In Costa Rica, the birding deal is always fantastic. Drive an hour and you could feasibly lay eyes on a quetzal, the one and only Wrenthrush, Scarlet Macaws, antbirds, a dozen hummingbirds, and more. I mean, honestly, that’s pretty darn good.
Take this morning for example. In my urbanized, very much people-centric neighborhood in Heredia, I walked down the street, birded for an hour and saw 39 species, one of which was a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl with an unlucky Northern Yellow Warbler in its talons (!). It was being harassed by a couple Brown Jays, a bunch of beautiful Blue-gray Tanagers, hummingbirds, Common Tody-Flycatcher, Tropical Mockingbirds, a Yellow-green Vireo, and other species while South American-bound Barn, Bank, and Cliff Swallows and occasional screeching Crimson-fronted Parakeets graced the skies.
Those birds and more can be attributed to lifesaving big trees and vegetation on a small adjacent farm as well as a riparian zone. It’s not much habitat and yet, it still act as vital living space for a bunch of birds and migrants (I recently saw 3 to 4 Cerulean Warblers there and will likely see a Golden-winged soon). It’s wonderful but the best birding is, of course, further afield. Regarding that, much to our good birding fortune, as I alluded to above, you don’t need to go far to see a wealth of incredible birds.
With that in mind, I’ve designed some short birding tours that maximize birding potential in different major habitats, close to the greater San Jose area. More than 100 species are possible on all of them, 200 even possible on the two night trips. Check it out:
One Night Birding Tour in the Costa Rica Highlands
A male quetzal is always the star of the avian show.
Who says you have to go birding for a week to see a quetzal in Costa Rica? Although 7 days birding is always better than one or two, if you don’t have the time for it, fantastic birding near San Jose is possible in a morning, day, or one night trip.
3 other of many stand out bird species possible on this tour include:
The cloud forest highlands are some of the closest quality birding habitats to San Jose but, you only need to go a little bit further to reach another, completely different biome on the Caribbean slope. These foothill rainforest and lowland rainforest host the highest variety of bird species in Costa Rica; day trips I have guided there have resulted in 150 to 170 species. Imagine how many birds are possible during two and a half days of birding?
Three stand outs of many possible species include:
Two Night Birding Tour in a Mega Birding Hotspot- the Pacific Lowlands
To reach the close highlands and Caribbean rainforests, we drive north. Go in the other direction and it only takes 45 minutes to an hour to reach Scarlet Macaws!
These and hundreds of other species live in the mega ecotone of Carara and Tarcoles. In this river valley, coastal habitats, rainforest and dry forest meet and offer a fantastic array of birds. The following are three of a huge number of avian possibilities:
Great TinamouMale Slaty-tailed Trogon.Rufous-tailed Jacamar
This two night birding tour to the Carara area is a good way to see an excellent blend of dry forest, edge, and humid forest endemics in a short amount of time.
Have an extra day or two in the San Jose area? If you are in San Jose for business or starting and ending a birding tour, these itineraries will enrich and expand your birding experience in Costa Rica. They can also be done as one night tours or even as a day trip. Prepare for your trip with my Costa Rica birding site ebook and study your field guides, there’s a lot of birds waiting for you in Costa Rica!
We have arrived to September, year of the Super El Nino (2026) and here in Costa Rica, the weather has lived up to the meteorological predictions; heavy, flooding, landsliding rains where it should be drier, and very little rain where it should be awash with precipitation. It’s like someone flipped a tripswitch to push the Pacific rains over to the Caribbean, and that someone in question is the Pacific Ocean. Way too warm, something’s gotta give, something already gave and it’s gonna keep on giving, the weather sages say into 2027.
It’s a flipped deal from the expected, one that makes me wonder how it’ll affect the local avian scene.
In Costa Rica, lots of birds take advantage of the wet season to raise young, especially on the Pacific slope and Central Valley. The same goes for the Caribbean slope but it’s much more pronounced on the west side of the mountains. Evolution has keyed the birds into this rain regimen for thousands of years; nest when the rains start, higher productivity means more food and a better chance at raising broods. It’s why the Yellow-green Vireos show up in spring en masse, singing from every park and foliaged area of green space on the Pacific side.
Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers come here for the wet season too.
Swallow-tailed Kites are another species that arrives for the rains, perhaps in part, benefitting by depredating nests that resident species build. But what happens if the rains don’t arrive like they should? What happens if it rains early and goes back to a pseudo dry season deal replete with moisture wicking winds and hour after hour of the natural sun lamp beating down from the blue?
The same goes for Piratic Flycatchers, the latter here to commandeer the bird nests other species are building so they can raise young of their own (!).
How’s that for some weird cuckooish bird vagabond activity? If fewer birds nested, the naturally “lazy” Piratics must have had fewer broods but, it looks like a fair number of birds successfully nested after all. I doubt as many as normal but, I do know quite a few seemed to nest early. Like, they got the memo, knew something we didn’t- unsurprising for birds far more in cue with the happenings of their natural surroundings than most people are.
Back in February, it seemed like the early rains triggered a nesting response; hopefully those species succeeded in raising young. I can’t imagine many birds nesting later on did as well.
With migration kicking into gear, I can’t help but likewise wonder if the change in rainfall affects food availability for migrants. I would think so for the Pacific slope but maybe those birds that land on the dry side of the mountains can somehow move over to the wetter side? I hope so and it’s not out of the question, those wetter forests are pretty close. In the meantime, at least it has been raining a bit more on the Pacific, hopefully that trend will continue to give resident and migrants birds some respite. Here’s some other news from Costa Rica:
Umbrellabirds at Centro Manu and a Way to Help this Endangered Species
The Bare-necked Umbrellabirds are back at Centro Manu! Although these crow-sized megas aren’t exactly abundant, at least you can know that a few are frequenting the forests of Centro Manu. In keeping with the timing of their elevational migrations, there are probably more in nearby, similar areas but Centro Manu is one of the most accessible spots.
Once in a while, one shows up right around the cabins or parking area but usually, you need to hike into the back part of the forest to see them. That means wearing rubber boots and being careful because it’s a wet, muddy trail with roots and other slippery factors but, if you can handle that and hang out in the back part long enough, you have a fair chance of seeing this special bird.
You’ll see lots of other good birds too, maybe Snowcap, manakins and more. This spot is possible as a day trip from the La Selva and San Jose area, if interested in a guided day trip, contact me at information@birdingcraft.com
A few of my eBird lists from guiding clients at Centro Manu:
One of the main reasons it’s so hard to see Bare-necked Umbrellabird is because the big cotinga is endangered. Their populations need more foothill and adjacent lowland rainforest than is available, about all we can do is reforest as much as possible. That and support this organization: the aptly name Umbrellabird Conservation Action Network (UCAN). This NGO has been doing more to help this rare species than anyone, check out their site and please consider lending your support. They have some great inside information about umbrellabirds in Costa Rica and can also arrange an ethical visit to the only known lek!
