This 18-day tour visited some of the best birding habitat in the wonderful country of Costa Rica. Over 500 species of bird were recorded as well as many interesting mammals, plants and insects. Everyone left the tour after truly appreciating the huge diversity that this incredible little country has to offer.

During the northern winter, the Neotropical country of Costa Rica is filled with not only the large number of resident species but also by a great deal of Nearctic migrants that spend several months wintering here, hence this is the ideal time to observe a very large number of species in a short period of time.

Following is a daily summary of the locations visited and some of the interesting species recorded during the tour, thereafter is a list of species documented.

The flight from the UK to Costa Rica and vice versa was broken up by a layover birding session in Virginia with Mike Boatwright of Tico Tours™, an option that we both feel is well worth doing, as the trip report for these two days will show. The main highlight here being Snowy Owl! Click here to see the Virginia Trip Report. Coming soon!

Day 1: The four clients on this customized tour arrived mid-afternoon and early evening; all were met by Andrew at the airport before making their way to Hotel Bougainvillea, the first stop on the tour.

This hotel is a perfect introductory step into the tropics, set at just under 4000ft, the hotel combines good food and accommodation and wonderful gardens laden with sub- and tropical plants with a large assemblage of birds such as Motmots, Tanagers, Flycatchers, Hummingbirds and Warblers. A brief walk around the garden during the late afternoon hinted at what a great place this is for birding with highlights including Squirrel Cuckoo and Plain Wren in the last hour of light.

Day 2: A session birding before breakfast produced the local and sought after Cabanis’s Ground-Sparrow and White-eared Ground-Sparrow feeding in the compost pile amongst migrant Wood Thrushes and the abundant national bird of Costa Rica, Clay-coloured Robin. From one point in the gardens six of the stunning Blue-crowned Motmots were observed, a real treat! Many migrants and residents were observed feeding together in the garden, allowing for great close-up views.

After a delightful breakfast we met up with our driver, Erick and headed off for a couple of nights in the highlands, a Peregrine Falcon made a dashing attempt on some feral Rock Pigeons over central San Jose. As we moved south we gained 3000ft in altitude and started working on the highland species, focussing our attention on the species restricted to Costa Rica and Panama. A few roadside stops before we reached our lodgings included Resplendent Quetzal, Black-&-Yellow Silky-Flycatcher, Fiery-throated, Scintillant and Volcano Hummingbird, Mountain Elaenia, Yellowish and Black-capped Flycatcher and Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush. Interesting warblers on these stops included Wilson’s, Black-throated Green and Flame-throated Warbler. The friendly Collared Redstart also put in an appearance.

On arrival at our lodgings at around 7000ft we spent some time working the gardens and the lower forest entrance where highlights included Acorn Woodpecker, Grey-tailed Mountain-gem, Barred Parakeet and a pair of Silvery-fronted Tapaculo heading to a roost hole.

A good supper was popular and we made our plans for the next day for some highland birding.

Day 3: We spent the early morning birding around the hotel gardens where we found Spot-crowned Woodcreeper, Yellow-thighed Finch, Black-faced Solitaire, Black-billed and Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush, Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher, Flame-coloured Tanager and Green-fronted Lancebill.

After a hearty breakfast we pilled into the back of a truck and grabbed a lift to the first of two trails that we were going to walk during this morning birding session. The road up to the trailhead produced another Resplendent Quetzal. Once we left the vehicle the birds started to arrive in quick succession, the highlights of the morning walk included a small covey of Spotted Woodquail that showed incredibly well down to close range allowing all to get to grips with this often-secretive species. Other interesting species here were Black Guan, Buffy Tuftedcheek, Streak-breasted Treehunter, Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl, Olive-striped and Golden-bellied Flycatcher, Yellow-winged and Brown-capped Vireo, Elegant Euphonia and Yellow-bellied Siskin. Great looks at Golden-browed Chlorophonia and Rufous-browed Peppershrike were also had amongst the abundant feeding Spangle-cheeked Tanager and Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager. As the cloud rolled in on the mountaintop an Ornate Hawk-Eagle was heard calling but any chance of seeing this bird was slim due to the cloud cover.

Afternoon birding around the local area produced Sulphur-winged Parakeets, Broad-winged Hawk, more Resplendent Quetzal, Magnificent Hummingbird, Black-cheeked Warbler, Summer Tanager, Mountain Elaenia and American Dipper.

Day 4: An early start saw us leave the valley we had been staying in, heading for the far south of the country. Most of the day was spent travelling, but the stops made ensured quality birds were recorded at regular intervals.

Our first stop was a few kilometres along the highway at the highest peak on the Pam-American Highway, the Paramo zone. Our target species came quickly here, Volcano Junco’s hopping along the path, Timberline Wren singing from the top of a bush and a couple of male Peg-billed Finches serenading a few females of the same species. Great views of them all!

