COSTA RICA CUSTOM TOUR TRIP REPORT 16 FEBRUARY – 5 MARCH 2020 By Eduardo Ormaeche Ornate Hawk-Eagle www.birdingecotours.com
[email protected] 2 | TRIP REPORT Costa Rica: February 2020 Overview Our Costa Rica 2020 tour was a photographic trip focusing on the birds and wildlife that this fascinating country has to offer. Without the rush to build a large list of species but rather with the intention to get a large amount of good photos while enjoying bird sightings and behavior we had a fantastic time on our trip. We started our trip in Alajuela near San José’s Juan Santamaría International Airport and from there drove across the country, visiting different areas including the Caribbean lowlands in the north with obligatory stops at La Selva Biological Station, Sarapiquí, the Cinchona feeders, and the private Donde Cope nature center. Our time here was fantastic; we had the opportunity to see and photograph birds such as the endemic Coppery-headed Emerald, Black-bellied Hummingbird, Semiplumbeous Hawk, Great Green Macaw, White-tipped Sicklebill, Great Potoo, Spectacled Owl, Violet Sabrewing, Red-headed Barbet, Prong-billed Barbet, Blue-throated Toucanet, Yellow-throated Toucan, Keel-billed Toucan, White- necked Puffbird, Buff-fronted Quail-Dove, Black Guan, Buff-rumped Warbler, and the fabulous Snowcap. Our trip continued to the cloudforest mountains at San Gerardo de Dota at the famous Savegre Hotel, where we managed to record species such as Large-footed Finch, Yellow-thighed Finch, Spotted Wood Quail, Wrenthrush, Hairy Woodpecker, Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher, Black- and-yellow Phainoptila, Golden-browed Chlorophonia, Acorn Woodpecker, Slaty Flowerpiercer, Fiery-throated Hummingbird, Talamanca Hummingbird, Volcano Junco, Timberline Wren, and the most-wanted Resplendent Quetzal.