In Costa Rica, the birding deal is always fantastic. Drive an hour and you could feasibly lay eyes on a quetzal, the one and only Wrenthrush, Scarlet Macaws, antbirds, a dozen hummingbirds, and more. I mean, honestly, that’s pretty darn good.
Take this morning for example. In my urbanized, very much people-centric neighborhood in Heredia, I walked down the street, birded for an hour and saw 39 species, one of which was a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl with an unlucky Northern Yellow Warbler in its talons (!). It was being harassed by a couple Brown Jays, a bunch of beautiful Blue-gray Tanagers, hummingbirds, Common Tody-Flycatcher, Tropical Mockingbirds, a Yellow-green Vireo, and other species while South American-bound Barn, Bank, and Cliff Swallows and occasional screeching Crimson-fronted Parakeets graced the skies.
Those birds and more can be attributed to lifesaving big trees and vegetation on a small adjacent farm as well as a riparian zone. It’s not much habitat and yet, it still act as vital living space for a bunch of birds and migrants (I recently saw 3 to 4 Cerulean Warblers there and will likely see a Golden-winged soon). It’s wonderful but the best birding is, of course, further afield. Regarding that, much to our good birding fortune, as I alluded to above, you don’t need to go far to see a wealth of incredible birds.
With that in mind, I’ve designed some short birding tours that maximize birding potential in different major habitats, close to the greater San Jose area. More than 100 species are possible on all of them, 200 even possible on the two night trips. Check it out:
One Night Birding Tour in the Costa Rica Highlands
A male quetzal is always the star of the avian show.
Who says you have to go birding for a week to see a quetzal in Costa Rica? Although 7 days birding is always better than one or two, if you don’t have the time for it, fantastic birding near San Jose is possible in a morning, day, or one night trip.
3 other of many stand out bird species possible on this tour include:
The cloud forest highlands are some of the closest quality birding habitats to San Jose but, you only need to go a little bit further to reach another, completely different biome on the Caribbean slope. These foothill rainforest and lowland rainforest host the highest variety of bird species in Costa Rica; day trips I have guided there have resulted in 150 to 170 species. Imagine how many birds are possible during two and a half days of birding?
Three stand outs of many possible species include:
Two Night Birding Tour in a Mega Birding Hotspot- the Pacific Lowlands
To reach the close highlands and Caribbean rainforests, we drive north. Go in the other direction and it only takes 45 minutes to an hour to reach Scarlet Macaws!
These and hundreds of other species live in the mega ecotone of Carara and Tarcoles. In this river valley, coastal habitats, rainforest and dry forest meet and offer a fantastic array of birds. The following are three of a huge number of avian possibilities:
Great TinamouMale Slaty-tailed Trogon.Rufous-tailed Jacamar
This two night birding tour to the Carara area is a good way to see an excellent blend of dry forest, edge, and humid forest endemics in a short amount of time.
Have an extra day or two in the San Jose area? If you are in San Jose for business or starting and ending a birding tour, these itineraries will enrich and expand your birding experience in Costa Rica. They can also be done as one night tours or even as a day trip. Prepare for your trip with my Costa Rica birding site ebook and study your field guides, there’s a lot of birds waiting for you in Costa Rica!
We have arrived to September, year of the Super El Nino (2026) and here in Costa Rica, the weather has lived up to the meteorological predictions; heavy, flooding, landsliding rains where it should be drier, and very little rain where it should be awash with precipitation. It’s like someone flipped a tripswitch to push the Pacific rains over to the Caribbean, and that someone in question is the Pacific Ocean. Way too warm, something’s gotta give, something already gave and it’s gonna keep on giving, the weather sages say into 2027.
It’s a flipped deal from the expected, one that makes me wonder how it’ll affect the local avian scene.
In Costa Rica, lots of birds take advantage of the wet season to raise young, especially on the Pacific slope and Central Valley. The same goes for the Caribbean slope but it’s much more pronounced on the west side of the mountains. Evolution has keyed the birds into this rain regimen for thousands of years; nest when the rains start, higher productivity means more food and a better chance at raising broods. It’s why the Yellow-green Vireos show up in spring en masse, singing from every park and foliaged area of green space on the Pacific side.
Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers come here for the wet season too.
Swallow-tailed Kites are another species that arrives for the rains, perhaps in part, benefitting by depredating nests that resident species build. But what happens if the rains don’t arrive like they should? What happens if it rains early and goes back to a pseudo dry season deal replete with moisture wicking winds and hour after hour of the natural sun lamp beating down from the blue?
The same goes for Piratic Flycatchers, the latter here to commandeer the bird nests other species are building so they can raise young of their own (!).
How’s that for some weird cuckooish bird vagabond activity? If fewer birds nested, the naturally “lazy” Piratics must have had fewer broods but, it looks like a fair number of birds successfully nested after all. I doubt as many as normal but, I do know quite a few seemed to nest early. Like, they got the memo, knew something we didn’t- unsurprising for birds far more in cue with the happenings of their natural surroundings than most people are.
Back in February, it seemed like the early rains triggered a nesting response; hopefully those species succeeded in raising young. I can’t imagine many birds nesting later on did as well.
With migration kicking into gear, I can’t help but likewise wonder if the change in rainfall affects food availability for migrants. I would think so for the Pacific slope but maybe those birds that land on the dry side of the mountains can somehow move over to the wetter side? I hope so and it’s not out of the question, those wetter forests are pretty close. In the meantime, at least it has been raining a bit more on the Pacific, hopefully that trend will continue to give resident and migrants birds some respite. Here’s some other news from Costa Rica:
Umbrellabirds at Centro Manu and a Way to Help this Endangered Species
The Bare-necked Umbrellabirds are back at Centro Manu! Although these crow-sized megas aren’t exactly abundant, at least you can know that a few are frequenting the forests of Centro Manu. In keeping with the timing of their elevational migrations, there are probably more in nearby, similar areas but Centro Manu is one of the most accessible spots.
Once in a while, one shows up right around the cabins or parking area but usually, you need to hike into the back part of the forest to see them. That means wearing rubber boots and being careful because it’s a wet, muddy trail with roots and other slippery factors but, if you can handle that and hang out in the back part long enough, you have a fair chance of seeing this special bird.
You’ll see lots of other good birds too, maybe Snowcap, manakins and more. This spot is possible as a day trip from the La Selva and San Jose area, if interested in a guided day trip, contact me at information@birdingcraft.com
A few of my eBird lists from guiding clients at Centro Manu:
One of the main reasons it’s so hard to see Bare-necked Umbrellabird is because the big cotinga is endangered. Their populations need more foothill and adjacent lowland rainforest than is available, about all we can do is reforest as much as possible. That and support this organization: the aptly name Umbrellabird Conservation Action Network (UCAN). This NGO has been doing more to help this rare species than anyone, check out their site and please consider lending your support. They have some great inside information about umbrellabirds in Costa Rica and can also arrange an ethical visit to the only known lek!
Migrants Have Arrived in Costa Rica
What I mean to say is that the first wave of songbird migrants has arrived. It seemed to happen on August 31th, after a couple days of rainy weather. I had been checking the tiny areas of green space in my urban Central Valley neighborhood for some days before then but had few birds. One day, there was a movement of swallows including a locally uncommon Purple Martin (most move through the Caribbean lowlands) and one or two Red-eyed Vireos but nothing else.
