Costa Rica Travel Center: Costa Rica Adventure Tours: Bird Watching

Costa Rica Southern Pacific: Dominical: Things to Do: Golfito: Ojochal: Zancudo

Bird Watching in Costa Rica's Southern Pacific

Bird watching in Costa Rica is an extraordinary activity. With 877 bird species recorded to date, the diversity of habitats provides (within relatively short distances) the opportunity to explore the abundant bird life of the country.

Each region of Costa Rica has its specialties, and the Southern Pacific region is no exception. Besides being a very intense area to bird watching (in terms of number of species), it is also very popular due to the great endemism found here.

Why there are lots of birds? Over 60 million years ago, before Costa Rica even existed, the North American continent extended down to where we currently find Nicaragua, which was then a tropical peninsula. 50 million years ago, an intense process of volcanism and tectonic lifting started forming islands between North America and South America. From 3 to 5 million years ago, a complete isthmus was formed, making possible the migration of species from the mainland to these islands. One of the biggest islands is the Talamanca Mountain Range, which heads southeast into western Panama.

The highest peak of Costa Rica, Mount Chirripo, 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 bird watching 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 bird watching 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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