COSTA RICA: The Classic Birding Tour

Tour Dates: Monday 28th February – Saturday 11th March 2028 (San Jose to San Jose)
Tour Price: £4,299pp plus flight
Estimated Flight Price: London to Juan Santa Maria approx. £600 return
Deposit: £600 per person
Conservation Donation from Wise Birding: £250 – £300
Minimum Number: 6 people with local leader only
Maximum Group Size: 8 people with WB leader & local guide

Target Species
Birds: Resplendent Quetzal, Sunbittern, Fasciated Tiger-Heron, Spectacled Owl, Lesser Ground-Cuckoo, White-throated Magpie-Jay, Turquoise Cotinga, Snowy Cotinga, Lesson’s and Turquoise-browed Motmots, Great Green and Scarlet Macaws, Fiery-billed Aracaris, Collared Trogon, Green-and-rufous and American Pygmy Kingfishers, Mangrove and Snowy-bellied Hummingbirds, Coppery-headed Emerald, Snowcap, Green Thorntail, Black-crested Coquette, Black-faced Solitaire, Orange-collared and Long-tailed Manakins, Flame-throated Warbler, Spangle-cheeked Tanager, Volcano Junco.
Mammals:
White-nosed Coati, Collared Peccary, Central American Agouti, Central American Spider Monkey, White-throated Capuchin, Mantled Howler Monkey, Two-toed and Three-toed Sloths, Tent-making Bat.
Other: Incredible diversity of Tree Frogs and amazing insects too!

Tour Summary
During this tour, Wise Birding will be using the ‘classic’ birding itinerary for Costa Rica – Caribbean slope and lowlands, highlands of the San Gerardo Valley and ending the tour by descending to the spectacular Pacific coast. We will be birding some of the best sites Costa Rica has to offer too: On the Caribbean slope we visit the lowland rainforests of La Selva with a chance of Snowy Cotinga and Great Green Macaws, then we climb to Rancho Naturalista (“The home of the Snowcap”) with cloud forest trails, busy feeders buzzing with hummers before driving to the cool oak and pine forests of the San Gerardo Valley. Resplendent Quetzal is the star bird here, but there are plenty of other attractions like Flame-throated Warbler, Black-faced Solitaire and Collared Redstart. Volcano Junco is the main attraction of the high Paramo of Cerro de la Muerte and next on the schedule, before we descend the Pacific slope of the Talamanca reserve (with a different suite of species) to the lowlands of Carara National Park with Scarlet Macaws over forested hillsides and Magnificent Frigatebirds and Brown Pelicans patrolling the stunning blue waters. Our finale to this incredible tour is a boat trip through the mangroves of the Tarcoles River with a chance of five species of kingfisher and the arid country of the Guanacaste region.
We hope to see 450+ bird species during this tour.

ACCOMMODATION: 14 nights in Costa Rica
Good quality hotels and lodges throughout the tour
1 night La Heridia, 2 nights Sarapiqui, 2 nights Rancho Naturalista, 2 nights San Gerardo de Dota, 2 nights Talamanca, 3 nights Punta Leon
Inclusive Meals: Full board

Day 1: Arrival at San Jose
We will be met by our local guide on arrival in San Jose, capital of Costa Rica and then settle in to our comfortable hotel for dinner and an overnight stay ready for an exciting start to the tour the next morning. Overnight Hotel Bougainvillea

