July birding in Costa Rica- is that a thing? Yes, it sort of is! Although the 7th month doesn’t see as many birders in Costa Rica as the winter months, it’s still an important month for birding in the nation of quetzals, Large-footed Finches, and hundreds of other species.
To take advantage of the brief break in rainy weather, many a birding tour agency has scheduled a July trip to Costa Rica. It can still rain but it’s usually not near as much as other months in the rainy season. Although you won’t see many wintering birds, July is also still a great time to see our cool resident species. I don’t have a lot to report but here’s a bit of July birding news to whet the appetite.
Weather is a Bit Better
This July, we haven’t had as much of a break in the rains than other years but, recently, it has been drier. Given the saturated soils and localized flooding, any drier weather is a major bonus!
I’m not sure how long it will last but the birding will still be good. Keep in mind that the birds and ecosystems in Costa Rica are very much adapted to heavy and frequent rains. Not to mention, having adapted to overabundant moisture for thousands of years, they need it.
Time your birding right and be prepared for the rains and you’ll still see a heck of a lot.
Parrots in the Central Valley
The Central Valley (aka San Jose) is fairly impacted by people and urbanized but it’s still got parrots. Most days, even when not specifically birding, I usually hear three or four species from my concrete-abundant surroundings. The birds travel to and from riparian zones and patches of precious green space. They make do feeding on remnant trees and some roost in tall Eucalyptus.
Lately, I’ve been seeing more parrots, especially White-fronted Parrots but have also noticed more Brown-hoodeds flying through parts of the valley just uphill from the main urbanized areas. I’m not sure if these are post-breeding groups or what but there are pretty nice to see!
Could they be taking advantage of higher fruit abundance from earlier, heavy rains? Perhaps but, whatever the reason, I’m seeing more than usual. There could also be small groups of rare Red-fronted Parrotlets foraging in the valley. Keep an eye out for them, especially at big, fruiting figs.
Spot-fronted Swift Nest in Monteverde
One of the recent Monteverde highlights has been a viewable Spot-fronted swift nest. They might not be there for much longer but if you’re visiting the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve these days and want to give it a try, check the cascade on the waterfall Trail.
This species nests behind waterfalls, often just a nest or two behind small, mossy cascades. I wouldn’t say the bird is exactly rare in Costa Rica but it can be very easy to miss. On sunny days, it probably flies too high to notice and we know nothing about its movements (if it even makes any).
What I can say is that if you don’t see one at a nest, you might get lucky to see them fly low enough for identification during the early morning hours in Sarapiqui and other lowland forest areas. During the wet season (especially the early part of it and in front of storms), you can also see them courting, flying low, and calling over the Central Valley.
All the Usual Great Birding
As I was mentioning above, the same great birding is still happening in Costa Rica. Excellent mixed flocks at foothill forest sites, hawk-eagles in the more forested areas, Long-tailed Manakins whistling “Toledo”, there’s a wealth of birds waiting to be seen. If you are wondering exactly where to watch birds in Costa Rica, check out my Costa Rica birding site guide.
I’ll also mention that, at Cinchona, they modified the fruit feeder set-up so it has more natural perches and more light. On a recent visit, I saw the quail-dove sneaking around below the feeder, and all expected hummingbirds (including Black-bellied, White-bellied Mountain-gem, and Green Thorntail). I did not see as many fruit feeding birds but that might be related to more fruit being seasonably available in the forest.
618 Year Birds and Counting
On a personal note, my current year list has 618 or so species. I am pleased, I always hope to break 600 over a year of birding in Costa Rica! I’m not done yet and it will be tricky but, hopefully, I’ll hit 700 by the end of the year. Those totals hint at the sheer number of birds you can see in Costa Rica. Happy birding, I hope to see you here!