Few places in the world can boast so many different bird species in such a small area. However, bird-watching requires some knowledge of where you are going, what you’re looking for, and the best season.
No self-respecting ornithologist would be caught in the field without his copy of A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica by F. Gary Stiles and Alexander Skutch; Birds of the Rainforest: Costa Rica by Carmen Hidalgo; or A Travel and Site Guide to Birds of Costa Rica by Aaron Sekerak.
Even with these in hand, your best bet is to hire a qualified guide or to join a bird-watching tour. Of the dozens of superb freelance guides, I recommend Karla Taylor (tel. 506/8915-2386, www.tortuguerovillage.com/karlastravelexperience [1]). Another standout is eagle-eyed Pietra Westra (tel. 506/2574-2319, www.aratinga-tours.com [2]). He leads bird-watching tours in fluent English, Dutch, or Spanish; his website provides an excellent primer on birds.
In Costa Rica, dozens of companies offer bird-watching tours, including Costa Rica Expeditions (tel. 506/2257-0766, www.costaricaexpeditions.com [3]) and Horizontes (tel. 506/2222-2022, www.horizontes.com [4]).
In North America, Cheeseman’s Ecology Safaris (tel. 408/741-5330 or 800/527-5330, www.cheesemans.com [5]); Field Guides (tel. 512/263-7295 or 800/728-4953, www.fieldguides.com [6]); and Holbrook Travel (tel. 800/451-7111, www.holbrooktravel.com [7]) offer bird-watching tours to Costa Rica.
In Europe, Journey Latin America (tel. 020/8747-8315, www.journeylatinamerica.co.uk [8]) offers a 16-day bird-watching tour.
Links:
[1] http://www.tortuguerovillage.com/karlastravelexperience
[2] http://www.aratinga-tours.com
[3] http://www.costaricaexpeditions.com
[4] http://www.horizontes.com
[5] http://www.cheesemans.com
[6] http://www.fieldguides.com
[7] http://www.holbrooktravel.com
[8] http://www.journeylatinamerica.co.uk