Bird Watching

Costa Rica is an excellent option for a family friendly vacation. This stable, safe country offers plenty of fun and healthy outdoor activities for both kids and adults, and many of those activities also have an educational component. One such option is birding. When it comes to birding or “birdwatching”, Costa Rica is a top The post Family Visit to Costa Rica? 5 Major Ways Birding is Good for Kids! appeared first on Villa San Ignacio | Hotel near San Jose and Alajuela | Costa Rica.

On a vacation in Costa Rica, breakfast might be the most important meal of the day. A good, healthy breakfast provides energy needed to visit a volcano, take a coffee tour, go birding in Costa Rica, and enjoy other fun and exciting activities. As luck would have it, the traditional Costa Rican breakfast is a The post Costa Rica Birds and Breakfast at Villa San Ignacio appeared first on Villa San Ignacio | Hotel near San Jose and Alajuela | Costa Rica.

Hummingbirds are surreal. Tiny, fearless, and with naturally iridescent highlights, these birds look more like feathered fairies than their avian relatives. 300 plus species zip between flowers from southern Alaska to Chile, the highest number occurring in the tropical zone. In Costa Rica, more than 50 of these incredible feathered creatures have occurred and several The post A Guide to the Hummingbirds of Villa San Ignacio appeared first on Villa San Ignacio | Hotel near San Jose and Alajuela | Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is a fantastic place to experience the tropical side of life. Situated just north of the equator, this beautiful nation never gets cold and in the Central Valley, temperatures are like a constant, idyllic June summer day. That welcome climate isn’t just enjoyed by people. It also works for a vast array of The post Beautiful Birds of Costa Rica: Tanagers appeared first on Villa San Ignacio | Hotel near San Jose and Alajuela | Costa Rica.

Birding in Costa Rica can take several forms. Some of the more focused birders walk off the plane with binoculars at the ready, others enjoy birds in a much more casual and easy-going way, and folks with cameras may prefer the photographic side of birding. No matter how you enjoy birds in Costa Rica, there’s The post The Best Way to End a Birding Trip to Costa Rica: 5 Suggestions appeared first on Villa San Ignacio | Hotel near San Jose and Alajuela | Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is a fantastic destination for bird photography. Toucans, parrots, Scarlet Macaws, trogons, and hundreds of other tropical birds, many at close range; it can make you feel like a kid in a candy shop! More than 900 species of birds have been found in this small, beautiful nation. That makes for a big The post 3 Overlooked Tips for Better Bird Photography in Costa Rica appeared first on Villa San Ignacio | Hotel near San Jose and Alajuela | Costa Rica.

The birding comes easy in Costa Rica. Accessible habitats in a small area translate to an abundance of birding opportunities. It means that you don’t have to go far to see glittering hummingbirds and other highland species in cool, misty surroundings on the first day and exotic tropical birds of humid lowland rainforest the next.  The post 3 Exciting Birding Trips Easily Done from Villa San Ignacio appeared first on Villa San Ignacio | Hotel near San Jose and Alajuela | Costa Rica.

The caroling of Clay-colored Thrushes fills the garden and a fruiting fig is busy with the calls and movements of flycatchers, tanagers, and a pair of small toucans. At the same time, Olive Sparrows, Rufous-capped Warblers and other small birds call and flit in the understory.  With so much bird activity going on, it’s hard The post 5 Benefits of Birding in Costa Rica during the Wet Season appeared first on Villa San Ignacio | Hotel near San Jose and Alajuela | Costa Rica.

Costa Rica bird species can be bright and animated green parrots that fill the air with tropical screeching voices, over the top toucans, glittering hummingbirds, and other eye-catching species. They can also be birds that give haunting whistles and songs from misty cloud forest, raptors soaring overhead, or species with subtler, earth-toned plumage such as The post Which Nocturnal Costa Rican Bird Species Live in the Central Valley? appeared first on Villa San Ignacio | Hotel near San Jose and Alajuela | Costa Rica.

