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Birding Sites in Costa Rica- Maximum Species in Minimum Time

Good birding sites in Costa Rica are too numerous to count. Anywhere with habitat will have birds, often, more birds than expected, even in the semi-urban locales of the heavily populated Central Valley. Even there, even among coffee field flanked by treed hedgerows, remnant riparian zones, and patches of hang-on woodlands, the motmots, migrants, and fancy tail Long-tailed Manakins party in massive, aged figs.

Short-tailed Hawks kite above, Gray Hawks call and flap-glide through neighborhoods, and you may hear the laugh of a Lineated Woodpecker through heavy traffic. As with all countries, Costa Rica is of course much birdier in wilder areas with more habitat and less people. Those places are always best but some certain areas still stand out, especially in terms of the numbers of species possible in a limited amount of time.

If you’re looking for major birding bang for your birding time, you can’t go wrong with these birding areas. You’ll see a lot in a day but you’ll want to stay longer, at least to feel like you’ve adequately birded the various habitats. That’s one of the main things these maxibird sites have in common and a grand reason to include them on a birding trip to Costa Rica. Indeed, we see them featured on many a tour itinerary.

The Carara Ecotone

By definition, any ecotone should have a good number of bird species. More habitats equal more birds and when you mash a bunch together, it can be bird pandemonium in the best sense. We got that fine situation going on in the Carara ecotone.

birding Costa Rica

I think that really is the best way to put it because, around Carara, we have south Pacific rainforest, tropical dry forest, wetlands, an estuary, and mangroves. Throw in open habitats and second growth and it’s no surprise that more than 500 species have been recorded from the general area.

A morning of birding can easily break 100 species and a long day can reach 160. However, instead of overdoing it, you’ll maximize species totals if you stay 3 to 4 nights so you can spend birding time in each habitat.

Sarapiqui Lowlands

The Sarapiqui lowlands include the La Selva area, La Quinta de Sarapiqui, and any number of other eco lodges in the area. A nice and birdy combination of lowlands rainforest, wetlands, rivers, and second growth result in a fantastic array of species, a few highlights being Great Green Macaw, Snowy Cotinga, Semiplumbeous Hawk, and Pied Puffbird.

Sarapiqui also acts as a good base for visiting Cope’s place, Centro Manu, and foothill birding at Nectar and Pollen as well as Virgen del Socorro. A day’s birding in the right places can easily have more than 150 species. I have had 170 with roadside birding!

The La Gamba Area

La Gamba is this village at the edge of Piedras Blancas National Park, a protected area that includes rainforests connected to the Osa Peninsula. They’ve got the same suite of species and because they are also just a bit closer than the Osa, many birding groups stay at Esquinas Lodge near La Gamba instead of driving all the way into the peninsula (which is also excellent birding).

The Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager only occurs in and around the Osa peninsula.

Like other max. species sites, La Gamba has this ecotone going on that generates constant avian action. You’ll need at least a few days to soak up open and second growth habitats, and forest action with local Black-cheeked Ant-Tanagers, Baird’s Trogons, mixed flocks, raptors, and more.

A bit further afield, you’ll find a variety of local species in wetlands, open habitats, mangroves, and other forest around Ciudad Neily and Rincon de la Osa.

Monteverde

Monteverde has become such a major destination, non-birding visitors have long outnumbered the true birders. I only mention that so you don’t become surprised at the number of buses and people you see in the area.

Even so, it still has wonderful birding and chances at large numbers of species. No, not as many as lowland areas but it comes close! As with any excellent birding site, Monteverde makes it happen with habitat. There’s a good amount of forest around town, at many of the hotels, and of course in the excellent reserves.

Bird dry habitat on the way there as well as the mature forests at Curi-Cancha, and other reserves and you’ll see a heck of a lot in an area replete with good restaurants and other tourism infrastructure.

Arenal

Like Monteverde, the Arenal area has become a major destination. It’s hard to believe that the first time I visited Fortuna, I exited a bus onto a dirt road pocked with large puddles and paid close to nothing to stay in some small, anonymous place.

Since then, the place has drastically changed but so have the birding opportunities. Numerous reserves, birding roads, open areas and some wetlands provide excellent opportunities to see literally hundreds of lowland and foothill rainforest species. Add on a trip up to Cano Negro from Arenal and you’ll leave the area with a huge number of species including a good selection of uncommon and local birds.

Ruta 126- Costa Rica’s “Via Endemica”

This birding area might not be as well known as the ones mentioned above but it can still turn up a similar number of species. Once again, it’s all about the extent and variety of habitats and on and near Ruta 126, you’ll pass through a bunch.

You have to know where to stop but there are chances at some dry forest and Central Valley birds, high elevation species on Poas Volcano, middle elevation species a bit lower down, and foothill birds below that. Although I typically show people birds from the higher and middle elevations, on longer days, I’ve found more than 150 species. Work the sites on and near this road over several days and you might see 300 species.

I don’t call it Via Endemica for nothing either; it’s good for everything from Fiery-throated Hummingbird to Sooty-faced Finch and Copper-headed Emerald (among many others), and, best of all, it’s one of the closest birding sites to the Central Valley.

These are some principal maximum species sites that come to mind but they aren’t the only ones in Costa Rica. Several other birding areas could also make it onto this list and then there are sites particularly suited for various target birds (see my Costa Rica bird finding ebook to learn about those and hundreds of other birding sites in Costa Rica). Suffice to say, go birding in Costa Rica and it’s gonna be good. Go birding at the places mentioned above and be forewarned, you might feel happily overwhelmed!

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Birding Costa Rica

The Arenal Christmas Bird Count, 2024- Some Highlights

Blinking lights and inflatable decor are waving in the breeze, the malls resound with Christmas-themed songs, and Yellow Warblers are chipping from the bushes. These factors and tamales can only mean one thing; it’s Christmas bird count time in Costa Rica!

Well, they mean other things too but in regards to the birding way of life, yeah, it’s count time. While birders up north are trudging over frozen grass and trying to stay warm as they count Buffleheads and American Crows, in Costa Rica, we’re sweating in the humid woods and watching Baltimore Orioles.

We’re also seeing trogons and listening to tinamous as we count hundreds of birds. There’s plenty of counts to participate in too although here, for most, you gotta sign up in advance and pay a participation fee. Since some counts happen on the same or similar dates, local birders also have to decide which ones to participate in. My partner Maryllen and I opted for one we usually do; the Arenal Count.

This classic count covers most of the excellent sites in the Fortuna area as well as the area we bird; at and near Finca Luna Nueva. Here’s some birding highlights from this year’s count:

Finca Luna Nueva Nightbirding

Thanks to the Hotel Finca Luna Nueva, we stayed at the hotel the night before the count. In addition to resting up in their comfy, peaceful rooms, we also had the opportunity to look for birds of the night.

Although it would have been exciting to explore this rich site’s organic farm and rainforest all night long, sleep took precedence. Instead, during the hour before dawn, our team (including Tyler Wenzel who also made several cool recordings) heard Crested Guan, the rumbling of Spectacled Owls, one gruff Crested Owl, and a juvenile Mottled Owl. As we walked towards the tower, we also heard and saw a smart Black-and-white Owl.

Good stuff and with more exploration in the area, I bet you could also find Striped Owl, Barn Owl, Central American Pygmy-Owl and probably Middle Amerian Screech-Owl.

Finca Luna Nueva Daybirding

We started at the hotel’s tower, a bamboo structure at the back of the property. This is a good spot to check the birding action in second growth, several tall trees, and listen to birds in nearby rainforest. Although it was a bit quiet on the count morning, we still had fun with raspy Red-throated Ant-Tanagers, chipping Bronze-tailed Plumeleteers, Dusky Antbirds, wrens, and several other species.

Birding Costa Rica
Check out the pink feet on this rainforest hummingbird.

I should also mention that one of our first birds of the day was Scarlet Macaw. Several of this spectacular parrot have taken up residence at Hotel Finca Luna Nueva!

