Costa Rica

The small Central American country of Costa Rica lies within one of the richest regions in the world for birds. More species have been recorded here than in the whole of North America, yet Costa Rica is only about the size of Wales! This tour offers the chance to explore a cross-section of the country’s varied habitats and altitudes, primarily in search of birds. The extraordinary diversity of plants, butterflies and amphibians – not to mention scenery – will not go unnoticed, however!

The large number of bird species recorded in Costa Rica – over 950 to date – reflects the tremendous diversity of habitats it offers. Not only does Costa Rica have coastlines on both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, but also forest types ranging from lush evergreen cloudforests in the highlands to dry deciduous forests in the lowlands. In addition, it boasts marshes, rivers, mangroves, grasslands and even subalpine páramo.

We will begin our tour with a flight to Costa Rica’s capital city, San José, from where we climb into the Talamanca Mountains which rise to over 3,350 metres. Here we will have an opportunity to get to know some of the bird families that we will encounter during the course of the tour and to observe a number of species which we will be very unlikely to see elsewhere, such as Peg-billed, Large-footed and Yellow-thighed Finches, Long-tailed Silky Flycatcher and Spangled-cheeked Tanager. Fiery-throated, Talamanca and Volcano Hummingbirds zip from flower to flower (these will be perhaps the first of over 30 species of ‘hummers’ we should see during the next two weeks!), whilst Swallow-tailed Kites soar overhead. The cloudforests of the Talamanca Mountains are also home to the Resplendent Quetzal, often touted as the most beautiful bird in the world! We have an excellent chance of seeing this dramatic species of trogon during our time here along with a host of other colourful birds.

Our next destination will be Carara National Park, a lowland forest reserve on the Pacific coast, which has one of the largest bird lists of any site in Costa Rica. We have two full days here to explore the forest and river edges in search of such species as Great Tinamou, Boat-billed Heron, Yellow-throated Toucan, Black-headed Trogon, Northern Royal Flycatcher and Orange-collared Manakin. An optional boat trip offers the chance to explore the adjacent mangroves which are home to Roseate Spoonbill, Royal Tern and numerous waders. In the evening we will watch as Scarlet Macaws fly to their night-time roost, and look for owls and nightjars.

Moving north along the coast we will spend two nights at La Ensenada Wildlife Refuge which sits adjacent to Palo Verde, one of the most important wetland habitats in all of Costa Rica. During our time here we will explore the wetlands and adjacent dry forests, home to numerous birds and troops of vocal Mantled Howler Monkeys. The nearby Colorado Salinas is an excellent site for migrating waders including Stilt Sandpiper, Willet and Marbled Godwit; Prothonotary Warblers flit about in the fringing mangroves, and flocks of Magnificent Frigatebirds circle ominously overhead.

We will leave La Ensenada early in the morning and travel into the mountains to Arenal Volcano National Park. Here we will spend two nights at a wonderfully positioned lodge whilst we explore the forests, fields, lakeshore and other habitats of this spectacular area, backed by the perfect cone of Arenal Volcano itself. Birds and mammals to look out for include Long-tailed Hermit, Bay-headed Tanager, Northern Tamandua and White-nosed Coati.

Our final three days will be spent in the lowland rainforests of the Caribbean slope, adjacent to the Sarapiqui River, at either Selva Verde Lodge or Sueno Azul Lodge, from where we will visit the tropical forest research station at nearby La Selva. The diversity of birds in this area is outstanding and would warrant a much longer stay if time allowed. During our recent tours we have seen well over 150 species in two days here, including Great Currasow, Keel-billed Toucan, Slaty-tailed Trogon, Rufous-tailed Jacamar and the spectacular Sun Bittern! We will also spend a day exploring the pristine middle elevation forests around the Virgen del Socorro waterfall, before returning to San José for our final night and then flying home.