During the past week, I had a long, fruitful day in the Carara area. No surprise there, that’s usually how the birding goes in that mega ecotone. While birding from Orotina to Tarcoles, near Villa Lapas, and on the Cerro Lodge entrance road, we identified 167 species. Check out the trip report!
And no, we did not enter Carara National Park; we’ll have to go birding in that fine forest another day. But how can you visit the Carara area and not bird in the national park? For the best of reasons- the area has way too many birds to see in just one day. Check out these tips to give the Carara area justice:
A Day is Great but Three Days are Always Better
We had great looks at Lesser Ground-Cuckoo on the Cerro Lodge road.
You can’t go wrong with a day of birding in the Carara area but you’re better off spending 2 or 3 nights. It’s often so hot, you might want to spend much of the afternoon in a pool anyways.
We could have easily birded the Ceiba de Orotina Road and the nearby Guacima-Bajamar area all day (with a leisurely break for lunch). Likewise, the Bijagual road has so many possibilities, you could spend two full days birding it and see 200 species. Carara National Park also merits a day or two, and you could also spend a morning or late afternoon birding by boat on the Tarcoles River (check out my Costa Rica bird finding guide and birding companion to learn more about these sites and strategies to adequately bird this area).
Spending at least two nights also makes it easier to look for the 9 species of owls and other night birds that live in the area!
The Bijagual Road is Good but Watch the Traffic
On the Bijagual Road, we had some quick and exciting birding just uphill from Villa Lapas. It was pretty hot but a bunch of birds eventually showed. However, there was also quite a bit of traffic. There’s usually some cars and trucks but there were more than usual the other day.
Make sure to park where other vehicles can go around you, especially at the few spots where you can sort of pull off the road.
Common Potoo and Pacific Screech-Owl on the Cerro Lodge Road
Last year, this pair of choice species entertained a good number of birders. This year, they are back! Actually, they never left but had changed their roosting sites. I can’t really describe exactly where they are but, if you bird there with a local guide, you should be able to see them in the day.
Bird there at night and you could see those as well as other species (Barn, Striped, Mottled, and Black and white Owls have all occurred there!).
Persistence Needed for Uncommon Mangrove Birds
Mangrove species were some of our many target birds. It took some looking but we eventually found some of them. The best were a couple of Mangrove Hummingbirds in the Bajamar mangroves. They weren’t on the main road through them (and the mangroves there didn’t look so great) but were in an area of tall mangroves with lots of arching, intertwined roots. This was on the coastal road that runs next to them.
We also found a few species in the mangroves on the road to Playa Azul. It took some looking but birds like Panama Flycatcher and Northern Scrub Flycatcher eventually showed. Although in Costa Rica, these and a few other species only occur in mangroves, ironically, they aren’t abundant. You’ll probably need to work to see them.
The Carara area was birdy as always. No matter how much birding you do, there’s always more to see! My only regret is not being able bird each distinctive area at dawn but the solution’s a good one; take more birding trips to the area. Happy birding, I hope to see you here!
April is just around the corner and with it comes one of Costa Rica’s biggest avian waves; a massive movement of birds that starts in South America and flows all the way to Canada. On the way, the birds ebb through Costa Rica, sometimes in trickles, other times in fantastic streams and rushes. These spring migrants include many of the birds that winter in South America, warblers, tanagers, cuckoos, flycatchers, and others that make their home in tropical forests shared by utterly fantastic avian diversity.
After having spent the winter in dry forest and mangroves in northern South America, like flying mangos, flocks of Prothonotary Warblers brighten the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica. Keep watching and you’ll also see Tennessee Warblers, plenty of Blackburnians, and smaller numbers of Ceruleans. Flocks of Eastern Kingbirds join millions of Purple Martins, and Barn, Bank, and Cliff Swallows heading north while groups of Baltimore Orioles and Scarlet and Summer Tanagers decorate the trees.
I hope to see these soon.
We don’t get the cornucopia of songbirds that sing in Central Park but the show’s still pretty darn good. Highlights also include rivers of raptors, and a fine host of resident birds.
Visit Costa Rica soon and you’ll have a chance to witness some of this bi-annual birdiness. Here are some other things to be aware of.
Poas National Park is Closed Indefinitely
You’ll probably have to go elsewhere for Fiery-throated Hummingbird.
First and foremost, if you plan on visiting Poas, you can’t and probably won’t be able to for some time. After volcanic activity picked up these past few weeks, the national park has been closed indefinitely. I’m not sure if they also closed part of the main road there but that wouldn’t be surprising, that’s what happened the last time Poas threw rocks out of its crater.
Lately, the volcano has been shooting up plumes of ash, vapor, and gases, and vulcanologists have also warned that it could have even more explosive eruptions. In the meantime, I’m not even checking to see if the main road is open up to the park gate. It just seems too risky!
If you have bought tickets for Poas, you can get a refund by visiting the same government website where you purchased them.
No More Feeders at La Georgina
Back before feeders were demonized in Costa Rica, this high elevation site offered close views of Fiery-throated and other high elevation hummingbirds at close range. Although you can still see smaller numbers in their garden, it’s nothing like the fantastic, tourist magnet displays we used to see.
I’m not sure when they took their feeders down but I can say that none were there in late February and probably won’t be up again any time soon. I suspect that authorities required or pressured the place to remove them because that’s how they interpreted the law and/or believe that such feeders keep hummingbirds from pollinating local plants.
Yes, seriously. There’s no real basis and it’s a shame but at least they haven’t been making as many businesses take down feeders lately.
The ones at La Georgina were likely removed some time ago but I figured I would mention that here as a reminder especially because I probably mention that they have feeders in my Costa Rica bird finding book and site guide.
