Monteverde, The Place Where Birds Flock Around You

Put aside the playful monkeys, the chewing-gum looking frogs and the fluffy sloths by which Costa Rica is known. Then you’ll learn the country is also a paradise for bird watching enthusiasts.Any web search on that matter will confirm the country as a feathered hotspot.

As of 2006, there were at least 812 vouchered species, according to the Ornithology Association of Costa Rica.That's more species than that of United States and Canada combined. Such diversity is a consequence of the particular bridging geography of the country.One that merges the climate conditions of the tropics and help produce fruiting trees during all year long.

This is quite attractive for birds that havetrouble findingnectar away far from the equator. Species who benefitthe most from this phenomenon are theViolet Sabrewing or the Great Green Macaw. About a quarter of the species are migrant birds. Some of them are the hummingbirds who arrive from the south and the jays that come from the north. Tough birds profit from this context, it is also true that they play an essential role in pollinating flowers and spreading seeds.

The place to go

If you are into bird watching in Costa Rica and would like to profit from all the diversity the country has to offer, your destination is already set: El Establo, a half costarican-half quaker rainforest hotel famous to most experts in the ornithology field. It can be found in the Costa Rica rainforest zone of Monterverde.Monteverde Hotel.

It It has a privileged location as a stands close to the Monteverde Biological Reserve. A place that comprises 29.950 acres and withholds six different ecological zones. Because of that, it is easy to spot at least 400 species of birds in the surroundings.

Taking care of the environment is a top priority and the reason why this place is a pioneer in ecotourism in Costa Rica.

Hotel management is fully aware on how important it is for people who enjoy bird watching in Monteverde, consequently, all operations are ecologically oriented.

Besides the advantages El Establo offer to bird watchers, the facilities are also a cozy option to rest and enjoy the trip. For relaxation, the Green Leaf Spa offer to its visitor massages, facial treatments and special baths, two restaurants and high end adventure activities to improve your well being.  

Article by Rommel Téllez

Join the Rincon de la Vieja Bird Count in Costa Rica, June 14-16

The massive Rincon de la Vieja in northern Costa Rica is known for its imposing outline on the horizon, its steaming fumaroles and bubbling mud pits, and impressive tropical dry forest. The highly-popular adventure tourism location also is becoming known for spectacular bird-watching.

This weekend, birders from all over Costa Rica will gather at the Rincon de la Vieja hotel Hacienda Guachipelin for the fifth annual Bird Count Rincon de la Vieja.

Bird Count Rincon de la Vieja 2014 will be held June 14 to 16 at Hacienda Guachipelin and the neighboring Rincon de la Vieja National Park in Guanacaste.

The annual bird count is being co-hosted by the Costa Rica National Parks Association (SINAC), Ornithological Association of Costa Rica, Ornithological Union of Costa Rica and Neo Travel.

Space is still available; contact Hacienda Guachipelin for reservations.

Professional birders and avid bird-watching fans will meet at the top Guanacaste hotel on June 13. The count will begin the morning of June 14 on the trails in the Rincon de la Vieja National Park and on the Hacienda’s enormous property that encompasses protected dry tropical forest and a working cattle and horse ranch, in addition to the hotel facilities and Costa Rica adventure tour center.

Rincon de la Vieja National Park is part of the Guanacaste Conservation Area, a World Heritage Site. Diverse micro-climates produce a wide variety of ecosystems. Rincón de la Vieja is home to approximately 300 bird species, including: the Blue-crowned Motmot, Whitefronted Parrot, Spectacled Owl, Laughing Falcon, Lesser Ground Cuckoo, Slaty-tailed Trogon, Black-faced Solitaire, Curassow, Royal Flycatcher, Emerald Toucanet and the Montezuma Oropendola.

See a list of more than 60 birds spotted near Hacienda Guachipelin in the Rincon de la Vieja National park. Get a full list of Costa Rica’s birds here.

One of the best times to visit Rincon de la Vieja is now in the green season (May to November) when the active volcano’s fumaroles and boiling mud pots are most active. The hiking is fantastic while birding at Rincon de la Vieja. Afterward, one of the benefits of Hacienda Guachipelin is to enjoy a warm volcanic mud bath and soak in natural hot springs to relieve sore muscles.

In green season, you also can enjoy great Costa Rica travel deals at Hacienda Guachipelin. The Rincon de la Vieja hotel was recently awarded the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence 2014.

Article by Shannon Farley

Bird watching in Costa Rica

If bird-watching is your passion, then you definitely want to add Costa Rica to your “Top 10 list of places to go birding.” The small Central American country is home to more than 870 bird species – more than in all of the United States, Canada and Mexico combined – and is a bird-watching hotspot. A single day of bird-watching in this enchanted corner of the globe can earn sightings of up to 85 to 150 different species.

Costa Rica’s strategic location in the tropics bridging North and South America, and rugged topography with numerous mountains, valleys and microclimates, offer optimum conditions for high biodiversity. The country protects more than 25% of its territory in national parks and private reserves, allowing access to intensely diverse habitats for widely varied bird-watching.

Scarlet and Green Macaws, Toucans, Oropéndolas, Resplendent Quetzals, Crimson-Collared Tanagers, Harpy Eagles, and Violet Sabrewing Hummingbirds are just some of the species you may see in this birding paradise.

The best way to go birding in Costa Rica is on a bird-watching tour. For instance, the eight-day Bird Watching in Costa Rica by Valle Dorado Tours takes you to Sarapiqui, the Arenal Volcano, and the cloud forest of the Central Highlands by the Juan Castro Blanco National Park.

Valle Dorado’s 11-day Costa Rica Nature Adventure that explores the Tortuguero National Park, the Arenal Volcano, Monteverde cloud forest, and beaches of the Manuel Antonio National Park, also would be a good choice for birding

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Valle Dorado Tours offers customized Costa Rica vacations using their 20+ years of local experience in Costa Rica travel to ensure you receive only the best in accommodations, transportation, tours and activities. They design their travel packages as a suggestion, and their travel experts are happy to make any changes to custom fit the perfect Costa Rica Bird-watching Tour package for you.

Travel Tip: Download the Costa Rica Birds Field Guide, a full-featured birding field guide for Costa Rica, available on iTunes.

Article by Shannon Farley