That changed this past Monday when my morning walk revealed several migrants foraging in a small riparian zone. I hadn’t expected them, before reaching that spot, I hadn’t seen any pewees nor any other migrants. However as I approached the streamside vegetation, I heard a chip and saw a small flash of yellow. The first Northern Yellow Warbler of fall migration! Then I saw a second and wondered if there might be another bird or two around.
Waiting by the mix of tall trees and low, thick vegetation, I began to notice some movement in the leaves and saw a small bird zip by. Oh yes, some birds were there alright! Most turned out to be Red-eyed Vireos but there was also an American Redstart and, when two small warblers flipped into view, I quickly realized i hit the jackpot with close views of female Cerulean Warblers! I had hoped to connect with that bird, knew that they were moving through but seeing them in the Central Valley is always hit or miss. Luckily, that morning, I was in the right place and enjoyed watching them forage down low for some time. I suspect three were actually present but can’t say for sure.
I took that as a cue to stay put and keep watching and although no cuckoos popped into my field of view, I did see quite a few REVIs, one Blackburnian, and a Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher along with Cliff Swallows flying overhead and three more Purple Martins. More birds should be on the way with each coming day.
Puntarenas Birding Pays Off
The port of Puntarenas is off the regular beaten birding track but, go with a scope and seawatching often pays off. On Sunday, we took a morning trip there and even though the warmer than usual waters looked like they had a bit of a red tide going on, I still saw birds.
It was a bit weird but I guess that’s normal for less than normal conditions. There weren’t as many pelicans nor frigatebirds as I usually see, nor as many Royal Terns but, some other birds were passing by. I had hoped to catch Least Terns as they pass through Costa Rica and, sure enough, it didn’t take long to see some flying towards the inner gulf. Over the course of an hour and a half, I might have had a dozen along with a scattering of Black Terns, and some Elegant Terns too.
Most were fairly far out but, as is typical for this spot, several flew in from the sea to fly fairly close to the point. I could see a feeding flock way out on the horizon, looked like most birds were in the outer gulf but, I also picked up a not so common, Common Tern, had one of each of Cocos Booby and Blue-footed Booby and, as I was on the verge of leaving, noticed the best bird of the day.
It’s hard t leave Puntarenas because birds can occur at any time, flying in off the ocean. Sunday was no exception as my last binocular scan picked up a pale bird that looked slightly different. I put the scope on it and was pretty sure it had flashing black and white wings. After some playing with the zoom, I was able to follow it long enough to know I was seeing two Sabine’s Gulls!
Although this high Arctic species is regular in pelagic waters, you have to be lucky to find them from shore, even in the Gulf of Nicoya. Even better, one of those same birds or another one ended up flying rather close to the point. It was a pleasure to get such good views of this beautifully patterned gull, one normally associated with ice, eternal summer days, and the high seas.
Book Rooms Now for the High Season
On the future birding front, just a reminder to book your stay in Costa Rica now before it’s too late. For a lot of the most visited places, it might be too late already, don’t wait any longer. If you can’t stay at a preferred lodge, at least there’s other options along with a plethora of excellent birding sites to choose from.
“How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica” 2026 is Available!
Speaking of those birding sites, you’ll find nearly 300 of them in my bird finding guide for Costa Rica. Recently updated for 2026, here’s some reasons why this 1,000 page ebook will enrich any birding trip to Costa Rica:
-Unlike a recent AI “written” itinerary guide I’ve seen, my ebook wasn’t crafted from random and erroneous information online.
-I wrote it based on decades of experience and studying birds in the field, and what I’d like to see in a bird finding guide including accurate information that stems from firsthand knowledge.
-Updated and edited accounts for nearly 300 sites, many of which aren’t on eBird. However, there are also links to eBird hotspots.
-Tips and ideas to help you find unfamiliar birds like puffbirds, tinamous, and antthrushes along with information about and honest chances at the rarest species in Costa Rica.
-Identification tips for woodcreepers and everything else.
Not to mention, purchasing this book also helps support this blog.
Birding Apps and Field Guides to Enrich the Upcoming High Season
A field guide is another essential for any upcoming birding trip to Costa Rica. Yes, you could get the free Merlin app and that’s great (although it’s vocalization ID is still limited for Costa Rica) but, there are other publications with more in depth information written by local birding experts.
The main app to get is the Costa Rica Birds Field Guide app by Birding Field Guides. This digital field guide includes:
-All the birds on the Costa Rica list and a bunch more that could turn up (more than 1,000 species total).
-Many images for most species including birds in flight and others to help with identification.
-Vocalizations for most species.
-Field maps and detailed information including tips for seeing each species in Costa Rica.
-Information about habitats, regions, and other aspects of Costa Rica.
-Free updates and works offline.
-Can be customized to show target birds, birds from certain regions, habitats, family, and more.
As far as field guide books go, come October, you’ll also want to get the new edition of the Garrigues and Dean “The Birds of Costa Rica: A Field Guide“. Having seen some of the new illustrations and other features, I can’t wait to get this book! From what I’ve seen, it promises to be a must have field guide and addition to every birder’s library. I know how much they’ve been diligently working on this book, it’s going to be top notch.
To help local birding initiatives, especially ones to teach young people, I also recommend donating “Aves de Costa Rica” published by Ensifera to organizations that promote birding in Costa Rica. This small illustrated book acts as a good teaching device and gateway for Ticos to get interested in birds; I’m sure it will work well for this purpose because a friend of mine, David Rodriguez, was involved with creating this book and works at connecting young people with nature and reforestation alongside his spouse, Lily Briggs, the founder of the Finca Cantaros Environmental Association. This excellent NGO helps engage local people with nature and birds through reforestation and other means around San Vito area and possibly other areas as well. To help them promote birding and nature engagement in Costa Rica, please contact Lilly or David at this email or here.
Going birding somewhere new? In the pre-digital days, we sought bird finding books, kept magazine articles, and even paid (!) for trip reports. Hard to imagine but a lot of things were different back then in the pager, pre-mobile device times. It was also a time of common birding discovery, especially when birding abroad.
Forget birding apps, a lot of places lacked proper field guides. We took care to remember field marks, made field sketches and notes and tried to figure things out after the fact, often, with visits to libraries. University libraries could be especially good; they often had obscure field guides, bird books, ornithological tomes, and access to scientific journals.
Digital cameras and the Internet have largely erased those old time necessities but it’s still a good idea to pay close attention and take field notes, at least if you are interested in improving your field identification skills. As for preparing for a birding trip and figuring out where to go, although many of us still read trip reports, it seems that lots of people go the social media route; asking questions in birding groups and forums.
From what I’ve seen, as expected from crowd sourcing, the answers don’t necessarily provide the best information. Instead of answering the question, I see a lot of comments or suggestions that reflect personal experience; a factor that, although valid, is often limited by the inherent inexperience of being a tourist. We could say the same about many forums and social media posts equally faulted by affording the same weight to answers from everybody.
Anyone can comment but who knows best? How do we know who the experts are? But then again, if you are only looking for nice places to take photos of pretty birds, hummingbirds, and quetzals, do you even need answers from experts? Maybe not but, if it benefits a birder to know that Great Green Macaws aren’t necessarily present in certain areas during wet and dry seasons, or that Agami Heron colonies are mostly active during the summer months, well meaning comments from tourists might not be adequate.