After the tower, we walked a trail through beautiful rainforest and picked up several deep forest species including Checker-throated Antwren, White-flanked Antwren, White-throated Shrike-Tanager, and other species.

Fer-de-Lance

The trails at Luna Nueva are nice but, as with all rainforest traiks, you have to be prepared for certain conditions. It’s typically warm and humid, birding can be challenging, and trails can be muddy.

Most of all, you have to be aware of snakes, especially one in particular. They aren’t abundant and you would be lucky to see one (or unlucky if you don’t like snakes) but Fer-de-Lances are present. This viper is actually common in many parts of Costa Rica, and even occurs in some parts of the Central Valley.

However, you don’t see many because they prefer to stay hidden in and near brush piles. Once in a while, though, they can sit right in the middle of a trail. During the count, one was doing just that! It’s precisely why I always watch where I step and why all birders in Costa Rica need to do the same. I saw it when I was pretty close and if I had taken one more step, I would have certainly walked right on top of it.

Thankfully, I saw the viper, it noticed us, left the trail, and we continued onwards. This doesn’t mean you should stay away from the trails at Luna Nueva (the same thing can happen at many lowland and foothill sites), it’s just a reminder to watch where you step, never leave the trail, and consider going with a guide.

Finca Luna Nueva Awesome Breakfast

After an early morning of 100 species, we enjoyed breakfast back at the hotel restaurant. And I mean enjoyed! One of the great things about birding at Luna Nueva is that when you aren’t focusing on birds, you’ll enjoy fantastic, healthy meals. I’m talking rice and beans made with turmeric, kim-chee, home made, dense breads, tropical fruits including jackfruit, and more.

The food is excellent but you don’t have to stop focusing on birds if you don’t want to. Sit at the edge of the open air restaurant and you can still watch wood-rails, tanagers, aracaris, and other birds while you sip your coffee.

Soltis Center

Our counting area also includes the Soltis Center; a field course station owned by Texas A and M. It’s an excellent site with Porterweed bushes and flowering trees that can attract Snowcap among other, more common hummingbirds, many tanagers and other foothill species, soaring raptors and more.

Speaking of raptors, we saw two of the official count species, King Vulture, from the parking area. In the forest, unfortunately, we didn’t do as well as past years. Recent storms had knocked down a few trees, one of which blocked us from reaching the waterfall. It was also rather breezy and birds were quiet.

With that in mind, instead of staying at Soltis, Tyler suggested that we check Chachagua Rainforest, a site that connects to Soltis and Luna Nueva.

Chachagua

After a short drive, we reached this classic site. The owners were happy to have us bird the grounds although ongoing construction limited where we could go and what we saw. Nevertheless, we enjoyed some common birds around the ponds and did especially well on the entrance road.

Thanks to a fruiting fig, we had close views of a dozen Bay-headed Tanagers, Emerald and Silver-throated Tanagers, and even two Rufous-winged Tanagers. While we enjoyed those beauties, our best bird of the day also hopped into view- Yellow-eared Toucanet!

As always, the Arenal Count was a fine day of birding. The other teams also had plenty of species, probably well over a hundred for each counting area. Despite several birds not sounding off, we still finished with 150 species. Check out the eBird trip report!

To learn more about sites mentioned in this post, where to watch birds in Costa Rica or giving a last minute gift to a birder headed to Costa Rica, support this blog by purchasing my 900 plus page Costa Rica bird finding guide. I hope you see Yellow-eared Toucanets, I hope I see you here!

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Costa Rica Birding News- December, 2024

Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl from the side.

Are you going birding in Costa Rica? If you’ve never been, I hope you visit soon. If you’ve already been, you already know what to expect and I also hope you visit soon. No time to wait to bring the binos to this birdy place!

Whether your birding time in Costa Rica is nigh or in a few months, this information may help:

The wet season was rough but it seems over

We’re on the cusp of the high season and the birds are happening. That’s not really news, birds are always happening in Costa Rica but since some folks wonder if you can see birds in Costa Rica at other times of the year, well…yes you can.

Lots.

However, if you were birding Costa Rica this past November, you would have been watching them with an umbrella. Maybe a boat too. The rains were torrential, several lowland areas experienced flooding, and, tragically, a number of people lost homes and belongings. It was so bad, I’m guessing that quite a few roads in lowland areas now have large holes and other damage.

The good news is that the rains have ended, at least for the Pacific slope. It’ll probably still be pouring in the mountains and on the Caribbean slope but that’s normal from now to February. Be ready for it but you should also still be ready to see lots of birds.

Highland birds down low

In Costa Rica, we get a lot of altitudinal migration, especially during the winter months. These days, there’s been quite a few birds lower then usual, even species like Northern Emerald Toucanet. It makes me wonder what choice birds might be frequenting the foothill rainforests at Quebrada Gonzalez? I’m eager to check it out!

If you are birding lowland areas, give any fruiting trees a good check. There could be a rare Lovely Cotinga or two in the Sarapiqui region along with other species more typical of middle elevations.

Lowland owls high

Over the past ten years or so, owls more typically associated with warm, tropical forests have been appearing at much higher elevations. Spectacled Owl and Black-and-white Owl have been found as high as Irazu and the Dota Valley, and Middle American Screech-Owl has occurred at the Observatory Lodge.

Who knows what sort of effects these range expansions might have on Bare-shanked Screech-Owls and various other highland biota? In the meantime, don’t be surprised if you find these large owls at high elevations and if so, please eBird them!

Redhead in Guanacaste, Snowy Plover in Tarcoles, what else is out there?

Tis the season for rare birds too, at least for birders who reside in Costa Rica. Recently, a male Redhead was found at Hacienda Vieja Wetlands in Guanacaste, and a Snowy Plover was seen at the Tarcoles River mouth.

The Redhead is a major rarity in Costa Rica. I hope it’s a sign of other odd ducks on the horizon (might I wish for a country first Gadwall?). We’ll know soon enough as more local birders look for them.

The Snowy Plover is rare but much more regular than the Redhead. It has appeared at the Tarcoles River on other occasions but this year, it’s a lot more difficult to see. The river mouth has moved quite a bit and sadly, the best spots are only accessible by boat. Some good areas can also be viewed from near the end of the Guacalillo Road but it’s kind of a long and rather desolate drive.

With luck, that plover and other good birds will appear on the beach at Tarcoles, especially at the mouth of the small Tarcolitos River (more like a stream easily accessed from Tarcoles).

There have also been a scattering of sightings of rare warblers for Costa Rica and I’m sure there’s some other very rare stuff that has touched down on these birdy shores. I hope to find some.

A whole lot of traffic going on

Whether visiting Costa Rica now or soon, traffic is the current reality. All we can do is know when and where it’s worst and avoid those situations. Anywhere in the Central Valley is bad; if you are on the road from 6 to 9 and from 4 to 6, it won’t be pretty.

It’s also gotten steadily worse in other places, especially parts of the Pacific, mostly on roads to and from beach areas. If you can, do not drive up to the Central Valley on Sunday afternoon. If so, you’ll be wasting time in an ongoing, slow-moving parking lot. The same goes for driving down to the Pacific on Friday.

Bringing US Dollars? Make sure the bills are in perfect condition

Yes, the currency in Costa Rica is the Colon but pretty much all places will also accept US dollars. However, they might not give the best exchange rate and, now, more places probably won’t accept bills unless they are in perfect condition.

That’s sort of been happening for a while now but expect it to get worse. Recently, when I tried to deposit US bills into my bank account, the teller handed several right back to me! These bills weren’t dirty or defaced or anything, all they had were minute tears and one had a bit of writing on it. Nope, wouldn’t accept them. So, I don’t know if other banks act the same or how stores will act but I never had my bank refuse bills before.

I suspect it’s tied to announcements that big stores and banks can no longer accept damaged bills in the USA but whatever the reason, if you do have to bring dollars to Costa Rica, make sure they are in perfect shape. Of course, the easiest solution is paying everything with cards. That’s what locals mostly do, so much so, it’s gotten to the point where small places usually lack change.

