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Category: bird finding in Costa Rica

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Global Big Day in Costa Rica, 2025

May 10th was the 10th edition of Global Big Day; a day where the celebration of birds is paramount. Although we could celebrate feathered life forms by raising glasses, baking cakes, or having bird call contests, those endeavors alone would not do them justice.

Instead, us birders laud birds and give them due respect by paying attention to them. Count a few birds, take a few bird walks, or delve into your birding core on wild, pre-determined missions of bird identification. No matter how you connect with birds, as long as you submit bird lists to eBird on May 10th, you are one of the many thousands of participants giving birds their due on Global Big Day.

This most recent Global Big Day, Costa Rica did its part. On May 10th, we had well over 900 birders submitting more than 3,000 checklists throughout the country. Check out the stats and these tidbits.

678 Species

As of May 12, this is the species total for GBD 2025 Costa Rica. It might drop or add a couple birds (like Lovely Cotinga, that was seen in a usual spot) so let’s say 675 to 680 species. Not bad for most of the migrants having already flown north!

In other words, most of these species are residents, nesting birds waiting to be seen on any given day, any time of the year. Among our local GBD bird stars were 40 species of diurnal raptors (yea, that many and that’s lacking a couple!), all 15 regular owl species, and all regular hummingbirds minus one.

This one was missing.

In Costa Rica, there’s a whole lot of birds going on.

Some Tough Birds Were Found

Perusing the final totals, these were some of the more challenging species recorded:

Tawny-faced Quail- at Laguna del Lagarto where it is always present but still really tough to see.

Rufous Nightjar- at a known spot near San Vito.

Christmas Shearwater (such a lovely if accidentally misleading name)- Uncommon but fairly regular in pelagic waters, perhaps more at this time of year. I got my lifer some years ago in June.

Red-throated Caracara- One of a literal handful of birds that still occur in the Osa Peninsula. How long will the hang on?

Red-fronted Parrotlet- Always tough although regular in the area where it was seen; at the Vista Aves Birding Lodge.

Rufous-rumped Antwren- A local and mostly inaccessible suboscine pseudo warbler.

Speckled Mourner- Before a population was found in northern Costa Rica, this bird was a basic no-show. Thankfully, a birder who often birds that site recorded it on May 10th, 2025.

Streaked Xenops- Another not so easy bird in Costa Rica best found by birding the right spots for it. Someone did just that.

This miniscule bird is a Streaked Xenops.

Gray-headed Piprites- Another tough one, thanks to a local guide having some located at Pavones, Turrialba, it graces our 2025 GBD list.

Crakes- Not so easy but now that we know where to see them and what they sound like, regular on the Costa Rica GBD list (although see misses below).

Rare Highlights and Surprises

The birds mentioned above are pretty darn good enough but we still had a surprise or two. Stand-outs included a rich male Cinnamon Teal at Hacienda Viejo Wetlands, and late migrants like Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, and Cedar Waxwing (a rare one!).

Misses

The missed bird list gives an idea of which birds to not really expect on a birding trip to Costa Rica. Yes, you can still get them, especially if you know the ins and outs of birding sites in Costa Rica but they sure ain’t guaranteed.

Far from guaranteed.

Black-eared Wood-Quail, White-tailed Nightjar, Mangrove Rail, Spotted Rail, Paint-billed Crake, Sapphire-throated Hummingbird (which seems to be the only regularly occurring hummingbird in May that was missed), Slaty-backed Forest-Falcon, Spot-crowned Antvireo, Black-crowned Antpitta, Scaly-throated Leaftosser (this was maybe the biggest miss), Bare-necked Umbrellabird (another big miss but tough at this time fo year), Sepia-capped Flycatcher, Lanceolated Monklet, Great Jacamar, and Wedge-tailed Grass-Finch.

Team Tyto

This birding team is composed of myself and my partner Maryllen. Yes, we birded on May 10th and we birded a lot. Maybe too much. Thanks to one of my crazy ideas, we started in the middle of the night and scoured the land for birds from the midnight salt ponds of Punta Morales to the humid lands adjacent to Carara, and on and up to the misty highlands at Varablanca.

Alas, the charging station was not available where I had hoped to charge the car “Aguacatillo” (like inexplicably not working) and since we were feeling a particular brand of exhaustion that could not be cured by the best in coffee nor satisfied by Snickers bars, we called it a day and drove back downhill, back to the bustle and vehicles and people of the Central Valley.

We still saw and heard birds though, quite a lot including 16 diurnal raptors(!). We finished with 227 species, not a bad total, not all that bad for an avian landscape lacking in migrants, ending early, and excluding a late afternoon on the birdy Caribbean slope.

I hope you enjoyed GBD, 2025, I hope you celebrated those birds, I know I did! I still have visions of veritable facetime with a Striped Owl, shorebird silhouettes calling in the night, a close encounter with a Gray-headed Kite on the lower Cerro Lodge road, Flame-throated Warblers in a mixed flock, and so much more.

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Recent Highlights from Birding Costa Rica, Late April, 2025

The rains are happening in Costa Rica. It’s all good, expected, and the forests need it. The water is just getting started and it doesn’t affect birding all that much anyways. Head out early, it’ll probably be dry and the birds will be singing. If it stays cloudy, the birds will also stay active and when the rains stop, you could find yourself in a mini birding frenzy. Hopefully.

Lately, I’ve been birding in a few different areas, here’s some of the highlights:

Great Potoo in Los Chiles

Great Potoo

Recently, I stayed at the CyC Hotel in Los Chiles and once again, was entertained by a Great Potoo, right above the parking lot. It’s amazing how this huge nocturnal bug catcher feels right at home on a fairly busy street. Although it doesn’t show up there every night, if you check the top of the telephone pole, you’ll have a fair chance of witnessing this cool bird’s haunting calls and antics.

Common Potoo Nesting on the Cerro Lodge Road

Los Chiles is also a good area to see Common Potoo but if you happen to be birding on the other side of the mountains, you’re still in luck! The Common Potoo that has been hanging out on the Cerro Lodge road wasn’t just sitting around and doing nothing. It was incubating an egg, one that has hatched into a cute, white fuzzball baby potoo!