It’s also worth knowing that quetzals aren’t limited to the Dota Valley or Paraiso Quetzal (even if Facebook posts might hint otherwise). Those are wonderful and beautiful areas but quetzals occur in other places too, sometimes just an hour’s drive from the airport. With such potential shortcomings in mind, it’s nice to know that at least we have eBird.
This fantastic worldwide resource is another major modern birding boon (maybe the biggest, on par with affordable digital cameras, improved optics, and the Internet in general) and whether you make eBird lists or not, you can still use it to see where other birders have been seeing birds. It can be a great resource for planning a trip, especially with that hotspot feature. Check those out, give em a whirl and you could easily plan your whole trip around eBird hotspots.
You could certainly do that but, there’s an important catch to consider. Since eBird is also based on crowd-sourced material, it only shows what people put into the system. This brings up a couple of obvious but important points:
If no one goes birding in a given area, there’s no bird information for that area, no matter how good the habitat might be.
If an excellent area or site does not have hotspot status, it doesn’t mean that the spot isn’t good for birding, it just means that it has yet to be officially declared as a hotspot.
In other words, there might be a lot of good birding sites out there even if you don’t notice them in eBird (which makes sense since birds live in appropriate habitat). Although Costa Rica gets increasingly better eBird coverage, there are still a number of great birding spots off the eBird radar including the following three sites:
The San Rafael de Varablanca Road
Of all the accessible, underbirded spots in Costa Rica, this one comes to mind front and center. I always have the place to myself, I’m a bit loathe to share the info but, since that goes against my core belief of helping all people experience more birds and our natural world, I’ve got be honest and share the gen.
In this case, we’ve got a good, paved road around an hour’s drive from the airport that passes through and next to cloud forest, much of which is at the edge of or in the buffer zone for Braulio Carrillo National Park. Bird there and don’t let the road and pastures fool you; you’re raisin bins at the edge of wilderness, beautiful cloud forest prowled by Pumas, surely some Jaguars, Tapirs, and more.
Probably undescribed plants and bugs, maybe some other things too? Most pertinently, the habitats along this roads are home to countless birds and the birding can be fantastic. It of course varies but I often see a couple of quetzals among an excellent assortment of cloud forest species. If the raptor flying conditions are good, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Barred Hawk, and Great Black Hawk are also regular and, in certain places, at certain times of year, I’ve also had umbrellabird.
Yeah, it’s a good area alright and you can bird it for free and at any time right from the road, at least up to where the road is unpaved and, shortly thereafter, supremely rough. If this road could be paved or at least improved for its length to the foothills, it would be the best birding road in Costa Rica.
Thousands of birders have surely driven by this spot without stopping and I don’t blame them. You’re on a tour or schedule, you can’t be stopping at every random site. Do that in Costa Rica and you’ll be here for years (most of this bio-packed country is a natural hotspot after all). However, you might want to check this place out.
Located on Route 32, just north of the Aerial Tram, the Casa Manigua is a good restaurant also very good for birding. Surrounded by foothill rainforest, you might see a mixed flock from the balcony, might notice a Laughing Falcon perched across the street, or see raptors and parrots in flight.
The highway can be noisy but the birding can still be very good with coquettes and other hummingbirds visiting flowering trees, and Sunbittern on the river down below (nice trail but it can be slippery).
Overall, a worthy place to stop for a cold smoothie or tasty meal including wood fired pizza. I have yet to try that but it looks promising. Check out this list.
The Rio Negro Jaguar Reserve
Lastly, we have this spot much further afield from the Central Valley. It might not be labeled as such but this is the name for the lowland rainforest north of Rincon de la Vieja. Only a small portion is accessible by a good road but it’s still worth birding it. Very little visited, I wouldn’t be surprised if this forest harbors rarities like Tawny-faced Quail and even Speckled Mourner (it is near a place that has recorded those rare species).
I haven’t been there very often but on my few visits, I was pretty impressed and yearn to investigate that site further. There were Slaty-breasted Tinamous, I heard Black-eared Wood-Quails, saw Black-crested Coquette, Snowy Cotinga, and many other birds. In 2017, a Harpy was seen near there, bellbird can be present, and I bet umbrellabird and Lovely Cotinga too. I can’t wait to go back!
I always want to return and bird these places but lately, I’ve been thinking more about these and other similar sites for another reason. Recently, I’ve been working on updating “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica” and can finally say that the fourth edition is available. Updated to include a high percentage of birding sites in Costa-Rica, recent edits include:
Information for nearly 300 sites in Costa Rica.
Updates for many sites.
Updated information about bird identification and birding in Costa Rica in general.
Of course it also includes information about the three sites mentioned in this blog as well as many other little birded spots. Prepare for birding Costa Rica in 2026 and 2027 by purchasing this 1,000 page ebook. You’ll also be supporting this blog, I hope to see you here!
August is nigh, a month of hazy, late summer dog days accompanied by an anxious need to visit an amusement park, go camping, ride your BMX like there was no tomorrow, or carry out various other free-time activities vanquished by the restart of classes.
At least that’s how it felt as a kid growing up in Niagara Falls, NY. Quick, get another soft ice cream! Enjoy that Italian Ice but sip it slow or you’ll catch brain freeze. Do what you can and do it now because any day now, you’ll be standing in that line on the dreaded first day back at school.
In August, we weren’t the only ones feeling anxious in Niagara. Birds were and are feeling it too, feeling the coming change and internal push to move to other places, follow the ancient routes to escape the imminent cold and stay alive. We went birding in August and saw the first small migrants gathering at lake shores, searched for shorebirds passing through from the way distant north. We watched dowitchers and plovers and peeps in remnant pools at wildlife refuges, Great Lakes rocks and flats, and classic wastewater works.
These days, in Costa Rica, I still watch many of those same August birds although here, we’ve also got Marbled Godwits accompanied by an abundance of Whimbrels and Willets. There’s also far more resident birds that stick around and enrich birding in Costa Rica all year long.
If you’re visiting Costa Rica soon, you’ll see lots of those resident species and maybe a few migrants too. Here’s some updates and information to consider.
It was already illegal to enter national parks and other protected areas outside of established visited hours. It has also long been illegal to climb into active volcanoes and carry out other risky stuff inside national parks, even if a tour provider sold them to you.
Right, like why the heck would anyone want to risk becoming a Darwin award recipient, much less pay to get the final terminal prize? “Likes” is probably why along with general thrill seeking but, as of late April, it’ll cost you big time.To keep tourists from climbing into dangerous zones of active volcanoes and discourage agencies from selling such tours, individuals and agencies who do so can be fined several thousand dollars.
Yes, that much and authorities are serious about it.
Before you think, well, I wasn’t planning on climbing an active volcano anyways, it doesn’t just apply to obviously dangerous endeavors. Although those law breakers pay the highest fines, technically, you could also be fined for entering any protected area outside of established visiting times. The Meandrica Trail in Carara might look open but, if you enter it before or after official operating hours, according to the new law, it looks like you could be potentially fined more than $2,000. The same goes for any protected area with established visiting times and entrance fees.
And that’s not all. Since the law also states that visitors could be fined for carrying out unauthorized activities, visiting birders better make sure they know what those are before entering a national park. Luckily, most parks have signs at the entrance that state what is not allowed and park guards also frequently tell you what you cannot do.
