{"id":11587,"date":"2020-12-16T11:50:34","date_gmt":"2020-12-16T11:50:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/?p=11587"},"modified":"2020-12-17T10:54:06","modified_gmt":"2020-12-17T10:54:06","slug":"bird-watching-in-costa-rica","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/2020\/12\/bird-watching-in-costa-rica\/","title":{"rendered":"Bird Watching in Costa Rica"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On the blog today we hear from Danae, Latin America Operations Manager and ex tour leader in Central America<\/a>. She talks about the joy of bird watching in Costa Rica<\/a> and the incredible feathered creatures you can spot in the jungle! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have amazing memories of my year working as a Tour Leader around Central America<\/a> back in 2018. I love showing travellers all that Latin-America has to offer such as incredible culture, the warmest people and breathtaking landscapes. But mostly, the flora and fauna from the region! I’ve always considered myself a \u201cnature addict”, but being in Costa Rica<\/a> made me fall in love with birds more than ever. Here is my experience of bird watching in Costa Rica!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would wake up before dawn, put on some dark clothes to blend in with the background and then get my binoculars and the big lens for my camera. I learnt about pishing<\/em> (clench your teeth, open your mouth and whisper the word \u201cpish\u201d) to call the attention of our feathery friends; to be quiet and avoid sudden movements to not startle birds. Patience became my ally in order to make the most out of my day, studying the habitat and recognising where they were located depending on the kind of bird and the sound of their chime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did you know Costa Rica<\/a> is home to the most diversity of birds per square meter on the American Continent? Recent studies of the Committee of Rare Species and Ornithological Records of Costa Rica advised that there are 923 species in the country. These are only a few I was lucky to cross path with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

T<\/strong>oucan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

No need to say these are our top favourite birds, right? To find them, I learnt to listen and follow the sound of their beautiful singing, rather than looking at the treetops. There are 6 species of Toucans living from the coast of the country to the mountains. The most common to see is the majestic Keel-billed Toucan. With its striking coloured beak and the Black-mandibled Toucan, it’s the largest of this species in the region. The banana-shaped beak is actually hollow and weightless. It’s used to pick seeds and fruits, toss them to the air and catch it into an open mouth as they flip upward their head. Toucans mostly nest in tree holes made by woodpeckers, as their beak is not strong enough to do the same hard work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some places you can visit to spot the famous toucan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n