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Category: birds to watch for in Costa Rica

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Six Months Birding Costa Rica, 600 + Species

It’s June, 2026, do you know how many birds you’ve seen this year? Or heard? If you’re keeping track of the number of bird species you’ve identified, take note, 2026 is halfway over! Yep, 6 months down and 6 months to go and whether you are a birder doing a Big Year or just counting year birds, you’re about to enter the home stretch. It’s a long 6 months but they’ll go fast; time is running out!

The hour has arrived to plan out the next 6 months, to arrange trips and visits and birding breaks for the birds you still need to identify. Make plans and restrategize and mark calendar dates. Book hotels or check out campgrounds and maybe flights, it’s up to you to see how far you want to take your annual counting of birds.

Or, count but go the Zen birding route and take the birds as they fly. Meditate under an old growth tree to clear the mind and then go birding whenever and wherever. You won’t see as much as the red-eyed, strategists but so what? Mushroom tea and woodpecker drums? Watching soaring raptors and imagining what it would be like to ride those same thermals? This is your birding year, you can count birds however you want or, not even count them at all. It’s your birding list, this is your birding life.

But you really should try to see a Black-and-yellow Tanager. Or a Swallow-tailed Kite or one of those blue-faced Black Guans or, gasp, the magnificence of a Resplendent Quetzal. As much as I dislike the pushy connotations associated with “should”, in this case, it’s all about making birding recommendations with the best of intentions.

We enjoy whatever birds we see but let’s face it, some birds sort of look pretty mind blowing more than other birds (hello House Wrens…). Take that aforementioned tanager for example. The male’s bright, nearly orange-tinged yellow contrasts with coal black and it has a slender look and beak that make it look sort of like a king warbler.

Or the kite in being a living definition of elegance. That raptor was built to mesmerize!

The guan is cool because yes, it does have a blue face and, that’s not all! It has garnet eyes that makes it look like an escapee from the stuffed animal dimension.

As for the quetzal, reasons to see that ridiculously extravagant bird are self explanatory. I mean, the thing is big, it shimmers better than cellophane (!), and makes wacky, cackling sounds in flight. If you have yet to see one, prepare thy mind for sensory birding overload. Tears may happen (and justifiably so).

A male quetzal is always the star of the avian show.

It’s June, 2026 and I’m pleased to have spent some time with these species since January. I hope to keep seeing them but, I do have some other birds I’d like to experience over the next six months. Those would be bird species I have yet to run into this year in Costa Rica, svelte birds like the Spotted Rail and Paint-billed Crake, Elegant Trogon and Ivory-billed Woodcreeper. Ruddy Woodcreeper would also be welcome along with Thicket Tinamou and Stub-tailed Spadebill (a right name for a truly gnomish little bird).

If I make it up to Guanacaste and bird Rincon de la Vieja and other right places, I should connect with these species and more. Looking at other blanks on my year list, it looks like several mornings of dawn chorus in quality middle elevation forest could also work out well. I do that and I’ll have a better chance of hearing rarities like Strong-billed and Black-banded Woodcreepers and maybe a Black and white Becard. I might also meet with Azure-hooded Jay, antthrushes, and other unseen year birds that reside in dripping, mossy cloud forest.

It’s no surprise that uncommon species from other bioregions are likewise lacking from my year list. Those would be birds like Tody Motmot, Black-eared Wood-Quail, and a few other denizens of the foothill zone, a handful of high elevation species, and some birds more likely in the South Caribbean.

However, the birds I need to truly push me over the year bird edge are a combination of migrants and seabirds. I don’t know if I’ll make it out to pelagic waters but, if I do, I can expect ten or more species, birds like storm-petrels and shearwaters, and the long-winged terns of the high seas. Luckily, I can also catch up with some of them from the ferry in the Gulf of Nicoya coupled with seawatching from Puntarenas.

As for my missing 2026 migrants, I’ll have to wait until September to look for various shorebirds and, then, go all out with year birding efforts in October. That translates to listening to night skies, going birding most mornings, and looking for migrants as much as possible, especially on the Caribbean coast. That’ll boost my chances at finding rarities for Costa Rica like some warblers and Least Flycatcher (yeah, it’s rare here!) but it’ll also be a treat to bear witness to all the kingbirds, swallows, raptors, and other birds moving south.

Even if I didn’t see any new year birds, it would still be all good. I can’t complain with identifying 604 year birds so far including key species like Red-fronted Parrotlet, several owls, Bare-necked Umbrellabird, Lovely Cotinga, and lots more!

I can’t complain with watching flybys of White-fronted Parrots and Red-billed Pigeons in an urban neighborhood either. There’s always lots to see in Costa Rica, go birding here and you won’t be disappointed!

In the meantime, I’ll do some strategizing, do some focused searches for missing year birds, and work on various writing and bird-related projects. One of those is updating “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica”. Although this Costa Rica bird finding guide is fairly complete, there have still been a few new places to add and others to edit. Hopefully, I’ll be able to finish that update soon. Until then, happy birding, I hope to see you here!

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The Swifts are Back in Town

In Costa Rica, the dark clouds of the wet season have descended upon us. Every afternoon, around one or two, they gather and swoop in to unleash their million count buckets and if the winds happened to bring in a bit of extra moisture from the Caribbean, the sky loaders work double, triple time to keep the rains a coming.

It’s only May, the rain bringers are just getting started; barely kicking the gears to get that sky river rolling. Some afternoons, the rains deluge and flood streets, even create local tornadoes. We saw one such heavy energy system the other day, happily, from a safe and dry distance. It was a massive lead block, a thing of dense gray water seemingly turned solid and alien that grossly interrupted the usual bucolic scenery of towns, scattered palm trees, and green quilted hills. In the news later that day, we watched footage from the center of that aquatic creature, an ocean in action that ripped off roofing and forced trees to bend the knee. From our perspective, it was a lead void that obscured the skies over the town of Grecia and the southwest flank of Poas Volcano. From the inside, I figured I had learned what a fish sees when it looks through the water of its tank.

Fortunately, so far, that seemed to be the worst of the early wet season weather. No doubt, as the season moves forward, we’ll see more of the sky becoming oceanic, especially with a super el Nino forming. What will it bring? Probably nothing good, severity on top of extreme is never a boon, at least not unless you are a mountain hoping to shed tonnages of soil and trees. Not unless you are a stream dreaming of becoming a rushing, unstoppable river.

In the meantime, although we have seen a few afternoons of rain steady from the afternoon on well into the night, there have also been sunny mornings, fresh foliaged trees graced with singing vireos (a la Yellow-Green), Clay-colored Thrushes bring beakfulls of food to hidden young, curious, loudly calling Brown Jays, heavy set Red-billed Pigeons power flapping through the humid air, and other neighborhood urban birds.

Those would be species like Blue-gray Tanagers, an occasional Blue Grosbeak warble-singing with hope at the edge of determined second growth, a motmot hooting from the shade, and others.

Here at the tail end of migration, as the warblers in NYC sing proud to announce their festive northern arrival, we still have some migrants. These are the classic “late ones”, the birds hesitant to leave their Amazonian haunts. Yesterday morning, around 5:40 a.m., I saw some of those later migrants; a flock of Eastern Kingbirds winging it north and briefly stopping to feed from a fruiting fig, pewees air bouncing from perches, and a stealthy Willow/Alder Flycatcher keeping to low vegetation at the edge of a small, urban stream.

