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bird finding in Costa Rica Birding Costa Rica

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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bird finding in Costa Rica Birding Costa Rica

Global Big Day, 2023 and Speckled Mourners in Costa Rica

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

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bird finding in Costa Rica Birding Costa Rica

Potoos: the Pseudo-Owls Of Costa Rica

Who doesn’t love owls? Philosophically, it’s hard not to be intrigued by the dichotomy represented by these wild and wonderful birds. Soft, quiet, and cute yet completely lethal, owls are the straight up bird bomb. Visually appealing, they have big gazing eyes, some have fake costume accessory horns, and yet, these special birds avoid the birding red carpet.

The living leaf known as the Pacific Screech-Owl.

Thanks to their nocturnal nature, owls tend to not be seen as often as tanagers and other birds of the day. Finding one requires careful and patient checking of branches, maintaining a search image for odd dark shapes, and looking for them when they are active.

This holds true for Costa Rica just as owl watching does in so many other places. Several owl species live in Costa Rica and they can be seen with the right knowledge and attitude but they aren’t the only nocturnal birds on this tropical block. Just like the summertime north, we also have nighthawks (mostly Lessers but also the bat-like Short-tailed), and other nightjars but unlike birding in the temperate zone where so many warblers flit and vireos sing, we also have potoos.

Owls are cool and cute but potoos are in a weird category all on their own. Like owls, they also have big eyes but those peepers are more like the staring orbs of an alien kind, or perhaps a puppet come to life. Their big hidden gapes on large round heads make them resemble real life muppets and their vocalizations are the stuff of birding dreams (or nightmares).

The first time you see a potoo, don’t be surprised if you exclaim, “Well, that looks like an owl” because they do sort of look like the Strigid stars we know and love. Look closer though and you’ll probably realize that no, this odd clump of feathers might look soft but it ain’t no owl. More a muppet, more a fake feathered branch, more a pseudo-owl.

In Costa Rica, we are fortunate to have three fantastic species of potoos that sally into the dark tropical night. These are the pseudo-owls of Costa Rica:

Great Potoo

Great Potoo

The first time I came to Costa Rica, I had seen potoos in the book of that time, The Birds of Costa Rica by Stiles and Skutch. I figured I wouldn’t have much chance to see them, sort of left them on the birding back burner and I was right. I did not see them, had no idea how to see a potoo nor what any sounded like. I was surely near all three, if I had known where and how to look for them, I probably would have seen a pseudo-owl on that first trip.

On subsequent trips, local guides told me that the Great Potoo was more common that you think, that they heard it quite often around La Selva. Assuming such a large and wild looking bird to be rare, I found those statements hard to believe but they were right. In Costa Rica, the Great Potoo is not that rare. Bird the right places and it’s not that hard to see.

The size and pale color of the Great Potoo makes it easier to see than the other two species. Go birding in and near rainforest in the Caribbean lowlands, check those odd pale lumps on trees, and you might find one. Listen and look for them at night and you might see one too.

The Great Potoo occurs in many places but some of the better sites are the Cano Negro area, Tortuguero, Sarapiqui, and forests near Limon.

Common Potoo

birding Costa Rica

Despite the “common” part of the name, this bird is not all that common. You won’t go birding in Costa Rica and run into a bunch, you won’t casually find them on every birding trip. It’s not rare but you do have to look for it in the right places.

The Common Potoo in Costa Rica is fairly widespread but, in general, this muppet seems to be more common along rivers and in mangroves on the Pacific slope from Carara south to Panama. The Sierpe River is especially good for it but other good sites include San Vito and the General Valley, and Cano Negro. You can also find it in other places on the Caribbean slope, especially in open and semi-open areas.

Northern Potoo

Historically, this cool bird probably lived in the Central Valley. It doesn’t seem like that’s the case any longer but maybe a few still occur here and there in less accessible, under-birded pockets of habitat?

In the meantime, you are better off looking for Northern Potoos in the dry forest habitats of Guanacaste. Some good sites include riparian zones around Liberia, Rincon de la Vieja, Barra Honda, Ensenada, and the mangroves at Punta Morales and Mata de Limon.