The Costa Rica Birds Field Guide App is updated

Unspotted Saw-whet Owl Costa Rica bird app

Have you noticed that eBird now uses “Northern House Wren”, “American Barn Owl” and that Cooper’s Hawk has lost its Accipiter status? There’s been a bunch of taxonomic changes happening and several birds in Costa Rica have been affected. One of the happy changes was splitting Brown Booby into two species. See one of the Pacific? That’s a Cocos Booby my friend! Scan one from a Caribbean shore? You got Brown Booby on your Costa Rica list!

To keep up with those changes, in November, I helped update the Costa Rica Birds Field Guide app. In addition to new bird names, the app also has a bunch more photos including several birds in flight, vocalizations for at least 870 species, some other edits, and now includes 1021 species and subspecies. It’s got a bunch more than the actual bird list because I wanted to also include various species that could show up in Costa Rica.

As always, I could say a lot more about the birding in Costa Rica. I’ll just mention that there’s always lots of birds to see, most are accessible, and get ready to have fun because this country is like a birding and bio wonderland! I hope to see you here!

To learn more about birding places mentioned in this post and hundreds of other sites to see birds in Costa Rica, support this blog by purchasing my 900 plus page ebook, “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica”.

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It’s Rare Bird Time in Costa Rica

The birding is always exciting in Costa Rica. Come on down, make an easy hour’s drive from the airport and you can take in the beauty of toucanets, barbets, seven hummingbird species and more without getting up from your seat. Make a little more effort and there’ll be tanagers, flycatchers, maybe a quetzal.

It’s like a birding wonderland up in here and us local birders are loving it. Even so, as with local birders everywhere, those of us in Costa Rica have our own set of wanted, rare birds that aren’t so rare in other places. That’s par for the birding course and why British birders jump to see a Scarlet Tanager, Canadian birders get excited over Great Kiskadees, and why Peruvian birders were super psyched to see a country first Scissor-tailed Flycatcher!

Rarity status has a heck of a lot to do with location and rarity opportunities are strongly related to time of year. Here in Costa Rica, that rare time of year is happening right now. We can get rare and vagrant species just about any month but November and December seem to be the best time for lost birds.

That’s right, I’m not talking about seeing monklets or other local rarities. I’m talking sparrows that fly a bit too far, wandering waterfowl, and shorebirds that took a wrong turn in Alaska. I realize these special species might not be high on the list of visiting birders but if you happen to see them, please let us know! You’ll make many a local birder happy.

You never, know, you might even find a new bird for the Costa Rica list. That’s been happening just about every year and is why I included several species in the BirdingFieldGuides Costa Rica Birds Field Guide app that are not on the list yet, but could occur. For example, in addition to making name changes to reflect eBird taxonomy, for our recent update, I also added Great Knot, Scopoli’s Shearwater, Northern Gannet, Hermit Thrush, Black-throated Mango, Terek Sandpiper, and Bar-tailed Godwit.

Although it would be a very rare and exciting moment to see any of these birds in Costa Rica, I do believe they can occur. After adding these species, the full version of the app now has around 1021 species (!).

Ducks and other Waterbirds

Yep, most ducks on the Costa Rica list are rare. Those would be common birds up north like American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, and so on. They come here too but only on occasion and usually in very small numbers.

Granted, we’ll have better chances of finding them as the dry season kicks into gear and limits their aquatic needs. However, some of those uncommon birds should be here by now, I hope I see a few before December 31st.

Oh yeah and there’s other waterbirds too, rarities to look for like American Avocet, maybe a Ruff, or other vagrant shorebirds. They are probably out there, I look forward to seeing what gets found!

Pacific Golden-Plover

Pacific-Golden-Plover-Puntarenas-Costa-Ric

Whoah! Yes, a species that should be hanging on far off islands and the other side of the ocean is here in Costa Rica. The past few years, this mega has been showing up in late winter and spring. This year, it arrived early!

As I write, birders have been ticking this cool bird on the beach at Puntarenas, pretty much in the same area as previous sightings. Where else does it go? Did it manage to convince a Red-necked Stint or Sharp-tailed Sandpiper to fly this way too? We can only wish!

Sparrows and Other Small Birds

Yep, the sparrows have also arrived. See, we got a whole bunch of sparrows on the official Costa Rica bird list but most are birds North American birders know all too well. We don’t know them very well though, hardly at all because Chipping, Savannah, Lincoln’s and various other sparrows are rare vagrants.

Very few make it all the way to Costa Rica, or, at least very few are found. I bet there’s more out there, the challenge is finding small birds scattered throughout any number of thousands of unbirded fields and pastures.

We do know there are though because Lark Sparrow showed up in Puntarenas as a one day wonder and several lucky birders got to see a Clay-colored Sparrow that appeared in the outskirts of Jaco! Sadly, neither have been refound but hopefully they are indicators of other sparrow kind having arrived to Costa Rica.

While looking for odd sparrows that don’t belong in Costa Rica, who knows, maybe we’ll get lucky finding other vagrant songbirds too. Orange-crowned Warbler and Pine Warbler would be super megas along with other birds that typically winter much further north. Will someone find Costa Rica’s first kinglet? Take a picture of a Hammond’s Flycatcher? Once again, we can only go birding, pay close attention, and wish!

Long-eared Owl in Honduras

Yeah, seriously! A first for that country and Central America! This species normally only makes it as far as central Mexico and even there it ain’t exactly expected.

So, what’s going on? Why one so far south of its typical range? Whether pure chance, lack of food in the usual spots, or weather, it would be a Costa Rican birder’s wildest dream to see one here!

The sighting is a reminder to keep an open mind when birding and to maybe check places Long-eared and Short-eared Owls might like. We’ll still see lots of other cool birds in any case.

Plenty of Rare Resident Birds Too

If you are headed to Costa Rica and would rather lay eyes on expected tropical birds, no problem there! The usual rare resident species are here and waiting to be seen, even tough ones like the Silvery-throated Jay pictured above. Recently, I saw two such species while guiding in the Sarapiqui lowlands. Near Chilamate, we had perfect looks at an adult Tiny Hawk as well as Snowy Cotinga and nunbirds.

A week later, I saw an Orante Hawk-Eagle soaring over near Virgen del Socorro and other birders have been seeing umbrellabirds, other cotingas, and other uncommon and rare species in the right places.

The birds are out there, as with any rare species, if you go birding in the right places, you’ll have a better chance of seeing them. Accurate information about where to find birds in Costa Rica also helps I hope to see you here soon, hundreds of birds are waiting!

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Which are the Best Sites for Birding in Costa Rica (Honestly)?

Planning a birding trip? Aside from making sure you won’t be birding in unstable and dangerous places, a birder’s gotta know where to bird. When planning a birding trip to Costa Rica, you might wonder if it’s worth visiting that urban park you saw on a map? How about intriguing eBird hotspots like “Walmart Woods” or “Calle Viquez”? After all, they are official hotspots, must be good birding right?

Wrong! Take the fabled Walmart Woods for example. Those “woods” are a sliver of green space that meander along a polluted stream adjacent to a Walmart close to the airport. I wouldn’t recommend spending much of any time there.

Yes, you might get lucky and see the Cabanis’s Ground-Sparrow but you just as likely will not, the other edge species can be easily seen elsewhere, and I wouldn’t feel comfortable wandering down that quiet urban street showcasing my optics.

So, no matter how eager you may be to watch birds upon arriving to Costa Rica, you are better off watching them away from Walmart Woods. Instead, for the endemic ground-sparrow, I would see about stopping at other spots in Heredia or Alajuela or even Cartago.

cabani's ground-sparrow

As for Calle Viquez, yes, that area can have some nice birds but no, I wouldn’t recommend birding there either. What eBird doesn’t mention is that the best birding is on a poor and frequently impassable road, and that it can take several hours to root out interesting species. So, not the best of birding sites in Costa Rica in part because access isn’t so easy.

Don’t get me wrong, eBird does have lots of valuable information and ideas for birding. Just remember that it doesn’t paint the entire picture for a site and, in Costa Rica, tends to be automatically biased to the most heavily visited sites.