I know you can’t bring in plastic bottles, might not be allowed to bring food into some national parks, pick any plants, and aren’t allowed to leave established trails. You also can’t use playback, feed or touch animals, and might not be allowed to use flash or laser pointers either. Would you be fined for committing such transgressions? I’m not sure but, I wouldn’t risk it either.
To avoid testing a park guard’s level of tolerance, here’s what I recommend- Be very clear about knowing what is allowed, do not walk off of trails, DO NOT enter any national park or other protected area outside of the established visiting hours, do not use playback, and don’t bust out the laser pointer.
Inca Terns!
If you’ve been birding in Peru and done any watching on the coast, you’ve probably seen this fancy and unique tern. Why so fancy? I don’t know but I like it! And, thanks to the Super El Nino, unprecedented numbers have reached Costa Rica.
There’s not like hundreds of Inca Terns around but local birders have been seeing 6 or so on rocks just off the coast of the tip of the Osa Peninsula. A few have also been seen along other parts of the coast along with a few Peruvian Boobies.
If you make it to the Pacific Coast, scan any rocks and boats, there might be an Inca Tern sitting out there! I hope to be doing that soon, might be some other vagrant birds out there as well.
Oilbirds!
Tis also Oilbird season! Not that there’s a bunch around but, August is indeed high time to connect with this weird bird species in Costa Rica. There have been a few reports from the Monteverde area and more are likely out there in other parts of the country.
The best way to see one would be visiting the Monteverde area, taking a night tour and asking to see Oilbirds. If you can’t make it up that way and are adventurous, you can also go another, more arduous route. That would include scouting out Lauraceous trees with “small avocados” in the Talamancas or Irazu or even around Barva and Poas Volcanoes, and then waiting until nightfall to see if you hear or see Oilbirds in action. It would be a long shot but, you never know.
Cinchona’s Getting Better
The classic birding site of Cinchona seems to be improving. For several months, bird activity was pretty slow but, lately, it has picked back up with regular sightings of toucanets, both barbets, and other regular species. A quail-dove or two has also been showing below the feeder, including a young Chiriqui Quail-Dove!
The hummingbird front has seen more Coppery-headed Emeralds but still seemed somewhat slow. To make up for it, on a recent trip, we had a few more species at the Soda Orquideas just up the road.
The birding is also quality in the general vicinity of Cinchona. For example, while birding around “Old Cinchona” and from Soda Orquideas, we had one distant Ornate Hawk-Eagle in flight and the same or another perched as well as Barred Hawk, Bat Falcon, Short-tailed Hawks, White Hawk, and Swallow-tailed Kites.
Migrant Birds Moving through Costa Rica
Last but not least, coming back to migrants, shorebirds are moving through Costa Rica in fair numbers and the first of others have arrived. Those include Orchard Oriole, L. Waterthrush, migrating kites, and a surprise Yellow-throated Warbler (!). Soon, we should also be seeing Yellow Warblers, Ceruleans, and some other birds.
Later on, I worry we won’t see as many Tennessee’s, Swainson’s, Red-eyed Vireos, and some other species. I hope so but worry they aren’t faring well with the massive fires on sizable parts of their breeding grounds. We’ll get an idea about that in September and October.
To learn more about sites mentioned above and hundreds of other Costa Rica birding sites, please consider supporting this blog by purchasing “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica”. I hope to see you here in Birdlandia!
April is the spring month, the one where the flowers come back to bloom, migrating Red-shouldered Hawks flap and turn high above the thawing grounds of the Lake Ontario plain, ducks are on the move, and Yellow-rumped Warblers brighten the local birding scene. Those and kinglets, and singing sparrows, and tail bobbing phoebes.
At least that’s how I recall birding on the Niagara Frontier, in the western edges of New York State. Birds are also on the move in Costa Rica but the scene is several layers of difference. Exciting layers of migration and local birds and a change in the weather. Here’s some news about some changes and what’s been happening and expectations for birding in Costa Rica this 4th month of 2026.
Cinchona…a lack of hummingbirds
Even the sabrewings were absent.
The construction has been completed at Cinchona and it has brought more and needed elbow room. It probably hasn’t affected the surrounding habitat too much and birds still come to the fruit feeder but the hummingbird scene is at an all time low.
The lack of hummingbirds is probably at least partly related to the lack of feeders (just one was present on the last visit), but it seems like there should still be more. Maybe there’ll be days when they are more? Sadly, lately, there haven’t been so don’t be surprised if you visit and see very few hummingbirds. If not, don’t fret, you can still find them elsewhere, maybe at a few other roadside sites higher up the road and definitely at other places.
Watch the feeder and surrounding trees though. Highlights from a recent visit included Black-breasted Wood-Quail being furtive behind the feeders, and Scarlet-thighed Dacnis among other birds.
Hot weather but rains are starting
April is hot in Costa Rica but ends with fresh, rainy airs. Instead of that March lion start and lamb ending, we’ve got April beginning like a furnace and ending like a cool shower. Sort of. In any case, visit now and you’ll get hot days but you can also expect some cloudy weather and at least some afternoon rains.
Those rains and clouds are good for birding, get out there and watch, especially after the rain stops!
Swifts are in the air
One thing that the rains bring are swifts or, better to say that the rains bring the swifts lower and into view. The aerialists were always up there, just beyond speck visibility, up there riding the highest airs or chasing storms to Panama. Who knows?
What I can say is that with the rain clouds here now, you have a good chance of watching swifts within bino viewing range. Watch for them just before the storms arrive, right at the misty edge. It’s a good way to test your skills and patience trying to identify uncommon White-chinned and Spot-fronted Swifts. Hopefully they’ll call, that makes it easier.
Raptors flying too…
April is also raptor flying time in Costa Rica. In fall, the river of raptors flows south but, in spring, it reverses course and the flow gets a big pulse in April. The birds can fly anywhere (we saw a nice group of Swainson’s on Poas) but the Caribbean lowlands are typically best.
There be Broad-wingeds, Swainson’s, TVs, Mississippi Kites, and a few other birds. As The Urban Birdersays, “Look Up”!
A Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo has been showing at an ant swarm near the San Luis Canopy for some weeks now. Since they are still seeing it, apparently, local guides keep track of ant swarms and can bring you to the bird!
Although that could change at any time, one of the local guides told me that they are still seeing it as of yesterday. To see it, inquire at the San Luis Canopy (opens at 8) and expect to pay $20 per person.
Big morning of birding on the Pacific coast- 226 species by 10 a.m.
On another nice and birdy note, my partner Maryllen and I started a Big Day a few days ago. Notice I only mention “started” meaning that we ended up aborting it pretty early. That was a shame but it had to be done; all the fast car chargers had stopped working overnight (and thus stranding several drivers) and since having them available was essential to the electric car Big Day plan, we had to abort the mission.
Nevertheless, we still had an exciting, successful morning of birding and the attempt helped me realize how I could tweak it to maybe break a record. Starting at midnight at Punta Morales and birding until 10 a.m. around Carara and Tarcoles, we identified 226 species. Yes, that many and mostly in the same area. That high number emphasizes how incredibly diverse the Carara ecotone is. For myself, it also helped me realize that, given the right factors on the rest of the route, reaching 350 or even 400 species is possible in one day of birding in Costa Rica.
