Costa Rica Ramsar wetland
Palo Verde National Park
349 bird species recorded; the most from February to March.
Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE · CC BY-SA 2.0
This month here
286 species in January.311 species in February.292 species in March.263 species in April.205 species in May.194 species in June.199 species in July.201 species in August.203 species in September.243 species in October.279 species in November.281 species in December.
The birds you are most likely to see in the month you choose, those that come for the season first. It opens on today's month.
- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
349 species, counted.
Our own rating, from the records only: species (50 points), threatened species (20), migrants (20) and protected status — Ramsar, IBA, SPA, observatory (10).
- 349Speciesrecorded more than once
- 156Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 5ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 133,176Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 35Raptors
- 9Owls
- 31Waders
- 11Gulls & seabirds
- 13Ducks & geese
- 22Herons, ibises & grebes
- 2Storks & cranes
- 151Songbirds
- 75Other birds
From open records (eBird and others, through GBIF, licensed for any use). More birdwatchers mean more records: a quiet place may have more birds than it shows.
The checklist
All 349 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors35 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Turkey VultureCathartes aura
- Black VultureCoragyps atratus
- Crested CaracaraCaracara plancus
- Roadside HawkRupornis magnirostris
- Snail KiteRostrhamus sociabilis
- Laughing FalconHerpetotheres cachinnans
- OspreyPandion haliaetus
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- Grey-lined HawkButeo nitidus
- Broad-winged HawkButeo platypterus
- Zone-tailed HawkButeo albonotatus
- Collared Forest FalconMicrastur semitorquatus
- Short-tailed HawkButeo brachyurus
- Common Black HawkButeogallus anthracinus
- Falco sparveriusFalco sparverius
- Harris's HawkParabuteo unicinctus
- Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
- White-tailed KiteElanus leucurus
- Crane HawkGeranospiza caerulescens
- Swainson's HawkButeo swainsoni
- Great Black HawkButeogallus urubitinga
- King VultureSarcoramphus papa
- Buteo albicaudatusButeo albicaudatus
- Hook-billed KiteChondrohierax uncinatus
- Grey-headed KiteLeptodon cayanensis
- MerlinFalco columbarius
- Double-toothed KiteHarpagus bidentatus
- Pearl KiteGampsonyx swainsonii
- Bat FalconFalco rufigularis
- Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis
- Accipiter striatusAccipiter striatus
- Swallow-tailed KiteElanoides forficatus
- Black-collared HawkBusarellus nigricollis
- Plumbeous KiteIctinia plumbea
- Lesser Yellow-headed VultureCathartes burrovianus
Owls9 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Ferruginous Pygmy OwlGlaucidium brasilianum
- Spectacled OwlPulsatrix perspicillata
- Pacific Screech OwlMegascops cooperi
- American Barn OwlTyto furcata
- Mottled OwlStrix virgata
- Striped OwlPseudoscops clamator
- Black-and-white OwlStrix nigrolineata
- Tropical Screech-OwlMegascops choliba
- Crested OwlLophostrix cristata
Waders31 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Northern JacanaJacana spinosa
- Black-necked StiltHimantopus mexicanus
- Spotted SandpiperActitis macularius
- Southern LapwingVanellus chilensis
- Lesser yellowlegsTringa flavipesVU
- Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleucaNT
- Solitary SandpiperTringa solitaria
- Least SandpiperCalidris minutillaNT
- KilldeerCharadrius vociferusNT
- Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopusNT
- Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotos
- Semipalmated PloverCharadrius semipalmatus
- Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
- Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusVU
- Western SandpiperCalidris mauri
- Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaNT
- Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
- Wilson's PhalaropePhalaropus tricolor
- WilletTringa semipalmata
- Long-billed dowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceusNT
- Wilson's SnipeGallinago delicata
- RuffCalidris pugnax
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
- Bartram's SandpiperBartramia longicauda
- American AvocetRecurvirostra americana
- Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdii
- American golden ploverPluvialis dominica
- Buff-breasted SandpiperCalidris subruficollisVU
- SanderlingCalidris alba
- American OystercatcherHaematopus palliatus
- Long-billed CurlewNumenius americanus
Gulls & seabirds11 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Royal TernThalasseus maximus
- Magnificent FrigatebirdFregata magnificens
- Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
- Laughing GullLeucophaeus atricilla
- Gull-billed TernGelochelidon nilotica
- Black TernChlidonias niger
- Elegant TernThalasseus elegansNT
- Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
- Black SkimmerRynchops niger
- Franklin's GullLeucophaeus pipixcan
- Common TernSterna hirundo
Ducks & geese13 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Black-bellied Whistling DuckDendrocygna autumnalis
- Cairina moschataCairina moschata
- Blue-winged TealSpatula discors
- Fulvous Whistling-duckDendrocygna bicolor
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- Lesser ScaupAythya affinis
- American WigeonMareca americana
- Masked DuckNomonyx dominicus
- Ring-necked DuckAythya collaris
- Eurasian TealAnas crecca
- Cinnamon TealSpatula cyanoptera
- RedheadAythya americana
Herons, ibises & grebes22 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
- Bare-throated Tiger-heronTigrisoma mexicanum
- Green HeronButorides virescens
- Roseate SpoonbillPlatalea ajaja
- Snowy EgretEgretta thula
- Little Blue HeronEgretta caerulea
- Great Blue HeronArdea herodias
- White IbisEudocimus albus
- AnhingaAnhinga anhinga
- Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellus
- Tricolored HeronEgretta tricolor
- Black-crowned Night-HeronNycticorax nycticorax
- Phalacrocorax brasilianusPhalacrocorax brasilianus
- Boat-billed HeronCochlearius cochlearius
- Yellow-crowned Night-HeronNyctanassa violacea
- Least GrebeTachybaptus dominicus
- Pinnated BitternBotaurus pinnatus
- Pied-billed GrebePodilymbus podiceps
- Reddish EgretEgretta rufescensNT
- Brown PelicanPelecanus occidentalis
- Green IbisMesembrinibis cayennensis
Storks & cranes2 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Wood StorkMycteria americana
- JabiruJabiru mycteria
Songbirds151 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Great KiskadeePitangus sulphuratus
- Tropical KingbirdTyrannus melancholicus
- Rufous-backed WrenCampylorhynchus capistratus
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- Streak-backed OrioleIcterus pustulatus
- Mangrove WarblerSetophaga petechia
- Agelaius phoeniceusAgelaius phoeniceus
- Brown-crested FlycatcherMyiarchus tyrannulus
- Quiscalus mexicanusQuiscalus mexicanus
- Scissor-tailed FlycatcherTyrannus forficatus
- Baltimore OrioleIcterus galbula
- White-throated Magpie-JayCalocitta formosa
- Scrub EuphoniaEuphonia affinis
- White-lored GnatcatcherPolioptila albiloris
- Stripe-headed SparrowPeucaea ruficauda
- Great Crested FlycatcherMyiarchus crinitus
- Social FlycatcherMyiozetetes similis
- Yellow-olive FlatbillTolmomyias sulphurescens
- Banded WrenThryophilus pleurostictus
- Nutting's FlycatcherMyiarchus nuttingi
- Boat-billed FlycatcherMegarynchus pitangua
- Morelet's SeedeaterSporophila morelleti
- Tropical GnatcatcherPolioptila plumbea
- Yellow-throated VireoVireo flavifrons
- Tennessee WarblerLeiothlypis peregrina
- Long-tailed ManakinChiroxiphia linearis
- Clay-colored ThrushTurdus grayi
- Rose-throated BecardPachyramphus aglaiae
- Lesser GreenletHylophilus decurtatus
- Streaked FlycatcherMyiodynastes maculatus
- Dusky-capped FlycatcherMyiarchus tuberculifer
- Philadelphia VireoVireo philadelphicus