So, how can we learn about the best birding sites in Costa Rica? The Internet is handy but, sadly, Google is seriously lacking. I realize the Google folks are trying to improve search results but sorry, when the first result for various Costa Rica birding-related queries says that Arenal is a good place to see quetzal, misspells Scarlet Macaw, and that you might see Harpy Eagle in the Osa, something’s not working.

Like some other websites, I could simply list several popular birding areas but that doesn’t really answer the question. To cut through the noise of Internet nonsense, based on years of experience, here’s my honest, local take on the best birding sites in Costa Rica.

Birding or Bird Photography

What? That’s not a birding site! Right, I’m not going to say that Palo Verde or some random hotel are the best birding sites in Costa Rica because that wouldn’t be accurate. Instead, before giving any answer, I would ask if you plan on watching birds or doing bird photography.

The best birding sites for a birder differ from those of a bird photographer. Just into taking pictures and maybe in the best of conditions? Stick to birding hotels and other spots with good feeder set-ups and boat rides. There’s too many to mention but some stand-outs include Laguna del Lagarto, Rancho Naturalista, Hotel Quelitales, Hotel de Campo in Cano Negro (which also do boat rides), the Tarcoles Birding Lodge and boat rides on the Tarcoles, Batsu Gardens, lodges in the Dota Valley, Ensenada Lodge, and Paraiso Quetzales.

As for birders, your best sites depend on the next question.

How do You Want to Watch Birds?

The best birding sites are subjective because not everyone watches birds the same way. That might sound strange but it’s true and factors into the birding trip equation. For example, I enjoy challenging birding in dense foothill rainforest. I like to open my awareness to the forest and see how much I can detect, especially by sound. I also strive to see as many birds as possible even when they are just bits and pieces, way up there in the mossy canopy.

Rainforest canopy, Heliconias, Costa Rica

I can detect and see some very uncommon and rare species but I understand why that’s not every birder’s cup of tea. Some folks would rather not silently creep through forest for glimpses of shy forest species, and patiently wait for quail-doves and antbirds to maybe pop into view. And that’s Ok!

We all experience birds in our own way and it’s all good. However, that means that if you would rather get wonderful views of lots of colorful, common birds, the deep forest might not be the best birding site for you. Forest edge, good hotel gardens, and boat rides might be your personal best places, probably ones in line with bird photographers.

With that in mind, the best birding sites for birders who like focused, targeted tropical birding are any place with extensive forest habitat (eBird hotspot or not) such as El Copal, Pocosol Station, sites in the Osa Peninsula, Manuel Brenes Road, and Veragua to name a few.

The best birding sites for folks who would rather take it easy and get looks at various birds without having to hike on forest trails include Quinta de Sarapiqui and any other number of hotels with good, on-site habitat, as well as boat rides, especially in the Cano Negro area.

Sites that work for folks who bird on trails while other birders in their party sit back at the verandah are available too. Rancho Naturalista, Arenal Observatory Lodge, the Tarcoles Birding Lodge, Villa Lapas, and Finca Luna Nueva come to mind.

Which Birds do You Want to See in Costa Rica?

This question is pretty important too. If you’ve already seen macaws but haven’t seen Sungrebe and Nicaraguan Grackle, then the Cano Negro area would be a top birding site. Hoping to see rainforest raptors, tanagers, and cool hummingbirds? Think about any foothill site with as much forest as possible, places like Arenal Observatory Lodge, Skytrek, El Copal, Nectar and Pollen, Pocosol, the La Gamba area and vicinity, the Osa Peninsula, and the north slope of Rincon de la Vieja.

birding Costa Rica
The Snowcap ranks pretty high on the cool hummingbird index.

How about seeing Jabirus and dry forest birds? Best birding sites include the Cano Negro area, and sites near Liberia. Bellbirds? Depends on the time of year but Monteverde is perfect for that species and many more.

La Resplendent Quetzal? Although they live in all the highland cloud forests (including sites just 45 minutes from San Jose), quetzal tours at Paraiso Quetzal, the Monteverde area, and the Dota Valley are the most reliable way to see one. I also see them regularly in the Poas area but not on every visit.

In Costa Rica, the Best Birding Sites are up to You

That about sums things up. In general, though, quality birding in Costa Rica is like most places; as long as you are in large areas of habitat, you’ll be in the right place. How you want to go birding and level of comfort are other factors to take into consideration. To learn about the sites mentioned above, hundreds of other birding sites in Costa Rica, and how to see more birds in Costa Rica, check out my 900 plus page ebook, “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica”.

If you have enough time, just make sure to visit these bio-regions/habitats and you’ll see a heck of a lot, probably more than 400 species:

Caribbean Lowland Rainforest

Caribbean Foothill Rainforest

Middle Elevation Forest (cloud forest)

High Elevation Rainforest

South Pacific Rainforest

North Pacific or Dry Forest Habitats

Mangroves and Estuaries

Wetlands such as the Cano Negro

Some FAQs about the best birding sites in Costa Rica

I’ll end this post by answering these commonly asked questions. I hope to see you here!

What are the top sites for birding in Costa Rica?

The top sites for birding in Costa Rica are sites with the most habitat. Some examples include the Osa Peninsula, Arenal area, Monteverde area, El Copal, the Carara area, the Dota Valley, Sarapiqui, Laguna del Lagarto, Veragua, Selva Bananito, and the San Vito area.

Which sites have the most bird species in Costa Rica?

Sites that have the most bird species in Costa Rica include reserves in the Sarapiqui lowlands, Pocosol station, Rancho Naturalista and nearby sites including Vista Aves and El Copal, and the Carara area.

Where can you see toucans, parrots, and other tropical birds in Costa Rica?

In Costa Rica, you can see toucans, parrots, and other tropical birds in lots of places! I even see toucans, parrots, and fancy Long-tailed Manakins just outside of San Jose. However, the best places for these birds are sites with lowland and foothill rainforest.

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Highlights from Two Weeks of Birding in Costa Rica

Who doesn't want to see a Snowcap?

I slept in this morning, didn’t even go birding! That will change tomorrow when I awake before dawn for guiding in the Poas area. It’ll be good, in the highlands of Costa Rica, the birding always is. I experienced some of that memorable montane birding last week along with another week of birding in lowlands and middle elevations while guiding a couple of birders from one corner of Costa Rica to the next.

It was a biodiverse birding rush, an immersion into natural Costa Rica to see how much we could find on an itinerary carefully planned to experience as much of the Costa Rican avifauna as possible. There was a fair bit of driving, lots of walking, less rain than expected, wonderful hospitality, and great food in various, small, out of the way places.

The plan worked out because there were also more than 475 bird species seen along with 40 that were heard only. Highlights were a daily occurrence including that last bit of birding yesterday morning when we saw the elusive Cabanis’s Ground-Sparrow (a suiting final bird for the list!).

I’m still wrapping my head around the trip, wondering which highlights to mention. Rolling up to the salt pans at Punta Morales and seeing dozens of roosting Black Skimmers along with hundreds of Marbled Godwits, Willets, and other shorebirds? Fantastic, glittering views of a male Mangrove Hummingbird at Caldera quickly followed by a Lesser Ground-Cuckoo hopping into view? Or, how about Resplendent Quetzals shining jade green in stately oak forests decorated with lichen and bromeliads?

Those are a few highlights that come to mind, here are some others.

Last Minute Birding in Los Chiles

After a long, unbirdy drive from Pocosol Biological Station, we made it to Los Chiles just in time for late afternoon bird action. As soon as we stepped out of the vehicle, new birds came fast and furious. It didn’t matter that people were chatting and walking around the river “dock” and nearby park.

Spot-breasted Wrens scrambling in the vines here! Flyover Red-lored Parrots, flyby Roseate Spoonbills, whoah…Black-collared Hawk! A quick Harris’s Hawk next, Lesser Swallow-tailed Swifts over the trees, Barn Swallows zipping, kingfishers rattling and flying, it was all around and all at once!

