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 Bird watching is a rewarding and delightful experience in
Costa Rica, which has some 878 recorded species of birds. Their
large number is also representative of 8% of total of the world
species. The unusual and varied terrain of Costa Rica is also
responsible for different species of flora and fauna existing here.
The terrains of certain places in Costa Rica are so varied that
they have resulted in six or seven life zones. There are oak
forests, cloud forests, tropical rainforests, and lowlands, which
are filled with a diverse range of birds.
Parks and Reserves for Birds
In Costa Rica, there are forests, biological reserves and islands,
housing various species of birds. Some of the parks have been
established in Costa Rica with the sole purpose of saving the
habitats of the birds. The parks like Hitoy-Cerere Biological
Reserve and Isla del Coco National Park abound in bird species. The
Hitoy reserve is a home to some 115 species, while Isla del Coco
National Park houses some 97 species of birds. There are many
species of birds that are endemic also. In Isla del Coco National
Park, the endemic species are the Cocos Island cuckoo, Cocos Island
flycatcher and Cocos Island finch. The Curú National Wildlife
Refuge is a home to 223 species of birds. The various birds you can
easily spot here are: hawks, swallows, egrets, motmots,
hummingbirds, trogons, roseate spoonbills and fish eagles. The
Samasti Biological Reserve is also famous for its various species
of birds. Amongst the antbirds, you can find here Chestnut-backed
antbird, ocellated antbird, bicolored antbird, scaly-throated
leaftosser, species of tanagers and trogons, hummingbirds, such as
the long-tailed hermit, the red-footed plumleteer, or the
white-necked Jacobin. However, it is the La Amistad International
Park that takes away the cake with about 300 species of birds.
 Quetzals: These are the beautiful birds whose
beauty are awe-inspiring and have found their way in the mythology
of Columbia. They are found in the regions of Cerro de la Muerte
and Monteverde. Quetzals feathers were very precious. In Costa
Rica, the quetzals are protected in the parks of Braulio Carrillo,
Poás, Chirrip and La Amistad. These birds are endangered
because of the cutting down of the cloud forests.
Hummingbirds: Costa Rica has some 51 species of
hummingbirds. The birds are as beautiful as the name suggests. The
species found here include green-crowned brilliant, purple-throated
mountaingem, buffon's plummeteer, and fiery-throated hummingbird.
They enjoy the distinction of flying back and forth as well.
Macaws: These birds are found more commonly in Central
and South America. They are one of the largest of the neotropical
parrots, colored in the bright hues of yellow, blue, green or red.
There are only two species found in Costa Rica - the scarlet and
the great green macaw. The national parks of Corcovado and Carara
National Park house these birds.
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