I’ll be writing more about this exciting day and idea perhaps here and elsewhere, stay tuned!
Third Edition of the Garrigues and Dean Field Guide Coming Soon!
It’s official, the third edition of the Birds of Costa Rica: A Field Guide is coming out! It’ll be available in October and, based on what I’ve seen will be yet another boon for birding in Costa Rica. The authors and publisher redid many illustrations, added various behavioral and habitat illustrations, and have included all species on the Costa Rica list.
If you are headed to Costa Rica after September, you’ll want to definitely get this book for the trip.
If you’d also like to have a birding app to boost your birding experience in Costa Rica (and have an Apple device), this is the one to get. I admit I work on this app but that’s also why I know why it’s such a helpful tool before, during, and after a birding trip or tour to Costa Rica.
For the recent update, I went through every one of the 1020 plus species to refine their descriptions, habitat information, and tips for seeing them. I also included more birds, images and a vocalization or two. Why more birds? Since you can fit a heck of a lot in a digital format, I figured it would also be worth including species that could occur in Costa Rica. Those would be birds like Altamira Oriole, Yellowish Pipit, some Siberian vagrants, and various pelagic species.
Sure, a birder can download the Merlin pack for free but with this app, you can make target lists, mark birds seen and heard, take notes, look at species while listening to their vocalizations, and have more accurate, updated, locally written information and tips (along with other perks).
I could say more but I’ll leave the local birding news at that for now. If you’re headed to Costa Rica soon, I hope you enjoy your trip!
To support this blog and learn about 100s of birding sites in Costa Rica, ID tips, and more, please consider purchasing my 900 plus page ebook, “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica”. I hope to see you here!
Costa Rica can be a crowded place, especially in the Central Valley. While San Jose is technically only in one part of the valley, that’s how most visitors refer to this ever popular region. It’s not the only city or town in the Central Valley but no one can blame them for calling all of the urban sprawl and winding streets and small stores and quaint churches with shaded parks “San Jose”.
From a bit east of San Jose on west to the edge of Alajuela (that’s the actual name of the city where the airport is), it all seems to blend together. At one point in time, it certainly didn’t but we could say the same about Los Angeles, Dallas, Bangkok, and so many other modern mega-cities.
The Greater Metropolitan Area or (GAM as it is locally referred to) hosts a fair portion of Costa Rica’s 5 million people population and yet, birds are there too. Not as many as are even marginally wilder areas but in the GAM’s parks and riparian zones, urban birds persist. There are Crimson-fronted Parakeets roosting on and screeching from buildings, Blue-gray Tanagers and Great Kiskadees calling from parks and other birds too, more than you think.
However, species numbers really jump when you finally reach a good amount of green space, especially when you can bird in fair bits of remnant forest and other habitats. You’ll find those habitats in Estes Park as well as other Costa Rica birding sites shortly after leaving the edge of the main urbanized front. One such bit of green space is at Villa San Ignacio, a small hotel situated at the edge of the urban perimeter, just northwest of Alajuela.
Villa San Ignacio is a bastion for birds because although the hotel does have some landscaped grounds, it’s done in a manner that preserves and showcases biodiversity. Unlike so many other places, this hotel also hosts several large and mature trees, especially massive figs that provide critical food for a wide variety of species.
You can also check out short and easy trails in regenerating forest and watch the skies for flyover raptors, swifts, and other birds. Some road noise reminds you that you’re still in an urban area but the wealth of birds seems to convince you otherwise or, at least show what mature trees and habitat preservation does for birds, butterflies, and more.
On Monday, I spent most of a morning at Villa San Ignacio and the birding was good as always. As per usual, it was also unpredictable with some birds appearing and others staying hidden or being no-shows. That’s normal for tropical birding, at least in Costa Rica. It’s why it’s worth staying longer and birding the same rich areas more than once, why it’s worth always watching and keeping an eye out for the unexpected.
These are some of the highlights and happenings from that morning.
Cabanis’s Ground-Sparrow
Right off the bat, we hit the local jackpot with this rare and threatened species. Shortly after 6, while walking up the road towards the upper rooms, I was happily surprised to hear the high pitched tick of this special bird.
Even better, the pair and what looked like a juvenile foraged right in the open. They didn’t stray far from the hedgerow at the edge of a green, metal fence but you can’t ask much more from these major skulkers. As is typical for this special towhee, you’ve got to see it early and get onto it quick. It won’t take long for them to get into cover and be essentially invisible for most of the day.
Short-tailed Hawks and other Raptors
Around 9, as the cicadas pumped up the volume and heat waves swirled into the tropical skies, raptors did their morning dance. Black Vultures circled and gained height, a couple of migrant or wintering Broad-winged Hawks followed suit and were followed by high flying views of Gray and Short-tailed Hawks.
No Zone-tailed that day but later on, we also had both caracaras and additional Gray Hawks. It’s worth it to keep watching above, to keep looking up (as the Urban Birder David Lindo reminds us). Other days I’ve also seen migrating Swallow-tailed Kite and Swainson’s Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, and even Double-toothed Kite.
Long-tailed Manakin and other forest birds
Down in the forest, fewer birds showed than I had hoped but we still heard and saw some things. One or two Long-tailed Manakins called, “Toledo” while White-eared Ground-Sparrows gave cascading calls from the undergrowth and Rufous and white and Rufous-breasted Wrens dueted from the vines.
Those birds stayed hidden but we did manage to see Common Squirrel Cuckoo, Olive Sparrow, saltators, Cabanis’s Wren, Barred Antshrike, Gray-headed Chachalaca, and some other species.
Indigo Buntings
One of those species,, one of those surprises, was the Indigo Bunting. Not just one either but several! An uncommon bird in Costa Rica, it was fun to see fully plumaged deep blue males, molting patchy blue males, and at least one plain sparrowish female.
We probably had 10 in total, they were either migrating through or grouping together and getting ready to migrate. One also sang its prolonged, jumbly song that we hear at this time of year in Costa Rica. I included this vocalization on the recently updated Costa Rica Birds – Field Guide app but, in checking it, I realized that I also need to include the bunting’s commonly heard call notes. I’ll probably get to that in May but hopefully sooner (I recently included better habitat information, more birding tips, and images).
Speaking of buntings, on that morning at Villa San Ignacio, I was reminded that Painted Buntings can make a call that sounds a lot like the one-noted call of a Mourning Warbler (at least to my ears). While pishing by a hedgerow, a bird responded and I figured it would be a Mourning. Much to my surprise, I found myself focusing on a leafy green female Painted Bunting! It was a good reminder to brush up on their calls.
Plain-capped Starthroat and 69 other bird species
How many bird species can you see in a day at Villa San Ignacio? I figure that varies but I can say that 70 in a morning is possible. That’s what we had on Monday and that was also lacking several regular species! Some of the other nice ones were Plain-capped Starthroat on the walk up to the upper rooms, close Cinnamon Hummingbird, Scrub and Yellow-throated Euphonias, and a bunch of other birds, many feasting on the fruiting figs.
That constant birding activity is why I always look forward to birding back at Villa San Ignacio. Along with the good service, friendly vibe, and beautiful habitat, it’s a hard blend to beat.
