Birding Highlights Tour 10 day tour Call for price Group rates available Based on double occupancy Single supplement an additional $350 Tour Includes: 9 nights of lodging All meals from Dinner on day 1 - Breakfast on day 10 All Transportation in Country Professional Guide Resident Guides(certain locations) All Accommodations All Fee's and entrances (national parks, reserves, etc…) Return flights must depart in the afternnon Dates: 2009 Jan. 31 - Feb. 9: Guide: Erick Castro Day 1: Arrive in San Jose where you will be warmly welcomed by your guide and chauffer and escorted back to your hotel. Spend the afternoon relaxing by the poolside or taking a walk in the lovely gardens to recuperate from your long day of travel. Depending on arrival time, you may also be able to do some birding with your guide on the hotel grounds. This is a good place to see the White-eared Ground-sparrow, the Blue-crowned Motmot, and some colorful hummingbirds. Day 2: Travel to Selva Verde Lodge in the tropical lowlands of Sarapiqui, birdwatching along the way. After lunch, explore the wildlife-rich riparian zone along the banks of the Sarapiqui river. This lowland rain forest region at the base of the Caribbean slope is well-known for hosting the greatest diversity of tropical flora and fauna in the country. Here the Sunbittern, Black-faced Grosbeak, and Gray-necked Wood-Rail are a few of the inhabitants of the area. This is the most likely spot on the trip to see the Great Green Macaw, an endangered species that depends on the Dipteryx tree for feeding and nesting. This is one of the emergent trees commonly found in Sarapiqui. Also lurking in the forest are two- and three-toed sloths, 3 different species of monkeys, and peccaries. We will stop along the way to spend the morning and lunch at the lovely Waterfall Gardens on the edge of the Braulio Carrillo National Park, where we will enjoy the extensive butterfly and hummingbird gardens. Up to 12 different species of jeweled hummingbirds visit the garden as well as a variety of colorful butterflies, including the giant blue Morpho. We will walk along the river, experiencing close-up views of 5 spectacular waterfalls. After lunch we walk through the serene river valley called Virgen del Socorro, where we may be lucky enough to see the Lanceolated Monklet. Day 3: Spend the day at La Selva Biological Station run by the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS), clearly a highlight of the tour. The station is among the four most famous tropical research facilities in the world. We will see an outstanding abundance of wildlife. The station is home to more than 420 bird species, more than 500 species of butterflies, 55 species of snakes, and 120 species of mammals. A vast variety of different species of trees can be seen in the arboretum. This is the most likely place to make your tinamou dream come true. There are three species of Tinamou that inhabit La Selva. We will be looking for Rufous Motmot, Trogons, Caciques, Purple-throated Fruit Crow, and Snowy Cotinga, among many others. Animals here are not camar shy, so there will be ample photo opportunities. Peccaries (wild pigs), agoutis, coatis, sloth, and monkeys frequent the area. All of which makes for an unforgettable experience. Day 4 and 5: Travel to the Arenal Observatory Lodge, which offers breath-taking views of the thundering Arenal Volcano. It is one of Costa Rica´s active volcanoes, where we are sure to enjoy some fireworks. Great photo opportunities! The extensive trails at the lodge allow for tremendous opportunities to view the Crimson-collared Tananger, White Hawk, Brown-hooded Parrot, and the Golden-olive Woodpecker, along with an array of colorful hummingbirds, and three species of Tucans. One night, we will go owling in search of the Black-and-White Owl, Mottled Owl, and Striped Owl in the open fields, below the lodge. Day 6: Travel to Punta Leona Beach Resort where you will be surrounded by 750 acres of lush tropical rainforest, pristine white sand and gold sand beaches bordering the deep blue waters of the Pacific. We will explore the extensive private wildlife reserve at Punta Leona as you participate in a guided walk through both primary and secondary rain forest. The reserve is of great importance from a biological standpoint because it is one of the few remaining forests in the transitional life zone between the Dry Forest of the Northwest and the Rainforest of the Southwest. Punta Leona is home to the Scarlet Macaw, white-faced and howler monkeys, sloths, coati mundis, peccaries, blue morpho butterflies, iguanas and array of other fascinating flora and fauna. You will be amazed by the towering old growth trees and diversity of colorful birds that inhabit the area, including Manakins, Trogons, and the Three-wattled bell bird. Day 7: Spend the days in the Carara Biological Reserve, a unique climatological zone where the ecosystem of the humid southern coastal region joins the dry climate of the northern Pacific area, becoming a rich meeting ground for species from both regions. This is truly one of the highlights of the tour, where we hope to find the Orange Collared Manakin dancing in their lek. This is a great location to spot antbirds, up to five different species of Trogons, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, and even Royal Flycatchers. In the late afternoon, we will visit the nearby bridge overlooking the Tarcoles River, where Scarlet Macaws fly over daily. Here you will also be amazed by the gigantic crocodiles basking on the banks of the river. Overnight at Punta Leona Beach Resort Day 8 and 9: Travel to Bosque de Paz Cloud Forest Reserve, where we will spend the next 2 days at one of the most peace full places on earth. Bosque de Paz, a 500-hectare (1200-acre) privately-owned Biological Preserve and lodge, acts as a natural biological corridor connecting the Poás Volcano National Park with the Juan Castro Blanco National Park. It is a spectacularly rich ecosystem because of its privileged location. It is located on the Continental Divide with altitudes ranging from 1400 to 2450 meters above sea level. Over 286 species of birds have been recorded in the reserve. We could hope to see the Black Guan, Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch, Scintillant Hummingbird, Black-faced Solitaire, Collard Trogon and Emerald Toucanet to name a few. Day 10: Travel to the airport for departing flights. (Flights must depart in the afternnon) *RETURN FLIGHTS MUST DEPART AFTER NOON. *Each morning we will be getting an early start to make the best of our time, and maximize our opportunities to see the most species of birds possible. As an optional outing, one night in each location, we will go owling. Each evening there will also be an optional meeting after dinner to go over the bird list. Tour includes all lodging and meals starting with lunch on Day 1 and ending with breakfast on Day 10; all transportation in Costa Rica in a modern and spacious air-conditioned vehicle with clear glass windows ideal for wildlife viewing; full time private bi-lingual professional guides specializing in birds and natural history; entrance fees to parks and reserves; and taxes. (Airport taxes ($26.00), alcoholic beverages and tips to local staff, guide and driver not included) Price based on double occupancy. Single supplement fee of $350 What sets us apart from other tours. Why Costa Rica is one of the worlds best birding and natural history destinations. Things to Know Policies and general information. In addition to our scheduled itineraries listed above we offer customized small-group birding tours with maximum time in the field, tours for the serious naturalist, as well as fun tours for the everyday nature lover. Call 1.888.205.6415 or email cotingatours@msn.com Our Tours    Our Team    Photo, Lists & Reports    Testimonial   Our Links