Since this bird is right next to the road, I just hope that photographers stay at a safe distance when taking photos.

Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl Near Varablanca

Owls are always cool and some are more difficult to see than others. One of those is the Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl. Similar to the Northern Pygmy-Owl, this highland endemic also occurs in low density populations. It doesn’t always call nor respond to its call either.

Those factors and its penchant to hide in plain sight make this special bird an easy one to miss. Although the best areas for it seem to be high elevation forests on Irazu Volcano and the Talamancas (Cerro de la Muerte), Costa Rican Pygmy-Owls also occur on Poas and in other high elevation forests. While the current explosive nature of Poas keeps the area off limits at the moment, you can see them near Varablanca. I have only found one pair in that area but lately, one of those birds has been calling and showing nicely.

As a bonus, its vocalizations attract a host of other birds, including Black-bellied Hummingbird, Golden-browed Chlorophonia, and Yellow-winged Vireo.

Black-bellied Hummingbird

Quetzal Action also Near Varablanca

That same San Rafael de Varablanca road can also be good for ye olde Resplendent Quetzal. Although they seemed to be on hiatus a month ago, the birds are definitely back!

I’ve been seeing and hearing two pairs (or more) at a few spots there. Since the males have been pretty territorial and doing display flights, I can’t help but wonder if they will nest again (or are just nesting very late in the season?). Maybe so because there are a few Lauraceous trees up there full of quetzal food.

The Usual Good Birds at Medio Queso

Down at the Medio Queso marsh, the usual good species have been showing. These include several Pinnated Bitterns, nice looks at the beautiful Least Bittern, nesting Nicaraguan Grackles, and good numbers of singing Ruddy-breasted Seedeaters.

The Yellow-breasted Crakes have also been showing well and the site has also been good for Snail Kite.

Blue and Gold Tanager at San Luis Adventure Center

This news isn’t new but it’s still worth a mention. This uncommon tanager continues to visit the fruit feeders as well as feed in nearby trees. It might also be nesting near the feeder. Although this and other birds haven’t been frequenting the feeder as much, wait long enough and they’ll eventually pay a visit.

When birding in Costa Rica, there’s always more highlights, birds I saw over the past few days like Double-striped Thick-knee, Turquoise-browed Motmot, Laughing Falcon and other raptors, parrots, two macaw species, and so on and so on. One thing’s for sure; come birding in Costa Rica and you’ll see a lot! I hope to see you here.

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Birding in Costa Rica- Recent Sightings of Interest

In Costa Rica, we just finished another Holy Week. As banal as that may sound, those who reside in Costa Rica are well aware of the weight that statement carries. It means traffic is back in the Central Valley, that the beaches and ways to and from the coast have suddenly become much less crowded, and that whatever places closed for the holidays have opened back up.

On the birding front, the end of Holy Week also translates to Spring’s final movements of Scarlet Tanagers, Eastern Kingbirds, and many other birds flying steadily north. Some will still be around for a bit; Canada Warblers in the woods and northward bound wood-pewees sallying from perches but, for the most part, migration will be petering off.

The one exception is shorebirds. Right now is a darn good time to go shorebirding in Costa Rica, a time when the last push of thousands of birds pass through the country. Sadly, other duties may keep me from having a chance to look for them but who knows, maybe I’ll still be able to get out there and scan some wet fields, deftly slap mosquitoes while scoping coastal salt ponds and mud flats.

In any case, there’s always other birds, always lots to look at and look for in Costa Rica. I thought the following were some of the more interesting recent sightings in Birdlandia.

Black-eared Wood-Quail Seen at Laguna del Lagarto

Although I’m pretty sure this elusive and handsome forest chicken has been recorded at and near Laguna del Lagarto in the past, there weren’t any eBird records for it. That finally changed when birding guide Henri Sandi Amador found one!

This is an excellent sighting and I don’t know if the bird will stick around but it’s a reminder of what can appear in areas with extensive, little explored forest.

Snowcaps and More at Centro Manu

Can’t make it to Rancho or El Copal? Luckily, Centro Manu continues to be a good spot for Snowcap. Last week, during a wet morning visit, we had at least three females and one male. Most were in the aptly named hummingbird garden but they also visit small flowers in shortish, bushy trees next to the parking area and in front of the office.

Great Potoo is still there too although it’s been using a less obvious perch and we did not manage to see it. The rain diminished the birding in general but we still managed to see Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer and some other birds in addition to the Snowcap. Local guide Kenneth also mentioned that they are still seeing Central America Pygmy-Owl by a nearby stream as well as other expected species for the area (which are many and always good).

Flowering Ingas in the Caribbean Foothills

Lately, while driving downhill from Cinchona, visiting Centro Manu, and passing through Sarapiqui, I noticed good numbers of flowering Ingas. This is great news for hummingbirds and us birders hoping to see them! The wispy white flowers produced by these guava relatives are some of the best natural feeders around and one of the better ways to see coquettes and Green Thorntails.

If you notice a bushy tree with wispy white flowers, stop and watch it for a while, you should eventually see some hummingbirds. With luck, you might also find something uber rare.

Ruddy-breasted Seedeater in Tarcoles

In Costa Rica, Ruddy-breasted Seedeaters can be unpredictable. For example, although I usually see them in the Cano Negro area, I had no such luck last month. They are also regular in grassy fields in the southern Pacific zone but even there, they can be common one year and seemingly absent the next.

If you’re taking any boat rides on the Tarcoles River soon, you might get lucky with this pretty little finchy bird. Lately, they have been regular from the boat, maybe there’s also some frequenting rice fields around Jaco? You might also see the rare Slate-colored Seedeater. From the boat, there has been a recent sighting or two of this nomadic, uncommon bird!

Seeding Bamboo in Montserrat de Coronado?

Slate-colored Seedeaters have also been spotted around Montserrat de Coronado; an excellent highland site at the end of a rough road in the upper reaches of the northeastern Central Valley.

I’m not sure if observers saw the seedeaters at Locos Por El Bosque or near there nor if bamboo is seeding but their presence is a fair indicator. Another good indicator is the presence of Barred Parakeets. Folks have also been seeing good numbers of those and even getting rare pictures of perched birds! That’s a major bonus because although I hear and often see them in flight, 99% of my looks are small parakeet silhouettes buzzing overhead.

