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COSTA RICA
Saturday 5th March -
Friday 18th March 2011
(14 days)
Northern Costa Rica Post-Tour Extension to Saturday 26th March (8 days)
Leader:
Matt Denton
Group Size Limit: 9
Tour Category: Easy for the most part, occasionally Moderate (and see walking note as regards San Gerardo)
The amazing Three-wattled Bellbird, one of Costa Rica's most distinctive and charismatic species (Pete Morris)
(Note: This is a summary of the tour. For more information please download the detailed itinerary. The button is at the top right of the page.)
Had Christopher Columbus been a birdwatcher, he could not have christened his new found land on his last voyage in 1502 more aptly – Costa Rica or ‘Rich Coast’. Nearly 900 species of birds have been recorded from this small Central American country, the highest species diversity in an area of this size anywhere on earth. Not only is its avifauna exceedingly rich, but Costa Rica (together with neighbouring western Panama) is one of the greatest centres of avian endemism in the world, with nearly 70 species found nowhere else!
Costa Rica is now well-known as one of the best areas for birding on earth, for a series of stunning wildlife films and the many glowing reports from visitors have made people realize what a treasure house of nature this gem of a country really is. Costa Rica is utterly unlike the preconceived view of Central America. There is no recent history of revolutions, medal-bespattered dictators, political prisoners and masses of half-starved, landless peasants. Instead Costa Rica is one of the most prosperous countries in Latin America with the highest literacy level in the region, no army (it was abolished as unnecessary in 1949!), stable democratic government, excellent standards of public health and the highest percentage of land area devoted to national parks and reserves of any country in the world.
This beautiful land is an ornithological melting pot where the avifaunas of Central and South America merge. Here we will see Central American species at the southern limits of their range, South American species at their northern limits and numerous species that are endemic to Costa Rica and western Panama.
For the birdwatcher the factor that makes Costa Rica so attractive is not simply its astonishingly rich avifauna, but the fact that it is packed into such a small area. In Costa Rica one could, if one wanted, drive from the Pacific lowlands up over the central highlands and down to the Caribbean lowlands in a matter of five or six hours, passing through every major habitat zone found in Central America!
This carefully crafted itinerary represents the most comprehensive bird tour of Costa Rica available, producing more of the regional specialities than any other. Superb, relatively easy birding, mostly good accommodations and quite good roads make birding this small but incredibly rich country a real pleasure.
During our travels we shall first explore the central valley around the capital, San Jose, as we look for montane and foothill specialities at Irazu Volcano, the scenic Tapanti National Park and the hospitable Rancho Naturalista in the Caribbean slope foothills. Amongst the numerous specialities at these great locations are Buffy-crowned Wood-Partridge, Black-bellied Hummingbird, the lovely Snowcap, Tawny-chested Flycatcher and Cabanis’s Ground-Sparrow.
From here we will make our way into the central highlands, reaching the subalpine zone at over 3000m at Cerro de la Muerte. Here we will find many montane specialities, including the incomparable Resplendent Quetzal, Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl, Fiery-throated Hummingbird, Ruddy Treerunner, Buffy Tuftedcheek, Ochraceous Pewee, Black-capped Flycatcher, Timberline Wren, Sooty and Mountain Robins, Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush, Long-tailed and Black-and-yellow Silky-flycatchers, Yellow-winged Vireo, Collared Redstart, Flame-throated and Black-cheeked Warblers, the curious Zeledonia (or Wrenthrush), which was formerly often placed in a family of its own, Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager, Black-thighed Grosbeak, Slaty Flower-piercer, Large-footed and Yellow-thighed Finches, and Volcano Junco.
Next we will visit Las Cruces and the Golfito region in the far southwest, where specialities include White-tailed Emerald, Chiriqui Yellowthroat and the endemic Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager, stopping en route at Dr Alexander Skutch’s famous ‘garden reserve’ at San Isidro.
Moving northwards, we come to the famous Carara Reserve where we will explore beautiful white sand beaches, mangrove swamps and some of the best remaining areas of lowland rainforest along the Pacific coast. Here, the magnificent Scarlet Macaw is still quite common and we will enjoy the host of other birds, including such stars as Boat-billed Heron at one end of the size spectrum and the endemic Mangrove Hummingbird at the other.
We then return to the mountains for the magnificent cloud forest and lush pastures of the northwestern highlands, staying at both the renowned Monteverde and at remote San Gerardo. Amongst the many special birds here are Highland Tinamou, Black Guan, Buff-fronted and Chiriqui Quail-Doves, Ochre-breasted Antpitta, Black-headed and Rufous-breasted Antthrushes, the spectacular Bare-necked Umbrellabird, the strange Three-wattled Bellbird, Rufous-browed Tyrannulet, Blue-and-gold Tanager and White-eared Ground-Sparrow.
During the optional extension we will visit the dry forests and wetlands of Guanacaste’s Nicoya Peninsula for such species as Great Curassow, Thicket Tinamou and Jabiru, and the Cordillera de Guanacaste where both Tody and Keel-billed Motmots occur. We will then explore the Nicaraguan border region and the marshy wetlands of Lago Caño Negro where we can find the restricted-range Nicaraguan Grackle and Nicaraguan Seed-Finch, as well as the strange Sungrebe. Moving to the Arenal Volcano we will seek additional Caribbean specialties including Black-crested Coquette, Streak-crowned Antvireo and Thicket Antpitta.
