Why Manuel Antonio is great for birding
Manuel Antonio sits on Costa Rica’s southern Pacific slope, where rainforest, beach, mangrove and farmland meet within a few kilometers. That mix gives birders lowland forest species, regional specialties found only on this side of Costa Rica and western Panama, and mangrove birds in a single morning.
Signature birds to look for
- Fiery-billed aracari: a small toucan with an orange-red bill, a southern Pacific specialty.
- Yellow-throated toucan: the big one, usually heard before it is seen (see our toucan guide).
- Baird’s trogon: a regional specialty with a red belly and pale eye, a top target for visiting birders.
- Black-hooded antshrike: common in the park’s understory and found only in this region.
- Orange-collared manakin: males display on leks with snapping wing sounds.
- Cherrie’s tanager: the velvet-black and scarlet tanager seen at forest edges.
- Riverside wren: a loud duet singer of thickets near water.
- Mangrove hummingbird: Costa Rica’s endemic hummingbird, found in Pacific mangroves such as Damas Island.
Best time of year and day
Birding is good year-round. December to April is the dry season, with easier trails and North American migrants present from about October to April. The first two to three hours after dawn are by far the most active, which is why our bird watching tour starts at 6:30 a.m.
Where to go birding
- Manuel Antonio National Park: forest trails with antshrikes, trogons, manakins and toucans.
- Damas Island mangroves: mangrove hummingbird and water birds by boat.
- Carara National Park: scarlet macaws and a mix of dry and wet forest species, about an hour and a half north (see our Carara guide).
What we are seeing this week
Every Monday we publish a birding report from our own eBird checklists in and around Manuel Antonio. Read the latest Manuel Antonio birding report to see what is active right now.
Bird with a local naturalist
Jason Solano Zamora, an ICT-licensed naturalist guide with 18 years in the field and an active eBird birder, leads our Manuel Antonio bird watching tour. A Swarovski spotting scope sets each bird up for clear views and phone photos, included at no extra cost.