Costa Rica Ramsar wetland
Lake Arenal
459 bird species recorded; the most from February to March.
Grez · CC BY-SA 3.0
This month here
294 species in January.317 species in February.336 species in March.307 species in April.292 species in May.230 species in June.230 species in July.194 species in August.237 species in September.294 species in October.307 species in November.256 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.
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NT- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
459 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).
- 459Speciesrecorded more than once
- 168Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 4ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 92,681Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 540 mAltitudeabove the sea
- 33Raptors
- 9Owls
- 6Waders
- 3Gulls & seabirds
- 5Ducks & geese
- 20Herons, ibises & grebes
- 1Storks & cranes
- 264Songbirds
- 118Other 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 459 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors33 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Turkey VultureCathartes aura
- Black VultureCoragyps atratus
- Grey-lined HawkButeo nitidus
- Crested CaracaraCaracara plancus
- Laughing FalconHerpetotheres cachinnans
- Swallow-tailed KiteElanoides forficatus
- Broad-winged HawkButeo platypterus
- OspreyPandion haliaetus
- Roadside HawkRupornis magnirostris
- Short-tailed HawkButeo brachyurus
- Leucopternis albicollisLeucopternis albicollis
- White-tailed KiteElanus leucurus
- Zone-tailed HawkButeo albonotatus
- Falco sparveriusFalco sparverius
- Swainson's HawkButeo swainsoni
- Great Black HawkButeogallus urubitinga
- Bat FalconFalco rufigularis
- Ornate Hawk-EagleSpizaetus ornatusNT
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- King VultureSarcoramphus papa
- Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis
- Barred Forest-FalconMicrastur ruficollis
- Semiplumbeous HawkLeucopternis semiplumbeus
- Leucopternis princepsLeucopternis princeps
- Buteo albicaudatusButeo albicaudatus
- Harris's HawkParabuteo unicinctus
- Crane HawkGeranospiza caerulescens
- Hook-billed KiteChondrohierax uncinatus
- Black Hawk-eagleSpizaetus tyrannus
- Plumbeous KiteIctinia plumbea
- Collared Forest FalconMicrastur semitorquatus
- Double-toothed KiteHarpagus bidentatus
- Accipiter striatusAccipiter striatus
Owls9 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Mottled OwlStrix virgata
- Pacific Screech OwlMegascops cooperi
- Black-and-white OwlStrix nigrolineata
- Spectacled OwlPulsatrix perspicillata
- Ferruginous Pygmy OwlGlaucidium brasilianum
- Crested OwlLophostrix cristata
- Middle American Screech OwlMegascops guatemalae
- American Barn OwlTyto furcata
- Central American Pygmy OwlGlaucidium griseiceps
Waders6 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Spotted SandpiperActitis macularius
- Northern JacanaJacana spinosa
- Southern LapwingVanellus chilensis
- Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdii
- Black-necked StiltHimantopus mexicanus
- Solitary SandpiperTringa solitaria
Gulls & seabirds3 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Laughing GullLeucophaeus atricilla
- Magnificent FrigatebirdFregata magnificens
- Black SkimmerRynchops niger