Last week, I did some birding around Central America’s biggest ecotone. It’s an area where rainforest meets dry forest meets mangroves and some! It’s such a crossroads of biomes and habitats, I’m not even sure if ecotone is the right term. “Megatone” might be better but “hot birding wonderland” would also work. I’m talking about Carara, the place where the Grand Tarcoles River empties the waters of the Central Valley into the Pacific, where coastal hills capture life giving rains, and where the biodiversity is sort of astonishing.
Given the meeting of so many habitats, the high end species numbers shouldn’t be surprising but, there’s just so much, I can’t help but use superlatives. If you’re headed to the Carara area, get ready for deserved superlative birding. Going birding around there soon? You might find these bits of news and tips helpful.
Tarcoles Bridge Work
Lately, this has been some of the biggest news in Costa Rica. The Tarcoles Bridge, the one where so many thousands of tourists stop to look at crocodiles, is undergoing roadwork. And it’s not pretty. Temporary road closures and changing the two lane bridge to one lane for 24 hours a day on the main and almost only coastal route to Jaco has its consequences.
I was there on the first day of the closures and on the way back from Jaco to Tarcoles, the normally 30 minute drive took four hours.
Yes, you read that right. Four. Complete. Hours. Since then, it’s been similarly bad, sometimes better, sometimes worse. Given that this is also a vital route for commerce, workers, and students, this particular bit of roadwork is throwing a giant wrench into a lot of people’s lives.
With almost no alternatives, if you are headed to and from Jaco or even Manual Antonio, you may be in for a terribly long wait. I suggest trying to see which times are best and probably crossing the bridge at 4 in the morning or so. The current schedule is for the one lane closures to end on March 27th and to happen again from May 4th to May 9th. There will also be some nighttime full closures from March 15 to April 20th. These can happen on any night during those dates from 9 pm to 5 am.
If you plan on visiting Carara National Park, the wait might be a bit less but anything can happen, perhaps more so on weekends. The good thing is that the park is fairly close to the bridge so, if you have to cross back over to the Tarcoles Birding Lodge area, that won’t take as long as driving from Jaco. I suppose another good thing is watching birds while you wait in traffic but, that’s not exactly ideal.
Yellow-billed Cotingas from the Tarcoles Birding Lodge
Now for some good news! While watching from the overlook at the Tarcoles Birding Lodge, I had a quick, distant flyby cotinga one morning and saw two distant males the following morning! This is great news because the Carara population is so dreadfully small, it really could disappear at any time.
Seriously, there might be 5 or fewer birds still occurring in the area. Another positive sign was a recent sighting of a female by an experienced ornithologist (which makes me think he really did see one and not a tityra). What this means for birders visiting the area soon is that you might also see one by scanning for them from the Tarcoles Birding Lodge in the early morning. You’ll see other birds too, maybe even a Gray-headed Kite like the bird pictured at the top of the post (we had one).
You might also get lucky on the Cerro Lodge road, boat tour, or even in the national park but your best bet will be scanning the distant mangroves from the Tarcoles Birding Lodge or maybe Cerro Lodge too or, maybe even another new place…
More Birdy Accommodation in the Area
The new place that could turn up the cotingas as well as lots of other nice birds is a cozy BnB called “Finca Quietud”. This small place just down the Cerro Lodge road is especially suited for couples and single travelers looking for a quiet place with friendly owners, an excellent breakfast, and a nice pool.
It also has an excellent view of a wetland, mangroves, and the sea. I bet the cotingas could be seen from there along with lots of other, more expected species. On a recent visit, one of our highlights was a pair of Spectacled Owls that flew into view before dusk!
Humid Forest Species in Carara
Regarding Carara National Park and vicinity, it seems like the trend of humid forest species becoming rarer is taking place. Unfortunately, climate change has been causing the forest to become drier bit by bit or, at least changing the amount and timing of rains. In any case, various rainforest species seem to have declined and a few have become downright rare, at least in the accessible part of the park.
You can still see a good variety of birds but many are not as common as they used to be and a few have become really tough. The more challenging ones seem to be species that require the wetter forests, birds like Baird’s Trogon (maybe the hardest hit), Orange-collared Manakin, and Golden-naped Woodpecker among some others.
Carara is still worth birding but, to see some birds, if you aren’t birding further south, you may need to look for them higher up on the Bijagual Road or, at Macaw Lodge. It tends to be wetter in those spots (in a good way for birding) but, even there, Baird’s Trogon has become much less common. To look for those birds, especially at Macaw Lodge, local guide Beto Guido is one of the better guides to go with. He birds there quite a bit and recently, even found a rare Agami Heron at the lodge!
Mangrove birding
One of the other birding bonuses around Carara is looking for mangrove species. In Costa Rica, some of those specialties include the endangered Mangrove Hummingbird, Panama Flycatcher, and Mangrove Vireo among a few others. You might get lucky with those species on a mangrove boat trip but even then, they can be easily missed.
The funny thing about those mangrove birds is that they don’t seem to be very common, even in the mangroves! Usually, mangrove sites near Playa Azul are good for them but, recently, despite giving those sites a very good check, they weren’t.
Mangrove specialties seemed oddly absent there and at another spot near Bajamar. One thing I did notice was that those unbirdy mangroves also seemed drier than usual and lacked standing water. I suspect that has something to do with it because it was the only difference compared to past visits that did readily turn up the mangrove specialties.
Also, on a recent visit to mangroves at Mata de Limon, I did see all the mangrove specialties (and heard a Rufous-necked Wood-Rail too!) and those mangroves had lots of standing water. This was a change from another fairly recent visit where they were drier (and turned up far fewer mangrove birds).
I suppose the lesson here is to lower expectations or check other sites if the mangroves look dry and, maybe take that boat trip after all.
That’s all for now, if you visit the Carara area, I hope you catch the bridge traffic at the right moment and see lots of birds. Be ready for hot weather and bring plenty of hydration (no plastic bottles allowed in the national park). As always, I look forward to getting back to that birdy megatone, this Carara birding itinerary is a good way to maximize the species total.
On another note, I recently updated the Costa Rica Birds Field Guide app to match most of the recent eBird taxonomic changes and made some other changes too. I’ll write a post about that this upcoming week!
To learn more about sites mentioned in this post along with 100s of other birding sites and information about birding in Costa Rica, support this blog by purchasing my 900 plus page Costa Rica bird finding ebook, “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica”. Happy birding, I hope to see you here!
This past week in Costa Rica has been a mix of wind, rain, sun, and AC temperatures. It’s not like that everywhere, depends on where you go but if you’ve been birding in the highlands or Caribbean lowlands, I bet you know what I mean.
It’s been one cold front after another and although I’d be lying if this northern born Niagaran said it was actually, honestly “cold”, I will admit to having worn a fleece jacket while birding. Up on 8,000 foot Poas, I wore two layers, and put on this flannel shirt thing during a boat ride on the Sarapiqui (it’s usually way hotter in that tropical domain!). Yep, cooler than normal and I can only hope that the icy northern push brought us a weird sparrow or two.
No one has found any mega vagrants yet but I’m still hoping for it. Cool weather or not, the birds are still here in Costa Rica. These are some recent highlights.
Sarapiqui boat ride
Once again, taking the Green Ship Sarapiqui boat tour paid off with fantastic looks at a Sunbittern. After spotting the bird trying to skulk behind some river grass, we boated on over, waited, and then watched it stalk the sand. Just like a Gondwana robin, it pulled worm after worm out of the ground!
