A hectic fall had us thinking ahead no more than one day at a time, and we hadn’t made any plans for travel during the semester break. As the holidays approached, however, we realized it would be feasible for both of us to get away for a week in early January. Looking for somewhere we could go at short notice that would entail relatively little travel time, we settled on Costa Rica, a popular birding destination we’ve always skipped over on our way to more exotic-sounding locales. Having birded in Mexico, Belize, Panama and Ecuador we assumed we would have seen most of what Costa Rica has to offer, but a quick look at a field guide revealed quite a number of species that are endemic to that region of Central America and would thus be new to us. From Los Angeles we could fly non-stop to San José, and to further minimize the amount of time we would lose to travel we decided to divide the week between just two locations, both within a 2-3 hr drive of the airport. Our first 4 days were spent in the vicinity of Carara NP, a very biodiverse area of the Pacific Coast at the confluence of the drier northern and wetter southern Pacific bioregions. We spent the rest of the week at the Bosque de Paz Reserve in the cloud forest of the Central Cordillera, not far from Poás Volcano NP. All three of these areas are featured in Barrett Lawson’s (2009) “Where to Watch Birds in Costa Rica”, which we found to have very useful information about specific birding locations and the species to expect at each site. For a field guide we used the excellent and very portable “Birds of Costa Rica” by Garrigues and Dean (2007).
On the Pacific coast we stayed at Macaw Lodge, a lovely ecotourism facility in a very remote location near the eastern boundary of Carara NP (http://www.macawlodge.com/). The lodge has extensive grounds that include wetlands and beautifully landscaped gardens that showcase native plants (there is a Heliconia garden, a palm garden, a bamboo garden, a fruit orchard, an aquatic plant garden…) as well as primary forest that connects to the national park. We recorded 94 species at the lodge itself and a number of others along the road leading to the lodge, including species such as Montezuma Oropendola that are more typical of the Caribbean slope. Macaw Lodge has been promoting itself as a bucolic location for yoga retreats, but it certainly deserves to be added to Costa Rica’s birding circuit. Its only drawback is the remote location, an hour’s drive over rough roads from the Rio Tárcoles area and main entrance to Carara NP. The second place we stayed was the Bosque de Paz Lodge within Bosque de Paz Reserve (http://www.bosquedepaz.com/), another very nice lodge that caters specifically to birders. Bosque de Paz has an excellent network of trails through both primary and secondary forest, and a number of endemics and cloud forest specialists supposedly can be found more easily here than elsewhere in the country. Bosque de Paz is not far from Poás Volcano NP as the quetzal flies, but there is no direct driving route between the two. From the airport in San José, however, it is only an hour’s drive north to Poás, so we made a separate half-day visit there upon our arrival in Costa Rica. Although it was the high season for tourism, as evidenced by the very large crowds we encountered at Poás Volcano NP, both lodges were virtually empty, and we had no more than one or two other couples for company at either place. The weather was generally hot and sunny on the Pacific coast and cool and damp in the cloud forest, but unusually high winds throughout the week made the birding a bit more challenging than anticipated, especially at Bosque de Paz. Overall, it was an enjoyable and productive week, and we’re now primed to go back to explore other areas of Costa Rica the next time we find ourselves with a week free!
Saturday 03 January
We arrived into the international airport in San José at about 6:45 a.m. after a short overnight flight from Los Angeles. By 8 a.m. we had picked up a rental car and were on our way to Poás Volcano NP. The Avis agent talked us into adding a GPS to the rental package, which we quickly concluded was $75 very well spent. Even with the GPS instructing us, we ended up circling the airport several times (“recalculating… recalculating…”) before we finally found the correct route to Poás, and without it we probably would have spent the entire week lost in Alajuela’s maze of one-way streets! We made it to Poás a bit after 9 a.m. and found the parking lots rapidly filling. Not only was it a gorgeous clear day, but also the Saturday of the New Year’s weekend, and the park was a popular place to be. We encountered the first of the ubiquitous flocks of Sooty-capped Chlorospingus along with a Fiery-throated Hummingbird in the still-empty uppermost parking lot, and then headed up the trail to the lake. Here we managed to see several Black-billed Nightingale-Thrushes and Cathy glimpsed a well-hidden Large-footed Finch. Along the highest elevation ridge we picked up Slaty Flowerpiercer, Collared Redstart, Black-cheeked Warbler and Spangle-cheeked Tanager. By the time we reached the lake traffic on the trail had become so heavy it was difficult to stop, so we hoofed it around to the crater overlook and eventually elbowed our way to the front of the viewing platform through the 5-deep crowd of tourists (most of whom were trying to take selfies rather than actually looking at the crater). The chance we had taken by not heading to the crater overlook first thing in the morning had paid off as the clouds had not yet descended for the day, and the view into the crater was magnificent. We then ate a quick lunch at the Visitor’s Center snack bar—spying a Black Guan from the enclosed second-floor picnic area—and hurried out of the park. The line of cars waiting to enter was backed up nearly a mile down the road…