Ducks & geese5 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Cairina moschataCairina moschata
- Black-bellied Whistling DuckDendrocygna autumnalis
- Lesser ScaupAythya affinis
- Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatus
- Blue-winged TealSpatula discors
Herons, ibises & grebes20 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Western Cattle EgretBubulcus ibis
- Green HeronButorides virescens
- Phalacrocorax brasilianusPhalacrocorax brasilianus
- Great Blue HeronArdea herodias
- AnhingaAnhinga anhinga
- Little Blue HeronEgretta caerulea
- Bare-throated Tiger-heronTigrisoma mexicanum
- Snowy EgretEgretta thula
- Fasciated Tiger-heronTigrisoma fasciatum
- Green IbisMesembrinibis cayennensis
- Least GrebeTachybaptus dominicus
- Pied-billed GrebePodilymbus podiceps
- Boat-billed HeronCochlearius cochlearius
- Black-crowned Night-HeronNycticorax nycticorax
- Brown PelicanPelecanus occidentalis
- Tricolored HeronEgretta tricolor
- Striated HeronButorides striata
- Rufescent Tiger HeronTigrisoma lineatum
- Yellow-crowned Night-HeronNyctanassa violacea
Storks & cranes1 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Wood StorkMycteria americana
Songbirds264 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Montezuma OropendolaPsarocolius montezuma
- Great KiskadeePitangus sulphuratus
- Clay-colored ThrushTurdus grayi
- Quiscalus mexicanusQuiscalus mexicanus
- Brown JayPsilorhinus morio
- Tropical KingbirdTyrannus melancholicus
- Social FlycatcherMyiozetetes similis
- Blue-gray TanagerThraupis episcopus
- Yellow-throated EuphoniaEuphonia hirundinacea
- White-throated Magpie-JayCalocitta formosa
- Thraupis palmarumThraupis palmarum
- Cabanis's WrenCantorchilus modestus
- Southern House WrenTroglodytes musculus
- Common Tody-flycatcherTodirostrum cinereum
- Scarlet-rumped TanagerRamphocelus passerinii
- Dusky-capped FlycatcherMyiarchus tuberculifer
- Yellow-faced GrassquitTiaris olivaceus
- Mangrove WarblerSetophaga petechia
- Stilpnia larvataStilpnia larvata
- Blue-and-white SwallowNotiochelidon cyanoleuca
- Melodious BlackbirdDives dives
- Buff-throated SaltatorSaltator maximus
- Red-legged HoneycreeperCyanerpes cyaneus
- Barred AntshrikeThamnophilus doliatus
- Baltimore OrioleIcterus galbula
- Streak-headed WoodcreeperLepidocolaptes souleyetii
- Masked TityraTityra semifasciata
- Rufous-and-white WrenThryophilus rufalbus
- Variable SeedeaterSporophila corvina
- Chestnut-sided WarblerSetophaga pensylvanica
- Summer TanagerPiranga rubra
- Rufous-collared SparrowZonotrichia capensis
- Yellow-bellied ElaeniaElaenia flavogaster
- Northern Rough-winged SwallowStelgidopteryx serripennis
- BananaquitCoereba flaveola
- Morelet's SeedeaterSporophila morelleti
- Green HoneycreeperChlorophanes spiza
- Boat-billed FlycatcherMegarynchus pitangua
- Saltator grandisSaltator grandis
- Sulphur-bellied FlycatcherMyiodynastes luteiventris
- Piratic FlycatcherLegatus leucophaius
- Yellow-crowned EuphoniaEuphonia luteicapilla
- Blue-black GrassquitVolatinia jacarina
- Long-tailed ManakinChiroxiphia linearis
- Lesser GreenletHylophilus decurtatus
- Tennessee WarblerLeiothlypis peregrina
- Bright-rumped AttilaAttila spadiceus
- Mangrove SwallowTachycineta albilinea
- Tropical MockingbirdMimus gilvus
- Southern Rough-winged SwallowStelgidopteryx ruficollis