Excellent Photo Opportunities at Hotel de Campo, Cano Negro
On another, more accessible note, the Hotel de Campo at Cano Negro has upped their game for bird photography. The bird photo action in their large gardens has always been impressive but recent improvements kick things up a notch.
The hotel now also offers a covered bird photography area that has seating and excellent views of a water feature as well as natural perches that attract a variety of species. Expect lots of quality captures from this site soon! That’s in addition to boat tours in the wildlife refuge that give good chances at Sungrebe, a host of beautiful kingfishers, and lots of other birds.
Excellent Urban Birding in Los Chiles
The excellence in birding continues near Cano Negro at Los Chiles. After a few bouts of quality birding in this northern town, I’m tempted to call it the best urban birding in Costa Rica. Granted, Los Chiles is small and isn’t exactly surrounded by concrete but it’s still a town, one with a heck of a lot of birds.
On a recent trip, in addition to a Great Potoo that serenaded us during dinner, we also had fantastic views of flyover Jabirus, Black-collared Hawks, a fine stream of river raptor Swainson’s Hawks, Broad-wingeds, and TVs, and other species, right from the parking lot of our small hotel, the CyC Cabinas.
After a short drive to the main river dock, two hours of morning birding consisted of constant, fantastic birding activity. Dozens of parrots and parakeets of 7 species perched in adjacent trees and flew overhead, kingfishers zipped by (including at least one American Pygmy Kingfisher), Green Ibis posed, Spot-breasted Wren sang, woodpeckers perched in perfect light, and so on and so on. This bonanza of birds mirrored my experience there in October, one that also included an excellent array of birds in a short period of time.
Not to mention, Los Chiles is also very close to the wetland hotspot known as Medio Queso.
Nice Birds on the San Rafael Varablanca Road
Heading up to higher elevations, a recent morning trip to the San Rafael (or La Legua) road turned up several quality species. Although we only had one brief view of a quetzal (I usually see more), we had great looks at Great Black Hawk, Northern Emerald Toucanet, several Prong-billed Barbets, various hummingbirds including Coppery-headed Emeralds (they seemed to have moved upslope), and other expected upper middle elevation birds.
Best of all, we heard a Three-wattled Bellbird, likely a young male, calling from forest where the asphalt ends. Each year, a few bellbirds are reported from this area; likely a remnant of a much larger historical population that probably declined in synch with forest destruction in their Central Valley wintering grounds.
Being on the cusp of April also means that shorebirds will be here soon. Actually, they already are and lots of them but April seems to be the height of shorebird migration and a good time to find less common species like American Golden Plover and Hudsonian Godwit.
In April, I wish I could go shorebirding every day because that would increase my chances of finding much rarer species that surely occasionally pass through Costa Rica. If you are shorebirding in Costa Rica and see any funny looking shorebirds, any suspected Sharp-taileds or weird looking stints, please take pictures and ask questions later!
Cabanis’s Ground-Sparrow Habitat Destroyed in Heredia
On a sad note, part of the Central Valley around Heredia continue to lose green space. It’s no surprise but it’s still shocking and tragic. Around Heredia, the demand for housing is so high, it seems to only be a matter of time before every tree and last speck of vegetation on most coffee farms is obliterated. They do it to turn former farms and other green space into treeless housing areas decorated with overpriced concrete boxes.
Yesterday, while driving past on a street where a rare shaded coffee area has hosted many migrants, Cabanis’s Ground-Sparrows, and other birds, I was greeted with a large area shorn of trees. As befitted the destruction, smoke was in the air and no birds were present. No more singing Yellow-green Vireos, no Brown Jays, no wintering birds or migrants. How many ground-sparrows were essentially eliminated? A bird for which we have no accurate population estimate but one that is not commonly seen in most of its extremely restricted range? I have seen similar destruction on the road above Finca Rosa Blanca (who thankfully protect a lot of important habitat), and at various other sites.
I took this picture where its habitat was wiped out.Before this was turned into smoking ruins.Yet another vital piece of urban green space destroyed, perhaps furthering a species towards extinction.
I fear the same thing will keep happening to most of the last green spots in much of the Central Valley, everywhere from between Curridabat to Alajuela. What this means for visiting birders is that even though you see eBird sightings of Cabanis’s Ground-Sparrow around Heredia, know that most of those sites are under threat. Go and look for the bird and it might be there or, you might visit and find smoking vegetation or a bunch of concrete houses.
I’m sorry to end that news on a low note but I won’t shy away from reality. On a higher note, there’s still lots of great birding waiting for you in Costa Rica. I hope to see you here!
All birds are good birds; experiencing the avian kind is a guaranteed win. Folks who partake in the birding way, who felt the spark and started walking the avian appreciation path know what I mean. Non-birding folks may not but, you take some time to check out a bird or two with binoculars, go on a local birding walk, and you might get it too.
Another thing that birders get is the concept of “quality birds”. Although some very open-minded birders insist that House Sparrows are just as cool as Cerulean Warblers, deep down inside, we all know they most definitely are not. Sure, levels of bird appreciation are subjective but, if we’re honest with ourselves, even the most eco-expunged Zen birding master knows they see far more House Sparrows than Ceruleans, that looking for Cerulean Warblers involves a lot more driving or walking (and neck straining), and that the sky blue warbler occurs in much smaller numbers.
In other words, the Cerulean fits the bill for being a “quality bird”. It’s a bird species we don’t get to see very often, and one that gets rarer with each passing spring. In Costa Rica, we’re fortunate to have Cerulean Warblers pass through these tropical lands. We’re also fortunate to have lots of other birds too, including several uncommon species that rightly earn the same “quality bird”.
Keel-billed Motmots are quality.
Per their nature, you don’t see quality birds very often, at least you don’t if you don’t know where to see them. Even then, they are easily missed during a few hours or one day of birding. They’re just rare or naturally hard to see or both. Use the best birding site guide for Costa Rica and you still need to pay a lot of attention, still need to get lucky.
