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| Brief Itinerary for Classic Costa Rica Day 1: Arrival transfer to Four-Star Hotel in San Jose Area. Day 2: 6 am pick up to a birding drive through to central Pacific area including forested area and beach at Tarcoles. Day 3: Day spent birding Carara National Park with terrific birding in this transition area between dryland forest to north and southern rainforests to south. Day 4: Second morning spent birding at Carara National Park, then Tarcoles River boat tour through Mangroves. Day 5: Birding transfer in morning then afternoon birding trails at La Ensenda Lodge and Wildlife Refuge. Day 6: Full day spent birding La Ensenda Lodge and Wildlife Refuge. Day 7: Today we drive from the tropical dry forest of Costa Rica to the rain forest of the Caribbean lowlands, stopping on route for birding and picture opportunities along the Arenal Lake and Arenal Volcano. Day 8: Full day enjoying the Caribean specialties at La Selva Biological Station. Day 9. Braulio Carrillo National Park (rainforest) and then check grasslands habitat on way back to Selve Verde Lodge and Reserve for more birding in afternoon. Day 10: Morning spent birding our last time at Selva Verde, afternoon birding drive to San Jose. San José, night (hotel in San José) or pm flight home. Day 11: Enjoy breakfast and reflect on your wonderful trip as you transfer to the airport and fly home. Please request or lodging list, our comprehensive Costs Rican bird list and a more detailed itinerary. |
| Costa Rican Guides Adolfo "Fito" Downs Adolfo “Fito” Downs has been interested in birding and natural history from a young age. A native Costa Rican, “Fito” refined his excellent birding skills and broad knowledge of natural history at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica (2 years conducting field research and guiding), and at the Smithsonian Institute in Panama (2 years). In addition, he was the resident guide for Neblina Forest-Bolivia for another three years! To date, “Fito” coordinates our groups in Costa Rica. He now leads trips in Ecuador, Costa Rica and Bolivia. Alejandro Solano Alejandro Solano is also Costa Rican and now resides in Ecuador. He has a degree in biology from Universidad Latina de Costa Rica and the most recent acquisition to our staff. He has developed keen field skills and has learned to be a trip leader. Alejandro has worked as resident naturalist guide at Monteverde Cloud Forest and has provided tremendous volunteer work in Costa Rica’s national parks. He has also worked in the United States on the MAPS project at the Institute of Bird Populations in California and at the Redwoods Science Lab, Trinity River Restoration Program at Humboldt University. Besides leading bird trips, his field experience includes surveying, mapping nests and banding birds. In Ecuador, he has conducted bird inventories and surveys, field projects in coastal and southern Ecuador, and conservation work on the endangered Black-breasted Puffleg. Alejandro has also birded Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and southern Brazil. |
Fito Downs welcomes you to some great birding.