- Black-cowled OrioleIcterus prosthemelas
- Black-striped SparrowArremonops conirostris
- Gray-breasted MartinProgne chalybea
- Bay WrenCantorchilus nigricapillus
- Guatemalan TyrannuletZimmerius vilissimus
- White-breasted Wood-wrenHenicorhina leucosticta
- Gray-crowned YellowthroatGeothlypis poliocephala
- Tropical PeweeContopus cinereus
- Agelaius phoeniceusAgelaius phoeniceus
- Thick-billed Seed FinchSporophila funerea
- Bronzed CowbirdMolothrus aeneus
- White-collared ManakinManacus candei
- Ramphocaenus melanurusRamphocaenus melanurus
- Yellow-throated VireoVireo flavifrons
- Red-eyed VireoVireo olivaceus
- Northern WaterthrushParkesia noveboracensis
- Black-and-white WarblerMniotilta varia
- Yellow-green VireoVireo flavoviridis
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- Philadelphia VireoVireo philadelphicus
- Swainson's ThrushCatharus ustulatus
- Gray-capped FlycatcherMyiozetetes granadensis
- Rufous-capped WarblerBasileuterus rufifrons
- Black-crowned TityraTityra inquisitor
- Blue-black GrosbeakCyanocompsa cyanoides
- Eastern Wood-PeweeContopus virens
- Buff-rumped WarblerMyiothlypis fulvicauda
- Scarlet-thighed DacnisDacnis venusta
- Western Wood-PeweeContopus sordidulus
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Yellow-olive FlatbillTolmomyias sulphurescens
- Black-headed SaltatorSaltator atriceps
- Stripe-breasted WrenCantorchilus thoracicus
- Rose-breasted GrosbeakPheucticus ludovicianus
- Dusky AntbirdCercomacra tyrannina
- Scarlet TanagerPiranga olivacea
- Orange-billed SparrowArremon aurantiirostris
- Eastern MeadowlarkSturnella magnaNT
- Crimson-collared TanagerRamphocelus sanguinolentus
- Olive-backed EuphoniaEuphonia gouldi
- Yellow-bellied FlycatcherEmpidonax flaviventris
- American RedstartSetophaga ruticilla
- Blackburnian WarblerSetophaga fusca
- White-ruffed ManakinCorapipo altera
- Rufous-winged TanagerTangara lavinia
- Golden-winged WarblerVermivora chrysopteraNT
- Tawny-capped EuphoniaEuphonia anneae
- Black-throated WrenPheugopedius atrogularis
- Great AntshrikeTaraba major
- Carmioli's TanagerChlorothraupis carmioli
- Scrub EuphoniaEuphonia affinis
- Wilson's WarblerCardellina pusilla
- Tropical ParulaSetophaga pitiayumi
- Scale-crested Pygmy-TyrantLophotriccus pileatus
- Ochre-bellied FlycatcherMionectes oleagineus
- Black phoebeSayornis nigricans
- Great Crested FlycatcherMyiarchus crinitus
- Cinnamon BecardPachyramphus cinnamomeus
- Chestnut-headed OropendolaPsarocolius wagleri
- Thicket AntpittaHylopezus dives
- Spotted AntbirdHylophylax naevioides
- Brown-crested FlycatcherMyiarchus tyrannulus
- Yellow TyrannuletCapsiempis flaveola
- Blue DacnisDacnis cayana
- Bay-headed TanagerTangara gyrola
- Rufous-backed WrenCampylorhynchus capistratus
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- Golden-crowned WarblerBasileuterus culicivorus
- Northern Nightingale-wrenMicrocerculus philomelaNT
- American Cliff SwallowPetrochelidon pyrrhonota
- Red TanagerPiranga flava
- Olive-Sided FlycatcherContopus cooperi
- Wedge-billed WoodcreeperGlyphorynchus spirurus
- Common Bush TanagerChlorospingus flavopectus
- Song WrenCyphorhinus phaeocephalus
- Long-tailed TyrantColonia colonus
- Canada warblerCardellina canadensis
- Stripe-headed SparrowPeucaea ruficauda
- Streaked FlycatcherMyiodynastes maculatus
- Olive-crowned YellowthroatGeothlypis semiflava
