Uncommon Birds in Costa Rica
Our list for Costa Rica has 52 uncommon birds recorded regularly there: 16 residents, 32 winter visitors and 4 passage migrants
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in Costa Rica in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 52, most common first
Barn SwallowHirundo rusticaWinter visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Aug–May
Roadside HawkRupornis magnirostrisResidentUncommon33–41 cmRecorded all year
Scarlet MacawAra macaoResidentUncommon81–96 cmRecorded all year
Broad-winged HawkButeo platypterusWinter visitorUncommon34–44 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Northern WaterthrushParkesia noveboracensisWinter visitorUncommon12–15 cmRegularly Sep–May
Philadelphia VireoVireo philadelphicusWinter visitorUncommon11–13 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Yellow-bellied FlycatcherEmpidonax flaviventrisWinter visitorUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Sep–May
Lineated WoodpeckerDryocopus lineatusResidentUncommon32–38 cmRecorded all year
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaPassage migrantUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Mar–Dec
Scarlet TanagerPiranga olivaceaPassage migrantUncommon16–19 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Great Blue HeronArdea herodiasWinter visitorUncommon91–137 cmRecorded all year
Great Crested FlycatcherMyiarchus crinitusWinter visitorUncommon17–22 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
OspreyPandion haliaetusWinter visitorUncommon54–58 cmRecorded all year
Bay-breasted WarblerSetophaga castaneaWinter visitorUncommon14–14 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Great CurassowCrax rubraResidentUncommon84–92 cmRecorded all year
Ruby-throated HummingbirdArchilochus colubrisWinter visitorUncommon7–9 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceusResidentUncommon17–23 cmRecorded all year
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusResidentUncommon40–46 cmRecorded all year
Black-throated Green WarblerSetophaga virensWinter visitorUncommon11–12 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Rose-breasted GrosbeakPheucticus ludovicianusWinter visitorUncommon18–22 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Acorn WoodpeckerMelanerpes formicivorusResidentUncommon20–24 cmRecorded all year
Semipalmated PloverCharadrius semipalmatusWinter visitorUncommon17–19 cmRecorded all year
Mourning WarblerGeothlypis philadelphiaWinter visitorUncommon10–15 cmRegularly Sep–May
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