As we made our way to the Golfito area several stops along the way produced some quality birds, the highlight definitely being Pearl Kite. This tiny little raptor flew in while we were having a picnic and sat for the duration of our stay in the area. Other interesting roadside species included American Swallow-tailed Kite, Zone-tailed Hawk, Solitary Sandpiper, Snowy-bellied Hummingbird, Smooth-billed Ani, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Speckled, Silver-throated, Golden-hooded and Cherrie’s Tanagers, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Green-crowned Brilliant, Fiery-throated Hummingbird and Band-tailed Barbthroat.

As we approached our lodgings and dusk became closer we were able to note many Orange-chinned Parakeets and Brown-hooded, White-crowned and Mealy Parrots flying about feeding up before it was time to move to their roosting sites. Other birds noted here included Chestnut-headed Oropendola, Buff-throated Saltator and White-throated Crake.

After a long day and some great birds a good nights sleep was required!

Day 5: We were up early and birding the grounds of our lodgings where we soon tracked down a pair of Riverside Wrens and a very obliging male Black-throated Trogon that responded to an imitation whistle and dropped right in directly in front of us all. The area was alive with Red-crowned Woodpeckers and the occasional Streak-headed Woodcreeper and Ochre-bellied Flycatcher. A troop of Central American Squirrel Monkeys provided ample entertainment whilst we ate breakfast.

We spent the day birding around Golfito, along several roads that cut through largely forested areas. Some time was also briefly spent along some mangroves. The many hours spent hiking during the day provided many highlights, such as King Vulture and a stunning White Hawk, that we saw flying at low level before perching for a couple of us to see at incredibly close range! We found several fruiting trees that seemed alive with various guilds of species, one such tree contained over a dozen White-throated Robins, Blue Dacnis, Green Honeycreeper, Scaled Pigeon, Red-lored and Brown-hooded Parrot, Blue-crowned Motmot, Slaty-tailed Trogon, Red-capped Manakin and Bay-headed, Golden-hooded and Cherrie’s Tanagers.

A very interesting flock higher up on one of the roads produced a load of wintering Nearctic species including Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Yellow-throated Vireo, Tennessee, Yellow, Chestnut-sided, Black-&-White and Golden-winged Warbler.

Other appealing species seen here included Black-bellied and yet more Riverside Wrens, Long-billed Gnatwren, Rufous Mourner, Tropical Gnatcatcher, Black-hooded and Barred Antshrike, Golden-naped Woodpecker, Chestnut-mandibled Toucan and Fiery-billed Aracari. A Lineated Woodpecker sat outside its nest hole provided much joy, as too did the flock of Costa Rican Swifts that hawked insects over the forest.

The area of mangroves and beach provided us with our first concentrations of waterbirds on the tour, many of us added Magnificent Frigatebird, Brown Pelican, Neotropical Cormorant, Great and Little Blue Heron, Green Heron, Wilson’s Plover, Greater Yellowlegs, Ruddy Turnstone, Laughing Gull and Royal Tern.

We ate a wonderful evening meal in a local restaurant in Golfito on the recommendation of Erick our driver.

Day 6: We left Golfito after an early breakfast so that we could get to a good spot of habitat before it got too late. We were not disappointed with great views of a pair of Red-breasted Blackbirds, Pale-breasted Spinetail, White-tailed Kites, Laughing Falcon and another King Vulture. Some marshy fields produced an abundance of seedeaters with Yellow-bellied and White-collared Seedeater amongst the more widespread Blue-black and Yellow-faced Grassquit, Thick-billed Seed-Finch and Variable Seedeater. A fruiting tree nearby produced Spot-crowned and Yellow-throated Euphonia, yet more Golden-hooded and Bay-headed Tanagers and Baltimore Oriole.

Our route north to Villa Lapas and the Carara area allowed us to connect with some good birds, the most immense of these birds was definitely the pair of Southern Lapwings that looked as if they were attempting to breed in a large pasture. Other highlights included Brown Booby, Scarlet Macaw, Fork-tailed and Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, another Solitary Sandpiper, Green-breasted Mango, Great-crested Flycatcher, Black-headed and Northern Violaceous Trogon and Ringed Kingfisher.

On arrival at Villa Lapas we took our bags to our rooms where we noticed a large kafuffle going on in the trees above. Hoffmann’s Woodpeckers, Summer Tanagers, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Rose-throated Becards, Rufous-naped Wrens, Common Tody-Flycatchers and Charming and Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds were all mobbing a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, that sat as still as it could in the top of the tree for at least 10 minutes.

After that delightful end to the day we made our way across to the free bar and had a great evening meal and a few iced drinks!