My greatest hope is seeing a migrating cuckoo, the more likely one being a Yellow-billed. But they are tricky here in Costa Rica, with those long, svelte wings, most probably zip right over the entire country in one night. The ones that stop hide all too well and they don’t sing but I know they are here, hopefully I’ll get lucky before they are gone. I’ve been listening for them at night too but haven’t heard any. In fact, although I have heard various other species call from night skies above the Central Valley, I have yet to hear the guttural calls of migrating cuckoos.

I might not be seeing cuckoos but I’m grateful to see an abundance of swifts. It’s like this every wet season. After clear and breezy dry season skies nearly bereft of swifts, all of a sudden, we’ve got the air birds dotting the cloudy skies, calling from high above, and even zipping low over local roofs. They’ve come back to town and are still ever difficult to see well but at least they are here.

Where were they in the dry season? In all likelihood, the swifts were out foraging over rainforests or, maybe just too high overhead to see. In the dry season, birding eyes can always find the low flying Chaeturas (the good old “cigars with wings”) and the falconish, big White-collared Swifts but, to see the less common swifts, you usually need to bird more humid regions.

Not so right now and, amazingly, the uncommon swifts will forage right over busy streets and congested roads. That’s how it was this afternoon. While waiting in line for a late afternoon traffic light to change, dozens of scythe-winged, dark birds zipped over houses and busy streets. If anyone person bothered to look up and notice them, they could easily be envious. While we sat nearly trapped in vehicles waiting to move a few feet, the aerialists moved unhindered and fast, flying where they pleased and far, as if the town wasn’t there, as if to show off their natural freedom.

Without binoculars, I couldn’t say for sure which species were flying overhead but suspect they were mostly Chestnut-collared Swifts along with a few other species. When I got back home, birds were still flying over houses as well as high in the sky. Thanks to magnified views, I espied several White-collared Swifts along with a handful of Black Swifts, several Chestnut-collareds and, the stars of the wet season, Spot-fronted Swifts.

A few swift photos from some years ago…

There may have been White-chinned as well but I couldn’t see enough details to say for sure, nor did they reveal their identity with vocalizations. Happily, the Spot-fronteds did, mostly as they chased each other on air-chopping, bat-like wings. I suspect it’s some form of courtship, supposing they know that now is the time to nest, now is the time of insect abundance, at least on the Pacific side of the mountains.

We’ve been witness to that abundance ourselves, noticed clouds of gnats, millions of tiny bugs swarming over the streets. Swift and flycatcher food, could that also be why the flycatchers migrate late? More en-route sustenance?

The low pressure and clouds drive the air plankton down and the swifts follow suit. And you can actually see them, note pale scaling on the belly and eventually catch the fine details on their heads and, even so, their fast ways ensure that they aren’t the easiest of birds to watch. But now is the time to try and focus in on swifts in Costa Rica, at least in the Central Valley, because now is when the swifts are back in town.

To learn about swift identification in Costa Rica, check out the freshly updated Costa Rica Birds- field guide app, my ebook, “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica” and this excellent article written by my friend and Ornis birding guide, Dani Lopez-Velasco, “Neotropical swifts: some noteworthy Peruvian records—and additional aerial enigmas“.

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Observations from Overcast Birding near Poas, Costa Rica

Going birding in Costa Rica? It’s worth being aware of the biggest birding factors. If you’re a birder, you already know them; factors like habitat, time of day, season, and weather. In these modern, tech-birding times, we can also factor in eBird although it’s worth mentioning that you can’t trust all eBird records and, that bird sightings are automatically biased for heavily birded areas.

That bias means that yes, you can get an idea of where certain species have been seen but, it doesn’t mean that they don’t also occur in other suitable places. Remember that there’s a lot of places with little to no eBird coverage, and even in places where folks do go birding, many aren’t finding all the birds in that given area.

I was reminded of all of these bird-affecting factors during a recent day of guiding in the forests on and near Poas Volcano. Since we couldn’t start until well after the early morning, I wondered what we would see. Would the day bring breezy, sunny weather perfect for picnics but bad for birding? Would we become besieged with pounding rain and be relegated to watching for a hint of avian life from a sheltered, fixed position?

As luck would have it, we experienced none of the above. Instead, we lucked out with the in-between weather, misty, cloudy conditions that do more than remind you of cool, camping weather in Pennsylvania. In Costa Rica, this is the weather you hope for because overcast days are always better birding days.

That doesn’t matter do much from 6 to 8 a.m. but after that avian morning rush, it makes all the difference. Arriving at the road to Poas around 11, we got there just in time for late morning activity. Under the cool, overcast skies, a good number of birds were active and calling and we were kept busy with nice views of regular resident species. Those would be birds like Collared Redstart, bush-tanagers, Mountain Elaenias, Slaty Flowerpiercers, Sooty Thrushes, Fiery-throated Hummingbirds, Mountain Thrushes, and others. Thankfully, those other species also included nest building Black-and-Yellow Silky-Flycatchers, and Long-tailed Silky-Flycatchers.

The Long-tailed in particular were in abundance, we had so many close views, we almost got tired of looking at them!

Other birds of note were a brief view of a Buffy Tuftedcheek, nightingale-thrushes, and a distant calling Buff-fronted Quail-Dove but I didn’t want to linger very long. There was a bit too much volcano traffic and we had other birds to see so, by noon, we made the short drive downhill for lunch at the Volcan Restaurant.

That nice, birder friendly site paid off with several hummingbirds and one of our birds for the day, Resplendent Quetzal! While watching from the back windows, in a surreal half a moment, we saw two quickly zip in and disappear in the streamside forest.

After failing to relocate them (but seeing Black-thighed Grosbeak in the process), I eventually spotted one of the males fluttering high over forest just down the road. As is usual with R Quetzals, it was another, dream-like surreal moment. While looking out over the forest, the bird suddenly appeared in silhouette against the pale gray sky. No colors, just a bird slowly flying in a straight line with its long tail fluttering behind it, all the while looking like a fancy kite being flown by a happy child.

We walked in that direction and sure enough, the male quetzal flew out again, eventually giving is excellent perched views joined by its mate.

The next place on our list were the cloud forests of Varablanca, forests that border Braulio Carrillo National Park between 1500 and 2,000 meters. We got there around 1:30 or so and it was still overcast but, the bird activity had calmed down quite a bit. That was surprising, it was early afternoon after all, about when many birds sort of take a siesta. Even so, in the high areas, we still managed to see Flame-throated Warblers, Barred Becard, and a few other birds before birding our way down the San Rafael Road.

Thankfully, this road is paved down to around 1550 meters as it borders beautiful cloud forest adjacent to Braulio Carrillo National Park. The good road condition and very little traffic always makes for fun, easy-going birding.

Although the cloudy conditions resulted in little soaring raptors, we did alright with some other birds. With diligence, as the afternoon wore on, bird activity eventually picked up again and we had views of Prong-billed Barbets, Northern Emerald Toucanet (that was actually early on at a fruiting tree), Tropical Parula, White-throated Spadebill, thrushes, woodcreepers, an extremely tame Collared Trogon, and some other birds.