Walk away views were had and we continued on but the Kagu relative wasn’t finished with us yet. In a moment, it flew upstream, showing its wild, sunburst patterned wings as it glided to a river snag. After sharing the perch with an Anhinga, the Sunbittern glided off again, back into the shadows and out of sight.
We didn’t have a heck of a lot of other birds from the boat that morning but the Sunbittern show made up for it.
Middle American Leaftosser at Cinchona
A leaftosser I saw in the Socorro area some years ago.
Seeing a mud-brown bird with tawny highlights might not seem noteworthy but when you realize how infrequently you see these birds, it can take center stage. Luck was with us when one called and showed right next to the Cinchona birding/restaurant platform/seating area. We had fantastic looks and that was especially good because we didn’t see a whole lot else.
Unfortunately, construction work was being carried out and the associated clanging and spark-flying soldering wasn’t exactly a bird friendly atmosphere. Even so, some birds still came in to the feeder! Also, by now, I would think that they’ve finished the work, I just hope that whatever they are doing doesn’t destroy more habitat.
On a related note, if you are in to hiking up a somewhat slippery road/trail, you could always explore the Old Cinchona area. This is across the street from the main cafe and up a steep driveway. Head up there and walking the old roads can be very birdy. Head to the left and uphill and you could find various uncommon middle elevation birds, maybe even Red-fronted Parrotlet.
Ornate Hawk-Eagle and Bicolored Hawk
A picture of another Bicolored Hawk in the rain, this one from the Arenal area.
Over in the San Rafael de Varablanca area, on the La Legua road, clear skies produced a calling Ornate Hawk-Eagle. It was a distant one and did not come in to my whistling response (sometimes they do) but adult hawk-eagle a la ornatus it was. This is a good area for this species, especially on sunny days.
It’s also good for other raptors, yesterday morning, we had a juvenile Bicolored Hawk perched in the rain. It was a treat to get prolonged looks at that uncommon bird!
Good Birds at Arenal Observatory Lodge
I haven’t been birding there lately and I bet the weather is rough but, folks have also been seeing some good stuff over that way. Birders have also been treated to a subadult Ornate Hawk-Eagle and some lucky birders even got looks at a ground-cuckoo on the Waterfall Trail!
Yellow-eared Toucanet has also been seen along with lots of other nice birdies.
Rain and more rain
The cold fronts have brought constant rain to the highlands and parts of the Caribbean lowlands. Although not exactly a highlight, rain can have its birding benefits, as long as it doesn’t pour like crazy.
For example, in lightish rain, I think raptors sometimes perch more in the open (that’s not the first time I’ve seen Bicolored Hawk do that), and other birds can forage much lower and closer. Up on Poas and Varablanca, although the birding was shelter and umbrella-worthy, the bird activity was in high gear.
Bright Collared Redstarts flitted close by, Ruddy Treerunners were running up trunks, Costa Rican Warblers flitted, a quetzal called, and there was a mess of Mountain Thrushes.
Collared Redstarts are a birder’s Turkish Delight.
Route 32 has been closed = more traffic on Route 126
Ok, so this isn’t exactly a highlight but it’s still good to know. The main road from San Jose to Guapiles and Limon has been closed for several days and could still be closed in subsequent days. Hopefully not but it’s best to be aware of that possibility.
You can still drive on 126 and go past Cinchona but you won’t be the only vehicle on the road. You could run into traffic jams, especially by the Peace Waterfall. Hopefully, the main route will open back up and stay that way but, there could easily still be issues for the next few days.
There’s always lots more to say about a lot more birds but these are the ones that come to mind at the moment. On a bright note, it looks like we probably won’t have any more strong cold fronts (fingers crossed), so that should help with getting around and seeing some sunshine, at least on the Caribbean slope.
To learn more about the sites mentioned above and hundreds of other birding spots in Costa Rica, support this blog by purchasing my 900 plus page ebook, “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica”. Happy birding, I hope to see you here!
Going birding in Costa Rica? I know, like you need a reminder to see birds! You’re gonna be looking for them, you’re gonna be seeing them, and you’ll be celebrating a fine cornucopia of lifers, photos, and priceless experiences. However, this being the high season, I figured it might be useful to mention a certain set of species, a group of avian taxa worth your while.
Yes, all birds are worth your while, all birds merit connection and you watch whatever floats your personal birding boat but, you might not be so aware of the importance of the birds I’m going to cover. If so, great! If not, check this out:
Streak-chested Antpitta on the Caribbean slope
If you see a Streak-chested Antpitta in Costa Rica, there’s a good chance it’s going to be on the Pacific slope, probably at Carara. That’s great, I hope you see one or more and I wouldn’t wish you otherwise. However, if you can, it’s also worth laying eyes on Streak-chested Antpitta from the other side of the mountains.
You see, that bird is not exactly the same as the ones from Carara or Panama or further south. It’s also just enough not exactly the same to be considered a separate species. Nope, no official study yet but, based on the same number of differences used to separate related species of antpittas, those Caribbean slope birds should be given species status too.
I’m pretty sure the Birds of Costa Rica by Dyer and Howell mention this along with several other likely splits. They don’t mention exactly where to see it but that’s not really the scope of a field guide anyways. It needs large areas of mature rainforest and one of the best sites is Quebrada Gonzalez. Although I haven’t had as many there as I used to, it still occurs.
Like the antpitta mentioned above, this species also has disjunct populations in need of detailed studies. They don’t live near each other, sound different, and look different so, there might be 3 or 4 species involved.
If you saw one of those more common and easy ones in Brazil, I’m sorry but it’s probably not the same species. If splits eventually happen, the subspecies in Costa Rica and Panama will very likely be elevated to species status (and I’n guessing probably subsequently red-listed as Vulnerable).
Watch for this special bird in mixed flocks and fruiting trees in foothills and middle elevations, especially at Skytrek, the San Gerardo Station at Monteverde, and Tapanti.
Elegant Trogon
It’s worth seeing this bird because those Arizona and Mexican trogons were split from it. Yep, if you saw one from Cave Creek or wherever, that is currently known as a Coppery-tailed Trogon.
To see Elegant Trogons in Costa Rica, watch for them in dry forest on the Nicoya Peninsula and in Guanacaste. Rincon de la Vieja is a good spot as is Santa Rosa National Park.
Paint-billed Crake
I mention this cool looking little gallinulish bird because it seems to be more common in Costa Rica than previously believed. Nope, not exactly common and it moves around but, you go to the right place and do the work, you have a fair chance of seeing one.
Try wet rice fields just about anywhere but especially in the Ciudad Neily area. They can also occur in dense vegetation along ditches and other odd wet spots.
Ruddy Pigeon
This one’s a bit debatable but, I think it’s still worth mentioning. Although the Ruddy Pigeon has an official big range in South America, most of those birds live in the steamy lowlands. So what are they doing in cloud forests and high elevations in Costa Rica and Panama?
Exactly, how come “our Ruddys” live so high and cold when the other ones aren’t? It might because they aren’t quite the same species. Yeah, they sound similar but then again, not exactly and, vocalizations aren’t everything so…even if you have seen them in the Amazon, it would be good to see this bird in Costa Rica too.