Migrants Have Arrived in Costa Rica
What I mean to say is that the first wave of songbird migrants has arrived. It seemed to happen on August 31th, after a couple days of rainy weather. I had been checking the tiny areas of green space in my urban Central Valley neighborhood for some days before then but had few birds. One day, there was a movement of swallows including a locally uncommon Purple Martin (most move through the Caribbean lowlands) and one or two Red-eyed Vireos but nothing else.
That changed this past Monday when my morning walk revealed several migrants foraging in a small riparian zone. I hadn’t expected them, before reaching that spot, I hadn’t seen any pewees nor any other migrants. However as I approached the streamside vegetation, I heard a chip and saw a small flash of yellow. The first Northern Yellow Warbler of fall migration! Then I saw a second and wondered if there might be another bird or two around.
Waiting by the mix of tall trees and low, thick vegetation, I began to notice some movement in the leaves and saw a small bird zip by. Oh yes, some birds were there alright! Most turned out to be Red-eyed Vireos but there was also an American Redstart and, when two small warblers flipped into view, I quickly realized i hit the jackpot with close views of female Cerulean Warblers! I had hoped to connect with that bird, knew that they were moving through but seeing them in the Central Valley is always hit or miss. Luckily, that morning, I was in the right place and enjoyed watching them forage down low for some time. I suspect three were actually present but can’t say for sure.
I took that as a cue to stay put and keep watching and although no cuckoos popped into my field of view, I did see quite a few REVIs, one Blackburnian, and a Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher along with Cliff Swallows flying overhead and three more Purple Martins. More birds should be on the way with each coming day.
Puntarenas Birding Pays Off
The port of Puntarenas is off the regular beaten birding track but, go with a scope and seawatching often pays off. On Sunday, we took a morning trip there and even though the warmer than usual waters looked like they had a bit of a red tide going on, I still saw birds.
It was a bit weird but I guess that’s normal for less than normal conditions. There weren’t as many pelicans nor frigatebirds as I usually see, nor as many Royal Terns but, some other birds were passing by. I had hoped to catch Least Terns as they pass through Costa Rica and, sure enough, it didn’t take long to see some flying towards the inner gulf. Over the course of an hour and a half, I might have had a dozen along with a scattering of Black Terns, and some Elegant Terns too.
Most were fairly far out but, as is typical for this spot, several flew in from the sea to fly fairly close to the point. I could see a feeding flock way out on the horizon, looked like most birds were in the outer gulf but, I also picked up a not so common, Common Tern, had one of each of Cocos Booby and Blue-footed Booby and, as I was on the verge of leaving, noticed the best bird of the day.
It’s hard t leave Puntarenas because birds can occur at any time, flying in off the ocean. Sunday was no exception as my last binocular scan picked up a pale bird that looked slightly different. I put the scope on it and was pretty sure it had flashing black and white wings. After some playing with the zoom, I was able to follow it long enough to know I was seeing two Sabine’s Gulls!
Although this high Arctic species is regular in pelagic waters, you have to be lucky to find them from shore, even in the Gulf of Nicoya. Even better, one of those same birds or another one ended up flying rather close to the point. It was a pleasure to get such good views of this beautifully patterned gull, one normally associated with ice, eternal summer days, and the high seas.
Book Rooms Now for the High Season
On the future birding front, just a reminder to book your stay in Costa Rica now before it’s too late. For a lot of the most visited places, it might be too late already, don’t wait any longer. If you can’t stay at a preferred lodge, at least there’s other options along with a plethora of excellent birding sites to choose from.
“How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica” 2026 is Available!
Speaking of those birding sites, you’ll find nearly 300 of them in my bird finding guide for Costa Rica. Recently updated for 2026, here’s some reasons why this 1,000 page ebook will enrich any birding trip to Costa Rica:
-Unlike a recent AI “written” itinerary guide I’ve seen, my ebook wasn’t crafted from random and erroneous information online.
-I wrote it based on decades of experience and studying birds in the field, and what I’d like to see in a bird finding guide including accurate information that stems from firsthand knowledge.
-Updated and edited accounts for nearly 300 sites, many of which aren’t on eBird. However, there are also links to eBird hotspots.
-Tips and ideas to help you find unfamiliar birds like puffbirds, tinamous, and antthrushes along with information about and honest chances at the rarest species in Costa Rica.
-Identification tips for woodcreepers and everything else.
Not to mention, purchasing this book also helps support this blog.
Birding Apps and Field Guides to Enrich the Upcoming High Season
A field guide is another essential for any upcoming birding trip to Costa Rica. Yes, you could get the free Merlin app and that’s great (although it’s vocalization ID is still limited for Costa Rica) but, there are other publications with more in depth information written by local birding experts.
The main app to get is the Costa Rica Birds Field Guide app by Birding Field Guides. This digital field guide includes:
-All the birds on the Costa Rica list and a bunch more that could turn up (more than 1,000 species total).
-Many images for most species including birds in flight and others to help with identification.
-Vocalizations for most species.
-Field maps and detailed information including tips for seeing each species in Costa Rica.
-Information about habitats, regions, and other aspects of Costa Rica.
-Free updates and works offline.
-Can be customized to show target birds, birds from certain regions, habitats, family, and more.
As far as field guide books go, come October, you’ll also want to get the new edition of the Garrigues and Dean “The Birds of Costa Rica: A Field Guide“. Having seen some of the new illustrations and other features, I can’t wait to get this book! From what I’ve seen, it promises to be a must have field guide and addition to every birder’s library. I know how much they’ve been diligently working on this book, it’s going to be top notch.
To help local birding initiatives, especially ones to teach young people, I also recommend donating “Aves de Costa Rica” published by Ensifera to organizations that promote birding in Costa Rica. This small illustrated book acts as a good teaching device and gateway for Ticos to get interested in birds; I’m sure it will work well for this purpose because a friend of mine, David Rodriguez, was involved with creating this book and works at connecting young people with nature and reforestation alongside his spouse, Lily Briggs, the founder of the Finca Cantaros Environmental Association. This excellent NGO helps engage local people with nature and birds through reforestation and other means around San Vito area and possibly other areas as well. To help them promote birding and nature engagement in Costa Rica, please contact Lilly or David at this email or here.
Going birding somewhere new? In the pre-digital days, we sought bird finding books, kept magazine articles, and even paid (!) for trip reports. Hard to imagine but a lot of things were different back then in the pager, pre-mobile device times. It was also a time of common birding discovery, especially when birding abroad.
Forget birding apps, a lot of places lacked proper field guides. We took care to remember field marks, made field sketches and notes and tried to figure things out after the fact, often, with visits to libraries. University libraries could be especially good; they often had obscure field guides, bird books, ornithological tomes, and access to scientific journals.
Digital cameras and the Internet have largely erased those old time necessities but it’s still a good idea to pay close attention and take field notes, at least if you are interested in improving your field identification skills. As for preparing for a birding trip and figuring out where to go, although many of us still read trip reports, it seems that lots of people go the social media route; asking questions in birding groups and forums.
