Costa Rica is a birdwatcher's paradise. There are abundant opportunities to see interesting
birds around every bend in the road.
With 878 recorded to date including birding favorites such as Toucans, Scarlet Macaws, Motmots, Quetzals and Trogons, just to name a few. Costa Rica offers to birders great birdwatching opportunities within relatively short distances, involving very diverse habitats from sea level to high mountains above 12000 feet.
There are many reasons why this nation is preferred by birders: it’s a small country with varied habitats and an astounding biodiversity, with a strong infrastructure that supports visitors, so bird watchers can stay in a forest lodge, take bird watching hikes with an experienced and knowledgeable bilingual guide, or use a great bird watching list or cheat sheet available for use. Think about it: there are more species in Costa Rica than in all of North America, in an area roughly the size of West Virginia. We can assist you by arranging a bird watching Costa Rica trip, where you’ll be able to stay surrounded by nature in comfortable forest lodges, go on hikes or tours to National Parks or reserves with knowledgeable bilingual guides, and get the chance to see and hear multiple species of birds and other animals.
Thanks to the excellent diversity of birds living in a variety of habitats that are easily accessible, to the availability of knowledgeable, local guides, and to safe, convenient trails, Costa Rica has become one of the worlds' most popular birdwatching destinations. Few, if any, birdwatchers leave the country without having exceeded their highest expectations in a tropical country!
When you go birding nearVolcano Arenal you should watch for ant swarms, a tropical phenomena in which migrating groups of vicious army ants stir up other insects and even small animals as they move along the forest floor. Ant swarms are accompanied by a number of bird species, which feast not on the army ants but on the insects they stir up. Species most frequently seen with an ant swarm are antbirds, tanagers, manakins and wrens.
The highest peak of Costa Rica, Mount Chirripó, rises 3,820 meters (12,532 feet), and is found in this range overlooking El General Valley. As the best suitable place for colonizing bird life, it ended up being a paradise for a generation of new species. As the mountain range gained elevation, new species were spotted within the same island. This territory was divided between the Caribbean and the Pacific, and had well defined slopes.
The southern pacific slope of Costa Rica contains many important types of ecosystems, such as the sub-alpine rain paramo in the high peaks of the Talamanca, which is over 2,950 meters (9,700 feet), tropical highland cloud forests, premontane tropical rain forests found in middle elevations of the Talamanca and the coastal range, lowland tropical rain forests, rocky rivers, mangroves, sandy and rocky sea shores, marine habitats, and of course different types of disturbed areas and secondary growth.
San Gerardo de Dota is a great destination for the birdwatching of cloud forest species, including the spectacular, resplendent Quetzal, and other species such as: Collared Trogon, Silver-Throated Jay, Emerald Toucanet, Zeledonia, Silvery-Fronted Tapaculo, Collared Redstart, Spangled-Cheeked Tanager, Black-Cheeked Warbler, Flame-Throated Warbler, Silver-Throated Tanager among others. You can see the complete list of birds here.
In lower elevations of this mountainous system, averaging 1,500 meters (4,300 ft), birders can find special bird species like the Violet Sabrewing, White-Tailed Emerald, Purple-Crowned Fairy among others. You can see the complete list of birds here.
Along the coast south to Corcovado in the Osa peninsula and adjacent valleys, with elevations ranging from sea level to 750 meters (2,460 ft), the rain forest offers the chance to see the Fiery-Billed Aracari, ...among others. You can see the complete list of birds here; and further into the Osa peninsula, the Black-Cheeked Ant-Tanager.
Some other great destinations include the Sierpe River mangroves, which host the Yellow-Billed Cotinga and the Mangrove Hummingbird, Los Cusingos Bird Sanctuary near San Isidro de El General, which is famous for the Turquoise Cotinga. The Las Cruces Biological Station offers the chance to find the Lance-Tailed Manakin and the Wattled Jacana, in nearby marshes.
Some species which have colonized the area from South America are the Brown-Throated Parakeet, Southern Lapwing, Rusty-Margined Flycatcher, Pearl Kite, and Crested Oropendola.
From middle elevations to the lowlands, where primary forests are found, it is possible to observe, as they soar the skies: Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Black Hawk-Eagle, Great Black Hawk, King Vulture, and even the possibility to see the Harpy Eagle in the Osa peninsula. (this last one requires lots of luck!)
In order to get the best out of a birding experience in Southern Pacific Costa Rica, you might like to have a professional birding guide, who will maximize your bird sightings, by taking you to the right spots for birdwatching and pointing out the birds. Knowing birds behaviors and habitats are essential when it comes to good birding adventures.
To explore the bird life in the Southern Pacific region and other areas of the country, we recommend that you get in touch with Tropical Feathers at Sunny Travel, where professional staff will help you develop extraordinary birding trips, which might include the services of professional birding guides.
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