Its the end of the year, do you know where your lifers are? How about best birds of the year? In birding terms, “best” is a personal issue and can mean anything from a fave feeder species (which, in Costa Rica, could be a toucan) to your personal rarest bird of the year, a bird that plucked your emotional strings orm whatever species you feel like naming “the best”.
These past 12 months, we’ve had some nice birds in Costa Rica, truth is, we always do. Thinking about it, birding in Costa Rica is sort of like seeing “best birds” every day, especially if its your first trip.
This is a place of Resplendent Quetzals, of macaws and toucans and big purple hummingbirds. A place where tropical trees can buzz and shake with mixed flock movements. Check those rocky rivers and you might see a Sunbittern, keep an eye on the sky and an Ornate Hawk-Eagle may soar into view. Costa Rica is a place of birding dreams, best birds are the norm.
Even so, some birds stand out from this past year, at least for me. Here’s some of the very best from birding in Costa Rica, 2025.
Sandhill Crane
We’ve seen lots of good birds this year but it’s hard to beat a country first. Not just a first either but a barely expected one, a species less on the mind than Altamira Oriole, Gadwall, White-tailed Trogon, or other species that live much closer to our borders.
Cranes migrate far, their wings can easily carry them further but this one barely reaches central Mexico. I’m grateful it flew to Costa Rica, more so that so many local birders could see it too.
Yellow-billed Tern
Another major mega for Costa Rica! With just two previous records, both from Cano Negro, the local birding community was pleased indeed when a Yellow-billed Tern spent some time in Guanacaste.
We got to see this South American bird too and thus add an excellent bird to our Costa Rica lists.
Short-eared Owl
Major major bird for Costa Rica, the last Short-eared Owl was one captured and released by folks in Cartago two or three years ago. Before then, it was maybe a century before then?
Last month, while surveying birds in Barra del Colorado with some other birders, local birder and national park guard Manuel Campbell saw one on the beach! It flew, they got definitive pictures and documented one of the top bird sightings of the year.
It wasn’t refound but gives hope that maybe the same or anothe rbird might be somewhere out there in the wide fields of Guanacaste? It’s be worth looking for this harrier-owl and the time would be now.
Aplomado Falcon
A few of these top tropical falcons make it to Costa Rica every year. However, most are one day wonders or never found in the first place. Cool thing about this bird is that it’s been hunting the same area for a while now. Many local birders have seen it, I hope it stays long enough to add it to the 2026 year list.
Galapagos Petrel
All pelagic birds are special but this critically endangered species ups the ante. One was seen during pelagic birding somwhere between the coast and Cocos Island. It’s a reminder of how good the pelagic birding can be on that 36 hour passage and that other megas are probably out there, waiting to be found (ie. Black-winged Petrel, Cook’s Petrel, and some other goodies I included on the Costa Rica Birds Field Guide app as possibilities).
Crested Eagle
In Costa Rica, this near Harpy is both a mystery and a mega. Mystery because we have no idea how many still live here, and mega because it’s hard to see no matter where you look for it (it also gets points for being a big raptor).
This past year, at least one was seen in forest near the Pitilla Station and another may have been seen somewhere else. The sighting at Pitilla is a first for that species in that area but, given the extensive forested habitat, is somewhat unsurprising. Even so, it’s fantastic to know that the species still occurs in that area. Could there be a breeding pair or two? Let’s hope so.
Bare-necked Umbrellabird
This crow-like cotinga is resident and regular but, it’s never easy! It’s also endangered and, like the Crested Eagle, we actually have no real count of its overall population. Using what little we know about the bird to roughly extrapolate, I would guess that 200 might live in Costa Rica. Who knows but I do know that very few are seen in appropriate habitat, and that they lack a lot of wintering habitat.
I was very pleased to start January birding with a male seen with my friend and top Irish birding guide Niall Keough at Centro Manu, see another male on the road to Manuel Brenes with friend and owner of Avocet Birding Courses, Cameron Cox and his wonderful tour group from Utah, and show a Swedish couple a young male at Centro Manu earlier this month.
Slaty Finch
Not as fancy as the birds mentioned above but still one of the best! This resident species is probably just as hard to see as an umbrellabird. It’s skulky, seems decidedly uncommon, and mostly prone to revealing itself at bamboo seeding events.
That said, I did hear one singing on Irazu last week, the Nochebuena area seems to be somewhat good for them (that means it might be recorded on 20% of trips to that area!). Lately, folks have also been seeing two or three on the Roble Trail at Savegre.
Those are the notable, “best” birds that come to mind although I’m sure there’s lots more. I’m tempted to call the crane my best bird of 2025 but any other bird shared with fellow birders, especially folks I have guided, are also the best. I hope to see you in 2026, wishing you happy birding and and abundance of health and happiness!