One of those other birds beat out quetzal for bird of the day. Around 1500 meters elevation, while trying to espy a pair of skulking Red-faced Spinetails, a big, chunky, black bird fluttered into view. I immediately knew what it was and, thankfully, we for excellent views of a female Bare-necked Umbrellabird before it moved off and into the forest!

Not long before then, I had mentioned that umbrellabird was possible, that, given the time of year and elevation, a few were likely somewhere out there in those cloud forests. However, I also mentioned that we’d still be very lucky to see one. Running across one is typically random and there are few in number; it isn’t an endangered species for nothing.

I’m not sure why the umbrellabird was present but there were a couple of suitable fruiting trees near there and it’s possible it was feeding from them. Pale-vented and Mountain Thrushes were also foraging at those trees, heck, the even more elusive Lovely Cotinga might visit them too!

While we saw the umbrellabird, I also had another interesting observation. It was a sound actually and one that I still wonder about. It just doesn’t fit anything that could occur there, at least the bird vocalizations I am aware of. It sounded like a dove but the longish, descending call seemed too high pitched for a Ruddy or Chiriqui-Quail-Dove. Those are the two main candidates and I suspect it was one of them but I’d sure love to see what that bird was. I also wonder if it was some owl making some weird call during the day? All the more reason to return and look for it!

The final highlight was listening to nightjars at dusk. A bit after 6, Common Pauraques called and, in one spot, were joined by the whip-poor-willish sounds of the Dusky Nightjar. Listening to the evening nightjar serenade was a treat and a fine way to end our eventful day of birding.

To see the birds we recorded, check out the trip report. Learn more about these and hundreds of other birding sites in Costa Rica (along with how to find the birds) with my 900m plus page ebook, “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica”.

I hope to see you here!

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A Productive Morning of Birding at Villa San Ignacio

cabani's ground-sparrow

Costa Rica can be a crowded place, especially in the Central Valley. While San Jose is technically only in one part of the valley, that’s how most visitors refer to this ever popular region. It’s not the only city or town in the Central Valley but no one can blame them for calling all of the urban sprawl and winding streets and small stores and quaint churches with shaded parks “San Jose”.

From a bit east of San Jose on west to the edge of Alajuela (that’s the actual name of the city where the airport is), it all seems to blend together. At one point in time, it certainly didn’t but we could say the same about Los Angeles, Dallas, Bangkok, and so many other modern mega-cities.

The Greater Metropolitan Area or (GAM as it is locally referred to) hosts a fair portion of Costa Rica’s 5 million people population and yet, birds are there too. Not as many as are even marginally wilder areas but in the GAM’s parks and riparian zones, urban birds persist. There are Crimson-fronted Parakeets roosting on and screeching from buildings, Blue-gray Tanagers and Great Kiskadees calling from parks and other birds too, more than you think.

However, species numbers really jump when you finally reach a good amount of green space, especially when you can bird in fair bits of remnant forest and other habitats. You’ll find those habitats in Estes Park as well as other Costa Rica birding sites shortly after leaving the edge of the main urbanized front. One such bit of green space is at Villa San Ignacio, a small hotel situated at the edge of the urban perimeter, just northwest of Alajuela.

Villa San Ignacio is a bastion for birds because although the hotel does have some landscaped grounds, it’s done in a manner that preserves and showcases biodiversity. Unlike so many other places, this hotel also hosts several large and mature trees, especially massive figs that provide critical food for a wide variety of species.

You can also check out short and easy trails in regenerating forest and watch the skies for flyover raptors, swifts, and other birds. Some road noise reminds you that you’re still in an urban area but the wealth of birds seems to convince you otherwise or, at least show what mature trees and habitat preservation does for birds, butterflies, and more.

On Monday, I spent most of a morning at Villa San Ignacio and the birding was good as always. As per usual, it was also unpredictable with some birds appearing and others staying hidden or being no-shows. That’s normal for tropical birding, at least in Costa Rica. It’s why it’s worth staying longer and birding the same rich areas more than once, why it’s worth always watching and keeping an eye out for the unexpected.

These are some of the highlights and happenings from that morning.

Cabanis’s Ground-Sparrow

Right off the bat, we hit the local jackpot with this rare and threatened species. Shortly after 6, while walking up the road towards the upper rooms, I was happily surprised to hear the high pitched tick of this special bird.

Even better, the pair and what looked like a juvenile foraged right in the open. They didn’t stray far from the hedgerow at the edge of a green, metal fence but you can’t ask much more from these major skulkers. As is typical for this special towhee, you’ve got to see it early and get onto it quick. It won’t take long for them to get into cover and be essentially invisible for most of the day.

Short-tailed Hawks and other Raptors

Around 9, as the cicadas pumped up the volume and heat waves swirled into the tropical skies, raptors did their morning dance. Black Vultures circled and gained height, a couple of migrant or wintering Broad-winged Hawks followed suit and were followed by high flying views of Gray and Short-tailed Hawks.

No Zone-tailed that day but later on, we also had both caracaras and additional Gray Hawks. It’s worth it to keep watching above, to keep looking up (as the Urban Birder David Lindo reminds us). Other days I’ve also seen migrating Swallow-tailed Kite and Swainson’s Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, and even Double-toothed Kite.

Long-tailed Manakin and other forest birds

Down in the forest, fewer birds showed than I had hoped but we still heard and saw some things. One or two Long-tailed Manakins called, “Toledo” while White-eared Ground-Sparrows gave cascading calls from the undergrowth and Rufous and white and Rufous-breasted Wrens dueted from the vines.

Those birds stayed hidden but we did manage to see Common Squirrel Cuckoo, Olive Sparrow, saltators, Cabanis’s Wren, Barred Antshrike, Gray-headed Chachalaca, and some other species.

Indigo Buntings

One of those species,, one of those surprises, was the Indigo Bunting. Not just one either but several! An uncommon bird in Costa Rica, it was fun to see fully plumaged deep blue males, molting patchy blue males, and at least one plain sparrowish female.

We probably had 10 in total, they were either migrating through or grouping together and getting ready to migrate. One also sang its prolonged, jumbly song that we hear at this time of year in Costa Rica. I included this vocalization on the recently updated Costa Rica Birds – Field Guide app but, in checking it, I realized that I also need to include the bunting’s commonly heard call notes. I’ll probably get to that in May but hopefully sooner (I recently included better habitat information, more birding tips, and images).

Speaking of buntings, on that morning at Villa San Ignacio, I was reminded that Painted Buntings can make a call that sounds a lot like the one-noted call of a Mourning Warbler (at least to my ears). While pishing by a hedgerow, a bird responded and I figured it would be a Mourning. Much to my surprise, I found myself focusing on a leafy green female Painted Bunting! It was a good reminder to brush up on their calls.

Plain-capped Starthroat and 69 other bird species

How many bird species can you see in a day at Villa San Ignacio? I figure that varies but I can say that 70 in a morning is possible. That’s what we had on Monday and that was also lacking several regular species! Some of the other nice ones were Plain-capped Starthroat on the walk up to the upper rooms, close Cinnamon Hummingbird, Scrub and Yellow-throated Euphonias, and a bunch of other birds, many feasting on the fruiting figs.

