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 70–92 of 127 species

Alder Flycatcher

Alder Flycatcher

Empidonax alnorumLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Apr–Oct

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

Veery

Catharus fuscescensLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Sep–Nov

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

Merlin

Falco columbariusLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Sep–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Wilson's Phalarope

Wilson's Phalarope

Phalaropus tricolorLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Aug–May

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

Upland Sandpiper

Bartramia longicaudaLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Apr–Oct

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

Western Kingbird

Tyrannus verticalisLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Oct–Apr

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

Least Flycatcher

Empidonax minimusLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Sep–May

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

Stilt Sandpiper

Calidris himantopusNT

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Aug–May

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

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Yellow-rumped Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Setophaga coronataLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Oct–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Cape May Warbler

Cape May Warbler

Setophaga tigrinaLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Oct–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Baird's Sandpiper

Baird's Sandpiper

Calidris bairdiiLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Apr–Nov

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sabine's Gull

Sabine's Gull

Xema sabiniLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Apr–Dec

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Buff-breasted Sandpiper

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

Calidris subruficollisVU

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Sep–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sharp-shinned Hawk

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Accipiter striatusLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Oct–Apr

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

Common Tern

Sterna hirundoLC

Winter visitorRare

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Gull-billed Tern

Gull-billed Tern

Gelochelidon niloticaLC

Winter visitorRare

Recorded all year

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

Gray Catbird

Dumetella carolinensisLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Sep–Apr

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

Northern Shoveler

Spatula clypeataLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Sep–Mar

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Blue-footed Booby

Blue-footed Booby

Sula nebouxiiLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Mar–Jan

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Sphyrapicus variusLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Oct–Mar

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red-necked Phalarope

Red-necked Phalarope

Phalaropus lobatusLC

Winter visitorRare

Regularly Aug–Apr

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

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Setophaga caerulescensLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Nov–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Pied-billed Grebe

Pied-billed Grebe

Podilymbus podicepsLC

ResidentRare

Recorded all year

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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