As dusk approached, a Bat Falcon followed the course of the river and nighthawks fluttered into view. That first one was an uncommon migrant Common Nighthawk! The others with the blunt wing tips and smaller patches of white were Lessers!

It was welcome birding after a drive and preparation for birding action the following morning.

Medio Queso Marsh Action

After a night at CyC Hotel (much recommended for a night or two), we headed to the nearby Medio Queso marsh before dawn. I was hoping for Striped Owl, wishing on an Ocellated Poorwill. I suspect we almost got the owl; we did notice a pale owl fly up from a ditch. However, we didn’t see it well enough, never saw it again and couldn’t discount an American Barn Owl. No longshot poorwills either but we did have perfect looks at Pacific Screech-Owls before a fine morning in a flooded marsh.

Water levels were high and that likely kept us from seeing Snail Kite and Limpkin but we still saw lots of other birds. There were great looks at Pinnated and Least Bitterns, the pinkish-beaked Nicaraguan Seed-Finch, a distant Sungrebe, unexpected White-tailed Hawk, and more.

Yellow-breasted Crakes walked and fluttered into view without playback, a White-throated Crake swam across the channel, and a wintering Sora briefly flushed from the grass. Luckily, just before leaving, we focused in on Lesser Yellow-headed Vultures doing their harrier movements over the marsh.

Tirimbina

We had an afternoon, full day, and a bit of morning in Sarapiqui. That’s somewhat of an injustice for this birdy region but we had other places to visit, couldn’t afford more time in the Caribbean lowlands.

To bird the forest, I opted for the Tirimbina Reserve. This reserve has beautiful lowland rainforest, a “canopy” walkway over a ravine, rushing river, and a heck of a lot of birds. I also like Tirimbina because it is open to the public at 6. Walk in, pay the entrance fee and the birds are yours’ to see.

Our morning visit was more or less exceptional. Fasciated Tiger-Heron from the bridge, Gray-cheeked Thrushes, White-collared Manakins, and other birds in the gardens, and we hadn’t even reached the forest.

Once we got there, it didn’t take long before we lucked into that dream Neotropical birding situation; Army Ant swarm!

There were a bunch of birds including point blank Ocellated Antbirds, furtive Spotted Antbirds, woodcreepers, and more. Hard to pick a best bird but the three Olive-backed Quail-Doves are a good contender! We had perfect looks as they walked around the edge of the swarm, probably wondering if they should stick around or walk away from the biting ants.

There was also that Great Tinamou that walked towards us on the trail, White-fronted Nunbirds going crazy, Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant, puffbirds, and the Black Hawk-Eagle that wheeled over the river at eye level as we walked back across the bridge. Yeah, Tirimbina is a pretty good site!

An eBird list from that morning.

Paint-billed Crakes in Flight

Wait, what? Um, yes…maybe not like flying around normally but still in flight! On our morning visit to the rice fields and marshes south of Ciudad Neily, we came across a couple tractors preparing a field to plant rice. Noting that the mostly tractored field was already filled with egrets, caracaras, and other birds, I figured we should stick around and see what happens.

Sure enough, while watching one of the tractors, I noticed a Sora fly out of the old, marshy rice. We kept watching and much to our fortune, eventually saw at least 6 Paint-billed Crakes flush from the grass. Actually, we probably saw more. The birds would quickly flush and then hide although one flew right past us, close enough to see the red on its beak!

At a distance, they looked like chunky, dark grayish rails with red legs, and were more unform dark blue-gray than the white-bellied Soras. I also witnessed a small crake get flushed, might have been a Gray-breasted. But, in the few seconds waiting for a better look, an adult Peregrine suddenly snatched it from my view!

The raptor dispatched the small bird immediately, I can still picture its legs and neck dangling from the falcon’s talons as the master hunter carried the crake away.

We also witnessed Savannah Hawk catching something as well as egrets and a Wood Stork snatching rats, and a Crested Caracara unsuccessfully staking a Paint-billed Crake.

This night, we stayed at Fortuna Verde, certainly the best place to stay while birding this area. They have some forests out back and their hospitality is second to none. Very much recommended!

Snowcap and 36 other Hummingbird Species

Male Snowcap

I’m happy to say we did pretty good on the hummingbird front. Violetears, sabrewings, Blue-throated Goldentails. Coppery-headed and White-tailed Emeralds, Black-crested Coquettes, and more. However, the prize might go to the Snowcap.

After the briefest of looks at Pocosol, we were very much in need of much better views. We got them right at the end of the day at one of the few reliable sites for this species; Centro Manu.

It took some anxious waiting but just before 5 p.m., like fairies with headlamps, two males flew into our field of view. Even better, one of them perched and let us admire its deep wine, beetroot colors for several minutes.

Enigmatic Birds Heard but not Seen

This might not be as much of a highlight as other birding experiences but birders with an auditory bent may appreciate it. I enjoy the visual experience that birds bring, I always love seeing them but I also love hearing them. I might even listen for birds more than looking for them. I’m not sure if I can help it, I don’t think I could turn off my ears if I wanted to. Hearing birds shows me who and where they are just as much as visually noting them.

With that in mind, it was a special gift to hear the undescribed “Puntarenas” Screech-Owl calling near Mirador de Osa. We tried for it pre-dawn and eventually found one a few kilometers east of the cabins and small restaurant (great service, food and drink, also recommended). Unfortunately, the owl wouldn’t budge from its hidden spot but it was still magical to hear it give its brief vocalization as day broke over the rainforest.

Earlier in the trip, at Pocosol, we had another singing bird we would have loved to have laid eyes on. While hiking the beautiful yet steep Fumaroles trail, a Lanceolated Monklet finally decided to respond to my imitation of its call. Whenever I’m in monklet land (ravines and rivers in foothill rainforest), I call like one. They rarely respond but I still try because every once in a while, one of those shy little puffbirds does fly in.

At Pocosol, unfortunately, the monklet only called back somewhere way out of sight but it was still cool to hear. I should also mention that, as far as I have seen, I don’t think the monklets in Costa Rica sound quite like birds from the eastern Andes. I have still had them respond to recordings of Andean birds but, it might warrant further investigation.

The other notable bird heard but not seen was Unspotted Saw-whet Owl. Like the previous two birds, this one is also a tough one to find and doesn’t necessarily fly in and look at you. As in May of this year, just before dawn, one called from forest adjacent to Myriam’s Cabins. It called a few times but never flew in close enough to see. It’s a treat to hear that enigmatic owl, hopefully, we’ll lay eyes on it next time!

Well, those are the highlights that come to mind but they aren’t the only ones. As I was saying, the birding highlights were daily and constant; somewhat par for the course for Costa Rica. To learn more about the sites mentioned in this post and hundreds of birding sites throughout Costa Rica, support this blog by getting “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica“.

Get ready for your birding trip to Costa Rica, I hope to see you here!

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Birding in Southeastern Costa Rica- Highlights, Observations, and Recommendations

Costa Rica may be state-sized but it’s still got regions! What I mean is that this small nation has distinct areas with their own ecological and cultural flavors. That’s a fine bonus for birding, especially with regions being so close to each other.

After watching Great Green Macaws flap through warm humid airs of the Caribbean lowlands, you can head uphill and get refreshed with tanagers, Collared Trogons, and more in the cool highlands.

Collared Trogon

Go to the southeastern part of Costa Rica and you might get your bird groove on with Purple-throated Fruitcrows, Snowy Cotingas, and a bunch of toucans. Oh, and there’s that ocean too with its Caribbean waters, and a local culture strongly influenced by the descendants of Jamaican settlers.

I like it. So do lots of other locals who visit the beaches south of Limon every weekend. You might run into more people than expected but the birding’s still exciting, there’s still very good reasons to make the trip, especially in October.

These were some of our reasons and highlights for making the trip this past weekend.

Costa Rica’s First American Flamingo

Whoah! With all of those flamingos flying as far as Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, it was about time one showed in Costa Rica! Heck, we aren’t all that far from flamingo colonies in northern Colombia either. Only thing is, those birds don’t usually fly this way. They likely veer to more appropriate places, sites better suited to their hyper haline tastes.