As with other potoos, watch for an odd shape on a branch, listen for them at night, and watch for them perched on the tip of a stick or other perch, especially near streetlamps next to good habitat.

On the complicated side of things, if you do see a Northern Potoo from Cerro Lodge to Ensenada, you should hear it call to clinch the ID. In that area, Common Potoos have also been heard and (gasp), based on vocalizations of some birds in northern Costa Rica, I can’t help but wonder if some hybridization could be happening.

Going birding in Costa Rica? Don’t be fooled, potoos are out there! They aren’t super common and live in low density populations but we do have three species. Go to the right places, put in the time, and you might see them. In the meantime, learn more about where and how to see these pseudo-owls and all the birds of Costa Rica with “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica”. Plan that birding trip to Costa Rica, study bird vocalizations and mark target species on the Costa Rica Birds field guide app and get ready for major tropical birding. I hope to see you here!

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The Northern Wetlands with the Costa Rica Birding Club

Wetlands happen wherever the water flows, meets, and finds itself. Tiny drips, unobtrusive ditches, laughing streams, and expansive lakes; wetlands take various forms. When the water overflows and extends itself to form lagoons and marshes in Costa Rica and other tropical places, we have rich and dynamic habitats brimming with life. In Costa Rica, there are three principal, large, flat areas that collect rain to create tropical lagoons and a myriad of marsh habitats.

These places are (1) the Tempisque River Basin, a big floodplain that includes Palo Verde National Park, rice growing areas, and some wildlife refuges, (2) the human-made but very important wetlands south of Ciudad Neily, and (2), the wetlands in northern Costa Rica associated with Lake Nicaragua. These latter marshes are some of the most extensive wetlands in Costa Rica; slow meandering waterways and flooded areas that harbor a fantastic wealth of birds and wildlife.

birding Costa Rica

This past weekend, Maryllen and I visited those northern wetlands with a group from the Birding Club of Costa Rica. These were some of the highlights and observations from those memorable days.

Medio Queso Delivers

Medio Queso is a tributary of the San Juan River that flows through and feeds a large freshwater marsh near Los Chiles. The name translates to “half cheese” but when you take a boat ride there with Chambita, you get the full cheese wheel and some!

Boat trips at this site are typically wonderful. During our afternoon on the river, we had views of several Pinnated Bitterns (arguably the best site for this local species in Costa Rica), lovely Least Bitterns, Fork-tailed Flycatchers, a Yellow-breasted Crake bringing food to hidden young, Black-collared Hawk, Snail Kites, Limpkins, and more.

Ruddy-breasted Seedeaters were fairly common, we inspected the pink tones on the big bill of a Nicaraguan Seed-Finch at close range, saw a distant Jabiru feeding in the marsh, and had our fill of Nicaraguan Grackles.

It’s hard to beat all of these birding highlights and more on a leisurely boat ride through a tropical marsh.

Cano Negro can be Really Hot in April

The following day, we did another boat ride with Chambita in Cano Negro. Low water levels limited access to some spots but we still saw a lot. The only problem was the heat. I suppose because of the time of year, and because the low water levels kept the boat floating below the breeze, we were feeling those temperatures. It was a bit of a challenge to try and stay cool enough to function, and that was without moving a muscle.

This was somewhat surprising because, on other occasions, I have worn a light jacket during boat trips at Cano Negro. In any case, we still saw good numbers of birds, especially where they were concentrated in shallow lagoons.

We had close looks at a Sungrebe, saw another Black-collared Hawk, and watched two dozen Jabirus lord over dozens of Great Egrets and other waterbirds feasting on fish trapped in the shallow, diminishing waters.

There be Good Birding in Los Chiles

Los Chiles isn’t the best place to go birding in Costa Rica but, there is some habitat, mostly down at the river. As birds move from one area to the next, you might see more than you expect. Our unexpected bird was a Dickcissel that flew in to promptly land in a bush, right in front of us. The other side of the same bush hosted an American Pygmy Kigfisher, and we saw another Sungrebe on the other side of the river!

Mind you, while watching these and other birds, there were a few people fishing, one person loudly imitating Howler Monkeys, and a few others drinking beers while seated at grungy picnic tables at 7 in the morning.

