Next dates

Day 1: The tour starts this afternoon in San Jose, capital of Costa Rica. We will drive to our hotel on the slopes of Volcan Irazu for an overnight stay.

Day 2: Early morning, we’ll make our first attempt at finding the mythical Unspotted Saw-whet Owl. Irazu Volcano is indeed one of the better sites to find that scarce species. Bare-shanked Screech Owl, Costa Rica Pygmy Owl and Dusky Nightjar are three near-endemics we also have good chances to find.

We’ll then spend the morning on the spectacular slopes of the volcano where we will be looking mostly for the uncommon Buffy-crowned Wood-Partridge, the somewhat erratic Peg-billed Finch, near-endemic Volcano Hummingbird, Volcano Junco and Timberline Wren. We will get used to the range of regional mountain endemics like Fiery-throated Hummingbird, Slaty Flowerpiercer, Yellow-winged Vireo, Flame-throated Warbler, Yellow-thighed and Large-footed Finches, and definitely put in the effort to locate the nomadic Maroon-chested Ground Dove, here present year-round. Resplendent Quetzal will provide a common background noise and we’ll maybe see a few males displaying over the course of the morning! Migrant Warblers should be all around, including Black-throated Green, Blackburnian, Wilson’s and Townsend’s.

We will then start our descend and drive towards Rancho Naturalista located in the Caribbean foothills, not without making a stop in the central valley coffee plantations for the endemic Cabanis’s Ground-Sparrow. We will also stop at a wetland and near some rivers where we stand a good chance of finding Fasciated Tiger-Heron, Sunbittern, White-tailed Kite, Purple Gallinule, Blue-winged Teal, and other waterbirds. We’ll then reach the legendary Rancho Naturalista for a two nights stay.

Day 3:  This morning we will be visiting El Copal reserve, where we will be a  trail system where we have good chances of finding the rare Blue-and-gold Tanager and Yellow-eared Toucanet. The avifauna in the Caribbean foothills is extremely diverse and we’ll also go after some other regional specialties like Short-tailed Pigeon, Green-fronted Lancebill, Green Hermit, Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner, Middle American Leaftosser, Brown-billed Scyhtebill, Russet Antshrike, Slaty Antwren, Dull-mantled Antbird, the Central American version of Ochre-breasted Antpitta, Rufous-browed Tyrannulet, White-throated Spadebill, Rufous Mourner, Song Wren, White-ruffed Manakin among many other great birds. The flowering bushes will certainly provide us with our first Snowcap and Magenta-throated Woodstar sightings.

In the afternoon we will explore the lodge grounds and trails for Snowcap, Black-crested Coquette, the near-endemic Tawny-chested Flycatcher, White-ruffed and White-crowned Manakins, the scarce Ashy-throated Bush Tanager. Many other more widespread birds occur here, such as Gray-headed Chachalaca, Grey-chested Dove, Keel-billed Toucan, demonstrative Montezuma Oropendolas, Cocoa and Streak-headed Woodcreepers, Mistletoe Tyrannulet, Speckled and Golden-hooded Tanagers and many more. In recent years, male Lovely Cotingas have been visiting the garden so we’ll cross our fingers for one to be around! We will also visit a nearby grassland patch for White-throated Flycatcher and look for Sunbittern along the nearby rivers. Migrant Warblers should be plenty at that time of the year and maybe we’ll find a stunning Golden-winged Warbler.

Day 4: After some final birding at Rancho Naturalista, we will transfer to Cachi for an overnight stay. Near Cachi, we will be looking for several scarce birds like Black-breasted Wood Quail, Costa Rican Pygmy Owl, White-bellied Mountaingem, the endemic Coppery-headed Emerald, Scintillant Hummingbird, Black-bellied Hummingbird, Silvery-fronted Tapaculo, Sharpbill and there is now even an habituated Scaled Antpitta at a feeder! Many other great birds occur at this foothill site and we’ll make sure not to miss any regional endemics.