I can’t blame the cool pink birds; they can’t exactly thrive away from shallow waters and salt pans. In Costa Rica, although we do have a bunch of tropical habitats, we don’t have much for flamingos.

Even so, they may visit on rare occasions; some fishermen claim to have seen flamingos now and then. I bet some have but none have been officially documented, at least not until the past week!

First seen on a beach near Moin, the pink star bird was refound by local birders at a roadside estuary south of Limon. When passing through the area, I suppose sort of like a flamingo, I also stop at the Estero Negro and other estuaries. These spots are no strangers to rare birds and often host something of feathered interest.

I have also figured they would to be good spots to get super lucky with a flamingo but even then, my visions were of a few birds flying by, out over the ocean. They would be distant flamingos, ones where you would exclaim in triumphant disbelief, “Holy crap! Flamingoes!! There they go….” The birds stopping and staying for a while was too much for my flamingo dreams.

Thankfully, this pink mega proved my visions wrong. It has done nothing but stay in the estuary and casually dip its serpentine neck to “baleen” feed in the shallow waters. Is it truly a wild bird or one that escaped confinement? I’m not sure but either way, Costa Rica’s first flamingo has been a fantastic automatic ambassador for birding. It’s got an easy job too; just stand around, do some foraging, and please stay alive.

The bird has also been impossible to miss. On Friday morning, when our small contingent from the Birding Club of Costa Rica arrived, it was the first thing we saw and we were very pleased to enjoy prolonged, pink-heavy views. Some other folks also watched it that Friday morning but that was nothing like the crowds on Sunday.

In typical people gathering fashion, someone had set up a food stall like they had been selling grilled chicken since the year 2000. Cars were stacked up on each side of the road, people were talking and laughing…I’m surprised no one cranked up some reggae or other loud, dance inspiring tunes. I bet someone did later on.

I mean, this flamingo shindig was turning into a real party and best of all, every person was present to see the bird (expect the vendors). Some birders were there but there were waaay more non-birders and that’s the best thing. Don’t get me wrong, I hope for all birders to see every bird but I also wish that every non-birder would convert and become bonafide birders.

Future birders?

If you’re a non-birder reading this, don’t worry, you don’t necessarily have to run out the door to see a soaring hawk, you don’t need to get a floppy hat or decorate with bird decor. You just need to see beauty in birds and have some desire or inkling to watch them in your backyard or further afield.

That’s all I’m asking, hopefully that flamingo did some natural marketing magic. It certainly looked magical.

Wattled Jacana

Yep, there was another nice tropical bird in the area! The Wattled Jacana isn’t as wild and crazy as a flamingo but it’s still a rare bird for Costa Rica. With exact instructions in digital hand, we made the 60 minute drive from Cahuita to near Gandoca, way close to the border.

We had to wait for a bit as we stared into a small, marshy cow pasture but eventually, yes, there it was. Wattled Jacana and American Flamingo in the same day! What was next? Crowned Slaty-Flycatcher? Perhaps an extra large raptor. One can avian dream after all…

Many thanks to the local birders who had found the bird. They showed us the exact spot and one even let us into his mom’s backyard for better views! He should get a medal or subscription or some other just reward.

Thousands of Swallows, Kingbirds, and Raptors (oh my!)

Flamingoes weren’t the only reason for our weekend excursion. Oh no, we were there for other birds too! You can’t go wrong with October in southeastern Costa Rica.

Migrants galore, sunnier weather than other months, and a nice big selection of resident species; I’ll take it!

I really love the swallow migration. It’s simply out of hand bird migration madness. Go birding there in October and you’ll see a near constant movement of swallows; mostly Barn, Cliff, and Bank. There’s other birds too, especially those swallow look-alikes, the Eastern Kingbird. Oh yes, they do look sort of like swallows, especially when flocks of hundreds mix and aerial mingle with the waves of swallows flying overhead.

On Sunday morning, to get an estimate of numbers, I counted swallows and kingbirds from one spot for five minutes. Extrapolating from that, during two hours, I figured at least 1,600 Eastern Kingbirds flew over along with at least 2,000 bank Swallows, and 6,000 each of Cliffs and Barns.

And honestly, those numbers are very conservative, I bet there were more. That only makes sense, the majority of the North American population of these species probably fly through Costa Rica.

Other migrants included Dickcissels, a few Veerys on their way to and near southern Brazil (where I fear climate-induced habitat destruction will seriously affect their survival), Prothonotary Warbler and a few other warblers, and lots of Traill’s and wood-pewees.

Oh yeah, there were all those raptors too- hundreds of kettling TVs and Broad-wingeds with occasional Osprey, late Swallow-tailed Kite, Miss. Kites, Peregrines, Merlin clutching its hirundine prey, a few Purple Martins and Chimney Swifts, a few Common Nighthawks, and some other birds.

If this were the 1930s, I’d probably say, “Ain’t migration grand?”

Black-chested Jay

Black-chested Jays aren’t that common in Costa Rica. Around here, they reach the northern limit of their range, the edge of their ecological existence. It can make them a challenging bird to see, especially during a brief window of birding.

Lucky for us, our window was in one of the best places to see this cool bird; Playa Negra, Cahuita. While birding near “Bridgette’s Place” (you’ll see it in Google), we had great looks at 8 of these fine year birds.

Cahuita National Park

Southeastern Costa Rica has lots of accessible habitat but it’s still nice to be able to visit a national park. Now if they could open at 6 instead of non-birdy 8, that would really help but on your hot walk, you’ll still see some birds anyways.

We actually did fairly well in the parking lot with a few fruitcrows, good raptor migration, and some migrants. On the pleasant boardwalk trail, we also saw such nice birdies as Brown-capped Tyrannulet, Acadian Flycatcher, Checker-throated and White-flanked Antwrens, and were entertained by the constant calls of Black-crowned Antshrikes.

Peer as I did into the swampy understory, I didn’t see any Agami Herons nor Rufescent Tiger-Herons. No Uniform Crakes calling back either but it was still a nice walk. If you make that hike, keep in mind that it won’t look around. After 2.1 kilometers, you’ll reach the beach (which is nice) and then have to walk back the way you came.

Calle Cahuita

This road is one of a few roads in the area that passes through good forest. We only birded it one afternoon and it was kind of quiet but I would sure love to be there at dawn!

Our best bird was a male Snowy Cotinga but many other species are possible and we also had some tanagers, and various expected common rainforest birds. No Sulphur-rumped Tanagers but they should still be possible. Black-crowned Antpitta might also still occur, who knows what else?

Also known as the road to Casa Calateas, this is one of hundreds of sites covered in my bird finding guide to Costa Rica.

Costly

Yep, as with so many places in Costa Rica and the globe in general, prices have risen in southeastern Costa Rica. Some restaurants are pretty expensive and lodging is a far cry from much cheaper days.

However, there are lots of options, especially with Air BnB. If you are flexible and look enough, you can find some good deals. The same goes for places to eat. The Atlantida was good, especially for breakfast, and another place we really liked was the Restaurant and Bar Peruanita. We tried to go to the much acclaimed “Cahuita’s Taste Caribbean Soul Food” but they had run out of food! It’s a small place with home-cooked meals, make sure to get there early.

As always, when visiting southeastern Costa Rica, I wish we could have stayed longer. When I leave that birdy zone, I drive off knowing that there are many underbirded places to check, sites that might host Great Jacamar and other rare species. Which migrant birds arrived after I left? Was there a Gray Kingbird just around the corner? Uncommon and rare warblers skulking in the woods? Flamingo or not, there’s plenty of reasons to return.

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Birding News from Costa Rica- Late September, 2024

Going birding in Costa Rica? If your answer is “yes” but any time from January to March, you aren’t alone. After all, those sunny days are when most folks visit Costa Rica, birders included.

However, if you are headed to Costa Rica soon, the following birding tidbits and news items might be helpful. You might also gather some useful information if you happen to go birding in Costa Rica during the high and dry season.

