Tips For The Best Bird Watching in Costa Rica
You may not know this yet, but you can catch some of the world’s best bird watching in Costa Rica. Why is this? Costa Rica is host to several varieties of common and exotic birds alike thanks to the ideal weather and diverse geography.
Whether you have been bird watching for years or are just getting started, checking out the birds that call Costa Rica home is an absolute must while you are here!
Why Should I Care?
The budding bird watcher, or even the uninterested or accidental bird watcher, should note that bird watching is one of the world’s most popular hobbies. There are several reasons for this, and they can actually make you a better person down the road.
First, it is cheap and easy to start. You can buy a pen and paper and write or sketch what you see with your naked eye at first. Later you can get a pair of binoculars and really take off! The fact is that you don’t even need to know what species you’re viewing at first. You can just write down details, and then search for them online, and once you find them you can document them and read up on them a bit.
Second, you can learn more about the word you live in. The byproduct of birdwatching is you become more in tune with the world, and many people report becoming more eco-friendly over the course of the years thanks to bird watching. One of the main reasons for this is because, through bird watching and migration pattern documentation, researchers have become more aware of the damage we are causing their home environment. It is not uncommon to hear a bird watcher that has been around for many years tell you of many species that no longer migrate to certain areas and it is due to shrinking habitats from human pollution.
Lastly, it can bring you together with total strangers and make you friends! There is a stigma that bird watchers are all quiet introverts that wear camouflage to better blend in, but it’s totally wrong. Thanks to the blend of its affordability and the eco-conscious aspects, people from the “lower class” to the “1%” are involved. This means that some of the most unlikely friendships can occur thanks to this galvanizing hobby!
What Birds Can You Expect to See?
There are literally too many species locally to name them all, but we thought we’d share a few bigger species types that you might see while bird watching in Costa Rica. We have honeycreepers, dacnises, tanagers, euphonias, manakins, hawks, vultures, falcons, egrets, cuckoos, parakeets, and parrots just to name a few. With these varieties alone, there are several hundred different species that you are likely to encounter. Actually, it’s closer to 800 different species in all.
What everyone wants to see when they get here is the exotic parrots and toucans, but the fact of the matter is that they make up just a small percentage of the total population of aviary species in Costa Rica. The fact remains that these are probably the most spotted due to their larger size and bright coloring, but those that want a full experience will notice so much more when they look a little longer and more patiently.
Bird Watching Tips
We have a few things that we think you should know that will really enhance your experience. If you think that you might really want to take off with bird watching in Costa Rica and the rest of the world, invest in a good pair of binoculars. Yes, you can get a very cheap pair, and they will definitely work, but more expensive models will do the job much better.
Spotting scopes are another great tool that will heighten your experience, though they aren’t cheap. Think of it like a bird watching telescope; it will take your sight to new areas.
It’s important to get a good camera as well. This is in order to keep good records as well as help you in your research. The thing about a camera that is great is that it can capture in one snap what would take your hand considerably longer to jot down. Remember, just like the binoculars, the better ones tend to be more expensive.
Our last tip is easy. Practice, practice, practice! Not only will you become better at bird watching in Costa Rica with a bit of practice beforehand, but it will aid your future efforts when it really counts.
We hope you’ve enjoyed these tips on bird watching in Costa Rica, if you have any questions about scheduling your own bird watching tour, call us at (US) 949-208-1158, or (Costa Rica) 506-2643-2182, or email us at info@oceanranchpark.com today!
