Birding in Costa Rica: where to go, what to see, and when
Costa Rica packs more than 900 bird species into a country smaller than West Virginia — from scarlet macaws over the Pacific to resplendent quetzals in the cloud forest. This guide covers the specialties to target, the best areas to bird, and which birds are year-round vs. seasonal, so you can plan a trip and walk in already knowing the birds.
Going to Costa Rica? Practice the birds you'll see →
Target species: the birds you come for
A few headliners define the trip list, and knowing them on sight is the difference between a good day and a great one:
- Resplendent Quetzal — the bird most people travel for; highland cloud forest
- Scarlet Macaw — the Pacific lowlands, over Carara and the Osa
- Great Green Macaw — the Caribbean lowlands
- Keel-billed & Yellow-throated Toucans — iconic and widespread
- Three-wattled Bellbird & the motmots — cloud-forest headliners
- Hummingbirds — Fiery-throated, Violet Sabrewing, Snowcap, and dozens more
Browse the full list on eBird ↗.
Best areas to bird
Rather than a strict day-by-day route, think of it as a handful of distinct birding zones — most trips string together two or three. Each links to a quiz and to eBird:
1. Talamanca highlands — San Gerardo de Dota / Savegre
The classic quetzal valley: high-elevation cloud forest with Talamanca and Fiery-throated Hummingbirds, and your most reliable shot at the resplendent quetzal.
2. Monteverde cloud forest
The other cloud-forest anchor — quetzals, Three-wattled Bellbird, hummingbird gardens, and mixed flocks along famous reserve trails.
3. Caribbean lowlands — Sarapiquí & Boca Tapada
Steamy lowland rainforest: Great Green Macaw, Snowy Cotinga, toucans, antbirds, and Sunbittern along quiet rivers.
4. Central & South Pacific — Carara & the Osa Peninsula
Scarlet Macaws are the draw, plus Fiery-billed Aracari and Baird's Trogon in wild, rich Corcovado.
5. Arenal & the northern foothills
Volcano foothills and hanging-bridge trails, great for mixed tanager flocks, motmots, and lowland-to-midland birds.
Birds year-round vs. by season
Around all year
Costa Rica's resident specialties don't migrate — the headline birds are present in every season, so the core trip list holds whenever you go:
- Scarlet Macaw, Great Green Macaw, Keel-billed and Yellow-throated Toucans.
- Resplendent Quetzal, Three-wattled Bellbird, motmots, Montezuma Oropendola.
- The resident hummingbirds, tanagers, and antbirds that make up the bulk of any day list.
Explore all species on eBird ↗.
Specialties by season
- Late winter–spring (Feb–May) — quetzal breeding season, when they're most active and reliable at highland sites; many residents nesting.
- Boreal migration & winter (Oct–Apr) — North American migrants overlay the residents — warblers, thrushes, shorebirds, and raptors.
- Green season (May–Nov) — lush and active, fewer visitors; some altitudinal movements bring highland birds lower.
When to go
- Dry season (mid-December–April) — the popular window: easiest travel and road access, plus peak quetzal viewing toward late winter.
- Green season (May–November) — lush, far fewer crowds, active breeding birds, with reliable afternoon rain (Sep–Oct wettest).
Nearby & for a bigger trip
- Extend the trip into the wider Neotropics: Birding in Panama and Colombia share many families and specialties.
- How-to: What is an eBird hotspot? · all birding guides
Prepare before you go
With 900+ species, the fastest way to get more out of a Costa Rica trip is to walk in already recognizing the common and signature birds — so your guide's “quetzal!” lands on a bird you know, not a scramble through a field guide.