Guide

Planning a Costa Rica Birdwatching Trip

Costa Rica packs highland, lowland, wetland and coastal birding into a small country. The key is choosing a few habitats and giving each one time.

Updated: October 29, 2026. Tour availability, park rules and prices change, so check the booking page or park authority before you go.

Yellow-throated toucan (Ramphastos ambiguus), Costa Rica · Photo: WildPhotography.com

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Think in habitats, not in lists

Birding routes in Costa Rica usually combine several elevation zones. Cloud forest (Monteverde and other highlands), the Caribbean lowlands (Sarapiquí, Tortuguero), the Pacific transition zone (Carara), and the dry northwest (Guanacaste and Palo Verde) each hold a different set of species. Two or three habitats over a week is more relaxed and often more productive than racing between five.

Suggested combinations

Trip length	Route idea	Why
5–6 days	Sarapiquí → La Fortuna → Monteverde	Lowland rainforest, foothills and cloud forest with manageable drives
8–10 days	Add Carara and the Central Pacific	Transition-zone species and coastal birds
10+ days	Add Palo Verde (dry season) or Osa	Wetland birds, or remote Pacific lowland forest

When to go

The dry season (roughly December to April on the Pacific side) is the most popular time for birding trips, with northern migrants present over the winter months. The green season has fewer visitors, lush forest and many resident species breeding. Monteverde is misty at any time. In Guanacaste, the dry season concentrates waterbirds in the remaining wetlands.

Hire a local birding guide at least once

Local guides know territories, calls and current hotspots. Book an early-morning session at the start of each region, then bird on your own. Ask whether the tour is small-group, whether a scope is used, and what time it starts. Good birding usually starts at dawn.

A birding day

Dawn to mid-morning: the most active period, so be on the trail.
Midday: rest, check feeders where lodges have them, review photos.
Late afternoon: a second, shorter session.
Evening: an optional night walk for owls, potoos and frogs.

Gear

8x42 or 10x42 binoculars, with rain guards
A field guide or app for Costa Rican birds
Rain cover for camera and binoculars
Neutral-coloured clothing

Resplendent quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno), Costa Rica · Photo: WildPhotography.com

About the quetzal

The resplendent quetzal draws many birders to Monteverde. Guides often know fruiting trees where quetzals feed, particularly wild avocado relatives, but there is no guarantee. Give yourself at least two mornings in the highlands if seeing one matters to you.