Going birding in Costa Rica soon? I hope! As always, in Costa Rica, there is an impressive number of bird species crammed into a small area. For the birder, that means experiencing an avian cornucopia without having to drive hours, take internal flights, or make other major travel arrangements.
No planes, trains and autocar shuffling here! Best of all, it also means that Costa Rica is a major birding wonderland. If you come to Costa Rica, you will soon be able to enjoy this avian goodness. Hope these updates get you ready and excited for your trip:
Windy weather
Lately, there has been a lot of windy weather in Costa Rica. As I write from an urban corner of Heredia, the wind shakes the roof panels and whips the palms.
Some days, even nights, and in different parts of the country are like this. That was not fun because as every birder knows, the wind is not the best of birding conditions. Birds seek shelter, stay low, and sing less. It’s harder to see them but don’t worry, they’re still out there!
To recover from the wind, be sure to get out there bright and early and focus on sheltered areas. On a side note, if you’re in the woods and the wind picks up, get out! Don’t hesitate, get out of that forest as fast as you can.
Most of the tropical forests in Costa Rica are not adapted to windy conditions. Branches are broken, trees can fall, and you don’t want to be there. It’s not like it’s a big risk while birding in Costa Rica but why risk it? Locals are not in Tambopata, Peru. While I was working and looking for macaw nests in the Peruvian Amazon, one day, the wind picked up and some branches started to fall.
Never mind Jaguars or other animals, windy weather is one of the two times I’ve seen a friend in the area worry. Frowning, he watched the canopy sway and calmly said, “Yes, we’d better get out of here”. Then we rushed into the jungle and jumped into the boat to reach the safety of the open river.
Another time he was concerned (but apparently less concerned) was when there were large red wasps near a macaw nest. He didn’t have to warn me about them! Those wasps are not very pretty. They are large, red creatures that carefully fly in lazy circles near their nest. He said that if they started to circle wider and get closer, run like hell.
Luckily, we didn’t have to run away but don’t have to be careful around wasps in Costa Rica either.
Route 32 to Limon- Mostly Done!
It’s been a long time and it’s not done yet but, yes, most of Route 32 in Costa Rica is good to go! Route 32 is the main highway that connects San Jose to Limon.
The mountainous part is operational although occasional accidents and landslides may still temporarily close it. We are talking about the lower part of the road. In the last four or so years, there has been major road work to widen the two-lane road and turn it into a pleasant four-lane highway.
During the process, driving and sharing the strange construction maze became a challenge. At night, it’s also a living nightmare full of terrifying drop-off verges, dangerous detours, and shocking car-destroying craters.
Fortunately, it seems like most of that stressful driving is behind us. On a recent trip with the 32, we were pleased to find four lanes of fast, easy traffic for good stretches of road.
No more big holes and it’s faster to reach Limon! That’s not to say the road is finished and there are still some wacky, dangerous road situations (like obstacles that suddenly close the left lane) but it’s definitely improved.
For the visiting birder, this means faster driving times to and from the Limon area. However, I still wouldn’t do it at night and there are still scary twists and turns that swing you from one side of the road to the other.
Apparently, the whole thing will be done by the end of 2024. We’ve heard that before so we’ll see but I was definitely like it a week ago.
Unexpected First Raptors of 2024
Raptors in Costa Rica are around but they are far from abundant. Go to the right places and yes, you can find hawk-eagles but not always! For example, an Ornate Hawk-Eagle or two live near Cinchona. One is occasionally seen flying around but seeing it is a hit or miss situation.
Heck, you could easily go a whole year without seeing it in Cinchona. More likely raptor candidates when birding in Costa Rica are birds such as the Gray Hawk, Roadside Hawk, wintering Broad-winged Hawk, Short-tailed Hawk, and Coastal Common Black-Hawk.
At least you can expect to see some of those hawks. With that in mind, in addition to those usual birds, I am pleased that 2024 has already given me two hawk-eagles, a Hook-billed Kite, and a King Vulture.
We got lucky with a juvenile Ornate Hawk-Eagle at Quebrada Gonzalez. As we watched the mixed flock, the young eagle scared off the little birds by calling loudly. Got our attention too! Fortunately, someone in our group saw a bird, it stayed put, and we enjoyed the sights in scope, clutching in the talons.
The Black Hawk-Eagle appeared as they usually do; a floating bird that calls and flaps its wings above the rainforest. We saw that bird by chance during a short stop near Puerto Viejo de Talamanca. We’re on our way back from a trip to Bocas del Toro, something I can’t recommend right now, at least for a visit to Isla Colon. On that island, there is a massive construction project going on. It’s a bunch of dust, noise, and heat.
Kite and King Vulture were also seen at a short stop on our way to the border, quite close to Limon.
As a bonus, the only owl I saw in 2024 was one of the more challenging owl species in Costa Rica. One morning in Poas, we saw a Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl! As the bird is called, we were also attended by many hummingbirds, Black and yellow Silky-Flycatchers, chlorophonias, and other small birds that flock here.
A Crested Eagle Spotted…
This happened a few weeks ago so it’s old news. However, it is worth mentioning because any sighting of a large, rare raptor is important birding news!
While birding in a wooded area of Guacimo, up from Guapiles, a local birder was lucky enough to have good views of an adult Crested Eagle. It still has a victim; a partially consumed species of opossum!
This finding is very important because it may point to a small population living in the Caribbean foothills. There have been occasional sightings of Crested Eagles from and near the Caribbean foothills for many years. Last year, something was also captured near Pozo Azul!
However, we have no idea how much is going on in Costa Rica, or where they actually live. Perhaps some inhabit the dense and inaccessible forests of Braulio Carrillo National Park? In any case, one was seen near Guacimo, a place not that far from Centro Manu. Keep your birding fingers crossed!
Cinchona Update
Cinchona (aka the “Hummingbird Cafe” or the “Mirador de Catarata de San Fernando) is as good as ever. Common birds are visiting the feeders although there seem to be fewer hummingbirds than in the past.
Recent highlights include Black Guan and Yellow-winged Tanager. The Buff-fronted Quail-Dove is still present. On a recent visit, one was even rescued from the kitchen!
The management of the restaurant also seems to have improved and if you visit and don’t order something, they charge $3. I think they should charge photographers an hourly fee whether they eat there or not but for now it’s only $3 or a cup of coffee.
As always, I have more to say but these are the latest things and notes that come to mind. Whether preparing for a birding trip to Costa Rica soon or later, I hope this information helps. Hope you have a birdy day too and see you here!