- White-ringed FlycatcherConopias albovittatus
- Giant CowbirdMolothrus oryzivorus
- Wood ThrushHylocichla mustelina
- Eastern KingbirdTyrannus tyrannus
- Slaty SpinetailSynallaxis brachyura
- Northern BentbillOncostoma cinereigulare
- Spotted WoodcreeperXiphorhynchus erythropygius
- Red-crowned Ant-tanagerHabia rubica
- Mourning WarblerGeothlypis philadelphia
- Emerald TanagerTangara florida
- Shining HoneycreeperCyanerpes lucidus
- Orchard orioleIcterus spurius
- Bay-breasted WarblerSetophaga castanea
- Tropical GnatcatcherPolioptila plumbea
- Least FlycatcherEmpidonax minimus
- Acadian FlycatcherEmpidonax virescens
- Olivaceous WoodcreeperSittasomus griseicapillus
- Northern Barred WoodcreeperDendrocolaptes sanctithomae
- White-vented EuphoniaEuphonia minuta
- Slaty-capped FlycatcherLeptopogon superciliaris
- Band-backed WrenCampylorhynchus zonatus
- Cocoa WoodcreeperXiphorhynchus susurrans
- Buff-throated Foliage-gleanerAutomolus ochrolaemus
- Crimson-backed TanagerRamphocelus dimidiatus
- Northern Beardless-TyrannuletCamptostoma imberbe
- Scissor-tailed FlycatcherTyrannus forficatus
- Magnolia WarblerSetophaga magnolia
- Turdus assimilisTurdus assimilis
- Alder FlycatcherEmpidonax alnorum
- White-cheeked AntbirdGymnopithys leucaspis
- Chestnut-backed AntbirdMyrmeciza exsul
- Silver-throated TanagerTangara icterocephala
- White-lined TanagerTachyphonus rufus
- Purple MartinProgne subis
- OvenbirdSeiurus aurocapilla
- Yellowish FlycatcherEmpidonax flavescens
- Whiskered MyiobiusMyiobius barbatus
- Black-and-yellow TanagerChrysothlypis chrysomelas
- Yellow-breasted ChatIcteria virens
- Fasciated AntshrikeCymbilaimus lineatus
- Slaty AntwrenMyrmotherula schisticolor
- Kentucky WarblerGeothlypis formosa
- Louisiana WaterthrushParkesia motacilla
- Willow FlycatcherEmpidonax traillii
- Worm-eating WarblerHelmitheros vermivorum
- Painted BuntingPasserina ciris
- Thamnistes anabatinusThamnistes anabatinus
- Loriotus luctuosusLoriotus luctuosus
- Rufous MournerRhytipterna holerythra
- Grey-headed TanagerEucometis penicillata
- Plain AntvireoDysithamnus mentalis
- Streak-crowned AntvireoDysithamnus striaticepsNT
- White-flanked AntwrenMyrmotherula axillaris
- Subtropical CaciqueCacicus uropygialis
- Black-eared WarblerBasileuterus melanotis
- Black-headed Tody-FlycatcherTodirostrum nigriceps
- White-lored GnatcatcherPolioptila albiloris
- Ocellated AntbirdPhaenostictus mcleannani
- Grey-cheeked ThrushCatharus minimus
- Olive SparrowArremonops rufivirgatus
- Streak-backed OrioleIcterus pustulatus
- White-wingedPachyramphus polychopterus
- Blue GrosbeakPasserina caerulea
- Zeledon's AntbirdHafferia zeledoni
- Yellow-billed CaciqueAmblycercus holosericeus
- Brown-winged SchiffornisSchiffornis turdina
- Mountain ElaeniaElaenia frantzii
- Rose-throated BecardPachyramphus aglaiae
- MacGillivray's WarblerGeothlypis tolmiei
- Greenish ElaeniaMyiopagis viridicata
- Slate-headed Tody-flycatcherPoecilotriccus sylvia
- Rufous PihaLipaugus unirufus
- Blue-and-gold TanagerBangsia arcaeiNT
- Tawny-crested TanagerTachyphonus delatrii
- Slate-throated RedstartMyioborus miniatus
- Prothonotary WarblerProtonotaria citrea
- Pale-vented ThrushTurdus obsoletus
- Black-headed Nightingale-ThrushCatharus mexicanus
- Grey-breasted Wood-WrenHenicorhina leucophrys
