December 19-27, 2025 with Megan Edwards Crewe & local guide Vernon Campos
If you're hoping to get a colorful selection of hummingbirds, tanagers, motmots, toucans and a host of other tropical birds as a holiday present, there are few nicer places to do so than at Costa Rica's comfortable Rancho Naturalista. With the added benefits of some truly excellent food and a variety of habitats available within relatively short driving distance, our tour here makes for a wonderful holiday adventure. And this year, we were blessed with some fine weather, some fine birds, and some fine traveling companions – everything you need for a great time! The "presents" started right on the grounds of our San Jose hotel, with two sleepy Mottled Owls snoozing in a creaking stand of giant bamboo, a surprisingly showy pair of Cabanis's Wrens flicking along a hedge, two Lineated Woodpeckers investigating several tree trunks with a Hoffman's Woodpecker on a smaller branch nearby, a wing-waggling pair of Rufous-backed Wrens, and a pair of stupendously confiding White-eared Ground-Sparrows scratching in the dirt nearly at our boot tips.
The following morning dawned clear and sunny, and we headed to the Irazú volcano with high hopes. Our first stop, along a lightly forested stretch of road, yielded one of the day’s most hoped-for finds – a dazzling male Resplendent Quetzal, complete with long, flowing tail plumes. Nearby, Volcano Hummingbirds jousted over perching spots, Acorn Woodpeckers clambered up tree trunks and a Black-capped Flycatcher sallied repeatedly from a tangle of dead branches, while a Lesser Violetear chipped incessantly (but invisibly) from a lichen-draped treetop across the road. At the summit, we gazed down into the remnant crater of the mountain’s last big blast (back in the 1960’s) while huge cumulonimbus clouds floated scenically in the background. Sooty-capped Chlorospingus and Slaty Flowerpiercers cartwheeled through the scrub, a Sooty Thrush gobbled berries from a bush top, Flame-throated Warblers flashed their distinctively fiery throats, a female Volcano Hummingbird peered around from her lichen-encrusted nest, and a pair of Volcano Juncos rummaged along the edge of the parking lot. With thick fog beginning to envelop the hillsides, we retreated to a restaurant further down the mountain for lunch then – after finishing our enormous vats of soup or equally massive platters of food – descended to a quiet side road, where a gang of Long-tailed Silky-Flycatchers feasted on berries, handsome Black-cheeked Warblers flicked through the undergrowth, a Fiery-throated Hummingbird chipped and chirped and perched repeatedly on a nearby treetop, and a Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush FINALLY sat out in the open and allowed us a view. After wending our slow way through the mother of all traffic jams, we piled out of our bus into the busy main square in Paraiso, where we found a pair of Tropical Screech-Owls snuggled under a bromeliad roof, watched scores of screeching Crimson-fronted Parakeets descend into nearby palms and saw bits and pieces of a couple of American Barn Owls tucked into their well-hidden roost spots along a palm trunk.