The GPS informed us we would arrive at Macaw Lodge by about 3 p.m., which would leave us some time to bird the lodge grounds in the late afternoon. This plan quickly went awry, however, when we discovered that the entrance ramp to Rte. 27, the fast toll road to the Pacific coast, was closed, and we had no idea and no way of finding out if the road was open further to the west. Every alternative route we tried to program into the GPS took us back to the same Rte. 27 entrance ramp, and in frustration we finally decided to take the more northerly Panamerican Highway to Puntarenas and drive down the coast from there to Tárcoles. Panamerican “Highway” is a bit of a misnomer, as west of Naranjo this route becomes a narrow, single-lane, very winding road over the mountains, and we crawled along behind a queue of very slow trucks for nearly two hours before finally reaching the coast. At which point we hit late afternoon beach traffic… We finally got to the Rio Tárcoles at about 5 p.m. The GPS now informed us that it would be nearly an hour more before we arrived at Macaw Lodge, which mystified us because the lodge had been advertised as being “1 mile from Carara NP”. Turns out it’s a mile from the park’s eastern boundary, 19 km up a very rutted dirt road much more suitable for a 4x4 than for the compact Nissan we’d rented. We bumped along very slowly, and made it to the lodge just as it was getting dark, scoring a pair of Blue-crowned Motmots along the way.
Sunday 04 January
Now that we realized that a visit to Carara NP or the Rio Tárcoles area would entail a 2-hr round trip drive, we revised our plans for the day and decided to spend the morning exploring the grounds at Macaw Lodge, which are quite extensive. The main lodge building overlooks a series of beautifully landscaped ponds and gardens, and from the open-air dining area we could watch Northern Jacanas, Purple Gallinules, a Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, wild Muscovy Ducks, and an occasional Green Kingfisher at close range. We spent the hour before breakfast in the Palm Garden where we had been led by the tooting of a pair of Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls. The owls were being harassed by a variety of other birds, including a very aggressive and persistent Purple-crowned Fairy. An adjacent brushy area held Cherrie’s, Summer and Blue-gray Tanagers, Buff-throated Saltator, and a Golden-naped Woodpecker. Despite the map in our field guide suggesting they should not be present so far west, a pair of Montezuma Oropendolas were flying conspicuously around the grounds, and a Black-mandibled Toucan perched obligingly in a tree above the parking lot.
After breakfast we made our way through the various gardens to a trail that leads through primary forest to a series of cascades and a natural swimming hole. Around the Heliconia Garden and nearby Fruit Orchard we picked up a number of hummingbirds (Rufous-tailed and Scaly-breasted along with a Long-billed Hermit) and flycatchers (Common Tody-Flycatcher, Great Kiskadee, Gray-capped and Nutting’s Flycatchers), Rose-throated Becards, Bay-headed Tanagers, Bananaquits, Tennessee and Chestnut-sided Warblers and a White-collared Seedeater. A shrubby gully just at the edge of the forest was particularly productive. Here we encountered a pair of Orange-collared Manakins, Northern Bentbill, Eye-ringed Flatbill, Yellow-Olive Flycatcher, Blue-throated Goldentail, Black-hooded Antshrike, Chestnut-backed Antbird, Plain Xenops, Lesser Greenlet, Riverside Wren, Green Honeycreeper, Orange-billed Sparrow, Squirrel Cuckoo, a Baird’s Trogon and several Fiery-billed Aracaris high in the canopy overhead. Once in the forest proper we met a flock of White-shouldered Tanagers, and at the cascades found a very cooperative Buff-rumped Warbler, a pair of Golden-crowned Spadebills, Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher and a Gray-headed Tanager. As we descended the switchbacks on the steep hillside leading down to the cascades we suddenly found ourselves surrounded by high-pitched calls, and spent a considerable time searching the canopy in vain for the source. Eventually we realized that the sound was coming from the understory vegetation at our feet — we were in the middle of a Stripe-throated Hermit lek, and the hummingbirds were all singing from perches only a foot or two above the ground!
After lunch we decided to drive back out to Carara NP and Tárcoles to make some arrangements for the next few days. We had read that it was possible to arrange in advance to enter Carara NP at 6 a.m., but when we made enquiries at the main office we were told that was no longer allowed unless one was accompanied by a professional guide. But the park now opens at 7 a.m. rather than 8 a.m. which is a help, so we made plans to arrive there early the next day. Next we drove into the village of Tárcoles to arrange for a boat trip with Mangrove Birding Tours. We stopped to ask directions at several of the places that run crocodile tours, and eventually learned that Mangrove Birding Tours had been sold several months previously and now operates under the name Fantastic Birding. After several wrong turns down dead-end dirt tracks we managed to find their dock, where a boy was watching the boat. He made several phone calls, and eventually managed to connect us to the new owner, who assured us he had kept the same boat crew and still specialized in tours for birds rather than crocodiles. We made arrangements for a 6 a.m. trip on Tuesday, and then headed back to Macaw Lodge, stopping to pick up a few items we could eat as a picnic lunch the next day.