Day 7: The full day was spent in the very bird rich Tarcol area, and we were not let down with over 140 species being recorded throughout the day. We spent time in the scrub areas, the mangrove areas, both on foot and by a truly memorable mangrove boat tour and we also took in a small section of the beach. The scrub area around Tarcol Lodge is always very good, especially when you know the many trails that cut through it before it merges into a large mangrove area, definitely a location where local knowledge pays off.

Some highlight species from this section included the endemic Mangrove Hummingbird that came in briefly to take a look at us as we were watching the rare Mangrove Cuckoo, a nice surprise in the canopy of the swamp with a large mixed feeding flock of Lesser and Scrub Greenlets, Chestnut-sided, Black-&-White, Magnolia and over 20 Prothonotary Warblers, American Redstart, Barred Antshrike, Squirrel Cuckoo, Baltimore Oriole, Mangrove Warbler and Mangrove, Philadelphia and Yellow-throated Vireos. Elsewhere Mangrove Swallows were busy feeding over the water and a large number of Mangrove Black Hawks, which prey specifically on the Mangrove Fiddler Crabs that reside in the swamps, were present and showing well. It was an incredible sight watching these large raptors drop down and pick a crab apart!

Along the drier sections we enjoyed views of Northern Scrub, Panama and Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Slate-headed Tody-Tyrant, Scrub Euphonia, Pale-billed Woodpecker, Stripe-headed and Black-striped Sparrow, Orchard Oriole, Cinnamon and Rose-throated Becard, Black-headed and Northern Violaceous Trogons, Steely-vented Hummingbird on a nest, and a host of Psittaciformes in the form of Scarlet Macaw, Yellow-naped and White-fronted Parrots and Orange-chinned and Orange-fronted Parakeets which all produced an array of eerie vocalisations and a sight for sore eyes! A stunning set of birds.

The mangrove boat tour was great fun and a definite highlight, this two-hour afternoon trip allowed the coverage of a large area of mangroves that are otherwise impossible to explore. We encountered another Mangrove Hummingbird; this time returning to the same flowering tree allowing repeated views. We also found Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Mangrove Warbler and Long-billed Gnatwren. We cleared up on all of the local Kingfishers with fantastic views of Ringed, Belted, Amazon, Green and American Pygmy Kingfishers, allowing leisurely comparisons between them all. Waterbirds were well represented, including over 20 Boat-billed Herons, Anhinga, Neotropical Cormorant, Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Great Blue, Green, Little Blue, Tri-coloured Herons, Snowy, Cattle and Great Egrets, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Roseate Spoonbill, Black-necked Stilt, and White Ibis. Raptors were much in evidence with more Mangrove Black Hawks, several Ospreys, including one with a fish, Zone-tailed Hawk and Yellow-headed and Northern Crested Caracaras that were keeping a close eye on a feeding American Crocodile waiting for some scraps that never arrived!

As we walked the beach after the boat ride we were rewarded with Grey-crowned Yellowthroat, Collared, Semi-palmated and Black-bellied Plovers, Western and Least Sandpipers, Laughing Gull and Royal and Caspian Tern.

Day 8: Another large species day (around 140) was had in Parque Nacional Carara, where we spent most of the day birding, separated only by a lunch break back at our hotel.

Our first stop was the river trail where we quickly started to clean up on the target species for the area such as Black-bellied and Rufous-&-White Wren, Rufous-breasted Wren building a nest, Northern Royal Flycatcher, Northern Bentbill, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Barred and Black-hooded Antshrike, Chestnut-backed Antbird, Dot-winged Antwren, Worm-eating Warbler, Slate-headed Tody-Tyrant, Blue-black Grosbeak, Boat-billed Heron and Turquoise-browed Motmot. We also had a great selection of Trogons with Black-headed, Northern Violaceous, Black-throated and the very local, and popular male Baird’s Trogon, possibly bird of the day for a few people! A dazzling male Ruby-throated Hummingbird was also quite impressive.

A small army ant swarm was providing enough food to sustain Tawny-winged, Cocoa and Northern Barred Woodcreepers, Grey-headed Tanagers, Orange-billed Sparrows and Orange-collared Manakin. On our walk back to the vehicle for lunch interest was given to a great Crane Hawk that showed well in the scope before flying off displaying its characteristic wing patterning.

The afternoon session was spent walking the primary forest areas where we connected with some awesome birds, such as Black-striped and Long-tailed Woodcreeper, Black-faced Ant-thrush, Spectacled Antpitta, Riverside Wren, Blue-throated Goldentail, Collared Forest-Falcon, Ruddy Quail-Dove, Mealy Parrot, Purple-crowned Fairy, Masked Tityra, Tawny-crowned Greenlet, Western Long-tailed Hermit, Red-capped Manakin, Chestnut-mandibled Toucan, Crested Guan and Blue Dacnis.

A very enjoyable day in this incredibly diverse transitional forest zone, rounded off with a fantastic meal at Villa Lapas.

