BIRD
WATCHING
IN
COSTA RICA
Costa
Rica is a birdwatcher's paradise! There are abundant opportunities
to see interesting
birds around every bend in the road. The best way to see them
is to rent a four-wheel
drive vehicle and head out into the countryside. Let's go!
The habitat of the Scarlet Macaw
in the Osa Peninsula in southwestern Costa Rica
is lowland rain forest. Freshwater streams such as the one at
right, photographed at Cabo Matapalo, Bosque
del Cabo Rain Forest Lodge, cascade directly into the ocean.
In the trees above, Scarlet Macaws roosted. |
 |
|
Athough they are a bit nervous
when they spot humans, Scarlets are frequently seen in the area
and announce their presence with raucous calls that echo in the
dense forest. The nearby Corcovado National Park offers some
protection to this endangered species but privately held land
reserves in the Cabo Matapalo area, such as Bosque del Cabo,
are also vital as they provide buffer zones near the park where
the birds can feed. Birds know nothing of official park boundries.
These two macaws were photographed near the town square of the
town of Puerto Jimenez on the Osa Peninsula, and these magnificent
macaws are also easily seen on the Bosque del Cabo Lodge grounds. |
 |
|
This Swainson's Toucan (Ramphastos
swainsonii) was spotted on the dusty coastal road between Dominical
and Uvita. The Pan Am Highway will soon replace the dusty road. |
 |
|
This lovely pair of Blue-Headed
Pionus was photographed having a bit of palm-fruit breakfast
on the grounds of a small hotel near Cahuita on the southeast
coast of Costa Rica. Parrots were very plentiful in this area
which is near the Panamanian border. In the early morning, one
can observe hundreds of Amazon Parrots flying overhead to feeding
areas in the south. There are a lot of species in this area which
do not occur in other areas of Costa Rica. |
 |
|
One of
the most beautiful birds in the world is also one of the most
elusive: the Resplendant Quetzal. This bird lives only in high
altitude cloud forests in Central America. Bird watchers from
around the world attempt to make a sighting of this rare species.
This gorgeous male made his fleeting appearance at 6:30 AM in
the mountains above San Gerardo de Dota in Central Costa Rica.
A local expert, Senor Chacon, quite graciously took a small group
to observe the feeding trees of this species and we were amply
rewarded! |
 |
Senor Chacon owns a lodge nearby
where
one can see numbers of local hummingbirds that flock to his feeders.
Five species of hummingbirds were easily observed from the lodge's
restaurant. Other species spotted in the area included Hoffman's
Conure, Emerald Toucanette, and AcornWoodpecker. (See the June
'98 issue of National Geographic Magazine for an excellent article
on the
Resplendant Quetzal!) |
 |
|
Even at the coast there are birds
to see! These egrets on the beach at Playa Cuajiniquil near the
Santa Rosa National Park in northwestern Costa Rica were oblivious
to our presence. Chattering Touit Parakeets and Orange-Fronted
Conures took a siesta in the trees nearby . |
 |
This is only a small glimpse of
the incredible bird life of Costa Rica. With approximately 840
species of birds recorded in this small country, it is truly a
world class bird-watching destination.
 |
ORDER FROM AMAZON.COM: |
Organization
of Tropical Studies, Costa Rica
Main Page
All photographs
are by Gail J. Worth and are copyrighted. They may not be reproduced
by any method without written permission.
You may stop the music
if you wish
