Costa Rica is one of the countries which has the biggest variety of species regard to its surface. I chosed a French travel agency which was not a specialist of naturalist trip : EXPLORATOR. However, it offered a high quality of services. The agency gave me the email of the guide before the trip and the contact was really good. As I have not a lot of time for this trip, in my spirit, it was more a recognition before organizing myself a another trip in the future.
This trip of 11 days, which practically 10 dedicated to the nature held all its promises. I saw more than 200 species. I stayed sometimes slightly away from the group and occasionally I had birding with the guide Sergio when he could be disposal. The interest that we wear both to birds created a big complicity between us. Many observations were made early in the morning when birds were the most active and where the rest of the group still slept. The tour set up by EXPLORATOR allowed to cross a big variety of landscape of the Costa Rica, from the Pacific to the Rocky Mountain at more than 3000m. The quality of the hotels were excellent and always in magnificent area. The only regret I have, I have not taken enough pictures but the rain forest was not easy to shots...
The identification of birds in rain forest is often rather difficult especially at the beginning and when you are alone. Birds are always in movement and often two sights are necessary to confirm an identification ! So, the number of unidentified birds can be important! For me, a telescop is indispensable to identify small passerines at 40 or 50 meters high in the canopy.
| 09-02 | San José, Poas, Arenal |
| 10-02 | Arenal |
| 11-02 | Arenal Monteverde |
| 12-02 | PN Monteverde |
| 13-02 | Monteverde Rincon de la Vieja |
| 14-02 | PN Rincon de la Vieja Bolanos |
| 15-02 | Bolanos |
| 16-02 | Bolanos Tempisque Dona Marta |
| 17-02 | PN Carara Copey |
| 18-02 | Copey San José |
| 19-02 | San José |
"A guide to the birds of Costa Rica" : Gary Stiles, Alexander F. Skutch, Dana Gardner ; publisher Comstock / Cornell.
"A travel & site guide to birds of Costa Rica " : Aaron D. Sekerak, Elissa Conger ; publisher Lone Pine