Casual Costa Rica

After leaving our home airports in the early morning, we’ll arrive in Costa Rica and clear customs. Once outside, we’ll drive across San Jose, the capital, to our hotel, where we’ll relax and enjoy the first night in this tropical paradise.

Night: Hotel Bougainvillea

Meals: D

With optional pre-breakfast birding, we’ll search the hotel gardens for our first species, including the resident Mottled Owl. Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds should be common, while warblers, motmots, and chachalacas might be around. White-eared Ground-Sparrows, a beautifully colored bird, can also be found hopping around the garden.

After breakfast, we’ll head through the mountains to Nectar & Pollen Reserve, a privately owned reserve, which is a great place to search for hummingbirds. Some of the possible species include White-necked Jacobin, Green and Long-billed hermits, Green Thorntail, Crowned Woodnymph, and Black-crested Coquette. We’ll scan the skies for King Vulture and White Hawk, while Rufous Motmot, Collared Aracari, Crimson-collared Tanager, and many more species visit the feeders.

In the afternoon, we’ll visit Guarumo Lodge, where we’ll eat lunch and enjoy the fruit feeders. Red-legged, Green, and Shining honeycreepers are all common, while Russet-naped Wood-Rails pick up scraps. After we’ve enjoyed the feeders to our hearts’ content, we’ll head into the mountains towards El Copal and our lodging for the next couple of nights.

Night: El Copal Reserve

Meals: BLD

A community-run nature reserve located on the edge of the Talamanca Range, El Copal is often overlooked by visiting birders. Yet the property and its trails are arguably the best place in the country to see otherwise difficult species. One of the main highlights is the property’s population of Snowcaps, a tiny, bright purple hummingbird with a large white forehead. The whole day will be dedicated to slowly exploring the property. Some of the main species we’ll target, in addition to the hummingbirds, are Yellow-eared Toucanet, Barred Hawk, Ashy-throated Chlorospingus, Rufous-browed Tyrannulet, and White-crowned Manakin, along with the many species of tanagers, trogons, and flycatchers that call the reserve home.

Night: El Copal Reserve

Meals: BLD

Today we’ll make a day trip to the famous Rancho Naturalista. With its feeders and trails, it’s been historically one of the best places to find Lovely Cotinga, although in recent years the species seems to have left the property. Nonetheless, the feeders and pools attract a myriad of species, including Crested Guan, Garden Emerald, Lesson’s Motmot, Orange-billed Sparrow, Montezuma Oropendola, Golden-hooded Tanager, and many more.

After lunch, we’ll head into one of the surrounding valleys, where we’ll check some of the bodies of water for a variety of waterfowl, both wintering and resident. Among the Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks and Muscovy Ducks, we’ll keep our eyes peeled for Blue-winged Teal and Lesser Scaup. Herons and egrets will also be around, while Purple Gallinules move nimbly through the floating vegetation. Snail Kites hunt overhead while a variety of kingfishers dive off their perches. We’re sure to add several species to the trip list today!

Night: El Copal Reserve

Meals: BLD

After packing our bags and saying goodbye to El Copal, we’ll head to another local reserve. Here, we’ll target any local species we’ve missed, and even have an outside chance at one of the rarest birds in Costa Rica: Lancolated Monklet. Finding mixed flocks will be our goal, and with luck, we’ll run into multiple antbirds, flycatchers, euphonias, wrens, and warblers.

In the afternoon, we’ll continue our drive around the mountains towards our next hotel.

Night: Hotel Quelitales

Meals: BLD

Now at a higher elevation, we’ll spend the day exploring Tapanti National Park and the surrounding roads. Black Guans will have replaced their lower elevation cousins, while Purple-throated Mountain-gems will hopefully be spotted visiting flowering plants. Both Red-headed and Prong-billed barbets can be found with mixed flocks, while Silvery-fronted Tapaculos can be heard calling from the dense brush. Mixed warbler flocks may hold residents such as Tropical Parula and Slate-throated Redstart, joined by wintering migrants including Golden-winged and Chestnut-sided warblers.

In the afternoon, we’ll return to our hotel and check the gardens for some specialties of the property, including Green-fronted Lancebill, White-bellied Mountain-gem, and White-naped Brushfinch. With luck, as dusk approaches, we may get eyes on the secretive Scaled Antpitta, which sometimes comes in to worms placed on a rock.

Night: Hotel Quelitales

Meals: BLD

The exact location of where we explore today will depend not only on the weather but also on what birds we’re still searching for. We’ll venture high above the clouds, with one of our main targets being the iconic Resplendent Quetzal. We’ll also be in range of species including Fiery-throated Hummingbird and Long-tailed and Black-and-yellow silky-flycatchers, which may lead us to a hunting Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl. With luck, we may stumble upon something rare and unusual.

Night: Hotel Quelitales

Meals: BLD

On our final full day, we’ll spend the morning exploring the grounds of the hotel, enjoying the dawn chorus, and the variety of species coming in to the multiple feeders. Keel-billed Toucans can be heard calling from the hillsides, while Violet Sabrewings aggressively defend the feeders. There’s also a wide variety of butterflies around!

When bird activity has slowed down, we’ll begin to make our way back towards San Jose and our final hotel, with ample time to relax and pack bags to ensure easy travel the next day. And don’t forget about any souvenirs you may have purchased!

Night: Hotel Bougainvillea

Meals: BLD

We’ll depart after breakfast for the airport and our flights home, full of memories and with plenty of photos to sort through!

Meals: B