We spent the following day on the grounds of Rancho Naturalista, with many of us starting on the main building’s balcony at first light. With steaming mugs of coffee in hand, we enjoyed a glittering parade of hummingbirds – White-necked Jacobins, Crowned Woodnymphs, Green-breasted Mangos and Bronze-tailed Plumeleteers – visiting feeders within arm’s reach. Snowcaps and Stripe-throated Hermits sipped from flowers in the vervain hedges below while Orange-billed and Black-striped sparrows occasionally ventured briefly out from under the hedge to grab a mouthful from piles of cornmeal. An elegant pair of Lesson’s Motmots alternated between nibbling bananas and posing photogenically on a nearby vine. As the light rose, a noisy gang of Gray-headed Chachalacas arrived and descended onto the feeders, vying with the omnipresent Variegated and Red-tailed squirrels which were carrying off bananas as fast as they could manage. Montezuma Oropendolas chortled from the trees before joining the scrum. After breakfast, we ambled down part of the property’s long driveway, finding some 70 species on a productive morning. Highlights included an unusually low Black-headed Tody-Flycatcher (normally a canopy dweller), a Gartered Violaceous Trogon perched high overhead, and a Fawn-throated Foliage-gleaner rummaging in the undergrowth along the roadside with a couple of Stripe-breasted Wrens and a Chestnut-capped Warbler. Familiar northern migrants mingled with Tropical Parulas and Yellow-throated Euphonias. Along Harry and Meche’s driveway, we found a plethora of species, including a pair of White-shouldered Tanagers, feeding in a fruiting Melastoma tree and (after considerable effort) some male White-collared Manakins snapping on their dance floors at a nearby lek. At Lisa’s house, a male Green Thorntail buzzed the top of a vervain hedge, trailing his distinctively ragged tail, in the company of a Violet-headed Hummingbird. A pair of Gray Hawks circled overhead, and a Zone-tailed Hawk powered past carrying sizable prey. At Rancho Bajo, a Gray-capped Flycatcher hunted from a bulldozer, conveniently close to similar Social Flycatchers. A Garden Emerald and a trio of Snowcaps (two females and a male) foraged among flowers while a Common Tody-Flycatcher bounced through the hedge below them. We finished the day at the ‘Hummingbird Pools’ – a series of shallow puddles in a small creek in a deep ravine on the property. There, we watched multiple bathing Crowned Woodnymphs, surely (based on the number of times they returned and the length of time they spent dunking themselves) the cleanest hummingbirds in all of Costa Rica! Several White-ruffed Manakins took extended splashing baths in the riffles, with a couple of Chestnut-sided Warblers and single Slaty-capped and Ochre-bellied flycatchers joining them as the light began to fade. Last to arrive was a furtive Dull-mantled Antbird, whose appropriately dull colors blended almost perfectly with its surroundings.
The following morning saw us heading west towards Tapanti National Park shortly after daybreak, bellies comfortably filled with another excellent breakfast. The park itself is vast, covering more than 144,000 acres, but restricted access after a landslide a few years ago means we can only access a small sliver of it along the lowest part of the park road. And, under sunny skies, what a morning we had there! It started just beyond the entrance gate, where Black-bellied Hummingbirds and White-bellied Mountain-gems flitted along a vervain hedge. A couple of Spangle-cheeked Tanagers left the scene too quickly (while some of us were still availing ourselves of the restroom facilities) but a little gang of Common Chlorospingus proved more cooperative, probing mossy trunks at eye level. A hundred yards up the road, we hit our first mixed flock, with a surprise Sharpbill – a poorly known and rarely seen species – taking top billing among the many new sightings. Elsewhere, a male Red-headed Barbet dazzled as he munched on Cecropia fruits. Spotted and Wedge-billed woodcreepers hitched their way up tree trunks. A Golden-bellied Flycatcher, sounding suspiciously like a dog’s squeak toy, hunted in treetops over the road. An Ornate Hawk-Eagle spiraled overhead, its striped wing and tail feathers splayed against the blue, blue sky. Two Black-and-yellow Silky-Flycatchers winked in and out of view as they searched for berries in a fruiting tree. A Sooty-faced Finch serenaded us for long minutes from an open branch, belying its “normally quite shy” reputation. After a fruitful morning, we moved on to the highland area known as Rio Macho (among birders, anyway) for our picnic lunch. A handsome pair of Golden-browed Chlorophonias kicked off our afternoon’s amble down the nearby road, followed shortly by a calling pair of Prong-billed Barbets and a fluting Black-faced Solitaire. A Dark Pewee hunted from a treetop, a little group of White-collared Swifts rocketed past overhead, and a Common Squirrel Cuckoo bounced – appropriately squirrel-like – through branches high in a tree. After wandering for an hour and a half or so, we loaded up and headed to Finca Cristina, a nearby organic coffee farm, for a reviving brew and some coffee purchases; the bus smelled amazing on our way back to Rancho! We finished the day with a pair of White-tailed Kites perched in a tree right across the road from the finca and a roadside Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth.
