Costa Rica’s got a lot of birds in store, a heck of a lot avian waiting to be admired. Tanager flocks in the wet, mossy foothills, a host of hummingbirds, several stunning trogons, Ornate Hawk-Eagles calling above tropical forests…yeah, it’s a pretty nice birding scene.
Who doesn’t like a Black and yellow Tanager?
A lot of birds for sure but, as with all places, Costa Rica also has its bunch of rare bird species. These can be birds that are honestly few in number and/or ones that are challenging to come by no matter how much you look for them. It’s just the way it is, just the way the birding ball bounces. Take the Agami Heron for example. Unlike so many other conspicuous members of that savagely elegant family, Agamis buck the “look at me out here in the open trend”. Big time.
Instead, they took a serious note from their antbird eco-neighbors and went dark side on us. What I mean is they’re skulkers. Not like a bittern or a casually shy Green Heron either but major, professional skulk material. Yep, no standing in an open marsh for these fancy long beaks. The Agami way is more about staying motionless in dark, forest shadows. Staying wary and sticking to the shade. I guess they’re shy about showing that beautiful jade and chestnut plumage. Whatever the case, unless you visit an Agami Heron breeding colony, you hardly ever see one.
And that’s pretty weird because, as we have recently been discovering, they’re are not at all rare in Costa Rica.
Yeah! Not rare at all! Just ridiculously skulky.
Until recently, the general birding public in Costa Rica were only aware of two or so main breeding colonies, each of which are in Caribbean coastal swamps. Although it didn’t actually make sense, it seemed like those were the sole or main breeding Agami colonies in Costa Rica. Thanks to recent discoveries, we can now forget about that crazy idea. As it turns out, a major Agami colony numbering in the hundreds was found in northern Costa Rica, sort of near Bijagua.
Yes, hundreds and that’s not all. Shortly after, another colony numbering in the hundreds was found at another spot (I think at or near Maquenque). Um, if the counting is correct, the known breeding colonies add up to at least 1,000 birds. Since there are likely more colonies out there, even if they are much smaller, it means we’ve got a pretty good number of Agami Herons roaming the Caribbean lowlands.
And that makes sense because when you bird their habitat enough, you do end up seeing them. For example, despite Centro Manu being more of a foothill site, Agami Heron is regular along the semi-swampy, forested streams. Despite Cope’s rainforest being rather small and impacted by people, Agami occurs in the forested, swampy parts. The prized heron has also turned up at tiny Bogarin in La Fortuna, and on the La Selva entrance road. In in other words, when you look long enough for them in appropriate habitat (get into ninja birding mode), you end up seeing them.
Thanks to their ultra skulky, ninja-bird ways, seeing an Agami Heron isn’t a piece of cake but, if you find yourself looking into a forested stream or edge of a shaded lagoon in the Caribbean lowlands, take a closer look. There’s a good chance an Agami Heron is standing somewhere in the shadows.
However, if you visit Costa Rica from June to August, you can also go the much easier, far more photogenic route. That’s when the birds are nesting and the spectacle is straight up mind blowing. Instead of skulking in the dark, at their colonies, Agami Herons perch and display in the open and can even fly back and forth and squabble with each other. After only seeing them briefly in sub-standard conditions or just not seeing them at all, it’s almost too much to handle! At the moment, there are at least two options for experiencing the happy madness of an Agami nesting colony. All are on private land and require payment and prior reservations. For more information contact them directly:
There’s also a third colony somewhere in the Maquenque Reserve area in northern Costa Rica. Eventually, this one should also be accessible for visits.
This also means I have to update my bird finding guide for Costa Rica. Hopefully I can do that soon; Costa Rica is so birdy, there’s always more birding information!
During a year of birding in Costa Rica, I usually end up visiting most major parts of the country. By “major”, I mean principal ecoregions like the dry forests of the northwest, lowland Caribbean slope rainforest in the east, high elevation oak forest, and other habitats that culminate in a fantastic variety of birds. Such visits typically boost my year list to at least 600 species by June (I’m at 620 now).