The road to Macaw Lodge is known in trip reports as the “Waterfall Road” (a waterfall reputed to be the highest in Costa Rica can be accessed from a trail about 7 km up this road), and is a recommended birding site. We found the late afternoon birding to be particularly good here, and took our time driving back to the lodge. We had our only sightings of a number of raptors (Roadside, Broad-winged, Grey-lined and Zone-tailed Hawks plus Northern Caracara) along this road, as well as good views of Crested Guans and Fiery-billed Aracaris. Roadside birding near the Vida Pura lodge (about 8 km in) and further on near the village of Bijagual got us Golden-hooded Tanagers, Red-legged Honeycreepers, a hybrid Red-crowned x Hoffmann’s Woodpecker and another Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl. Birds such as Groove-billed Anis, Great-tailed Grackles, Social Flycatchers and Great Kiskadees were common along the roadside, but we didn’t see them much elsewhere. We arrived back at the lodge at dusk, and headed straight for a shower before dinner.
Monday 05 January
The lodge manager had kindly offered to make us an early breakfast but had then overslept, so we hit the road at 5:45 a.m. with some cookies to eat on the way. We arrived at the Carara NP entrance in advance of the 7 a.m. opening time, and discovered several other groups of birders doing the same. In addition to paying the $15/person entrance fee we were able to arrange for a guard to accompany us to the River Trail to watch the car. The trailhead is beside the main road about 2 km from the main park entrance, and we were told it’s very risky to leave a vehicle there unattended. For a $5 tip the guard was happy to watch our car and that of a group of four Canadian birders who arrived at the same time. We spent the morning hiking the 2 km to the lagoon, and discovered upon reaching that destination that the trail no longer goes any further (apparently due to erosion of the river banks). The lagoon also has very little open water, and we failed to identify any trees that looked likely to house the Boat-billed Herons that are advertised to roost there. Birds we saw along the trail included Short-billed Pigeon (easier to hear than to see), Ruddy Quail-Dove, Turquoise-browed Motmot, Black-throated Trogon, Black-hooded and Barred Antshrikes, Slaty and Dot-winged Antwrens, Dusky Antbird, Slate-headed Tody-Flycatcher, Streaked Flycatcher, White-winged Becard, Long-tailed Manakin (a female seen by Cathy only), Tropical Gnatcatcher, Rufous-breasted and Black-bellied Wrens, and a host of North American migrants, including Prothonotary, Chestnut-sided, Yellow and Worm-eating Warblers, American Redstart and Northern Waterthrush.
We ate our picnic lunch back at park headquarters, and then walked some of the loop trails in the late afternoon. Black-faced Antthrushes were calling, and we managed to get quite good looks at two of them. Pairs of Scarlet Macaws were also very vocal, but more difficult to see high in the canopy. We spent the last part of the afternoon stalking a calling Great Tinamou, but left disappointed, having to hurry to make it out of the park by the 4 p.m. closing time. There was much less bird activity along the Waterfall Road than yesterday, and we arrived back at the lodge in time for a quick check of the gardens before dusk. A Little Tinamou was calling from the forest above the Bamboo Garden, and the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl was upsetting the tanagers and hummingbirds in the Heliconia Garden, but otherwise it was relatively quiet.
Tuesday 06 January
The lodge provided us with sandwiches for the morning, and we left before 5 a.m. in order to make it to Fantastic Birding’s dock in Tárcoles by 6 a.m. For the first half hour of the drive we continually flushed Common Pauraques from the road, losing track of the numbers after the first 10. As we waited for the captain to organize the boat we watched a nearby Black-headed Trogon, and failed to identify with certainty a large flock of Amazona parrots that flew past, silhouetted against the rising sun. Although a pleasant way to spend the first few hours of the morning, the boat trip was ultimately a disappointment. Billed as a “mangrove birding tour”, we spent a majority of the 3 hrs cruising the open river banks and sandbars at the mouth of the Tárcoles River, and less than 30 minutes actually within the mangrove forest. Of the eight or so mangrove specialist species on our morning’s target list, we came away with only Mangrove Black-Hawk and Mangrove Cuckoo. The banks of the river were, however, good for herons and kingfishers, and the river mouth held a large flock of roosting Magnificent Frigatebirds, Brown Pelicans, and small numbers of shorebirds. And the boatman knew exactly which overhanging shrubs held several well-hidden Boat-billed Herons.