Day 9: We bid farewell to Villa Lapas after three great nights and some fantastic birding and headed towards the dry Pacific lowlands of the Parque Nacional Palo Verde. Birding stops en-route produced a pair of Black-&-White Owls at the now globally renowned town of Orotina, White-lored Gnatcatcher, Streak-backed Oriole, White-throated Magpie-Jay, Turquoise-browed Motmot, Double-striped Thick-knee, White-winged Dove, Blue Ground-Dove, Cinnamon Hummingbird, Common Ground-Dove, Brown-crested Flycatcher and many of the spectacular migratory Scissor-tailed Flycatcher were all recorded. As we passed several rice plantations we were amazed by flocks of 70 and 125 Great Egrets all standing to attention like large sentinels, every one in a slightly different position! Roadside raptors included many Broad-winged and a couple of Swainson’s Hawks amongst the many Turkey and Black Vultures.

We arrived at the OTS Palo Verde Research Station, our accommodation for the nest couple of nights, where we grabbed a quick lunch before heading down to the marsh area to take in the absolutely spectacular sight of thousands of birds of many species utilising this globally important wetland site. Instantly recognisable was the huge number of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks that covered the water, on careful inspection of these ducks several small flocks of Fulvous Whistling-Ducks, many Blue-winged Teal and several huge Muscovy Ducks were all present, allowing for incredible close-up views. Many other species were feeding and working away in the marshy areas, Northern Jacana, American Purple Gallinule, Wood Stork, Roseate Spoonbill; the definite highlight for many though was watching the slightly odd-looking Limpkin ‘fishing’ for snails, and upon catching its prey being instantly mobbed by several Snail Kites to give up its reward! There was never a Limpkin with a Snail Kite more than 6ft away!

A further walk along the very dry Pacific forest produced Double-toothed Kite, Broad-winged Hawk, Osprey, Streak-backed and Baltimore Oriole, Nutting’s Flycatcher and Canivet’s Emerald. A troop of Mantled Howler Monkeys proved highly entertaining as they sat preening each other. As dusk, and an incredible sunset approached we made our way onto a broad-walk that stuck out into the marsh and watched as thousands of Barn Swallows came in to roost, based on the ‘safety-in-numbers’ hypothesis! They needed that safety blanket because heading their way was a huge female Peregrine Falcon that looked rather hungry! As the Turkey and Black Vultures came into roost along the cliff faces a couple of Zone-tailed Hawks were picked out amongst them, their distinctive tail patterning being evident in the fading light.

The final two species of the day were however Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl and a very vocal pair of Pacific Screech-Owls that took up residence in a tree outside the station.

Day 10: We woke early and walked along the entrance road that we had driven in along the previous day, as the light started rise we watched the Pacific Screech-Owl drop into its rotten tree-stump day roost. As we continued, we started to find new and interesting species, Turquoise-browed Motmots and White-tipped Doves were the most vocal along the forest edge, it didn’t take to long to find a Thicket Tinamou, but with half the group missing it as it ran into the scrub we needed to find another one! Luckily we found another 2 birds in the morning, the third bird showing incredibly well. Other interesting species included the resident Rufous-capped Warbler and migrant Hooded Warbler, both beautiful species that showed very well. All before breakfast!

After our breakfast we headed back into the dry forest in search of more intriguing species. One of the most popular sightings of the morning came in the form of a very photogenic Tayra, a large weasel relative, which was searching a dead tree for possible food sources. This large mammal allowed unusually prolonged views at low level. On the bird front we were not let down with stunning scope views of Mangrove Cuckoo (there was at least three seen in the area on this day!), Nutting’s, Brown-crested, Great Crested and Yellow-olive Flycatchers, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, White-lored Gnatcatcher, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Yellow Warbler, another Thicket Tinamou, Banded Wren and the stunning Lesser Ground-Cuckoo that popped into view briefly before giving its staggering song and moving on. There were many Yellow-naped and White-fronted Parrots flying around and occasionally landing in a position that allowed for scope views.

As the temperatures soared we made our way back to the shelter of the research station, those with a hat and a desire to venture into the marsh were rewarded with 10 Ospreys circling and feeding in the waterways. Other highlights included more Limpkin and their ever-present shadows, Snail Kites, several Fulvous and thousands of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks, a couple of Zone-tailed Hawks and several Glossy Ibis.

After lunch we hopped into the vehicle and Erick drove us around the park onto a new trail system where we found another Thicket Tinamou that was very obliging, other interesting species included Canivet’s Emerald, more Nutting’s Flycatchers, Collared Forest-Falcon, Laughing Falcon and Roadside and several Broad-winged Hawk. A small area of marsh produced 4 Black-crowned Night-Heron, a dozen Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, and a similar number of Anhinga. As the sun got lower about 30 Scissor-tailed Flycatchers were seen flying around heading towards the marsh to roost for the night which ended a great days birding.