Amazingly, there’s still a bunch more to make it onto my birds of 2025 but that’s because although Costa Rica is small, this nation is big on birds. It’s the perfect place to go birding and proudly state, “Keep on a birding and them species keep on a rolling in!”, or, er, something along those lines.
In any case, it would be mildly fulfilling to see a tee-shirt extolling that happy virtue. I’d sure wear it, especially while guiding a tour and especially if it showed a calling bellbird topped with a “chonete” (a type of small, Costa Rican hat). I’d also accidentally model such an expression of birding joy at a mall, or a party, function, or any venue that presents itself for possible bird promotion (which is basically anywhere). I’d wear it because that bellbird would be speaking truth for most birding sites in Costa Rica, even areas an hour’s drive from San Jose.
Someone give that bird a chonete!
One of those easily accessible birding spots is also one of the places I visit the most. Seated just on the other side of the continental divide north of Alajuela, the Varablanca area has some of the closest quality habitat near the Central Valley. There’s some high elevation cloud forest, middle elevation cloud forest, and, if you drive just a bit further, the famous Cinchona Hummingbird Cafe.
This past weekend, I shared some fine birding in that area with a friend. Check out some of the highlights:
Ornate Hawk-Eagle soaring like a boss
An impressionist inspired shape of an Ornate Hawk-Eagle from another day and place. Dude still gives the hefty feels though.
I’ll put this highlight first. Seems like a fitting spot for it, especially with views of that hefty soaring raptor in mind. Mike spotted it and we eventually got fantastic, close looks when it soared right overhead!
This mega raptor species is regular on the Legua road but it’s still easy to miss. I was very pleased we saw this one and could marvel over its odd projecting head, getting dived on by Swallow-tailed Kites, and calling in response to my whistled imitation of the bird’s vocalizations!
Green-fronted Lancebill hanging at a clear, rushing stream
A lancebill from another time and place.
The hummingbird with the needle beak is also regular at Varablanca but, like the eagle and so many other naturally uncommon birds, you just never know if you’ll see one! Thankfully, upon checking one of the streams, we had excellent views of a lancebill perched on a typical streamside twig.
Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl comes out to toot hello
It took a couple tries but yes, the rufous morph Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl revealed itself once again! It’s pretty nice to have regular views of thus uncommon bird especially because you never know how long it will be around that site (especially with a bit of illegal deforestation going on pretty much right in its territory).
More must occur at various spots on that road but the only one I regularly hear and see is the bird we watched on Saturday.
Scaly-throated and Lineated Foliage-gleaners
Scaly-throated Foliage-gleaner is sort of rare in Costa Rica and the Lineated has become much less common. It was a right birding bonus to see both in the same morning!
Heard Only Bellbird and Quetzal
At one point, we both caught the faint, odd sound of a distant bellbird, one that must be a juvenile male. I figure its the same one I’ve heard in that general area a few times. Unfortunately, it’s always been too far off road to see but it’s still good to know that one’s around.
We also had one distant heard only quetzal. Although quetzal wandering makes them unpredictable, I still typically find and see one or more on this road. I sure tried on Saturday but nope, we only heard one calling from way inside the forest. I can’t blame it, if I was a natural denizen of that area, I’d be hanging way inside the forest too.
Nice Hummingbirds at Cinchona
Eventually, we made our way to Cinchona where we shared space with the typical bunch of weekend visitors. Happily, it was good for hummingbirds and we scored all the regulars except for Green Thorntail.
The male Black-bellied made several appearances and we had a few visit from a rare White-bellied Mountain-gem too! On another note, the folks at Cinchona made the feeder set up look more natural but also cut down part of a tree and removed some vegetation. The birds should still come in but I really hope they stop cutting trees.
Black-bellied Hummingbird could also be called, “Goofy Square-headed Hummingbird”.
After Cinchona, we also got in a bit of birding in foothill forests near San Miguel and the drive to La Selva but heavy rains had finally caught up with us. Even so, we still managed to identify 133 species for the day, more than 70 of which were near Varablanca. Not a bad total, especially with rain largely eliminating key afternoon birding time the list being “padded” with very few waterbirds.