Montserrat de Coronado isn’t on the main birding tour routes but it’s an excellent area to explore on your own or with a local guide. It’s also one of many lesser known sites covered in my bird finding guide to Costa Rica. If the bamboo is seeding up that way, it’s probably also attracting tough birds like Slaty Finch and Blue Seedeater too!

As always, I could mention more sightings, birds like the Palm Warbler near La Gamba, Turquoise and Yellow-billed Cotingas, and others. There’s always a lot more to say about birds in Costa Rica, the best thing to do is visit, get into habitat and watch them. I hope to see you here!

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Tips for Birding Costa Rica Around Carara

During the past week, I had a long, fruitful day in the Carara area. No surprise there, that’s usually how the birding goes in that mega ecotone. While birding from Orotina to Tarcoles, near Villa Lapas, and on the Cerro Lodge entrance road, we identified 167 species. Check out the trip report!

And no, we did not enter Carara National Park; we’ll have to go birding in that fine forest another day. But how can you visit the Carara area and not bird in the national park? For the best of reasons- the area has way too many birds to see in just one day. Check out these tips to give the Carara area justice:

A Day is Great but Three Days are Always Better

We had great looks at Lesser Ground-Cuckoo on the Cerro Lodge road.

You can’t go wrong with a day of birding in the Carara area but you’re better off spending 2 or 3 nights. It’s often so hot, you might want to spend much of the afternoon in a pool anyways.

We could have easily birded the Ceiba de Orotina Road and the nearby Guacima-Bajamar area all day (with a leisurely break for lunch). Likewise, the Bijagual road has so many possibilities, you could spend two full days birding it and see 200 species. Carara National Park also merits a day or two, and you could also spend a morning or late afternoon birding by boat on the Tarcoles River (check out my Costa Rica bird finding guide and birding companion to learn more about these sites and strategies to adequately bird this area).

Spending at least two nights also makes it easier to look for the 9 species of owls and other night birds that live in the area!

The Bijagual Road is Good but Watch the Traffic

On the Bijagual Road, we had some quick and exciting birding just uphill from Villa Lapas. It was pretty hot but a bunch of birds eventually showed. However, there was also quite a bit of traffic. There’s usually some cars and trucks but there were more than usual the other day.

Make sure to park where other vehicles can go around you, especially at the few spots where you can sort of pull off the road.

Common Potoo and Pacific Screech-Owl on the Cerro Lodge Road

Last year, this pair of choice species entertained a good number of birders. This year, they are back! Actually, they never left but had changed their roosting sites. I can’t really describe exactly where they are but, if you bird there with a local guide, you should be able to see them in the day.

Bird there at night and you could see those as well as other species (Barn, Striped, Mottled, and Black and white Owls have all occurred there!).

Persistence Needed for Uncommon Mangrove Birds

Mangrove species were some of our many target birds. It took some looking but we eventually found some of them. The best were a couple of Mangrove Hummingbirds in the Bajamar mangroves. They weren’t on the main road through them (and the mangroves there didn’t look so great) but were in an area of tall mangroves with lots of arching, intertwined roots. This was on the coastal road that runs next to them.

We also found a few species in the mangroves on the road to Playa Azul. It took some looking but birds like Panama Flycatcher and Northern Scrub Flycatcher eventually showed. Although in Costa Rica, these and a few other species only occur in mangroves, ironically, they aren’t abundant. You’ll probably need to work to see them.

birding Costa Rica

The Carara area was birdy as always. No matter how much birding you do, there’s always more to see! My only regret is not being able bird each distinctive area at dawn but the solution’s a good one; take more birding trips to the area. Happy birding, I hope to see you here!

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Starting a Costa Rica Birding Tour with Quality Birds

All birds are good birds; experiencing the avian kind is a guaranteed win. Folks who partake in the birding way, who felt the spark and started walking the avian appreciation path know what I mean. Non-birding folks may not but, you take some time to check out a bird or two with binoculars, go on a local birding walk, and you might get it too.

Another thing that birders get is the concept of “quality birds”. Although some very open-minded birders insist that House Sparrows are just as cool as Cerulean Warblers, deep down inside, we all know they most definitely are not. Sure, levels of bird appreciation are subjective but, if we’re honest with ourselves, even the most eco-expunged Zen birding master knows they see far more House Sparrows than Ceruleans, that looking for Cerulean Warblers involves a lot more driving or walking (and neck straining), and that the sky blue warbler occurs in much smaller numbers.

In other words, the Cerulean fits the bill for being a “quality bird”. It’s a bird species we don’t get to see very often, and one that gets rarer with each passing spring. In Costa Rica, we’re fortunate to have Cerulean Warblers pass through these tropical lands. We’re also fortunate to have lots of other birds too, including several uncommon species that rightly earn the same “quality bird”.

Keel-billed Motmots are quality.

Per their nature, you don’t see quality birds very often, at least you don’t if you don’t know where to see them. Even then, they are easily missed during a few hours or one day of birding. They’re just rare or naturally hard to see or both. Use the best birding site guide for Costa Rica and you still need to pay a lot of attention, still need to get lucky.

On a recent tour, we got pretty lucky. Better yet, we were enveloped by the birding luck on our very first day. Nothing like starting a tour with quality birds, these were highlights from one particularly lucky day of 122 species:

Yellow-naped Amazon

Any day with views of a critically endangered species is a good birding day. You don’t have to be near Tarcoles either. Keep a close morning watch and you might see this big parrot flying near Alajuela, Sabana Park in San Jose, or other areas. We had a pair treat us to flyover views at a regular site for this species; Villa San Ignacio.

Cabanis’s Ground-Sparrow

Next on the morning birding list was this fine species. As large areas of green space in the core of its small range have been destroyed for housing, this cool bird has become increasingly challenging to see.

I was very pleased when one treated our group to excellent views at Villa San Ignacio. I hadn’t seen this uncommon endemic there for some time, I hope a few stick around!

Long-tailed Manakin

Some birds get that “quality” tag because they are rare, others earn the stamp by way of fancy plumage. The Long-tailed Manakin is in the latter category. Although it is common in many places with dry forest habitats, this red-capped beauty can be challenging at Villa San Ignacio.

