10 days / 9 nights
April 13th to 22nd, 2010

Day 1:
Arrive to Costa Rica. Your Tropical Feathers Guide will transfer you to Hotel Don Carlos, beautiful hotel in the oldest residential area of San José.

Day 2:
After breakfast depart towards the lowlands of Sarapiquí where lodging will be at famous La Selva Biological Station of the Organization for Tropical Studies. La Selva, found at the confluence of two major rivers, comprises 1,600 hectares (3,900 acres) of tropical wet forests and disturbed lands. It averages 4 meters (over 13 feet) of rainfall that is spread rather evenly throughout the year. The Station is bordered on the south by Braulio Carrillo National Park, which contains 47,500 hectares (183 square miles ) of forest land and is the core conservation unit of the 91,000-hectare Cordillera Volcánica Central Biosphere Reserve. La Selva is home to more than 420 species of birds, more than 500 species of butterflies, 55 species of snakes, and 120 species of mammals. Some birds include: Ocellated Antbird, Plain-brown Woodcreeper, Snowy Cotinga, Yellow-margined Flycatcher, Bay Wren, Striped-breasted Wren, Song Wren, Black-faced Grosbeak, Black-cowled Oriole, Dusky-faced Tanager, Plain-colored Tanager, Black-cheeked Woodpecker, Chestnut-colored Woodpecker, Slaty-breasted Tinamou, Great Tinamou, Little Tinamou, Crested Guan, Great Curassow, and Great Potoo. La Selva is also one of the best locations to see the endagered Great Green Macaw which are currently flying more and more over the main buildings of the station.
Part of the morning and all afternoon bird watching La Selva.

Day 3:
A full day to explore La Selva Biological Station. Other birds for the day might include: Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant, Black-headed Tody-Flycatcher, Bare-crowned Antbird, Dusky Antbird, Long-tailed Tyrant, Collared Aracari, Keel-billed Toucan, Rufous-winged Woodpecker, White-collared Manakin. We also offer a night walk to look for owls and wildlife in general. Insect life is in many occasions fantastic at night!

Day 4:
Some early birding, breakfast and departure towards Savegre Mountain Hotel in the Talamanca Mountain Range. On our way we will take some time to explore Braulio Carillo National Park. Many areas of the park remain unexplored. Other parts are easily accessible, and the short trails that have been developed give a fascinating window into tropical nature. In this 47,500 hectares / 117,300 acres park, there are at least 6,000 species of plants here, and preliminary studies have counted more than 400 species of birds including Resplendent Quetzals and Bare-necked Umbrellabirds. Our exploration will take place in Quebrada Gonzalez Park Station, which offers interesting trails into the primary tropical rain forest.

Possible bird sightings in Quebrada Gonzalez include: Lattice-tailed Trogon, Slate-colored Grosbeak, Olive Tanager, Tawny-crested Tanager, Tawny-capped Euphonia, White-vented Euphonia, Bay-headed Tanager, Speckled Tanager, Common Bush-Tanager, Black and Yellow Tanager, Silver-throated Tanager, Emerald Tanager, Blue and Gold Tanager, Tawny-faced Gnatwren, Rufous Motmot, Broad-billed Motmot, White-whiskered Puffbird, Olive-backed Quail-Dove, Brown-billed Scythebill, Green Honeycreeper, Streak-crowned Antvireo, Dull-mantled Antbird, Bicoloed Antbird, Black-crowned Antpitta, White-crowned Manakin, Sacle-crested Pigmy-Tyrant, King Vulture, Nightingale Wren, Green Hermit, Snowcap, Brown Violet-ear, Purple-crowned Fairy, Violet-crowned Woodnymph, and even chances for large raptors like Ornate Hawk-Eagle, White Hawk, Great Black Hawk, and King Vulture.

Lunch will be on the way today and some more birding might take place on the mountains before we arrive to Savegre Mountain Hotel.

Day 5:
Today we will explore San Gerardo de Dota. The valley is located in the environs of the Cerro de la Muerte in the Talamanca Mountain Range. It consists of Tropical Cloud Forest with elevations varying between 1,220 and 2,800 meters above sea level. Temperature varies between -2.2 and 26 centigrade degrees (28 to 82 Fahrenheit degrees).

