Birds in Costa Rica

127 species listed · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024

Our list for Costa Rica has 127 bird species recorded regularly there: 28 residents, 65 winter visitors, 31 passage migrants and 3 scarce visitors.

The list comes from 19 million birdwatchers' records from 2019–2024, shared through the eBird Observation Dataset on GBIF. A bird is listed when it was recorded in at least 3 of the 6 years and has a Birdfact species guide, so more species occur here than are listed; the months show when it is recorded most years.

Birds to see in Costa Rica in September

88 species on our list are recorded regularly this month. These are the ones birdwatchers record most often.

All 88 birds in September

Arriving in September: Baltimore Oriole, Tennessee Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Swainson's Thrush, Broad-winged Hawk, Northern Waterthrush, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Scarlet Tanager and 21 more.

Through the year

Species recorded regularly in Costa Rica each month: most in November (110), fewest in June (42). Choose a month to see its birds.

88110
Show as a table
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Ruby-throated HummingbirdSmallest · 7cm
to
Great Blue Heron
Great Blue HeronLargest · 137cm
From the Ruby-throated Hummingbird (7 cm) to the Great Blue Heron (137 cm)34 families

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All 127 birds on the list

Showing 24–46 of 127 species

Great Curassow

Great Curassow

Crax rubraVU

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Archilochus colubrisLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red-winged Blackbird

Red-winged Blackbird

Agelaius phoeniceusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Whimbrel

Whimbrel

Numenius phaeopusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Black-throated Green Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Setophaga virensLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Pheucticus ludovicianusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Acorn Woodpecker

Acorn Woodpecker

Melanerpes formicivorusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Semipalmated Plover

Semipalmated Plover

Charadrius semipalmatusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

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Mourning Warbler

Mourning Warbler

Geothlypis philadelphiaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Willet

Willet

Tringa semipalmataLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Least Sandpiper

Least Sandpiper

Calidris minutillaNT

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Jul–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Muscovy Duck

Muscovy Duck

Cairina moschataLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Prothonotary Warbler

Prothonotary Warbler

Protonotaria citreaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Aug–Mar

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Rock Dove

Rock Dove

Columba liviaLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Ferruginous Pygmy-owl

Ferruginous Pygmy-owl

Glaucidium brasilianumLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
House Sparrow

House Sparrow

Passer domesticusLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Ruddy Turnstone

Ruddy Turnstone

Arenaria interpresLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
American Redstart

American Redstart

Setophaga ruticillaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Aug–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Tyrannus forficatusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Peregrine Falcon

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinusLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red-tailed Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Buteo jamaicensisLC

ResidentUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Grey Plover

Grey Plover

Pluvialis squatarolaLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Western Sandpiper

Western Sandpiper

Calidris mauriLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Jul–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
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Frequently Asked Questions

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

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