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Luckily, a calling male decided to perch at close range for fantastic views!

Tiny Hawk

This is a typical view of a Tiny Hawk. Yep, looks sort of like a thrush or a shrikee thing.

Kicking up the quality birds a notch, we hit the jackpot with this one! One can only assume Tiny Hawks live in many parts if Costa Rica but it’s just an assumption because you almost never see them. They don’t call very often, and would rather hide and wait to ambush small birds than gleefully soar over the forest.

Although you can increase your chances of seeing a Tiny Hawk by scanning rainforest canopy in the morning, it’s one of those birds you have to more or less chance upon. Chance was with us during our visit to San Luis Canopy.

While watching the tanager action, I heard the birds give some alarm calls and noticed a bull-headed, thrush-like bird flying overhead. A pint-sized raptor with a shortish tail can only be one thing- Tiny Hawk! With low expectations, I figured I should check out front, maybe I’d get lucky and find it by scanning.

But nope, didn’t need to scan, the bird was perched in a bare tree in plain view, right above the roof! Even better, the rufous juvenile stayed there long enough for prolonged scope views and photos. It reminded me a bit of the only Tiny Hawk I have seen at Cinchona; a tame and unwary juvenile attracted to the feeders.

Blue-and-Gold Tanager

This choice, rarest tanager in Costa Rica was another sweet bird from San Luis. Expected there but always good, always quality.

Lattice-tailed Trogon

After San Luis, we paid a visit to the Manuel Brenes Road. I was hoping that some extra quality birds might still be around, notably, Sharpbill, umbrellabird, and yellow-eared Toucanet. Although the trees they had been feeding on were out of fruit, we still had some other quality species.

The best were at least 3 Lattice-tailed Trogons. This local and rarely accessible foothill species treated is to fantastic singing views.

Brown-billed Scythebill

While watching the first trogon, I whistled like a scythebill and sure enough, one came in. Although this distinctive bird is easier to see than various other quality species, it’s always a treat!

Fasciated Tiger-Heron

We ended the day at Arenal Observatory Lodge and on the drive in, saw one at the stream just before the lodge entrance. Good thing too because that’s the only time we saw it.

Great Curassow

It’s easier to see Great Curassow in Costa Rica than other countries because of easy access to protected habitats.

This fancy turkey is expected at the Observatory Lodge and many other sites in Costa Rica but you won’t see it in most other parts of its range. It’s always quality bird. We had a male on the drive in and then saw several at the feeders and on the Waterfall Trail.

Black and white Owl

We ended our first day with this species, a fantastic Black and white Owl. One or two often come out at night by the Observatory Lodge reception or near the Casona. We had wonderful looks as it perched on roadside wires to hunt around the street lights.

Seeing these and more than 100 hundred species on our first full day was an excellent way to start the tour. In subsequent days, we continued seeing various quality species, some of which I’ll probably write about in future blog posts. Although good birding fortune was with us, we would have never seen these challenging birds without knowing where or how to look for them. Learn more about birding sites in Costa Rica at this blog and in my Costa Rica bird finding guide. Lots of birds are waiting in Costa Rica, I hope to see you here!

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Important Costa Rica Birding Updates- March, 2025

They can also do some cool antswarm acrobatics.

March is high time for birding in Costa Rica. For the most part, it’s still dry, birds are tuning up for the nesting season, raptor migration is happening, and Three-wattled Bellbirds are in the house! It’s a good time to be here. You could also run into umbrellabird, and maybe even one of those avian lottery winning antswarms.

It might have one of these.

If there’s any downside to March, it’s that temps tend to be hotter, most hotels are full, and there’s no Saint Patrick’s Day parades. Once again, I’ll miss the celebrations at the armory in Niagara Falls (have some beers for me!) but at least I’ll be seeing lots of cool birds. If you’ll be in Costa Rica these days, you’ll be seeing lots too. Check out these important local birding updates; they might help with your trip.

Sad Changes at Corso

If you drive to the La Paz waterfall Gardens or Cinchona, you’ll probably also pass by a sweet hummingbird hotspot known as “Corso“. The parking area for this dairy farm and their cafe has long been a regular hotspot for Scintillant Hummingbird and other glittering beauties.

However, after a recent visit, I think it’s going to be a while before we can see hummingbirds there again. Most of the Porterweed that had been growing in the parking lot has been removed. There’s a still a few plants and several might grow back but, for the moment, you’ll have to look for hummingbirds elsewhere. I can’t blame them for removing the plants, lately, they weren’t looking good and may have lived out their lifespan.

Less Parking, Fewer Hummingbirds at Cinchona

At Cinchona, there have also been a couple changes. For the most part, this hotspot still dishes up a beautiful selection of birds and there’s that sweet waterfall view. However, you might not see as many hummingbirds. Their numbers at Cinchona always vary and are probably related to flower prevalence in nearby areas as well as nesting behavior. Even so, I’ve never seen the feeders so quiet.

Hopefully that will change but, for the moment, you’ll need to curb your hummingbirding expectations. Another change at Cinchona involves parking. Overnight, the small corral across the street (and was housing for a donkey and a cow) became a tiny roadside diner. Yep, they are serving food out of there, right across the street from the Hummingbird Cafe. What that means for birders if that you can’t park across the street unless you are dining at the corral.

Poas Volcano is Acting Up

Poas Volcano has always been active but it doesn’t always erupt. Lately, though, it’s been doing some honest to goodness erupting. There hasn’t been any lava yet but there’s been plenty of ash and gases. The park is still open but that could change at any time.

Also, with all that erupting going on, I’m not so sure if the birding will be as good. For the moment, I’ve been staying away from the higher parts of the road to Poas. If you feel like you’d rather not visit that area, you’ll have to see the high elevation birds on the Irazu-Turrialba massif or on Cerro de la Muerte.

Umbrellabirds, Sharpbills, Oh My!

Challenging birds! Since the Sharpbills in Costa Rica and Panama might be an endemic species, that would be a particularly worthy bird to see. Local birders have been seeing these two gems and Yellow-eared Toucanet on the road to Manuel Brenes.

