Skip to navigation, or go to main content.

WINGS Birding Tours – Photo Gallery

Costa Rica in March

Our itinerary takes us from the quetzals in the cool Talamanca Highlands … …with their sometimes breathtaking views… …to the Osa Peninsula with regional endemics such as Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager… …and Fiery-billed Aracari… …to the lush forests of Monteverde… …and to the Caribbean lowlands with such famous showstoppers as Keel-billed Toucan… …and rare views such as Arenal volcano. Along the way, we amass an impressive list of bird species – usually over 450 species – many during impromptu roadside stops. (jcr) Sometimes we search quietly for secretive birds like this Gray-necked Wood-Rail… …or perhaps a bold Turquoise-browed Motmot on a fence post. Sometimes the birds are in all directions and you just don’t know which way to look. (jcr) We stay in several very nice hotels, the one in San José having lovely gardens with some worthwhile birds… (kh) …while our hillside hotel in Monteverde commands a wonderful view of the Pacific lowlands… …with a sunset to highlight the Gulf of Nicoya below. Our lodging on the Osa Peninsula is more like a jungle lodge… …complete with a view of the jungle and its associated bird life. In our travels we visit several habitat types, such as the southernmost oak forest… …where many of the birds, such as this Hairy Woodpecker, become subjects in a discussion of biogeography and evolution. Or we learn how to separate potentially confusing species such as this Great Kiskadee… …from this White-ringed Flycatcher. Though birds are our main focus, the object of fascination might not always be a bird. There are amazing butterflies in the tropics, such as this fancy metalmark, the Northern Chorinea… …or this Red Cracker. While the lush scenery begs to have its photo taken at every turn… …small plants, such as this Episcia lilacina – related to the African Violet – may require a macro lens. …a good telephoto, or better yet, your spotting scope and pocket camera are useful for birds such as this Great Potoo… This giant <i>Gunnera insignis</i> might need a wide-angle, however. Hoffmann’s Two-toed Sloth is one of two species of sloth we usually see… …and if we spend some time looking, frogs are ubiquitous. Here a Red-eyed Treefrog… …here a Masked Treefrog… …and here a Strawberry Poison Frog. Sometimes it pays to look at other things – Army Ants might attract rare antbirds. Our attention will always be drawn back to birds. A Black-and-yellow Silky-flycatcher hunts for berries in the highlands… …Scarlet Macaws pass over the Osa lowlands… …while Bare-throated Tiger-Herons love open areas near water… ..and there are migrants from the north such as this Scarlet Tanager. In Costa Rica there are no bad options. Just ask a Great Curassow.

Top of page