The high diversity of birds in Costa Rica is a unique feature that makes birdwatching in Costa Rica highly productive and very spectacular. No other country in the world has more birdspecies per square meter than Costa Rica, where in about 51 000 km2 more than 900 birdspecies have been reported (the exact amount on the Costa Rica bird list is 902 species). Its high diversity in habitats and micro-climats and its unique position as a landbridge between the North and South American continent are the main reasons for this.
Besides well-known cosmopolitan birdfamilies like Thrushes, Cuckoos, Owls, Raptors and Herons, the birds of Costa Rica also include some typical neotropical birdfamilies like Toucans, Jacamars, Cotingas, Motmots and Antbirds…
Of the more than 900 birds of Costa Rica, about 250 species are migratory and can only be seen during certain periods of the year. Learn more about the migratory patterns of the birds of Costa Rica...
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When birdwatching in Costa Rica you will most probably encounter one of the many endemic birds. Learn about the endemic birds of Costa Rica and the different endemic zones of the country...
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Costa Rica can be roughly divided in 4 zones characterized by a specific fauna and flora: highlands, Caribbean lowlands, Southern Pacific lowlands and the Dry Northwest. This divison is usefull when planning a Costa Rica birdwatching trip.
Here you can find a gallery of beautifull pictures af a broad variety of birds of Costa Rica taken by Pieter Westra
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Check out the complete list of the birds of Costa Rica