- Eye-ringed FlatbillRhynchocyclus brevirostris
- Half-collared GnatwrenMicrobates cinereiventris
- Northern House WrenTroglodytes aedon
- Hooded WarblerSetophaga citrina
- Banded WrenThryophilus pleurostictus
- Yellow-margined FlycatcherTolmomyias assimilis
- Golden-bellied FlycatcherMyiodynastes hemichrysus
- Shiny CowbirdMolothrus bonariensis
- Tree SwallowTachycineta bicolor
- Dot-winged AntwrenMicrorhopias quixensis
- Indigo BuntingPasserina cyanea
- Black-faced GrosbeakCaryothraustes poliogaster
- Western KingbirdTyrannus verticalis
- Tawny-crowned GreenletHylophilus ochraceiceps
- Western Slaty-antshrikeThamnophilus atrinucha
- Platyrinchus mystaceusPlatyrinchus mystaceus
- Nutting's FlycatcherMyiarchus nuttingi
- Green Shrike-vireoVireolanius pulchellus
- White-throated Shrike-tanagerLanio leucothoraxNT
- Mountain ThrushTurdus plebejus
- Golden-crowned SpadebillPlatyrinchus coronatus
- Slate-colored GrosbeakSaltator grossus
- Black-throated Green WarblerSetophaga virens
- Dull-mantled AntbirdSipia laemosticta
- Mionectes olivaceusMionectes olivaceus
- Yellow-bellied TyrannuletOrnithion semiflavum
- Brown-capped TyrannuletOrnithion brunneicapillus
- Rufous-browed PeppershrikeCyclarhis gujanensis
- Sepia-capped FlycatcherLeptopogon amaurocephalus
- Lesser ElaeniaElaenia chiriquensis
- Spot-breasted OrioleIcterus pectoralis
- Bare-necked UmbrellabirdCephalopterus glabricollis
- Townsend's WarblerSetophaga townsendi
- Rufous-breasted WrenPheugopedius rutilus
- Deconychura typicaDeconychura typica
- Azure-hooded JayCyanolyca cucullata
- Northern Tufted FlycatcherMitrephanes phaeocercus
- Grey-throated LeaftosserSclerurus albigularis
- Plain-brown WoodcreeperDendrocincla fuliginosa
- Ruddy WoodcreeperDendrocincla homochroa
- Purple-throated FruitcrowQuerula purpurata
- Three-wattled BellbirdProcnias tricarunculatusVU
- Brown-capped VireoVireo leucophrys
- Elegant EuphoniaEuphonia elegantissima
- Golden-browed ChlorophoniaChlorophonia callophrys
- Bare-crowned AntbirdGymnocichla nudiceps
- DickcisselSpiza americana
- Black-headed AntthrushFormicarius nigricapillus
- Streak-chested AntpittaHylopezus perspicillatus
- Black-faced SolitaireMyadestes melanops
- Ivory-billed WoodcreeperXiphorhynchus flavigaster
- Cerulean WarblerSetophaga ceruleaNT
- Blue-winged warblerVermivora cyanoptera
- Chestnut-capped Brush FinchArremon brunneinucha
- American Yellow WarblerSetophaga aestiva
Other birds118 species
JFMAMJJASOND
- Rufous-tailed HummingbirdAmazilia tzacatl
- Keel-billed ToucanRamphastos sulfuratusNT
- Orange-chinned ParakeetBrotogeris jugularis
- Red-lored AmazonAmazona autumnalis
- Red-billed PigeonPatagioenas flavirostris
- Hoffmann's WoodpeckerMelanerpes hoffmannii
- Gray-headed ChachalacaOrtalis cinereiceps
- Crested GuanPenelope purpurascensNT
- Lesson's MotmotMomotus lessonii
- Finsch's ParakeetAratinga finschi
- Collared AraçariPteroglossus torquatus
- White-necked JacobinFlorisuga mellivora
- White-winged DoveZenaida asiatica
- Groove-billed AniCrotophaga sulcirostris
- PauraqueNyctidromus albicollis
- Yellow-throated ToucanRamphastos ambiguus
- White-fronted AmazonAmazona albifrons
- White-tipped DoveLeptotila verreauxi
- Common Squirrel-cuckooPiaya cayana
- Green-breasted MangoAnthracothorax prevostii
- Black-cheeked WoodpeckerMelanerpes pucherani
- Cynanthus canivetiiCynanthus canivetii