On a recent tour, we got pretty lucky. Better yet, we were enveloped by the birding luck on our very first day. Nothing like starting a tour with quality birds, these were highlights from one particularly lucky day of 122 species:
Yellow-naped Amazon
Any day with views of a critically endangered species is a good birding day. You don’t have to be near Tarcoles either. Keep a close morning watch and you might see this big parrot flying near Alajuela, Sabana Park in San Jose, or other areas. We had a pair treat us to flyover views at a regular site for this species; Villa San Ignacio.
Cabanis’s Ground-Sparrow
Next on the morning birding list was this fine species. As large areas of green space in the core of its small range have been destroyed for housing, this cool bird has become increasingly challenging to see.
I was very pleased when one treated our group to excellent views at Villa San Ignacio. I hadn’t seen this uncommon endemic there for some time, I hope a few stick around!
Long-tailed Manakin
Some birds get that “quality” tag because they are rare, others earn the stamp by way of fancy plumage. The Long-tailed Manakin is in the latter category. Although it is common in many places with dry forest habitats, this red-capped beauty can be challenging at Villa San Ignacio.
Luckily, a calling male decided to perch at close range for fantastic views!
Tiny Hawk
This is a typical view of a Tiny Hawk. Yep, looks sort of like a thrush or a shrikee thing.
Kicking up the quality birds a notch, we hit the jackpot with this one! One can only assume Tiny Hawks live in many parts if Costa Rica but it’s just an assumption because you almost never see them. They don’t call very often, and would rather hide and wait to ambush small birds than gleefully soar over the forest.
Although you can increase your chances of seeing a Tiny Hawk by scanning rainforest canopy in the morning, it’s one of those birds you have to more or less chance upon. Chance was with us during our visit to San Luis Canopy.
While watching the tanager action, I heard the birds give some alarm calls and noticed a bull-headed, thrush-like bird flying overhead. A pint-sized raptor with a shortish tail can only be one thing- Tiny Hawk! With low expectations, I figured I should check out front, maybe I’d get lucky and find it by scanning.
But nope, didn’t need to scan, the bird was perched in a bare tree in plain view, right above the roof! Even better, the rufous juvenile stayed there long enough for prolonged scope views and photos. It reminded me a bit of the only Tiny Hawk I have seen at Cinchona; a tame and unwary juvenile attracted to the feeders.
Blue-and-Gold Tanager
This choice, rarest tanager in Costa Rica was another sweet bird from San Luis. Expected there but always good, always quality.
Lattice-tailed Trogon
After San Luis, we paid a visit to the Manuel Brenes Road. I was hoping that some extra quality birds might still be around, notably, Sharpbill, umbrellabird, and yellow-eared Toucanet. Although the trees they had been feeding on were out of fruit, we still had some other quality species.
The best were at least 3 Lattice-tailed Trogons. This local and rarely accessible foothill species treated is to fantastic singing views.
Brown-billed Scythebill
While watching the first trogon, I whistled like a scythebill and sure enough, one came in. Although this distinctive bird is easier to see than various other quality species, it’s always a treat!
Fasciated Tiger-Heron
We ended the day at Arenal Observatory Lodge and on the drive in, saw one at the stream just before the lodge entrance. Good thing too because that’s the only time we saw it.
Great Curassow
It’s easier to see Great Curassow in Costa Rica than other countries because of easy access to protected habitats.
This fancy turkey is expected at the Observatory Lodge and many other sites in Costa Rica but you won’t see it in most other parts of its range. It’s always quality bird. We had a male on the drive in and then saw several at the feeders and on the Waterfall Trail.
Black and white Owl
We ended our first day with this species, a fantastic Black and white Owl. One or two often come out at night by the Observatory Lodge reception or near the Casona. We had wonderful looks as it perched on roadside wires to hunt around the street lights.
Seeing these and more than 100 hundred species on our first full day was an excellent way to start the tour. In subsequent days, we continued seeing various quality species, some of which I’ll probably write about in future blog posts. Although good birding fortune was with us, we would have never seen these challenging birds without knowing where or how to look for them. Learn more about birding sites in Costa Rica at this blog and in my Costa Rica bird finding guide. Lots of birds are waiting in Costa Rica, I hope to see you here!
March is high time for birding in Costa Rica. For the most part, it’s still dry, birds are tuning up for the nesting season, raptor migration is happening, and Three-wattled Bellbirds are in the house! It’s a good time to be here. You could also run into umbrellabird, and maybe even one of those avian lottery winning antswarms.
It might have one of these.
If there’s any downside to March, it’s that temps tend to be hotter, most hotels are full, and there’s no Saint Patrick’s Day parades. Once again, I’ll miss the celebrations at the armory in Niagara Falls (have some beers for me!) but at least I’ll be seeing lots of cool birds. If you’ll be in Costa Rica these days, you’ll be seeing lots too. Check out these important local birding updates; they might help with your trip.
Sad Changes at Corso
If you drive to the La Paz waterfall Gardens or Cinchona, you’ll probably also pass by a sweet hummingbird hotspot known as “Corso“. The parking area for this dairy farm and their cafe has long been a regular hotspot for Scintillant Hummingbird and other glittering beauties.
However, after a recent visit, I think it’s going to be a while before we can see hummingbirds there again. Most of the Porterweed that had been growing in the parking lot has been removed. There’s a still a few plants and several might grow back but, for the moment, you’ll have to look for hummingbirds elsewhere. I can’t blame them for removing the plants, lately, they weren’t looking good and may have lived out their lifespan.