From what I’ve seen, as expected from crowd sourcing, the answers don’t necessarily provide the best information. Instead of answering the question, I see a lot of comments or suggestions that reflect personal experience; a factor that, although valid, is often limited by the inherent inexperience of being a tourist. We could say the same about many forums and social media posts equally faulted by affording the same weight to answers from everybody.
Anyone can comment but who knows best? How do we know who the experts are? But then again, if you are only looking for nice places to take photos of pretty birds, hummingbirds, and quetzals, do you even need answers from experts? Maybe not but, if it benefits a birder to know that Great Green Macaws aren’t necessarily present in certain areas during wet and dry seasons, or that Agami Heron colonies are mostly active during the summer months, well meaning comments from tourists might not be adequate.
It’s also worth knowing that quetzals aren’t limited to the Dota Valley or Paraiso Quetzal (even if Facebook posts might hint otherwise). Those are wonderful and beautiful areas but quetzals occur in other places too, sometimes just an hour’s drive from the airport. With such potential shortcomings in mind, it’s nice to know that at least we have eBird.
This fantastic worldwide resource is another major modern birding boon (maybe the biggest, on par with affordable digital cameras, improved optics, and the Internet in general) and whether you make eBird lists or not, you can still use it to see where other birders have been seeing birds. It can be a great resource for planning a trip, especially with that hotspot feature. Check those out, give em a whirl and you could easily plan your whole trip around eBird hotspots.
You could certainly do that but, there’s an important catch to consider. Since eBird is also based on crowd-sourced material, it only shows what people put into the system. This brings up a couple of obvious but important points:
If no one goes birding in a given area, there’s no bird information for that area, no matter how good the habitat might be.
If an excellent area or site does not have hotspot status, it doesn’t mean that the spot isn’t good for birding, it just means that it has yet to be officially declared as a hotspot.
In other words, there might be a lot of good birding sites out there even if you don’t notice them in eBird (which makes sense since birds live in appropriate habitat). Although Costa Rica gets increasingly better eBird coverage, there are still a number of great birding spots off the eBird radar including the following three sites:
The San Rafael de Varablanca Road
Of all the accessible, underbirded spots in Costa Rica, this one comes to mind front and center. I always have the place to myself, I’m a bit loathe to share the info but, since that goes against my core belief of helping all people experience more birds and our natural world, I’ve got be honest and share the gen.
In this case, we’ve got a good, paved road around an hour’s drive from the airport that passes through and next to cloud forest, much of which is at the edge of or in the buffer zone for Braulio Carrillo National Park. Bird there and don’t let the road and pastures fool you; you’re raisin bins at the edge of wilderness, beautiful cloud forest prowled by Pumas, surely some Jaguars, Tapirs, and more.
Probably undescribed plants and bugs, maybe some other things too? Most pertinently, the habitats along this roads are home to countless birds and the birding can be fantastic. It of course varies but I often see a couple of quetzals among an excellent assortment of cloud forest species. If the raptor flying conditions are good, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Barred Hawk, and Great Black Hawk are also regular and, in certain places, at certain times of year, I’ve also had umbrellabird.
Yeah, it’s a good area alright and you can bird it for free and at any time right from the road, at least up to where the road is unpaved and, shortly thereafter, supremely rough. If this road could be paved or at least improved for its length to the foothills, it would be the best birding road in Costa Rica.
Thousands of birders have surely driven by this spot without stopping and I don’t blame them. You’re on a tour or schedule, you can’t be stopping at every random site. Do that in Costa Rica and you’ll be here for years (most of this bio-packed country is a natural hotspot after all). However, you might want to check this place out.
Located on Route 32, just north of the Aerial Tram, the Casa Manigua is a good restaurant also very good for birding. Surrounded by foothill rainforest, you might see a mixed flock from the balcony, might notice a Laughing Falcon perched across the street, or see raptors and parrots in flight.
The highway can be noisy but the birding can still be very good with coquettes and other hummingbirds visiting flowering trees, and Sunbittern on the river down below (nice trail but it can be slippery).
Overall, a worthy place to stop for a cold smoothie or tasty meal including wood fired pizza. I have yet to try that but it looks promising. Check out this list.
The Rio Negro Jaguar Reserve
Lastly, we have this spot much further afield from the Central Valley. It might not be labeled as such but this is the name for the lowland rainforest north of Rincon de la Vieja. Only a small portion is accessible by a good road but it’s still worth birding it. Very little visited, I wouldn’t be surprised if this forest harbors rarities like Tawny-faced Quail and even Speckled Mourner (it is near a place that has recorded those rare species).
I haven’t been there very often but on my few visits, I was pretty impressed and yearn to investigate that site further. There were Slaty-breasted Tinamous, I heard Black-eared Wood-Quails, saw Black-crested Coquette, Snowy Cotinga, and many other birds. In 2017, a Harpy was seen near there, bellbird can be present, and I bet umbrellabird and Lovely Cotinga too. I can’t wait to go back!
I always want to return and bird these places but lately, I’ve been thinking more about these and other similar sites for another reason. Recently, I’ve been working on updating “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica” and can finally say that the fourth edition is available. Updated to include a high percentage of birding sites in Costa-Rica, recent edits include:
Information for nearly 300 sites in Costa Rica.
Updates for many sites.
Updated information about bird identification and birding in Costa Rica in general.
Of course it also includes information about the three sites mentioned in this blog as well as many other little birded spots. Prepare for birding Costa Rica in 2026 and 2027 by purchasing this 1,000 page ebook. You’ll also be supporting this blog, I hope to see you here!
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 enjoyed 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!
Want to see a quetzal while staying in San Jose? This overnight itinerary gives a good chance (also available as a morning or a day trip).
Going birding around Carara National Park, Costa Rica? If so, good choice, a birder can’t go wrong with such a mega meeting of biodiversity. Too much for one day but you can still try, the constant new bunch of birds can keep you going, keep you seeing more birds until you can’t see no more. Of course you don’t have to throw all your birding eggs into a one day basket; not an ideal choice for any area with more than 100 possibilities and far from the best option for birding areas with species lists that run into the hundreds.
However, if you only have one full day to work with or, one day and morning, what are you gonna do? Throw up those birding hands and sip creative cocktails? Heck no, if you got the energy, what you do is bird as much as you can and then celebrate with post birding cold beers or cocktails or wild and crazy kombucha. Don’t do yourself in, pace yourself but, you might as well keep on birding, at least in places where hundreds of lifers are waiting.
Carara National Park and surroundings is one such “place”. This major ecotone blends so many bird rich habitats, you’d be much better off patiently birding the zone for 3 or 4 days. One day is a lot, one day can be a major challenge, especially if you go for humid forest birds in the morning and dry forest birds in the afternoon.
I did that yesterday with a few guys from Toledo. The weather cooperated, I forgot to put on sunblock and it was a marathon day of birding in Costa Rica but it all worked out. After birding two main routes from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., we finished with morethan 150 species. Yeah, some of those were heard onlys but lots more were seen including such niceties as King Vulture, Black Hawk-Eagle, Crane Hawk, Double-striped Thick-Knee, Mangrove Cuckoo, Velvety Manakin, Riverside Wren, Golden-naped Woodpecker, etc., etc.