Check out the bird list!

That constant birding activity is why I always look forward to birding back at Villa San Ignacio. Along with the good service, friendly vibe, and beautiful habitat, it’s a hard blend to beat.

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Birding Costa Rica Tips-Best Sites for Wrenthrush

Wrenthrush.

Going birding in Costa Rica? On your way to this fine bio-heavy nation for fantastic avian photography? I hope so. If I had a bouquet of wishes, one would be that all birders and would-be birders experience the avian side of Costa Rica. That you get a hefty, lofty positive, bird friendly dose.

If you haven’t been, get ready for a big change in birding scenery, be ready for living a birding dream. Macaws, parrots, trogons, toucans, a few dozen hummingbirds, and dozens of other bird species, most within easy reach.

This species (White-fronted Parrot) flies over my home most mornings.

There’s also lots of regional endemics, one of which is so unique, it got its very own family! Right, as in toucans and toucanets and aracaris all belong to the Toucan family, and Scarlet Tanagers, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, and Northern Cardinals are in the Cardinal family, the Wrenthrush is in the Wrenthrush family.

Yep, it used to be known as an “aberrant warbler”, like there was something primally wrong with it. Stubby tail, dark plumage and that orange cap/crest? It sort of looked like a wren or a tapaculo or an Asian Tesia but it just refused to fit in. The deal with the Wrenthrush, the Zeledonia, is that its ancestors were an ancient lineage of songbird that eventually evolved to live in cloud forests restricted to Costa Rica and Panama.

It’s the only living, known member of that lineage and since it looks so different from other birds, the Wrenthrush is all Wrenthrush and nothing else. Instead of being “aberrant”, it’s wonderfully unique. There’s everything right about the Zeledonia, especially for birders hoping to see every avian family on the planet.

Whether interested in avian evolutionary history, taxonomy, or just hoping to see cool and different birds, the Wrenthrush is a must-see bird. If you can hear high frequencies, listening to one isn’t too difficult. However, the “seeing one” part of the equation can be a bit more challenging. Even so, with patience in the right birding places, you have a pretty good chance. Try the following tips to connect with this extra special bird.

Where do Wrenthrushes live?

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The Wrenthrush occurs in dense, wet understory vegetation more or less above 1,500 meters. They only occur in the mountains of Costa and Panama, north to Volcan Miravalles (but maybe not on Tenorio) and south to west-central Panama.

This pseudo wren likes dense bamboo and especially enjoys low, profuse leafy vegetation that grows in treefall gaps, along streams, or other perpetually wet areas.

That “dense” part of the equation translates to “very difficult to see” and is why, when I hear a Wrenthrush calling, I figure out which direction its moving and then see if there’s a coinciding spot where I can look into the understory/ground. You wait and watch for it to eventually pop into view but, don’t dare take your eyes off that spot!

One false move, one look around for other birds, or taking a picture of a nearby Fiery-throated Hummingbird and that’s when the Wrenthrush hops in and back out of sight. Not always but, quite often, that’s the way the Wrenthrush plays. Think of warblers flitting in and out of sight in the canopy but in dense undergrowth with few viewing opportunities.

Tempting but you’ll have lots more chances at Fiery-throated Hummingbirds than seeing Wrenthrushes.

The Best Places to See Wrenthrush

Now that you know the Wrenthrush range and its habitat, you also know more or less where they live. Sort of. But honestly, most dense, wet, herbaceous or bamboo understory in or at the edge of forest above 1,500 meters is a good place to check.

EBird sightings give a good idea but those hotspots aren’t the only places to see a Wrenthrush. As long as you bird in its range and habitat, you’ve got a chance at finding one. You probably won’t spot one in the open but, you can tune in to their calls and take it from there. Use the Costa Rica Birds Field Guide app to learn its vocalizations before going birding in Costa Rica and, if you think you hear a high-pitched rising call issuing from low, dense vegetation, there’s a good chance you’re near a Wrenthrush.

That all said, these are some easily accessible sites that are good for the bird:

Poas Volcano National Park and nearby. If you enter the national park (by choosing and paying an entrance fee in advance), and slowly walk the cement trail to and near the lake, you have a great chance of seeing a Wrenthrush. Never mind all of those other people, the birds are there too. They also live in suitable habitat on the road up and around Varablanca.

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Paraiso Quetzal- I think most visiting birders get their Wrenthrush here. The species seems especially prevalent in high elevation shrubbery and this spot is perfect for it. Check out the entrance road and on their trails.

Dota Valley and Other Areas on Cerro de la Muerte– Wrenthrushes occur in the heavily visited Dota Valley and many birders also see it there, especially the first spot where the descending road sort of flattens out and runs next to a river. Other good sites are the Robles Trail at Savegre and anywhere with appropriate habitat.

Other spots on Cerro de la Muerte include the Providencia Road as well as just about any area or site up there with low, dense,m wet vegetation.

Irazu Volcano– Although there’s a lot of ag. fields on the drive up, there are a couple spots with forest next to the road, especially in the Nochebuena Restaurant area. Speaking of the Nochebuena, their trails are also very good for Wrenthrush, especially the part that goes along a stream (which may be a bit treacherous in places). Note that the bird can also live in shrubby paramo habitat in and just outside the national park.

Monteverde area– Wrenthrushes aren’t as common here as other, higher spots but they do occur. A couple good areas are the Santa Elena Reserve and the Continental Divide zone in the Monteverde Reserve (although your birding may be limited by recent strict visiting times and regulations where you have to pay a separate fee for each trail…).

There’s other places to see Wrenthrush too, remember, as long as you go above 1500 meters in dense, wet cloud forest, you’ll be in the skulking realm of the Zeledonia. Listen, have patience, and you’ll probably see one!

To learn more about the birding sites mentioned in this post, hundreds of other sites, and how to look for other birds in Costa Rica, support this blog by purchasing my Costa Rica birding site guide ebook. I hope to see you here!

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How to See a Quetzal, Wrenthrush, and 12 Hummingbird Species on a Birding Day Trip in Costa Rica

Birding in Costa Rica can be easy going, common birds in a hotel garden, hiking rainforest trails, taking a boat trip, visiting private reserves, and much more. There’s lots of options, when it comes down to it, how you want to experience birds is up to you.

However, with that in mind, to see some antbirds and other shy, rainforest species, you might need to take that rainforest hike. To see Three-wattled Bellbird and other local species, you’ll have to know just where to go at the right time of year. Knowing how to look for unfamiliar tropical birds also helps and, if you aren’t sure how to identify them, there’s nothing that compares with an experienced guide.

We also have a set of birds that most birders would sort of love to see more than other species. That’s not to say we should ignore or show less appreciation for birds like the Cinnamon-bellied Saltator, Great Kiskadee, or Blue-gray Tanager.

Not by any means. All birds are good birds; they help us reconnect, reenergize, and appreciate our natural world. There’s just some bird species you might want to see more than others, some birds that only live in or nearly within Costa Rica. There’s also a bird or two that look so incredible, it’s simply hard to believe they exist.