Day 5: After a few hours birding near Cachi, we’ll make our way to the Cerro de la Muerte and have lunch at a birder-friendly guesthouse with feeders attracting Buffy-crowned Wood Partridge, the rare and near-endemic Buff-fronted Quail-Dove and Prong-billed Barbet amongst others. The gardens usually hold near-endemics like Black Guan, Purple-throated Mountaingem, Spangle-cheeked Tanagers or Silvery-fronted Tapaculo.

After lunch, we’ll continue higher in the Cerro de la Muerte for two nights and start our explorations. We might well already find a few regional specialties like the monotypic Wrenthrush (or Zeledonia), Ochraceous Pewee, Resplendent Quetzal, Large-footed Finch, Sooty-capped Chlorospingus or even our first Spotted Wood Quails.

Day 6: We will have a full day of birding the Cloud forest of this region in search for key species like Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl, Sulphur-winged Parakeet, the endemic Grey-tailed Mountaingem, Ruddy Treerunner, Lineated Foliage-gleaner, Buffy Tuftedcheek, Silvery-fronted Tapaculo, the rare Silvery-throated Jay, Black-capped and Golden-bellied Flycatcher, Long-tailed and Black-and-Yellow Silky Flycatcher, Dark Pewee, Torrent Tyrannulet, Mountain Elania, Wrenthrush, Sooty-faced Finch and Golden-browed Chlorophonia among many other great birds. At night, we will have another chance of finding Bare-shanked Screech-Owl, Unspotted Saw-Whet Owl and Dusky Nightjar.

Day 7: Should we have missed regional targets, we’ll spend another morning birding the Cerro de la Muerte, and then start driving to San Isidro. Late afternoon we’ll begin our explorations of the San Isidro area, where we could well already find the main target of the area, Turquoise Cotinga!

Day 8: We’ll spend some time around San Isidro in the morning and then move to Alexander Skutch’s reserve where a nice variety of birds can be seen in the gardens like near-endemic Garden Emerald, White-crested Coquette and Charming Hummingbird, Olivaceous Piculet, Golden-naped Woodpecker Slaty-tailed, Baird’s and Gartered Trogon, Fiery-billed Aracari, Black-hooded Antshrike, Yellow-olive Flycatcher, Red-legged and Shining Honeycreepers, Rufous-breasted Wren, Rufous Piha, Northern Bentbill, Orange-collared and Red-capped Manakins and many more.

We will then make our way to the Wilson Botanical Garden for a two-nights stay. We will visit a nearby reed patch in search for Chiriqui Olive-crowned Yellowthroat and, road conditions permitting, pay a visit to an Ocellated Crake site.

The gardens usually hold several night birds like Mottled Owl or Tropical Screech Owl so we’ll spend some time out at night!

Day 9: We will have a full day in Las Cruces area, mostly birding the Botanical Gardens in search for White-tailed Emerald, White-crested Coquette (if we’re lucky!), Marbled Wood-Quail, Ruddy Foliage-gleaner, Isthmian Wren, Elegant Euphonia also Costa Rican Brush-Finch amongst many others.

Day 10: After some final birding at Las Cruces, we will make our way towards the Pacific lowlands for two nights. We will first stop at Agua Buena for the most-wanted Rosy Thrush-Tanager and then visit some open habitat and rice fields near Ciudad Neily, where Veraguan Mango, Sapphire-throated Hummingbird, Red-rumped Woodpecker, Paint-billed and Grey-breasted Crakes are regularly recorded.

We will arrive Golfo Duce region in time for some initial explorations. Nights at a lodge near the town of Golfito.

Day 11: One of the highlights of the Golfo Duce region is the endemic Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager our major target of the morning also Black-hooded Antshrike and Spot-crowned Euphonias are high on the list. Around the lodge we can find Bronzy Hermit and Uniform Crakes and other cool targets include Tawny-winged Woodcreeper, King Vulture, Costa Rican Swift, Blue-black Grosbeak, Velvety Manakin, Chiriqui Foliage-gleaner and at night we will go out and look for Striped and Spectacled Owls and Tropical Screech-Owl. A local subspecies of Choco Screech Owl also occurs here, and it might well be proven to be a distinct species so we’ll put in some effort !

