Costa Rica Bird Route

The new Costa Rica Bird Route, which opened in April 2008, is the first of its kind in Central America. A popular concept in North America, this new Bird Route gives birders and other visitors the opportunity to see some of the over 850 species of birds that inhabit Costa Rica – more species than in all of North America!

Keel-billed Toucans, Great Green Macaws, Wood Thrushes, Grey-necked Wood Rails, Sunbitterns and Violet Crowned Woodnymphs are just a few of the birds that inhabit the Selva Verde Rainforest Reserve in the Sarapiquí region of Costa Rica.

The Costa Rica Bird Route is the brain child of the Rainforest Biodiversity Group, with funding from the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Neotropical Migratory Bird Act. It not only gives tourists access to primary rainforest but also gives land owners access to tourism income and a reason to stop deforestation.

Selva Verde Lodge is one of the established reserves involved in this unique Costa Rican eco tour opportunity. The route consists of thirteen birding sites, teaming up established biological reserves and newly created reserves, to offer a variety of bird watching opportunities and products in the San Juan – La Selva Biological Corridor of northeastern Costa Rica.

The portal or established sites, such as Selva Verde, offer comfortable accommodation and a myriad of activities while the newly created sites offer a remote Costa Rica eco tour experience. People have the chance to get off the beaten path and explore new areas and meet Costa Ricans not previously part of the tourism industry.

Both the Rainforest Biodiversity Group and Selva Verde Lodge believe that it is through eco-tourism that the rainforest and its biodiversity can be protected.

Selva Verde Lodge offers both excellent onsite birding with a complimentary 1 hour birding walk, as well as day trips to the remote Bird Route sites.

For more information on the Costa Rica Bird Route, visit their website