Resplendent Quetzal in Costa Rica

One of those ultimate unreal birds is the Resplendent Quetzal and yes, although I’ve seen them hundreds of times over decades of birding in Costa Rica, every single sighting is wondrous. Honestly, the sacred bird of the Mayans really is one of those species that must be seen to be believed.

I see one and still wonder how to describe that shade of green/gold/bluish. I see the red underparts and still imagine that the feathers should feel like plush velvet. I mean, they do look that way. A male’s feathers trail and quiver behind it in flight and it still blows my mind away.

It’s no wonder more than one birder I have guided has been moved to tears upon seeing one. I have seen the same emotional reaction at a major macaw clay lick in Peru and with good reason. Both experiences are natural world circuit overload in the best way; sights, sounds, and colors that surpass your wildest birding dreams.

It would seem that there’s an unwritten rule that such an incredibly surreal species as the Resplendent Quetzal should also be rare and tough to find. I’m pleased to say that nope, that’s not the case, especially not in Costa Rica. Although quetzals aren’t flying around like grackles or exactly simple to see, they aren’t all that rare either. The quetzal situation in Costa Rica is similar to so many other birds in so many other parts of the world.

Watch for them in the right habitat, know how to look for them, and you’ll probably find them. Yes, it might take some time but they are out there, feeding on wild “avocados” in cloud forest.

Wrenthrush

Wrenthrush.

The Wrenthrush is another one of those must see birds. Nope, it doesn’t have an iridescent coat, it’s not big, and its song is as high pitched and wiry sounding as they get. But, it’s one heck of a unique bird and that’s why I hope every birder sees one.

Wren? No. Thrush? No again. Wrenthrush? Yes!

What used to be an aberrant wood-warbler is so different, ornithologists figured the Wrenthrush deserved its very own family. Like the quetzal, happily, it’s not very rare either! I wouldn’t call the Wrenthrush very common and it may have declined in some areas but I still hear and see them quite often. Even better, they live in the same places as quetzals.

Like some wrens, Grasshopper Warblers, and other species with a strong aversion to open spaces, Wrenthrushes happily skulk in dense, wet vegetation. The good thing is that you can see them, at least if you know what they sound like and how to look for them.

Hummingbirds

There’s lots of hummingbirds in Costa Rica and who doesn’t want to see them all? I still enjoy seeing Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds in my urban neighborhood, even as ultra common as they are. Recently, we have also been seeing a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird wintering here and then there are other species, lots of other hummingbirds further afield.

It’s not much further afield either; I’m talking within an hour and a half drive from the San Jose area. There are four or five hummingbird species in the high elevations, 7 more or so in middle elevations, and a couple others here and there’ more than enough to see a dozen species in a day, probably more.

An Easy and Productive Birding Day Trip from the San Jose Area

There are mountains visible from the airport, also from my neighborhood and they are topped with cloud forest; Poas and Barva Volcanoes. Just on the other side, the weather and forest is wetter and the forests host another suite of species.

From the San Jose area (especially from Alajuela and near the airport), it only takes 45 minutes to an hour to drive up there on good roads. No hiking needed, only a vehicle that will get you up there, help you enter the realms of quetzals, Wrenthrushes, Fiery-throated Hummingbirds and lots more. Bird your way down to and below Cinchona and you’ll see more hummingbirds, probably find more than a dozen species.

I spend a morning birding this route and I routinely see quetzal, Wrenthrush, and several hummingbirds along with 70 more. Spend the whole day and 100 plus species is par for the course. You can’t go wrong with a day trip to the Poas-Cinchona area when birding Costa Rica. To learn more about doing this easy and exciting day trip, send me an email today. In the meantime, here are some FAQs about the Resplendent Quetzal in Costa Rica:

FAQs about Quetzals in Costa Rica

Is there a quetzal season in Costa Rica?

No, technically, there is no quetzal season in Costa Rica. Although various sources mention a “quetzal season”, they are referring to the quetzal nesting season that usually takes place from February to March. Yes, it is easy to wait at a quetzal nest but, in addition to needing to be careful to not disturb the birds, it’s not necessary.

Quetzals live and feed in Costa Rican cloud forests all year long.

Do Quetzals migrate in Costa Rica?

Quetzals do not migrate in Costa Rica, at least not outside the country. However, after nesting, they often move around in search of fruiting trees and some can migrate to lower elevations. The lowest I have seen quetzals is 500 meters, always females.

Do you need a guide to see a Resplendent Quetzal in Costa Rica?

No, you do not need a guide to see a Resplendent Quetzal in Costa Rica. However, as with many bird species, you’ll have a much better chance seeing one if you hire an experienced guide who knows how to find them.

Are quetzals rare in Costa Rica?

No, quetzals are not rare in Costa Rica. They are uncommon but regular species of cloud forest habitats from 1,500 meters (5,000 feet) to more than 3,000 meters (9,000 to 10,000 feet).

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Southern Pacific Costa Rica Birding Tour- Top 10 Birds

The bird list for Costa Rica is quickly approaching 950 species. Imagine that number of birds in Wales. How about West Virginia? Yeah, that many species on a bird list for such a small area!

How does Costa Rica do it? What’s going on to turn up so many bird species?

Including birds like the Scarlet Macaw.

Costa Rica owes its high biodiversity to several factors but the most important could be the conjunction of several major ecosystems and bioregions. With dry forest meeting rainforest and mountains creating their own unique habitats, the country is like a crossroads for tropical life. If we take the junction south from the Tarcoles River, we enter one of the country’s most important endemic areas; the Chiriqui region or “Southern Pacific zone”.

This bioregion extends a bit into western Panama but is still fairly small. Heck, if you could drive from the Tarcoles and cross straight into western Panama, you’d essentially traverse it in 5 to 6 hours. That’s all and yet, the place is chock full of endemic flora, bugs, reptiles, amphibians, and, for the birding set, several much desired bird species.

Throw in some mountain birding and localized natural savannah in the General Valley and we come up with a fantastic array of birds. Of those birds, some are more challenging than others, and some are must-see species. Although it’s not easy to pick a top ten from the sumptuous list of birding possibilities, I’ll settle on the following.

Turquoise Cotinga

birding Costa Rica

Whoah, that’s a good one! Nothing like an endemic shining blue and purple bird to whet the birding appetite. The only unfortunate thing is that it’s not common. No, you probably won’t see one driving along but, if you go to the right places, you can lay eyes on this stunning bird.

The best spots tend to be around San Isidro del General, sites near San Vito, and on the Osa Peninsula.

Yellow-billed Cotinga

Sharing the rainforest with the Turquoise Cotinga is this other cotingid star. Since it requires mangroves adjacent to rainforest, it’s even less common and likely endangered. However, once again, if you know where to go, you can see them.

Thanks to their rarity, bright shining white plumage, and almost cartoonish peace-doveish shape, seeing Yellow-billed Cotingas in the feathered flesh is nothing short of surreal.

Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager

birding Costa Rica

Haunting some of the same areas as the two cotinga species, this bird would probably win the prize for being the most localized species in Costa Rica. For unknown reasons, they are essentially endemic to the Osa Peninsula and adjacent rainforests in the Golfo Dulce region.