Less Parking, Fewer Hummingbirds at Cinchona
At Cinchona, there have also been a couple changes. For the most part, this hotspot still dishes up a beautiful selection of birds and there’s that sweet waterfall view. However, you might not see as many hummingbirds. Their numbers at Cinchona always vary and are probably related to flower prevalence in nearby areas as well as nesting behavior. Even so, I’ve never seen the feeders so quiet.
Hopefully that will change but, for the moment, you’ll need to curb your hummingbirding expectations. Another change at Cinchona involves parking. Overnight, the small corral across the street (and was housing for a donkey and a cow) became a tiny roadside diner. Yep, they are serving food out of there, right across the street from the Hummingbird Cafe. What that means for birders if that you can’t park across the street unless you are dining at the corral.
Poas Volcano is Acting Up
Poas Volcano has always been active but it doesn’t always erupt. Lately, though, it’s been doing some honest to goodness erupting. There hasn’t been any lava yet but there’s been plenty of ash and gases. The park is still open but that could change at any time.
Also, with all that erupting going on, I’m not so sure if the birding will be as good. For the moment, I’ve been staying away from the higher parts of the road to Poas. If you feel like you’d rather not visit that area, you’ll have to see the high elevation birds on the Irazu-Turrialba massif or on Cerro de la Muerte.
Umbrellabirds, Sharpbills, Oh My!
Challenging birds! Since the Sharpbills in Costa Rica and Panama might be an endemic species, that would be a particularly worthy bird to see. Local birders have been seeing these two gems and Yellow-eared Toucanet on the road to Manuel Brenes.
They have been attracted to the fruits of several Lauraceous trees about 1.2 kilometers in from the main road. I heard that those particular trees might not have fruit any more but maybe other ones in the area do. It’s worth checking, especially because this road can also turn up big mixed flocks, antbirds and the ground-cuckoo at ant swarms, Lattice-tailed Trogon, and many other species.
Cattle Tyrant on the Road to Cano Negro
Costa Rica’s first Cattle Tyrant turned up where we had expected it; around La Gamba, near the border with Panama. However, more have obviously been on the move because there’s at least one more at the opposite end of the country!
Yes, local birders have been twitching a Cattle Tyrant on the road to Cano Negro, in the San Emiliano wetland area. Since that bird is almost in Nicaragua, it seems there could easily be a few more hanging out with some of the many cows in other parts of Costa Rica. If you see a funny looking Tropical Kingbird foraging on the ground in a pasture, take a closer look.
Three-wattled Bellbirds near San Ramon
March is also a good time for bellbirds. Most are back on the breeding grounds and as long as males are calling, they are fairly easy to find. While Monteverde is the easiest place to see this fancy cotinga, some also occur in cloud forests near San Ramon.
They can still be hit and miss but you might find one by checking recent eBird sightings. Good areas to check include Quetzal Valley, the Bajo la Paz road to Catarata La Danta, and anywhere from Nectandra to the San Luis Canopy area. You might also find one on the road to Manuel Brenes but the easiest way to see one is to hire the Arias brothers. They live and guide in this area on a daily basis, and can bring you to bellbirds, nesting Ornate Hawk-Eagle, and quetzal (they even have one using a nest box).
Some of those birds might require some hiking but these guys can definitely help. Contact them at Ignacio Arias.
As always, there’s a lot more I could say but that’s all for now. I hope to see you here!
To support this blog and learn more about the birding sites mentioned in this post, get my 900 plus page birding site guide and ebook, “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica“. Happy birding!
We finished the tour just two days ago and I can still see the juncos staring back at us from bushes in the high, windy paramo. From an anthropomorphic viewpoint, they peered with angry, masked yellow eyes. In reality, the isolated, flesh-billed sparrows were curious, likely wondering what those two-legged creatures were doing in their mountaintop realm.
They couldn’t know but I thanked them anyways, felt gratitude that the uncommon birds had decided to hop into the open, right at the last minute. They were just one of many quality birds that treated us to fine looks during an Avocet Birding Courses tour I helped plan and guide.
I’ll get to the other avian stars shortly but first, I must relate how I ended up guiding this tour. Twenty-five years ago, I arrived at a montane camp site in southern Colorado for training before setting off to do bird surveys in wild and stunningly beautiful areas. I met with other seasonal workers contracted by the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, one of them was Cameron Cox.
Over the next couple of months, although each of us carried out bird surveys on our own (in incredible, John Denver inspired places), some of us would meet up now and then to share a meal, go to the movies or trade bear stories. Mine included nearly surprising a massive, couch-sized bear in the San Juan Wilderness (I walked out of those Aspens literally shaking with fear). Another guy carefully skirted a sow that stood guard at the base of a tree her cubs had climbed. I’m pretty sure one had also broken into Cameron’s jeep.
It was a unique and fantastic experience; put yourself into wild places and it always is. The birds were constant and included highlights like Flammulated Owls at remote campsites in aspen forest, Pine Grosbeaks warbling from firs frequented by American Three-toed Woodpeckers, occasional Cassin’s Finches, bluebirds, and so on and so on. At the end of the field season, one of our co-workers (Glen) graciously let Cameron and I crash at his place in Grand Junction.
Not content with staying in a city, we of course planned an adventure to search for Black Rosy-Finch in the nearest mountain range in eastern Utah. Range maps didn’t show it living there but common sense did. Thanks to good old DeLorme maps, driving, and determination, we found a suitable spot, parked, and walked uphill over rock-sliding scree.
It took a little while but we eventually reached snow patches and got our bird! I can still hear Cameron call out the bird and us celebrating as it flew by; feathered black licorice with candied pink.