There are beautiful birds and then there are birds that look so incredible, so exotic, they are believed to be sacred messengers of celestial beings. Since a bird needs a bit more than fancy plumage and a pretty song to be linked with heavenly realms, very few species have been given this role. However, if The post 5 Insider Tips to See a Quetzal in Costa Rica appeared first on Villa San Ignacio | Hotel near San Jose and Alajuela | Costa Rica.

In Costa Rica, the tropical habitats of the Pacific lowlands resound with life. When watching birds, the morning birding can get so busy, it can even be hard to know where to look first! Wrens and antbirds warble from the undergrowth as parakeets chatter and flies overhead. A stunning Gartered Trogon shows off its purple, The post How to See Scarlet Macaws and More Tropical Birds on a Day Trip from Villa San Ignacio appeared first on Villa San Ignacio | Hotel near San Jose and Alajuela | Costa Rica.

Bird migration is synonymous with spring. As the weather warms and the snow melts, the songs of robins, blackbirds, and other species remind us that summer is just around the corner. High overhead, the skies are etched with V-shaped flocks of ducks and honking geese, or the …. and the first spring flowers shoot out The post Bird Migration in Costa Rica- A Waypoint Connecting Continents appeared first on Villa San Ignacio | Hotel near San Jose and Alajuela | Costa Rica.

Parrots are the quintessential tropical birds. Whether one has visited or only imagined walking in “the jungle”, these evocative and intelligent birds capture our attention and imagination. Occasionally seen in commercials and popular as pets, the bold colors and loud calls of parrots are indeed an actual part of the tropical forest experience. Some parakeets The post 5 Common Parrots of Costa Rica and Where to See Them appeared first on Villa San Ignacio | Hotel near San Jose and Alajuela | Costa Rica.

Birdwatching, one of the fastest growing outdoor activities, is one of many reasons why people visit Costa Rica. Yes, even though Costa Rica has beautiful beaches, scenery, and exciting activities, several people come to Costa Rica just to watch birds! Costa Rica is a top destination for birders because during visits to different parts of The post 5 Reasons to Watch Birds in Costa Rica (Even if You Don’t Watch Birds!) appeared first on Villa San Ignacio | Hotel near San Jose and Alajuela | Costa Rica.

Toucans! Those birds with the over-sized beaks tend to bring up visions of tropical places, cartoons, and cereal boxes. Although their exaggerated appearances do make them look like animation come to life, the only other true common supposition about toucans of Costa Rica is their tropical provenance. Toucans are indeed restricted to tropical realms and The post A Guide to the Toucans of Costa Rica appeared first on Villa San Ignacio | Hotel near San Jose and Alajuela | Costa Rica.

Costa Rica has more than 50 species of hummingbirds. Despite being similar in size to West Virginia, there are many more hummingbirds in Costa Rica than every province and state! Hummingbirds occur everywhere in this beautiful tropical nation but they reach their highest diversity in the lush cloud forests of the mountains. One such highland The post Costa Rica Hummingbirds on Poás Volcano – An Easy Day Trip from Villa San Ignacio appeared first on Villa San Ignacio | Hotel near San Jose and Alajuela | Costa Rica.

Many of us have different outfits for different times of the year, some of those differences are related to how warm or cold we want to be, others reflect our personal tastes in fashion. Birds of course don’t have clothing but many still “dress” for the season. In the spring, when most birds are looking The post Some Birds Show Different Colors for Different Seasons appeared first on Villa San Ignacio | Hotel near San Jose and Alajuela | Costa Rica.

Birdwatching is an endeavor that tends to be self-motivated. Even if we know someone who wants to show us birds, wants us to see them as he or she does, we still discover birds on our own. That birding friend might show us an egret through a scope, an eagle flying overhead, or talk The post Birdwatching Solo or with a Group? appeared first on Villa San Ignacio | Hotel near San Jose and Alajuela | Costa Rica.

