Esquipulas – Costa Rica

About

Esquipulas is a town in the Alajuela province of Costa Rica. The local people call this province “The Capital of the World.” It is just at the foothills of one of the highest mountains in Costa Rica, the San Marcos de Tarrazú mountain range. The town is 20 to 30 minutes away from Manuel Antonio National Park and is considered to be a hidden gem as the best birding spot in the area. In general, Costa Rica is a hotspot for birding in Central America, featuring many exotic and colorful birds. The town of Esquipulas is 400 meters above sea level – the perfect altitude for birding. This area features a wide variety of different habitats and climates that are suitable for many different bird species to live in, such as primary and secondary forest, animal pastures, home gardens, rolling hills, volcanoes, and varying altitudes. While many smaller creatures can be seen here, as snakes, lizards, and frogs, around 304 different bird species can be found here too, with many of them being endemic to Costa Rica and Panama. The country itself boasts of having at least 850 species reside here, making it a birdwatching paradise. Birding tours are a popular event here, and Owen has seen many Costa Rican species with his birding guide Johan Chavez. Owen has photographed the Common Black Hawk, Grey Hawk, Black-mandibled Toucan, Red-lored Parrot, Purple-crowned Fairy hummingbird, and many other birds in Esquipulas on a birding tour. Owen traveled here on a private tour with Johan in December of 2014.

© Lauren Harrigan

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Birds found here

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  Black-mandibled Toucan

  
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  Purple-crowned Fairy

  
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  Red-lored Parrot

  
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  Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher

  
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  Grey Hawk