We spent the remainder of the morning back at Carara NP headquarters, and today had enough time to walk the complete circuit of the loop trails. The Black-faced Antthrushes had disappeared (we heard none), but in general there was more activity today than yesterday. We encountered a number of mixed flocks that characteristically included Black-hooded Antshrikes, Dot-winged Antwrens, Plain Xenops, Lesser Greenlets, and Long-billed Gnatwrens. Some flocks were accompanied by Streak-headed Woodcreepers, and we also ran across Wedge-billed, Cocoa, and Northern Barred Woodcreepers. Gray-chested Dove and Blue-crowned Manakin were both new for the tour. Near the area where we had heard a Great Tinamou calling yesterday we stopped for a mixed flock. A movement on the forest floor caught Paul’s eye, and there not 20 feet from the trail was the Great Tinamou! We watched it for about 30 minutes as it foraged very close, not particularly disturbed by us or by groups of hikers who occasionally passed by.
The Waterfall Road was quiet as we headed back to Macaw Lodge in the mid-afternoon heat, as were the grounds of the lodge itself. A hike to the cataracts via the shorter leg of the loop trail turned up only a Crowned Woodnymph plunge-bathing in a small pool. Several Vaux’s and Lesser Swallow-tailed Swifts passed over, and a White-crowned Parrot came into the Palm Garden, but otherwise there was relatively little activity and just the usual species around the gardens.
Wednesday 07 January
We were out at dawn with plans to search for tinamous along the trail to the cataracts. The forest was very quiet, however, and we made it to the river and back without seeing or hearing much until we arrived back at the shrubby gully near the forest’s edge. Here we encountered many of the same birds we had found on the first day, along with Buff-throated Foliage-Gleaner, Streak-headed Woodcreeper, Dot-winged Antwren, and a quick glimpse of what may have been a Bicolored Antbird. Black-faced Antthrush and Northern Schiffornis were calling in the distance. Back in the gardens we picked up a few species we hadn’t yet seen at the lodge, including a Blue-crowned Motmot, Orange-chinned Parakeets, and Brown Jays. Fifty or more Vaux’s Swifts were circling low over the ponds, all swooping down to drink in synchrony. We enjoyed a late breakfast then finished packing, taking a brief break to search unsuccessfully for a Little Tinamou that was calling from the wooded slope behind our cabin.
We made a quick stop at the bridge over the Rio Tárcoles to join the busloads of tourists gawking at the American Crocodiles basking on the sandbars below, then drove non-stop to Bosque de Paz Reserve, arriving there at about 2 p.m. As we checked in we remarked that it seemed very windy, and the lodge owner told us they’d been having hurricane-force winds all week, stronger than anything he’d seen in 20 years. He then added “but at least it hasn’t been raining,” which of course meant that 15 minutes later it was! For the rest of the afternoon it remained too windy to deploy an umbrella and too wet to bird without one, so we stayed put under the eaves of the lodge, watching and photographing the birds that continued to come to the feeders. At the hummingbird feeders were throngs of Green-crowned Brilliants, Magnificent Hummingbirds, Green Hermits, Purple-throated Mountain-Gems and Violet Sabrewings, and flowering shrubs were being visited by a male Black-bellied Hummingbird and a female Selasphorus that appeared to be a Volcano Hummingbird. Corn is put out twice each day for the Black Guans, and about a dozen came in for the afternoon feeding. Other birds taking advantage of the proffered corn and fruit scraps included Chestnut-capped Brushfinch, Yellow-thighed Finch, Common Chlorospingus, and a lone Rufous-collared Sparrow. An American Dipper was feeding in the stream that runs past the lodge, and a Louisiana Waterthrush and Wilson’s Warbler worked the edges of a rock pool adjacent to the dining room. During a brief break in the weather we ventured a short distance down the driveway and found a pair of Long-tailed Silky-Flycatchers, the only ones we would see. White-nosed Coatis were also frequenting the bird feeders, and after dark they were joined by several Pacas. The forecast was for better weather over the next two days, so we went to bed hopeful that the winds would have abated by the morning.
Thursday 08 January
It was still wet and windy when we arose, but after breakfast the weather cleared and the winds seemed to die down a little so we headed for the trails. The first bird we encountered was a female Orange-bellied Trogon on the island across from the dining room. We hiked up El Valle trail and then walked the Galeria loop, where we found our first Black-faced Solitaire and two White-throated Spadebills. Returning to El Valle, we completed the circuit, encountering several mixed flocks along the way. These were typically composed of numerous Common Chlorospingus accompanied by Red-faced Spinetails, Ochraceous Wrens, Spotted Barbtails, Slate-throated or Collared Redstarts, Golden-crowned and Three-striped Warblers, and occasionally a Streak-breasted Treehunter. Other birds that were relatively common included Yellowish Flycatcher and Tufted Flycatcher, Gray-breasted Wood-Wren, Brown-capped Vireo and Golden-winged Warbler. During lunch back at the lodge a male Magenta-throated Woodstar joined the crowds at the feeders, and a female Scintillant Hummingbird now visited the adjacent shrubs.