It was drippy and wet when we started at Rancho’s insect sheet the next morning. Though there were perhaps fewer insects than there might otherwise have been, there were still enough to pull in some hopeful nibblers. A Plain-brown Woodcreeper made repeated visits to the shelter’s support poles (the better to pluck moths from the sheet) and a pair of Red-throated Ant-Tanagers twitched through the underbrush, while an Orange-billed Sparrow and an inquisitive White-breasted Wood-Wren hopped around on the ground, gleaning moths from the leaf litter. After another fine breakfast, we headed to the nearby Silent Mountain road for the morning under slowly clearing skies. Before we left, we had a family of four Bay Wrens right outside the main building at Rancho. Our next stop was a bridge by the sugar plantation, where we had an outstanding encounter with a Sunbittern, plus a Torrent Tyrannulet on a mid-stream rock and our first Southern Rough-winged Swallows on a wire over the nearby parking area. Farther along, colorful mixed tanager flocks – Speckled, Bay-headed, Emerald, Silver-throated and Golden-hooded, plus Scarlet-thighed Dacnis and Tawny-capped Euphonias – swarmed through roadside trees, and we watched a pair of Thick-billed Seed-Finches nibbling on grasses with their oversized beaks. Gray-capped Flycatchers called from roadside wires, allowing nice comparison with nearby Social Flycatchers. Two Olive-crowned Yellowthroats sat sentinel atop some tall grasses and a gang of Tawny-crested Tanagers flicked steadily uphill through the trees.
We returned to the lodge for lunch and a break, and then headed downhill to CATIE, the extensive campus of an agricultural college, for the late afternoon. One of the main targets here is the bizarre Boat-billed Heron, and we spotted a trio tucked among the papyrus plants on the far side of the little lake there. But there were plenty of other things to see too. First up was a tree full of Montezuma Oropendola nests, with birds performing their somersaulting courtship displays and squabbling over territory as they added to their burgeoning nests. Three Roadside Hawks whistled from trees in the coffee grove. Purple Gallinules and North Jacanas prowled the lakesides or tiptoed over the lily pads while a trio of Crested Caracaras watched the proceedings from atop a nearby dead snag. Veritable herds of Green Ibis patrolled several open areas. A quartet of turkey-sized Crested Guans checked out a fruiting tree, keeping a wary eye on us as they did so. A pair of territorial Band-backed Wrens shouted challenges from a treetop. Two Black-crowned Antshrikes flitted along a wooded edge. And as we drove back up the hill to Rancho Naturalista, a Common Pauraque flushed repeatedly up the road ahead of us, giving us multiple nice views of it in the bus headlights.
We had another gloriously sunny day for our visit to El Copal, a private reserve about an hour west of Rancho. Snowcaps, Green Thorntails and a cadre of juvenile Bananaquits flitted among the vervain flowers below the main building’s wide veranda, while an eye-level Mistletoe Tyrannulet showed off its yellow-edged wing feathers. An elevated fruit feeder brought some fabulous eye candy into view: neon green Emerald Tanagers with their yellow caps and black “earmuffs”, golden-hued Speckled Tanagers with their sprinklings of black spots, snazzy Golden-hooded Tanagers, and a male Tawny-capped Euphonia mingled with the more familiar Baltimore Orioles and Summer Tanagers. Two Gray-headed Kites courted with “butterfly” flight displays over a nearby ridge. After spending some time watching and photographing, we headed out into the surrounding forest on the reserve’s trail system. A Middle American Leaftosser sang and sang as it flicked through the undergrowth, sometimes within mere yards of where we stood. A pair of Dull-mantled Antbirds did the same, duetting as they foraged along a little ravine. A pointblank male Black-and-yellow Tanager glowed against the greenery. Skulking Golden-crowned Warblers evaded many (as did an all-too-brief Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher), but we all eventually got good looks at Russet Antshrikes as they rummaged along mossy branches, searching for tasty morsels. We retired to the reserve’s restaurant for lunch, which was interrupted at the end by the shout of “COQUETTE” from Alex, who’d spotted the much-desired Black-crested Coquette at a bush outside the dining room. Later, we called a Bright-rumped Attila into view and watched a very distant King Vulture glide across the valley while a Brown-billed Scythebill called from the forest. On our way out of the reserve, we spotted a Fasciated Tiger-Heron standing stock-still on a rock in the middle of a stream, intently focused on the rapids below. We also stopped at Hacienda Oriente on our way back to Rancho. There, a few Red-breasted Meadowlarks winked in and out of view in a field of tall grass while a Southern House Wren sang from a fence post and a pair of grubby Tropical Mockingbirds sat nearby.