Our ultimate port of call on this speciality-rich tour will be the unforgettable, bird-rich rainforests of the Caribbean lowlands at the Organization of Tropical Studies’ reserve at La Selva. Snowy Cotinga is relatively straightforward to see here and we even have a good chance of observing the Great Green Macaw.
Birdquest has operated tours to Costa Rica since 1987.
Accommodation & Road Transport: The hotels/lodges are mostly of normal Birdquest standard, but at San Gerardo and at La Selva we shall stay at comfortable but fairly simple research stations. Bathroom facilities are sometimes shared at La Selva. Road transport is by small coach and roads are mostly good.
Walking: The walking effort is mostly easy, but there are a few moderate walks. There will be one optional short but strenuous uphill hike near Rancho Naturalista for Lovely Cotinga. Later in the tour, participants may either walk to and from San Gerardo, which is a moderately hard hike on the way back (uphill), or pre-arrange to be transported by ‘quad bike’ (please request this when booking).
Climate: At low altitudes it is generally hot, but at higher altitudes conditions range from warm to cool (even cold at the highest levels). Periods of sunny weather alternate with overcast spells. There is regular rainfall on the Caribbean slope, but elsewhere rainfall is less frequent and more irregular. It will be rather humid at times.
Bird Photography: Opportunities are worthwhile.
Important: Please see the Walking paragraph and let us know at the time of booking if you need quad bike transportation in either direction at San Gerardo.
Part-Tour Option: Subject to space being available, it is possible to take just the Northern Costa Rica section of the tour. Please contact us for further information.
Pricing
Pricing is available in £ | $
Tour Price: $4110 San Jose/San Jose. Post-Tour Extension: $2520. Price includes all transportation (including all flights), all accommodations, all meals, bottled water, some drinks, all excursions, all entrance fees, all tips for local drivers/guides and for accommodations/restaurants, leader services.
Single Room Supplement: $468. Post-Tour Extension: $288. The number of rooms at the research station at San Gerardo is limited. Anyone having to share a room there will be given an appropriate small refund.
Deposit: $440. Post-Tour Extension: $250. If booking more than 12 months before departure, the initial deposit is only $220.
Air Travel To & From The Tour: Our in-house IATA ticket agency can arrange your air travel in connection with the tour from a departure point anywhere in the world, or you may arrange your own air travel if you prefer. We can tailor-make your itinerary to your personal requirements, so if you would like to travel in advance of the tour (and spend a night in an hotel so you will feel fresh when the tour starts), or return later than the end of the tour, or make a side trip to some other destination, or travel business class rather than economy, we will be happy to assist. Please contact us about your air travel requirements.
Pricing is available in £ | $
Ours is the only tour to experience the incredible Bare-necked Umbrellabird at its display ground in the Caribbean foothills of the Children's Eternal Rainforest (tour participant Rainer Ertel)
Another special cotinga we should see is the gorgeous Turquoise Cotinga (Pete Morris)
Fiery-throated Hummingbird is a sometimes abundant regional endemic in the Cerro de la Muerte highlands. It is one of the 16 regional endemic hummingbirds seen on the tour (tour participant Rainer Ertel)
Great Curassows add to the often abundant wildlife spectacle on display, this is the male (tour participant Rainer Ertel)
... and the female Great Curassow (tour participant Rainer Ertel)
The lack of hunting here allows some species such as this Great Tinamou to be incredibly confiding (tour participant Rainer Ertel)
The remarkable Kell-billed Toucan is always popular (tour participant Rainer Ertel)
92 photos
View Gallery Photos From COSTA RICA
The remarkable Resplendent Quetzal, should be Costa Rica's national bird rather than the rather dull (though sweet-singing) Clay-coloured Thrush! (Pete Morris)
The wonderful Snowcap is just one of a long series of exciting hummingbirds that we'll see in Costa Rica (Pete Morris)
Green-fronted Lancebill is often found catching insects over montane forest streams, and Costa Rica is one of the best tours for seeing this species perched (tour participant Rainer Ertel)
Costa Rica is a great country for seeing owls. The Cerro de la Muerte highlands are home to the Bare-shanked Screech-Owl, one of the many highland endemics seen (tour participant Rainer Ertel)
Pacific Screech-Owl is an uncommon inhabitant of the northwestern dry forests (tour participant Rainer Ertel)
... and this is probably the best tour in the world to see the handsome Striped Owl (tour participant Rainer Ertel)
The diminutive Costa Rican Pygmy Owl, a cloudforest specialist can be found in the daytime (Pete Morris)
... and Costa Rica is a wonderful country for finding day-roosting owls, including this Spectacled Owl (tour participant Rainer Ertel)
... and this stunning Black-and-white Owl (Pete Morris)
The gorgeous Long-tailed Manakin (Pete Morris)
... and Turquoise-browed Motmot will provide plenty of colour (Pete Morris)
At La Selva we will hope to find an ant-swarm attended by the amazing Ocellated Antbird (Pete Morris)
We will also hope to find the inconspicuous Double-striped Thick-knee (Pete Morris)
In the Caño Negro region we will see the Nicaraguan Seed-Finch (tour participant Rainer Ertel)
...the restricted-range Nicaraguan Grackle (tour participant Rainer Ertel)
...and we should encounter the delightful Sungrebe during our Caño Negro boat tour (tour participant Rainer Ertel)
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