They have been attracted to the fruits of several Lauraceous trees about 1.2 kilometers in from the main road. I heard that those particular trees might not have fruit any more but maybe other ones in the area do. It’s worth checking, especially because this road can also turn up big mixed flocks, antbirds and the ground-cuckoo at ant swarms, Lattice-tailed Trogon, and many other species.

Cattle Tyrant on the Road to Cano Negro

Costa Rica’s first Cattle Tyrant turned up where we had expected it; around La Gamba, near the border with Panama. However, more have obviously been on the move because there’s at least one more at the opposite end of the country!

Yes, local birders have been twitching a Cattle Tyrant on the road to Cano Negro, in the San Emiliano wetland area. Since that bird is almost in Nicaragua, it seems there could easily be a few more hanging out with some of the many cows in other parts of Costa Rica. If you see a funny looking Tropical Kingbird foraging on the ground in a pasture, take a closer look.

Three-wattled Bellbirds near San Ramon

March is also a good time for bellbirds. Most are back on the breeding grounds and as long as males are calling, they are fairly easy to find. While Monteverde is the easiest place to see this fancy cotinga, some also occur in cloud forests near San Ramon.

They can still be hit and miss but you might find one by checking recent eBird sightings. Good areas to check include Quetzal Valley, the Bajo la Paz road to Catarata La Danta, and anywhere from Nectandra to the San Luis Canopy area. You might also find one on the road to Manuel Brenes but the easiest way to see one is to hire the Arias brothers. They live and guide in this area on a daily basis, and can bring you to bellbirds, nesting Ornate Hawk-Eagle, and quetzal (they even have one using a nest box).

Some of those birds might require some hiking but these guys can definitely help. Contact them at Ignacio Arias.

As always, there’s a lot more I could say but that’s all for now. I hope to see you here!

To support this blog and learn more about the birding sites mentioned in this post, get my 900 plus page birding site guide and ebook, “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica“. Happy birding!

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Quality Birds with Avocet Birding Courses in Costa Rica

We finished the tour just two days ago and I can still see the juncos staring back at us from bushes in the high, windy paramo. From an anthropomorphic viewpoint, they peered with angry, masked yellow eyes. In reality, the isolated, flesh-billed sparrows were curious, likely wondering what those two-legged creatures were doing in their mountaintop realm.

They couldn’t know but I thanked them anyways, felt gratitude that the uncommon birds had decided to hop into the open, right at the last minute. They were just one of many quality birds that treated us to fine looks during an Avocet Birding Courses tour I helped plan and guide.

I’ll get to the other avian stars shortly but first, I must relate how I ended up guiding this tour. Twenty-five years ago, I arrived at a montane camp site in southern Colorado for training before setting off to do bird surveys in wild and stunningly beautiful areas. I met with other seasonal workers contracted by the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, one of them was Cameron Cox.

Over the next couple of months, although each of us carried out bird surveys on our own (in incredible, John Denver inspired places), some of us would meet up now and then to share a meal, go to the movies or trade bear stories. Mine included nearly surprising a massive, couch-sized bear in the San Juan Wilderness (I walked out of those Aspens literally shaking with fear). Another guy carefully skirted a sow that stood guard at the base of a tree her cubs had climbed. I’m pretty sure one had also broken into Cameron’s jeep.

It was a unique and fantastic experience; put yourself into wild places and it always is. The birds were constant and included highlights like Flammulated Owls at remote campsites in aspen forest, Pine Grosbeaks warbling from firs frequented by American Three-toed Woodpeckers, occasional Cassin’s Finches, bluebirds, and so on and so on. At the end of the field season, one of our co-workers (Glen) graciously let Cameron and I crash at his place in Grand Junction.

Not content with staying in a city, we of course planned an adventure to search for Black Rosy-Finch in the nearest mountain range in eastern Utah. Range maps didn’t show it living there but common sense did. Thanks to good old DeLorme maps, driving, and determination, we found a suitable spot, parked, and walked uphill over rock-sliding scree.

It took a little while but we eventually reached snow patches and got our bird! I can still hear Cameron call out the bird and us celebrating as it flew by; feathered black licorice with candied pink.

Since then, Cameron got the ABA Big Day record (on a team with Michael Retter and other mutual friends), has had multitudes of other birding adventures in Alaska, Texas, and other places, and has also published books including Terns of North America; A Photographic Guide. As for me, since those Colorado days, birds have brought me to Peru, other places, and eventually, Costa Rica. We’ve kept in touch now and then and when Cameron mentioned organizing a birding tour to Costa Rica for his Avocet Birding Courses company, I happily agreed.

The tour went well and many quality birds complied. By “quality” I mean species that aren’t as common or easy to see, and/or look simply incredible. During this 8 days tour, we saw a good number of them, including these species (I might as well list them in sort of taxonomic order):

Great Tinamou

Although widespread, equally widespread hunting makes this ancient bird tough to see in much of its range. Some of the best places are in Costa Rica including Tirimbina Reserve, the place where we enjoyed one at close range.

Great Curassow

Like the tinamou mentioned above, this Neotropical turkey-like bird is also typically scarce. Happily, in Costa Rica, thanks to protective measures, it has become fairly common and easy to see in a number of places. We got good views of one male on the Manuel Brenes Road.

Sunbittern

Oh yes, such a cool bird! You’ll Gondwana see this one for sure. Sorry, it had to be done. Although fairly common and widespread in Costa Rica, adequate access to this bird’s rushing river habitat makes it an easy one to miss. We had fantastic looks during a boat ride with Green Ships on the Sarapiqui River (check out our eBird list). Unbelievably, it was foraging on a muddy bank rather close to a busy bridge. The title track of this incipient rave track by 808 State hints at the experience.

Sungrebe

We also had some other good birds on our Green Ships Sarapiqui boat tour (totally recommended). This one might tie with the Sunbittern in terms of quality. As we approached the La Selva bridge, we had fantastic, prolonged looks at one of these snakey birds.

Buff-fronted Quail-Dove

On a cozy lunch visit to Casa Tangara Dowii, we were treated to ridiculously good views of Buff-fronted Quail-Dove. You know the looks are good when folks start to wonder if the bird should really be called, “Green-naped Quail-Dove”.