Rain, Localized Flooding, and More Rain

Lately, we’ve been experiencing a lot of rain. For a Costa Rican September, that’s pretty much par for the course but lately, it seems to be more intense than usual. Nearby tropical storm systems and hurricanes have been throwing huge amounts of moisture our way and the water has been slamming several parts of the country.

It’s not always like that; some years, September and October are fairly dry. This year though, the forests are getting more than plenty of life-supporting water. It’s a wonderful and vital aspect of rainforests but roads and flood prone areas could use a break.

Yes, there has been some localized flooding, mostly in the Nicoya Peninsula, the Coto 47 area near Ciudad Neily (one of hundreds of sites covered in my bird finding guide for Costa Rica), and on parts of the Pacific Coast. Last week, various parts of the small city of Canas were also submerged. With more rain in the forecast, we can expect more localized flooding and road closures. Stay informed about road situations with the Waze app. That’ll tell you which roads are closed right away including one of the most commonly affected major highways; Route 32.

Just a reminder, if you are driving and see flooded streets and swollen rivers, resist the temptation to test the rental! Just wait or find another route because cars do get washed away, even trucks.

Migration Just Ticked up a Notch

On another, more birdy note, bird migration through Costa Rica has really kicked into gear. After checking local neighborhood habitat for the past week or so, it wasn’t until this morning that I saw a major jump in bird numbers.

While listening for flight calls at dawn, I managed to hear Dickcissels, a couple Swainson’s Thrushes and a hoped for Veery through the normal soundscreen inadvertently put up by Rufous-collared Sparrows and Great Kiskadees (those kiskadees really yell their names!).

As the light increased I saw a dozen Baltimore Orioles feeding and flitting in the trees, several Yellow Warbler, one Blackburnian, a smart looking Golden-winged Warbler (my first for the fall), several swallows, and a few other migrants. Two of the more interesting birds were a couple of Great Egrets that flapped right over the houses of my very urban neighborhood.

Later that morning, during a visit to Lankester Gardens, we had several more warblers (Canada and Mourning included) and migrants, especially Swainson’s Thrushes and Red-eyed Vireos.

A Good Time for Centro Manu

Centro Manu is always worth a visit, no matter what time of year. However, fall could be one of the better times to go birding at this easily accessible lowland/foothill hotspot.

Recent highlights have included the usual roosting Great Potoo, Bare-necked Umbrellabird, a female Lovely Cotinga (!), and Red-fronted Parrotlets!

Ditto for Veragua Rainforest

Great Jacamar
What a shining, crazy-looking bird!

The same goes for another excellent site, Veragua Rainforest. The most notable recent highlights have been a reliable Great Jacamar and a more challenging Black-crowned Antpitta.

Umbrellabird and lots of other excellent birds have also been seen at this consistently high quality site.

Unspotted Saw-whet Owls

Yes, this time of year can also be good for one of the Costa Rica’s more challenging and fantastic owls. If the rain stops and you can listen for them at high elevations (above 2,200 meters), perhaps especially in semi-open areas, you might connect with this major bird.

You can also boost your chances by staying at Gema del Bosque or taking a tour that targets these special little birds. If interested in seeing this owl, contact me at information@birdingcraft.com

Flamingo in Costa Rica!

Wait…what?!? Yes, the real pink bird has finally touched down on Costa Rican shores. Myself and one or two other birders have wondered when one would appear here, it’s why I included it on the Costa Rica Birds app as a possible species for the country (along with several shorebirds, Red-throated Pipit, and some other bird lottery winning species). In all likelihood, it happens on very rare occasions but the birds don’t linger. The nearest flamingoes are in northern Colombia and the Yucatan, the one seen this morning could have come from either spot.

This morning, someone made a video of an America Flamingo on the beach near Moin! Will it be refound? I hope so and hope even more that it stays long enough for us to see it too!

As for other Costa Rica birding news, there’s always lots more I could say. However, I’ll just mention that the usual birds are in the usual spots, whether mentioned on eBird or not, the best sites are the places with the most habitat, and according to eBird, 746 bird species were identified in Costa Rica during this past month. Yep, in Costa Rica, there’s always a lot of birds to see! I hope to see you here, the birds are waiting.

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Recent Birding Highlights Near San Jose, Costa Rica

In Costa Rica, birding highlights are easy to come by. Most places, you don’t need to do much more than walk outside and you’ll see something cool! Another birding bonus is having the chance to see such an incredible variety of birds in such a short distance.

Thinking about it, there’s not a whole lot of other places with so many bird species in such easy striking distance. In Costa Rica, there’s always a whole lot of birds going on; a fact reflected by a few of my recent birding highlights.

Calling Ornate Hawk-Eagles

On September 15th, I guided someone for a morning of birding from the Central Valley to the Varablanca area. We had a good bunch of birds including some sweet highlights. For this easy day trip, that’s par for the course but you still never know what you’ll run into.

I usually see a raptor or two but they typically take the form of common raptors in Costa Rica like Short-tailed and Gray Hawks, often Barred Hawk and maybe Great Black-Hawk. On September 15th, birding chance exchanged those raptors for one of the more cherished of Costa Rica birding targets; Ornate Hawk-Eagle!

This big fancy raptor occurs in many parts of the country but at very low density. In other words, there’s always the chance of seeing one but you still have to be lucky. Luck was with us on the 15th when I heard the Ornate’s distinctive, brief whistled calls.

As expected, the calling bird was soaring high overhead but still close enough to just make out its white throat. I whistled back to it and the bird seemed to respond, wheeling somewhat closer. It never came close enough to stare the raptor in its fierce eyes but I can’t complain; we watched it and two other Ornates over the next 20 minutes!

Seeing three adults in the same area is pretty unusual, I wonder if that particular spot marks a territory boundary?

ornate hawk eagle
An Ornate Hawk-eagle from another day and how you often see them.

Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl

The hawk-eagles were great but they weren’t the first highlight of the day. We had already had a few others including excellent views at a rufous morph Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl! This bird is one I hear now and then on the “Legua Road” or “San Rafael de Varablanca Road” near Varablanca; a site I have taken many birders to and one of hundreds of birding sites covered in my bird finding guide for Cost Rica.

However, it rarely come in for a view. I’m grateful that it decided to show itself on the 15th. We enjoyed this small raptor’s presence as it was attracted the ire of Coppery-headed Emeralds, Black-bellied Hummingbirds, and other small highland birds.

Cabanis’s Ground-Sparrow

Speaking of highlights, I was very pleased to get this one early in the morning. This endemic towhee is a tricky little bird alright, in part because it has to deal with feral cats, cowbirds, and other side effects of living near people.

It helps to know where to see them, what they sound like, and looking for them around 6 in the morning. We heard a couple and had good looks at one that was bringing food to hidden young. We also had it in one of the better spots for them, the road that passes in front of Finca Rosa Blanca.

Sadly, some second growth with this species and wintering habitat for Mourning Warblers was cleared on part of this road to build housing. However, there’s still a good amount of habitat and the Cabanis’s still occurs there.

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

No, not what you think of when birding Costa Rica but small numbers of these doveish Arctic migrants do pass through! Sometimes, they also fly down to forage in pastures and other grassy spots.

Maryllen and I were very pleased to see one at a usual spot near the airport. It was hidden quite well by a taller tussock of grass, we could have easily missed it if a local birder hadn’t gotten us on the bird. Many thanks to Alex Castro for noticing this excellent year bird!

Purple Martin

I know, how is this a highlight? Birders might not come to Costa Rica to see Purple Martins but I look forward to seeing them each fall migration. If I don’t make it to the Caribbean Coast, I might also miss it at a year bird!

I still hope to get in some coastal migration birding but I was very pleased to notice a male in the Central Valley. Smaller numbers pass through this part of the country and I bet most get overlooked as they fly high overhead. I got lucky with my 2024 Purple Martin by watching swallows forage over my tiny backyard.