Although we had planned to bird along the road above the lodge during the afternoon, the wind had picked up and rain was falling intermittently, so we opted to stay within the forest and walked El Valle again. A large fruiting fig tree was attracting a number of birds including Mountain Thrush, Hairy Woodpecker, Spot-crowned Woodcreeper and Silver-throated Tanager. In the last hour of daylight we worked the Orchid Garden and driveway looking for the Scaly Antpitta the lodge manager had told us sometimes frequented those areas at dusk, but periodic false alarms in the form of Clay-colored Thrushes were all we managed to find.
Friday 09 January
The first part of the morning was again clear and relatively calm, and we made a pre-breakfast circuit of the Botanico Trail, encountering a canopy flock that included Barred Becard, Dark Pewee, and Black-throated Green and Black-and-White Warblers. After breakfast we hiked up the road. New species at this slightly higher elevation included Lineated Foliage-Gleaner, Olive-striped Flycatcher, several Flame-throated Warblers and Yellow-winged Vireos and a White-naped Brush-Finch. We returned to the lodge before lunch, and discovered an antswarm near the start of the Botanico Trail that was being attended by several Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrushes and Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrushes. The birds were hopping boldly about the trail, affording great opportunities to photograph these normally skulking species.
The weather socked in again after lunch so we spent some more time photographing hummingbirds and waiting for a break in the rain. The lodge staff had told us that the best place to look right now for Resplendent Quetzals was at the fruiting fig trees along El Valle, so in the late afternoon we camped out near the large fig we’d found yesterday, periodically checking several other fruiting trees that were in the same area. Many of the same birds were back at the large fig today, along with Spangle-cheeked Tanagers, a Red-headed Barbet, and several Prong-billed Barbets. But no quetzals or Emerald Toucanets, the other prime target species we were still hoping to find.
Saturday 10 January
We returned to the fruiting figs in the valley at first light but the only new species visiting was a male trogon that appeared from the color of his belly to be a Collared Trogon (judging the difference between red and orange in early morning light is a tricky business!). After breakfast we made another trip up the road, running across what appeared to be the same mixed flocks we had seen yesterday. The only new bird among them was a Spotted Woodcreeper. We spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon checking the Botanico and El Valle trails without adding anything else new to the list. As we headed for San José in the late afternoon we made one last stop along the highest elevation part of the road and found a lot of activity but no new species. By 6 p.m. we were in San José at a hotel close to the airport, spending the evening packing in preparation for our early morning flight back to the U.S.
In the course of the week we saw about 225 species, 35 of them Central American endemics. Resplendent Quetzal was the biggest miss of the trip, although there are other locations in Costa Rica at which it is reputedly more reliable than Bosque de Paz. It’s an easy country to visit on one’s own, and now high on our list of places to go for a relaxed week of tropical birding!
Complete trip list (regional endemics in bold):
POA: Poás Volcano NP
CAR: Carara NP
MAC: Macaw Lodge (and Waterfall road)
TAR: Tárcoles River
PAZ: Bosque de Paz
Great Tinamou (Tinamus major): CAR (1); MAC (1 heard only)
Little Tinamou (Crypturellus soui): MAC (2-3 heard only)
Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata): CAR (6); MAC (3)
Crested Guan (Penelope purpurascens): MAC (7)
Black Guan (Chamaepetes unicolor): POA (1); PAZ (14)
Wood Stork (Mycteria americana): TAR (6)
Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens): TAR, common
Neotropic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus): TAR, common
Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga): TAR (1)
Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis): TAR, common
Bare-throated Tiger-Heron (Tigrisoma mexicanum): TAR (5); MAC (1)
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias): TAR (5); MAC (1)
Great Egret (Ardea alba): TAR (6)
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula): TAR (5)
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea): TAR (5)
Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor): TAR (6)
Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis): MAC (15)
Green Heron (Butorides virescens): TAR (2); MAC (1)
Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax): TAR (1)
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Nyctanassa violacea): TAR (10)
Boat-billed Heron (Cochlearius cochlearius): TAR (3)
White Ibis (Eudocimus albus): TAR (4); CAR (2)
Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja): TAR (1)
Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus): common, seen daily
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura): common, seen daily
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus): TAR (10)
Common (Mangrove) Black-Hawk (Buteogallus anthracinus): TAR (2)
Roadside Hawk (Rupornis magnirostris): MAC (1)
Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus): MAC (1)
?Gray-lined Hawk (Buteo nitidus): MAC (1) (or Gray Hawk?)