None of this activity distracted the birds, nor us from seeing them including two other specialties of Cano Negro; the Gray-headed Dove, and the Spot-breasted Wren. Flocks of Barn, Bank, and Cliff Swallows also flew from south to north, Amazon, Ringed, and Green Kingfishers rattled and entertained, a pair of Green Ibis flew over, and parrot and parakeets were always in view.

Los Chiles is Not a Destination for Gourmands (or Foodies)

There might be more birds in Los Chiles than you think but the restaurant scene is another story. The few options have the same menus typically found at most small, average restaurants in Costa Rica, and wait times can be a while. The first night, we ate at Heliconias and I enjoyed the ceviche. The waiter was also good and attentive. Best of all, he set up and turned on a large fan to make us feel like we were sitting in a breeze.

Gaspar’s had the advantage of an actual, natural breeze blowing through the open air, second story dining and drinking area. This was very good. The pleasant feelings generated by brushes of air in hot lowland weather alleviated the sonic assault made by some of the worst music ever created, at just enough volume to make you cringe. Ok, so who knows if it was the worst, after all, there is the horrendous stuff played on the ferry from Paquera to Punatarenas but I daresay the sonic bombardment was memorable, and not in the best of ways.

The food at Gaspar’s was surely better than the music selection (it had to be because if it were worse, we would have self-combusted at the first bite) but I wouldn’t say it was wonderful. Or, it might be Ok and that I’m just not super keen on extra fried food or burnt stuff. To be honest, I’m probably exaggerating there, I mean I did see some of the other plates and they didn’t look that bad. If you stay in Cano Negro, I wholeheartedly vouch for the excellent cuisine and service (and lodging) at Hotel de Campo but when staying in Los Chiles, keep the expectations on the down low.

C and C Cabins in Los Chiles Gets a Thumbs Up

Not looking for anything fancy, our group stayed at CyC Hotel in Los Chiles. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but I left the place with a smile and a big thumbs up! It was cheap yet the rooms were fine, clean, quiet, had hot water, and air conditioning. There is also a secure parking lot, and the couple who own the place were very accommodating. We requested early coffee and they made it for us, no problem. We had breakfast there and it was also good. The guy was always smiling, accommodating, and, told us that he used to say hello to an owl (suspected potoo) that visited the place nightly for several years (sadly, it hasn’t been present for some time).

His partner was also just as accommodating, told me about the night bird that visited them and how she hopes it comes back, and was rocking some cool gold bling. If you are looking for a low-price option for a stay in Los Chiles, these are good people to support. Another friendly place we have used on other trips that I also recommend is Felicia’s Cabins. Other options also exist in Los Chiles but I haven’t stayed at them.

Night Birds at Cano Negro

Speaking of nocturnal avian visitors, the general area around Los Chiles and Cano Negro is pretty good for the birds of the night. Since we had already had Great Potoo and Pacific Screech-Owls on day roosts during a long, hot day of birding, we didn’t look too much more on the 20 kilometer plus drive from Cano Negro to Los Chiles. However, we still ended up seeing a family of young Barn Owls screeching into the dark, tropical night.

With more time, you can find Striped Owl (and other owl species), and maybe even locate the rare Ocellated Poorwill.

It’s a Long and Bumpy Drive to Cano Negro

The road to Cano Negro has always been a challenge. Lately, it seems even less fun. Expect a very bumpy road marked by an abundant diversity of holes and indentations (maybe sort of like driving on the moon?). The road texture makes for a long and uncomfortable drive but if you rent the right vehicle, well then, I suppose it’s not as much of an issue. Not to mention, you can and should watch for birds en-route in any case.

The birding club trip to the northern wetlands was fun and productive as the birding typically is in that area. If you plan on going, I hope this blog helps. If looking to stay in Cano Negro for birding, I suggest Hotel de Campo for the birdy grounds, home-made, authentic Italian pasta, and more. Get psyched for your trip by checking out my eBird trip report, and please support this blog by purchasing “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica”, a complete birding site guide for Costa Rica, and tool for planning birding trips to Costa Rica. I hope to see you here, until then, I wish you some sweet May birding!

Most images in this post were taken by Heather Fabro Angell.