The birds of Costa Rica
Wendy and I first visited Costa Rica in 2019 on Indiana Audubon trips in February and then again in October of that year. After a delay forced by Covid, we returned in October of 2021. A forth visit took place in February of 2022 and finally a fifth trip occurred during February of 2024. Four of these trips were led by Juan Diego Vargas of Lifer Nature Tours and one by Herman Venegas Paniagua - both terrific guides! In addition to the amazing birds, we thoroughly enjoyed the lodges, scenery, and friendly people of Costa Rica. The following photos are an accumulation of all five trips.
Great Tinamou
Great Curassow
Gray-headed Chachalaca
Black Guan
Crested Guan
Black-eared Wood-quail
Spotted Wood-quail
Sungrebe
Muscovy Duck
Sunbittern
Bare-throated Tiger-heron (adult)
Bare-throated Tiger-heron (immature)
Fasciated Tiger-heron
Pinnated Bittern
Agami Heron (adult)
Agami Heron (immature)
Boat-billed Heron
Green Ibis
Double-striped Thick-knee
Jabiru
Southern Lapwing
Collared Plover
Northern Jacana (adult)
Northern Jacana (juvenile)
Uniform Crake
White-throated Crake
Yellow-breasted Crake
Russet-naped Wood-rail
Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture
King Vulture
Gray-headed Kite
Black-collared Hawk (immature)
Plumbeous Kite
Tiny Hawk
Barred Hawk
White Hawk
Semiplumbeous Hawk
Double-toothed Kite
Common Black-hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Ornate Hawk-eagle
Yellow-headed Caracara (adult)
Yellow-headed Caracara (immature)
Laughing Falcon
Collared Forest-falcon
Striped Owl
Crested Owl
Spectacled Owl
Mottled Owl
Pacific Screech-owl
Middle American Screech-owl
Bare-shanked Screech-owl
Ferruginous Pygmy-owl
Great Potoo
Common Potoo
Common Pauraque
White-collared Swift
Mangrove Swallow
Blue-and- white Swallow
Southern Rough-winged Swallow
Gray-breasted Martin
White-tipped Sicklebill
Violet Sabrewing
Band-tailed Barbthroat
Green Hermit
Long-billed Hermit
Stripe-throated Hermit
Green-crowned Brilliant
Talamanca Hummingbird (male)
Talamanca Hummingbird (female)
Fiery-throated Hummingbird
Purple-crowned Fairy
Blue-chested Hummingbird
Charming Hummingbird
White-necked Jacobin (male)
White-necked Jacobin (female)
Blue-vented Hummingbird
Crowned Woodnymph (male)
Crowned Woodnymph (female)
Snowy-bellied Hummingbird
Stripe-tailed Hummingbird
White-tailed Emerald
Coppery-headed Emerald
Blue-throated Goldentail
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Cinnamon Hummingbird
Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer
Green-breasted Mango
Brown Violetear
Lesser Violetear
White-throated Mountain-gem
Purple-throated Mountain-gem
Green Thorntail (male)
Green Thorntail (female)
Black-crested Coquette
White-crested Coquette
Snowcap
Violet-headed Hummingbird
Magenta-throated Woodstar
Scintillant Hummingbird
Volcano Hummingbird
Scaled Pigeon
Short-billed Pigeon
Red-billed Pigeon
Ruddy Ground-dove
Ruddy Quail-dove
Crimson-fronted Parakeet
Olive-throated Parakeet
Orange-fronted Parakeet
Orange-chinned Parakeet
Brown-hooded Parakeet
White-crowned Parrot
Scarlet Macaw
Yellow-naped Parrot
Red-lored Parrot
Squirrel Cuckoo
Lesser Ground-cuckoo
Rufous-vented Ground-cuckoo
Black-headed Trogon
Gartered Trogon
Baird's Trogon
Collared Trogon
Slaty-tailed Trogon
Resplendent Quetzal
Lesson's Motmot
Broad-billed Motmot
Keel-billed Motmot
Rufous Motmot
Turquoise-browed Motmot
Tody Motmot
Amazon Kingfisher
American Pygmy Kingfisher
Green-and-rufous Kingfisher
White-necked Puffbird
White-fronted Nunbird
Pied Puffbird
White-whiskered Puffbird
Rufous-tailed Jacamar
Red-headed Barbet (male)
Red-headed Barbet (female)
Prong-billed Barbet
Emerald Toucanet
Collared Aracari
Fiery-billed Aracari
Yellow-eared Toucanet
