Costa Rica | Birding Southern Costa Rica with Craig Mandel

Arrive in San José today. Check-in starts at 3 pm. Please arrange for all incoming flights to arrive by 4:30 pm. This evening at the hotel, enjoy dinner, followed by a program orientation.

After breakfast, head south toward Uvita. En route, stop for a boat ride along the Tárcoles River, where you can spot both water and shore birds such as the Double-striped Thick-knee, Roseate Spoonbill, jacanas, and ducks. The Tárcoles River basin is one of the most important in the Pacific coastal region, virtually draining the entire western side of the Central Valley. The Tárcoles hosts an amazing diversity of wildlife along its banks and in the extensive mangrove areas near its estuary. As a result, the river is the perfect place to catch a glimpse of mangrove specialties such as the rare Rufous-necked Wood-rail, Mangrove Hummingbird, Pygmy Kingfisher, Panama Flycatcher, Mangrove Vireo, and Mangrove subspecies of Yellow Warbler. But perhaps the most famous of all its inhabitants are the enormous crocodiles that live on its banks. These crocodiles have been studied by numerous local and foreign specialists to better understand their characteristics, habitat, and relationship with the land. After lunch nearby, continue to Uvita, arriving in mid-afternoon. Explore the grounds and meet for sunset over the Pacific.

Spend the morning birding at the Hacienda Baru National Wildlife Reserve, where some of the species to find include Red-crowned Woodpecker, Thick-billed Euphonia and Black-hooded Antshrike. Return to the lodge for lunch then spend the rest of the afternoon enjoying the beach at Parque Marino Ballena.

Morning birding at La Cusinga, have lunch then depart for Esquinas Rainforest Lodge. Nestled amid the lowland tropical wet forest of Piedras Blancas National Park, more than 340 bird species have been recorded there, including Black-striped Woodcreeper, Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager, Brown-throated Parakeet, Southern Lapwing, Slate-colored Seedeater, Red-breasted Blackbird, and Crested Oropendola.

Spend the morning birding around the lodge before enjoying lunch there. In the afternoon, head toward the nearby town of La Gamba, a hidden gem for birders. This agricultural village is home to a small community of less than 1,000 people but rich in culture and natural beauty, especially diverse avifauna. Go birding along the roads in La Gamba to spot Pacific coast endemics like Charming Hummingbird, Spot-crowned Euphonia, and Golden-naped Woodpecker.

Depart Golfito for San Vito, with opportunities for roadside birding along the way. Check the rice fields near Ciudad Neily to look for Sapphire Hummingbird, Savannah Hawk, Scrub Greenlet, and Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture. Have lunch in Ciudad Neily. The next destination is Las Cruces Biological Station, a contiguous 632-acre forest reserve and leading research institution operated by the Organization for Tropical Studies. Here, more than 2,000 species of plants attract over 400 species of birds, including many hummingbirds, tanagers, and warblers. In the afternoon, go birding around the on-site gardens to become acquainted with the area. This evening, attend an introduction to OTS and lecture by the OTS staff.

Wake up early for morning birding at Wilson Botanical Garden. The garden features an extensive collection of tropical and subtropical ornamentals, representatives of unusual plant families, and rare and endangered plants from Costa Rica and elsewhere. Look for Scarlet-thighed Dacnis, Silver-throated Tanager, Gartered Trogon, Blue-headed Parrot, and Violet Sabrewing. In the afternoon, go birding at a nearby area called Cerro Paraguas, a public road surrounded by secondary forest and farms. Return to Las Cruces, have dinner, and venture on a guided night walk.

After breakfast, depart for San Gerardo de Dota. En route, stop at Los Cusingos Bird Sanctuary, a farm turned private reserve where famed ornithologist Alexander Skutch lived and studied. Target species here include Turquoise Cotinga, Speckled Tanager, Red-capped Manakin, Blue-crowned Manakin, and Fork-tailed Flycatcher. Continue to San Gerardo de Dota and check in at the hotel. Go birding at the lodge before dinner to view the resident Talamanca Hummingbird, White-throated Mountain-gem, Volcano Hummingbird, and tiny Scintillant Hummingbird.

Take 4x4 vehicles to the upper trails of Savegre Reserve and spend the morning in search of the Resplendent Quetzal and some of the other 189 species of birds present here. Savegre's private biological reserve protects high elevation habitat of mostly oak forest and highland cloud forest that attracts a huge variety of avifauna. The large centennial oaks that cover the forest are laden with lichens and mosses that contrast with the colorful bromeliads. After lunch, continue exploring the area in hopes of seeing Long-tailed Silky Flycatcher, Flame-throated Warbler, and Sulphur-winged Parakeet.

After breakfast, check out and begin the journey back to San José. Stop at Cerro de la Muerte, an area at the top of Cordillera de Talamanca famous for its diversity of endemic wildlife. Consisting of temperate forest and páramo habitats, the natural vegetation attracts species such as the rare Red-fronted Parrotlet, Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl, Dusky Nightjar, Fiery-throated, Volcano, and Scintillant Hummingbirds, Ruddy Treerunner, Buffy Tuftedcheek, Silvery-fronted Tapaculo, Ochraceous Pewee, Silvery-throated Jay, Black-and-yellow Silky-flycatcher, Volcano Junco, Timberline Wren, and Zeledonia. Farewell dinner this evening.

After breakfast, travel to the airport for your international departure. Check-out is at 12 pm.