Bird watching at Ocean Forest: a chorus in every tree

The Osa Peninsula is one of the top birding destinations in Costa Rica, home to hundreds of bird species. Our lodge sits where rainforest birds and seabirds overlap, so a single morning on your porch can fill pages of your bird list.

Ocean Forest Ecolodge, where the ocean and rainforest meet in sweet caresses.

A chorus in every tree

Scarlet Macaws. The stars of the show. Pairs fly over the beach calling loudly, then settle in the beach almond trees to feed. Listen for them at sunrise and in late afternoon.

Toucans and aracaris. The Yellow-throated Toucan croaks from the canopy. The Fiery-billed Aracari lives only in this corner of Costa Rica and western Panama.

Parrots and parakeets. Red-lored and White-crowned Parrots fly over in chattering pairs, and noisy flocks of Orange-chinned Parakeets dart between the trees.

Trogons. Baird's Trogon, found only in this region, along with Black-throated and Gartered Trogons.

Hummingbirds. Twenty-two species live in our area. The endemic Charming Hummingbird, the Long-billed Hermit and the Purple-crowned Fairy visit the flowers around the grounds.

Tanagers and honeycreepers. The Golden-hooded Tanager glows in gold, turquoise and black. The Red-legged Honeycreeper is electric blue with bright red legs. Look too for Cherrie's, Blue-gray and Bay-headed Tanagers.

Regional specialties. Keen birders look for the Black-hooded Antshrike, the endangered Yellow-billed Cotinga and, if luck is with you, the brilliant blue Turquoise Cotinga. A family of Golden-naped Woodpeckers lives in the palm at our entrance.

Songbirds all day. More than 40 species of flycatchers, nine of vireos and nine of wrens live here. The Great Kiskadee shouts its own name, "kis-ka-DEE!", and the House Wren sings right under the eaves.

On the forest floor. Shy antthrushes walk the leaf litter with their tails cocked, and antpittas reveal themselves by their whistled songs. Gray-cowled Wood-Rails, known here as cocalecas, cackle around the lodge every day. The Great Curassow and the Crested Guan are signs of a healthy forest.

Birds of prey. Crested and Yellow-headed Caracaras stroll the beach. A pair of White Hawks lives in the valley next to the lodge. Swallow-tailed Kites glide over the canopy, and King Vultures soar high above.

Along the shore. Brown Pelicans glide in lines above the waves, Magnificent Frigatebirds hang in the sky and Brown Boobies fish offshore. A Bare-throated Tiger Heron hunts in the estuary at our entrance, and White Ibises probe the sand.

Owls. When night falls, the Spectacled Owl, known locally as the olopopo, calls with deep, knocking hoots. Eight other owl species share the night with it.

Winter visitors. From November to April, songbirds from North America spend the winter with us: Summer Tanagers, Swainson's Thrushes and Chestnut-sided, Yellow and Prothonotary Warblers. In the dry season, the Baltimore Oriole brightens the treetops. Whimbrels and Spotted Sandpipers walk our beach.

Birding tips

Rise early. Birds are most active from about 5:30 to 8:00 am, and again in the late afternoon.

Bring binoculars. Even a small pair turns a flash of color into a toucan or a trogon.

Sit still and listen. The best sightings often come to those who wait on the porch with a cup of coffee.

Go out at night. Join a night tour to look for owls.

Bring binoculars and your bird list.

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Ocean Forest Ecolodge, where the ocean and rainforest meet in sweet caresses.