Day 12: This morning we will visit sites for two rare birds, Yellow-billed Cotinga and the endemic Mangrove Hummingbird. We will then proceed towards Carara National Park, where we will arrive on time for some initial exploring. Two nights near Carara National Park.

Day 13: During the early morning we will walk the trails birding in search for the special targets of the northern lowlands like Great Tinamou, Marbled Wood Quail, Scarlet Macaw, Critically Endangered Yellow-naped Parrot, Slaty-tailed and Black-headed Trogons, Black-faced Antthrush, Streak-chested Antpitta, Stub-tailed Spadebill, Bicolored, Spotted and Chestnut-backed Antbirds, Pacific Royal Flycatcher, Rufous-and White and Rufous-breasted Wrens and lots of others.

Along the forest edge and more open habitat that we will be exploring we can find Stripe-headed Sparrows, Scrub Euphonia, White-throated Magpie-Jay, White-necked Puffbird, Barred Antshrike, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Crested Caracara, Blue-black and Yellow-faced Grassquit, White-lored Gnatcatcher, Lesser Ground-Cuckoo, Banded Wren.

In the late afternoon, we’ll take a boat ride on the Tarcoles River, giving us opportunities to observe more of the riverside specialties of the region. We will be cruising through mangroves and along river banks, where Roseate Spoonbills, Boat-billed Herons, the stunning Turquoise-browed Motmot, Panama Flycatcher, Northern Scrub Flycatcher, Mangrove Vireo, Mangrove Warbler, and many more feature. Mangrove Hummingbird and Yellow-billed Cotinga are also sometimes seen here.

Day 14: After another morning birding the Carara area in search for missing targets, we will drive to Monteverde reserve where we will spend the next two nights.

Day 15: The wonderful Cloud Forest of Monteverde hosts a vast array of interesting species, and for the first morning we will be looking for the unique Three-wattled Bellbirds, showing their long wattles while emitting their tremendously loud vocalization! Other great birds that we will look for are Black Guan, Black-breasted Wood Quail, Chiriqui Quail-Dove, Resplendent Quetzal, Lineated Foliage-gleaner, Ruddy Woodcreeper, the uncommon Grey-throated Leaftosser, Streak-breasted Treehunter, Azure-hooded Jay, Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush, Long-tailed Manakin, White-eared Ground Sparrow plus many more.

Lots of hummingbirds can usually be found at feeders, including Violet Sabrewing, the endemic Coppery-headed Emerald, Stripe-tailed and Blue-vented Hummingbirds, Purple-throated Mountaingen, Magenta-throated Woodstar and others.

Day 16: We will be looking for any remaining target this morning, and start driving back to the dry Pacific lowlands to La Ensenada. A few stops could well hold species like Rufous-necked Wood-Rail, Mangrove Rail and other waterbirds. We will arrive at La Ensenada on time for some birding, including Pacific Screech Owl after dusk.

Day 17: La Ensenada Lodge, located in the dry forest along the Pacific coast, host loads of specialties which we will be looking for, including Thicket Tinamou, Spot-bellied Bobwhite, Lesser Ground Cuckoo, Mangrove Cuckoo, Turquoise-browed Motmot, Plain-capped Starthroat, Panama and Nutting’s Flycatchers, Banded Wren, White-throated Magpie-Jay, Stripe-headed Sparrow, Streak-backed and Spot-breasted Orioles, amongst others. Mudflats near the property usually hold hundreds of waders, including Marbled Godwits.

This afternoon, we will drive to the nearby Cordillera de Guanacaste to Celeste Mountain Lodge. We will arrive in time for some initial birding.

Day 18: The foothill forest of the dormant Volcan Tenorio is home of many exciting species which we will be looking for this morning, including the rare Black-eared Wood Quail, Tody Motmot, Purplish-backed Quail-Dove, Checker-throated Stipplethroat, Tawny-faced Gnatwren, White-throated Shrike-Tanager and many more widespread species. If we find an army-ant swarm, we might well be lucky enough to observe feeding Ocellated, Bicolored and Spotted Antbirds or maybe even the legendary Rufous-vented Ground Cuckoo, sometimes seen in this area! Another rare bird we’ll be on the lookout for is Slaty-backed Forest Falcon. Lovely Cotinga used to be recorded in the region, but the nearby road is now a highway so chances for it are here very slim.