Day 2: Caribbean Slope: La Paz Waterfall Garden – Cinchona – La Virgen
A pre-breakfast walk in the beautiful gardens of our hotel will familiarise us with some of Costa Rica’s common birds, as well as a few special ones. After a cup of Costa Rican coffee we venture out, around the grounds of the hotel, where Great Kiskadee, Rufous-collared Sparrow and Clay-coloured Thrush (the national bird of Costa Rica) will be among the first birds seen or heard. Red-billed Pigeon, Inca Dove, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Hoffmann’s Woodpecker, Crimson-fronted Parakeet, garrulous Rufous-backed Wrens, Montezuma’s Oropendola and Baltimore Orioles are all regular visitors to the garden. With luck, we may find Lesson’s Motmot and a few migrants wintering in Costa Rica like Tennessee and Northern Yellow Warblers.
After breakfast we set off through Caribbean slope forest fragments and coffee plantations, arriving at La Paz Waterfall Gardens where we spend the rest of the morning birding in scenic cloud forest. The Hummingbird Garden will give us ample opportunity to watch and photograph a bewildering variety of hummingbirds at the feeders. Green Hermit, Brown Violetear, Green-crowned Brilliant, Purple-throated Mountain-gem, Violet Sabrewing and Black-bellied Hummingbird are all regular here. We will be on high alert for the endemic Coppery-headed Emerald too. A stroll around the paved trails and walkways will give us a chance to see Tufted and Golden-bellied Flycatcher, Red-faced Spinetail, Ochraceous Wren, Tawny-capped Euphonia, Common Chlorospingus, Chestnut-capped Brushfinch, Wilson’s Warbler, Slate-throated Redstart, Silver-throated and Bay-headed Tanagers, Slaty Flowerpiercer and Sooty-faced Finch.
After a lunch we continue down the Caribbean slope, stopping at Cinchona where we could see White Hawk, Bat Falcon, Red-headed and Prong-billed Barbets, Northern Emerald-Toucanets, Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush and Crimson-collared Tanager can be watched as we sip coffee. The nearby Virgen de Socorro, settled in a foothill valley with a rushing river, is a convenient stop to see Torrent Tyrannulet or maybe even American Dipper before heading to our accommodation where we stay for the next two nights. Overnight La Quinta Country Inn or similar

DAY 3: Caribbean Lowlands: La Selva
This morning, we leave the lodge after an early breakfast and drive the short distance to La Selva. We will probably begin by birding the approach road to the research station where we can find a wide variety of Neotropical birds in the tall trees bordering the road. Double-toothed Kite, Lineated and Black-cheeked Woodpeckers, Keel-billed and Yellow-throated Toucans, Collared Aracaris, Orange-chinned Parakeets, Red-lored Amazons and Long-tailed Tyrants are all likely to be seen on the bare trunks. Making our way slowly to the entrance gate and the clearing we may encounter Grey-capped and Streaked Flycatchers, Black-cowled Orioles, Black-faced Grosbeaks and Golden-hooded Tanagers and we can scan the tall trees in the clearing in the hope of Snowy Cotinga before meeting our La Selva guide. The local guides here really know their patch and they will accompany us on to the trails with Great Curassow, Great Tinamou, Slaty-tailed Trogon, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Rufous and Broad-billed Motmot, Slaty-tailed Trogon, White-whiskered Puffbird, Fasciated Antshrike and Red-throated Ant Tanager all likely during our walk in the tall tropical forest. White-collared Manakins, Masked Tityras, Cinnamon Becards and Long-billed Hermits are all possible at the forest edge – it will be a very busy morning indeed.
After lunch back at the lodge and a short siesta at the hottest time of the day (usually the quietest for wildlife), we will probably head back into La Selva, or maybe look elsewhere for Great Green Macaws if we haven’t already seen them. La Selva is famous for its wealth of wildlife with Two-toed and Three-toed Sloths, White-throated Capuchin, Mantled Howler and Central American Spider Monkeys, Collared Peccary and Central American Agouti all likely candidates for the list today. If we are really fortunate, the La Selva guide may know the whereabouts of Strawberry Poison Dart Frogs as well. Overnight La Quinta Country Inn or similar

