The Osa Peninsula has over 450 bird species. Osa Peninsula represents only 3 % of all of Costa Rica and boasts 50% of the Bird species in Costa Rica. The Osa Peninsula. A birder’s paradise.
Scarlet Macaws
Scarlet Macaws on the Osa Peninsula are very easy to find throughout the Osa Peninsula. They love beach almonds. The beach almond tree was not native to Costa Rica. It was brought to Costa Rica from India, Asia, and Australia. Along with ocean currents, the seeds floated onto the beaches of Costa Rica. Now the beach almond trees are everywhere in Costa Rica. They play a very important part for the Scarlet Macaws for food along with sloths and squirrels.
You do not have to go far to find beach almond trees, and if they have nuts, the Scarlet Macaws will be in the trees eating the nuts. I have a beach almond tree in my front yard, and Scarlet Macaws come every day to eat the almonds. They break the shell with their strong beaks, and in return they get a little seed. the the drop the shell to the ground. I know when they’re in my tree because they drop the shells on my tin roof carport.
Osa Peninsula. A birder’s Paradise In Spanish, they are called Lapas. They have a very loud cackle. They can be seen flying in pairs, with as many as 30 pairs at the same time. The Osa Peninsula has the largest population of Scarlet macaws in Costa Rica. The last study said there were over 2000 scarlet macaws, but that study was done 10 yrs ago.
Green Amazon parrots
There are two different Amazon parrots on the Osa Peninsula. The red-lored Amazon and the Mealy Amazon parrot.
At sunrise, the Amazon parrots take flight in the hundreds. You will definitely hear them. They leave their sleeping trees and fly into trees that have fruit for the whole day. They blend in very well and are hard to find once they are in the trees. Trying to capture them with a camera at sunrise is very hard. The background is sky, and the birds are very dark with not much light.
If you look hard enough, you can see them in the trees around Puerto Jimenez, usually in pairs. They can become domesticated. I had one that would follow me all over Puerto Jimenez. After a week, it flew into my house and would take naps on my chest while I watched movies.
Toucans
Two toucans can be found on the Osa Peninsula. The Yellow-throated Toucan and the Fiery-billed Toucan.
Toucans love papayas . Behind Delfines restaurant, at certain times of the year, you can find Toucans. There is a tree that produces a small berry that the toucans love. The berry makes them high, and they sing away, enjoying themselves. Take the road right after the Canaza school, going out of Puerto Jimenez. The road will climb in elevation, and sometimes you can see 20 or 30 toucans in the same tree.
Humming Birds
Osa Peninsula is home to 40 different hummingbirds. They love flowers. The best thing you could do is buy a cheap hummingbird feeder and hang it outside. It will only take two days or less, and you will have hummingbirds. You can see them in the wild but you have to be quick and ready if you are photographing them. Best settings for your camera. Spot focus, spot metering, shutter speed 2000 of a second. Adjust your ISO so you can shoot in these settings.
Birds of Prey
Birds of Prey will be close to the beach a lot of the time. Hawks make a crisp chirping sound. Also, you can find them in trees by a field.
Water birds
Once again, behind Delfines beach restaurant, there is a small lagoon. There will be a road. Take the road 50 meters, and to the right will be a lagoon. There will be a chain-link fence that has an opening; go through the opening, walk to your left, and you will come to the lagoon. Oh, watch out for the crocodile. It is on the bank sometimes, and it will dive into the lagoon when you get close. Yep, it will scare you. Now that is what we call Pure vida.
All beaches will have water birds. Beaches of the Osa Peninsula
Hire a Guide.
Hiring a guide has its advantages. The guide will know where the birds are and the best places to go. When you chat with tour companies, ask them lots of questions. Do they have a bird guide? How much is a morning tour? The best time to see the most bird activity is in the morning. Yep, being on a beach at daylight. By 9 am all the birds will be inactive until the afternoon. Tour companies
Osa Peninsula. A birder’s Paradise. Inclusions: I had one friend who, in one day, saw 150 different birds.
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