Over 180 species of birds are found in this valley. The common sightings of Resplendent Quetzal and the great number of species endemic to this mountainous system are the two aspects that make this valley so special! Birds include Resplendent Quetzal, Collared Trogon, Black Guan, Golden-browed Chlorophonia, Sulfur-winged Parakeet, Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager, Spangled-cheeked Tanager, Flame-colored Tanager, Silver-throated Tanager, Yellow-thighed Finch, Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch, Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush, Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush, Black-faced Solitaire, Ruddy Treerunner, Lineated Foliage-Gleaner, Spot-crowned Woodcreeper, Black-cheeked Warbler, Collared Redstart, Black-thighed Grosbeak, Costa Rican Pigmy-Owl, Silver-throated Jay, Zeledonia (Wrenthrush), and Silvery-fronted Tapaculo.

Day 6:
Today we will depart from Savegre and head down to Talari Lodge in El General Valley, home of the important Ornithologist and writer Dr. Alexander F. Skutch. As we travel through the highlands of Cerro de la Muerte we will make a couple of stops. We will visit Cerro de La Muerte and as we explore the Sub-alpine Rain Paramo we will look for Timberline Wren, Peg-billed Finch, and Volcano Junco. As we drop from the mountains we will stop and birdwatch a little road off the Panamerican Highway where there are great chances for Red-headed Barbet, White-winged Tanager, Golden-crowned Warbler, Barred Becard and many more birds. In the afternoon explore the surrounding areas of Talari Lodge. The property is a great ground for birding, some birds include: Red-legged Honeycreeper, Green Honeycreeper, Blue Dacnis, Scarlet-thighed Dacnis, Speckled Tanager, Cherrie's Tanager, Golden-hooded Tanager, Rufous-breasted Wren, Fiery-billed Aracari, Pearl Kite, Scaly-breasted Hummingbird, Snowy-bellied Hummingbird, Blue-crowned Motmot, and even quite often Turquoise Cotinga.

Day 7:
We will explore Los Cusingos Biological Preserve, former property of Dr. Alexander Skutch writer of the book: A guide to the Birds of Costa Rica. This is a good location for Red-capped Manakin, Blue-crowned Manakin, Orange-collared Manakin, Long-billed Gnatwren, Gray-headed Tanager, Tawny-winged Woodcreeper, Ruddy Woodcreeper, Northern Barred-Woodcreeper, Ruddy Quail-Dove, Lineated Woodpecker, Golden-naped Woodpecker, Tawny-crowned Greenlet, Black-hooded Antshrike, Riverside Wren, Red-crowned Ant-Tanager, Bay-headed Tanager, Violaceous Trogon, Black-throated Trogon, Baird's Trogon, Slaty-tailed Trogon, and again and seen in most visits Turquoise Cotinga. In the afternoon we will bird watch some other areas of the Valley looking for Pale-breasted Spinetail, Southern Lapwing, Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift, Bran-colored Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Seedeater, White-collared Seedeater.

Day 8:
The Valley of El General is formed by the Talamanca Mountain Range on its East side and the Coastal Range on the West side. This second mountainous system is the one we will explore today, we will reach some locations averaging 900 meters with incredible areas for birding, habitats might include roadsides, forest, and rivers. We will return to Talari in the late afternoon. Possible species for the day are Bat Falcon, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Black Hawk-Eagle, Barred Hawk, White Hawk, Rosy Thrush-Tanager, Riverside Wren, Black-bellied Wren, Scaly-breasted Wren, Collared Trogon, Violaceous Trogon, Spotted Woodcreeper, Black-striped Woodcreeper, White-tipped Sicklebill, Striped-headed Brush-Finch, Slate-headed Tody-Flycatcher, Black-tailed Flycatcher, Hepatic Tanager, White-crested Coquette.

Day 9:
A full morning of birding before we begin our journey to San José where we will stay at Hotel Buena Vista. The location is strategic, no far from the airport and provides good birding in case someone has a late departure the next day.

Day 10:
Breakfast. Transfer to the airport to return home.



This birding adventure includes:
- 9 nights of lodging
- All meals starting with dinner on Day 1 and ending with breakfast on Day 10 (alcoholic beverages are not included)
- All transportation in Costa Rica
- Private bilingual professional birding guide
- Entrance fees to national parks and preserves
- All taxes (except for US$26 airport departure tax)
- Tips are not included.

Important:
Our prices are always based on double occupancy. To stay in single occupancy please indicate so, there will be a single supplement charge and it will depend on availability. On the other hand, if you are travelling on your own and want to share your room we will try to find another single participant to pair you, otherwise a single supplement will be charged.

Our groups will not exceed 8 participants so that you will not be birding with a large group of people, meaning better chances to see birds.