The resident guide describes productive forest-edge birding, with distinct habitats in the ornamental gardens, scrub, vegetable garden and fruit forest. Many observations were made from villa decks. Wander quietly between habitats and compare what you see; birds found along the lower mountain road or coastal Route 34 may not occur at village elevation.
EXPLORE THE VALLEY
Birdsong.
Everywhere.
Explore the resident-compiled birding guide and its historical checklist of sightings at Toucan Valley and nearby lower elevations.
Select an icon, heading or description for more details.
The community checklist was assembled over many years and seasons, not during a single visit. Migrants such as Summer Tanager and Baltimore Oriole can make familiar North American birds part of a rainforest stay. Bring a Costa Rica field guide and binoculars; the original resident guide mentions the book by Richard Garrigues and Robert Dean. Record dates and locations rather than expecting every listed species on every visit.
The saved guide recommends a guided Sierpe River trip for a different birding habitat: herons, egrets, tiger-herons and other wetland birds. Lower elevations can offer species less often seen at the village, including Scarlet Macaw. Arrange a trip directly, ask for a bird-focused itinerary and remember that wildlife sightings depend on conditions.
Birds seen at and near Toucan Valley
Historical community checklist compiled across many years and seasons. An asterisk marks a bird described as common in at least one season. Names and repeated entries are retained from the original list; original colour and bold markings were not available in the saved text.
- Little Tinamou
- Crested Guan
- Great Curassow
- Cattle Egret
- *Gray-necked Woodrail
- *Black Vulture
- *Turkey Vulture
- King Vulture
- *Roadside Hawk
- Mangrove Black Hawk
- Great Black Hawk
- Gray-lined Hawk
- White Hawk
- Short-tailed Hawk
- *Swallow-tailed Kite
- Mississippi Kite
- *Crested Caracara
- *Yellow-headed Caracara
- Laughing Falcon
- *Bat Falcon
- Common Pauraque
- *Pale-vented Pigeon
- Short-billed Pigeon
- *White-tipped Dove
- *Ruddy Ground Dove
- Blue Ground Dove
- Gray-headed Dove
- *Scarlet Macaw
- *Brown-hooded Parrot
- Blue-headed Parrot
- Red-lored Parrot
- *White Crowned Parrot
- *Mealy Parrot
- *Orange-chinned Parakeet
- *Crimson-fronted Parakeet
- *Smooth-billed Ani
- *Squirrel Cuckoo
- Pheasant Cuckoo
- Common Paraque
- Gray Martin
- *Spot-fronted Swift
- *White-collared Swift
- White necked Jacobin
- *White-tipped Sicklebill
- *Long-billed Hermit
- *Stripe-throated Hermit
- Scaly-breasted Hummingbird
- Scintillant Hummingbird
- *Purple-crowned Fairy
- White-necked Jacobin
- *Ruby-throated Hummingbird
- Violet-crowned Woodnymph
- Violet-headed Hummingbird
- Garden Emerald
- *Charming Hummingbird
- *Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
- White crested Coquette
- Starthroat sp
- Baird’s Trogon
- Slaty-tailed Trogon
- Gartered Trogon
- Blue-crowned Motmot
- Ringed Kingfisher
- Belted Kingfisher
- Green Kingfisher
- Amazon Kingfisher
- Pygmy Kingfisher
- White-whiskered Puffbird
- White-necked Puffbird
- *Lineated Woodpecker
- Rufous-winged Woodpecker
- Pale-billed Woodpecker
- *Red-crowned Woodpecker
- *Golden-naped Woodpecker
- Hoffman’s Woodpecker
- Olivaceous Piculet
- Black-striped Woodcreeper
- Cocoa Woodcreeper
- Wedge-billed Woodcreeper
- *Fiery-billed Aracari
- *Black-Mandibled (Yellow-breasted) Toucan
- Bicolored Antbird
- Dusky Antbird
- Chestnut-backed Antbird
- *Plain Xenops
- Cocoa Woodcreeper
- Slaty Spinetail
- Black-hooded Antshrike
- Barred Antshrike
- Russet Antshrike
- Southern Beardless Tyrannulet
- Yellow-belied Elaenia
- Mountain Elaenia
- Slaty Antwren
- Eye-ringed Flatbill
- Bright-rumped Atilla
- Rufous Mourner
- Piratic Flycatcher
- Olive-sided Flycatcher
- Yellow-olive Flycatcher
- Dusky-capped Flycatcher
- Eastern Wood Pewee
- Western Wood Pewee
- Black Phoebe
- *Great Kiskadee
- Piratic Flycatcher
- Common Tody Flycatcher
- *Social Flycatcher
- Gray-headed Flycatcher
- Boat-billed Flycatcher
- *Tropical Kingbird
- Western Kingbird
- Masked Tityra
- Black-capped Tityra
- Northern Schiffornis
- White-ruffed Manakin
- Blue-crowned Manakin
- Rufous Piha
- *Clay-colored Robin/Thrush
- Swainson’s Thrush
- Black & White Becard
- Lesser Greenlet
- Rufous-browed Peppershrike
- *Tropical Mockingbird
- Tropical Gnatcatcher
- *House Wren
- Riverside Wren
- Rufous-breasted Wren
- Philadelphia Vireo
- Red-eyed Vireo
- Warbling Vireo
- Yellow-throated Vireo
- Yellow-green Vireo
- Northern Parula
- *Black & White Warbler
- *Chestnut-sided Warbler
- *Yellow Warbler
- American Redstart
- Golden-winged Warbler
- Yellow-throated Warbler
- *Buff-rumped Warbler
- *Scarlet-rumped Tanager (Cherrie’s)
- *Blue-gray Tanager
- *Palm Tanager
- Summer Tanager
- *Bay-headed Tanager
- *Golden-headed Tanager
- *Silver-throated Tanager
- Speckled Tanager
- White-shouldered Tanager
- *Blue Dacnis
- Scarlet-thighed Dacnis
- Summer Tanager
- *Green Honeycreeper
- *Shining Honeycreeper
- *Red-legged Honeycreeper
- *Bananaquit
- Rosy Thrush-tanager
- *Blue-black Grassquit
- Yellow-faced Grassquit
- *Variable Seedeater
- Collared Seedeater
- Yellow-bellied Seedeater
- Thick-billed Seedfinch
- *Yellow-faced Grassquit
- Orange-billed Sparrow
- *Black-striped Sparrow
- *Buff-throated Saltator
- Streaked Saltator
- Blue-black Grosbeak
- *Great-tailed Grackle
- *Baltimore Oriole
- Chestnut-headed Oropendola
- Yellow-crowned Euphonia
- Spot-crowned Euphonia
- Thick-billed Euphonia
- Yellow-throated Euphonia
The resident guide describes productive forest-edge birding, with distinct habitats in the ornamental gardens, scrub, vegetable garden and fruit forest. Many observations were made from villa decks. Wander quietly between habitats and compare what you see; birds found along the lower mountain road or coastal Route 34 may not occur at village elevation.
The community checklist was assembled over many years and seasons, not during a single visit. Migrants such as Summer Tanager and Baltimore Oriole can make familiar North American birds part of a rainforest stay. Bring a Costa Rica field guide and binoculars; the original resident guide mentions the book by Richard Garrigues and Robert Dean. Record dates and locations rather than expecting every listed species on every visit.
The saved guide recommends a guided Sierpe River trip for a different birding habitat: herons, egrets, tiger-herons and other wetland birds. Lower elevations can offer species less often seen at the village, including Scarlet Macaw. Arrange a trip directly, ask for a bird-focused itinerary and remember that wildlife sightings depend on conditions.