I still need to get up to that Varablanca area before dawn, see if I can catch a whiff of a dawn singing Strong-billed Woodcreeper, maybe hear a Highland Tinamou or some other uncommon bird. Hopefully that will happen soon. I don’t have much of an excuse not to; it only takes an hour to drive up to that bird happy wonderland.
Where do you want to go birding in Costa Rica? Everywhere is a good answer! Even so, just like all places, Costa Rica has its set of better sites and hotspots. To learn about them while supporting this blog, get my 900 plus page ebook, “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica”. I hope to see you here!
In Costa Rica, there’s a lot of cool birds everywhere. Parakeets and parrots make morning flybys over busy urban roads, Gray Hawks call from above while doing their daily soaring over my minimally green neighborhood, tityras oink from big trees, and so on and so on. Those birds are definitely cool and I’m happy to notice them but if I want to see trogons and quetzals and hundreds more species, I need to move a bit further afield.
One of the great things about Costa Rica is that I don’t need to move very far. It only takes a 30 minute drive to reach cloud forest remnants with fancy chlorophonias and Bare-shanked Screech-Owls, only an hour to get low enough on the Pacific side to reach fantastic Scarlet Macaws. There’s also the other side of the mountains, the wet and mossy habitats on the Caribbean slope. Looking north, I can just about see it, at the edge of where the rain clouds hit way up there on the continental divide.
Go just a bit further and most of that water is destined for the Atlantic. Follow the highland streams and they become rivers that transect middle elevation forest before rushing through foothill rainforest to eventually slow down in the Caribbean lowlands. On the way, a birder also passes through different avian communities, each one more or less related to elevation.
The lowest, hottest parts have some of the highest diversity. Those Caribbean lowlands also have birds that don’t occur in other parts of Costa Rica. These are species that live in the La Selva area, inhabit the beautiful rainforests of Tirimbina, and call from the fantastic forests around and near Laguna del Lagarto. To see the following bird species in Costa Rica, you’ll have to travel to the Caribbean lowlands; they rarely occur above 300 meters in elevation and aren’t usually on the other side of the mountains.
Rufescent Tiger-Heron
Costa Rica’s rare tiger-heron likes marshes, usually near rainforest, and forested streams and swamps. It’s a lot easier to see in Panama and South America (where it replaces the Bare-throated Tiger-Heron) but if you need to check it out in Costa Rica, try looking for it in Tortuguero, around Boca Tapada and Laguna del Lagarto, and any suitable habitat in the Caribbean lowlands.
Harpy Eagle
This monster raptor is such a rare bird in Costa Rica, it’s almost not worth mentioning it. You probably won’t see one in the Sarapiqui area nor most other lowland sites but, vigilant birders replete with amazing birding luck could spot one in the Boca Tapada area and perhaps in the lowland forests north of Rincon de la Vieja.
Although individual Harpy Eagles could also feasibly move into foothill rainforests, on the Caribbean slope, they seem to be more of a lowland bird (or “were” since they have largely been extirpated). However, on a bright note, perhaps they could be reintroduced to the Gandoca-Manzanillo area, and, with reforestation, other sites too.
Gray-rumped Swift
For the most part, it seems like these small swifts are lowland birds. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen any in the foothills but I always see them fluttering just above the canopy of lowland forest, even over second growth and remnant forest meandering along lowland waterways.
If you’re birding the Caribbean lowlands and see a group of small, rather low flying swifts, those would be Gray-rumpeds. In migration, there’s also similar Chimney Swifts but they are darker brown, have slightly longer wings, and are typically actively migrating (flying either straight north or directly south). In the summer months, there’s also a rare chance for a couple of Austral migrant Chaeturas but I’ll save that can of worms for another post.
Pied Puffbird
This tanager-sized, sort of batis looking puffbird is a true lowland species. I often find at the edge of rainforest as it calls from some super tall tree, usually after whistling like one. If not, if the small canopy dwelling bird doesn’t call, you’ll need a lot of luck to notice one.