Even there, they aren’t common! To check out the salmon highlights on this local mega, you’ll have to watch for them in rainforest in ravines and next to streams.

Mangrove Hummingbird

This Mangrove Hummingbird is actually from Mata de Limon.

This country endemic also lives in the northern Pacific zone of Costa Rica but it’s such an important bird, I include it on this list. There are several sites in southern Costa Rica where it occurs, mangroves being the key.

Rosy Thrush-Tanager

What a bird this one is! Now that it has its own family and, could maybe be eventually split into a few species, seeing one in Costa Rica would be a pretty cool trick.

On account of its serious skulking ability and local distribution, it gets easily missed by visiting birders. However, once again, if you know where to go and how to see it, you have a fair chance of watching this dreamy bird.

Ocellated Crake

Ocellated Crake taken by Pirjo Laakso from the Costa Rica Birds Field Guide app.

Whoah! Another dream bird and yet, also now feasible! Like the thrush-tanager, good local guides have worked out actually seeing and often getting good pictures of this grass crake!

It is very local in Costa Rica but fairly common in the right habitat.

White-crested Coquette

A bunch of hummingbirds live in Costa Rica’s southern rainforest habitats. This sprite is the most exquisite of them all. Notorious for escaping detection, White-crested Coquettes tend to wander in search of their choice flowering trees and bushes.

Check those food sources long enough and we can usually find them.

Baird’s Trogon

Baird's Trogon
Baird’s Trogon

The Southern Pacific Zone sure has some beautiful birds and this trogon takes the cake! It’s fairly common in rainforest, especially in and near the Osa Peninsula.

Golden-naped Woodpecker

Yet another beauty is this fancy woodpecker. When I happily see this bird, I am often reminded of the American Three-toed Woodpecker, just one that’s dressed for a tropical parade.

Thankfully, this beauty is also fairly common in rainforest habitats and can even come to feeders!

Orange-collared Manakin

Yet another fairly common South Pacific endemic, this manakin is gorgeous. Go birding in and near forest edge and second growth and you’ll hear displaying males snap their wings. Take a closer look and you even see them display in the undergrowth!

These are my top ten for a Southern Pacific tour but really, there’s so many fantastic birds to watch, I could add several more birds. If we blend a birding tour with this region and cloud forest, we’re talking a serious bunch of fantastic birds. Speaking of fantastic birds, in keeping with my constant wish of connecting people with as many fantastic birds as possible, I designed a tour to see all the species mentioned above along with some other birds like these:

Black-bellied Hummingbird

White-bellied Mountain-Gem

Violet Sabrewing

Speckled Tanager and so on and etc.

That tour is the Hillstar Costa Rica: Pacific Specials tour. Running from March 29th to April 9th, this birding trip will turn up a fantastic array of birds often missed on other tours to Costa Rica. Although we never really know which birds will show on a tour, I would expect a wealth of uncommon species on this one! I designed it with that goal in mind, it’s gonna be good.

Would you like to see the species mentioned above and lots more in Costa Rica? And on a fun trip led by Josh Covill? Contact me at information@birdingcraft.com or, at info@hillstarnature.com today. There’s still a couple open spots left!

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Spots Open for Fantastic Southern Pacific Costa Rica Birding Tour

Black-bellied Hummingbird

Costa Rica is a small place. We’e talking the size of West Virginia or Wales. You’d think a nation that small would be pretty easy to bird, fairly easy to “clean up” after one birding trip.

For many places, it’d be normal to reach that conclusion but, while Costa Rica is small, this birdy nation also has a trick up its sleeve,; several factors that keep you coming back for more. Either because they love the place or, realize they still have lots more to see, many birders do repeat trips to Costa Rica.

They might want to see a White-tipped Sicklebill.

Basically, you can’t see all the birds in one trip to small Costa Rica because this southern Central American nation is a geographical biodiversity generator. Like a mini continent, Costa Rica borders two oceans, and has mountains running down the nation’s spine that separate dry forests in the northwest from the Caribbean slope rainforests in the east. Different life zones in those same mountains host their own avian suites and, on the Pacific side, south of the Tarcoles River, dry forests suddenly become wet forests, rare rainforests with a high level of endemism.

Throw in localized habitats like mountaintop paramo, wetlands, mangroves, and intermontane valleys and the result is an incredible wealth of biodiversity, more than 600 resident species birds included. Add the migrants and Costa Rica currently boasts a bird list topping 930 species.

It’s why, even though birders can enjoy a fantastic ten day or even two week trip to Costa Rica, they can’t see everything. It’s also why I have helped Hillstar Nature design a trip to connect with the wealth of birds that reside in southern Costa Rica; species many birders have not seen on the more regular Costa Rica birding circuit.

This tour runs from March 29 to April 9 and is aimed at seeing specialties like Rosy Thrush-Tanager, cotingas, Black-bellied Hummingbird (like the feature image), White-crested Coquette, and even Ocellated Crake. Tough birds indeed and seeing them does require some luck but, even more so, it requires birding in the right places with the right local guides. We’ll be doing that and some to connect with as many southern Pacific specialties as possible.

Check out this itinerary:

Day 1. Arrivals, night at Villa San Ignacio in Alajuela

Arrival days aren’t usually the best days for birding. Often, the plane touches down after dark and you are more concerned with getting a good night’s rest than spotlighting for owls. But, sometimes you do arrive in time for birding and that’s where Villa San Ignacio comes into play.

This friendly little place is just 15 minutes from the airport, has beautiful gardens crowned with huge figs, other vegetation that attracts a healthy variety of birds, and excellent service. It’s why I often recommend it as a great starting and/or ending point for any trip to Costa Rica.


Day 2. Transfer to the spectacular birding lodge, Hotel Quelitales

After some fine introduction birding to Costa Rica at Villa San Ignacio, you’ll eventually make your way to one of Costa Rica’s newest and best birding lodges; Hotel Quelitales.

Owned by a local birder, it’s no wonder this special place has become a fantastic hotspot. The hummingbird garden can bring in uncommon species like Black-bellied Hummingbird, White-bellied Mountain-gem, Green-fronted Lancebill while other spots may turn up Scaled Antpitta or even Black-breasted Wood-Quail.

White-bellied Mountain-gem

Many. many other birds are also possible, right outside your door.


Day 3. Tapanti National Park and night at Hotel Quelitales

Although Quelitales is fantastic birding on its own, a visit to the nearby Tapanti National Park makes it that much better!

The mossy, beautiful middle elevation rainforests of Tapanti are excellent for mixed flocks and a wide variety of cloud forest species, many of which are uncommon. Some of the many birds to look for include Black-faced Solitaire, woodcreepers, Brown-billed Scythebill, barbets, and much more. With luck, you might even see an Ochre-breasted Antpitta, Streaked Xenops, foliage-gleaners, and other shy, uncommon species.

In sunny weather, this site and nearby areas can also be good for hawk-eagles, Barred Hawk, and other raptors.


Day 4. Drive over the mountains to the Talari Lodge in Perez Zeledon

buff-fronted-quail-do

After a morning birding and breakfast at Quelitales, you drive up and over the nearby majestic Talamanca Mountains. Lunch will be at the wonderful Casa Tangara dowii; a special reserve dedicated to birding and birders.