Cliff and several Bank Swallows were doing their thing when I noticed a dark bird coming in from the west. For whatever reason, this is the direction migrating swallows usually take when flying over the house. At first, I thought it was going to be a swift but then I noticed its flap, flap glide flight, that tell-tale sign of an honest to goodness passerine.

As the dark, large swallow flew high overhead, I could also make out the forked tail. A sweet surprise for sure although I still hope to connect with martin flocks on the coast.

By the way, someone should be watching those flocks, there could easily be a few Sinaloa Martins moving with the Purples. As a matter of fact, although the record hasn’t been accepted, I friend of mine saw a probable Sinaloa Martin in Costa Rica a few years ago. Dark martin with a white belly seen during migration by an experienced ornithologist who has also seen enough Gray-breasted Martins to know it wasn’t one of those…yeah, I bet he saw one.

Additional highlights from these recent birding days in Costa Rica include Spot-bellied Bobwhite, a nice influx of Yellow Warblers, calling Dickcissels migrating overhead, flights of migrating Cliff, Bank, and Barn Swallows every morning, beautiful warbler Blue Grosbeaks, Zeledon’s Antbird, and close views of several Spangle-cheeked Tanagers. Check out my trip report from the 15th.

And that was just one full morning, a jaunt to twitch a sandpiper, and casually watching the skies from the backyard. I suppose another highlight was hearing critically endangered Yellow-naped Parrots fly overhead this morning. Like I was saying, it doesn’t take long to experience fantastic birding in Costa Rica. I hope to see you here!

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bird finding in Costa Rica bird photography Birding Costa Rica

Fantastic Bird Photography in Costa Rica- 5 Easy Sites

Bird photography in Costa Rica is pretty darn exciting. There are literally hundreds of exotic, tropical bird species, dozens of glittering hummingbirds, beautiful tanagers, trogons, and more, always more.

Resplendent Quetzals too!

While it’s true that mature forests harbor the highest species totals, they aren’t the best places for bird photography. Yes, trails in rainforest can turn up rare and little photographed bird species but you’ll need the right equipment, time, and stamina.

I’m all for experiencing those forest denizens, I actually prefer that birding method. However, to capture images of birds to my heart’s content, I would go to places with better lighting, comfort, and easier bird access. Happily, in Costa Rica, many such sites exist, too many to mention. A handful of top contenders are Laguna del Lagarto, Maquenque Lodge, Rancho Naturalista, Hotel Quelitales, Arenal Observatory Lodge, Hotel de Campo and Cano Negro, and Quinta Galeon.

There’s lots more places I could mention but in this blog post, I’m going to focus on 5 of the easiest sites for fantastic bird photography. These are very accessible sites within easy striking distance of San Jose and the Central Valley, can be visited on your own, and have an awesome array of feathered subjects.

The Cinchona Hummingbird Cafe

This gem of a site is one of Costa Rica’s classic birding hotspots. If there’s any downside, it’s that the place has become very popular. However, even then, if you don’t mind loud talking and sharing space with a bunch of people, there’ll still be birds.

Situated around an hour and a half from San Jose on route 126, this spot is easy to access and is a wonderful place to enjoy a coffee and meal while photographing a fine selection of middle elevation birds.

The papaya feeders often have Northern American Toucanet, Prong-billed Barbet, and even the fancy Red-headed Barbet!

Although bird species vary, typical subjects also include Silver-throated Tanager, Scarlet-rumped Tanager, Crimson-collared Tanager, and other small birds. On the hummingbird front, this site also typically turns up 7 or 8 species including the extravagant Violet Sabrewing and the endemic Coppery-headed Emerald.

This cafe has gone by several names, the most recent might be the Cafe Colibri. It’s located on the eastern side of the road, around ten minutes north of the Peace Waterfall, and is the only spot on route 126 with a donkey corral on the other side of the road. They may charge for photos but as of September, 2024, folks who use the restaurant don’t have to pay anything extra. Even so, I encourage you to give these bird and birder friendly people a nice donation.

But wait, there’s more! The drive to Cinchona also hosts chances at high elevation hummingbirds and even quetzal. However, to see those, it would be much easier with a guide.

Nectar and Pollen

This is the best site for foothill rainforest bird photography near San Jose. It’s also one of the better sites in Costa Rica! Only an hour’s drive or less from San Jose, Nectar and Pollen has an excellent set up for tanagers, hummingbirds, and other rainforest species.

Cinnamon Woodpecker included!

They do have a trail but for bird photography, it’s better and easier to sit and enjoy a coffee while getting captures of Rufous Motmot, Collared Aracari, oropendolas, and much more.

Hummingbirds also visit the garden and can include Snowcap and Violet-headed Hummingbird among other species. On occasion, White-tipped Sicklebill also makes an appearance.

There’s also a pasture area next to rainforest that can be very good for raptors, the photogenic Long-tailed Tyrant, and various other species. In the wet season, you might even get flybys of Great Green Macaw.

Nectar and Pollen is a small private place situated on Route 32 just north of the Rainforest Aerial Tram. To visit, you must contact Miguel Delgado in advance. He can also update you on entrance fees.

The Tarcoles Area

Hoping for pictures of Scarlet Macaw? Tarcoles is the closest, easiest spot near San Jose. This small fishing village is around an hour and 20 minutes or so drive from San Jose, and offers access to easy roadside photography.

The macaws often feed in trees near the beach and even right in town. Black-headed Trogons, and various other lowland species are also accessible, and boat tours that focus on bird photography are also available.

On the way to Tarcoles, nearby sites such as the Ceiba Orotina area and the Guacima Road can also be good for Double-striped Thick-knee, White-throated Magpie-Jay, and many other species. There’s also the Cerro Lodge road along with Cerro Lodge and the Tarcoles Birding Lodge. Both of these sites can have good photo opps on their grounds. For access, you probably need to pay for a meal, both are worth contacting first.

I should also mention that although you can bird this area on your own, it will be much easer and productive with a guide.

San Luis Canopy

This fun spot is also around an hour and a half from San Jose and is located on the main road from San Ramon to La Fortuna. Officially known as “Parque Aventura San Luis“, this site mostly does exciting and popular zip line tours through beautiful middle elevation rainforest.

There are also several nice tourist shops there and a good local restaurant to dine at after a fine morning of bird photography. The draw for this special place is their tanager feeder set up. Banana and papaya pieces on and near natural perches bring in Emerald, Bay-headed, and other tanager species, often, too close for a long lens!

Even uncommon Blue-and-gold and Black-and-yellow Tanagers can show along with Black-cheeked Woodpeckers and other common birds. San Luis can also have rare birds on their trails, even Bare-necked Umbrellabird, and Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo!

Ask if these birds have been seen. If so, for $10, one of their guides might bring you to them! The entrance fee to explore the trails and hanging bridges on your own might be around $30. It costs $10 to just stick with the tanagers.

The Nochebuena on Irazu Volcano

This spot is a bit further from San Jose but it’s still close enough for easy bird photography. Reaching the Nochebuena area takes around an hour and 40 minutes driving up the main road to Irazu.

This site requires an extra early start to get past San Jose by 6, otherwise, you’ll get stuck in heavy, slow traffic. The Nochebuena is a small, cozy cafe with trails ($6) through high elevation habitats. At 9,000 to 10,000 feet, the trails can be tough on the lungs but that’s where you usually need to go to see the mega Maroon-chested Ground-Dove and Wrenthrush.

If you would rather not go hiking, fortunately, there’s good photo opps right at the cafe and just down the road. Hummingbird feeders attract Talamanca, Volcano, and Fiery-throated Hummingbirds along with Lesser Violetears while the riparian zone and adjacent forest next to it often has quetzal and various other high elevation birds.

Fiery-throated-Hummingbird

As a bonus, a short drive up to the paramo brings you to Volcano Juncos, Timberline Wrens, possible Peg-billed Finch, and other nice birdies.

Going birding in Costa Rica? Have an extra day for bird photography, like maybe at the start or end of a tour? You can’t go wrong with the sites mentioned above. To learn more about these and other birding sites in Costa Rica, prepare for your birding trip, and support this blog, get “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica”. I hope to see you here!