Since then, Cameron got the ABA Big Day record (on a team with Michael Retter and other mutual friends), has had multitudes of other birding adventures in Alaska, Texas, and other places, and has also published books including Terns of North America; A Photographic Guide. As for me, since those Colorado days, birds have brought me to Peru, other places, and eventually, Costa Rica. We’ve kept in touch now and then and when Cameron mentioned organizing a birding tour to Costa Rica for his Avocet Birding Courses company, I happily agreed.
The tour went well and many quality birds complied. By “quality” I mean species that aren’t as common or easy to see, and/or look simply incredible. During this 8 days tour, we saw a good number of them, including these species (I might as well list them in sort of taxonomic order):
Great Tinamou
Although widespread, equally widespread hunting makes this ancient bird tough to see in much of its range. Some of the best places are in Costa Rica including Tirimbina Reserve, the place where we enjoyed one at close range.
Great Curassow
Like the tinamou mentioned above, this Neotropical turkey-like bird is also typically scarce. Happily, in Costa Rica, thanks to protective measures, it has become fairly common and easy to see in a number of places. We got good views of one male on the Manuel Brenes Road.
Sunbittern
Oh yes, such a cool bird! You’ll Gondwana see this one for sure. Sorry, it had to be done. Although fairly common and widespread in Costa Rica, adequate access to this bird’s rushing river habitat makes it an easy one to miss. We had fantastic looks during a boat ride with Green Ships on the Sarapiqui River (check out our eBird list). Unbelievably, it was foraging on a muddy bank rather close to a busy bridge. The title track of this incipient rave track by 808 State hints at the experience.
Sungrebe
We also had some other good birds on our Green Ships Sarapiqui boat tour (totally recommended). This one might tie with the Sunbittern in terms of quality. As we approached the La Selva bridge, we had fantastic, prolonged looks at one of these snakey birds.
Buff-fronted Quail-Dove
On a cozy lunch visit to Casa Tangara Dowii, we were treated to ridiculously good views of Buff-fronted Quail-Dove. You know the looks are good when folks start to wonder if the bird should really be called, “Green-naped Quail-Dove”.
As is usual for this welcoming birder retreat, we also enjoyed a fantastic lunch served up by owner and major birding promotor Serge Arias.
Snowcap (and 29 other hummingbird species)
We saw a good number of hummingbirds and they are all good but one species’ surreal plumage places it into the “must see” category. Luckily, we connected at Centro Manu, one of the few reliable sites for this wine-dipped bird.
I should also mention that the Fiery-throateds, Talamancas, Volcanos, Scintiillants, and other hummingbirds we saw during the tour were also pretty darn nice.
Great Potoo
This nocturnal beat treated us very well. After Cope showed us one, we had amazing views of an alert bird at night, and then one more at Centro Manu!
Great Potoo
Crested Owl
Speaking of Centro Manu, of yes, it also delivered with a fantastic pair of roosting Crested Owls.
Unspotted Saw-whet Owl
Ok, we didn’t actually see this pint-sized mega but it was still cool to hear it. It’s the same individual I have heard on several occasions at Myriams Soda/Quetzal Cabins. I’ve got to spend some night time up there to see where it tests its little talons.
As consolation, we did lay eyes on a Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl.
Resplendent Quetzal
Bird in the right places and this bird is expected but, in keeping with the rules of birding, nothing is guaranteed. Happily, we made up for our first view of a silhouetted female by watching unreal, long-plumed males sing at close range.
Utterly fantastic and straight from your best birding dreams, the birding in the Dota Valley is always good.
In Costa Rica, this cool and crazy puffbird can be evasive. I was glad that everyone got great looks at “singing” birds at Tirimbina. Near there, we also had scoped views of White-necked and Pied Puffbirds.
Great Green Macaw
Another Costa Rica bird hero, we had wonderful views during our Sarapiqui boat trip (yeah, it was pretty darn good).
Bare-necked Umbrellabird
Whoah! Stop the press! Always unexpected and especially on our itinerary. Birding karma, luck, and The Force must have been with us. Having some extra time to work with, I figured we might as well stop on the road to Manuel Brenes because it’s excellent habitat and, you just never know.
Although the Lattice-tailed Trogon never appeared, um, another bird sure did. I wouldn’t have seen it had we not randomly stopped and started watching thrushes at a fruiting tree. While attempting to squeak out canopy views of flighty White-throated and Pale-vented Thrushes, I noticed a large, black bird much lower in the forest.
I thought, oh crap, that could be an umbrellabird! Sure enough, the view through my binos showed a crow-like bird with an outrageous pompadour head. I called out the bird and pandemonium nearly ensued but, thankfully, the bird stayed put for scope views. A male. And at one point, it even inflated its personal red balloon!
This was one of those sweet situations where you know a bird is possible but it’s still a remote possibility. It’s still a throw of the dice and the odds ain’t in your favor. I’m happy we hit the avian lottery, most of all that everyone got scope views of this mega, yearned for target.
This fellow weird and cool cotinga was another sweet avian connection. We had fine views of a pair in flight during our Sarapiqui boat trip.
I could always mention more but, of the 400 plus species found during the tour and pre-tour dry forest extension, these quality birdies stand out. Equally exemplary were our driver Luis, lodging and service at Villa San Ignacio, Quinta de Sarapiqui, Donde Cope, Myriams Soda and Quetzal Cabins, Mirador de Valle, Green Ships Sarapiqui, Guarumos, and other spots.
Most of all, though, it was a gift to share birds with Cameron and a wonderful bunch of people, some of whom work at and volunteer for the Tracie Aviary or, are field biologists. In my world, folks who work to promote and conserve birds and biodiversity are nothing less than heroes. Thanks for doing all that you do!
To learn more about where we saw these quality species while supporting this blog, get my 900 plus page ebook, “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica”. Happy birding, I hope to see you here!
I was very lucky to get super close looks and pictures of Keel-billed Motmot at Heliconias Lodge. Not so lucky with shots of Tody Motmot.