We started our penultimate day with another pre-breakfast meetup on the Rancho balcony, enjoying the usual mix of visitors to the banana feeders and the cornmeal piles while shrieking flocks of Crimson-fronted Parakeets winged past. Then it was off to Laguna Angostura for the morning, where we walked a dirt track along the shores of the manmade reservoir. En route, we found a Laughing Falcon calling from a treetop near the Reventazón River – handily right where a bridge gave us a great vantage point. The reservoir itself held a multitude of ducks (scores of Blue-winged Teal and dozens of Lesser Scaup, plus a couple of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks) and herons, while Limpkins called from bush tops and a handful of Wood Storks preened in trees along the water’s edge. A Bare-throated Tiger-Heron stretched its well-camouflaged head and neck from dead vegetation and a couple of Snail Kites patrolled low over the reedy edges. A Ringed Kingfisher shouted from dead branches, while a quieter Green Kingfisher eyed the water from a shorter bush. We spent long minutes trying to get looks at calling Thicket Antpitta, Mourning Warbler and White-throated Crake, with all but the lucky few having to be content with “heard only” for each. Fortunately, a pair of Slaty Spinetails and two Yellow Tyrannulets were far more cooperative, distracting us from our crake vigil. On our way back to Rancho, we stopped to examine a big mixed cowbird flock, notching up all three species – Giant, Shining and Bronzed – as they scoured a grassy paddock. After lunch and a break, we headed to the nearby village of Tayutic and birded along a stretch of road overlooking some marshy pastureland. A pair of Barred Antshrikes serenaded us from a nearby hedge, two Gray-crowned Yellowthroats peered around from a patch of tall weeds and a little group of Variable Seedeaters flicked through the grasses while chattering groups of Crimson-fronted Parakeets winged past overhead. Further through the village, we found a pair of Thick-billed Seed-Finches nibbling seeds in a weedy field and a Gray Hawk resting in a treetop. We finished the day back at the bridge by the sugar plantation for another close encounter with a wing-flashing Sunbittern, plus the spectacle of several hundred Western Cattle-Egrets festooning a nearby roost tree.