This late afternoon we will take a boat ride to the Medio Queso marsh, where Yellow-breasted Crake, Sora, Pinnated Bittern, Nicaraguan Grackle and Nicaraguan Seedfinch all feature, amongst large numbers of other waterbirds and passerines.

We will then proceed to our lodge in the Caño Negro area for an overnight, where we will get out at night looking for Great and Common Potoos and Striped Owl. 

Day 19: This morning we will embark a boat and explore the Rio Frio and Lago Caño Negro, where we will aim to find the superb Agami and weird Boat-billed Heron, the strange Sungrebe, five kingfisher species including Green-and-rufous, plus many other more common waterbirds. Some birding near the lodge will most probably produce Grey-headed Dove, Spot-breasted and Canebrake Wrens or Nicaraguan Seedfinch, amongst others.

After lunch we will drive to Volcan Arenal, and on our way stop at a little reserve where Uniform and White-throated Crakes visit some feeders. We’ll then get to our lodge for an overnight stay and start our visit of this fabulous destination.

Day 20: We will spend most of the day birding trails around our lodge, and if the sky is clear have great views of the majestic Volcan Arenal. The foothill forest has a lot on offer, and amongst many specialties we’ll be on the lookout for Great Curassow (here at one of the easiest place on the planet!), White and Semiplumbeous Hawks, Black-crested Coquette, Green Thorntails, Keel-billed Motmot, Thicket Antpitta, Streak-crowned Antvireo, Ocellated and Bare-crowned Antbirds, Nightingale and Bay Wrens, Black-headed Saltator, Crimson-collared and near-endemic Black-and-yellow Tanagers

In the afternoon we’ll drive  to La Selva where we will spend the next two nights. We will arrive in time for some late birding and spotlighting for Crested, Mottled and Black-and-white Owls, Middle American Screech Owl and mammals like Kinkajou.

Day 21: One of the most popular National Park in Central America, La Selva really has it all! We’ll have a full day to explore the fantastic diversity hosted by its vast expanses of lowland primary rainforest. Amongst many, we’ll be focused on finding Slaty-breasted Tinamou, Agami Heron, Olive-backed Quail Dove, the now Critically Endangered Great Green Macaw, Pied Puffbird, Chestnut-colored and Cinnamon Woodpeckers, Tiny and Semiplumbeous Hawks, Black-crowned Antshrike, Black-capped Pygmy Tyrant, White-collared Manakin and Snowy Cotinga.

Day 22: We will have a final morning of birding at La Selva, before transferring to Braulio Carrillo National Park for the next two nights. On the way, we will visit a nearby site where Spectacled and Crested Owls and Great Potoo are known to roost, and we’ll probably have the luck to observe a small colony of Honduran White Bats, roosting under palm leaves. 

We will arrive on time at Braulio Carrillo for some initial exploration.

Day 23:  Bare-necked Umbrellabird disappeared a few years back from its most accessible and traditional lek, so got a lot harder, but occurs outside of breeding season in the Caribbean foothills and Braulio Carrillo is now a site with good chances of connecting with the species. We will have a full day and a morning to find that bird, but many other specialties lurk in these forests, like Barred Hawk, Ruddy and Olive-backed Quail-Doves, the rare Lattice-tailed Trogon, Ocellated Antbird, Thicket Antpitta, Sharpbill, Nightingale Wren and Blue-and-gold Tanager. Rarer birds like Rufous-vented Ground Cuckoo and Black-crowned Antpitta (or Pittasoma) are sometimes seen here but we will consider ourselves very lucky if we happen to find one of these two rarities!

Day  24: We will have a final morning of birding at Braulio Carrillo for any remaining targets, before driving back to San José, where the tour ends in the afternoon at the airport.

Tour details