Birds to See in Costa Rica in September
88 bird species on our list for Costa Rica are recorded regularly in September
Of these, the most often recorded are Turkey Vulture, Palm Tanager, White-winged Dove, Barn Swallow and Roadside Hawk. New this month: Baltimore Oriole, Tennessee Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler and Swainson's Thrush and 25 more.
On the move in September
GBIF · SepArriving
Northern WaterthrushRegular from September · Sep–May
Yellow-bellied FlycatcherRegular from September · Sep–May
Baltimore OrioleRegular from September · Sep–Apr
Chestnut-sided WarblerRegular from September · Sep–Apr
Swainson's ThrushRegular from September · Sep–May
Tennessee WarblerRegular from September · Sep–Apr
At their peak
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 88 birds in September
88 birds
Turkey VultureCathartes auraResidentCommon62–81 cmRecorded all year · 1.20% in Sep
Palm TanagerThraupis palmarumResidentCommon16–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.77% in Sep
White-winged DoveZenaida asiaticaResidentCommon27–30 cmRecorded all year · 0.75% in Sep
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaWinter visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.49% in Sep
Roadside HawkRupornis magnirostrisResidentUncommon33–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.49% in Sep
Cattle EgretArdea ibisResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.36% in Sep
Great White EgretArdea albaResidentCommon80–104 cmRecorded all year · 0.33% in Sep
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaPassage migrantUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.30% in Sep
Lineated WoodpeckerDryocopus lineatusResidentUncommon32–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.27% in Sep
Scarlet MacawAra macaoResidentUncommon81–96 cmRecorded all year · 0.27% in Sep- Northern WaterthrushParkesia noveboracensisWinter visitorUncommon12–15 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.22% in Sep
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusResidentUncommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in Sep- Yellow-bellied FlycatcherEmpidonax flaviventrisWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.19% in Sep
- Baltimore OrioleIcterus galbulaWinter visitorCommon17–19 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.17% in Sep
Semipalmated PloverCharadrius semipalmatusWinter visitorUncommon17–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.16% in Sep
WilletTringa semipalmataWinter visitorUncommon33–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.16% in Sep
Least SandpiperCalidris minutillaWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.16% in Sep
OspreyPandion haliaetusWinter visitorUncommon54–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.15% in Sep- Chestnut-sided WarblerSetophaga pensylvanicaWinter visitorCommon10–14 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.15% in Sep
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentUncommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Sep
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresWinter visitorUncommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in Sep
American RedstartSetophaga ruticillaWinter visitorUncommon11–14 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.13% in Sep
Great CurassowCrax rubraResidentUncommon84–92 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Sep
Acorn WoodpeckerMelanerpes formicivorusResidentUncommon20–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Sep
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentUncommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Sep
Prothonotary WarblerProtonotaria citreaWinter visitorUncommon13–14 cmRegularly Aug–Mar · 0.11% in Sep- Swainson's ThrushCatharus ustulatusWinter visitorCommon16–20 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.10% in Sep
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaWinter visitorUncommon27–30 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Sep
Western SandpiperCalidris mauriWinter visitorUncommon14–17 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.10% in Sep
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataResidentUncommon66–84 cmRecorded all year · 0.10% in Sep
SanderlingCalidris albaWinter visitorUncommon18–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Sep
Ferruginous Pygmy-owlGlaucidium brasilianumResidentUncommon15–19 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Sep
Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaWinter visitorUncommon15–18 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.09% in Sep
Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceusResidentUncommon17–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Sep
Solitary SandpiperTringa solitariaWinter visitorUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.09% in Sep
Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusWinter visitorUncommon23–32 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.08% in Sep- Tennessee WarblerLeiothlypis peregrinaWinter visitorCommon10–13 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.07% in Sep
DickcisselSpiza americanaWinter visitorUncommon14–16 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.07% in Sep
Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipesWinter visitorUncommon23–27 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.07% in Sep
Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensisResidentUncommon45–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Sep
Mottled OwlStrix virgataResidentUncommon30–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Sep
Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosusResidentUncommon18–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Sep
Mourning WarblerGeothlypis philadelphiaWinter visitorUncommon10–15 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.05% in Sep
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosPassage migrantUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.05% in Sep
Great Blue HeronArdea herodiasWinter visitorUncommon91–137 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Sep
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxResidentUncommon58–65 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Sep
Willow FlycatcherEmpidonax trailliiWinter visitorRare13–17 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.04% in Sep
Purple MartinProgne subisPassage migrantRare18–20 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.04% in Sep
Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleucaWinter visitorUncommon29–40 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.04% in Sep
Black TernChlidonias nigerResidentRare22–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Sep
Marbled GodwitLimosa fedoaWinter visitorRare40–50 cmRegularly Jul–May · 0.04% in Sep
Alder FlycatcherEmpidonax alnorumPassage migrantRare13–17 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.04% in Sep
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisResidentUncommon36–41 cmRecorded all year · 0.04% in Sep
Broad-winged HawkButeo platypterusWinter visitorUncommon34–44 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.04% in Sep
Wilson's PhalaropePhalaropus tricolorPassage migrantRare22–24 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.03% in Sep
Upland SandpiperBartramia longicaudaPassage migrantRare28–32 cmRegularly Apr–Oct · 0.03% in Sep
Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdiiPassage migrantRare14–17 cmRegularly Apr–Nov · 0.02% in Sep
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusWinter visitorUncommon34–58 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.02% in Sep
Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisPassage migrantRare18–20 cmRegularly Sep–Oct · 0.02% in Sep
Great Crested FlycatcherMyiarchus crinitusWinter visitorUncommon17–22 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.02% in Sep
Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopusWinter visitorRare18–23 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.02% in Sep
Scarlet TanagerPiranga olivaceaPassage migrantUncommon16–19 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.02% in Sep
Common TernSterna hirundoWinter visitorRare31–35 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Sep
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaWinter visitorRare33–42 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Sep
Black-throated Green WarblerSetophaga virensWinter visitorUncommon11–12 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.02% in Sep
Common PotooNyctibius griseusResidentRare33–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Sep
Mourning DoveZenaida macrouraResidentRare23–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Sep
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusWinter visitorRare48–66 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Sep
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatusWinter visitorRare18–19 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.01% in Sep
Least FlycatcherEmpidonax minimusWinter visitorRare12–14 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.01% in Sep
Sabine's GullXema sabiniPassage migrantRare27–33 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.01% in Sep
VeeryCatharus fuscescensPassage migrantRare16–19 cmRegularly Sep–Nov · 0.01% in Sep
Red KnotCalidris canutusWinter visitorRare23–26 cmRegularly Aug–Feb · 0.01% in Sep
Blue-footed BoobySula nebouxiiPassage migrantRare76–84 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.00% in Sep
BobolinkDolichonyx oryzivorusPassage migrantRare16–20 cmRegularly Sep–Nov · 0.00% in Sep
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentRare30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in Sep
Fulvous Whistling-DuckDendrocygna bicolorResidentRare45–53 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in Sep
OvenbirdSeiurus aurocapillaWinter visitorUncommon12–15 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.00% in Sep
Leach's Storm-petrelHydrobates leucorhousPassage migrantRare18–21 cmRegularly Mar–Jan · 0.00% in Sep
White-rumped SandpiperCalidris fuscicollisPassage migrantRare15–18 cmRegularly Apr–Nov · 0.00% in Sep
MerlinFalco columbariusWinter visitorRare24–33 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.00% in Sep
Pied-billed GrebePodilymbus podicepsResidentRare31–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.00% in Sep
Black-billed CuckooCoccyzus erythropthalmusPassage migrantRare28–32 cmRegularly Apr–Nov · 0.00% in Sep
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorRare44–51 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.00% in Sep
Arctic JaegerStercorarius parasiticusResidentRare41–46 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.00% in Sep
Arctic TernSterna paradisaeaPassage migrantRare33–39 cmRegularly Sep–Oct · 0.00% in Sep
Gray CatbirdDumetella carolinensisWinter visitorRare20–24 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.00% in Sep
Magnolia WarblerSetophaga magnoliaWinter visitorRare11–13 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.00% in Sep
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