Costa Rica Birdwatchers 

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 near Volcano 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.