As is usual for this welcoming birder retreat, we also enjoyed a fantastic lunch served up by owner and major birding promotor Serge Arias.

Snowcap (and 29 other hummingbird species)

We saw a good number of hummingbirds and they are all good but one species’ surreal plumage places it into the “must see” category. Luckily, we connected at Centro Manu, one of the few reliable sites for this wine-dipped bird.

I should also mention that the Fiery-throateds, Talamancas, Volcanos, Scintiillants, and other hummingbirds we saw during the tour were also pretty darn nice.

Great Potoo

This nocturnal beat treated us very well. After Cope showed us one, we had amazing views of an alert bird at night, and then one more at Centro Manu!

Great Potoo

Crested Owl

Speaking of Centro Manu, of yes, it also delivered with a fantastic pair of roosting Crested Owls.

Unspotted Saw-whet Owl

Ok, we didn’t actually see this pint-sized mega but it was still cool to hear it. It’s the same individual I have heard on several occasions at Myriams Soda/Quetzal Cabins. I’ve got to spend some night time up there to see where it tests its little talons.

As consolation, we did lay eyes on a Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl.

Resplendent Quetzal

Bird in the right places and this bird is expected but, in keeping with the rules of birding, nothing is guaranteed. Happily, we made up for our first view of a silhouetted female by watching unreal, long-plumed males sing at close range.

Utterly fantastic and straight from your best birding dreams, the birding in the Dota Valley is always good.

Check out the eBird list with media.

White-fronted Nunbird

In Costa Rica, this cool and crazy puffbird can be evasive. I was glad that everyone got great looks at “singing” birds at Tirimbina. Near there, we also had scoped views of White-necked and Pied Puffbirds.

Great Green Macaw

Another Costa Rica bird hero, we had wonderful views during our Sarapiqui boat trip (yeah, it was pretty darn good).

Bare-necked Umbrellabird

Whoah! Stop the press! Always unexpected and especially on our itinerary. Birding karma, luck, and The Force must have been with us. Having some extra time to work with, I figured we might as well stop on the road to Manuel Brenes because it’s excellent habitat and, you just never know.

Although the Lattice-tailed Trogon never appeared, um, another bird sure did. I wouldn’t have seen it had we not randomly stopped and started watching thrushes at a fruiting tree. While attempting to squeak out canopy views of flighty White-throated and Pale-vented Thrushes, I noticed a large, black bird much lower in the forest.

I thought, oh crap, that could be an umbrellabird! Sure enough, the view through my binos showed a crow-like bird with an outrageous pompadour head. I called out the bird and pandemonium nearly ensued but, thankfully, the bird stayed put for scope views. A male. And at one point, it even inflated its personal red balloon!

This was one of those sweet situations where you know a bird is possible but it’s still a remote possibility. It’s still a throw of the dice and the odds ain’t in your favor. I’m happy we hit the avian lottery, most of all that everyone got scope views of this mega, yearned for target.

Check out the eBird list.

Snowy Cotinga

This fellow weird and cool cotinga was another sweet avian connection. We had fine views of a pair in flight during our Sarapiqui boat trip.

I could always mention more but, of the 400 plus species found during the tour and pre-tour dry forest extension, these quality birdies stand out. Equally exemplary were our driver Luis, lodging and service at Villa San Ignacio, Quinta de Sarapiqui, Donde Cope, Myriams Soda and Quetzal Cabins, Mirador de Valle, Green Ships Sarapiqui, Guarumos, and other spots.

Most of all, though, it was a gift to share birds with Cameron and a wonderful bunch of people, some of whom work at and volunteer for the Tracie Aviary or, are field biologists. In my world, folks who work to promote and conserve birds and biodiversity are nothing less than heroes. Thanks for doing all that you do!

To learn more about where we saw these quality species while supporting this blog, get my 900 plus page ebook, “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica”. Happy birding, I hope to see you here!

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Best Spots for Birding Costa Rica on a Short Trip

Visiting Costa Rica but only have a few days for birding? It’s not ideal but some birding is always better than none. Although most birders take a birding tour to Costa Rica or bird here for at least a week, quite a few also visit Costa Rica on brief trips. They might be a participant in a conference or convention, get a medical procedure, or be here for work.

It might not be a full-fledged two week birding vacation but the good thing is that you can still go birding!

Major birding.

You deserve to go birding too because this here country has a 930 plus species bird list. Yeah, a lot of stuff in small spaces and an ideal situation for a brief stay! If you only have a few days (or less) to work with, the following options are my top three choices for birding trips in Costa Rica.

The Poas Area

I’ve probably mentioned this birding option a lot but what can I say? if you only have one morning or a day for birding, it might be your best choice. It certainly is if you have never been to Costa Rica.

If coming from the Alajuela area (near the airport), it only takes 45 minutes to reach high elevation habitats on good roads. Everything from silky-flycatchers to Flame-throated Warbler and even Wrenthrush and Resplendent Quetzal are possible.

Head a bit lower down and middle elevation habitats host birds like Red-faced Spinetail, Violet Sabrewing and several other hummingbirds. If you have the time, you can also bird a bit lower and see more tanagers and maybe even Ornate Hawk-Eagle (!).

Blend this with birding in the Central Valley and Cabanis’s Ground-Sparrow might also make it into the day list.

The Caribbean Lowlands

Lowland and foothill rainforests aren’t prohibitively far from the San Jose area either. With an early start, you can probably avoid the heaviest traffic on Route 32 and reach excellent forest habitat in 45 minutes or an hour.

Nectar and Pollen is a great choice. This roadside private reserve often has Snowcap and other hummingbirds, various tanagers, White Hawk and other raptors, and many other species. It is also set up for bird photography, you might even capture images of White-tipped Sicklebill.

A bit further on, Cope’s experience, birding at Guarumo’s Restaurant, or detouring to the La Selva area will result in a wide variety of lowland rainforest birds.

Orotina and Tarcoles

Not to be outdone, we also have lots of birdy habitats on the Pacific side of the mountains. Once again, around 45 minutes or an hour’s drive from the Alajuela area, the Ceiba de Orotina road has open spaces and riparian zones with chances at Double-striped Thick-knee, Turquoise-browed Motmot, Black-headed Trogon, several raptors, and many other species.