We dropped down into the Caribbean lowlands for the day on our journey back to San Jose. Our first stop was at Centro Manú, a small private reserve with a feeding station and a network of forested trails. As we exited the bus, we were greeted by our first Yellow-throated Toucans, while a Great Potoo snoozing in a nearby treetop allowed good scope studies of its amazing camouflage. At the feeders, Montezuma and Chestnut-headed oropendolas vied for bananas while a Russet-naped Wood-Rail prowled through the undergrowth nearby. At the start of the forest trail, a Rufous-winged Woodpecker gleamed against a sunny trunk, and a Wedge-billed Woodcreeper hitched its way up a nearby tree. Slaty-tailed and Graceful Black-throated trogons showed nicely as they sang from overhead, and an eye-level White-whiskered Puffbird also proved cooperative. Our half dozen White-ruffed Manakins included a handsome male that preened for a bit right in front of us. But the highlight of the visit had to be the young male Bare-necked Umbrellabird that we found singing quietly from a mossy branch high in the forest; it was great to get such extended views of this endangered species! Next up was Donde Cope, the extraordinary suburban garden of local artist José Perez (aka Cope). In the property’s comfortable shed/blind, we ate our picnic lunch while we watched a whirlwind of birds visiting a multitude of nearby feeders. At least a dozen Red-legged Honeycreepers and lesser numbers of Shining and Green honeycreepers jostled for position at sugar water feeders. Palm and Blue-gray tanagers and a single Crimson-collared Tanager swarmed over bananas, joined by honeycreepers and a gang of noisy Orange-chinned Parakeets – at least until larger Montezuma and Chestnut-headed oropendolas pushed them out of the way. Of course, they were regularly displaced by the even larger Keel-billed and Yellow-throated toucans! Once we’d had our fill of the feeder birds, we headed out to some nearby woodlands. There, we found a trio of Spectacled Owls (two adults and a wide-eyed youngster), a softly calling Broad-billed Motmot, a Brown-capped Tyrannulet singing from a treetop, and a Tayra sprawled on a branch over a stream, watching several noisy families playing in the water below. Then it was back to the Hotel Bougainvillea for one final checklist and one last dinner together.
Thanks so much for joining us for this holiday adventure; it was great to share a week in this wonderful country with you all! I hope to travel with you again somewhere, some day. Meanwhile, good birding!
Other critters of interest:
Mammals:
HONDURAN WHITE BAT (Ectophylla alba) -- one hung underneath a Heliconia leaf it had fashioned into a tent by chewing through the secondary veins along the leaf's midrib.
MANTLED HOWLER MONKEY (Alouatta palliata) -- heard howling from the forests at El Copal and Centro Manú, but never seen
BROWN-THROATED THREE-TOED SLOTH (Bradypus variegatus) -- three on various drives, including one in a tree literally right beside a busy highway
VARIEGATED SQUIRREL (Sciurus variegatoides) -- the bigger of the two squirrels that were regular on the Rancho feeders
RED-TAILED SQUIRREL (Sciurus granatensis) -- and the smaller of the two, also common on Rancho's feeders
CENTRAL AMERICAN AGOUTI (Dasyprocta punctata) -- a few visited the piles of cornmeal under the Rancho feeders each morning
WHITE-NOSED COATI (Nasua narica) -- one that checked out the banana feeders at Rancho on several days, with another trundling across the road at Rio Macho
TAYRA (Eira barbara) -- a bold male was seen raiding the banana feeders at Rancho on several days, with others at CATIE and in Cope's woods
Reptiles and Amphibians:
PUG-NOSED ANOLE (Norops capito) -- one seen by some at Finca Cristina
GREEN BASILISK (Basiliscus plumifrons) -- Jenn spotted one at Angostura Florencia
HELMETED BASILISK (Corytophanes cristatus) -- a very confiding individual just outside Cope's house
COMMON HOUSE GECKO (Hemidactylus frenatus) -- regular in and around Rancho's cabins and main building
CENTRAL AMERICAN WHIPTAIL (Ameiva festiva) -- seen at Rancho, El Copal (one rummaging around under the vervain hedge) and Centro Manú
MESOAMERICAN BOA (Boa imperator) -- Mike spotted one for us as it slithered up the bank beside the road as we left El Copal
GREEN KEELBACK (Chironius exoletus) -- one seen by a few at Tapanti as it hesitantly tried to cross the road
MASKED TREE FROG (Smilisca phaeota) -- a tiny one perched atop a roadside weed on the Silencio road
You can see my complete trip report on eBird at this link: https://ebird.org/tripreport/450568
You can download a combined PDF of this page and the eBird report at this link: https://fieldguides.com/triplists/crh25aTRIPLIST.pdf
-- Megan