5 Crucial Questions to Ask Before Planning a Birding Tour to Costa Rica

Thinking of taking a birding tour to Costa Rica? Good choice! We might be biased, after all, we do live in this global birding hotspot but seriously, Costa Rica is a fantastic place for seeing lots of beautiful tropical birds.When planning a birding trip to Costa Rica, people often wonder where they should go, which places are best. Questions like this are important and we answer such inquiries all the time. If we had to pick the 5 most questions to ask when plannin a birding tour to Costa Rica, these come to mind:

Is the tour focused on birding or photography?

Before even looking into tour options, think about how you would like to watch birds in Costa Rica. Are you only interested in photos, would you rather see as many birds as possible, or perhaps see lots of birds and have good photo opportunities? A tour that is geared towards photography will differ in various ways from a birding tour more focused on watching birds.

How long is the trip?

How long do you want to be away from home? A week of birding in Cosa Rica? Two weeks, even three weeks? The more time you have for the trip, the more birds you will see and photograph but few people can go away for three weeks or more. 10-12 days is an average amount of time for a birding trip to Costa Rica that gives a good sampling of birds. However, when figuring out the time needed for your dream trip, you also need to ask yourself the next question.

Certain species, as much as possible or both?

Are their certain birds that are must see species? Or, are you happy seeing and/or photographing as much as possible? Look through a good field guide to Costa Rica or birding app for Costa Rica and see if there are some species you wouldn't want to miss.

The rare and endangered Bare-necked Umbrellabird is one of those must see species. A tough one but we keep tabs on the best places to see them.

Go with a group or on your own?

Do you want to bird with other people or do an independent trip? Birding in a group can be a lot of fun and saves on costs but it can also come with a few constraints. If you would rather do your trip to Costa Rica on your own, that is also possible and frees up all sorts of ideas.

It's always better to see Bay-headed Tanagers with good friends.

Custom tour or pre-planned trip?

After thinking about the questions mentioned above, you should have a better idea about looking for a trip customed to your needs or taking a pre-planned tour. A planned tour might actually provide everything you are looking for. If not, then note what you would also like to see or do and speak with an experienced, local birding tour provider for Costa Rica.

Need help answering these questions? Maybe some ideas for birding tours or learning about scheduled birding tours in Costa Rica? We are always happy to help! Contact us sharpbill@lifertours.com