Keel-billed Toucan
Yellow-throated Toucan
Black-cheeked Woodpecker
Golden-naped Woodpecker
Hoffmann's Woodpecker
Red-crowned Woodpecker
Golden-olive Woodpecker
Smoky-brown Woodpecker (nesting)
Pale-billed Woodpecker
Chestnut-colored Woodpecker
Northern Barred Woodcreeper
Wedge-billed Woodcreeper
Plain-brown Woodcreeper
Tawny-winged Woodcreeper
Cocoa Woodcreeper
Spotted Woodcreeper
Streak-headed Woodcreeper
Spot-crowned Woodcreeper
Spotted Barbtail
Ruddy Treerunner
Slaty Spinetail
Fasciated Antshrike (female)
Barred Antshrike
Black-hooded Antshrike
Black-crowned Antshrike
Zeledon's Antbird
Chestnut-backed Antbird
Bicolored Antbird
Ocellated Antbird
Dull-mantled Antbird
Spotted Antbird
Plain Antvireo
Streak-chested Antpitta
Yellow Tyrannulet
Mistletoe Tyrannulet
Yellow-bellied Elaenia
Mountain Elaenia
Piratic Flycatcher
Common Tody-flycatcher
Northern Bentbill
Tawny-chested Flycatcher
Rufous Mourner
Long-tailed Tyrant
Ochraceous Pewee
Torrent Tyrannulet
Royal Flycatcher
Dark Pewee
White-throated Flycatcher
Yellowish Flycatcher
Tufted Flycatcher
Fork-tailed Flycatcher
Nutting's Flycatcher
Boat-billed Flycatcher
Social Flycatcher
White-ringed Flycatcher
Gray-capped Flycatcher
Streaked Flycatcher
Black-crowned Tityra
Masked Tityra
White-winged Becard
Cinnamon Becard
Long-tailed Manakin
White-collared Manakin
Orange-collared Manakin (female)
Velvety Manakin
Red-capped Manakin
Rufous Piha
Lovely Cotinga
Turquoise Cotinga
Yellow-billed Cotinga
Snowy Cotinga
Three-wattled Bellbird (immature male)
Three-wattled Bellbird (adult male)
Bare-necked Umbrellabird
White-throated Magpie-jay
Brown Jay
Black-billed Nightngale-thrush
Ruddy-capped Nightngale-thrush
Slaty-backed Nightngale-thrush
Black-headed Nightngale-thrush
Black-faced Solitaire
Sooty Thrush
Mountain Thrush
Clay-colored Thrush
White-throated Thrush
Tropical Mockingbird
Black-and-yellow Silky-flycatcher
Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher
Rufous-naped Wren
Rufous-breasted Wren
Spot-breasted Wren
Bay Wren
Rufous-and-white Wren
Canebrake Wren
Ochraceous Wren
Timberline Wren
White-breasted Wood-wren
Gray-breasted Wood-wren
Yellow-green Vireo
Rufous-browed Peppershrike
Buff-rumped Warbler
"Mangrove" Yellow Warbler
Gray-crowned Yellowthroat
Olive-crowned Yellowthroat
Flame-throated Warbler
Tropical Parula
Slate-throated Redstart
Collared Redstart
Chestnut-capped Warbler
Golden-crowned Warbler
Black-cheeked Warbler
Costa Rican Warbler
Gray-headed Tanager
White-lined Tanager
Scarlet-rumped Tanager (male)
Scarlet-rumped Tanager (female)
Crimson-collared Tanager
Blue-and-Gold Tanager
Blue-gray Tanager
Yellow-winged Tanager
Palm Tanager
Plain-colored Tanager
Black-and-yellow Tanager
Silver-throated Tanager
Emerald Tanager
Speckled Tanager
Golden-hooded Tanager
Spangle-cheeked Tanager
Rufous-winged Tanager
Bay-headed Tanager
Blue Dacnis
Green Honeycreeper
Scarlet-thighed Dacnis
Red-legged Honeycreeper
Rosy Thrush-tanager
Slaty Flowerpiercer
Nicaraguan Seed-finch
Thick-billed Seed-finch
Yellow-faced Grassquit
Cinnamon-bellied Saltator
Buff-throated Saltator
Black-headed Saltator
Yellow-thighed Finch
Large-footed Finch
Sooty-faced Finch
Orange-billed Sparrow
Black-striped Sparrow
White-eared Ground-sparrow
Stripe-headed Sparrow
Common Chlorospingus
Sooty-capped Chlorospingus
Rufous-collared Sparrow
Volcano Junco
Red-throated Ant-tanager
Flame-colored Tanager
Melodius Blackbird
Nicaraguan Grackle
Spot-breasted Oriole
Streak-backed Oriole
Black-cowled Oriole
Montezuma Oropendola
Golden-browed Chlorophonia
Olive-backed Euphonia
Tawny-capped Euphonia
Elegant Euphonia
Thick-billed Euphonia
Yellow-throated Euphonia
Yellow-crowned Euphonia
Spot-crowned Euphonia
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