Where to watch birds in Costa Rica? Ask and you’ll get a wealth of answers, most based on personal experience or commercial interest. You’ll eventually find the right ones but you’ll probably have to wade through dozens of comments and website fluff to get there.
In general, the answer depends on the same factors as every birding destination; the birds you want to see, how you want to experience them, and how much time you have. Once you figure those things out, check birding tour itineraries, eBird hotspots, and go from there (my Costa Rica birding site guide book will also help).
During trip planning, don’t be surprised if you find yourself drawn to the Arenal area. The combination of tourism infrastructure, quality forested habitats, and accessible birding make Arenal one of the top hotspots in Costa Rica. Visit the right places around Arenal and you’ll have fair chances at King Vulture, hawk-eagles and other raptors, 3 to 4 motmot species, antbirds, and hundreds of other species!
Yes, it truly is fantastic, especially because it’s so easy to do! Most roads are good and it takes around three hours to drive there from the airport. Although you could go straight there, the trip is long enough to merit en-route birding. That birding is also so good, you can’t go wrong in spending an extra day or two to finally reach Arenal!
Seriously, Costa Rica just has too many excellent, accessible birding areas. If you plan on driving to La Fortuna, these are some suggestions and places where I go birding:
San Ramon
If you could go for some dry forest birds, sites at the edge of San Ramon can deliver. Patches of dry forest habitat at the edge of the city host birds like Chestnut-capped Warbler, Rufous-breasted and Rufous-and-white Wrens, Orange-fronted Parakeet, White-fronted Parrot, Long-tailed Manakin, and more.
One of the better spots is a track just outside the southern edge of the UCR university campus. Although the habitat there is sadly threatened by poisoning and burning to use the land for farming and housing, in the past, it has been a good site for Cabanis’s Ground-Sparrow and many other species.
The San Ramon Cloud Forests
San Ramon is also near some excellent cloud forest sites. Around 30 minutes drive from San Ramon, the Bajo La Paz area hosts good roadside birding and some private reserves. This is a good area for Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Sunbittern, quetzal is always possible, and many other middle elevation birds occur too. From February to April, bellbirds are also often present!
You can see a good number of birds from the road but you’ll see more if you hire local guides, Romain and Ignacio Arias.
This small reserve is on the main road towards La Fortuna, maybe 15 minutes from San Ramon. They have a good hummingbird garden, butterfly enclosure, nice feeder action, and good middle elevation forest with an excellent variety of species. They also serve excellent, locally grown coffee, some of the best I have ever tried.
Coppery-headed Emerald showing its colors.
A short trail in the forest can yield several nice birds but it can be a bit challenging and muddy. This spot is small but don’t underestimate it. Highland Tinamou has visited their kitchen outflow, I have seen Bicolored Hawk and Ornate Hawk-Eagle here, and umbrellabird sometimes also occurs. They probably charge a $10 to $12 entrance fee.
San Luis Canopy
Just down the road from Cocora is one of this route’s better known birding sites. It opens at 8 but if you get there before then, keep an eye on the trees behind the buildings and nearby habitat. A lot of middle elevation species are possible including White Hawk and other raptors, various tanagers, and many other species.
Most birders pay $10 to enjoy the tanager feeding station but you can also pay more to bird their excellent hanging bridges trail. This trail passes through excellent habitat with chances at umbrellabird (seasonal), Purplish-backed Quail-Dove, Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo and antbirds at antswarms, and other nice species, even Lattice-tailed Trogon.
The Manuel Brenes Road
Of all the sites mentioned, this one might be the best. This public road varies in terms of its condition but, lately, it’s been leveled and in pretty good shape. Leaving from a roadside marsh, it passes through excellent lower middle elevation forest. Roadside birding can turn up big mixed flocks with shrike-tanager and many other species including possible Sharpbill (rare but regular), Northern Schiffornis and other deep forest birds, a chance at antbirds and the ground-cuckoo at antswarms, as well as foothill birds like Lattice-tailed Trogon and Yellow-eared Toucanet.
Umbrellabird can also occur, bellbirds are often present, various raptors are possible, and the list goes on!
Lands in Love and Nearby
When I have birded the Manuel Brenes road, I have often had lunch a little bit further down the main road to Fortuna at the Loveats Cafe. They aren’t always open but, if so, enjoy vegan dishes and great coffee while scanning for raptors.
You can also bird their main hotel, Lands in Love. This site has a lot of rescued, barking dogs but also has great foothill-lowland rainforest habitat. The loop road can be very good (I recently saw Rufous-winged Tanager, Black Hawk-eagle, and Yellow-eared Toucanet while others also had a Tiny Hawk!), and there are trails through good forest.
Those trails can yield a wide variety of forest species, even Keel-billed Motmot, Semiplumbeous Hawk, and possible Slaty-backed Forest-Falcon among many other species.
There are also other sites to explore near Lands in Love. Adventurous birders will like the Las Rocas road. This is a side road that makes a sort of loop from San Lorenzo to the Cecropia Ecolodge. It’s not always passable and you’ll need four wheel drive but you’ll have some equally exciting birding!
Finca Luna Nueva
There are additional birding options further downhill, heading towards La Fortuna. For a nice set of lowland birds and excellent organic cuisine, you can’t got wrong by birding at Finca Luna Nueva. It’s a good place to stay and break up your trip, especially because their trails can have Uniform Crake, White-fronted Nunbird, and many other forest species.
You can also see a lot right around the cabins and pool.
If you plan on driving to La Fortuna, make time for birding on the way there. You can’t go wrong by stopping at one or more of the sites mentioned above. Happy birding, I hope to see you here!
“Canopy” has more meanings than you think. I hear or see the word and envision the most evasive and alluring parts of a forest. Canopy is where tree crowns could be topped with silent and colorful cotingas, a tip top might be graced by an Olive-sided Flycatcher, and where eagles nest.
