Bird Country

Bird Country

Nearly 850 bird species have been identified in Costa Rica, more than in the United States and Canada combined, and all in an area about half the size of Kentucky. Consequently, bird-watchers flock here by the thousands. The big attractions tend to be eye-catching species like the keel-billed toucan, but it is the diversity of shape, size, coloration, and behavior that makes bird-watching in Costa Rica so fascinating.

Tropical superstars: Parrots, parakeets, and macaws; toucans and toucanets; and the elusive but legendary resplendent quetzal are a thrill for those of us who don't see them every day.

In supporting roles: Lesser known but equally impressive species include motmots, with their distinctive racket tails; oropéndolas, which build remarkable hanging nests; and an amazing array of hawks, kites, and falcons.

Color me red, blue, yellow…: Two of the most striking species are the showy scarlet macaw and the quirky purple gallinule; tanagers, euphonias, manakins, cotingas, and trogons are some of the country's loveliest plumed creatures, but none of them matches the iridescence of the hummingbirds.

Singing in the rain: The relatively inconspicuous and seemingly ubiquitous clay-colored robin is Costa Rica's national bird. It may look plain, but its song is melodious, and since the males sing almost constantly toward the end of the dry season -- the beginning of their mating season -- local legend has it that they call the rains.

The big and the small of it: The scintillant hummingbird is a mere 2 1/2 inches tall and weighs just over 2 grams, while the jabiru, a long-legged stork, can grow to more than 4 feet tall and can weigh up to 14 pounds.

Hummingbirds: Costa Rica hosts 51 members of the hummingbird family, compared with just one species for all of the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. Time spent near a hummingbird feeder will treat you to an unforgettable display of accelerated aerial antics and general pugnacity.

"Snow birds": If you're here between October and April, don't be surprised if some feathered friends from home made similar vacation plans. When northern birds fly south for the winter, they don't all head to Miami. Seasonal visitors like the Kentucky warbler make up about a quarter of the amazing avian panorama in Costa Rica.

Bird-watching can be done everywhere in the country -- all you need is a pair of binoculars and a copy of A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica, the excellent field guide by Gary Stiles and the late Alexander Skutch. And don't let the rainy season deter you: seasonal lagunas (lagoons) such as Caño Negro and the swamps of Palo Verde National Park, which disappear during the dry months, are excellent places to see birds.