Zone-tailed Hawk (Buteo albonotatus): MAC (1)
White-throated Crake (Laterallus albigularis): MAC (1, heard only)
Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinicus): MAC (2)
Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus): TAR (3)
Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola): TAR (2)
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus): TAR (2)
Northern Jacana (Jacana spinosa): TAR (5); MAC (3)
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius): TAR, common; MAC (1)
Willet (Tringa semipalmata): TAR (5)
Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus): TAR (1)
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla): TAR (5)
Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla): TAR (3)
Rock Pigeon (Columba livia): seen in towns in Central Valley
Red-billed Pigeon (Patagioenas flavirostris): MAC (8)
Short-billed Pigeon (Patagioenas nigrirostris): CAR (2)
White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica): TAR, common; CAR (5)
Inca Dove (Columbina inca): TAR (1); CAR (3)
Ruddy Ground-Dove (Columbina talpacoti): TAR (2); CAR (4); MAC (2)
White-tipped Dove (Leptotila verreauxi): MAC (5); CAR (1); PAZ (2)
Gray-chested Dove (Leptotila cassini): CAR (1)
Ruddy Quail-Dove (Geotrygon montana): CAR (1)
Squirrel Cuckoo (Piaya cayana): CAR (1); MAC (1)
Mangrove Cuckoo (Coccyzus minor): TAR (1)
Groove-billed Ani (Crotophaga sulcirostris): TAR, common; MAC (15)
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium brasilianum): MAC (3)
Common Pauraque (Nyctidromus albicollis): MAC (15)
White-collared Swift (Streptoprocne zonaris): MAC (2)
Vaux's Swift (Chaetura vauxi): MAC (50)
Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift (Panyptila cayennensis): MAC (2)
Green Hermit (Phaethornis guy): PAZ (5)
Long-billed Hermit (Phaethornis longirostris): MAC (1)
Stripe-throated Hermit (Phaethornis striigularis): CAR (2); MAC (6, lek on premises)
Purple-crowned Fairy (Heliothryx barroti): MAC (2)
Green-crowned Brilliant (Heliodoxa jacula): PAZ (10)
Magnificent Hummingbird (Eugenes fulgens): PAZ (3)
Fiery-throated Hummingbird (Panterpe insignis): POA (2)
Purple-throated Mountain-gem (Lampornis calolaemus): PAZ (5)
Magenta-throated Woodstar (Calliphlox bryantae): PAZ (1)
Volcano Hummingbird (Selasphorus flammula): PAZ (1)
Scintillant Hummingbird (Selasphorus scintilla): PAZ (1)
Scaly-breasted Hummingbird (Phaeochroa cuvierii): TAR (1); MAC (4)
Violet Sabrewing (Campylopterus hemileucurus): PAZ (5)
Crowned Woodnymph (Thalurania colombica): MAC (1)
Black-bellied Hummingbird (Eupherusa nigriventris): PAZ (3)
Steely-vented Hummingbird (Amazilia saucerrottei): CAR (1)
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl): CAR (3); MAC (5); PAZ (1)
Blue-throated Goldentail (Hylocharis eliciae): CAR (1); MAC (1)
Black-headed Trogon (Trogon melanocephalus): TAR (2)
Baird's Trogon (Trogon bairdii): MAC (1)
Black-throated Trogon (Trogon rufus): CAR (1)
Orange-bellied Trogon (Trogon aurantiiventris): PAZ (1-2)
?Collared Trogon (Trogon collaris): PAZ (1, male with belly that looked red)
Blue-crowned Motmot (Momotus coeruliceps): MAC (3)
Turquoise-browed Motmot (Eumomota superciliosa): CAR (1)
Ringed Kingfisher (Megaceryle torquata): TAR (3)
Green Kingfisher (Chloroceryle americana): TAR (2); CAR (2); MAC (1)
Red-headed Barbet (Eubucco bourcierii): PAZ (1)
Prong-billed Barbet (Semnornis frantzii): PAZ (2)
Fiery-billed Aracari (Pteroglossus frantzii): MAC (8)
Black-mandibled Toucan (Ramphastos ambiguus): CAR (3); MAC (2)
Golden-naped Woodpecker (Melanerpes chrysauchen): MAC (2)
Hoffmann's Woodpecker (Melanerpes hoffmannii): TAR (3); CAR (1)
Hoffmann’s X Red-crowned Woodpecker: TAR (2); MAC (2)
Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus): PAZ (3)
Crested Caracara (Caracara cheriway): TAR (2); MAC (5)
Yellow-headed Caracara (Milvago chimachima): TAR (2); MAC (3)
Crimson-fronted Parakeet (Aratinga finschi): route 34 (6)
Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao): CAR (8); MAC (2)
Orange-chinned Parakeet (Brotogeris jugularis): MAC (2)
White-crowned Parrot (Pionus senilis): MAC (9)
?Mealy Parrot (Amazona farinosa): TAR, large flock of Amazona sp.
