Costa Rica is not a vast country. We don’t have endless landscapes stretching beyond the horizon and yet, there is still so much to discover. The humid tropical forests are full of dense vegetation, teeming with life. Hidden wetlands echo and hide from valleys, and even old overgrown fields can hide a Lesser Ground-Cuckoo.
What else is sheltered among the “weeds”?
Like every shore, sailing at sea is an open window for tantalizing opportunities. What will fly today? What could wander from distant marine realms, however unlikely? Costa Rica’s dual coastlines provide two such lottery birding opportunities.
Even in the same old birding spots, there’s always more to see. Bird some of the richer areas and you can get lifers on every one of a dozen visits (no kidding, you just have to know where to go birding in Costa Rica). You can also stay on the famous birding circuit and connect with literally hundreds of species.
You can’t go wrong but, for the more adventurous, additional birding corners await exploration. These are places that are off the beaten path, too far from other sites to fit into tours or just too remote. For a country the size of West Virginia, as one might imagine, the least visited sites are probably near Panama or Nicaragua.
Last weekend, we visited one of those remote places. It’s an area I’ve wanted to check out for a while but always end up birding similar sites just a little closer. That place is Gandoca and it’s a bit at the end of the road.
Gandoca is a small settlement just on the other side of the Gandoca-Manzanillo Reserve. Go there and you’re close to Panama. Heck, on the way there, you’ll see forested hills in Panama that probably host the Harpy Eagle. No such mega massive eagles greeted us at Gandoca but we still had fun and exciting birding. Check out the trip report on eBird and some observations and suggestions based on this past trip:
The Road into Gandoca is Bumpy and Not very Birdy
The highway is beautiful. Really. No holes, fast, easy, that’s not what you usually find in Costa Rica! However, once you turn off the highway, you’re in for a few kilometers of classic, rocky road bumpiness.
It’s not too bad but just saying, it’s good to prepare. The birding along the way is not good either. Yes, it’s OK but at least half of the road passes through banana farms, tree farms, and some pastures. We rode at night hoping for unusual nightjars but nope, just Common Pauraques, at least that night.
Best Habitat is close to Gandoca and the Colibri Ecolodge
The title says it all. The best habitats are the forests closer to Gandoca and the Colibri Ecolodge (Colibri Cabinas). Although they are not primarily forest, they are still mature enough to host a fair number of forest birds. I bet they might even host a surprise or two.
Rufescent Tiger-Heron! Uniform Crake! Hermit in Abundance!
I think this is our “best bird”. A tiger-heron hangs out in a backyard ditch in Colibri. Amazingly, we almost missed it! Fortunately, we ran into Richard Garrigues (author of Birds of Costa Rica) and some of his family. Richard told us about the tiger-heron and seconds later we were all admiring this unusual Costa Rican bird up close.
The crake is not surprising, this species is really common in Costa Rica. You won’t see too many of those mammal wannabes, though. On our last morning, while admiring a caiman in a roadside pool, a juvenile Uniform Crake came out of the forest and we watched it pick at the water’s edge. We were glad the caiman didn’t turn around and try a crake sandwich.
As for the hermits, they are kind and common. It’s always fun to hear and see Long-billed Hermits in action but the birding gets even better when all four possible species appear.
Serious Migration
We were really lucky on Saturday. On Friday night, there must have been a huge wave of migration. In the morning, invisible, humming Dickcissel pass overhead while small flocks of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Scarlet and Summer Tanagers, and Swainson’s Thrushes forage in the trees.
The foliage was also full of Bay-breasted Warblers, and wood-pewees and a few Empids sallied from the edge of the forest. An Olive-sided Flycatcher led a snag, and Eastern Kingbirds flew into view.
No cuckoos or other rare birds were seen but it was still impressive.
Not to mention, migrants disturb the fruiting figs with trogons, Crested Guan, chachalacas, tanagers, and other local birds. Stuff is busy, it’s deep chocolate goodness.
See New Birds for Costa Rica
Another thing I highly recommend while visiting Gandoca is looking for new birds for Costa Rica. I am ashamed to admit that I have not done this noble work as I should have done. However, in the future, I suggest looking seriously for Pacific Antwren, White-tailed Trogon, Blue Cotinga, Cocoi Heron, Cattle Tyrant, Carib Grackle, and Rufous-breasted Hermit.
I’d say any of these birds are possible in that area (maybe more along the main highway) and that’s why I’ve included them in the Costa Rica Birding App as “unseen” birds. The hermit in particular is easy to miss. I mean, it looks so much like a Bronzy Hermit, you’ll need pictures showing the undertail coverts and the face.
Other Birds, Nearby, Little Birded Sites
Bird Gandoca for sure but if you can, it’s also worth dedicating time to birding other sites in the area. Those are places like Paradise Road, sites near Bribri, Manzanillo, and the RECOPE road to name a few.
Visit Gandoca and you need to be prepared to drive for a good way. Make sure your car is charged and don’t expect many shops in the area but you will find peace. You will also see many birds, maybe something mega.