Day 11: We left the research station after an early breakfast, and headed onto our next location, Monteverde. As we left the park headquarters we enjoyed great views of a photogenic pair of Double-striped Thick-knee, Plain-breasted Ground-Dove and several Swainson’s and Broad-winged Hawks getting up on the early morning thermals amongst Wood Stork, Zone-tailed Hawk and Turkey and Black Vultures.

We made our way along some rough roads, followed by the (relatively) smooth highway and then back onto some more rough road heading towards the small yet busy town of Santa Elana, where we enjoyed some fantastic ‘comida tipica’. The closer we got to this area the stronger the wind got and the heavier and more driving the rain became. It immediately became evident that birding in this weather was going to be difficult, to say the least!

After our lunch we visited Finca Ecologica, donned our ponchos and headed into the beautiful forest reserve with Stripe-tailed Hummingbird at the entrance. It didn’t take too long for us to find a very rapidly moving mixed feeding flock, led by Red-crowed Ant-Tanager and included the resident Three-striped, Rufous-capped and Golden-crowned Warbler, Slate-throated Redstart, the migrant Wilson’s, Black-&-White and Golden-winged Warblers and White-breasted Wood-Wren, Rufous-breasted Wren, White-eared Ground-Sparrow, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Bicoloured Antbird, Linneated Foliage-gleaner and Golden-olive Woodpecker.

A little further along the trail we became knee-deep in army ants, in attendance here we found several Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrushes, Wood Thrush, a secretive Ovenbird and the local Ruddy Woodcreeper. Unfortunately as the wind and rain increased the ants retired from their pursuit of food and the birds left too. A great location, shame about the weather!

We moved onto the regal Trapp Family Lodge, had a huge three-course meal and hoped that the trees and branches that were crashing down around us would miss the vehicle and hotel, luckily they did!

Day 12: We woke early to find that the wind hadn’t let up but that the rain had stopped, after a bit of deliberation we decided to venture out into the wind tunnel that was the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.

We started our walk towards the entrance, only 500m from our hotel where we found Spotted Barbtail, Common Bush-Tanager, Spangle-cheeked Tanager, Three-striped Warbler, several Prong-billed Barbet, Brown-capped Vireo and Slate-throated Redstart.

At the Hummingbird Gallery we found, with ease, the endemic tiny Coppery-headed Emerald, Magenta-throated Woodstar, Stripe-tailed Hummingbird, Purple-throated Mountain-gem, Green Hermit, Violet Sabrewing, Green-crowned Brilliant and Green Violet-ear. Also making use of the feeders was a couple ingenious of Common Bush-Tanagers and the more expected Bananaquits.

As we walked the trails through the reserve during the day we picked up Smoky-brown Woodpecker, Spotted Woodcreeper, Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch, Yellowish Flycatcher, Azure-hooded Jay, Eye-ringed Flatbill, Resplendent Quetzal, Silvery-fronted Tapaculo, Collared Redstart, Grey-breasted Wood-Wren, Black-faced Solitaire, Plain Antvireo, Ruddy Treerunner and a very popular Black Guan.

Unfortunately due to the high winds, and the rain that arrived mid-afternoon we struggled to connect with some of the target species for the area, but upon reflection we found some good birds, especially when we saw what the weather was doing on the next morning!

Day 13: We woke to find that the wind had continued again through the night, and that this morning it was combined with heavy rain too, which made us appreciate how lucky we had actually been on the previous day to get any birding in. There were a couple of people at the hotel who had been in the Monteverde area for a week and had cut their holiday short and headed for home due to continued bad weather!

We knew we had a long travel day so we cut our losses at Monteverde and headed off early for a rendezvous with Volcan Arenal for lunch. The road was poor, so we took it slowly, recording a few species of interest along the way such as Keel-billed and Chestnut-mandibled Toucan, Collared Aracari, Short-tailed Hawk and a huge party of White-nosed Coati that ambushed cars coming along the highway for scraps of food!

Eating our lunch whilst watching and listening to Volcan Arenal explode was a truly remarkable experience, after which we made our way to our lodgings on a much better and faster road, adding a couple of Ospreys and a Peregrine Falcon along the way.

After a little rest at Ara Ambigua we spent the last couple of hours of light birding where we added White-ringed Flycatcher, 2 Laughing Falcons, Grey-rumped Swift, Dusky-faced, Plain, Passerini’s, Palm and Crimson-collared Tanagers, Black-faced and Buff-throated Saltator, Black-striped Sparrow, Bay and Band-backed Wrens, Collared Aracari, Black-cheeked Woodpecker, Blue-chested Hummingbird, Red-footed Plumeleteer and Northern Waterthrush. As darkness encroached we looked above the trees in hope of Short-tailed Nighthawk, we were not disappointed with a bird present immediately.