It’s pretty birdy up in the Carara area, if you plan on checking it out, aside from suggesting working in at least 3 days for the area, here’s some other updates and tips.
Road Work on the Tarcoles Bridge
Roadwork on the famous “Crocodile Bridge” continues and won’t end at least until May. It is open but the new speed bumps can cause some traffic jams both ways and, traffic jams will be worse during one lane closures. These will take place as so:
-Feb. 23 to March 27
-May 4 to May 9
-Closed at night from 9 PM to 5 AM on yet to be determined dates from March 15 to April 20.
During roadwork, crocodile viewing is also prohibited from the bridge but, I’m not sure how much that will be enforced. However, if you still want to see crocs, don’t frown yet! There are plenty of boat trips for close looks and a brand new thingee has also just opened at the bridge. It’s called the Croc Skywalk and looks like it will eventually offer crocodile viewing along with other tourist activities. As I drove past, I saw a whole bunch of buses and people there yesterday. I look forward to checking it from a birding perspective and including it in the next update for my Costa Rica birding site guide.
Start the Bijagual Road Back as Far as You Can Go (use 4 wheel drive)
Carara isn’t just the national park. There’s also several other birding options including the Bijagual Road. This great birdy route starts near the coast and then makes its way into the hills adjacent to and in back of the national park. Follow Route 320 long enough to Route 319 and you’ll even access the very little birded but excellent eastern part of Carara. You’ll need a four wheel drive and that might not be good enough for the furthest stretches of route 319 but it will be exciting!
At the least, if you do spend some time on this road, I suggest driving back on it pre-dawn so you can start the birding near El Sur. This is a bit past the turn off to Macaw Lodge and gets you way back into the wild and least accessed part of Carara. As I was saying, past El Sur, road conditions might be impossible for a 4 wheel drive but it will still be worth starting way back in there. You can look for various owls and other nocturnal birds en route and will be in the right place at dawn.
Try to bird the road past El Sur but, if not, it would still be worth checking roadside forest near the turn off for Macaw Lodge and on other parts of the road. The combination of mature rainforest, second growth, canopy views, and some open fields is a good recipe for a very birdy, high total morning.
It’s the best area around Carara for Black Hawk-Eagle (although we got one soaring high over the Pura Vida gardens), has birds not generally found in the park like Yellow-crowned Tyrannulet, Pale-breasted Spinetail, Thick-billed Euphonia, and even occasional Streaked Saltator and White-lined Tanager. Other weird stuff could also occur, maybe even Tiny Hawk and there should be chances at the rare Turquoise Cotinga.
You’ll still need four wheel drive to get to the Macaw Lodge area and El Sur but it will be worth it.
Hummingbirds?
We had a good, long day with lots of birds but, I can’t help but mention one downside and it’s a reoccurring one; the lack of hummingbirds. Yes, they are still out there but not nearly in the numbers they used to be and it is disturbing to say the least. And no, it’s not just a lack of flowers or that they are all somewhere else. There are fewer hummingbirds overall. For example, some ten years ago or even less, any trip to Carara National Park or nearby would easily result in a dozen species (and several of each species). Yesterday, in humid forest, I only had Rufous-taileds and maybe a couple other species on the Bijagual Road.
Sadly, this appears to be the new normal for humid forest habitats in several parts of Costa Rica and must be a consequence of climate change having disrupted flowering and insect productivity. So far, those hummingbirds are still out there and can be found, but it’s not the easy, expected task it used to be. Imagine suddenly seeing one tenth of the hummingbirds you used to at feeders and flowering gardens and you’ll get the picture.
Eyes on the Sky for Raptors
When birding anywhere around Carara, it’s worth to keep checking the sky. Several raptors occur in the area and the Bijagual/Macaw Lodge area is an excellent area to watch for them. The hilly topography makes it possible to scope the canopy for perched raptors and there’s plenty of sky to scan for birds in flight.
On our morning visit, we didn’t have too many raptors but, I bet more dedicated raptor viewing would turn up more. On the Bijagual Road, we had:
-A couple of Broad-winged Hawks
-One calling Gray Hawk
-One or two Roadsides
-Both caracaras
-Calling Laughing Falcon
-Black Hawk-Eagle
-Double-toothed Kite
-King Vulture and the other two vultures
In dry forest on the Guacimo Road, we also had excellent views of a Crane Hawk and a Common Black Hawk.
Bajamar Mangroves were Frighteningly Dry
While birding the Guacimo Road, I was eager to get back to the mangroves at Bajamar. On past visits, whistling like a pygmy-0wl was an easy way to bring in mangrove specialties like Panama Flycatcher and Mangrove Hummingbird and with various other species.
Not this time. I was surprised to see that hardly any mangrove birds responded. I also noticed that the mangrove forest floor was uncharacteristically dry. It should have been muddy and buggy but, instead, it looked like the water hadn’t reached there for a while. Nearby lagoons had water but nothing seemed to be reaching the mangroves, I can’t help but wonder if that explained those bird’s absence.
With that in mind, you’ll need to get in your mangrove birding at other spots (like Tarcoles or elsewhere).
As always, after coming back from birding such high biodiversity sites in Costa Rica, I can’t wait to go back. I go home with all sorts of questions and the only means of answering them is going right back there and birding again. How many owls are out there? Potoos? Wintering nightjars? Cotingas and other uncommon species? No matter how often you go birding in Costa Rica, there’s always lots more to see. I hope you get the chance to experience it. This two night trip to Carara is a good way to maximize the birding potential of this fantastic area.
Raptor Festival! Who doesn’t love the sound of a festive gathering that celebrates raptorial birds? Such venue are destined to be cool. And it was. We nearly missed the gig but thanks to a casual Facebook check Friday evening, I noticed a quick, short video that mentioned the second annual raptor festival taking place at Refugio Lapa Verde, October 18th.
That sounded fun and it was free but yikes! We were talking the following day and although the LapaVerde Refuge is straight line close, sans flying car, getting there would mean 2 hours driving up and over the Central Cordillera mountain range (a common situation in Costa Rica). That actually isn’t so bad, especially if you like watching birds; the route passes through a few different life zones that hide 100s of bird species.
It’s the getting back part that can be tiresome (and whoah nelly, read on to hear about that challenge) as well as the leaving early enough part to get there in time (if you like to sleep in). However, on Saturday morning, we shrugged off any worries about those potentially challenging parts of the trip and made our way to the festival. Here’s how that day went along with recommendations and other hopefully helpful tidbits.
The height of fall migration in Costa Rica
This is it, third week of October in Costa Rica, the major final push of birds headed here and onward to the rich wintering forests of South America. See them while you can, see if you’ll get lucky with a quick cuckoo sighting or ironic, non-red Scarlet Tanager flocks and kingbird movements.
There’s also the raptors, the thousands of TVs and Swainson’s Hawks and Broad-wings soaring overhead, many of which pass over the hawkwatch at the Refugio Lapa Verde. Those big winged flyers are the main reason for the raptor festival but there’s other birds too, hiding and foraging in the vegetation of the refuge.
