Costa Rica | Birding Southern Costa Rica with Ventura Audubon

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 (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.

This morning enjoy birding around the lodge. Depart for Esquinas Rainforest Lodge stopping for lunch en route. Esquinas is 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 in the Esquinas Forest. Enjoy lunch at the lodge and go birding along La Gamba road in the afternoon.

Depart Golfito for San Vito, with opportunities for roadside birding along the way. We will check the rice fields near Cuidad Neily to look for Sapphire Hummingbird, Savannah Hawk, Scrub Greenlet and Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture. 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 of Tropical Studies. Here, over 2,000 species of plants attract over 400 species of birds, including many hummingbirds, tanagers, and warblers. In the afternoon, bird the on-site gardens to become acquainted with the area.

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. This afternoon bird at a nearby area called "Cerro Paraguas " a public road surrounded by secondary forest and farms which is very productive. Return to the station, have dinner followed by 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 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 Savegre. Bird at the lodge before dinner. Take some time to visit the gardens for the resident Talamanca Hummingbird, White-throated Lesser Mountain-gem, Volcano Hummingbird, and tiny Scintillant Hummingbird.

Take 4x4s to the upper trails at Savegre and spend the morning in search of 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, we'll continue exploring the area where we may see 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.