Where the forest meets the sea
Tour description:
Destination: Central Pacific.
Carara National Park is by far one the best birding places all year in Costa Rica and perhaps in all Central America. Within the national park protects the second largest population of Scarlet Macaws, easy access to all trails, mangrove swamps, pasture fields and forest edges. There are very few places in the country where more than hundred species can be found in one trail. Meandrica’s trail has become an icon for quality birding, tinamous, trogons, wrens, antpittas, manakins, cotingas, bellbirds, Antshrikes are among the most common birds in the forest. The nearby forested edges give as a good number of open field birds, jays, blackbirds, greenlets, rails, ground doves, motmots, hawks, parakeets, owls are among many of the avifauna found in these habitats. The mangroves at Rio Grande de Tarcoles are very rewarding on a good day along the river edges 5 species of kingfishers can be spotted, more than a couple dozens of shorebirds, herons, egrets are also easy to find but the most remarkable species are the ones with a restricted range or to the mangroves such as vireos, warblers, cuckoos, flycatchers, the elusive Rufous necked woodrail and the only true Costa Rican endemic Mangrove Hummingbird.
Birding Highlights:Â
- Â Orange collared Manakin
- Scarlet Macaws
- Fiery billed Aracari
- Baird’s Trogon
- Riverside Wren
- Crane Hawk
- Red breasted Blackbird
- Mangrove VireoÂ
- Mangrove Hummingbird
- Scrub Greenlet
- Cherrie’s Tanager
- Great Tinamou
- Northern Royal Flycatcher.
Location
DAILY ITINERARY BY DESTINATION:
Day 1. Pacifico Lodge Hotel. Pick up transfer and information meetings. Today, NGCR staff along the way will describe the day-by-day activities, the destinations, possible bird sightings, what to wear by destination and all other general information regarding the trip.
Travel for 1 1/2 hours to birdwatch about a 3-hour boat tour to Tarcoles River Mangroves in which a combination of deforested areas, river edges, mangrove forests and river mouths are impressive. Herons, egrets, vireos, hummingbirds, frigatebirds, shorebirds, waders, cuckoos, macaws, parrots, and hawks, also looking for White-throated Magpie Jay, Ferruginous Pygmy Owls, Black-headed Trogon and much more are among the common groups of birds sighted; although the boat tour main goal is to find the mangrove specialities such Mangrove Hummingbird, Cuckoo, Vireo, Warbler, Rufous-necked Woodrail, Panama & Scrub Flycatchers & American Pygmy Kingfisher. In the afternoon we will visit open farmlands, forest patches, river edges and more pasture fields; the goal here is to find seedaters, raptors, parakeets, flycatchers, lapwings, anis, ducks, species that are no longer found at the national park due the disappearance of their habitats.
Day 2. Pacifico Lodge Hotel. Early breakfast while birding. Today we will visit one of the best birding sites in Central America, Carara National Park is a combination of ecosystems, that aloud an amazing number of endemics, birds with restricted ranges and many other beauties with more than 400 species of recorded antbirds, macaws, hummingbirds, euphonias, tanagers, flycatchers, cotingas, wrens, manakins and dozen more families are daily sightings. After many great hours of birding at Carara, we will be heading to Jaco Wetlands and adjacent habitats in search of open fields birding. All day at the park, lunch at a local restaurant & dinner at Jaco Beach town.
Day 3. Pacifico Lodge Hotel. Birding at the hotel grounds, back roads and mountain tops along the Bijagual’s road. A little known area for birdwatching with incredible species to be discovered. Such as Black Hawk Eagle, Fiery billed Aracari, Turquoise Cotinga, Lesser ground Cuckoo, King Vulture, etc. Lunch at a local restaurant and the end of the tour would be based on your future schedules.
Pricing Plans
1 Person
Private Guide
- Transport Included
2 People
Private Guide
- Transport Included
3 PEople or +
Private Guide
- Transport Included
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