Day 4: Journey to Rancho Naturalista
Leaving the lowlands we make our way to Rancho Naturalista today. We may have time for some birding before we leave the lowlands, perhaps looking for Buff-rumped Warbler in the grounds of our lodge, or various seedeaters in some open country, depending on the birds we have seen during our stay at La Selva. On the way to Rancho Naturalista we will definitely stop at Cope’s, a private property where our host has designed his garden for viewing wildlife at close quarters in comfort. Many species attend the feeders here and many of them will be new for the tour. Stripe-throated hermit, Scaly-breasted Hummingbird, White-necked Jacobin, Crowned Woodnymph, Blue-chested Hummingbird and Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer are likely to be seen in and around Cope’s garden and from a hide overlooking a small pool we have an opportunity to see American Pygmy Kingfisher, Chestnut-headed Oropendola, Pale-vented Pigeon, Russet-naped Wood Rail, Scarlet-rumped Tanager and Red-legged Honeycreeper. Some forest patches in the area can be very productive indeed and Cope may be able to show us Spectacled Owl, Great Potoo or even Crested Owls if we are fortunate.
In the afternoon we drive to Rancho Naturalista, our base for the next two nights, hopefully arriving in time to watch birds like Rufous-capped Warbler in the garden of the lodge before dinner. Overnight Rancho Naturalista

DAY 5: Full day Rancho Naturalista
Rancho Naturalista needs no introduction. Sitting in the Caribbean foothills and surrounded by forest, the area is a haven for wildlife and a great favourite with birders. The area is famed for Snowcap and we will spend time to search for this diminutive hummingbird here, but there is plenty to see away from the flowering trees and bushes along the trails and in the wider area. Our days normally start with a pre-breakfast check of the lodge grounds where Orange-billed Sparrows, Tawny-capped Euphonias, Tropical Parulas, Blackburnian, Golden-winged and Black-and-White Warblers, White-crowned Parrots, Gartered Trogon, Golden-olive Woodpeckers, Bay-headed Tanagers and White-tipped Doves are all possible.
Later, during the day we may explore the trails where Plain-brown Woodcreeper, Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner, Tawny-chested Flycatcher, Plain Xenops, Smoky-brown Woodpecker, Plain Antvireo and Slaty Antwren can be seen. Venturing further afield we often find our first Sunbittern of the trip or a wetland where Least Grebe, Lesser Scaup, Snail Kite and Anhingas are all likely to be seen.
Returning to the lodge for lunch there will undoubtedly be plenty to see with Crested Guans, Grey-headed Chachalacas, Streak-headed Woodcreeper, Bay Wren, Rufous-capped Warbler, Black-headed Saltator all present and if we have seen Snowcap, other ‘hummers’ we are likely to find include Black-crested Coquette, Garden Emerald and Green Thorntail. Overnight Rancho Naturalista

DAY 6: El Copal and transfer to San Gerrardo Valley
Today we head to the cooler temperate highlands and the montane oak forests of San Gerardo de Dota. We will have an early breakfast in order to arrive at a good time for the best birding at the site. El Copal has one of the best birding balconies in the country and this location often provides opportunities to see Emerald, Speckled, Black-and-Yellow, Carmiol’s, Tawny-crested, Bay-headed and Golden-hooded Tanagers. There is even a small chance for the rare Blue-and-Gold Tanager, so fingers crossed for that one! Some of the other rarities in the area include the Lovely Cotinga, Yellow-eared Toucanet, Lanceolated Monklet, Ochre- breasted Antpitta, Sharpbill and Ornate Hawk-Eagle, among others.
We will be birding the trail and spend the morning there until a classic Costa Rican lunch. After that, we will travel for about three hours to the next hotel, or possibly to Miriam’s Café, for a touch of the highlands, if traffic conditions on the way up to the mountains are favourable. Overnight Sueños del Bosque Lodge or similar

DAY 7: Full day San Gerardo Valley
Situated at approximately 2200m, the valley will introduce us to many new birds such as Sulphur-winged Parakeet, Acorn Woodpecker, Mountain Elaenia, Collared Redstart, Flame-throated Warbler, Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher and Yellowish Flycatcher. Our main focus here will of course be the amazing Resplendent Quetzal and we will make every effort to see one or two today, should we have failed on the way to the valley the previous day. To enhance our experience up here we will take a 4×4 truck ride into the highland slopes of Los Robles. Collared Trogon, Black-faced Solitaire, Black-billed Nightingale Thrush and Rufous-browed Peppershrike are all possible up here. Strolling down the track we could come across Ruddy Treerunner, Black-cheeked Warbler, Spot-crowned Woodcreeper, Ochraceous Peewee and Large-footed Finch. With clear skies we have a chance of the magnificent Ornate Hawk Eagle overhead and as we descent Grey-breasted Wood Wrens and Ruddy-capped Nightingale Thrush could be seen along the trail.
After lunch and a break, we will then go in search of some of the species we are still yet to see. Black-capped Flycatcher, Black-and-Yellow Silky-flycatcher, Ochraceous Wren, Sooty-capped Bush Tanager and Talamanca Hummingbird are just a few of the birds we are likely to see here. As the afternoon progresses, we position ourselves to be at a site to look for Dusky Nightjar at dusk before returning to our lodge for dinner. Overnight Overnight Sueños del Bosque Lodge