Chestnut-colored Woodpecker
Chestnut-colored Woodpecker.
This beautiful woodpecker lives in lowland rainforest and adjacent gardens and second growth habitats. It took me a while to finally see this species, I think because I was mostly birding in foothill habitats. They seem to have a penchant for coconuts; I often see a pair pecking into big green coconuts on the La Selva entrance road.
Olive-throated Parakeet
See some small, long-tailed parakeets flying over or near lowland forest? You’re probably seeing this species. Olive-throated Parakeets are regular in most parts of the Caribbean lowlands but are especially common around Cano Negro.
Compared to the larger, brighter green Crimson-fronted Parakeets, Olive-throateds also lack red, and have scratchier voices.
Purple-throated Fruitcrow
A canopy view of a Purple-throated Fruitcrow.
This wonderful bird mostly occurs in South America but also ranges north to Costa Rica and adjacent southeastern Nicaragua. It lives in tall lowland rainforest and, in Costa Rica, seems to be more common near and south of Limon.
They also live in and around La Selva but are much less common north of there. Bird in the right places and it’s not that tough to see especially if you know its vocalizations. Fruitcrows usually occur in small, noisy flocks that swoop through the canopy. I often see them flocking with other medium to large birds like oropendolas, woodpeckers, woodcreepers, and Rufous Mourner.
Snowy Cotinga
Another lowland cotinga, this special bird is one to look for when birding any Caribbean lowland rainforest. They might also be more frequent near and south of Limon but occur in forest throughout the Caribbean lowlands, even in Cano Negro.
Snowy Cotingas don’t seem to be as common as they used to be but are still regular in most forested areas. Watch for a chunky pale bird perched high in a tree.
White-ringed Flycatcher
This Social Flycatcher look-alike is fairly common in any sort of lowland forest habitat, even tall second growth. If you see a “Social Flycatcher” perched high in a tree and making a trilled vocalization, you’ve found a White-ringed Flycatcher.
They usually occur in pairs or small groups, are quite vocal (thankfully), and tend to perch in the canopy. White-winged Flycatchers can also join mixed flocks and are separated from Social Flycatchers by their broader white eyebrow that meets on the back of the head, a white crescent above the eye, pale edging to the tertials, and trilled call.
Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant
This tiny, tricky bird occurs in a few foothill areas but is mostly a lowland bird. Since it loves the canopy and about the same size as a large beetle, you’ll have to learn its bug-like call to find one. Luckily, it usually vocalizes over and over.
Listen for it in any site with Caribbean lowland rainforest.
Honorable Mentions
The following birds are more common in Caribbean lowland habitats but also occur in the foothills. Several have moved upslope in response to warmer temperatures.
Slaty-breasted Tinamou– Although you can see this tinamou at sites like Quebrada Gonzalez and north of Rincon de la Vieja, it’s a lot more common in lowland rainforest. For whatever evasive reason, they do not normally occur south of the Revantazon River in southeastern Costa Rica.
Sungrebe– This funny little waterbird is a lowland species that mostly occurs on the Caribbean slope but since it also locally occurs in and near the Osa Peninsula, it’s much more of a Caribbean lowland species.
Watch for it at Cano Negro, Tortuguero, on the Sarapiqui River, and on any other lowland river, lagoon, or marsh with vegetation that hangs over the water near the bank.
Olive-backed Quail-Dove– This elusive dove is a challenge but it’s probably more common than it seems. Keep an eye out for it in any lowland and foothill rainforest, perhaps especially beneath fruiting trees. Once, I also had perfect views of two or more at an antswarm in Tirimbina.
Blue-chested Hummingbird– This dull hummingbird is fairly common in lowland forest habitats but also occurs in various foothill sites. If you are birding the Caribbean lowland and see a small grayish, plain hummingbird with a grayish tail, its probably a Blue-chested.
