HOLIDAY COSTA RICA: RANCHO NATURALISTAOne-site holiday tour based at the comfortable Rancho Naturalista Lodge, with excursions to other habitats on Costa Rica’s bird-rich Caribbean Slope.
$2650 (2008 fee). 9 days See our triplist for 2007 or 2006.
One of the pleasures of being at Rancho is to start the day birding from the balcony, a hot cup of coffee in hand and a myriad of tropical species parading below. More than 200 species have been seen from the balcony, including such colorful regulars as Brown-hooded Parrot, Keel-billed Toucan, Blue-crowned Motmot, Golden-olive Woodpecker, Bay-headed, Speckled, and Passerini’s tanagers, and Orange-billed Sparrow. Hummingbird feeders and flowers in the garden below attract Stripe-throated Hermit, White-necked Jacobin, Green-breasted Mango, and the incredible Black-crested Coquette, while gaudy Montezuma Oropendolas display at eye level in the surrounding Erythrina trees. It’s a memorable show that one never tires of watching. Just behind the cabins, several trails allow access to the lodge’s 120-acre private forest reserve, a small but incredibly birdy mix of secondary and primary foothill forest habitats. Specialties we will look for here include Rufous-winged Woodpecker, Brown-billed Scythebill, Dull-mantled, Immaculate, and Spotted antbirds, the rare and poorly known Tawny-chested Flycatcher, Gray-headed Piprites, and a trio of manakins: White-crowned, White-collared, and White-ruffed. A late afternoon visit to the only permanent stream on the property will give us a chance to see a trio of lovely hummingbirds—Purple-crowned Fairy, Violet-crowned Woodnymph, and the tiny Snowcap, a local specialty, bathing on the wing, a truly incredible sight! In addition to Rancho Naturalista, we will also have a chance to bird at several other sites. Tapanti National Park is an area of pristine mid-elevation cloud forest, home to a number of Chiriqui endemics from Black Guan to Blue-throated Toucanet to Prong-billed Barbet. Other targets here include White-bellied Mountain-gem, Black-bellied Hummingbird, Spangle-cheeked Tanager, and Golden-browed Chlorophonia. In the Caribbean lowlands we will visit the campus of an agricultural university where Snowy Cotinga, Pied Puffbird, Chestnut-colored Woodpecker, and the gorgeous Great Green Macaw will be among the many birds we will try to track down. And a visit to Irazu Volcano National Park will give us access to some of the many species that are found only at the highest elevations, a group that includes such beautiful birds as Fiery-throated Hummingbird, Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher, Flame-throated Warbler, and Collared Redstart. We might also encounter the stunningly lovely Resplendent Quetzal on the volcano’s forested slopes! With an incredible array of tropical species, Costa Rica’s Caribbean slope is an exciting place to spend a week birding. Throw in Rancho’s spring-like climate, comfy rooms, and scrumptious food, and this tour promises a welcome escape from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season!
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