- Eastern MeadowlarkSturnella magnaNT
- Rufous-capped WarblerBasileuterus rufifrons
- Northern WaterthrushParkesia noveboracensis
- Mangrove SwallowTachycineta albilinea
- Gray-breasted MartinProgne chalybea
- Spot-breasted OrioleIcterus pectoralis
- Blue-black GrassquitVolatinia jacarina
- Yellow-bellied FlycatcherEmpidonax flaviventris
- Melodious BlackbirdDives dives
- American Cliff SwallowPetrochelidon pyrrhonota
- Olive SparrowArremonops rufivirgatus
- DickcisselSpiza americana
- Northern Rough-winged SwallowStelgidopteryx serripennis
- Blue GrosbeakPasserina caerulea
- Summer TanagerPiranga rubra
- Yellow-green VireoVireo flavoviridis
- Streak-headed WoodcreeperLepidocolaptes souleyetii
- Sulphur-bellied FlycatcherMyiodynastes luteiventris
- Yellow-crowned EuphoniaEuphonia luteicapilla
- Prothonotary WarblerProtonotaria citrea
- Eastern Wood-PeweeContopus virens
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- Northern Beardless-TyrannuletCamptostoma imberbe
- Masked TityraTityra semifasciata
- Indigo BuntingPasserina cyanea
- Western KingbirdTyrannus verticalis
- Western TanagerPiranga ludoviciana
- Painted BuntingPasserina ciris
- Black-headed MuniaLonchura malacca
- Greenish ElaeniaMyiopagis viridicata
- Gray-crowned YellowthroatGeothlypis poliocephala
- Orchard orioleIcterus spurius
- Barred AntshrikeThamnophilus doliatus
- Southern Rough-winged SwallowStelgidopteryx ruficollis
- Variable SeedeaterSporophila corvina
- Yellow-throated EuphoniaEuphonia hirundinacea
- Bronzed CowbirdMolothrus aeneus
- Olivaceous WoodcreeperSittasomus griseicapillus
- Blue-gray TanagerThraupis episcopus
- Common Tody-flycatcherTodirostrum cinereum
- Swainson's ThrushCatharus ustulatus
- Tropical PeweeContopus cinereus
- Rufous-and-white WrenThryophilus rufalbus
- Rose-breasted GrosbeakPheucticus ludovicianus
- Black-and-white WarblerMniotilta varia
- Tropical MockingbirdMimus gilvus
- Northern Barred WoodcreeperDendrocolaptes sanctithomae
- Chestnut-sided WarblerSetophaga pensylvanica
- Western Wood-PeweeContopus sordidulus
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Least FlycatcherEmpidonax minimus
- Red-legged HoneycreeperCyanerpes cyaneus
- Brown JayPsilorhinus morio
- Southern House WrenTroglodytes musculus
- Willow FlycatcherEmpidonax traillii
- Montezuma OropendolaPsarocolius montezuma
- Red-eyed VireoVireo olivaceus
- Cabanis's WrenCantorchilus modestus
- Yellow-bellied ElaeniaElaenia flavogaster
- Thraupis palmarumThraupis palmarum
- Bright-rumped AttilaAttila spadiceus
- Acadian FlycatcherEmpidonax virescens
- Northern BentbillOncostoma cinereigulare
- Blue-black GrosbeakCyanocompsa cyanoides
- OvenbirdSeiurus aurocapilla
- Panama FlycatcherMyiarchus panamensis
- Magnolia WarblerSetophaga magnolia
- Myrtle WarblerSetophaga coronata
- Yellow-faced GrassquitTiaris olivaceus
- Blackburnian WarblerSetophaga fusca
- Guatemalan TyrannuletZimmerius vilissimus
- Tree SwallowTachycineta bicolor
- Northern Scrub-FlycatcherSublegatus arenarum
- Piratic FlycatcherLegatus leucophaius
- Wood ThrushHylocichla mustelina
- Grasshopper SparrowAmmodramus savannarum
- Ramphocaenus melanurusRamphocaenus melanurus
- BananaquitCoereba flaveola
- Eastern KingbirdTyrannus tyrannus
- Saltator grandisSaltator grandis
- Olive-Sided FlycatcherContopus cooperi
- Buff-throated SaltatorSaltator maximus
- Yellow-billed CaciqueAmblycercus holosericeus
- Scarlet TanagerPiranga olivacea
- Mourning WarblerGeothlypis philadelphia
- Canada warblerCardellina canadensis
- Wilson's WarblerCardellina pusilla
- Slate-headed Tody-flycatcherPoecilotriccus sylvia
- Hooded WarblerSetophaga citrina
- Amazonian Royal FlycatcherOnychorhynchus coronatus
- Ruddy WoodcreeperDendrocincla homochroa
- Cinnamon BecardPachyramphus cinnamomeus
- Alder FlycatcherEmpidonax alnorum
- Grey-headed TanagerEucometis penicillata
- Purple MartinProgne subis
- White-wingedPachyramphus polychopterus
- Ivory-billed WoodcreeperXiphorhynchus flavigaster
- Black-crowned TityraTityra inquisitor