DAY 8: Highlands and Páramo
Today, we will begin with a short walk to find any remaining target species. The trail to the waterfall is an excellent choice, offering a great opportunity to spot the Torrent Tyrannulet, Dark Pewee, and potentially the Spangle-cheeked Tanager.
After breakfast, we will depart for Cerro de la Muerte to search for the Volcano Junco. This species is a specialty of the páramo, a unique high-altitude habitat located above 3,000 metres easily accessed by bus. Once we have seen the Junco and hopefully Timberline Wren and maybe even Peg-billed Finch, we will stop for lunch at El Mirador del Valle. Here, we will look for species such as the Snowy-bellied Hummingbird and the Blue-vented Hummingbird, Magenta-throated Woodstar, White-tailed Emerald and the first Red-crowned Woodpecker and Grey-cowled Wood-Rails of the tour. Afterwards, we will search for the Turquoise Cotinga in the outskirts of Pérez Zeledón before continuing to our lodge at the at the foothills of Cirripo Mountains. Overnight near Talamanca Reserve

DAY 9: Full day Talamanca Reserve & San Gerardo Feeders
Today, our morning will begin with a short walk before breakfast to the feeding station. Afterwards we take a stroll through the gardens until midday, searching for some of the southern Costa Rican specialties. Talamanca Reserve is situated at an elevation of 1,500 metres above the Pacific coast, offering excellent opportunities to observe species such as Streaked Saltator, White-crested Coquette, Fiery-billed Aracari, Thick-billed Euphonia, Smooth-billed Ani, Orange-collared Manakin and White-naped Finch, with the possibility of spotting the Costa Rican Brushfinch as well.
After lunch at the reserve, we will walk to the San Gerardo feeders. The bird feeders here are particularly rewarding, offering close views of Stripe-tailed, Volcano and Scintillant Hummingbirds, Grey-tailed Mountain-gems, Sooty Thrush, Yellow-thighed Finch and Flame-coloured Tanager. Overnight near Talamanca Reserve

DAY 10: Valle de El General and to the Pacific Coast
Today we will enjoy birdwatching in the early morning until breakfast, before beginning our scenic journey toward the Pacific coast. Before starting our descent, we will stop in San Isidro del General to visit the renowned Los Cusingos Bird Sanctuary. This extraordinary farm, purchased in 1941 by the legendary naturalist Dr. Alexander Skutch, became his home and research site for more than 60 years. Here, he dedicated his life to studying the ecology of the region and documenting its avian wonders. Today, Los Cusingos not only preserves his house and the surrounding forest but also stands as a living memorial to his vision of harmony between humans and nature.
Among the species we will be searching for are some true gems: Turquoise Cotinga, Rufous Piha, Black-tailed Flycatcher, Northern Bentbill, Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher, Baird’s Trogon, Green Shrike-Vireo, Velvety Manakin, and Red-crowned Ant-Tanager. Our goal is to complete this morning of birding before midday, to continue for lunch in town long the way, and then continue toward our final destination on the breathtaking Pacific coast where we should see our first Scarlet Macaws. Overnight Hotel Punta Leona or similar

