the next couple months. An Inca Tern could appear, a penguin might even swim into view. Seeing them won’t be signs of anything good but I’ll still be watching for them, probably from Puntarenas. A pelagic trip would also be a good idea.

If you are headed to Costa Rica in July, maybe some of those El Nino birds will be around? Maybe not but there will still be a lot to look at. Hundreds of expected, resident species are here, my ebook, “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica” will help you find them.

As always, I hope to see you here, birding in Costa Rica.

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Costa Rica Birding News- May and June, 2023

Wet season birding in Costa Rica is just getting started and it’s late. Usually, our tropical downpours get their rain thing on by April. Not this year. Up until the past week, we’ve seen very little rain and even the showers that have occurred haven’t been the soaking events they should be.

Looking at nearby mountains, I have seen more rain falling up that way but we should have had more by now, everywhere. In Costa Rica, abundant water keeps the biodiversity gears moving, it boosts productivity that our resident bird species rely on. Like I was saying, though, the rains have started, let’s hope we keep on getting that precipitation on a daily basis.

On another, related note, here’s some of the latest in birding news for Costa Rica:

Lanceolated Monklet at Arenal Observatory Lodge

Last week, fellow guide and friend Anthony Arce saw a Lanceolated Monklet perched on a roadside wire just as he was leaving the lodge with a client. If you happen to be birding around there, this was on the entrance road between the Casona and the main gate.

This isn’t the first time the reclusive mini puffbird has been seen at the lodge but there have been very few sightings from this birding hotspot. His sighting is a reminder of how unobtrusive and local this species can be. It’s also a reminder to have bird species in mind even if they aren’t recorded that often on eBird.

In the case of the monklet, several pairs probably occur on the Observatory Lodge property. As is typical for this species, they are probably overlooked and just occur in spots that don’t get as much coverage.

Local guides should give a solid search for them along ravines around there and other suitable spots, especially near waterfalls. As with all birds, they occur where the habitat is, monklets are just naturally hard to find.

Photo Sessions of Blue-and-Gold Tanager Nest at the San Luis Canopy

Another fantastic find happened in the form of a nesting Blue-and-Gold Tanager. This uncommon near endemic can be a challenge. As is typical for local species, you gotta know where to look for them and even then, the birds can be elusive.

In Costa Rica, one good spot for this species is the San Luis Canopy area and vicinity. On a recent visit, Lifer Tours owner and birding guide Juan Diego Vargas found that one was nesting at this cloud forest hotspot.

Amazingly, it is literally nesting at the San Luis Canopy, as in right by the main buildings. He spoke with the owners about and they have been building a photography hide to accommodate visiting birders.

This hide can be safely visited and offers close views without affecting the birds. Photo sessions for this rare opportunity can be booked at the Ground Cuckoo site.

It’s a Good Time to See Swifts

I think I say this every year but it’s worth repeating. The wet season is the best time for seeing swifts in Costa Rica. I don’t mean the usual White-collared and Vaux’s Swifts, I’m talking about getting good looks at those other swift species in the field guide.

Those would be Chestnut-collared Swift, and Black, Spot-fronted and White-chinned Swifts. During the sunny days of the dry season, often, these birds are flying too high for adequate looks, and the Black Swift might be off wintering in the Amazon.

Go birding in Costa Rica in the wet season and you might see all of them flying within reasonable binocular distance. Heck, you might even identify them without binos during a walk in your neighborhood!

I had that happen just the other day. During a late afternoon walk on a cloudy day, there were a couple of calling Black Swifts and two Spot-fronteds that flew low, just over the houses. There were also several Chestnut-collared flying around with the usual Vaux’s and White-collareds.

Seeing these swifts nice and low and identifiable is all about cloud cover. Approaching storms are good too.

New Update for the Costa Rica Birds Field Guide App

Lastly, we recently finished another update for the Costa Rica Birds Field Guide app. As with the recently updated Panama Birds Field Guide app, our Costa Rica birding app now includes tips on how to see each species.

A few examples of text for:

Agami Heron

Azure-hooded Jay

and Harpy Eagle.

Since I have also included bird species not yet on the list for Costa Rica but which are good candidates for occurring, this is what I wrote for Garganey.

There are also additional photos and a filter to show regional endemics along with other features to personalize the app to your needs.

If you are headed to Costa Rica soon, I hope this information helps with your trip. The birds are waiting, a lot of them.