Even before we left for our cross mountain drive, I went looking for those migrants. I did my usual brief walk in our neighborhood, one that passes near a rare adjacent farm and narrow riparian zone. The Traill’s Flycatcher sallying down to the cut grass, a few pewees, Dickcissel, my first Bay-breasted Warbler of the year and a few other birds were a reminder of peak migration happening. A quick message from another local birder who had heard tons of Swainson’s Thrushes passing over pre-dawn skies was another reminder as were the birds we saw later that day.
An important, multi-faceted refuge
The Lapa Verde Refuge is privately-owned protected land that encompasses some of the last sizeable remaining areas of Caribbean lowland rainforest in Costa Rica. Just across the road from the Selva Verde forests and northwest of La Selva, the habitat is also loosely connected to other patches of forest that eventually reach the Nicaraguan border.
These connections and location make the refuge an ideal area to help conserve the Great Green Macaw. We need more reforestation for better forest connections outside of the refuge but Ecovida (the organization that owns and manages the refuge) has certainly been doing an excellent job.
Since 2013, through active reforestation and just letting the forest grow back on its own, they have reforested more than 300 hectares. The remaining 1500 hectares protects older rainforest, swamps, and other wetlands. This wealth of habitats is of course ideal for maintaining the complex biodiversity native to northern Costa Rica including important second growth habitats used by warblers and other small migrant birds (the same type of habitat frequently eliminated for pineapple farms).
Great Green Macaws and more
Thanks to the forests in the refuge, Great Green Macaws are regular (we saw several during our visit), and most expected lowland species have been recorded. This includes Slaty-backed Forest-Falcon (rare), Tiny Hawk, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Snowy Cotinga, puffbirds, motmots, and more.
Although Agami Heron, Rufescent Tiger-Heron and some other birds aren’t on the list, I’m sure they are at least occasionally present too, probably just in less accessible spots.
On our visit, we didn’t see too much but our birding was also limited to sunny mid-day weather and a short tour mostly meant to educate visitors about the refuge. Even so, we still encountered several expected warblers (as well as a beautiful male Prothonotary), other migrants, some migrating kettles, King Vulture, and some other birds.
Raptor celebration
In addition to free tours to learn about the refuge, festival attendants also enjoyed everything from DJ’d music to face painting, story telling, and an honest to goodness magic show. There was a lot going on and it sometimes got loud but I was impressed!
Local kids had also submitted artwork, there were vendors selling arts and crafts, a Vortex optics stand with binos and scopes to sample, snow cones, and other raptor festival foods.
Although we didn’t stay until the finale, the festival ended with a concert and fire juggling! We made up for missing that by watching the fun folks from dance around in identifiable raptor costumes. As was befitting their aggressive nature, the Ornate Hawk-Eagle and Black and white Hawk-Eagle also chased a couple of kite flying kids around.
The Ecovida hawkwatch tower
Part of our tour included a visit to the refuge’s crown jewell; the hawkwatch tower. Situated on a hill, it provided a fantastic view of the surrounding forests and skies. It somewhat reminded me of canopy towers in the Amazon, I’d love to be up there pre and post dawn. It would also be the perfect spot to do a big sit and raise funds for refuge projects.
Although we weren’t at the tower at an ideal time, the counters do see many thousands of raptors during the migration season along with lots of other cool birds.
Visiting the refuge
The raptor festival was an open house, fun, celebratory event but that’s not the norm. It seems like the refuge is mostly there for research and protecting habitat. Although their site does mention ecotourism and they do receive visits, there’s not a lot of information about entrance fees and so on.
If interested in visiting, it would be best to contact them to get the full deal. I’ll also be doing that and including that information in the next update for my Costa Rica bird finding book. I’ve already got a list of other places to update and include, it’s amazing how many new birding sites pop up for well-birded Costa Rica!
What I can say is that if you do visit, you should have a fair chance at a wide variety of lowland birds while watching from their trails and the tower.
The insane drive back
On another note, the drive back wasn’t as easy going as the drive there. Not quite. Driving up and over the mountains in dry weather and daylight is another world compared to doing that at night and in pouring rain.
The problem with night driving there and in much of Costa Rica is the lack of illumination coupled with a concurrent lack of painted roads with reflectors. That’s bad enough in the driest of weather but when you throw in slick roads and constant rain, you’re faced with a potentially life and death situation.
Seriously. It’s hard to see the edge of the road and if you venture off of it, you’re vehicle will likely be rolling down the mountain. Luckily, the rain was too bad on our drive up and, by taking it slow and easy, we made it to the to without too much anxiety. However, from there, as we descended towards Alajuela, the rain got heavier to the point of deluge level craziness with some road flooding (albeit shallow enough to drive through). Add in other drivers, some of whom insist on passing and it’s no wonder we ran into an accident. Not us thank goodness but it did close the road and made us take a detour to get back on track.
The moral of that story is to avoid driving at night in Costa Rica, especially in mountains and during the wet season. Fortunately, you don’t really have to and it’s much easier during the dry season. Happy birding, I hope to see you here!
What birding day trips are possible from San Jose, Costa Rica? Is it worth birding in the city itself? How far can you go in a day and, most importantly, which birds can you see?
Oh yes, you can see Fiery-throated Hummingbirds.
Before we start answering those questions, there’s a few important things to know about staying in “San Jose, Costa Rica”. If you didn’t know, San Jose is the capital of Costa Rica. It’s also the general name given to the Central Valley, an urbanized area that also includes several other cities and towns. However, since housing has connected most of those places, it looks like one big urban conglomeration.
Although each place still has its own designation, its own municipality, visitors refer to the Central Valley as “San Jose”. In Costa Rica, we still say Heredia, Alajuela, and so on but everyone also knows the Central Valley as the Greater Metropolitan Area of San Jose. With that in mind, when you fly to SJO, Costa Rica, even though the destination says, “San Jose”, you are really landing in Alajuela.
You can also assume you are staying in San Jose when your hotel is actually at the edge of Alajuela (such as birdy Villa San Ignacio and Hotel Robledal), or even in Santa Ana.
Regarding day trips, it’s important to understand these distinctions because where you stay in the San Jose area has an influence on birding day trip logistics. The following tips deal with that and other factors that come in to play.
Some Places are Easier to Visit than Others, What About Birding in San Jose?
There’s a bunch of birding sites within reach of San Jose and even in the city limits. However, if you are already going to be birding in other parts of Costa Rica, don’t bother doing much birding in San Jose. You can see nearly all of those birds elsewhere along with lots more species.
The one exception might be the Cabanis’s Ground-Sparrow. Yes, there are good sites for it outside of San Jose but if you won’t be visiting the Orosi Valley area, you’ll need to find it in the Central Valley. There are several spots for this fancy towhee but you still have to know where to go and the bird is uncommon and tricky.