Day 14: We awoke early; very excited as we all knew what a fantastic day was likely. We had a boxed breakfast kindly prepared by the staff of Ara Ambigua at an ungodly hour, which was very much appreciated. Erick dropped us off at the La Selva entrance road and we spent two hours walking this fantastic road. Highlights included Cinnamon Woodpecker, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Plain Xenops, Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, White-collared Manakin, Yellow Tyrannulet, Masked Tityra, Black-throated Wren, Long-billed Gnatwren, Mourning Warbler, Olive-backed Euphonia, Silver-throated, Bay-headed and Golden-hooded Tanagers, Shining, Green and Red-legged Honeycreeper and Baltimore, Black-cowled and Yellow-tailed Orioles were all seen well. One bizarre sight involved two Yellow-tailed Orioles that were locked in what appeared to be a ‘battle-to-the-death’, they rolled along the ground in front of us for about 5 minutes!

We met our guide, (a requirement here due to the main focus of the area being for research) and headed ‘across the bridge’ into the primary forest sector. A dazzling male White-ruffed Manakin, Cinnamon and White-winged Becard, Dusky-capped, Great Crested and Yellow-margined Flycatcher, Rufous Mourner and Black-headed Tody-Flycatcher immediately met us there. There were plenty of Olive-backed Euphonia feeding on the fruit of trees and a male Red-footed Plumeleteer showed very well. As we walked through a clearing we had several Pale-vented Thrushes, a fly-by Double-toothed Kite, Grey-rumped, Lesser Swallow-tailed and White-collared Swifts and then a real treat, in the form of two Grey-headed Kites displaying directly above us! Awesome.

We moved into the forest, and got great views of Chestnut-coloured and Rufous-winged Woodpecker, Bright-rumped Attila, 5 Squirrel Cuckoo, Northern Violaceous, Black-headed and Slaty-tailed Trogon, Blue-black Grosbeak, Broad-billed Motmot and White-necked Puffbird. We came across a bit of activity that produced Red-throated Ant-Tanager, Barred, Fasciated and Great Antshrike, Dusky Antbird and Black-faced Grosbeak. Further along, the trails produced Yellow Tyrannulet and Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant that insisted on staying high in the canopy, Band-backed, Stripe-breasted and Black-throated Wrens all showed well, as too did a Long-billed Gnatwren. We had great views of Scarlet-rumped and Yellow-billed Cacique, that allowed detailed comparison of the two similar species.

There were two highlights of our time at La Selva, as far as I was aware! One was definitely the Tiny Hawk that landed right above our heads and was instantaneously mobbed by hordes of Hummingbirds, Tanagers, and Honeycreepers, great scope views of this shy species were very welcome! Another highlight for many, as it was one of the major target birds was Bare-necked Umbrellabird! We had stunning views of this species at incredibly close-range and the bird generally seemed unperturbed by our presence, allowing ample opportunities for photography of this much sought after species.

After our time at La Selva we made our way back to our hotel via a small marsh that produced some quality birds, highlights from here included Nicaraguan Grackle, Pink-billed (Nicaraguan) Seed-Finch, Green Ibis, Grey-breasted and White-throated Crake, Eastern Meadowlark and Red-winged Blackbird. Not a bad end to a great day!

Day 15: We again made an early start and headed back to the La Selva entrance road targeting different species to those from the previous day. Again we found some great species, such as Pied Puffbird, Grey-chested Dove, Crested Guan, Grey Catbird, Mourning Warbler, Golden-crowned Spadebill, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Bronzy Hermit, Stripe-tailed Hermit, Lesser Swallow-tailed and Grey-rumped Swift, Cinnamon and Chestnut-coloured Woodpecker, Cocoa Woodcreeper, Great Antshrike, Long-tailed Tyrant and Black-headed Tody-Flycatcher.

After being satisfied here again we made the short journey to La Virgin del Socorro, where some fantastic birds were waiting for us. A brief fly-by Bat Falcon was, unfortunately only viewable from the front of the vehicle before disappearing over a crest of a hill. Upon entering the area we immediately came across 2 or 3 huge Barred Hawk and it wasn’t long before we located a pristine White Hawk gliding around at a relatively low level that showed incredibly well.

As we walked around the forest we came across a great feeding flock that contained Rufous-browed Tyrannulet, Tropical Parula, Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant, Olive-striped, Yellow-margined and Tufted Flycatcher, Red-headed Barbet, Red-faced Spinetail, Immaculate Antbird, Pale-vented Thrush, Russet Antshrike and Collared Trogon. Interestingly we had an adult male, adult female and then a 1^st-winter Blackburnian Warbler all come into view one after the other! As we progressed further along the road we heard Lanceolated Monklet low down below us, but unfortunately this great bird got away from us. Another bird we heard but had little chance of observing due to its, and our location was a Nightingale Wren that sang its heart out way below us. It would have been great to see this bird but just hearing it was fantastic.

