"We saw birds of all colors, pink, crimson, orange, purple, green, and all sorts of monochromatic or mixed colors. For us, just looking at them is enough to feel satisfied. "In the tropics, a variety of birds with bright wings like a metallic luster are the most vivid markers of the rainforest.
In Costa Rica, you can barely "avoid" the birds that lurk in the dense forest. The red-throated hummingbird hovering over the Fuso flowers, the dark green woodpecker that bangs on the trunk, the pink spoonbill that stands tall in the delta estuary, and of course the anchovy green bitebird and the fiery red macaw that make everyone look up... Costa Rica, with the largest number of bird species per unit area, overwhelms all countries in the world (more than 850 bird species are recorded in the country), and is a bird watching destination that birdwatchers aspire to. Birds have spirits, and behind this fertile land of animals, what permeates is the long-term contemplation of nature by the Colombians.
Track down the Green Bitebird
When you come to Costa Rica to watch birds, you only want to see the most beautiful bird in the world, the anchovy green bitebird. "If hummingbirds and birds of paradise are two of the most beautiful birds in nature, the only thing that can compete is the biting crane." Heatwell lamented it in Hunter and Prey. Today, there are 20 species of cuckoos in the world, distributed in tropical America, South Asia and Africa. "When not foraging for fruit or insects, these little birds stay quietly on the branches and make gentle and sad cries."
In Mesoamerican mythology, the green-biting crane symbolizes the feathered serpent god, who dominates death and rebirth, and its emerald green feathers are woven into the robes of Montezuma, representing the supreme glory, just as the ancient Chinese princes decorated their crowns with green feathers. This little bird is also a symbol of freedom, because it has never been domesticated, and once it is put into a birdcage, it quickly dies of depression.
This pigeon-sized bird usually lives deep in the alpine cloud forest at an altitude of 2,000 to 3,000 meters in the tropics. Its main food is calf oil. Therefore, every morning when the anchovy green bites the crane to forage for food on the avocado tree, it is the only chance to observe it.
Handmade bird paradise
We have also been to Ecuador, another birdwatching destination in South America, where there are beautiful umbrella birds and the Galapagos Islands in Darwin, where thousands of bird species have been recorded. But compared to Costa Rica, where bird watching feels like a developing country, Costa Rica is a state in the United States. The people in the bird watching hotel all speak fluent English, the rooms and public areas are always well organized, the meals are also frugal, and the Western food is served together with local meals. The hotel itself is usually a great place for bird watching, and in those flower-filled gardens, there are always a variety of bird-loving foods, so that you can sit under the eaves and enjoy bird watching.
Bird watching in Costa Rica is a growing sense that the real bird watching industry is built by people on their own. Bird watching paradise is not pure nature, but more depends on how people create it. In Costa Rica, we also try to go to some purely pristine uninhabited forests to find birds, not only the roads are difficult to walk, but also extremely inefficient, and the number of birds that can be seen is very limited. Unmanned, pristine, and although it sounds more natural and environmentally friendly, it is not the best choice for bird watching tourism.
Costa Rica also has many private reserves that are excellent for bird watching, the most famous of which is Selva Verde. Located in the lowland rainforest of northern Colombia, adjacent to Carrillo National Park, this 500-acre private reserve runs deep into the jungle center with its long scenic trails and boardwalks. In this dark and quiet forest, the birds' cries sound like crisp gunshots. There are many deep blue and golden Tana finches, Central and South American birds, parrots, toucans, etc., and there is also a private botanical garden that allows visitors to enter and observe plants and insects up close.
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