Chloé and Nicholas embarked on one of our fully customized private trips, traveling all the way from Switzerland for a two-week birdwatching journey through Costa Rica.
Our itinerary covered a wide range of destinations, including: Ciudad Neily near the southern border with Panama, La Gamba, Rivas de Pérez Zeledón, the highlands of San Gerardo de Dota and Talamanca, as well as Sarapiquí, Caño Negro, Arenal Volcano, the Tárcoles area on the Central Pacific coast, and finally, Alajuela for their departure.
We explored an impressive variety of habitats—ranging from lowland rainforest to the oak cloud forests of Talamanca, mid-elevation cloud forests in Rivas, wetlands, river estuaries, mangroves, tropical dry forests, coastlines, and open grasslands.
Despite being the month of May—when most migratory species have already left Costa Rica—we recorded an outstanding 332 bird species, mainly residents. And as always, the adventure wasn’t limited to birds: we also observed all four species of monkeys found in Costa Rica, both two- and three-toed sloths, the elusive Tayra and Great Grison (weasel family), Fer-de-lance and Northern Cat-eyed snakes, a variety of bats, frogs, and more.
Some of the major birding highlights included: Paint-billed Crake, Rosy Thrush-Tanager, Resplendent Quetzal, Lesser Ground-Cuckoo, Mangrove Hummingbird (endemic), Coppery-headed Emerald (endemic), Black-crested Coquette, Agami Heron, Striped Owl, Uniform Crake, Savanna Hawk, Baird’s Trogon, Green-and-rufous Kingfisher, Yellow-tailed Oriole, Pied Puffbird, Fiery-billed Aracari, Collared Forest-Falcon, Bare-crowned Antbird, Great Green Macaw, Orange-collared Manakin, both Great and Common Potoo, and the Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager (near-endemic).
A heartfelt thank you to our dedicated team—Kevin Martínez, Daniel Hernández, and Carlos Jiménez—for their tireless efforts at each location. Special thanks to Leandro and Cope for their exceptional collaboration in helping us find several rare and exclusive species.
Here is the link to all the birds, sites, wild life is described on comments. https://ebird.org/tripreport/375433
Muchas gracias Chloé and Nicholas.
Breaking Away from the Traditional: A Journey with the Godfreys and Mowers from England
This time, our adventure was designed not just for birdwatching, but to fully immerse ourselves in Costa Rica’s rich natural beauty and diverse wildlife. The itinerary included a variety of exciting activities such as hanging bridges, ziplining, hot springs, snorkeling, boat tours, nature walks, and more.
Our journey took us through a range of incredible destinations: La Garita (Alajuela), Manuel Antonio (Quepos), Monteverde, Arenal Volcano, Los Chiles, and the lush lowlands of Tortuguero.
We explored a wide range of habitats—from cloud forest and coastal zones to lowland rainforest, rivers, and the wet, wildlife-filled waterways of Tortuguero, where the rain only made the experience more authentic and adventurous!
Some of the remarkable wildlife sightings included:
Central American Spider Monkey
Mantled Howler Monkey
White-faced Capuchin
Costa Rican Squirrel Monkey
Hoffmann’s Two-Toed Sloth
Brown-Throated Three-Toed Sloth
White-Nosed Coati
Central American Agouti
Long-Nosed Bats
Boa Imperator
Side-Striped Palm Pit Viper
American Crocodile
Orange-Kneed Tarantula
Emerald Basilisk
Red-Eyed Tree Frog
Masked Tree Frog
… and much more!
We also recorded 170 bird species, including highlights such as:
Coppery-Headed Emerald (endemic)
Magenta-Throated Woodstar
Green Thorntail
Sungrebe
Spectacled Owl
Fiery-Billed Aracari
Great Green Macaw
Great Curassow
And the unforgettable Three-Wattled Bellbird
It was a truly unforgettable experience.
Click here to see our full journey, including the complete bird and wildlife list: https://ebird.org/tripreport/348171
Cynthia and John booked one of our customized tours, with a focus on two main aspects: birdwatching and photography.
This type of request is becoming increasingly common. We always strive to ask the right questions when planning such trips, as photography can vary greatly in intensity and purpose—whether clients are looking for casual photo opportunities, have specific target species, or prefer to visit locations dedicated exclusively to photography. In most cases, our tours follow a birding-first approach, with scheduled stops for photography. This was the structure we followed for Cynthia and John’s itinerary. However, I must say that while Cynthia was fully immersed in birdwatching, John was completely dedicated to photography throughout the trip.
Our route included diverse locations across Costa Rica: Heredia (Santo Tomás), Sarapiquí, Caño Negro, Arenal Volcano, Tárcoles, Cartago, and San Gerardo de Dota.
These areas represent a wide range of habitats, including lowland rainforest, mid-elevation cloud forest, highland oak forest, mangroves, coastal areas, dry forest, wetlands, rivers, and grasslands.
We recorded a total of 345 bird species, with some of the highlights being:
Buff-fronted Quail-Dove, Gray-headed Dove, Green-fronted Lancebill, Mangrove Hummingbird (endemic), Uniform Crake, Jabiru Stork (critically endangered), Black-collared Hawk, Resplendent Quetzal, Keel-billed Motmot, White-fronted Nunbird, Great Green Macaw (threatened), Thicket Antpitta, Scaly-throated Leaftosser (a personal favorite), American Dipper, Nicaraguan Grackle, and Cabanis’s Ground Sparrow (endemic).
It was a fantastic journey. Thank you, John and Cynthia — we look forward to seeing you again next year!
Here is the link to our check list and locations: https://ebird.org/tripreport/328347
Janice Grove and Keith Betton
You can read all the visited sites and species here
https://ebird.org/tripreport/316635
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When birders ask, "What are the best places to go birding in Costa Rica?" it's difficult to answer. Why? Because Costa Rica abounds with birding hotspots! These hotspots are found in Costa Rica’s four major geographical...
Discover the wonderful diversity of Costa Rica with our specialized birdwatching and photography tours. We will take you to the best places for bird watching in Costa Rica.