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Costa Rica

Birding in Southern Costa Rica: Motmots to Quetzals

Program No. 20616RJ
Go where the birds are, not where the birders are, as you spot Scarlet Macaws at Carara, the Resplendent Quetzal in San Gerardo de Dota, Motmots in San Vito and much more.

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Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone? 800-454-5768
Select your type of room
Price will update based on selection
Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Jan 14 - Jan 24, 2024
Starting at
2,949
Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the Jan. 4 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Jan 16 - Jan 26, 2024
Starting at
2,949
Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the Jan. 27 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Jan 20 - Jan 30, 2024
Starting at
2,949
Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the Jan. 10 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Filling Fast!
Jan 24 - Feb 3, 2024
Starting at
2,949
Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the Jan. 14 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Jan 28 - Feb 7, 2024
Starting at
2,949
Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the Feb. 7 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Feb 2 - Feb 12, 2024
Starting at
2,949
Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the Jan. 23 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Feb 6 - Feb 16, 2024
Starting at
2,949
Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the Jan. 27 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Filling Fast!
Feb 17 - Feb 27, 2024
Starting at
2,949
Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the Feb. 7 date and Feb. 27 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Feb 19 - Feb 29, 2024
Starting at
2,949
Feb 25 - Mar 6, 2024
Starting at
2,949
Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the Mar. 6 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Feb 29 - Mar 10, 2024
Starting at
2,949
Mar 2 - Mar 12, 2024
Starting at
2,949
Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the Feb. 21 date and Mar. 12 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Mar 8 - Mar 18, 2024
Starting at
2,949
Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the Feb. 27 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Mar 16 - Mar 26, 2024
Starting at
2,949
Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the Mar. 6 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Filling Fast!
Apr 7 - Apr 17, 2024
Starting at
2,949
Special Offer

No added cost for single rooms! Free singles are limited. Please call for details.

Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the April 17 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Apr 27 - May 7, 2024
Starting at
2,949
Special Offer

No added cost for single rooms! Free singles are limited. Please call for details.

Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the April 17 date and May 7 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

May 17 - May 27, 2024
Starting at
2,849
Special Offer

No added cost for single rooms! Free singles are limited. Please call for details.

Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the May 7 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Jul 17 - Jul 27, 2024
Starting at
2,849
Special Offer

No added cost for single rooms! Free singles are limited. Please call for details.

Sep 14 - Sep 24, 2024
Starting at
2,849
Special Offer

No added cost for single rooms! Free singles are limited. Please call for details.

Oct 18 - Oct 28, 2024
Starting at
2,849
Special Offer

No added cost for single rooms! Free singles are limited. Please call for details.

Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the Oct. 8 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Nov 13 - Nov 23, 2024
Starting at
2,949
Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the Nov. 3 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Dec 1 - Dec 11, 2024
Starting at
2,949
Dec 11 - Dec 21, 2024
Starting at
2,949
Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the Dec. 1 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Jan 14 - Jan 24, 2024
Starting at
3,379
Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the Jan. 4 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Jan 16 - Jan 26, 2024
Starting at
3,379
Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the Jan. 27 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Jan 20 - Jan 30, 2024
Starting at
3,379
Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the Jan. 10 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Jan 24 - Feb 3, 2024
Starting at
3,379
Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the Jan. 14 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Jan 28 - Feb 7, 2024
Starting at
3,379
Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the Feb. 7 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Feb 2 - Feb 12, 2024
Starting at
3,379
Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the Jan. 23 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Feb 6 - Feb 16, 2024
Starting at
3,379
Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the Jan. 27 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Feb 17 - Feb 27, 2024
Starting at
3,379
Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the Feb. 7 date and Feb. 27 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Feb 19 - Feb 29, 2024
Starting at
3,379
Feb 25 - Mar 6, 2024
Starting at
3,379
Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the Mar. 6 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Feb 29 - Mar 10, 2024
Starting at
3,379
Mar 2 - Mar 12, 2024
Starting at
3,379
Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the Feb. 21 date and Mar. 12 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Filling Fast!
Mar 8 - Mar 18, 2024
Starting at
3,379
Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the Feb. 27 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Mar 16 - Mar 26, 2024
Starting at
3,379
Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the Mar. 6 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Filling Fast!
Apr 7 - Apr 17, 2024
Starting at
2,949
Special Offer

No added cost for single rooms! Free singles are limited. Please call for details.

Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the April 17 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Apr 27 - May 7, 2024
Starting at
2,949
Special Offer

No added cost for single rooms! Free singles are limited. Please call for details.

Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the April 17 date and May 7 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Filling Fast!
May 17 - May 27, 2024
Starting at
2,849
Special Offer

No added cost for single rooms! Free singles are limited. Please call for details.

Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the May 7 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Filling Fast!
Jul 17 - Jul 27, 2024
Starting at
2,849
Special Offer

No added cost for single rooms! Free singles are limited. Please call for details.

Sep 14 - Sep 24, 2024
Starting at
2,849
Special Offer

No added cost for single rooms! Free singles are limited. Please call for details.

Filling Fast!
Oct 18 - Oct 28, 2024
Starting at
2,849
Special Offer

No added cost for single rooms! Free singles are limited. Please call for details.

Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the Oct. 8 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Nov 13 - Nov 23, 2024
Starting at
3,379
Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the Nov. 3 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

Filling Fast!
Dec 1 - Dec 11, 2024
Starting at
3,379
Filling Fast!
Dec 11 - Dec 21, 2024
Starting at
3,379
Itinerary Note

This departure can be combined with the Dec. 1 date of Program #22443- Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans.