- Ruddy Ground DoveColumbina talpacoti
- Ringed KingfisherMegaceryle torquata
- Stripe-throated HermitPhaethornis striigularis
- Pale-vented PigeonPatagioenas cayennensis
- Lineated WoodpeckerDryocopus lineatus
- Inca DoveColumbina inca
- White-collared SwiftStreptoprocne zonaris
- Plain-capped StarthroatHeliomaster constantii
- Scaly-breasted HummingbirdPhaeochroa cuvierii
- Cinnamon HummingbirdAmazilia rutila
- Long-billed StarthroatHeliomaster longirostris
- Chlorestes eliciaeChlorestes eliciae
- Russet-naped Wood RailAramides albiventris
- White-throated CrakeLaterallus albigularis
- Saucerottia hoffmanniSaucerottia hoffmanni
- Pale-billed WoodpeckerCampephilus guatemalensis
- Aratinga canicularisAratinga canicularis
- Green KingfisherChloroceryle americana
- Gartered TrogonTrogon caligatus
- White-crowned ParrotPionus senilis
- Golden-olive WoodpeckerColaptes rubiginosus
- Southern Mealy AmazonAmazona farinosa
- Pionopsitta haematotisPionopsitta haematotis
- Aztec ParakeetAratinga nana
- Ruby-throated HummingbirdArchilochus colubris
- Amazon KingfisherChloroceryle amazona
- Green HermitPhaethornis guy
- Purple-crowned FairyHeliothryx barroti
- Short-billed PigeonPatagioenas nigrirostris
- Violet-headed HummingbirdKlais guimeti
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Rufous-tailed JacamarGalbula ruficauda
- Vaux's SwiftChaetura vauxi
- Smoky-brown WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus fumigatus
- Great CurassowCrax rubraVU
- Rufous MotmotBaryphthengus martii
- Broad-billed MotmotElectron platyrhynchum
- Common Ground-DoveColumbina passerina
- Olivaceous PiculetPicumnus olivaceus
- Black-crested CoquetteLophornis helenae
- Great TinamouTinamus major
- Crowned WoodnymphThalurania colombica
- Bronze-tailed PlumeleteerChalybura urochrysia
- Microchera cupreicepsMicrochera cupreiceps
- Keel-billed MotmotElectron carinatumVU
- Mourning DoveZenaida macroura
- Violet SabrewingCampylopterus hemileucurus
- Black GuanChamaepetes unicolor
- Grey-chested DoveLeptotila cassinii
- Gray-rumped SwiftChaetura cinereiventris
- Belted KingfisherMegaceryle alcyon
- Bronzy HermitGlaucis aeneus
- Turquoise-browed MotmotEumomota superciliosa
- Stripe-tailed HummingbirdEupherusa eximia
- Magenta-throated WoodstarCalliphlox bryantae
- Ruddy PigeonPatagioenas subvinacea
- Long-billed HermitPhaethornis longirostris
- Black-throated TrogonTrogon rufus
- Black-headed TrogonTrogon melanocephalus
- Collared TrogonTrogon collaris
- Plain ChachalacaOrtalis vetula
- Green-fronted BrilliantHeliodoxa jacula
- Black-eared Wood-QuailOdontophorus melanotisNT
- Band-tailed PigeonPatagioenas fasciata
- Ruddy Quail-DoveGeotrygon montana
- Yellow-eared ToucanetSelenidera spectabilis
- Lesser NighthawkChordeiles acutipennis
- Rufous-winged WoodpeckerPiculus simplex
- Purple-throated Mountain-gemLampornis calolaemus
- Red-fronted ParrotletTouit costaricensisNT
- Common PotooNyctibius jamaicensis
- Common NighthawkChordeiles minor
- Striped CuckooTapera naevia
- Little TinamouCrypturellus soui
- Emerald ToucanetAulacorhynchus prasinus
- SunbitternEurypyga helias
- Tody MotmotHylomanes momotula
- Green thorntailDiscosura conversii
- Plain-breasted Ground-DoveColumbina minuta
- Slaty-tailed TrogonTrogon massena
- Great PotooNyctibius grandis
- Brown Violet-earColibri delphinae