Costa Rica 2012
| Trip Schedule for Costa Rica We have two basic trips to Costa Rica and are happy to customize any of our trips to meet your bird watching needs. More details on these trip itineraries can be found below. Full trip descriptions are also in on seperate web pages for Southern Costa Rica (with rain forest) and Classic Costa Rica. January 7 to 15, 2012: Classic Costa Rica with Fito Downs. This classic route starts with some birding to the central Pacific area of the country including Tarcoles, then off Carara National Park for several days. Next La Ensenada Lodge and Wildlife Refuge, then the Sarapiqui Lowlands and La Selva Verde Lodge and the La Selva Biological Station. The trip then goes to Braulio Carrillo National Park. February 18 to 26, 2012: Classic Costa Rica with Fito Downs. This classic route starts with some birding to the central Pacific area of the country including Tarcoles, then off Carara National Park for several days. Next La Ensenada Lodge and Wildlife Refuge, then the Sarapiqui Lowlands and La Selva Verde Lodge and the La Selva Biological Station. The trip then goes to Braulio Carrillo National Park. February 7 to 19, 2012: Southern Costa Rica with Fito Downs. This trip starts with birding the central Pacific area of the country including Tarcoles, then off Carara National Park for several days. Next to Esquinas Rainforest and Lodge (Piedras Blancas National Park) and then birding the tropical rainforests to the cloudforest of the Southern Pacific Slope (including Las Cruces Research Station and/or Wilson’s Botanical Garden ); next to Cerro de la Muerte and the Paramo habitat; then Savegre Mountain Lodge before heading home. March 31 to April 10, 2012: Classic Costa Rica with Fito Downs. This classic route starts with some birding to the central Pacific area of the country including Tarcoles, then off Carara National Park for several days. Next La Ensenada Lodge and Wildlife Refuge, then the Sarapiqui Lowlands and La Selva Verde Lodge and the La Selva Biological Station. The trip then goes to Braulio Carrillo National Park. April 14 to 26, 2012: Southern Costa Rica with Fito Downs. This trip starts with birding the central Pacific area of the country including Tarcoles, then off Carara National Park for several days. Next to Esquinas Rainforest and Lodge (Piedras Blancas National Park) and then birding the tropical rainforests to the cloudforest of the Southern Pacific Slope (including Las Cruces Research Station and/or Wilson’s Botanical Garden ); next to Cerro de la Muerte and the Paramo habitat; then Savegre Mountain Lodge before heading home. Additional Dates in 2012 or Fall of 2011: We have a number of ways to develop additional dates for custom groups of 2 to 6. We are also likely to add dates if we fill our current trip schedule. |
| Brief Itinerary for Southern Costa Rica Day 1: Arrival transfer to Four-Star Hotel in San Jose Area Day 2: 6 am pick up to a birding drive through to central Pacific area including Tarcoles. Day 3: Day spent birding Carara National Park with terrific birding in this transition area between dryland forest to north and southern rainforests to south. Day 4: Second morning spent birding at Carara National Park, then Tarcoles River boat tour through Mangroves. Day 5: AM birding around lodge, then birding in route to Esquinas Lodge. Later afternoon birding at rainforest reserve at lodge. Days 6 and 7: Two full days birding Esquinas Rainforest Reserve and Piedras Blancas National Park in the Osa Conservation District. Day 8: Today we will enjoy birding stops as we we drive from the tropical rainforest to the cloudforest of the Southern Pacific Slope. Days 9 and 10: Wilson Botanical Garden at the Las Cruces Biological Station in gallery forest. Day 11: After breakfast, we start birding as we drive through Cerro de la Muerte area. Good access to birding in Paramo habitat at he top of the highway before descend to Savegre Mountain Lodge (for some afternoon birding). Day 12: Savegre Mountain Lodge birding should allow for some views of Resplendent Quetzal. In the afternoon we will head back to the San José area. Day 13: Transfers to airport and flights home. Please request or lodging list, our comprehensive Costs Rican bird list and a more detailed itinerary. |
| Target Birds in Carara Region: Amongst the 400 species in the area, some of our target bird species during our bird walks in the Carara Region include Scarlet Macaws, Orange-chinned Parakeet, White-crowned Parrot, Slaty-tailed Trogan, Scaly-breasted Hummingbird, Blue-throated Goldentail, Steely-vented Hummingbird, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Baird's Trogon, Black-throated Trogon, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Fiery-billed Aracari, Chestnut-mandibled Toucan, Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, Great Antshrike, Black-hooded Antshrike, Chestnut-backed Antbird, Ochre-bellied Flycatcher, Piratic Flycatcher, White-winged Becard, Orange-collared Manakin, Long-billed Gnatwren, Scrub Greenlet, Golden-hooded Tanager, Blue Dacnis, Yellow-crowned Euphonia, Blue-gray Tanager, Palm Tanager, Gray-headed Tanager, White-throated Shrike-Tanager, White-shouldered Tanager, Orange-billed Sparrow, and Montezuma Oropendola (just to name a few). |