At a Glance

In this small-group adventure, go off-the-beaten path to explore some of the less-visited birding hot spots in Costa Rica. In a range of habitats — Pacific lowland rainforest, dry deciduous forest, primary premontane forest, oak woodlands, cloud forests and more — spot myriad rare and vibrant species. Each unique and beautiful location offers the chance to identify numerous intriguing endemic and migratory birds in one of the world’s great birding destinations.
Activity Level
Outdoor: Spirited
Daily early morning birding activities. Walking up to three miles daily over varied terrain in tropical conditions and long periods standing. Elevations up to 11,000 feet.
Micro Group
Micro Group
These adventures feature our smallest group size, with 12 participants or fewer.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • Observe brilliantly colored Resplendent Quetzals while they feed on the fruit of the aguacatillo tree.
  • Spot nocturnal birds and mammals, including owls, on nighttime hikes.
  • Look for water birds and shore birds during a boat ride along the mangrove-lined banks of the Tarcoles River.

General Notes

This is a Micro Group program, with 12 or fewer participants. All Road Scholar birding programs have a maximum participant-to-instructor ratio of 14:1 in the field. We adhere to the American Birding Association’s Code of Ethics. Learn more at www.aba.org/ethics.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Costa Rica Butterflies & Moths
by James Kavanagh
A handy, laminated fold-up card with color illustrations of Costa Rica’s more visible species of butterflies and moths. Includes the distinguishing markings or behaviors of each species.
Costa Rica Reader: History, Culture, Politics
by Steven Palmer (Editor), Ivan Molina (Editor)
A lively, literate sourcebook on the politics, economy and society of Costa Rica
Costa Rica, A Journey Through Nature
by Adrian Hepworth
Dividing the book by ecosystem and geographic area, BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Hepworth's color photographs showcase the diversity of Costa Rica's wildlife and habitats.
The Birds of Costa Rica
by Richard Garrigues, Robert Dean (Illustrator)
Built for the field, this great guide includes multiple illustrations for 820 species of birds.
Green Phoenix, Restoring Tropical Forests of Guanacaste, Costa Rica
by William Allen
The vivid tale of the creation of the Guanacaste Conservation Area in Northwest Costa Rica
The Wildlife of Costa Rica, A Field Guide
by Twan Leenders, Robert Dean, Jim Zook, Fiona Reid
This guide includes 450 of the most common, interesting and charismatic mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and arthropods that you are likely to encounter. Each has exquisite full-color illustrations.
Costa Rica, A Traveler's Literary Companion
by Barbara Ras
A wonderful introduction to the character of the people, culture and land, this anthology brings together 26 stories by Costa Rican writers.
Costa Rican Wildlife
by Pocket Naturalist
Put it in your pocket! This handy, fold-up card includes color illustrations of dozens of typical birds, mammals and reptiles.
A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica
by F. Gary Stiles, Alexander Skutch, Dana Gardner (Illustrator)
A masterfully researched and comprehensive field guide to the birds of Costa Rica, including an overview of geography, habitats and avifauna. Covers 800 species and features 52 color plates.
A Bird-Finding Guide to Costa Rica
by Barrett Lawson
With bird lists, directions, descriptions and lodges for 53 sites in Costa Rica.
Nature of the Rainforest, Costa Rica and Beyond
by Adrian Forsyth, E.O. Wilson (Introduction), Michael Fogden (Photographer)
Our favorite biologist-writer returns to the Neotropics in this beautifully illustrated, oversized overview of the rainforest. With chapters on Monteverde and Guanacaste, plants, frogs and snakes, birds, monkeys and jaguars, the sloth, peculiar insects and biodioversity; A marvelous, anecdotal introduction to ecology, evolution and conservation.
Costa Rica Birds
by James Kavanagh
A handy, laminated fold-up card with full-color illustrations of birds commonly found in Costa Rica. Great for kids, too.
Culture Smart! Costa Rica
by Jane Koutnik
A guide to local customs, etiquette and culture.
Costa Rica Adventure Map
by National Geographic
A double-sided map at a scale of 1:500,000.
The Monkey's Bridge, Mysteries of Evolution in Central America
by David Rains Wallace
Opening this absorbing account of the history and biogeography of the Central American isthmus with the tale of Columbus, Wallace weaves his own travels in the region with a crisp overview of exploration, nature and evolution. Natural history buffs and ecologically minded travelers will appreciate this valuable resource.
National Geographic Costa Rica
by Christopher P. Baker
This stylish, informative and up-to-date travel resource features 200 photographs, many maps and good information on the country's history, nature and culture.
Costa Rican Spanish
by Lonely Planet
A pocket guide to understanding idioms, slang and Spanish as it is spoken by the Ticos.
Tropical Nature
by Adrian Forsyth, Ken Miyata
A lively, lucid portrait of the tropics as seen by two uncommonly observant and thoughtful field biologists. Its 17 marvelous essays introduce the habitats, ecology, plants and animals of the Central and South American rainforest
Wild Costa Rica
by Adrian Hepworth
This beautiful, informative survey of the habitats, wildlife and protected areas of Costa Rica features 200 color photographs and chapters on natural history and conservation.
Neotropical Rainforest Mammals, A Field Guide
by L.H. Emmons
Compact enough to slip into your daypack, this field guide to the mammals of Central and South American features 29 color plates of more than 200 species.





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If you want to attend the live lecture, please do not wait until the last minute to enroll.
If you enroll after a lecture is complete, we’ll send you a recording of the event.