Barred Antshrike (Thamnophilus doliatus): CAR (4)
Black-hooded Antshrike (Thamnophilus bridgesi): CAR (18); MAC (4)
Slaty Antwren (Myrmotherula schisticolor): CAR (2)
Dot-winged Antwren (Microrhopias quixensis): CAR (13), MAC (2)
Dusky Antbird (Cercomacra tyrannina): CAR (4)
Chestnut-backed Antbird (Myrmeciza exsul): CAT (4); MAC (2)
?Bicolored Antbird (Gymnopithys leucaspis): MAC (1)
Black-faced Antthrush (Formicarius analis): CAR (2); MAC (1 heard only)
Wedge-billed Woodcreeper (Glyphorynchus spirurus): CAR (1)
Northern Barred-Woodcreeper (Dendrocolaptes sanctithomae): CAR (1)
Cocoa Woodcreeper (Xiphorhynchus susurrans): CAR (2)
Spotted Woodcreeper (Xiphorhynchus erythropygius): PAZ (1)
Streak-headed Woodcreeper (Lepidocolaptes souleyetii): CAR (3); MAC (1)
Spot-crowned Woodcreeper (Lepidocolaptes affinis): PAZ (6)
Plain Xenops (Xenops minutus): CAR (4); MAC (2)
Lineated Foliage-gleaner (Syndactyla subalaris): PAZ (2)
Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner (Automolus ochrolaemus): MAC (1)
Streak-breasted Treehunter (Thripadectes rufobrunneus): PAZ (2)
Spotted Barbtail (Premnoplex brunnescens): PAZ (7)
Red-faced Spinetail (Cranioleuca erythrops): PAZ (7)
?Yellow-crowned Tyrannulet (Tyrannulus elatus): MAC (1)
Olive-striped Flycatcher (Mionectes olivaceus): PAZ (1)
Northern Bentbill (Oncostoma cinereigulare): MAC (1)
Slate-headed Tody-Flycatcher (Poecilotriccus sylvia): CAR (1)
Common Tody-Flycatcher (Todirostrum cinereum): MAC (3)
Eye-ringed Flatbill (Rhynchocyclus brevirostris): CAR (1); MAC (1); PAZ (2)
Yellow-olive Flycatcher (Tolmomyias sulphurescens): CAR (2); MAC (1)
White-throated Spadebill (Platyrinchus mystaceus): PAZ (2)
Golden-crowned Spadebill (Platyrinchus coronatus): MAC (2)
Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher (Myiobius sulphureipygius): CAR (2); MAC (2)
Tufted Flycatcher (Mitrephanes phaeocercus): PAZ (7)
Dark Pewee (Contopus lugubris): PAZ (1)
?Tropical Pewee (Contopus cinereus): MAC (1 pewee sp.)
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (Empidonax flaviventris): MAC (1)
Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus): MAC (1)
Yellowish Flycatcher (Empidonax flavescens): PAZ (11)
Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans): PAZ (2)
Nutting's Flycatcher (Myiarchus nuttingi): MAC (1)
Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus): CAR (1)
Great Kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus): TAR, common; MAC, common along road
Boat-billed Flycatcher (Megarynchus pitangua): CAR (1)
Social Flycatcher (Myiozetetes similis): MAC (5)
Gray-capped Flycatcher (Myiozetetes granadensis): MAC (2)
Streaked Flycatcher (Myiodynastes maculatus): CAR (3); MAC (1)
Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus): common along roadsides
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus): route 34 (1)
Long-tailed Manakin (Chiroxiphia linearis): CAR (1 female)
Orange-collared Manakin (Manacus aurantiacus): MAC (3)
Blue-crowned Manakin (Lepidothrix coronata): CAR (1)
Barred Becard (Pachyramphus versicolor): PAZ (1)
White-winged Becard (Pachyramphus polychopterus): CAR (2)
Rose-throated Becard (Pachyramphus aglaiae): CAR (1); MAC (3)
Yellow-throated Vireo (Vireo flavifrons): CAR (1)
Yellow-winged Vireo (Vireo carmioli): PAZ (2)
Brown-capped Vireo (Vireo leucophrys): PAZ (6)
Tawny-crowned Greenlet (Hylophilus ochraceiceps): MAC (1)
Lesser Greenlet (Hylophilus decurtatus): CAR (8); MAC (1)
Brown Jay (Psilorhinus morio): MAC (2)
Blue-and-white Swallow (Pygochelidon cyanoleuca): PAZ (20)
N. Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis): TAR, many; CAR (10)
S. Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx ruficollis): TAR(1); CAR (2); MAC (1)
Mangrove Swallow (Tachycineta albilinea): TAR, common
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica): TAR, common
House Wren (Troglodytes aedon): MAC (2); PAZ (2)
Ochraceous Wren (Troglodytes ochraceus): PAZ (9)
Rufous-naped Wren (Campylorhynchus rufinucha): CAR (3); MAC (1)
Black-bellied Wren (Pheugopedius fasciatoventris): CAR (2)
Rufous-breasted Wren (Pheugopedius rutilus): CAR (2)