As far as birding trips from San Jose, the easiest places to visit sort of depend on where you are staying. Got a room at the classic Hotel Bougainvillea or in San Jose itself? Based on logistics, good day trips are Quebrada Gonzalez, Nectar and Pollen, and Centro Manu (those are some exciting places!).
Escazu or Santa Ana are good for day trips to the University of Peace area, sites near Orotina, and the Pacific lowlands, and the Poas area is ideal when staying near the airport or in Heredia.
How to Avoid Traffic
The number one challenge for day trips from the San Jose area is traffic. It truly is awful and can put a serious dent in your birding time. To make sure you are birding instead of wasting time on roads, you absolutely must leave the hotel by 5:30 at the latest. Earlier is even better, say by 4:30 or 5:00.
Seriously, if you head out after 5:30 or at 6, you might want to wait and bird the following morning. The worst morning traffic happens between 6 and 8; the best time for birding. You should really be at your birding site by 6.
The other worst time for traffic is between 4 and 6. 3:30 and 6:30 or even 7 aren’t so fun either but those two hours in the late afternoon are the worst. They might not eat into your birding day but it can be a real pain returning to your hotel.
There are two main ways to avoid that awful afternoon traffic. One is by limiting day trips to a morning of birding. You head out early, get in a good morning of birding, have lunch, and return to the hotel by 2 or so.
The other option is doing an extra-long day of birding. Really, with that traffic, it’s worth staying out until night, looking for owls, and then getting back to the hotel by 8.
You might see a Bare-shanked Screech-Owl.
How Far Should You Go?
Costa Rica’s pretty small. When staying in the San Jose area, an impressive variety of habitats are within reach. The closest best spots are typically 45 minutes to an hour away with some places being an hour and half by car.
You can go further but leaving the hotel by 3:30 or 4 isn’t too fun, especially when it takes even longer to get back. Luckily, you can reach most major habitats in an hour and a half. The closest, easily accessible cloud forest is in the Poas area. Cloud forests near Coronado are also fairly close but are at the end of a rough road. Cloud forests near San Ramon are slightly further away and can also have bellbirds from March to August!
The nearest foothill rainforests are at and near Quebrada Gonzalez and the Virgen del Socorro area. Go a bit further and you can also bird the fantastic San Luis Canopy and Manuel Brenes road.
For high elevation forests, the road to Poas Volcano is good. Volcan Barva has even better habitat and is close but, sadly, is only accessible by a very rough road. If you travel a bit further, you can go to the Irazu Volcano area and try for Volcano Junco and Timberline Wren among other high elevation birds.
Unfortunately, the Talamancas are a bit far for a day trip from San Jose (at least for me). Sure, it can be done but you’ll be in for a fair amount of driving (unless you are coming from Cartago).
Dry forest birding is also close with several species even possible at sites like Villa San Ignacio and other places near Alajuela. It might only take 45 minutes to reach dry and open habitats around Orotina.
For South Pacific rainforest and coastal habitats, it takes an hour and a half to drive to Tarcoles and the Carara area. Go a bit further and you can also go birding at Mata de Limon and scan for seabirds from Puntarenas.
Day Trips to see Quetzals
What about quetzals? Can you see them on a day trip from San Jose? Absolutely! In Costa Rica, Resplendent Quetzals inhabit cloud forest and high elevation rainforest in all sorts of places. Find that habitat and quetzals should be somewhere in the area.
For their quetzal fix, a lot of folks visit Paraiso Quetzal and the Dota Valley. Those are great sites and you can do them as a day trip from San Jose but it will also take more than two hours to get there.
The closest quetzals are in the Poas and Barva Volcano areas. They move around and can be tricky but if you know how to look for quetzals, you can usually find them (at least I do). Incredibly, those birds are just 45 minutes or an hour’s drive from San Jose!
Quetzals are also possible near San Ramon. That usually takes an hour and 45 minutes and they aren’t as easy.
How Many Birds on Birding Day Trips from San Jose?
It’s all about time and location but most day trips from San Jose can turn up a good number of birds. If only doing a bit of birding in and near urban areas, you might get 40 or 50 species at most. It’ll mostly be common species with highlights like Lesson’s Motmot, White-eared Ground-Sparrow, and hopefully Cabanis’s Ground-Sparrow.
A day in foothill rainforest typically results in 60 to 80 species or more. However, you might not see those birds in other spots. They include various tanagers and deep forest birds including chances at uncommon and rare birds like hawk-eagles, antbirds, and other species.
Juvenile male Spotted Antbird with adult male on the left.
Go birding in the Poas area and you can see a high number of species. The combination of high elevation and middle elevation habitats often turns up a 100 species. On my best days, I’ve shown birders 130 and even 140 species in a day. In addition to fair chances at the quetzal, a day of birding also usually includes Sooty Thrush, Yellow-thighed Brushfinch, many other regional endemics, several hummingbirds, and many other species.
Head down to the Pacific coast and you’ll also see a wide variety of species including Scarlet Macaw, parrots, maybe Double-striped Thick-Knee, raptors, trogons, and more. During a morning, I often see more than 120 species and a full day can result in 160 or more.
For the best birding day trip from San Jose, think about how you want to bird, what birds you want to see, and how long you want to stay out. Some spots are better for photography, others better for rare forest birds, and different areas of course have different bird species.
Really, there’s so many options, you could stay at a hotel in the San Jose area, do several day trips from there, and see more than 300 species!
Driving in Costa Rica. Should you do it? What’s it like? What about taking the bus? How about road issues and birding by car?
If you are thinking about driving in Costa Rica, wondering if you should take the wheel or let a local do the driving, this post is for you. If you don’t plan on driving but are still curious about what the driving is like in Costa Rica, this post is also for you.
I’ve written about this topic on other occasions, here’s my latest take on various aspects of driving in the land of quetzals, toucans, and visiting sloth watchers.
Driving Expectations in Costa Rica
Thinking of driving in Costa Rica? Not sure if you should drive yourself or go with shuttles? Those are good considerations, after all, driving in Costa Rica might not be the same as home.
In short, it’s not but it’s also not extremely different from driving in Canada, the USA, or Europe. In general, it’s not as relaxed, streets can get pretty crowded, and there’s a fairly high percentage of bad drivers. If that sounds like home, you’re all set!
Based on driving in Costa Rica for several years and in all conditions, here’s the deal. Expect similar driving rules but also expect people to break many of them on a daily basis. The rule breaking isn’t constant but it does happen enough to expect people to do it.
For example, here’s some of what I saw during the past week, and is typical:
-Vehicles stopped on the side of a busy road and partly blocking a lane because they are picking someone up or going to the bank or doing some other thing that’s more important to them than causing traffic jams and unsafe conditions.
-Occasional cars rushing into traffic to turn left without really checking.
-Cars rushing to cut in front of you because you left space between you and the car in front so you don’t smash into it (I also see such fender benders every day), in slow or fast traffic.
-Driving too slow with sudden inexplicable stops and driving too fast, even by schools.
-People passing in dangerous situations, especially on highways.
-Likely drunk driving, especially when bars close, and constant cell phone use while driving.
