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Links above are my own sightings at each location

Notes on Specific Birds

The Guanacaste region of northwest Costa Rica is a much drier habitat than other parts of Costa Rica. The area is much sunnier and more open, and bird life here is a bit different. Most birds on this list can also be found in Guanacaste parks such Palo Verde and Santa Rosa national parks. This list would also include birds found around some of the beach resorts.

This is the only region of Costa Rica where one can pick up Turquoise-browed Motmot and Streak-backed Oriole. Other birds more commonly found here but not elsewhere include Black-headed Trogon, Elegant Trogon, White-throated Magpie Jay, Rufous-naped Wren, Banded Wren, and a few others. Parks like Palo Verde also contain birds like Thicket Tinamou, Double-striped Thick-knee, Limpkin, Crested Bobwhite, Snail Kite and Jabiru.

Much of the dry secondary habitat contain birds like Hoffman's Woodpecker, Streak-backed Oriole, Stripe-headed Sparrow, Orange-fronted Parakeet, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, and Rose-throated Becard. Although this region doesn't have the diversity of the Caribbean side, the birding here is more open and a bit easier.

There are lots of place to stay as the beaches close by draw a lot tourists. However, as you get further south on the Nicoya Peninsula that habitat is slightly wetter and you begin to pick up a few species that you might find find in the more tropical areas. The roads become more difficult, but there are still good birds to see throughout the area.