- Common YellowthroatGeothlypis trichas
- American RedstartSetophaga ruticilla
- Stub-tailed SpadebillPlatyrinchus cancrominus
- Kentucky WarblerGeothlypis formosa
- Yellow-bellied TyrannuletOrnithion semiflavum
- Mangrove VireoVireo pallens
- Shining HoneycreeperCyanerpes lucidus
- Ochre-bellied FlycatcherMionectes oleagineus
- Veracruz WrenCampylorhynchus rufinucha
- Stilpnia larvataStilpnia larvata
- Black phoebeSayornis nigricans
- Bullock's OrioleIcterus bullockii
- Bay-breasted WarblerSetophaga castanea
- Shiny CowbirdMolothrus bonariensis
- Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorum
- Rufous-browed PeppershrikeCyclarhis gujanensis
- Cave SwallowPetrochelidon fulva
- Yellow-breasted ChatIcteria virens
- Golden-winged WarblerVermivora chrysopteraNT
- Louisiana WaterthrushParkesia motacilla
- American Yellow WarblerSetophaga aestiva
Other birds75 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Inca DoveColumbina inca
- Groove-billed AniCrotophaga sulcirostris
- Hoffmann's WoodpeckerMelanerpes hoffmannii
- LimpkinAramus guarauna
- White-tipped DoveLeptotila verreauxi
- Purple GallinulePorphyrio martinica
- Black-headed TrogonTrogon melanocephalus
- White-winged DoveZenaida asiatica
- White-fronted AmazonAmazona albifrons
- Common Ground-DoveColumbina passerina
- Aratinga canicularisAratinga canicularis
- Cinnamon HummingbirdAmazilia rutila
- Turquoise-browed MotmotEumomota superciliosa
- Great CurassowCrax rubraVU
- Orange-chinned ParakeetBrotogeris jugularis
- Scarlet MacawAra macao
- Common Squirrel-cuckooPiaya cayana
- Thicket TinamouCrypturellus cinnamomeus
- PauraqueNyctidromus albicollis
- Ruby-throated HummingbirdArchilochus colubris
- Mangrove CuckooCoccyzus minor
- Ringed KingfisherMegaceryle torquata
- Ruddy Ground DoveColumbina talpacoti
- Cynanthus canivetiiCynanthus canivetii
- Saucerottia hoffmanniSaucerottia hoffmanni
- Spot-bellied BobwhiteColinus leucopogon
- Lesser Ground CuckooMorococcyx erythropygus
- Red-billed PigeonPatagioenas flavirostris
- Green KingfisherChloroceryle americana
- Green-breasted MangoAnthracothorax prevostii
- Common MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- Trogon elegansTrogon elegans
- Crested GuanPenelope purpurascensNT
- American CootFulica americana
- Pale-billed WoodpeckerCampephilus guatemalensis
- Amazon KingfisherChloroceryle amazona
- Plain-capped StarthroatHeliomaster constantii
- Lesser NighthawkChordeiles acutipennis
- Mourning DoveZenaida macroura
- Plain-breasted Ground-DoveColumbina minuta
- SoraPorzana carolina
- Rufous-tailed HummingbirdAmazilia tzacatl
- Belted KingfisherMegaceryle alcyon
- White-necked PuffbirdNotharchus hyperrhynchus
- Gartered TrogonTrogon caligatus
- Plain ChachalacaOrtalis vetula
- Chlorestes eliciaeChlorestes eliciae
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Russet-naped Wood RailAramides albiventris
- Red-lored AmazonAmazona autumnalis
- White-collared SwiftStreptoprocne zonaris
- Stripe-throated HermitPhaethornis striigularis
- Lineated WoodpeckerDryocopus lineatus
- Blue Ground DoveClaravis pretiosa
- Spotted RailPardirallus maculatus
- Lesson's MotmotMomotus lessonii
- Collared AraçariPteroglossus torquatus
- American Pygmy KingfisherChloroceryle aenea
- Yellow-billed CuckooCoccyzus americanus
- Keel-billed ToucanRamphastos sulfuratusNT
- Grey-headed DoveLeptotila plumbeiceps
- Scaly-breasted HummingbirdPhaeochroa cuvierii
- Common PotooNyctibius jamaicensis
- Chuck-will's-widowAntrostomus carolinensisNT
- Paint-billed CrakeNeocrex erythrops
- White-throated CrakeLaterallus albigularis
- Striped CuckooTapera naevia
- Little TinamouCrypturellus soui
- Vaux's SwiftChaetura vauxi
- White-tailed NightjarHydropsalis cayennensis
- Black-billed cuckooCoccyzus erythropthalmus
- Yellow-bellied SapsuckerSphyrapicus varius
- Common NighthawkChordeiles minor
- Rufous-necked Wood-RailAramides axillaris
- Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto
Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.