-Driving through red lights and maybe not quite stopping at stop signs. This doesn’t happen very often but often enough to be very careful!
Now these might be things you also see at home, if so, then you already know how to drive in Costa Rica. If not, just drive carefully and defensively and you’ll be alright.
Traffic Police
Costa Rica actually has a lot of driving rules but there’s not enough enforcement. Traffic police are the only police that really give tickets and we just don’t have enough.
Typically, traffic police in Costa Rica wait on the side of the road with a speed camera. They might also wait in spots where people illegally overtake over cars and mostly watch for cars that do not have their registration and inspection stickers up to date.
They also do occasional stops to check for a license. If you see a traffic officer step in your lane and wave to you to pull over, that’s what they are doing. Pull over and see what they want. They rarely stop rental cars but, if you are speeding well over the limit or illegally passing, yeah, they’ll stop you and give a hefty fine.
Be extra careful to slow down in spots where it drops to 60 ks per hour even if other cars are flying by!
Motorcycles
Dirt bikes, speed bikes, and even weekend Harleys, you’ll probably see them all. Motorcyles, especially dirt bikes, are common in Costa Rica. Cheaper than cars, faster and easier to get through traffic, you might want one too!
They are also supposed to follow the same rules as cars but they never do and that’s not really enforced (except maybe speeding and official things like having a license). Motorcycles are why you can’t just watch the road in front of you. I keep an eye on the mirrors, always watch what’s coming from behind; it’s very common for motorcycles to zip between cars and fly past you on both sides.
Turning left? Changing lanes? Make sure some motorcycle isn’t flying into view. Oh yeah, they do drive dangerously, and yes, there are many fatal motorcycle accidents. On weekends, you might also see youngsters doing wheelies on busy roads. Don’t be surprised!
Cyclists
Cycling has become very popular in Costa Rica. Many climb volcanoes, their feats are indeed impressive!
You’ll see lots on the weekends, and they’ll slow down traffic. Few Costa Rica roads have shoulders, there’s not a lot of room but that doesn’t stop cyclists. Just be patient and don’t expect them to move out of the way, even if they are taking up an entire lane. You’ll eventually get a chance to safely pass them.
Road Conditions, Four Wheel Drive?
What about the roads? I’m happy to say that most roads in Costa Rica are great! Some still have holes and lots of bumps but it’s nothing like 20 or even 15 years ago.
Most major roads are pretty darn good. You can still run into massive pot holes, you still gotta watch out for them but major roads are pretty good. Other, secondary roads vary but the ones with gravel are alright. However, many little used tracks are definitely not alright.
You can explore but play it by ear. If the track has slippery clay mud, turn around! Just because a road is on a map doesn’t mean you can use it. Go downhill on slippery mud and you might get stuck down there, might slide right off the road.
There’s also the issue of crossing streams. Just use common sense- if that stream looks too deep, don’t do it!
So what about four-wheel drive? Do you need it? Not if you are only travelling between birding lodges (as long as their entrance road doesn’t require four wheel drive!). However, if you want to explore other places and visit exciting places like Pocosol, El Copal, and Laguna del Lagarto, yes, to be sure, get the four-wheel drive.
When Not to Drive in Costa Rica and other Safety Issues
Are there times when you shouldn’t drive in Costa Rica? Not necessarily, but I don’t recommend doing much night driving, especially in the mountains. Night driving in Costa Rica is not fun because most roads have poor or no lighting, it’s harder to see pot holes and other odd things to avoid, and people with dark clothing and bikes sans reflectors are regular.
Lanes and reflectors on the edge of the road are also poor or non-existent. When combined with mountain fog, those factors in particular can make for particularly terrifying driving conditions.
As for other safety issues, never leave anything of value in an unattended car, and don’t leave binos or other valuable things in a vehicle even in a guarded parking lot. Unattended cars are frequent targets, guarded parking areas less so but it can still happen, why take the chance?
Is Birding in Costa Rica by Car Possible?
It sure is! There’s a lot of places with good roadside habitat and I bird this way on a regular basis. I have seen everything from quetzals to hawk-eagles and antbirds.
To have a better chance at forest interior species like tinamous and quail-doves, it’s important to include trail birding too but you can certainly see a lot while road birding in Costa Rica.
However, you can’t really stop on busy roads, most lack shoulders anyways. I stop on other roads but still stop where occasional vehicles can get by and no matter how remote the road may seem to be, I always bird within sight of it.
Renting a Vehicle in Costa Rica, Shuttles, or Buses
Rent a vehicle and you get that wonderful freedom of the road. I usually work with Vamos Rent a Car but lots of folks have had good experiences with other companies too.
Know that prices go up quite a bit with optional insurance but I always feel better getting the full coverage.
Shuttles are nice and comfortable. They aren’t cheap but it’s a nice, relaxed way to get from one place to another. Of course, this limits movement but if you only plan on birding on hotel or ecolodge grounds, you’ll be alright.
Buses also go just about everywhere and they are the cheapest way to get around but, they’ll eat up a lot of your precious birding time.
Pumping Gas
It’s all full service in Costa Rica. Nope, no pumping your own gas, you have to wait for the attendant and tell them how much you want. To fill the car, say, “Lleno porfavor”. You’ll also have a choice of two or three types of gas with “super” costing the most. Speaking of cost, gas is pretty expensive in Costa Rica and runs around $5 a gallon.
Distances aren’t huge but it is costly.
The attendant can also wash the windows, check tire pressure, etc..
The Electric Car Situation in Costa Rica
Electric vehicles are becoming more and more popular in Costa Rica! I like it, we’ve got way too much air pollution in the Central Valley and, as a species, we need to stop burning fossil fuels now.
So far, electric cars are also feasible in Costa Rica because the distances aren’t that far. Driving uphill and using necessary air conditioning eats up the charge but the distances are still close enough. There are also an increasing number of charging stations although some require special cards only acquired through bureaucratic processes, and some don’t work.
However, to meet the demand, it looks like there will be more charging station services available.
Historically, July isn’t the most exciting time for birding. At least that’s how the birding rumors tend to roll in the temperate zone. No migration, birds finishing up nesting on lazy summer days, not much to see… Those mid-summer times always seemed better for studying your field guides, going to ball games and taking full advantage of sweet summer days.
Rumors can have some base of truth and those summer birding sayings are no exception. Even so, maybe we just weren’t seeing much because we weren’t going birding? Birds don’t disappear in July, neither up north and especially not in Costa Rica. Some linger on their breeding grounds and several are raising second broods. Other birds are on their way south, some shorebirds are already here!
Red-legged Honeycreepers? Always!
There are also birds that wander north, and, in Costa Rica, it’s a good time to look for seabirds in the Gulf of Nicoya (some Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrels were seen today). If you are headed to Costa Rica soon, you bet the birding’s gonna be exciting. Wonder what to expect? Check out these tips and birding news items:
Heavy Rains
Not to tone down any birding expectations but yeah, you’ll have to be ready for rain. As with several other places across the globe, Costa Rica has been seeing some heavy rains. It’s no surprise, the atmosphere is warmer than we have ever known and that makes it hold more water.