With luck, the group will be treated to wonderful views of cloudforest species at the feeder. These can include Yellow-thighed Brushfinch, Spangle-cheeked Tanager, Buff-fronted Quail-Dove, and, with luck, Buffy-crowned Wood-Partridge!

Lunch will be followed by a scenic drive through and over beautiful high elevation forests and treeline habitats. You might make a few stops on the way or head straight to birdy lodging. Feeder action could host Speckled Tanager and other species and, at night, there might be Tropical Screech-Owl and Common Potoo.


Day 5. Morning birding and transfer to Mary Hotel in Buenos Aires

Today, you’ll explore the birdy forests at Talari and in the nearby General Valley. Specialties will include a first real taste of south Pacific birds, you may see Scaled Pigeon, Orange-collared Manakin, Streaked Saltator, Pearl Kite, White-crested Coquette, and even Turquoise Cotinga.

The General Valley can be especially good for this fantastic, uncommon cotinga and we will watch for it at our hotel as well as spots around Perez Zeledon. We will eventually make our way to the grass savannahs near Buenos Aires and end the day looking for the local White-tailed Nightjar.


Day 6. Morning search for specialties and drive to Esquinas Rainforest Lodge

After an early breakfast, we make our way to the savannah habitats of the General Valley where we will work with a local guide to look for uncommon and localized species like Ocellated Crake and Rosy Thrush-Tanager.

Eventually, we will make our way over the scenic coastal cordillera for some afternoon birding in wetland habitats near Ciudad Neily.

These open hábitats host several uncommon and local species for Costa Rica including Veraguan Mango, Sapphire-throated Hummingbird, Brown-throated Parakeet, Savannah Hawk, and Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture among others. With luck, we might also see Paint-billed Crake.

On the drive to Esquinas Rainforest Lodge, we will keep an eye out for nocturnal species like Striped Owl and Common Potoo.

Dinner and night at Esquinas.


Day 7 and 8 Esquinas Rainforest Lodge and Rincon de Osa

This area is wonderful, a birdwatcher’s paradise in the South Pacific of Costa Rica!

Several endemic bird species like the Black-cheeked Ant-tanager, Charming Hummingbird, Yellow-billed, and Turquoise Cotinga occur along with many other species. Needless to say, this is an excellent place to enlarge a birder’s life list.

birding Costa Rica

During our stay at Esquinas, the lodge’s very birdy gardens, trails, and edge habitats should keep us entertained. A huge number of species are possible including various flycatchers, manakins, Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager, Baird’s Trogon, Golden-naped Woodpecker, raptors, and more.

Some of the other birds we will watch for include Blue-headed Parrot, Tiny Hawk, Spectacled Owl, and the uncommon undescribed “Puntarenas Screech-Owl”.

On our first full day at Esquinas, we will spend one full day birding around the lodge grounds. On our second day, we will pay an early morning visit to Rio Rincon to watch for the endangered Yellow-billed Cotinga, Turquoise Cotinga, and other specialties, and then spend the rest of the day back at Esquinas.

All meals and nights at Esquinas.


Day 9. Drive up the Pacific coast to Tarcoles Birding LodgeDay 9-10. Central Pacific (Night at Tarcoles Birding Lodge or similar)

After a final morning of early birding and breakfast, we will drive up the coast to Esquipulas Rainforest Lodge for lunch and chances at seeing birds like White-crested Coquette and other rainforest species.

After lunch, we continue moving north for a bit of late afternoon birding at our hotel, the Tarcoles Birding Lodge. True to its name, this spot has excellent birding, especially from a tower that overlooks patches of dry forest and wetlands in a river valley.

We could see Crane Hawk among other raptors.


Day 10. Carara NP in the AM, birding by boat in the afternoon. Night at Tarcoles Birding Lodge

While walking the easy trails in the rainforests of Carara National Park, we will watch for a healthy variety of lowland rainforest interior birds including the likes of Great Tinamou, Black-faced Antthrush, Streak-chested Antpitta, Rufous Piha, manakins, and more.

The boat trip is an excellent way to get leisurely views of waterbirds and many edge species. We will also have a chance at various raptors, and good chances of seeing Scarlet Macaws and many parrots in flight. We also hope to see at least 3 species of Kingfishers and will have more chances at mangrove specialties like Mangrove Vireo, Mangrove Yellow Hummingbird, and Mangrove Hummingbird.


Day 11. Final birding in the morning and drive to Villa san Ignacio near the airport

This morning, we hope to catch up on dry forest species we have yet to see. We’ll look for everything from Crane Hawk to Spot-bellied Bobwhite, the spectacular White-throated Magpie-Jay, and Black-headed Trogon.

birding Costa Rica
Black-headed Trogon.

Night and dinner at Villa San Ignacio.


Day 12. Flights back home

Transfer to the airport for the flight back home.

One of the best things about this fantastic tour is that room is still available! To experience this wealth of uncommon mega birds in Costa Rica, please contact me at information@birdingcraft.com or contact Hillstar Nature directly at info@hillstarnature.com

You can also see more information about this carefully designed birding tour at Hillstar Nature.

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Recent Mega Birds in Costa Rica

What’s a mega bird? Aren’t all birds intrinsically mega? Who invented the “mega” term anyways? Alas, as with much of the birding-associated lexicon, we’ll probably never know who that unintended mover and shaker was. Worse, we don’t know which bird species provoked them to coin the term nor, how they deployed it.

That doesn’t really matter but it would be nice to know. For those of us interested in birding history, we wouldn’t mind knowing if they said, “That Red-footed Falcon is a real mega”!, or if they were so beyond mind blown by focusing in on a choice elusive and unexpected species that they could utter nothing more than a hazy dazed and eye-glazed “Mega…”.

birding Costa Rica
This is my poor photo of a mega RVG Cuckoo. The blurry nature of the photo seems fitting for its highly elusive nature (at least that’s what I tell myself).

Whatever the case, we got the word and it must not be abused. Or, heck, birding is pretty much ruleless, use it however you want. This is your birding life after all, you bird how you do. However, if “we” were so inclined to define “mega”, in my opinion (decidedly not IMHO because that sounds too much like a dang pancake chain), I would say that the word refers to particularly unexpected, automatically rare, and/or especially elusive birds.

In other words, a surprise bird sighting to knock your birding socks off and give you a personal thrill. Megas would be birds like the Harpy Eagle, Yellow Rail, and the Bukidnon Woodcock (yeah, that’s real). On account of their elusive and ultra sneaky nature, the Neomorphus ground-cuckoos also fit the mega bill as do localized and ultra rare birds like the Cherry-throated Tanager (although that one might merit mega-mega or triple mega crown status, there’s like two dozen left).

The megaist of the mega birds would be species believed to be extinct, awaiting rediscovery, or that have never been previously seen. Kinglet Calyptura is a prime candidate along with maybe an unknown bird or two in remote parts of Bolivia.

As for Costa Rica, we got our own set of megas, a few of which have been recently seen.