Volcano Hummingbirds on Poas and Irazu
If you do any high elevation birding, there’s a fair chance you’ll be living the bino/camera life on Cerro de la Muerte (The good old “Mountain of Death”). You’ll see Volcano Hummingbirds but, what you won’t see are Volcano Hummingbirds with pinkish or rose gorgets. That’s cause those little jammies live on other high mountains; one on the Irazu-Turrialba massif and the other one on Poas and Barva Volcanos.
They are still considered the same species but, it wouldn’t be surprising if more detailed studies split them into separate species. Fortunately, they are pretty easy to see. Watch any high elevation vegetation on Irazu and Poas and you should see both. Watch for large bugs that are actually tiny hummingbirds. Oh yeah, and make sure you watch for them above 2,200 meters to rule out the similar Scintillant Hummingbird (more or less).
Ochre-breasted Antpitta
Have you seen Shakira and those other dancing Ochre-breasted Antpittas in Ecuador or Colombia? I hope so but I also urge you to see the one that lives in Costa Rica. Yeah, it’s still the same species but, yet again, more detailed studies could easily split it.
I mean, it looks a bit different, sounds slightly different, and has quite the disjunction range so, it could be split. Unfortunately, it is not an easy bird to see in Costa Rica. Try quality middle elevation forests such as El Copal, Hotel Quelitales, and Tapanti.
Azure-hooded Jay and Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush
You’ll want to see these beautiful cloud forest birds anyways but, it’s also good to know that the ones in Costa Rica and Panama are waiting to be split from birds in other parts of their range.
The jay isn’t easy or common but, if you watch for it high quality cloud forest, you might see them. The nightingale-thrush is much easier in middle elevations, if skulky.
Ashy-throated Chlorospingus
This is an uncommon and cool bird to see, even if it’s not as brightly colored as the Emerald Tanagers it often flocks with. It might be a future split or, might not be but, since it only lives in quality habitat, looking for it is birding in the best of places. Nope, not the easiest of birding but, foothill rainforest with chances at uncommon species like Yellow-eared Toucanet and so on and so on.
There’s lots to see in Costa Rica and you don’t need to see these species but, if you want to see some likely splits, these are some good ones to go after. There’s also taking closer looks at Nutting’s Flycatchers to see if the very cryptic Salvadoran Flycatcher also occurs but I can’t blame you for leaving that ponderous task to local birders or another trip.
No matter what birds you look at or how you go birding, I hope to see you here!
To learn more about sites mentioned in this post and how to find these and more than 900 other birds in Costa Rica, consider supporting this blog by purchasing my 900 plus page Costa Rica bird finding guide, “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica”.
Planning a birding trip to Costa Rica? You might be wondering which are the most biodiverse areas for birds. It’s a fairly common question and a good one. After all, what birder wants to go to the least biodiverse areas for birds? That high avian diversity is one of the main reasons birders visit Costa Rica, some other reasons being “quetzal”, “Wrenthrush”, “umbrellabird”, and “Snowcap”.
In general, the more birds the better and, in that, Costa Rica fits the bill. No, we aren’t the most avian diverse nation on the planet but, we do have a heck of a lot of birds per square kilometer (or mile or league). With most also being quite accessible, it’s no wonder Costa Rica is a top destination for birding tourism. So, which areas have the most bird species? Which areas outperform for avian diversity?
In a sense, I could just say “the entire country”. From the Central Valley, Costa Rica is small enough for me to drive an hour or two in a few different directions and reach vastly different avifaunas. Seriously, as I write, there are over 700 bird species within a radius of 50 miles. It’s true! In a show of obsession for accuracy or curiosity or getting carried away with playing with Google Earth, I measured a 50 mile line stretching from my home in San Francisco de Heredia and made a circle.
I discovered that I am still amazed by the short distances created by a straight line in Costa Rica and, that my 50 mile birding radius encompasses everything from dry forest habitats to Monteverde, Carara, Caribbean lowlands, foothill forest as far as Turrialba, part of the General Valley, and the near continental shelf edge offshore from Quepos. In other words, I’m, smack in the middle of a heck of a lot of bird species. Within this Google Earth area, I counted 598 resident bird species and 160 migrants. Since I left out non-annual vagrants including the Aplomado Falcon currently hunting south of Jaco, there’s probably a few more.
Yes, definitely 700 plus bird species within 50 miles so how come I haven’t recorded that many this year? That stems from a fair percentage of those birds being rare or hard to detect, and me not having visited certain areas long enough this year to see them (such as the open ocean and a few other choice spots).
With all those birds in mind within such a short distance, we could say that the most biodiverse area for birds in Costa Rica is Costa Rica itself but, since we can’t travel “as the crow flies”, we’re better off talking about much smaller areas. These are the ones that come to mind.
The Carara Zone
The Carara area is arguably the most avian diverse area in Costa Rica. It’s got a trick up its sleeve but, there’s no other site of similar area in Costa Rica (or Middle or Central America) that harbors as many bird species.
The crazy bird numbers don’t come from the national park although the mature, protected forests do play a vital role. They stem from Carara being a massive ecotone that blends dry forest with rainforest, mangroves, second growth, and wetlands. Yep, all those habitats all very close to each other. The end result is massive bird diversity (along with other stuff).
Monteverde
Male Three-wattled Bellbird.
This famous and heavily visited area is also a major hotspot. Sort of like Carara, all those birds living there are explained by sizeable areas of mature, protected cloud forest, some slightly lower elevation forest on the Caribbean slope, and dry forest habitats on the Pacific side.
In other words, Monteverde is also an ecotone of sorts, one with hundreds of bird species. In the past, when we did Christmas Counts there, I think we routinely turned up more than 400 species.
Poas Route 126
While the high elevations on Poas Volcano don’t host as many species as other areas in Costa Rica, when we also consider a surrounding area that includes dry/moist habitat birds in the Central Valley and middle elevation and foothill habitats on the adjacent Caribbean slope, we’re talking a lot of bird species.
This general area also having some of the most accessible birding to the Central Valley also earns points.
Bijagua
The Bijagua/Volcano Tenorio area also racks up the bird species. Like Monteverde and Carara, it likewise acts as an ecotone where dry habitats meet mature, wet foothill rainforest. Throw in some small wetlands and a trail or two that reaches cloud forest and we have a huge number of bird species. There might be around 400 possible.
Sites with Foothill and Lowland Forest
The other main sites in Costa Rica with major bird diversity are any place that combines foothill rainforest with lowland rainforest and/or cloud forest. Foothill and lowland forest on their own are always high diversity. Combine the two and you’ll have more than enough birds to look for even during a week of birding.
Sites that come to mind are Rancho Naturalista, Hotel Quelitales, Reserva Las Brisas, parts of the Osa, Esquipulas, the remote Pitilla Biological Station, the Arenal area, and the San Vito area.
Wait, but what about Las Selva or Tortuguero or the Osa and the La Gamba area? Yes, those areas have lots of birds too, are fantastic, and you’d be birding wise to visit them. However, when talking about similar-sized areas that have ecotones, those sites seem to have more species. No matter what, as long as you bird in good habitat when birding Costa Rica, you can’t go wrong!
To learn more about birding at the sites mentioned above and many others, support this blog by purchasing my 900 plus page ebook “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica”. I hope to watch birds with you here in Costa Rica!
