Great Green Macaw, Red-legged Honeycreeper, Golden-hooded Tanager...the birds of Costa Rica are just as colorful as their names suggest. At our very own Selva Verde Lodge & Rainforest Reserve in the Caribbean lowlands, birders will find a hotspot of activity; 500 acres of protected primary and secondary rainforest provide habitat for resident and migrant species. More than a third of the country's 910 species have been recorded at Selva Verde (view the full list here), and the reserve is a key location on both the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor and the Costa Rica Bird Route.
Birders at Selva Verde Lodge
Photo by Greg Basco
Here are just a few of the colorful visitors you may encounter at Selva Verde:
Great Green Macaw
The Selva Verde reserve is home to one of the largest almond trees in all of Central America, which provides habitat for the endangered Great Green Macaw. At one point the Costa Rican population was estimated to be fewer than 200 individuals, but thanks to ongoing conservation efforts these numbers are increasing. Other parrots you may see include the Scarlet Macaw, the Red-lored Parrot, and the Orange-chinned Parakeet.
Great Green Macaws
Photo by David Spatela
Red-lored Parrot
Photo by Jerry Goffe, NaturePhotoWorks.com
Orange-chinned Parakeet
Photo by Martin Van Lokven
Oropendolas
Members of the same family as blackbirds and orioles, oropendolas are vocal, social birds that live in colonies and are known for their distinctive, basket-like nests. Two species can be found at Selva Verde, the Montezuma Oropendola and the Chestnut-headed Oropendola.
Montezuma Oropendola
Photo by Sanford M. Sorkin
Oropendola nests
Photo by Sanford M. Sorkin
Chestnut-headed Oropendola
Photo by Sanford M. Sorkin
Riverine birds
Freshwater birds can be found along the Sarapiquí River, on whose banks the lodge is located. A special treat is the seemingly drab Sunbittern; in full display, its wings are emblazoned with an impressive sunburst pattern. Also watch for myriad herons, jacanas, and other waders.
Sunbittern
Photos by Sanford M. Sorkin
Sunbittern
Photo by Sanford M. Sorkin
Agami Heron
Photo by Jerry Goffe, NaturePhotoWorks.com
Boat-billed Herons
Photo by Jerry Goffe, NaturePhotoWorks.com
Tiger-Heron
Photo by Andrea and Antonella Ferrari
Tanagers and honeycreepers
In addition to North American migrants like Scarlet and Summer Tanagers, many rainbow-hued species of the neotropics can be observed from up close at the feeders placed around the lodge grounds.
Blue-gray Tanager
Photo by Sanford M. Sorkin
Bay-headed Tanager
Photo by Sanford M. Sorkin
Crimson-collared Tanager
Photo by Sanford M. Sorkin
Golden-hooded Tanager
Photo by Sanford M. Sorkin
Red-legged Honeycreeper
Photo by Jerry Goffe, NaturePhotoWorks.com
Green Honeycreeper
Photo by Sanford M. Sorkin