Riverside Wren (Cantorchilus semibadius): CAR (5); MAC (2)
Gray-breasted Wood-Wren (Henicorhina leucophrys): PAZ (10)
Long-billed Gnatwren (Ramphocaenus melanurus): CAR (3)
Tropical Gnatcatcher (Polioptila plumbea): CAR (4)
American Dipper (Cinclus mexicanus): PAZ (1)
Black-faced Solitaire (Myadestes melanops): PAZ (9)
Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush (Catharus gracilirostris): POA (3)
Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush (Catharus fuscater): PAZ (7)
Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush (Catharus frantzii): PAZ (7)
Mountain Thrush (Turdus plebejus): PAZ (15)
Clay-colored Thrush (Turdus grayi): 4-5 daily at all sites
Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher (Ptilogonys caudatus): PAZ (2)
Worm-eating Warbler (Helmitheros vermivorum): CAR (2)
Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla): PAZ (2)
Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis): CAR (4); MAC (4)
Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera): PAZ (6)
Black-and-white Warbler (Mniotilta varia): CAR (1); PAZ (7)
Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea): TAR (4); CAR (2)
Flame-throated Warbler (Oreothlypis gutturalis): PAZ (5)
Tennessee Warbler (Oreothlypis peregrina): CAR (5); MAC (2)
American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla): TAR (1); CAR (1)
Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia): TAR (2); CAR (4)
Chestnut-sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica): CAR (9); MAC (4); PAZ (1)
Black-throated Green Warbler (Setophaga virens): PAZ (2)
Black-cheeked Warbler (Basileuterus melanogenys): POA (1)
Golden-crowned Warbler (Basileuterus culicivorus): PAZ (5)
Three-striped Warbler (Basileuterus tristriatus): PAZ (10)
Buff-rumped Warbler (Myiothlypis fulvicauda): CAR (1); MAC (1)
Wilson's Warbler (Cardellina pusilla): PAZ (19)
Slate-throated Redstart (Myioborus miniatus): PAZ (21)
Collared Redstart (Myioborus torquatus): PAZ (4); POA (1)
Gray-headed Tanager (Eucometis penicillata): MAC (1)
White-shouldered Tanager (Tachyphonus luctuosus): CAR (8); MAC (5)
Cherrie's Tanager (Ramphocelus costaricensis): MAC (9)
Blue-gray Tanager (Thraupis episcopus): CAR (2); MAC (7); PAZ (2)
Palm Tanager (Thraupis palmarum): MAC (5)
Golden-hooded Tanager (Tangara larvata): CAR (1); MAC (2)
Spangle-cheeked Tanager (Tangara dowii): PAZ (6); POA (2)
Bay-headed Tanager (Tangara gyrola): CAR (1); MAC (2)
Silver-throated Tanager (Tangara icterocephala): PAZ (10)
Red-legged Honeycreeper (Cyanerpes cyaneus): MAC (2)
Green Honeycreeper (Chlorophanes spiza): MAC (3)
Slaty Flowerpiercer (Diglossa plumbea): POA (2)
Blue-black Grassquit (Volatinia jacarina): MAC (1)
White-collared Seedeater (Sporophila torqueola): MAC (1)
Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola): MAC (4)
Buff-throated Saltator (Saltator maximus): MAC (4)
Yellow-thighed Finch (Pselliophorus tibialis): PAZ (10); POA (1)
Large-footed Finch (Pezopetes capitalis): POA (1)
Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch (Arremon brunneinucha): PAZ (10)
Orange-billed Sparrow (Arremon aurantiirostris): CAR (4); MAC (2)
White-naped Brush-Finch (Atlapetes albinucha): PAZ (2)
Rufous-collared Sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis): PAZ (1); POA (1)
Common Chlorospingus (Chlorospingus flavopectus): PAZ, 20+ daily
Sooty-capped Chlorospingus (Chlorospingus pileatus): POA (15)
Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra): MAC (8); PAZ (1)
Melodious Blackbird (Dives dives): MAC (2)
Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus): common in towns
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula): TAR (1); MAC (3)
Montezuma Oropendola (Psarocolius montezuma): MAC (2)
Mammals:
Variegated Squirrel (Sciurus variegatoides): CAR (1); MAC (1)
Central American Agouti (Dasyprocta punctata): CAR (6); MAC (2)
Paca (Cuniculus paca): PAZ (5)
White-nosed Coati (Nasua narica): PAZ (12)
White-fronted Capuchin (Cebus albifrons): CAR (3)
Mantled Howler Monkey (Alouatta palliata): PAZ (1)
White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus): MAC (3)