Aplomado Falcon near Jaco

Although this lanky falcon isn’t rare on the global page, it’s always a mega for Costa Rica. We probably get a few each year and one or two might be briefly seen. They seem to be juveniles likely wandering in from the north and don’t usually stay long.

A few days ago, one of those choice cool falcons was found by Tina Van Dusen, a local birder in the Playa Hermosa, Jaco area. This isn’t the first mega she has found, we’re glad she keeps looking and reporting the birds she turns up around Playa Hermosa!

This falcon has been hanging out in the open fields near Mistico, a housing site near Playa Hermosa. Thankfully, a good number of local birders have seen it, I hope it sticks around long enough for me and Maryllen to see it too.

If you go, watch for it perched on posts, on top of lone trees, or flying around the fields. If you see a gaggle of birders, that might work too.

Crested Eagle at Pitilla Biological Station

Whoah! Yes! The just as difficult, slightly smaller version of the Harpy was seen by experienced local birders at Pitilla Biological Station. Although they don’t have a picture, their description is spot on and they have enough experience with other raptors to make the right call.

This isn’t just an automatic mega sighting by merit of the species involved, it’s also a fantastic mega sighting because we have no idea how many (few) Crested Eagles still occur in Costa Rica. One had never been seen in that area before but it’s the least bit surprising that they saw one where they did. Pitilla is one of the most remote, intact, accessible areas of lowland and foothill rainforest on the Caribbean slope. Not by coincidence, it’s also the only place where both Speckled Mourner and Ocellated Poorwill have been recently seen and not that far from a Harpy Eagle sighting in 2017.

All these species are indicators of healthy, intact habitat, the main question I have is where that Crested Eagle came from. Did it wander in from somewhere else? Are there a few hanging on in the remote forests of the northern volcanoes? Hopefully there are enough to maintain a small population.

Gray-headed Piprites at Rancho Naturalista

The piprites is another classic mega for Costa Rica. Although it used to be slightly more frequent, the mini pseudo manakin has never been common and is weirdly local. The reasons for its localization are surely not the slightest bit weird for the bird but they sure are evasive for us humans.

It has become very hard to predict where this bird might occur other than at its known and regular haunts. The best haunt seems to be a site near Turrialba where local guide Steven Montenegro regularly sees it. Other regular spots are in that same general region including one of the best known birding lodges in Costa Rica; good old Rancho Naturalista.

Yes, recently, one was seen there, hopefully, it will stick around for lots more birders to see it. If not, you could always contact Steven or try Vista Aves; the guide there also knows sites for this unassuming mega.

Migrating Swallows and other birds from the north

No, they don’t fit the mega definition but what can I say? Watching dozens of swallows fly over the house was a mega experience for me, especially after a short, successful hospital stay. I’m still alive and so are they; Cliff Swallows with deep chestnut throats, Bank Swallows looking svelte, and beautiful peach Barn Swallows zipping from the fields of Ohio straight on through Costa Rica.

Wood-pewees hawking bugs from perches, the first of many Baltimore Orioles and Summer Tanagers getting reaccustomed to their tropical side of life, and good numbers of cheerful chipping Yellow Warblers. In which forests did the flycatchers sing their lazy summer songs? Where did the orioles and tanagers flutter in June maples and oaks? Where did the warblers grace the northern willows?

I like to know but no matter right now. It only matters that they made it here and, if they stay, that they survive the winter in these tropical realms.

To learn more about birding at the sites mentioned in this post while supporting this blog, check out my bird finding guide for Costa Rica. I hope to see some mega birds with you here!

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Birding Updates- Poas and Cinchona

Poas and Cinchona are two of the better, closest birding areas to the San Jose area. Just an hour or so drive up into the nearby mountains, they offer a quick fix of highland endemics and a good bunch of other birds. I bird in that area often and yet, I’m always eager to return for more exploration. No matter how often you bring the bins, there’s always something new to discover, especially on side roads that reach into the buffer zone of the big Braulio Carrillo National Park.

This past week, I had a morning of guiding around Poas and Cinchona. Here’s some updates and information from that fun morning, especially birding the road to Poas, a site I hadn’t checked for some time:

Poas Volcano still Active, National Park Open

On my way to Poas I noticed a small white cloud that looked like it was coming right out of the mountain. That wasn’t an illusion. The cloud was vapor from the nearby bowels of the Earth and an easy, visual reminder that Poas Volcano was still very much active.

While the nearby volcano is still fired up, it has calmed down significantly, enough to reopen the national park. If you want to actually enter the national park, you’ll still have to buy tickets online and in advance but at least you can. Since we did not go into the park, I can’t say how the post eruption birding is on their trails but, you can have equal or better birding on the way there anyways.

The Road to Poas

On our way there, the birds seemed fairly similar to pre, major eruption days. We had views of several Yellow-thighed Brushfinches, chlorospinguses, and other common birds. It was also nice to hear Streak-breasted Treehunters, see a few Large-footed Finches, Fiery-throated and Volcano Hummingbirds, several Black and Yellow Silky-Flycatchers, and various other expected species.

One of the best was a Black Guan at close range near the park gate. Flame-throated Warbler was also nice as were heard only Barred Parakeets and great looks at Black-thighed Grosbeaks, all while groups of handsome Band-tailed Pigeons flew overhead.

Conspicuously absent were chlorophonias, Long-tailed Silky-Flycatchers, Sooty Thrush, and Resplendent Quetzal, while Mountain Elaenias and Mountain Thrushes were also low in number. I figure most of those species were no-shows because the fruiting trees they prefer were fruiting elsewhere, maybe at lower elevations.

Wrenthrush

Thankfully, one of the key species we did see was the one and only Wrenthrush. This odd, uni-family bird is regular on Poas but, it’s not always reliable. Some days, I hear several calling, other days, silence from the short-tailed wren-like warblerish things.

The day we visited, I was pleased to hear a few sound off, including near the Restaurant Volcan. We also had excellent looks at a juvenile near the park gate.

The San Rafael Varablanca Road

Hoping for quetzal, we paid a quick visit to this birdy road. Birding it during sunny weather at 9:30 and 10 was predictably quiet but we still managed to save the trip with Ruddy Treerunners, Costa Rican Warblers, and some other birds in a mixed flock.

Ruddy Treerunner.

Sadly, no quetzal and although I bet a full day on that road would eventually find one, I suspect most are feeding elsewhere these days.

Cinchona Was Pretty Quiet

Perhaps the most important update comes from the Hummingbird Cafe at Cinchona. The fruit feeders were very quiet and when I asked the servers about it, they said that it had been pretty quiet like that for at least a few months. I’m not sure if that’s because a tree had fallen down, more fruit being available in nearby habitats, or a combination of those factors but hopefully that will change.

We still saw some birds the feeders, best being a female Red-headed Barbet, but no Prong-billed Barbet nor toucanet. All we can do is keep checking it out and see if the situation improves. In the meantime, don’t rely on the spot for toucanets nor Prong-billed Barbet.

The hummingbird situation was better but Black-bellied and White-bellied Mountain-gems were no shows.

Although there was some quiet birding, those sites can vary from one day to the next and the birding is always good. To learn more about these and other birding sites in Costa Rica, check out my birding site guide for Costa Rica. I hope to see you here!