The best place in the park to see birds is in the lower cloud forest. If you’re keen to see resplendent quetzals, then it’s best to book a tour because these birds are very shy and difficult to spot on your own – particularly if you’re a novice birdwatcher. The Traveler’s Wildlife Guide to Costa Rica is a wonderful book that fully deserves its endorsement by the Wildlife Conservation Society. Beletsky’s understanding and extensive experience of tropical ecology result in a clear, interesting, and useable guide. This tiny country has more diverse habitats and wildlife than almost any other place in the world, which makes the Guide’s accessible descriptions of them and their interactions all the more impressive.

Related Read: If spending more time in Costa Rica is for you, these multi-day guided tours are great options! 11. Cotingas Spangled Cotinga The harpy eagle is the largest eagle in the country, reaching up to 3 feet in length (that’s almost 1 meter). Unfortunately, it’s also severely endangered. Although it’s generally pretty rare, the ornate hawk-eagle can also be seen in lowlands forests throughout Costa Rica, and you’ll know one is nearby when you hear a whistling call that also sounds a bit like a hiccup!

They say that the early bird gets the worm, but in this case the early bird gets the … well, bird. This early morning tourstarts at around 5:45 am to maximize your chances of seeing La Fortuna’s most exciting species.

As we’ve mentioned, no matter where you are staying in Costa Rica, you’re sure to be close to some excellent birdwatching. To make the most of your experience and spot those especially sneaky birds hiding in the trees, we recommend booking a birdwatching tour. These are a few of our favs! 1. Monteverde The appearance of this new, compact guide to the birds of Costa Rica should spur even more international birders to come to this avian paradise. I congratulate the author and artist on a job well done." Lastly, you can use the public bus system. On short journeys, such as from San Jose to La Fortuna or Uvita to Manuel Antonio, this system is great. However, the longer the journey the more hassle and time spent on a bus. It’s undoubtedly best to save the public bus in Costa Rica for short and straightforward trips! Because of its beauty, tropical climate, and tremendous biodiversity, Costa Rica is a popular locale for birding. Therefore, a simple, effective field guide would be an invaluable tool for residents and visitors seeking to observe and identify birds. This is exactly the focus of The Birds of Costa Rica– to assist with identification in the field – and the book succeeds admirably. It is a pleasure to read." It’s pretty remote, and home to a variety of different ecosystems which means the birdlife here will blow your mind. It’s also home to Corcovado National Park, which is one of the best wildlife-spotting destinations in Costa Rica.One of the more striking cotingas is the crimson fruitcrow, which is bright red with brown wings. They can be found throughout the country in several rainforests and national parks.

The public buses are definitely the cheapest way to get around Costa Rica, but they are not always very reliable and schedules often change without notice and delays are to be expected. The buses can also be very crowded and hot – so just be prepared! If renting a car isn’t in your budget, you don’t feel comfortable driving in Costa Rica, or you just don’t like driving, shuttles are the next best option. There are hundreds of shuttle routes available all over the country, and they are very affordable. If you want to take a birdwatching tour from San José, then this tour is a great option. You’ll start early and head into Braulio-Carrillo National Park to see some of the best tropical birdlife that Costa Rica has to offer, including the rare bare-throated umbrellabird.You can choose to take either an early morning or late afternoon birdwatching tour in Drake Bayduring which you’ll get to experience the rich birdlife in the Osa Peninsula. We recommend the morning though, as first light is one of the best times to spot birds and listen as they sing and come to life. The park is between 2,000-3,000 meters (6,500 – 9,800 feet) above sea level, which is much higher than many of the other national parks in Costa Rica. For this reason, you’ll see lots of different birds here than you will at lower elevations An excellent field guide to one of the most diverse bird populations anywhere with 52 beautiful color plates, detailed species accounts, descriptions of birding localities. If you’re already hooked on birding you know from your friends that this is the book you need, and if you’re a novice, this is a perfect place to start. If you’re looking for the definitive guide to mammals in Costa Rica, this is the guide book for you. It’s small and easy to carry, includes accurate illustrations and solid distribution maps to aid in correctly identifying everything you see. The text is clear and entertaining, and the author includes local folklore and mythology. This is a fantastic book for animal lovers and naturalists alike. 6. Costa Rican Natural History by Dan Janzen o Concise text that describes key field marks for positive identification, as well as habitat, behavior, and vocalizations.

Have you bought the best “ Birds of Costa Rica” book for your bird watching tour? or do you know which books to buy for your trip in the country? As your trip to Costa Rica approaches you may be thinking about which books you should be reading or bringing with you on your trip. The clay-colored thrush (this one isn’t known for its physical beauty, but rather its sweet-toned song!) Sadly, quetzals aren’t doing so well. Although they were once pretty common all over Costa Rica, they’re now only found in a few remote areas, namely Monteverde Cloud Forest and Los Quetzales National Park. 3. Toucans The toucans are my favorite! Standard format field guide with 49 high quality color plates and ~8 mammals per plate. Detailed and accurate, but it’s mammals only.. lots of rats and bats as well as the monkeys, felines, and marine mammals.

There are so many birds in Costa Rica and there’s something extra special about seeing them in the wild. Plus, if you happen to spot one of the rare ones (like the quetzal!), it feels like a big accomplishment! While our list only covers a fraction of the birds you can spot here, it’s a great place to start whether you’re an expert birdwatcher or just hoping to see a few while you’re here. However, cloud forests tend to have a particularly dense population of hummingbirds. In Monteverde Cloud Forest, for example, you’re likely to see hundreds flitting about at once.