DAY 11: Full day Carara NP
The grounds of our hotel, with their forested borders, will have plenty of bird activity as the day dawns. Rose-throated Becards, Slaty-tailed Trogon, Pale-billed Woodpeckers, Cocoa Woodcreepers, Chestnut-backed Antshrike and Rufous-naped Wrens should all be present as we walk to breakfast before heading off to Carara National Park. Magnificent Frigatebirds patrol the coast as we drive the short distance and there’s a chance of King Vulture over the forested slopes as we near the car park too. Trails through the forest will give us ample opportunity to encounter some flocks and feeding parties of Pacific slope lowland species. These could include Royal Flycatcher, Black-hooded Antshrike, Black-faced Antthrushes, Streak-chested Antpittas, Golden-crowned Spadebill, Blue-throated Goldentail, White-whiskered Puffbird and Dusky Antbird.
During the late afternoon we may try a different spot, perhaps in search of some roosting Black-and-White Owls or check some fields for the Double-striped Thick-knees that can be found here. If there is information on some owls in the area, we will undoubtedly try some spotlighting for Striped Owl or Pacific Screech Owls. Overnight Hotel Punta Leona or similar

DAY 12: Guacimo Road and Tarcoles River
This morning we drive to the Guacimo Road to try some arid open country and scrub in search of birds. Lesser Ground Cuckoo will be one of our main targets here and although it can be elusive, if one is singing, we have a fair chance of success. Other dry country species we will search for include Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Cinnamon Hummingbird, Banded Wren, Turquoise-browed Motmot, Black-headed Trogon, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Stripe-throated Sparrow and Blue Grosbeak. We will look for White-throated Magpie-jays as we make our way along the road and perhaps locate some Long-tailed Manakins in one of the forest patches.
In the afternoon we take a boat ride into the mangroves of the Tarcoles. If there is exposed mud, we should see a variety of waders including Wilson’s Plovers and Willets and perhaps Royal Terns and Laughing Gulls on the sand banks on the way. We have a chance to see five species of kingfisher on this trip as well as Mangrove Hummingbird. Other sightings might include Common Black Hawk, Panamanian Flycatcher, Mangrove Warbler, Mangrove Vireo, Boat-billed Heron, Bare-throated Tiger Heron, and Tricolored Heron. Yellow-naped Amazons and Lesser Nighthawks are often seen in the late afternoon here, so we will certainly be looking for those as we return to the dock. Overnight Hotel Punta Leona or similar

DAY 13: Last morning birding and airport transfer
This morning will be a last opportunity to catch up with a few species in the hotel grounds or nearby. We have a chance to pack and freshen up before lunch and depart for the airport for our international flights home.

Male Flame-coloured Tanager, Costa Rica by Stu Elsom

Please note this is a flexible itinerary which may need to be adjusted slightly dependent on arrival / departure times, weather conditions and the most recent information from our local guides

Leaders: Local guide only with 6 or less and WB leader with 8
Included in cost: Accommodation in twin en-suite rooms, all meals, bottled water, tea & coffee, all entrance fees and services of the leader.
Not included in cost: International airfare, travel insurance, drinks other than those above and any airport/visa fees.
Single Supplement: £680
Transport: A/C Minibus
Difficulty: Easy – Moderate
Costa Rica is a mountainous country, so a reasonable level of fitness is required, particularly when walking on some trails covering a range of altitudes. Birding is mainly from tracks, quiet roads and a few trails (some paved). Walking effort is mostly easy however and we also spend some time waiting for birds to appear at feeding stations. The San Gerardo de Dota area will involve birding at higher elevations – between 2,000 – 2,700m and we spend a short time in the Paramo (accessed by bus) around 3,400m. Walking will be limited to short distances here in order to find the Volcano Junco.
In the lowlands (La Selva and Carara National Park) walking effort will be very easy and mostly on paved trails.
Climate: We will be visiting Costa Rica in the dry season, although rain can be expected at some time during the tour. It will be mostly hot in the lowlands (more humid on the Caribbean slope), especially on the coast near Punta Leona. Expect daytime temperatures between 10 – 30°C approximately.
Tour Start Point: Juan Santa Maria airport, Costa Rica
Tour End Point: Juan Santa Maria airport, Costa Rica
Suggested Airlines: British Airways