Short Costa Rica: Toucans to Quetzals

Costa Rica has long been celebrated as one of the world’s premier birding destinations, and few regions of this small, friendly country offer more in a short amount of time than the Caribbean lowlands and nearby mountains. This compact tour is designed as an action-packed introduction to Neotropical birding, with enough specialties and habitat variety to appeal equally to well-traveled birders.

Our route focuses on two of Costa Rica’s great birding zones: the lush Caribbean slope and the cool highlands of Cerro de la Muerte. In the Sarapiquí lowlands, we’ll explore tropical rainforest, second growth, forest edge, riverine habitat, and open country near the renowned La Selva Field Station. Here, the sheer abundance of birds can be dazzling. With luck, we may encounter Great Tinamou, Great Curassow, Snowy Cotinga, and even Great Green Macaw.

From the lowlands, we ascend into the foothill forests of Braulio Carrillo National Park, where birding can require patience but rewards may be exceptional. Mixed flocks, misty forest, and sudden bursts of activity may reveal such sought-after species as Lattice-tailed Trogon, Rufous-winged Woodpecker, Snowcap, Green Thorntail, and a colorful array of tanagers.

The tour concludes in the high montane forests of Cerro de la Muerte and San Gerardo de Dota, a dramatically different world of oak forest, rushing streams, flower-filled gardens, and cool mountain air. This region supports a suite of species found only in the highlands of Costa Rica and far western Panama, including Volcano Hummingbird, Fiery-throated Hummingbird, Large-footed Finch, Collared Redstart, Flame-throated Warbler, and Volcano Junco. It is also one of the best places in Costa Rica to seek the Resplendent Quetzal—one of the most beautiful birds in the world.

With only two main lodge bases during the week, this tour maximizes birding time while keeping logistics comfortable. Early mornings are important, as tropical bird activity is highest in the first hours of daylight, and most days include a midday break at the lodge. For travelers seeking a short, rich, and beautifully varied Costa Rica birding experience, this itinerary delivers an extraordinary range of birds, habitats, and scenery in just over a week.

This tour explores Costa Rica’s Caribbean lowlands, foothill forests, and high montane oak forests. In Sarapiquí, we’ll bird tropical rainforest, riverine forest, second growth, overgrown plantations, forest edge, and swampy pastures near La Selva Field Station. Braulio Carrillo National Park adds lush foothill forest, one of the country’s most intriguing and least predictable birding habitats. Higher still, Cerro de la Muerte and San Gerardo de Dota reveal cool temperate forest, bamboo thickets, highland scrub, trout streams, and flower-filled gardens, supporting a distinctive set of regional endemics.