When to go
The most species from February to March.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan32°/22°4 mm
- Feb33°/23°3 mm
- Mar35°/23°4 mm
- Apr35°/24°29 mm
- May32°/25°222 mm
- Jun30°/25°226 mm
- Jul30°/24°165 mm
- Aug30°/24°222 mm
- Sep29°/24°317 mm
- Oct28°/24°359 mm
- Nov29°/23°163 mm
- Dec30°/23°17 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Palo Verde National Park.
National Park of Costa Rica
Palo Verde National Park is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in Costa Rica.
349 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 133,176 open records.
The most recorded are the Great White Egret, the Black-bellied Whistling Duck and the Northern Jacana.
44 species come for the summer, 101 for the winter and 11 only pass through.
5 are threatened worldwide, including Great Curassow, Lesser yellowlegs and Short-billed Dowitcher.
The most species are recorded from February to March.
Get there and watch
- Habitacionesplace to stay · 6.2 km · 1 within 10 km
- Bagacesnearest town · 16 km in a straight line
- Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 33 km in a straight lineCar hire at LIR airport (Liberia)Discover Cars · sponsored link↗
Plan the visit
A guided walk, a bed nearby, a car.
Some links above are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the data on this page says.
From above
The place and its surroundings.
The satellite image of the 6 × 6 km around the place, with the bird hides, towers and trails that OpenStreetMap shows.
Around, in OpenStreetMap
- 1observation towers within 6 km
- 1places to stay within 10 kmHabitaciones
- bird hides within 6 km
- marked trails within 4 km
- visitor centres within 6 km
- viewpoints within 5 km
- car parks within 3 km
- restaurants and cafés within 3 km
- campsites within 10 km
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit. A low number may just mean nobody has mapped it yet.
In our other atlases
Around Palo Verde National Park.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Peakyas14 mountains within 25 kmCerro Guayacán · 5.5 kmCerro de las Huacas · 14 kmCerro del Rosario · 16 kmCerro La Cueva · 16 kmCerro de Sonzapote · 21 kmLomas Palos Negros · 21 kmCerro de La Cebadilla · 24 kmCerro Gordo · 24 km
Cascadyas1 waterfalls within 15 kmLlanos de Cortés Waterfall · 14 km
Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.
Other places nearby.
Palo Verde National Park
Costa Rica
- 80Birdyas Score
- 349Species
- 156Migrants
- 5Threatened
Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge
Costa Rica · 81 km
- 91Birdyas Score
- 476Species
- 167Migrants
- 9Threatened
Refugio de Vida Silvestre Los Guatuzos
Nicaragua · 80 km
- 45Birdyas Score
- 109Species
- 19Migrants
- 0Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q11697913) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 133,176 open bird records within 6 km (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY 4.0 only; mostly eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology) |
| See these records | gbif.org |
| Species | GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0; Wikidata (CC0); Wikimedia Commons |
| Altitude | Copernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA |
| Temperature and rain | NASA POWER (CERES SYN1deg, 2001–2020; MERRA-2) |
| What is around | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Images | EOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons |
| Sister atlases | Peakyas, Cascadyas |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
The family
Do you prefer beaches, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, islands, rivers, canyons, caves, dark skies, viewpoints, birdwatching or forests?
Same idea, other landscapes: field atlases built on open data, in seven languages.
beaches
Find your beach: sea temperature, sun and swimming month by month.Visit 
lakes
Every lake on Earth: water temperature, ice, depth and the shore.Visit mountains
Every summit in 3D: summit weather, the 0 °C line, huts and trails.Visit waterfalls
Every waterfall: height, flow month by month and when it roars.Visit 
islands
Every island from the sea up: size, sea temperature, ferries and 3D.Visit 
rivers
Every river from source to sea: the journey, the flow and the basin in numbers.Visit 
canyons
Every canyon cut to scale: depth to the floor, rim and floor temperatures, trails and viewpoints.Visit 
caves
Every cave with its real depth and length: the rock above, the temperature inside all year, and how to visit.Visit 
dark skies
Where the night is still dark: the sky of every place, the Milky Way month by month, the Moon, eclipses and auroras.Visit 
viewpoints
Every viewpoint with its real 360° panorama: the peaks you can name, how far you see and where the sun sets.Coming soonVisit 
birdwatching
Every bird sanctuary and wetland with the species recorded month by month: who is resident, who comes for the summer, who only passes through.You are here
forests
Every forest with its land-cover rings, what grows and lives in it, and the best months to walk it.Coming soonVisit