What will you see in two days of birding in Costa Rica? As anywhere, the experience is a function of location. In the birding way of things, we also have to factor in weather, time, and local birding knowledge. Beyond that, what we see depends on how those birds want to roll.
In Costa Rica, how the birds roll is where mixed flocks happen to be moving (will they cross your path?), if birds are feeding within your field, and if skulkers choose to come out and play
For the past seven days, I have been birding the Poas and Cinchona area one day and sites near San Ramon the next. There was some overlap but we saw a nice group of birds. No surprise there, it happens when you visit quality accommodations in Costa Rica.
In addition to sharing the birds with a wonderful group of people, these were some of the other highlights.
Wrenthrush
Wren what? Thrush? Wren? What’s going on with that funny little bird! Wrenthrush is certainly unique but personally, I prefer to use the one and only name for its genus, “Zeledonia”.
It’s a quick-sounding name, a one-of-a-kind word for a one-of-a-kind bird. It really is one of a kind too, I mean, has its own family and everything. Yes, the once aberrant warbler is the only member of the bird family endemic to the highlands of Costa Rica and Panama.
And we had a perfect view of the one on the road in Poas.
the bird is not rare, I often hear them along that road and many other suitable places but whether they let you see them or not, yes, that is another birding story.
Luckily, we had a wonderful close-up look at the orange-crowned, stub-tailed bird known as the Wrenthrush. I look forward to subsequent trips to the upland rainforest where I will experience more of this special little bird.
Cabanis’s Ground-Sparrow near San Ramon
Skulky roads and scattered populations of the endemic ground-sparrow can present challenges in spotting one. You’ll do best if you look for them early, like 6 a.m. In common with all local birds, you also have to look for them in the right places.
One area is a site just outside of San Ramon. In my Costa Rica birding book, this site is known as 4.1 a UCR Campus San Ramon. Looking back at what I wrote, I guess I have to edit it and say that you can see a surprising number of bird species on the dirt road along the south edge of campus.
This dirt road is also a good place to look for the ground-sparrow but as a testament to its hiding skills, we only saw one and it took a bit of effort to spot it. Eventually we got some good looks but it wasn’t easy!
This area also bounces with other birds. Long-tailed Manakin, several species of wren, various wintering warblers, a few woodcreepers, and more, the birds kept us busy!
White Hawk at Close Range
After our successful ground-sparrow date, we checked out some roadside cloud forest along the road that passes through the Reserva Valle de Los Quetzales. I was hoping we would see a quetzal but no, instead the birding was pretty poor.
We still managed excellent close views of a White Hawk and saw several middle elevation species such as Collared Trogon, Golden-browed Chlorophonia, and Scarlet-thighed Dacnis.
Coppery-headed Emerald, Black-bellied Hummingbird, and a bunch of Other Mini Dazzlers
Between birding around Poas and sites near San Ramon, we had a nice group of hummingbirds, 17 species in all. This includes spectacular and detailed views of the Coppery-headed Emerald, a svelte male Black-bellied Hummingbird, and miniscule Scintillant Hummingbirds among other species.
As always, at Poas, the Fiery-throated Hummingbirds entertained while the Volcano Hummingbirds did their bee-like thing. Crowned Woodnymphs also dazzled at Cocora, and we saw the bright beauty of a Purple-crowned Fairy near Varablanca.
Cinchona
Speaking of hummingbirds, this classic spot has yielded several species including the Violet Sabrewing, the aforementioned Black-bellied, Coppery-headed Emeralds, and several other species.
It’s also good for the other usual suspects including a hungry Black Guan and the occasional Buff-fronted Quail-Dove below. The Northern Emerald Toucanet gave a ghost but maybe next time? Comfort happened with both barbet species, Crimson-collared Tanager, and other sweet birds in the beautiful surroundings.
Despite bad weather in Poas and Cinchona, and windy, sunny weather near San Ramon, we still identified 150 species. View the trip report on eBird. Two days of birding is always good in Costa Rica, almost anywhere you bring wine. Going to Costa Rica soon? Practice with the bins and get ready for some major bird action!