- Chestnut-collared SwiftStreptoprocne rutila
- Thicket TinamouCrypturellus cinnamomeus
- Grey-headed DoveLeptotila plumbeiceps
- Spot-bellied BobwhiteColinus leucopogon
- Purple GallinulePorphyrio martinica
- Scarlet MacawAra macao
- Trogon elegansTrogon elegans
- SoraPorzana carolina
- Blue Ground DoveClaravis pretiosa
- Short-tailed NighthawkLurocalis semitorquatus
- Chimney SwiftChaetura pelagicaVU
- Black-breasted Wood-QuailOdontophorus leucolaemus
- Polyerata amabilisPolyerata amabilis
- Olive-backed Quail-DoveLeptotrygon veraguensis
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.
- Jan28°/20°13 mm
- Feb30°/20°9 mm
- Mar32°/20°10 mm
- Apr33°/21°40 mm
- May31°/22°187 mm
- Jun28°/22°177 mm
- Jul28°/22°131 mm
- Aug28°/22°176 mm
- Sep28°/22°252 mm
- Oct27°/22°289 mm
- Nov27°/21°132 mm
- Dec27°/20°28 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
Lake Arenal.
Artificial lake in Costa Rica
Lake Arenal is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in Costa Rica, 540 m above the sea.
459 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 92,681 open records.
The most recorded are the Turkey Vulture, the Montezuma Oropendola and the Great Kiskadee.
45 species come for the summer, 110 for the winter and 13 only pass through.
4 are threatened worldwide, including Great Curassow, Keel-billed Motmot and Three-wattled Bellbird.
The most species are recorded from February to March.
Get there and watch
- Wildcampingcampsite · 2.2 km · 2 within 10 km
- Hotel La Rana De Arenalplace to stay · 2.9 km · 47 within 10 km
- Tilaránnearest town · 8.3 km in a straight line
- La Fortuna Arenal Airport (FON)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 39 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
- 1viewpoints within 5 km
- 2restaurants and cafés within 3 km
- 2campsites within 10 kmWildcamping, Campamento La Tronadora
- 47places to stay within 10 kmHotel La Rana De Arenal, Hotel Alturas Del Arenal, Hotel Eco Lodge and 44 more
- bird hides within 6 km
- observation towers within 6 km
- marked trails within 4 km
- visitor centres within 6 km
- car parks within 3 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 Lake Arenal.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Peakyas7 mountains within 25 kmCerro Jilguero · 7.8 kmCerro Tilarán634 m · volcano · 10 kmChopo Volcano · 16 kmCerro del Indio · 17 kmVolcán Tenorio1,916 m · volcano · 18 kmCerro San José · 19 kmCerro Pelado · 21 km
Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.
Photographs
The place, as people saw it.
Other places nearby.
Lake Arenal
Costa Rica
- 80Birdyas Score
- 459Species
- 168Migrants
- 4Threatened
Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge
Costa Rica · 42 km
- 91Birdyas Score
- 476Species
- 167Migrants
- 9Threatened
Palo Verde National Park
Costa Rica · 45 km
- 80Birdyas Score
- 349Species
- 156Migrants
- 5Threatened
Refugio de Vida Silvestre Los Guatuzos
Nicaragua · 51 km
- 45Birdyas Score
- 109Species
- 19Migrants
- 0Threatened
Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q31938) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 92,681 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, Lakeyas, Darkskyas |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
The family
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