An Ornate Hawk-Eagle from near Virgen del Socorro.
The canopy is irony in full view because you can look up into it but, you hardly see it, at least not from the ground. To experience the canopy, you have to somehow get up there, high into the squirrel and monkey walkways. Aptly named canopy towers help but in Costa Rica, for whatever reason, we don’t have many. Instead, we rely on views of steep slopes cloaked in mature forest, or bird from suspension bridges that cross steep and deep ravines.
A canopy is also a type of roof, and, in Costa Rica, a synonym for “ziplining”. Yes, put on the helmet, harness up, and you can canopy through the canopy. It’s exhilarating and you might see a good bird or two but it’s not the best way to bird the canopy. As with all birding, seeing those high level birds requires time and patience, a lot more than a pseudo flight through the forest.
If birding with family who want to go ziplining (most do and with good reason), this presents one of those common vacation birding conundrums. Basically, how do you please everyone, the birding you included? The easiest solution is to go birding in a place where you can watch birds while the non-birding fam can get their zipline canopy kicks. Luckily, in those regards, several ziplining spots work but one spot is especially fantastic.
That spot is the San Luis Canopy (aka Parque Aventura San Luis) and if you need to mix fam. canopy with your type of canopy, this is the place to do it. Heck, even if you aren’t with family and want to experience excellent birding, you can go to San Luis and do that too!
I was there today, here’s some of the latest birding news from this birding hotspot:
Bare-necked Umbrellabird
San Luis continues to be a reliable spot for this mega, crow-sized cotinga. Although it rarely comes to the edge (where the feeders are), you might see one on their hanging bridges trail. Lately, workers have been seeing at least back in those fine woods. Maybe you’ll see it too?
Tanager Fest
Lots of tanagers are still visiting the fruit feeder area including a couple of Blue-and-Gold Tanagers. They are joined by lots of Silver-throateds, a few Emeralds, Bay-headed, Scarlet-rumped, Crimson-collared, Palm, and Blue-gray Tanagers.
Keep watching and you’ll also get super close views of beautiful Black-cheeked Woodpeckers, Tawny-capped Euphonias, patriotic Clay-colored Thrushes, Chestnut-capped Brushfinch, and other species.
Keep watching the surrounding trees too, that’s where Black-and-yellow Tanagers occur along with White-ruffed Manakin, Tropical Parula, migrant warblers, and other birds.
Altitudinal Migrants
Some of those other birds may include Black-thighed Grosbeak, White-throated Thrushes, and Black-faced Solitaires. Lately, cool weather has driven these and some other species to lower, more food-rich environs. Might a Yellow-eared Toucanet show up? Maybe something else?
I heard one of these beauties today.
If you don’t see them at San Luis, head down the road and watch for fruiting trees, they might be there instead.
Scaled Antpitta, Purplish-backed Ground-Dove, and other Good Birds
Lately, the birder/workers at San Luis have also been seeing Scaled Antpitta. That’s not too surprising but they haven’t seen it before and it’s always a tough one to see. Interestingly enough, one of the birder workers related how a Scaled Antpitta seems to follow White-collared Peccaries.
He also mentioned that he has been seeing quite a few Purplish-backed Quail-Doves, and may have seen Strong-billed Woodcreeper in the back part of the forest. Although he hasn’t seen Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo lately, this site has been a good spot for that mega bird and it should show again, especially with Army Ants.
Speaking of Army Ants, they also regularly see Ruddy Woodcreeper along with other ant following birds. Sadly, one of the birds they have not seen lately is Ochre-breasted Antpitta. Although at least one was regular at the site for a while, they haven’t seen this species in a while. I wonder if it’s because of climate change driven warmer and drier weather.
Lattice-tailed Trogon
This toughest of Costa Rica trogons is also present although it seems to be restricted to the deepest part of the forest. It’s a bit of a walk but with umbrellabird, ground-cuckoo, and other species possible, yeah, it might be a good one to do!
Raptors
San Luis is also good for raptors. Today, they heard Ornate Hawk-Eagle calling just before we arrived and, just down the road, I had also glimpsed a soaring Black Hawk-Eagle!
Other regular raptors include Barred Hawk, Bicolored Hawk (although pretty uncommon), Double-toothed Kite, Barred Forest -Falcon sneaking around the forest, Short-tailed Hawk, and occasional Great Black Hawk. If you are extra lucky, you might even see Tiny Hawk.
An elusive Tiny Hawk.
Yep, San Luis Canopy is rocking! In a month or two, Three-wattled Bellbird should also be around, they have seen at least one Keel-billed Motmot, and other cool birds are a short drive down the main road. One of those is Tody Motmot. Despite what range maps show, this super cool bird also occurs at sites a 30 minute drive from San Luis. Lots of other birds do too, to look for them, contact Maylor Herrera. He’s the birder and employee at San Luis who shared a wealth of birding information with me today, including the fact that he’s found several territories of Tody Motmot and spots for White-tipped Sicklebill.
To visit San Luis, tanager viewing costs $12 while their longer, hanging bridges trail may cost $25 to $30. They also have a nice little restaurant and a bunch of good souvenirs, local craft beer included. As always, I look forward to my next visit.
To learn more about hundreds of birding sites in Costa Rica, support this blog by purchasing my 900 plus page Costa Rica bird finding ebook. I hope to see you here!
Ciudad Neily wasn’t always on the regular birding circuit. Heck, even these days, this southern Costa Rican town is still very much off the usual beaten track. Although some birding tours in Costa Rica pay a visit, the majority of visiting birders spend time much closer to San Jose.
