 | Although Costa Rica is a small country, it has a good population of avifauna as it lies in the bird-rich neo-tropical region. Costa Rica's national bird is the commonly seen clay-colored Robin. The country boasts of 1/10th of the world’s total bird population. Over 894 bird species have been recorded in the country including Cocos Island. This makes bird watching in Costa Rica an enjoyable trip for avid bird watchers. |
The official list of the Asociación Ornitológica de Costa Rica contains 857 species of which 19 species are globally threatened. About 600 of the total species are resident while most of the others are regular visitors being winter migrants from North America. Birds that have disappeared in other regions are still safe in protected lands in Costa Rica, though many species face extinction from deforestation here as well.
The most commonly spotted birds in Costa Rica are the Anhinga, Cormorants, Aracaris Toucans, Doves, Pigeons, Egrets, Herons, Storks, Humming Bird, Motmots, Parrots and Macaws. Costa Rica boasts of 100 species of seabirds and shorebirds, including a wide variety of gulls. One can enjoy bird watching near the seashore as Pelicans, Boobies, Storm Petrels, Jaegers, Terns, Oystercatchers, Whimbrels, Waterfowls and Sandpipers can be spotted there.
| Costa Rica has over 50 species of tanagers. They are small and vivaciously colored birds that have liking for dark tropical forests. The species of passerines include Sparrows, Robins, Finches, Antbirds, Blackbirds, Flycatchers, Warblers and Wrens. Costa Rica also has 10 species of trogons. Many bird-watchers travel to Costa Rica simply to catch sight of the quetzal or trogon. |  |
There are almost 50 raptor species in Costa Rica. They are birds that hunt down live prey with their claws. Hawks, Kites, Eagles, Falcons, Vultures and owls are amongst them.
There are four prime avifaunal regions in Costa Rica, which just about correspond to the major geographic subdivisions of the country. They are namely, the Northern Pacific Lowlands, the Southern Pacific Lowlands, the Caribbean Lowlands, and the Interior highlands. These are the best places for bird watching in Costa Rica. However, rather than going deep into dense forest for bird watching, it is always better to find a location on the edge of the forest or a watercourse to have good view of the birds.
http://www.gowealthy.com/article/905/index.asp
