Birds to See in Costa Rica in December
103 bird species on our list for Costa Rica are recorded regularly in December
Of these, the most often recorded are Turkey Vulture, Baltimore Oriole, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Tennessee Warbler and Palm Tanager. New this month: Cedar Waxwing, Northern Pintail, Forster's Tern and American Golden-Plover and 4 more.
On the move in December
GBIF · DecArriving
At their peak
Chestnut-sided WarblerBusiest month of the year · Sep–Apr
Philadelphia VireoBusiest month of the year · Oct–Apr
Great Crested FlycatcherBusiest month of the year · Sep–Apr
Black-throated Green WarblerBusiest month of the year · Sep–Apr
Scissor-tailed FlycatcherBusiest month of the year · Oct–Apr
Western KingbirdBusiest month of the year · Oct–Apr
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 103 birds in December
103 birds
Turkey VultureCathartes auraResidentCommon62–81 cmRecorded all year · 1.44% in Dec
Baltimore OrioleIcterus galbulaWinter visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 1.10% in Dec- Chestnut-sided WarblerSetophaga pensylvanicaWinter visitorCommon10–14 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 1.01% in Dec
Tennessee WarblerLeiothlypis peregrinaWinter visitorCommon10–13 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.97% in Dec
Palm TanagerThraupis palmarumResidentCommon16–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.73% in Dec
White-winged DoveZenaida asiaticaResidentCommon27–30 cmRecorded all year · 0.67% in Dec
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.60% in Dec
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.51% in Dec
Roadside HawkRupornis magnirostrisResidentUncommon33–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.47% in Dec
Scarlet MacawAra macaoResidentUncommon81–96 cmRecorded all year · 0.44% in Dec
Broad-winged HawkButeo platypterusWinter visitorUncommon34–44 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.36% in Dec- Philadelphia VireoVireo philadelphicusWinter visitorUncommon11–13 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.33% in Dec
Northern WaterthrushParkesia noveboracensisWinter visitorUncommon12–15 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.32% in Dec
Lineated WoodpeckerDryocopus lineatusResidentUncommon32–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.29% in Dec
Yellow-bellied FlycatcherEmpidonax flaviventrisWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.28% in Dec- Great Crested FlycatcherMyiarchus crinitusWinter visitorUncommon17–22 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.26% in Dec
Great Blue HeronArdea herodiasWinter visitorUncommon91–137 cmRecorded all year · 0.25% in Dec
OspreyPandion haliaetusWinter visitorUncommon54–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.24% in Dec
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaWinter visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.23% in Dec
Great CurassowCrax rubraResidentUncommon84–92 cmRecorded all year · 0.19% in Dec
Ruby-throated HummingbirdArchilochus colubrisWinter visitorUncommon7–9 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.18% in Dec- Black-throated Green WarblerSetophaga virensWinter visitorUncommon11–12 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.18% in Dec
Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceusResidentUncommon17–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Dec
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusResidentUncommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Dec
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataResidentUncommon66–84 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Dec
Prothonotary WarblerProtonotaria citreaWinter visitorUncommon13–14 cmRegularly Aug–Mar · 0.14% in Dec
Rose-breasted GrosbeakPheucticus ludovicianusWinter visitorUncommon18–22 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.13% in Dec- Scissor-tailed FlycatcherTyrannus forficatusWinter visitorUncommon28–38 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.12% in Dec
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentUncommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Dec
Acorn WoodpeckerMelanerpes formicivorusResidentUncommon20–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Dec
Ferruginous Pygmy-owlGlaucidium brasilianumResidentUncommon15–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Dec
WilletTringa semipalmataWinter visitorUncommon33–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Dec
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentUncommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Dec
Swainson's ThrushCatharus ustulatusWinter visitorCommon16–20 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.10% in Dec
American RedstartSetophaga ruticillaWinter visitorUncommon11–14 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.10% in Dec
Mourning WarblerGeothlypis philadelphiaWinter visitorUncommon10–15 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.10% in Dec
Least SandpiperCalidris minutillaWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.08% in Dec
Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensisResidentUncommon45–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Dec
Mottled OwlStrix virgataResidentUncommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Dec
Semipalmated PloverCharadrius semipalmatusWinter visitorUncommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Dec
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusWinter visitorUncommon34–58 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.06% in Dec
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Dec
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentUncommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Dec
Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosusResidentUncommon18–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Dec
Solitary SandpiperTringa solitariaWinter visitorUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.05% in Dec
Bay-breasted WarblerSetophaga castaneaWinter visitorUncommon14–14 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.05% in Dec
Painted BuntingPasserina cirisWinter visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.05% in Dec
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisResidentUncommon36–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Dec
Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipesWinter visitorUncommon23–27 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.05% in Dec
Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleucaWinter visitorUncommon29–40 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.05% in Dec
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaWinter visitorUncommon27–30 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Dec
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorUncommon18–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Dec
OvenbirdSeiurus aurocapillaWinter visitorUncommon12–15 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.04% in Dec
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusWinter visitorRare48–66 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Dec
Western SandpiperCalidris mauriWinter visitorUncommon14–17 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.03% in Dec
Common PotooNyctibius griseusResidentRare33–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Dec
Franklin's GullLeucophaeus pipixcanWinter visitorRare32–36 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.03% in Dec
Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusWinter visitorUncommon23–32 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.03% in Dec- Western KingbirdTyrannus verticalisWinter visitorRare20–24 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.03% in Dec
Mourning DoveZenaida macrouraResidentRare23–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Dec
Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaWinter visitorUncommon15–18 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.03% in Dec
MerlinFalco columbariusWinter visitorRare24–33 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.03% in Dec
Yellow-rumped WarblerSetophaga coronataWinter visitorRare12–15 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.02% in Dec
DickcisselSpiza americanaWinter visitorUncommon14–16 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.02% in Dec
Black TernChlidonias nigerResidentRare22–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Dec
Cape May WarblerSetophaga tigrinaWinter visitorRare12–14 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.02% in Dec
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaPassage migrantUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.01% in Dec
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorRare44–51 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.01% in Dec
Yellow-bellied SapsuckerSphyrapicus variusWinter visitorRare19–22 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.01% in Dec
Gray CatbirdDumetella carolinensisWinter visitorRare20–24 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.01% in Dec
Sharp-shinned HawkAccipiter striatusWinter visitorRare24–34 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.01% in Dec
Marbled GodwitLimosa fedoaWinter visitorRare40–50 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.01% in Dec
Common TernSterna hirundoWinter visitorRare31–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Dec
Magnolia WarblerSetophaga magnoliaWinter visitorRare11–13 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.01% in Dec
Fulvous Whistling-DuckDendrocygna bicolorResidentRare45–53 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Dec
Least FlycatcherEmpidonax minimusWinter visitorRare12–14 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.01% in Dec
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaWinter visitorRare33–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Dec
Common YellowthroatGeothlypis trichasWinter visitorRare11–13 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.01% in Dec
Black-throated Blue WarblerSetophaga caerulescensPassage migrantRare11–13 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.01% in Dec
Pied-billed GrebePodilymbus podicepsResidentRare31–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Dec
Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopusWinter visitorRare18–23 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.01% in Dec
Pomarine JaegerStercorarius pomarinusWinter visitorRare46–51 cmRegularly Oct–Jun · 0.01% in Dec
Willow FlycatcherEmpidonax trailliiWinter visitorRare13–17 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.01% in Dec
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentRare30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Dec
Sabine's GullXema sabiniPassage migrantRare27–33 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.01% in Dec
Forster's TernSterna forsteriPassage migrantRare33–36 cmRegularly Dec–Jan · 0.01% in Dec
Northern PintailAnas acutaWinter visitorRare59–76 cmRegularly Dec–Feb · 0.00% in Dec
Arctic JaegerStercorarius parasiticusResidentRare41–46 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.00% in Dec
Palm WarblerSetophaga palmarumWinter visitorRare12–14 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.00% in Dec
Blue-headed VireoVireo solitariusWinter visitorRare12–15 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.00% in Dec
Bonaparte's GullChroicocephalus philadelphiaPassage migrantRare28–38 cmRegularly Dec · 0.00% in Dec
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorRare34–38 cmRegularly Dec–Mar · 0.00% in Dec
Blue-footed BoobySula nebouxiiPassage migrantRare76–84 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.00% in Dec
Cinnamon TealSpatula cyanopteraWinter visitorRare36–43 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.00% in Dec
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusWinter visitorRare18–19 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.00% in Dec
Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensisPassage migrantRare43–54 cmRegularly Dec · 0.00% in Dec
MallardAnas platyrhynchosPassage migrantRare50–65 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.00% in Dec
Long-tailed JaegerStercorarius longicaudusWinter visitorRare48–58 cmRegularly Dec–Feb · 0.00% in Dec
Long-billed DowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusPassage migrantRare27–30 cmRegularly Oct–Dec · 0.00% in Dec
Blackpoll WarblerSetophaga striataWinter visitorRare13–15 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.00% in Dec
American Golden-PloverPluvialis dominicaPassage migrantRare24–28 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.00% in Dec
Red KnotCalidris canutusWinter visitorRare23–26 cmRegularly Aug–Feb · 0.00% in Dec
Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorumWinter visitorRare15–18 cmRegularly Dec–May · 0.00% in Dec
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