Neily being around 6 hours by car, that makes sense, especially if you only have 10 days to work with. Ciudad Neily is a detour, even for folks headed to the Osa but, if you can make it, that side trip is well worth your birding time!
Ciudad Neily is one of the best overlooked birding hotspots in Costa Rica. That’s quite the statement but I stand by it; the surrounding area has lots of birding potential, especially if you also visit the San Vito area (easy to do when staying in Ciudad Neily).
Recently, we enjoyed a few hours of morning birding near Neily. Based on that fine 90 plus species stint and past visits, here are some recommendations.
Scan forested hillsides
When I arrive in Ciudad Neily, I can’t help but feel impressed by the amount of rainforest just outside of town. Much of that forest cloaks hills and most is probably also inaccessible.
However, you can and should scan those forested hillsides, especially in the morning and from as many vantage points as possible. You might find a Turquoise Cotinga (small numbers are present), White-necked Puffbird, toucans, aracaris, and other species.
They can also be good for raptors. During a brief afternoon check from the middle of town, I noticed a Swallow-tailed Kite and Zone-tailed Hawk coursing over a ridge. More scanning should turn up a good suite of rainforest raptors, maybe even a hawk-eagle or two.
Check out some side roads in the area
Most of the woods grow on steep slopes and are tough to access but some roads penetrate enough for good roadside birding. The easiest way to find the best birding roads is checking eBird and satellite maps and go exploring.
The road that goes to San Vito can also be good but it’s fairly busy and has few places to pull off to the side. Instead, you might want to try a back road to San Vito (probably in terrible shape high up), or other secondary roads through forest.
Birding such side roads has turned up interesting and intriguing species like “Puntarenas Screech-Owl”, Sepia-capped Flycatcher, Bare-crowned Antbird, and Rosy Thrush-Tanager!
Best birding accommodation- Fortuna Verde
There are several lodging options in and near Ciudad Neily but the best spot for birders is Fortuna Verde. The owners of this small, friendly place provide excellent service and have some forest just out back.
Many species are possible, some of the “best” I have seen include Veraguan Mango, Crested Oropendola, Brown-throated Parakeet, and Spectacled Owl.
A good second option- Centro Turistico
If Fortuna Verde is full, the Centro Turistico is a good second choice. This spot has air-conditioned rooms for a good, low price, and an on-site restaurant. Best of all, it’s adjacent to a nice area of forest!
I haven’t birded that forest but sur would love to. I bet it has a fair variety of forest species and could also turn up a surprise or two.
The “hospital road”
If you get tired of looking at forest birds, visit this road for open country species. It passes through open fields and brushy habitats that can have Fork-tailed Flycatchers, various seedeaters, Red-breasted Meadowlark, and several other species.
Check any flowering trees and hedges for Sapphire-throated Hummingbird and Veraguan Mango, and scan distant trees, bushes, and skies for Savannah Hawk (we were happy to see a juvenile). While watching for that raptor, you might see other ones too including Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, Pearl Kite, Roadside Hawk, and Gray-lined Hawk.
Wet rice fields and ditches are seasonal but if you find one, you can try for crakes, especially the one with the Painted bill.
Coto 47- Las Pangas
This is the other main open habitat area near Ciudad Neily (although there’s lots more areas to explore). In the wet season the road there might be impassable but by January, it should be dry enough for any vehicle.
January is also when local birders trek to this exciting spot. We make the drive to scan through thousands of ducks to see if we can find Northern Pintail or other decidedly uncommon duck species for Costa Rica. There’s always the chance of finding some other interesting waterbird too, including rare shorebirds.
The only downside is that the birds are usually quite distant and unless you walk on a dike road (likely private), a fair number will be a bit too frustratingly far away to identify. But don’t let that stop you from scanning! You never know what you might find.
The roadside second growth is also good for a variety of birds, including local species like hummingbirds, Red-rumped Woodpecker, and Rusty-margined Flycatcher among others.
Excellent night birding
As with most lowland sites with humid forest, Ciudad Neily has great night birding. Tropical Screech-Owls live in second growth and forest edge while the undescribed “Puntarenas Screech-Owl” occurs in denser, more humid forest.
American Barn Owls course over open fields (such as along the hospital road), and Striped Owls also occur. In forested areas, Spectacled, Mottled, and Black-and-white Owls are present. Crested Owl occurs too although more likely in the most heavily forested parts.
Oh yeah, and there’s also the other night birds, the nightjars and potoos. Go spotlighting on roads through and near oil palm plantations and you have a good chance of finding Common Potoo, and might also find wintering Chuck-will’s-Widow. With luck, maybe you’ll also find Rufous Nightjar in brushy habitats? Common Pauraques will also fly up from roads and you might see Short-tailed Nighthawk fly over forested spots at dusk.
Pizza Time
As a final suggestion, I’ll just mention that if you happen to be driving through Uvita, it’s worth planning to be there for lunch or dinner. I do that so I can stop at Pizza Time and enjoy fantastic NYC style pizza! I also usually pick up some bagels and other things too.
Pizzerias are common in Costa Rica but what can I say? When you grow up with a certain type and quality of pizza, you don’t want to settle for less. It’s why I usually make my own pizza. However, when it comes to Pizza Time pizza, I don’t hesitate; it’s the real deal. If you could go for a taste of New York, make sure to stop at Piza Time. The service is great too!
Ciudad Neily makes for an excellent birding base. In addition to the places mentioned above, you could also do day trips to Rincon de Osa and the La Gamba-Golfito area. With the overall mix of open, edge, forest, and local birds, a week of birding around Ciudad Neily and San Vito could easily turn up 300 species. I hope you go birding there and I hope to see you here in Costa Rica!
To learn more about the birding sites mentioned above and hundreds of other birding sites in Costa Rica, check out “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica”. Every purchase supports this blog!
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.
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!
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.
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!