Blue-chested Hummingbird
Middle American Screech-Owl– Like the quail-dove, this owl is likely more common than most birders realize. It makes a long, quiet trilling (typical screech-owl) call and, to escape larger owls, is pretty skulky and usually sticks to the undergrowth.
Look for it at night in any area with lowland rainforest. You might also find it in more foothill sites; this species seems to be moving upslope in some areas. As a bonus, the local guides at La Selva often know of one or two roosting birds.
Slaty-backed Forest-Falcon– A tough bird anywhere, in Costa Rica, small numbers sneak around lowland and some foothill forest sites. Maybe there’s more around than we know of? Hard to say because, like other Micrasturs, they are mostly detected by voice so if they don’t call, you have no idea they are around.
All of that said, in Costa Rica, they seem to be most frequent in the lowland rainforest near and south of Limon.
Semiplumbeous Hawk– Listen and watch for this Broad-winged sized raptor in any Caribbean lowland rainforest. These days, they also occur in most foothill areas too.
Great Green Macaw– Although primarily a lowland species, in the wet season (like now), Great Greens move into foothill rainforests. Good places to see them from May to perhaps November include Quebrada Gonzalez and nearby, and the area around San Miguel de Sarapiqui.
It’s surreal to stand in a gas station to watch groups of Great Green Macaws do late afternoon flybys over a fairly busy crossroads!
Great Potoo– Happily, this crazy muppet-like bird is fairly common in Caribbean lowland forests. Over the past ten years, it has also been moving into foothill rainforest.
White-fronted Nunbird– Small groups of this rambunctious species haunt mature lowland rainforest at and near La Selva, Hitoy-Cerere, Laguna Lagarto, and other places. They also live in foothill sites, especially near Bijagua and on the Peninsula Road near Arenal.
Although deforestation has made them pretty uncommon, if you look for nunbirds in the right places, they aren’t too tough to find.
Black-crowned Antshrike– Learn the calls of this antshrike to see how common it is. Its antshrike laughing vocalization is a typical sound of lowland rainforest. In several areas, we have also been seeing it in foothill rainforest.
Fasciated Antshrike– Like the antshrike, this cool zebra-like bird is another typical Caribbean lowland bird that has also been moving into the foothills. Watch for them un vine tangles.
White-flanked Antwren– Although this species has become uncommon at La Selva, I routinely find it at most other mature lowland forest sites in the Caribbean lowlands. I also see it at quite a few foothill rainforest sites.
Watch for them in mixed flocks with Streak-crowned Antvireos and other small insectivores. I usually find them by imitating their vocalizations.
Plain-brown Woodcreeper– A regular understory woodcreeper of the Caribbean lowlands, smaller numbers also occur in the foothills.
Yellow-winged Flycatcher (aka Flatbill)– Same goes for this flycatcher although it’s much more common in lowland rainforest.
Long-tailed Tyrant– This cavity-nesting flycatcher species occurs in foothill sites with suitable broken snags but is much more common in the lowlands.
Canebrake Wren– Learn this wren’s calls and you’ll see how common it is in the Caribbean lowlands. You might also find that it has also followed grassy roadside habitat into the middle elevations! Although I’m not sure if they have become established, I have heard this species at sites above the Peace Lodge.
Olive-crowned Yellowthroat– Like the Canebrake Wren, this warbler has also moved upslope. Even so, it’s most common in lowland marshes and wet, marsh-like grass. It can live in the same places as Gray-crowned Yellowthroats and both respond to each other’s vocalizations, certainly for inter-specific competition.
Red-throated Ant-Tanager– Much more common in lowland forest and second growth but, in some areas, you also encounter them in the foothills.
Dusky-faced Tanager– Same as the ant-tanager and usually in the same sort of second-growth habitat.
If you go birding around La Selva, Laguna del Lagarto, and other Caribbean lowland rainforest sites, watch for the birds mentioned above. You probably won’t see them in other parts of Costa Rica! To learn more about the birding sites mentioned in this post and hundreds of other birding sites in Costa Rica, support this blog by purchasing “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica”.
I hope to see you here, hundreds of birds are waiting!