The area was full of Tanagers with Common Bush-Tanager, Silver-throated, Bay-headed and Golden-hooded Tanagers feeding in large groups. Also present in large numbers were Warblers with Golden-winged Warblers everywhere, with around a dozen seen in a short space of time. Many other Warblers were abundant, including Tennessee, Yellow, Chestnut-sided, Black-throated Green, Black-&-White and Wilson’s Warblers and Slate-throated Redstart. The rivers of the area produced the tiny Torrent Tyrannulet, Buff-rumped Warbler and Black Phoebe, all using the river to find food in different ways.

We spent some time looking at Hummingbirds during our time at this middle elevation and we found some great birds, including Green and Stripe-tailed Hermit, Violet Sabrewing, Brown Violet-ear, Green Thorntail, Coppery-headed Emerald, Violet-crowned Woodnymph, Black-bellied Hummingbird, White-bellied and Purple-throated Mountain-gems, Green-crowned Brilliant, Purple-crowned Fairy and the ever-present Rufous-tailed Hummingbird! Many of the above were recorded from our lunch stop that also produced Mountain Thrush, Ochraceous Wren, Slaty Flowerpiercer, about 8 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks in various plumages and a very close-up Blue-throated Toucannet.

Our journey back to our lodgings produced 2 Osprey, Pale-vented Thrush, White-collared Seedeater, Yellow-crowned Euphonia, Red-lored Parrot and Giant Cowbird. A fantastic day finished on around 160 species.

Day 16: We again left our lodgings early and made our way to Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo, and the fantastic Quebrada Gonzalez La Palma trail system. After the morning birding here we moved onto our final destination of the tour, Rancho Naturalista.

The Quebrada Gonzalez, La Palma trail is a beautiful middle-elevation forest where we connected with some great birds, highlights from our morning session included Tawny-crested, Blue-&-Gold, Black-&-Yellow, White-shouldered and Emerald Tanagers, Green Shrike-Vireo, Golden-browed Chlorophonia, Tawny-capped Euphonia, Ruddy-tailed and Tawny-chested Flycatcher, Chestnut-coloured and Black-cheeked Woodpecker, Black-faced Grosbeak, Red-headed Barbet, Russet Antshrike, White-whiskered Puffbird, Black-faced Ant-thrush, Red-capped Manakin, Rufous-browed Tyrannulet, White-breasted Wood-Wren, Stripe-breasted Wren and half a dozen of the vocal Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush that showed exceptionally well for everyone. A fruiting tree was quickly emptied as an Ornate Hawk-Eagle flew in and started to call from within the canopy.

The real crowd-pleasers however, both came within the space of 100m, first an outrageously implausible close-up view of an adult male Lattice-tailed Trogon that seemed intrigued by our presence, and allowing the best views of this species that you can ever have hoped for! As we left the bird after 10 minutes of studying the various plumage features of the species we were all very happy. Continuing along the trail I noticed a brief movement on the ground to my left, an Olive-backed Quail-Dove, feet off the trail! Just the small head turn that it performed made my eye catch its white malar stripe and we all enjoyed awesome views of this secretive dove that gradually started to move out of view after another 10 minutes! Jubilant from these two species we turned the corner in the trail to find another, immature this time, male Lattice-tailed Trogon. An outstanding end to the morning session, and we all left with broad smiles!

We took lunch in the form of some more ‘comida tipica’ and continued our journey to Rancho Naturalista picking up a relatively recent addition to the Costa Rican bird list, Tropical Mockingbird. We had two of these delightful thrush mimics singing and displaying to each other.

Once at Rancho we settled in to our rooms, spent some time on the balcony adding White-necked Jacobin, Green-breasted Mango and Green-crowned Brilliant. As dusk approached the guides from Rancho mentioned an interesting observation, so we grabbed our flashlights and headed into the forest entrance, we stood, with a group of 6 other birders and waited as the light faded, and sure enough, like clockwork a Scaly-breasted Wren hopped onto the trail for about 30 seconds before jumping into an old Rufous Motmot nest to roost for the night! Everyone got awesome views of this often ‘heard-only’ species, except me, I was the lucky one who got to hold the torch!

As always the food at Rancho was in a league of its own, and we enjoyed a great Chicken meal and mentally prepared ourselves for the hike coming the next day!

Day 17: We woke and had an early fruit breakfast at Rancho before heading to the increasingly popular Cerro Silencio, this difficult hike is often highly rewarding, with an impressive mix of low, middle and highland species being present. We drove as far as the road would allow and then started our journey upwards by foot (I did hear a whisper that it didn’t look as difficult as I had warned, but I think those whisperings soon faded, this is a difficult, wet trail and caution should be taken at all times!)

