Costa Rica
January 10th -24th ~ 2026
I was invited to going Andy Lawson on a trip he was planning to Costa Rica for two weeks, it was the first visit to Costa Rica for us both and it was good, very good, We had a fantastic time birding dawn till dusk. Struck lucky a few times being guided and given info on other guides which then lead on to some fabulous birds that We just wouldn't have seen without the shared info ..
Costa Rica is a fantastic birding location and the photography wasn't bad either, plenty of feeder set ups at the hotels with a few more dedicated to the photographer ..
I won't bore you with how each day went like location, hotels and exactly what was seen mainly because at the speed it takes me to write a paragraph is ridiculous, these three have taken two hours, I've not got enough life left in me to make it to the end, with a word rate that bad I'd never complete it ..
Instead images and plenty of them will be either singularly or grouped to a location ..
The trip summarised at the end with Totals etc ..
Carara National Park - guided
Streak-chested Antpitta
Cerro Lodge
Rufous-backed Wren
Carara National Park
Velvety Manakin
Pale-billed Woodpecker
Great Tinamou
Dot-winged Antwren
Marbled Wood-Quail
Road out to grasslands from Cerro Lodge
Variable Seedeater
Common Pauraque
Tarcoles Boat tour
Green Kingfisher
Bare-throated Tiger-Heron
Great Blue Heron
American Pygmy Kingfisher
Calle La Barca, near the boat tour - Guided
Black-and-white Owl
Road out to the grasslands from Cerro Lodge - Guided
Turquoise-browed Motmot
Turquoise-browed Motmot
Barred Antshrike
Spectacled Owl
Stripe-headed Sparrow
Pacific Screech-Owl
Carara National Park
Orange-collared Manakin
Rufous-tailed Jacamar
Mistico Rice Fields
Yellow-bellied Elaenia
Esquinas Rainforest Lodge
Grey-cowled Wood-Rail
Ochre-bellied Flycatcher
Tawny-winged Woodcreeper
Mourning Warbler
Ecocentro Calathea - Guided
Northern Jacana
Buff-throated Saltator
Great Kiskadee
Great Kiskadee
Giant Cowbird
Clay-coloured Thrush
Calle La Gamba meadows
Red-breasted Meadowlark
Striped Owl
Common Pauraque
Wilson Botanical Gardens
Lesson's Motmot
Lesson's Motmot
Mistletoe Tyranulet
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Yellow-bellied Elaenia
Gray-capped Flycatcher
Calle Olan dirt track
Eastern Meadowlark
Yellow-headed Caracara
Alto Salitre savanas - Guided by Leonardo
Ocellated Crake
Ocellated Crake
Peje - Volcan -- Guided by Leonardo
Rosy Thrush-Tanager
Rosy Thrush-Tanager
Talamanca Nature Reserve
Acorn Woodpecker
Tropical Mockingbird
Speckled Tanager
White-crested Coquette
White-crested Coquette
White-crested Coquette
White-crested Coquette
San Gerardo's Birds
Brown Violetear
Silver-throated Tanager
Acorn Woodpecker
Speckled Tanager
Silver-throated Tanager
Red-headed Barbet
Red-headed Barbet
Snowy-bellied Hummingbird
Brown Violetear
Scarlet-rumped Tanager
Scarlet-rumped Tanager
Green Hermit
Buff-throated Saltator
Red-crowned Woodpecker
Green Honeycreeper
Red-legged Honeycreeper
Red-legged Honeycreeper
Red-legged Honeycreeper
Miriam's Restaurant - Savegre Valley
Lesser Violetear
Talamanca Hummingbird
Hotel Gema Del Bosque
Spotted Wood-Quail
Miriam's Restaurant - Savegre Valley
Lesser Violetear
Volcano Hummingbird
White-throated Mountain-gem
Talamanca Hummingbird
White-throated Mountain-gem
Talamanca Hummingbird
Lesser Violetear
Talamanca Hummingbird
Savegre Hotel
Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush
Black-cheeked Warbler
Yellow-olive Flatbill
Miriam's Restaurant - Savegre Valley
Fiery-throated Hummingbird
White-throated Mountain-gem
Sooty Thrush
Talamanca Hummingbird
Flame-coloured Tanager
Talamanca Hummingbird
White-throated Mountain-gem
Talamanca Hummingbird
Lesser Violetear
Talamanca Hummingbird
Talamanca Hummingbird
Talamanca Hummingbird
Savegre Hotel
Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush
Stripe-tailed Hummingbird
Lago de Cachi Dam
Cabanis's Wren
Rancho Naturalista
Short-billed Pigeon
Green Thorntail
Gartered Violaceous Trogon
Stripe-throated Hermit
Violet-headed Hummingbird
From the bridge near the Mill
Sunbittern
Alrededores Cementerio Tayutic
Black-headed Saltator
The Lodge y Eco Refugio - Guided
Lattice-tailed Trogon
Grey-headed Piprites
Snowcap
Snowcap
Dull-mantled Antbird
Tranki Gardens
Black-striped Sparrow
White-throated Crake
Green-breasted Mango
Green-breasted Mango
White-necked Jacobin
Green-breasted Mango
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Green-breasted Mango
Green-breasted Mango
Green-breasted Mango
Green-breasted Mango
White-necked Jacobin
You all know Costa Rica is fantastic for birds and in two weeks my total bird species was at 436 !!
With a lifer tally of 234 .. !!
What a brilliant fortnight of birding .....
Click the link for the full trip checklists
