Birds to See in Costa Rica in August
60 bird species on our list for Costa Rica are recorded regularly in August
Of these, the most often recorded are Turkey Vulture, Palm Tanager, White-winged Dove, Roadside Hawk and Scarlet Macaw. New this month: Barn Swallow, Sand Martin, Prothonotary Warbler and American Redstart and 9 more.
On the move in August
GBIF · AugArriving
From Costa Rica’s bird records, 2019–2024: arriving birds are regular this month but not last; leaving birds are regular this month but not next.
Other months
All 60 birds in August
60 birds
Turkey VultureCathartes auraResidentCommon62–81 cmRecorded all year · 1.30% in Aug
Palm TanagerThraupis palmarumResidentCommon16–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.83% in Aug
White-winged DoveZenaida asiaticaResidentCommon27–30 cmRecorded all year · 0.69% in Aug
Roadside HawkRupornis magnirostrisResidentUncommon33–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.46% in Aug
Scarlet MacawAra macaoResidentUncommon81–96 cmRecorded all year · 0.36% in Aug
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.35% in Aug
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.34% in Aug
Lineated WoodpeckerDryocopus lineatusResidentUncommon32–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.30% in Aug
Great CurassowCrax rubraResidentUncommon84–92 cmRecorded all year · 0.17% in Aug
Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceusResidentUncommon17–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Aug
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentUncommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Aug
Acorn WoodpeckerMelanerpes formicivorusResidentUncommon20–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Aug
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusResidentUncommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in Aug
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataResidentUncommon66–84 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Aug
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentUncommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Aug
WilletTringa semipalmataWinter visitorUncommon33–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Aug
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaWinter visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.11% in Aug
Ferruginous Pygmy-owlGlaucidium brasilianumResidentUncommon15–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Aug
Semipalmated PloverCharadrius semipalmatusWinter visitorUncommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Aug
Mottled OwlStrix virgataResidentUncommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Aug
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Aug
Least SandpiperCalidris minutillaWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.08% in Aug
Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensisResidentUncommon45–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Aug
Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosusResidentUncommon18–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Aug
OspreyPandion haliaetusWinter visitorUncommon54–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Aug
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaWinter visitorUncommon27–30 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Aug
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorUncommon18–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Aug
Western SandpiperCalidris mauriWinter visitorUncommon14–17 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.04% in Aug
Great Blue HeronArdea herodiasWinter visitorUncommon91–137 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Aug
Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaWinter visitorUncommon15–18 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.04% in Aug
Solitary SandpiperTringa solitariaWinter visitorUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.04% in Aug
Black TernChlidonias nigerResidentRare22–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Aug
Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipesWinter visitorUncommon23–27 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.03% in Aug
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentUncommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Aug
Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusWinter visitorUncommon23–32 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.03% in Aug
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaPassage migrantUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.03% in Aug
Common PotooNyctibius griseusResidentRare33–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Aug
American RedstartSetophaga ruticillaWinter visitorUncommon11–14 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.02% in Aug
Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleucaWinter visitorUncommon29–40 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.02% in Aug
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisResidentUncommon36–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Aug
Sabine's GullXema sabiniPassage migrantRare27–33 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.02% in Aug
Marbled GodwitLimosa fedoaWinter visitorRare40–50 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.02% in Aug
Mourning DoveZenaida macrouraResidentRare23–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Aug
Prothonotary WarblerProtonotaria citreaWinter visitorUncommon13–14 cmRegularly Aug–Mar · 0.01% in Aug
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosPassage migrantUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.01% in Aug
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusWinter visitorRare18–19 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.01% in Aug
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusWinter visitorRare48–66 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Aug
Willow FlycatcherEmpidonax trailliiWinter visitorRare13–17 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.01% in Aug
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaWinter visitorRare33–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Aug
Blue-footed BoobySula nebouxiiPassage migrantRare76–84 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.01% in Aug
Common TernSterna hirundoWinter visitorRare31–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Aug
Purple MartinProgne subisPassage migrantRare18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.01% in Aug
Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopusWinter visitorRare18–23 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.01% in Aug
Wilson's PhalaropePhalaropus tricolorPassage migrantRare22–24 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.01% in Aug
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentRare30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in Aug
Pied-billed GrebePodilymbus podicepsResidentRare31–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in Aug
Red KnotCalidris canutusWinter visitorRare23–26 cmRegularly Aug–Feb · 0.00% in Aug
Leach's Storm-petrelHydrobates leucorhousPassage migrantRare18–21 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.00% in Aug
Fulvous Whistling-DuckDendrocygna bicolorResidentRare45–53 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in Aug
MallardAnas platyrhynchosPassage migrantRare50–65 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.00% in Aug
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made