As we walked uphill we had a fly-over Sharp-shinned Hawk and a close-up perched Bicoloured Hawk as well as Dark Pewee, Greyish Saltator, Tufted Flycatcher, Green-fronted Lancebill, Black-breasted Wood-Quail, White-crowned and Brown-hooded Parrot and Sulphur-winged Parakeet.

Upon entering the forest we found White-winged Tanager, Silvery-fronted Tapaculo, Prong-billed Barbet, Sooty-faced Finch, Common Bush-Tanager, Silver-throated and Spangle-cheeked Tanager, Ochraceous Wren, Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush and Black-faced Solitaire. Further onwards we found some more interesting species, such as Black-thighed Grosbeak, Black-bellied Hummingbird, White-bellied Mountain-gem, Slaty and Red-faced Spinetail, White-throated Crake, Blue-throated Toucannet, Black-&-Yellow Silky-Flycatcher, Red-headed Barbet and Streaked Xenops all showing well.

Further still we came across a great Furnariidae flock that contained Buffy Tuftedcheek, Streak-breasted Treehunter, Linneated Foliage-gleaner, Western Woodhaunter, Tanwy-throated Leaftosser, Ruddy Treerunner, Red-faced Spinetail and Brown-billed Scythebill. There was also a few Spotted Woodcreepers, Slaty Antwren, Olive-striped, Tufted and Yellowish Flycatcher, Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant and Barred Becard included in the flock.

We had lunch high in a pasture and watched for Tanagers, where we had Bay-headed, Golden-hooded, Silver-throated, Spangle-cheeked and Speckled Tanagers and Tawny-capped Euphonia. Shortly after lunch we started to head down slope before the rain set in, at this point we added Grey-breasted Wood-Wren, Mountain Thrush, White-naped Brush-Finch, Purple-throated Mountain-gem, Acorn Woodpecker and a couple of the distinct resident Costa Rican race (species) of Red-tailed Hawk.

By the time we got back to Rancho we all felt well exercised so had a nice hot shower and an iced drink followed by some more exquisite food.

Day 18: We woke a little later and made our way to the Rancho Balcony where for once we let the birds come to us, in the rain. Brown Jays were the first down, followed by about 40 Grey-headed Chachalaca with Montezuma’s and Chestnut-headed Oropendolas in quick succession. A stonking male Snowcap guarded a Verbena hedge, and every time it chased off a tiny male Green Thorntail an even smaller Black-crested Coquette would sneak round the back to find some nectar! As the rain continued Scarlet-rumped Cacique, Black-throated, Plain and Southern House Wren became evident, as too did Clay-coloured Robin, Baltimore Oriole, White-lined, Summer, Passerini’s, Blue-grey, Golden-hooded, Crimson-collared and Palm Tanager, Rufous-capped Warbler and White-tipped Dove.

Although it was still raining after breakfast we decided to enter the forest in the hope of some of the area specialities, although we knew it was going to be tough birding. We made it to the Hummingbird Feeders where we found Snowcap, Brown Violet-ear, Red-footed Plumleteer, Green Hermit, Violet-crowned Woodnymph and Green Thorntail.

We managed to find a pair of huge Rufous Motmot that sat up well for everyone to see, and while we were watching these we found a Great Tinamou sheltering from the rain under a palm leaf. As the rain started to let up the birds started to appear, White-ruffed and White-collared Manakin, Thicket Antpitta, Slaty and Checker-throated Antwren, Plain Antvireo, Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch and Orange-billed Sparrow. As we progressed further along the trails we found Wood Thrush (about a dozen!), Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher, Plain Xenops, White-breasted Wood-Wren, Tawny-crowned and Lesser Greenlet, Golden-winged Warbler, American Redstart, Slate-throated Redstart and Golden-crowned Warbler.

As we reached the top of the trail system we flushed Purplish-backed Quail-Dove, Ashy-throated Bush-Tanager, Slaty-capped Flycatcher, Dull-mantled Antbird and an immaculate male White-crowned Manakin that sat still in front of us for 5 minutes at eye level.

After our final lunch at Rancho we made our way to San Jose, and the Hotel Bougainvillea for our last night. A few birding stops en-route produced Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Buff-rumped Warbler, Killdeer, Blue-winged Teal, Common Moorhen, American Coot, White-tailed Kite, Pectoral Sandpiper, Blackburnian Warbler and Mourning Dove.

We had a final meal in the hotel that we enjoyed with a fine bottle of wine. We rechecked our lists and prepared to leave this bird rich country and the tour concluded.

Day 19: An early transfer saw 75% of the group leave with a boxed breakfast for the airport, the rest had breakfast and then left for flights home.

Following is a list of species recorded throughout the tour, firstly birds (515), and secondly other animals.