Birding in Northern Costa Rica 3-16-26

After arriving late the night before and catching a glimpse of the stunning views, I decided to get up early to capture the sunrise before our 6:00 am birding walk. The landscape was postcard-beautiful, featuring the gentle giant of the Arenal volcano snoozing under a blue sky just before a pillow of clouds tucked her in. The neighboring lake filled the air with a deep sense of calm, leaving the chatter of birds in the distant treetops as the only sound of life stirring the jungle. Our morning walk proved incredibly successful. My favorites were the two different Oropendola species: the Chestnut-headed and the Montezuma. Many of the birds were perched in an Erythrina tree—commonly known in Costa Rica as a Poró tree. Belonging to the legume family, these trees showcase distinctive, curved, bright orange blossoms that bloom during the dry season, serving as a vital food source for large nectar-feeding birds. Because the birds buried themselves deep in the branches, it quickly became apparent that getting a good shot would be a waiting game—a luxury I couldn't afford with our tight schedule. After breakfast, we loaded onto the bus and headed to a Sky Adventure Park. We hiked their trails and crossed a few suspension bridges, which made the dense jungle feel a bit more open. The ultimate highlight for me was the view from the observation deck; it made me feel beautifully small in such a massive world. After lunch, we drove down the Arenal Observatory Lodge access road, which yielded an exceptional variety of species. In my opinion, the absolute highlight of the afternoon was seeing a band of coatimundis cross the road right in front of us. Our guide wasn’t quite as thrilled, noting that they have unfortunately come to view humans as a food source because tourists feed them scraps. Following dinner at the lodge, I spotted my first snake of the trip just outside one of the buildings. It was a harmless red coffee snake, but a group of us crowded around to admire its brilliant, coral-like coloring. All in all, it was a spectacular day, ending with 91 bird species and a few memorable critters tossed in for good measure.