Costa Rica birding tour

You could bird there and then check mangrove habitats at Caldera, or, head to the Tarcoles area for chances at Scarlet Macaw, parrots, and a wide variety of edge, wetland, coastal, dry forest, and humid forest species!

Bird all day in any of these sites and you could easily record well over 100 species. My best days have been well over 170 species (both in the Sarapiqui lowlands and around Tarcoles), as well as many days birding the Poas area with quetzals, Black Guan, Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl, hawk-eagles, several hummingbird species, and roosting owls and Great Potoo with Cope.

In Costa Rica, there’s a heck of a lot of birds to see, even if you only have a day or two to work with. On longer trips, there are hundreds of birding sites in Costa Rica to choose from. No matter what, I hope to see you here!

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Where to Watch Birds in Costa Rica- the Drive to Fortuna

I was very lucky to get super close looks and pictures of Keel-billed Motmot at Heliconias Lodge. Not so lucky with shots of Tody Motmot.

Where to watch birds in Costa Rica? Ask and you’ll get a wealth of answers, most based on personal experience or commercial interest. You’ll eventually find the right ones but you’ll probably have to wade through dozens of comments and website fluff to get there.

In general, the answer depends on the same factors as every birding destination; the birds you want to see, how you want to experience them, and how much time you have. Once you figure those things out, check birding tour itineraries, eBird hotspots, and go from there (my Costa Rica birding site guide book will also help).

During trip planning, don’t be surprised if you find yourself drawn to the Arenal area. The combination of tourism infrastructure, quality forested habitats, and accessible birding make Arenal one of the top hotspots in Costa Rica. Visit the right places around Arenal and you’ll have fair chances at King Vulture, hawk-eagles and other raptors, 3 to 4 motmot species, antbirds, and hundreds of other species!

King Vulture flight

Yes, it truly is fantastic, especially because it’s so easy to do! Most roads are good and it takes around three hours to drive there from the airport. Although you could go straight there, the trip is long enough to merit en-route birding. That birding is also so good, you can’t go wrong in spending an extra day or two to finally reach Arenal!

Seriously, Costa Rica just has too many excellent, accessible birding areas. If you plan on driving to La Fortuna, these are some suggestions and places where I go birding:

San Ramon

If you could go for some dry forest birds, sites at the edge of San Ramon can deliver. Patches of dry forest habitat at the edge of the city host birds like Chestnut-capped Warbler, Rufous-breasted and Rufous-and-white Wrens, Orange-fronted Parakeet, White-fronted Parrot, Long-tailed Manakin, and more.

Chestnut-capped-Warbler

One of the better spots is a track just outside the southern edge of the UCR university campus. Although the habitat there is sadly threatened by poisoning and burning to use the land for farming and housing, in the past, it has been a good site for Cabanis’s Ground-Sparrow and many other species.

The San Ramon Cloud Forests

San Ramon is also near some excellent cloud forest sites. Around 30 minutes drive from San Ramon, the Bajo La Paz area hosts good roadside birding and some private reserves. This is a good area for Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Sunbittern, quetzal is always possible, and many other middle elevation birds occur too. From February to April, bellbirds are also often present!

You can see a good number of birds from the road but you’ll see more if you hire local guides, Romain and Ignacio Arias.

Cocora

This small reserve is on the main road towards La Fortuna, maybe 15 minutes from San Ramon. They have a good hummingbird garden, butterfly enclosure, nice feeder action, and good middle elevation forest with an excellent variety of species. They also serve excellent, locally grown coffee, some of the best I have ever tried.

Coppery-headed Emerald showing its colors.

A short trail in the forest can yield several nice birds but it can be a bit challenging and muddy. This spot is small but don’t underestimate it. Highland Tinamou has visited their kitchen outflow, I have seen Bicolored Hawk and Ornate Hawk-Eagle here, and umbrellabird sometimes also occurs. They probably charge a $10 to $12 entrance fee.

San Luis Canopy

Just down the road from Cocora is one of this route’s better known birding sites. It opens at 8 but if you get there before then, keep an eye on the trees behind the buildings and nearby habitat. A lot of middle elevation species are possible including White Hawk and other raptors, various tanagers, and many other species.

Most birders pay $10 to enjoy the tanager feeding station but you can also pay more to bird their excellent hanging bridges trail. This trail passes through excellent habitat with chances at umbrellabird (seasonal), Purplish-backed Quail-Dove, Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo and antbirds at antswarms, and other nice species, even Lattice-tailed Trogon.

The Manuel Brenes Road

Of all the sites mentioned, this one might be the best. This public road varies in terms of its condition but, lately, it’s been leveled and in pretty good shape. Leaving from a roadside marsh, it passes through excellent lower middle elevation forest. Roadside birding can turn up big mixed flocks with shrike-tanager and many other species including possible Sharpbill (rare but regular), Northern Schiffornis and other deep forest birds, a chance at antbirds and the ground-cuckoo at antswarms, as well as foothill birds like Lattice-tailed Trogon and Yellow-eared Toucanet.

Umbrellabird can also occur, bellbirds are often present, various raptors are possible, and the list goes on!

Lands in Love and Nearby

When I have birded the Manuel Brenes road, I have often had lunch a little bit further down the main road to Fortuna at the Loveats Cafe. They aren’t always open but, if so, enjoy vegan dishes and great coffee while scanning for raptors.

You can also bird their main hotel, Lands in Love. This site has a lot of rescued, barking dogs but also has great foothill-lowland rainforest habitat. The loop road can be very good (I recently saw Rufous-winged Tanager, Black Hawk-eagle, and Yellow-eared Toucanet while others also had a Tiny Hawk!), and there are trails through good forest.

Those trails can yield a wide variety of forest species, even Keel-billed Motmot, Semiplumbeous Hawk, and possible Slaty-backed Forest-Falcon among many other species.

There are also other sites to explore near Lands in Love. Adventurous birders will like the Las Rocas road. This is a side road that makes a sort of loop from San Lorenzo to the Cecropia Ecolodge. It’s not always passable and you’ll need four wheel drive but you’ll have some equally exciting birding!