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Global Big Day, 2023 and Speckled Mourners in Costa Rica

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May 13 was Global Big Day! GBD celebrates birds and birding but we don’t get festive with cakes, beer, and football. On GBD, us birders celebrate by giving ourselves over to birding.

Yeah, a lot of us do that on weekends and other random dates anyways and all year long, but this birding day is different. It’s GBD, we have this official excuse to go all out with birding, to make it our main thing no matter what else is happening.

Cars and traffic? Pay them motor vehicles no heed (unless they are barreling down on you), there goes a Short-tailed Hawk!

People watching sports or boating or celebrities wearing weird crap on runways…sorry but they become background noise on GBD. On May 13, it’s the Anhingas, the warblers, and the grouse that take center stage.

Gotta work? If the boss doesn’t seem to understand why you can’t go to work on May 13th, you just point them to the GBD eBird page.

Tell them it’s an international holiday, a sacred feast day for the league of avian appreciators. Sorry no, I can’t work today bossarola…it’s Global Big Day!

You might still work, though, especially if your job involves birdwatching. I mean, that way you can still partake in our birding feast day without worrying about calling in. Unlike other GBDs I typically celebrate with my partner (we are Team Tyto) but this past May 13th, I couldn’t. I had to work.

Luckily, that day of work was guiding someone in the Poas and Varablanca area. This destination is one of the best spots for birding near San Jose, Costa Rica. As usual, it was a fine day of birding with close views of a male Resplendent Quetzal, silky-flycatchers, and 100 plus other species.

Even better, when I got home, I picked up a few more birds. My partner and I took a last minute walk in the neighborhood and a pair of Yellow-naped Parrots flew over. They were followed by groups of flyby White-fronted Parrots and other common species. The best was a bunch of swifts driven low by rain clouds. Chestnut-collared Swift made it onto the day list and then, two dark swifts with bat-like wing beats zipped into view.

No big white spot on the face but….yes, a white chin! Yep, low enough to see the tiny white chin on a White-chinned Swift. A sweet species for GBD and right from a tiny, urban backyard. That’s urban birding for you, especially in birdalicious Costa Rica.

Further afield, birders were out in force in other corners of the country. A pelagic trip found Tahiti Petrel (now known to be regular) and other open sea goodies, Chambita and friends picked up the specialties of Medio Queso, and many other birds were found, 703 species total!

Oddly enough, I may have seen the only Barred Becard for the day. Other, much less common species seen by others were Great Jacamar at Veragua, Botteri’s and Rusty Sparrows at Rincon de La Vieja, and Lanceolated Monklet at La Marta.

A monklet from some years ago at Quebrada Gonzalez.

The prize for the “best bird” may go to Speckled Mourner. This rufous guy is one of the rarest and little-known bird species in Costa Rica. Given the extreme paucity of sightings, I have wondered where it still occurs. I have my suspicions and one of those spots was where two birds were found.

Last month, local birders found one or two of these odd megas in the foothill rainforests at the Pitilla Biological Station on OrosiVolcano. Several local birders have gone and seen this special species, at that time, arguably, the only reliable spot to see a Speckled Mourner in Costa Rica.

I figure they live in other spots too and it is worth checking those areas but it’s always good to know of a reliable spot. As luck would have it, just yesterday, another spot for Speckled Mourner came to light!

Meche Alpizar and Lisa Erb saw and photographed one of these elusive birds at Selva Bananito. It makes sense that one was seen at this site, a spot with ample lowland rainforest habitats. What’s interesting is that even though the species hasn’t been seen at this site before, they saw it right at the reception.

Given the habitat, it makes sense to see it there. Maybe there are previous sightings from Selva Bananito, but I haven’t heard of any.

It’s also interesting that this bird was seen shortly after the other sightings up north. Before these sightings, there hadn’t been any documented Speckled Mourners in Costa Rica for many years. There should be but nope, nothing.

Are they showing in more places? No, I bet it’s just more birding coverage by experienced observers. We really don’t have a lot of coverage in the remote areas where these birds are most likely to occur. Throw in their unobtrusive nature with low density populations and it’s easy to see why more Speckled Mourners have not been seen.

In any case, these and other sightings on GBD, 2023 are encouragement to get out there and explore, get into the good forests and see what you can find. You gotta pay close attention, you gotta listen carefully to those woods, the birds are out there.

To see where to find birds in Costa Rica and how to find them, support this blog by purchasing “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica”.

it’s sort of like an international holiday