Birding Costa Rica and the Fila Costeña

Why would anyone want to count birds, or even watch them, for that matter? Why don’t people watch frogs, for example, or bats, monkeys or fish? People do observe these things, and ecotourism is a rapidly growing activity in Costa Rica. But few ecotourists are as dedicated to their hobby as the birders. Why is bird watching such a popular activity all over the world, and especially in Costa Rica?

I believe the answer lies in the great diversity of birds, not only in terms of number of species -- around 9800 worldwide -- but also diversity of habitat, being found in places as different as the polar caps, tropical rainforests and even the very center of large cities. Their diversity in appearance is equally extreme, some being colorful, others drab, and some so well camouflaged as to be nearly invisible; some are melodious, some obnoxious and others mute; some soar, others fly like stunt planes and some are flightless; and their sizes range from that of the tiniest humming bird, only slightly larger than a bumble bee and weighing no more than a couple of paper clips (1.95 gm,) to the enormous Andean Condor with a wing span upwards of 11 feet and a weight of over 30 lb. In a word, birds, in all their extremes, are fascinating, and, for that reason, bird watching has become a very popular activity all over the world, and especially in Costa Rica.

Another reason that people love to identify, list and count birds is that, for over a century, the American Audubon Society has diligently gathered, organized and disseminated information about birds. One of the best known activities of the society is the Christmas Bird Count (CBC.) This tradition actually began as a bird hunt with competition between different groups of hunters to see who could kill the most birds on Christmas Day. In the year 1900, the activity was taken over by the Audubon Society and converted into a bird census, with different teams counting in different areas. The purpose of the CBC, as it is practiced today, is to gather information about bird species in many locations throughout the Americas. It is probably the most effective tool for bird monitoring that has ever come along. This year the society carried out the 107th CBC, in 2015 different count areas from Argentina to Alaska, with the participation of over 50,000 qualified birders. Each count took place on a given day between December 5, 2006 and January 5, 2007. In Costa Rica there were six count areas. On January 3, 2007, our area, the Fila Costeña, participated for the fifth consecutive year. More than 60 birders with binoculars, spotting scopes and bird books in hand, sighted, identified and recorded the birds in 16 different routes or locations around Dominical.

The rules of the CBC are simple: 1.) The count area is a circle 15 miles (24 km) in diameter. 2.) The routes that each team takes are fixed and do not vary significantly from one year to the next. 3.) Each route is covered only once to avoid counting individual birds more than once. 4.) The count begins at midnight and lasts for 24 hours.

The Fila Costeña count area extends from the mouth of the Hatillo Viejo River to the mouth of the Morete River and from the coast to several miles the other side of the Tinamastes Ridge. The altitude ranges from sea level to 1300 meters (4225 ft.) The habitats represented include sea shore, river mouth, river bank, mangrove estuary, wetland, pasture, farm land, secondary forest, primary forest and swamp forest. This diversity in terrain adds up to a lot of different birds, both in species and individuals.

This year’s count yielded 393 bird species, more than any Fila Costeña count to date. Let’s put this into perspective. In one day, in an area about the same size as San Jose, a small city by international standards, we observed and identified almost half as many species of birds as have been identified in the entire United States and Canada over the last 100 years. On Hacienda Barú alone, an area only of 330 hectares (815 acres,) 168 species were counted.

Approximately 850 species of birds have been identified in all of Costa Rica, more than in all of North America . Of these about 600 are permanent residents and the rest migratory. From December through March, during which time the CBCs take place, all of the northern migrants are here, so it is a great time of year to go birding.

In the five years since the first CBC, on January 3, 2003, 470 species of birds have been identified in the Fila Costeña count area. Of the 393 species identified this year, 17 were new to the area; i.e. they hadn’t been seen on previous counts.

The total number of birds counted by 16 different teams was 10,598 individuals. The species with the most individuals was the Crimson-fronted Parakeet with 397 sightings. Seven other species had more than 200 sightings. They were: Cattle Egret 287, White-collared Swift 279, Cherrie’s Tanager 257, Brown Pelican 232, Black Vulture 232, Chestnut-sided Warbler 207 and Variable Seedeater 207. In past years the Cattle Egret has always had the most individuals, usually over 500, but because of a decline in the amount of cattle pasture, the habitat where these birds thrive, their numbers have diminished in this region.

The smallest bird sighted was the Scintillant Hummingbird at about 2.3 gm (less than one-tenth of an ounce.) The largest was the Great Curassow at 4 kilos (8.8 lb.) The competition for the loudest bird was a draw between the Three-wattled Bellbird -- I call it the “Electric Guitar Bird” -- which migrates into this region, from higher altitudes, for a short time each year, and the Gray-necked Wood-rail, a resident. The prettiest bird is as debatable as a beauty pageant, but, in my opinion, the prize goes to either the Golden-hooded Tanager or the Blue-hooded Euphonia, and the ugliest bird was either the Black Vulture or the Turkey Vulture. And of course there was everything in between these extremes.

In addition to being a great stimulus to bird watching in Costa Rica and this region, the Christmas Bird Count is an effective and accurate way of gathering and compiling useful and interesting information about our feathered friends. And, all of us birders are pleased to know that, in spite of all the damage to natural areas from uncontrolled development, there are still plenty of first class bird watching available in the Fila Costeña and the rest of Costa Rica.

Tel. (in C. R.): (506) 787-0003
Fax (in C. R.): (506) 787-0057
Email: info@haciendabaru.com

Focussed in Birdwatching Costa Rica and Ecotourism