Finca Luna Nueva

There are additional birding options further downhill, heading towards La Fortuna. For a nice set of lowland birds and excellent organic cuisine, you can’t got wrong by birding at Finca Luna Nueva. It’s a good place to stay and break up your trip, especially because their trails can have Uniform Crake, White-fronted Nunbird, and many other forest species.

You can also see a lot right around the cabins and pool.

If you plan on driving to La Fortuna, make time for birding on the way there. You can’t go wrong by stopping at one or more of the sites mentioned above. Happy birding, I hope to see you here!

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Birding News from the San Luis Canopy, February, 2025

“Canopy” has more meanings than you think. I hear or see the word and envision the most evasive and alluring parts of a forest. Canopy is where tree crowns could be topped with silent and colorful cotingas, a tip top might be graced by an Olive-sided Flycatcher, and where eagles nest.

An Ornate Hawk-Eagle from near Virgen del Socorro.

The canopy is irony in full view because you can look up into it but, you hardly see it, at least not from the ground. To experience the canopy, you have to somehow get up there, high into the squirrel and monkey walkways. Aptly named canopy towers help but in Costa Rica, for whatever reason, we don’t have many. Instead, we rely on views of steep slopes cloaked in mature forest, or bird from suspension bridges that cross steep and deep ravines.

A canopy is also a type of roof, and, in Costa Rica, a synonym for “ziplining”. Yes, put on the helmet, harness up, and you can canopy through the canopy. It’s exhilarating and you might see a good bird or two but it’s not the best way to bird the canopy. As with all birding, seeing those high level birds requires time and patience, a lot more than a pseudo flight through the forest.

If birding with family who want to go ziplining (most do and with good reason), this presents one of those common vacation birding conundrums. Basically, how do you please everyone, the birding you included? The easiest solution is to go birding in a place where you can watch birds while the non-birding fam can get their zipline canopy kicks. Luckily, in those regards, several ziplining spots work but one spot is especially fantastic.

That spot is the San Luis Canopy (aka Parque Aventura San Luis) and if you need to mix fam. canopy with your type of canopy, this is the place to do it. Heck, even if you aren’t with family and want to experience excellent birding, you can go to San Luis and do that too!

I was there today, here’s some of the latest birding news from this birding hotspot:

Bare-necked Umbrellabird

San Luis continues to be a reliable spot for this mega, crow-sized cotinga. Although it rarely comes to the edge (where the feeders are), you might see one on their hanging bridges trail. Lately, workers have been seeing at least back in those fine woods. Maybe you’ll see it too?

Tanager Fest

Lots of tanagers are still visiting the fruit feeder area including a couple of Blue-and-Gold Tanagers. They are joined by lots of Silver-throateds, a few Emeralds, Bay-headed, Scarlet-rumped, Crimson-collared, Palm, and Blue-gray Tanagers.

Keep watching and you’ll also get super close views of beautiful Black-cheeked Woodpeckers, Tawny-capped Euphonias, patriotic Clay-colored Thrushes, Chestnut-capped Brushfinch, and other species.

Keep watching the surrounding trees too, that’s where Black-and-yellow Tanagers occur along with White-ruffed Manakin, Tropical Parula, migrant warblers, and other birds.

Altitudinal Migrants

Some of those other birds may include Black-thighed Grosbeak, White-throated Thrushes, and Black-faced Solitaires. Lately, cool weather has driven these and some other species to lower, more food-rich environs. Might a Yellow-eared Toucanet show up? Maybe something else?

I heard one of these beauties today.

If you don’t see them at San Luis, head down the road and watch for fruiting trees, they might be there instead.

Scaled Antpitta, Purplish-backed Ground-Dove, and other Good Birds

Lately, the birder/workers at San Luis have also been seeing Scaled Antpitta. That’s not too surprising but they haven’t seen it before and it’s always a tough one to see. Interestingly enough, one of the birder workers related how a Scaled Antpitta seems to follow White-collared Peccaries.

He also mentioned that he has been seeing quite a few Purplish-backed Quail-Doves, and may have seen Strong-billed Woodcreeper in the back part of the forest. Although he hasn’t seen Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo lately, this site has been a good spot for that mega bird and it should show again, especially with Army Ants.

Speaking of Army Ants, they also regularly see Ruddy Woodcreeper along with other ant following birds. Sadly, one of the birds they have not seen lately is Ochre-breasted Antpitta. Although at least one was regular at the site for a while, they haven’t seen this species in a while. I wonder if it’s because of climate change driven warmer and drier weather.

Lattice-tailed Trogon

This toughest of Costa Rica trogons is also present although it seems to be restricted to the deepest part of the forest. It’s a bit of a walk but with umbrellabird, ground-cuckoo, and other species possible, yeah, it might be a good one to do!

Raptors

San Luis is also good for raptors. Today, they heard Ornate Hawk-Eagle calling just before we arrived and, just down the road, I had also glimpsed a soaring Black Hawk-Eagle!

Other regular raptors include Barred Hawk, Bicolored Hawk (although pretty uncommon), Double-toothed Kite, Barred Forest -Falcon sneaking around the forest, Short-tailed Hawk, and occasional Great Black Hawk. If you are extra lucky, you might even see Tiny Hawk.

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An elusive Tiny Hawk.

Yep, San Luis Canopy is rocking! In a month or two, Three-wattled Bellbird should also be around, they have seen at least one Keel-billed Motmot, and other cool birds are a short drive down the main road. One of those is Tody Motmot. Despite what range maps show, this super cool bird also occurs at sites a 30 minute drive from San Luis. Lots of other birds do too, to look for them, contact Maylor Herrera. He’s the birder and employee at San Luis who shared a wealth of birding information with me today, including the fact that he’s found several territories of Tody Motmot and spots for White-tipped Sicklebill.

To visit San Luis, tanager viewing costs $12 while their longer, hanging bridges trail may cost $25 to $30. They also have a nice little restaurant and a bunch of good souvenirs, local craft beer included. As always, I look forward to my next visit.

To learn more about hundreds of birding sites in Costa Rica, support this blog by purchasing my 900 plus page Costa Rica bird finding ebook. I hope to see you here!