Day 213: April 29, 2025 – Monteverde, Costa Rica

Costa Rica is known as a birding hot spot, and it did not disappoint. A day trip to Curi-Cancha Reserve in the Monteverde Cloud Forest gave me 28 lifers (birds I had not seen before), including two extra-special species, the Resplendent Quetzal and the Three-wattled Bellbird.

The Resplendent Quetzal is a stunningly beautiful bird with brilliant blue and green plumage. It was my target bird for Guatemala (where I thought I had the best chance of spotting it). So finding it before we even got there was a bonus.

The Three-wattled Bellbird is an odd creature, with three long wattles hanging from its bill and an unmistakable metallic call.

Watch the Bellbird show off his wattles while calling for his mate.

There was a lot of nesting going on this time of year.

Costa Rican lifers added to my list:

1. Three-wattled Bellbird
2. Resplendent Quetzal
3. Long-tailed Manakin
4. Costa Rican Warbler
5. Golden-crowned Warbler
6. White-eared Ground-Sparrow
7. Golden-browed Chlorophonia
8. White-throated Thrush
9. Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush
10. Black-faced Solitaire
11. Yellowish Flycatcher
12. Tufted Flycatcher
13. White-throated Spadebill
14. Lesson’s Motmot
15. Boat-billed Flycatcher
16. Northern Emerald-Toucanet
17. Rufous-backed Wren
18. Mangrove Swallow
19. Dusky Antbird
20. Green Kingfisher
21. Amazon Kingfisher
22. Bare-throated Tiger-Heron
23. Double-striped Thick-knee
24. Hoffmann’s Woodpecker
25. Crane Hawk
26. Brown Jay
27. Streak-headed Woodcreeper
28. Melodious Blackbird