It eventually comes back down, and with a vengeance. In Costa Rica, we’ve had flooding here and there, especially in the northern foothills and parts of the Pacific slope. Some roads have also been affected, especially the main road between San Ramon and La Fortuna. If you are driving yourself, make sure to check Waze to see which roads are open. Certain birding spots could also be flooded, especially sites near Ciudad Neily and Guanacaste.
Most roads are fine but with these rains, that situation can change from one day to the next.
Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo Sightings
With more diligent birders in the field, we have far more regular sightings of this mega bird than we used to. Recently, a pair with a juvenile have been attending an antswarm near Turrialba, and another one or two have been seen again at the San Luis Canopy.
These major birds can also show at various other sites but, away from swarming Army Ants, can be very difficult. A couple of the other regular sites are Rincon de la Vieja and the road to Manuel Brenes but they also occur in any sizeable tracts of mature foothill rainforest on the Caribbean slope. There is also a small population in the Carara hills and Cangreja National Park, and maybe elsewhere but those birds are much less accessible.
Even Mangrove Cuckoos are easier to see than the Rufous-vented variety.
Sooty Tern Seen at Medio Queso!
It looks like Hurricane Beryl probably did give us one lost bird! On a visit to Medio Queso during a Wings birding tour, Scott Olmstead photographed a distant tern. Upon checking pictures after the tour, it turned out to be a juvenile Sooty Tern!
As far as I know, this is the only inland record for this pelagic species in Costa Rica. You can watch these graceful birds flock and forage over tuna in offshore waters but we don’t even usually see them from the coast.
Beware Illegal Tours to Poas Volcano and Turrialba
Lately, the authorities have busted tours visiting prohibited areas on Turrialba and Poas Volcanoes. They weren’t birding tours and the tourists were locals but I figured I would mention it anyways.
Apparently, some locals have offered hiking trips to closed sites on these volcanoes. I get looking for adventure and wanting to see new places but there are some pretty good reasons why certain parts of active volcanoes are off limits.
I seriously doubt any visiting birders would sign up for these tours but figured I’d mention it anyways!
Fortunately, you don’t need to visit closed areas to see this particular bird.
As for other birding opportunities, there’s not a whole lot to say other than the birds are all here. They are in their expected habitats and, as always, the birding in Costa Rica is fantastic! For more tips, check out this blog, get my Costa Rica bird finding guide, study your Garrigues and Dean field guide and mark target species on your birding app for Costa Rica.
There’s a heck of a lot to see and the birds are waiting. I hope to see you here!
Coming to Costa Rica in June? It’s gonna be good! More elbow room, lots of bird activity, I’m already looking forward to it. For me, it’s a good time of year to search for nesting birds, fruiting trees, and enjoy fresh, cloudy weather.
Yeah, fresh, cloudy weather in June. Who would have thought? It’s June but you gotta remember, Costa Rica doesn’t have any summer. No winter either. Just wet or dry, and high, middle or low elevations with some vacillations in local temperatures.
It’ll rain in the afternoon but I like it. Just before the storm, swifts reveal some of their waterfall mysteries and birds are active, all morning long. Partly rainy? Birds are moving all day!
It’s the good birding stuff. Here’s some birding news to whet your palette.
Mega Hummingbird near Boca Tapada!
The biggest local birding news has been the occurrence of a White-bellied Emerald in northern Costa Rica, near Boca Tapada. This plain looking hummingbird is common in Mexico and northern Central America. In Costa Rica, it’s another story!
Known in Costa Rica from a handful of old sightings, a couple of which might actually have been Mangrove Hummingbirds, local birders have long hoped for one to come back for a visit.
Earlier in the month, while birding near Boca Tapada, birding guide and owner of Lifer Tours Juan Diego Vargas had a brief look at one while guiding clients. Although he was pretty sure of its identification, since he didn’t get a picture, Juan Diego opted to hold off on announcing it until he could absolutely confirm such a rare bird. Check out his account here!
Not long after, Lisa Erb (the owner of Rancho Naturalista), Harry Barnard, and Meche Alpizar (top birding guides based at Rancho) had good looks at the hummingbird and could confirm that yes indeed, the White-bellied Emerald was back in town!
Since then, dozens of local birders have pilgrimaged north to see this mega in some roadside Verbena (Porterweed). Although the landowner started charging people $20 a person (a fair sum for Costa Rica) to leave the road and walk on his property, lots of birders have still gone to see it. He has also installed a plastic green “wall” to prevent non-paying birders seeing it from the public road.
I can’t help but wonder if drought caused the bird to vacate its typical range? I also wonder if a few more are around. I bet so! If you see any hummingbirds that have mostly white underparts, please take pictures! The same goes for Blue-vented Hummingbirds with rufous in their wings. Those might be another vagrant bird that could be around; the Blue-tailed Hummingbird.
This is a Blue-vented Hummingbird. If you see one of these with rufous wings, take those pictures!
More Sightings of Buff-collared Nightjar
Wait, Buff-collared Nightjar? In Costa Rica? Yep! A few years ago, a small population was discovered in Santa Rosa National Park. Recently, Guanacaste based birders turned up few more at a site just outside of the park!
This is exciting for two reasons. For one, we now know of another population in Costa Rica. The other big reason for celebration is that this new spot is not within the park and therefore much more accessible.
I don’t know how the road is and expect it to be rocky rough but the birds are there and several people have gone and seen them. Hopefully more birders will check additional suitable spots in that area. It seems like more should be out there.
White-tailed Tropicbird in the Caribbean Basin
Another fun sighting was an adult White-tailed Tropicbird in the Caribbean Sea! This good bird was seen during pelagic bird monitoring off the coast of Tortuguero. Not unexpected but still pretty rare for Costa Rica.
We actually have all three tropicbirds on the country list but Red-billed is the only regular one (and is still pretty uncommon).
A Good Time for Pelagics
I would rather take the ferry than this boat.
Isn’t it always? Yes, I suppose so but, to me, the wet season months have always seemed better for pelagic birds. Or, maybe it’s just better in the Gulf of Nicoya.
Rains bring more nutrients into the Gulf and that brings in the birds. At least that’s my theory. Past ferry trips during these months have always been good, it’s time for some more!
Preparing Updates for the Costa Rica Birds Field Guide App
On another birding note, I have been gathering new images and getting ready to update the Costa Rica Birds Field Guide app. I might include another bird or two that are not on the bird list but that could certainly make an appearance.
Altamira Oriole from the Costa Rica Birds app. Nope, hasn’t been seen yet but it’s very much expected!
I’ll definitely include more images in general to help birders identify more birds in Costa Rica, learn about them, and be fully prepared for their birding trip. No, we won’t have any automatic identification tools like Merlin but there will be accurate, localized information to help find and identify well over 900 bird species in Costa Rica, and the usual features that help people customize the app to their needs (making a target list, marking birds as soon or heard, and more).
June birding in Costa Rica’s gonna be good. I hope to see you here!
