January 30-February 8, 2026 with Chris Benesh & Vernon Campos
The headlines said it all. “A series of strong cold fronts, driven by a weakened polar vortex, impacted Central America in early February 2026, bringing unusual cold, high winds (70-100 km/h), and increased rainfall. Temperatures dropped below 18°C (64°F) in low-lying areas from southern Mexico to Costa Rica.” It hit us upon our arrival at Bosque de Paz. The rain kept us close to the lodge and the dangerously high winds kept us from venturing into the forest surrounding the lodge. Despite this, we did manage to see a nice mix of birds. A day trip to the Caribbean lowlands helped get us out of the rain and see a few different species.
Heading north to Caño Negro, the cooler temps were actually a welcome addition. We still had to dodge some rain at times, but we had some fabulous boat trips and good birding around the lodge. We also had a productive night drive that produced Great Potoo and Striped Owl!
Weather wasn’t the only thing working against us at times. Vernon had an unfortunate family emergency and had to leave the tour early as we were heading to Arenal. Fortunately he set us up with Beto Guido Méndez who along with our driver guide Alex helped us get through the remainder of the trip in good form. Arenal was spectacular with a great mix of birds, although the rain kept coming and going during our time there. It wasn’t until we were departing for the last time that the volcano nearly cleared entirely.
But enough of the negatives. Costa Rica is a fabulous place for birds and despite the weather, we managed to see over 280 species of birds. At the end of the tour I posed the question “what were the three favorite birds seen on the trip.” The male Black-crested Coquette was the clear favorite for at least four of you. Keel-billed Motmot got a couple of votes. Seeing several of these was a rare treat. The Yellow-breasted Crake got a couple of votes too. We saw that pair so well, and frankly, it is a tough bird to track down. Other favorites were the Wrenthrush that we saw so well on the first day of the tour. Semiplumbeous Hawk was a long-anticipated favorite. The Blue-and-gold Tanager seen at San Luis was wonderful. A far cry from glimpsing one high up in the canopy. The shocking beauty of the Emerald Tanager, one of those species that field guide illustrations just cannot do justice. The singularly unique White-tipped Sicklebill got a vote. Sungrebe, or should I say, Sungrebes, got a vote too. Fabulous to see so many at Caño Negro. The Spectacled Owl found by day along the trail at Arenal was recognized. The Common Pauraques seen by day at Sendero Bogarín with the thermal scope were a treat. The Slate-colored Grosbeak singing away at Arenal on our last morning took a while to track down but eventually showed wonderfully for us. The Nicaraguan Seed-Finch with its thick ivory-colored bill was striking and it was wonderful to hear it sing. The Golden-browed Chlorophonia was a treat for those who saw it. A striking bird. The Yellow-thighed Brushfinch seen early on that showed off its yellow thighs so well! And finally, the wonderful time spent enjoying the antics of the Sunbittern hunting along the Rio Danta.
I really want to express my thanks to all of you for remaining upbeat and cheery despite what mother nature presented weather wise. And thanks for your understanding through Vernon’s early departure from the trip. You’re a great bunch of folks and it was a real treat to travel with you.
Mammals seen:
Northern Black-eared Opossum (Didelphis marsupialis)
Proboscis Bat (Rhynchonycteris naso)
Mantled Howler Monkey (Alouatta palliata)
White-faced Capuchin (Cebus capucinus)
Central American Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi)
Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth (Bradypus variegatus)
Variegated Squirrel (Sciurus variegatoides)
Red-tailed Squirrel (Sciurus granatensis)
Central American Agouti (Dasyprocta punctata)
White-nosed Coati (Nasua narica)
Reptiles & Amphibians seen:
Green Iguana (Iguana iguana)
Green Basilisk (Basiliscus vittatus)
Asian House Gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus)
Spectacled Caiman (Caiman crocodilus)
American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus)
You can see my complete trip report on eBird at this link: https://ebird.org/tripreport/467424
You can download a combined PDF of this page and the eBird report at this link: https://fieldguides.com/triplists/cr226TRIPLIST.pdf
-- Chris