5 Tips for a comfortable Birding trip A comfortable place to stay at the beginning and end of the journey eases you into your trip after a long flight and prepares you for your return. On a birding trip, where your trip start and end, creates more opportunity to look for birds; birding doesn’t have The post 5 Tips for a Comfortable Birding Trip in Costa Rica appeared first on Villa San Ignacio | Hotel near San Jose and Alajuela | Costa Rica.

Costa Rica Is a Birders’ Tropical Paradise Costa Rica has a reputation for being a birding tropical paradise, and guess what? It’s true! Even in the Central Valley, a short drive from the airport, you can find tropical gardens and a wealth of natural beauty. Look in the right places, and you can even The post Common, Beautiful Birds Of Villa San Ignacio appeared first on Villa San Ignacio | Hotel near San Jose and Alajuela | Costa Rica.

Birdwatching in Costa Rica is truly magnificent. Geographically small (51,100 km2), Costa Rica has six birding ecozones, dozens of micro-ecosystems, and 10% of the world’s bird species. Committed to protecting its biodiversity, Costa Rica officially protects roughly 1.5 million hectares. Protected areas include twenty-seven national parks, fifty-eight refuges for wildlife, thirty-two protected zones and, nineteen The post Top Birdwatching Hotspots in Costa Rica appeared first on Villa San Ignacio | Hotel near San Jose and Alajuela | Costa Rica.

Enjoy birding at Villa San Ignacio. As is usually the case when birding in a good habitat, the avian activity keeps you busy! Villa San Ignacio is a bit lower than San Jose and thus more biodiverse. You will be surprised at what you might see while birding on site. The post Costa Rica Birding Tours appeared first on Villa San Ignacio | Hotel near San Jose and Alajuela | Costa Rica.

The “Higueron” ficus – What is It and Why So Many Costa Rica Birds Love It? Arrive in Costa Rica, leave the airport and not long after, the car follows roads flanked by leafy hedgerows and other tropical vegetation. Here and there, towering over the hedgerows and roadways are massive trees with wide, fluted trunks The post Higueron Ficus – Birds love them! appeared first on Villa San Ignacio | Hotel near San Jose and Alajuela | Costa Rica.

With more than 900 species of birds, Costa Rica is a wonderland for bird watchers. In this lush country teeming with fruit and flowers, you don’t have to visit a reserve or an aviary to spy famous birds. Even walking in cities and along busy roads you’ll want to keep some attention skyward, as The post Birds of Costa Rica: Twitching in the Central Valley appeared first on Villa San Ignacio | Hotel near San Jose and Alajuela | Costa Rica.

The key to seeing the birds, is first hearing the birds. As usual, I heard them long before seeing the birds. They were saying the name that Costa Ricans give to this beautiful little bird, “Toledo! Toledo!”  As the Toledo sings,  I quietly and slowly move toward the birdsong hoping to see the Long-tailed Manakins. The post Looking for Long-tailed Manakins (Toledos) appeared first on Villa San Ignacio | Hotel near San Jose and Alajuela | Costa Rica.

EXT. TROPICAL FOREST IN COSTA RICA – SUNRISE Sunlight spokes, a forest canopy.  A guide, weighted down with two sets of binoculars, zoom lens, and camera, leads a small group of birdwatchers.  Above the dawn chorus, a piercing bird’s screech signals the guide. GUIDE Listen, here they come. Sonorous screeches now louder. The guide seems The post Ready to Plan Your Birding Trip to Costa Rica? appeared first on Villa San Ignacio | Hotel near San Jose and Alajuela | Costa Rica.

It’s barely dawn, but the birds are calling at Villa San Ignacio. Twin hoots of a Lesson’s Motmot filter in from the garden. They remind visiting birders of an owl or maybe even a barking dog. Great Kiskadees yell from the trees, and Rufous-capped Warblers chip and sing from the low vegetation. What else The post A Morning of Birding at Hotel Villa San Ignacio appeared first on Villa San Ignacio | Hotel near San Jose and Alajuela | Costa Rica.