Are you birding Costa Rica soon? Need some recommendations? Here’s my take on birding in Costa Rica in the last month of the year. These suggestions probably work for every December. In any case, I hope they help on your upcoming trip.
Expect Rain in the Mountains and the Caribbean Slope
“It’s raining again…”
It’s raining…but it’s not that bad. Well, at least not on the Pacific slope! Yes, in December, the dry season begins but not everywhere in Costa Rica. This country may be small but it is located at a major junction, a so-called continental divide.
Test your fishing skills at Walmart Woods and you’ll be urban birding on the Pacific slope. Go anywhere south of the mountains and it’s the same- all that water goes into the oceans where the Nazca Boobies dive and the Black Storm-Petrels nighthawk over the waves.
Bird the Pacific and the rains should stop or stop completely.
Go to the other side of the mountains, anywhere north of the volcanoes and tectonic lifts and you’ll join the currents that flow through the Caribbean. The Atlantic Ocean that is, waters where Great Shearwaters shear and Black-capped Petrels arc and wheel. And oh, we hope to see the lost birds in Costa Rica!
Over the Caribbean slope, it is generally wetter and has no historical, actual summer. In fact, it usually rains more in December but don’t worry! If you bring wine to Arenal, La Selva, or any other site on Costa Rica’s Caribbean slope, the birding will still be great. In fact, when the rain stops, it can be spectacular.
What about the mountains? What about people who head to Paraiso Quetzal, Savegre, and other montane birding sites in Costa Rica? Yes, bring a rainjacket or poncho and/or waterproof items. December is more hit or miss but once again, when the rain stops, the birds come out. They prefer it to the hot sun.
Don’t Overly Rely on eBird- Birds Are Where the Habitat is
eBird is a font of knowledge. Where would we be without it? It’s very useful, and for us OG phone bird alert, pager, and listserv folks, I daresay the platform is still revolutionary.
However. In Costa Rica, it’s not really the last say on birding. That’s because:
- Most coverage occurs at both sites and major birding circuits.
- Most lists do not show all birds seen or heard (because a high percentage of eBird users in Costa Rica do not know all bird vocalizations).
- And most listings are likely to have errors that can be difficult to filter out.
This is not to say that eBird is useless. No way! In Costa Rica, this is an excellent resource for birding. It just means that you should always remember that birds are not limited to hotspots or visible on eBird. They occur in their appropriate habitat.
Umbrellabirds at Centro Manu and Other Lowland Forest Sites
It’s that time of year again! Centro Manu continues to be one of the better sites for the Bare-necked Umbrellabird. However, this endangered bird is not common there. You may have to walk the paths for hours and really look for them. BUT, you will have a very good chance of seeing this mega, especially if you hire the on-site guide Kenneth. As a bonus, he might also know roosting sites for owls and potoos.
As for other lowland forest areas, yes, umbrellas should be there too. The best places are Veragua, the Rainforest Aerial Tram, and Pocosol but it can also happen in Quebrada Gonzalez, the San Luis Canopy, the road to Manuel Brenes, Nectar and Pollen, La Selva, Tirimbina, Arenal, and any place if where the main lowlands. and the foothill forest is connected to the highland forest.
Those exotic big cotingas are hard to come by.
Find Rare Birds- You Can See Common Birds Too!
The best birding is not in hotel gardens. Ok, so it all depends on what you mean by “best birding” but in this case, I mean birding that gives you the best chance at the most bird species. As with all places on Earth, that means visiting the largest area of intact habitat. In Costa Rica, that usually translates to mature, intact forest.
Naturally, such places also coincide with the best sites for rare birds. Focus on those rare species and you’ll see the common ones too. You will also see many unusual bird species. Just be sure to spend some time at the edge of the forest and scanning the canopy before walking under the trees.
Want to see leaftossers? I know, say what? But seriously, leaftossers, leafhoppers, more chickens, and many other birds. You will have to leave the tanagers in the garden and visit the quality forest habitats.
Avoid Rush Hour Driving in the Central Valley
As a final note, I’ll just mention, no, you are urged to avoid driving through the Central Valley during rush hour. The Central Valley is basically San Jose and all its urban connections. There are huge traffic jams every day, probably made worse by roadwork, always with the daily fender benders.
Drive here and you’ll lose hours of birding time (in addition to testing your stress levels). Avoid this by NOT driving Monday through Friday in the Central Valley during these times:
5:45 am-8:30 am
4:00 pm-6:30 pm
It can also be gridlocked on Saturdays! However, Sundays are fun driving days except for going up Route 27. On Sunday afternoon, the days rush hour traffic is moved there by crowds of people returning from the beaches.
If you have to drive in and out of the Central Valley, leave early, at least 5, and stay out all day. Instead of wasting time in traffic, eat out and then go owl somewhere. That would be more fun!
I’m sure I could spend more days but these suggestions will help for now. For more information on birding in Costa Rica, find this very blog and support it by purchasing “How to See, Find, and Identify Birds in Costa Rica”. It’s also a great way to prepare for your birding trip- it has up-to-date information about most birding sites in Costa Rica along with tips for seeing and identifying them all.
Hope to see you here! Happy Thanksgiving and happy birding!
