List of birds of Costa Rica

Although Costa Rica is a small country, it is in the bird-rich neotropical region and has a huge number of species for its area. The Official List of the Birds of Costa Rica by the Costa Rican Rare Birds and Records Committee of the Asociación Ornitológica de Costa Rica (AOCR) contains 918 species. These 918 species are more than have been recorded in all of the United States and Canada combined. Of those species, six are endemic (three of which are found only on Cocos Island), 62 are rare or accidental, and four have been introduced by humans. Many are near-endemic with ranges that include only Costa Rica and northwestern Panama. Twenty-six species are globally threatened. Over an area of 51,100 km², an area smaller than West Virginia, this is the greatest density of bird species of any continental American country. About 600 species are resident, with most of the other regular visitors being winter migrants from North America.

Contents

• Tinamidae tinamous
• Anatidae ducks geese and waterfowl
• Cracidae guans chachalacas and curassows
• Odontophoridae New World quail
• Podicipedidae grebes
• Diomedeidae albatrosses
• Procellariidae shearwaters and petrels
• Hydrobatidae storm petrels
• Phaethontidae tropicbirds
• Ciconiidae storks
• Fregatidae frigatebirds
• Sulidae boobies and gannets
• Phalacrocoracidae cormorants and shags
• Anhingidae anhingas
• Pelecanidae pelicans
• Ardeidae herons egrets and bitterns
• Threskiornithidae ibises and spoonbills
• Cathartidae New World vultures
• Pandionidae osprey
• Accipitridae hawks eagles and kites
• Eurypygidae sunbittern
• Rallidae rails gallinules and coots
• Heliornithidae finfoots
• Aramidae limpkin
• Burhinidae thick knees
• Recurvirostridae stilts and avocets
• Haematopodidae oystercatchers
• Charadriidae plovers and lapwings
• Jacanidae jacanas
• Scolopacidae sandpipers and allies
• Stercorariidae skuas and jaegers
• Laridae gulls terns and skimmers
• Columbidae pigeons and doves
• Cuculidae cuckoos
• Tytonidae barn owls
• Strigidae owls
• Caprimulgidae nightjars and allies
• Nyctibiidae potoos
• Steatornithidae oilbird
• Apodidae swifts
• Trochilidae hummingbirds
• Trogonidae trogons
• Momotidae motmots
• Alcedinidae kingfishers
• Bucconidae puffbirds
• Galbulidae jacamars
• Capitonidae New World barbets
• Semnornithidae toucan barbets
• Ramphastidae toucans
• Picidae woodpeckers
• Falconidae falcons and caracaras
• Psittacidae New World and African parrots
• Thamnophilidae typical antbirds
• Conopophagidae gnateaters
• Grallariidae antpittas
• Rhinocryptidae tapaculos
• Formicariidae antthrushes
• Furnariidae ovenbirds and woodcreepers
• Tyrannidae tyrant flycatchers
• Oxyruncidae sharpbill
• Cotingidae cotingas
• Pipridae manakins
• Tityridae tityras and allies
• Vireonidae vireos
• Corvidae crows jays and magpies
• Hirundinidae swallows
• Troglodytidae wrens
• Polioptilidae gnatcatchers
• Cinclidae dippers
• Turdidae thrushes and allies
• Mimidae mockingbirds and thrashers
• Motacillidae wagtails and pipits
• Bombycillidae waxwings
• Ptiliogonatidae silky flycatchers
• Parulidae New World warblers
• Thraupidae tanagers and allies
• Emberizidae buntings and New World sparrows
• Cardinalidae cardinals and allies
• Icteridae troupials and allies
• Fringillidae finches euphonias and allies
• Passeridae Old World sparrows
• Estrildidae waxbills and allies
• References

Costa Rica's geological formation played a large role in the diversification of avian species. North America and South America were initially separate continents, but millions of years of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions eventually fused the two continents together. When this happened, species from the north and south poured into the land bridge that became Central America. Birds like the hummingbird came from the south, while birds like the jay came from the north.

Part of the diversity stems from the wide array of habitats, which include mangrove swamps along the Pacific coast, the wet Caribbean coastal plain in the northeast, dry northern Pacific lowlands, and multiple mountain chains that form the spine of the country and rise as high as 3,500 m. These mountain chains, the largest of which is the Cordillera de Talamanca, form a geographical barrier that has enabled closely related but different species to develop on either side of the chain. A good example of this speciation is the white-collared manakin of the Caribbean side, which is now distinct from the orange-collared manakin of the Pacific slope.

In the past, higher sea levels left the mountains as highlands, and isolation again led to distinct species developing, with over thirty now endemic to the mountains, especially the Talamanca range which extends from southern Costa Rica into Panama.

This list's taxonomic treatment (designation and sequence of orders, families, and species) and nomenclature (common and scientific names) follow the conventions of The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 2016 edition. The following tags have been used to highlight certain categories, but not all species fall into one of these categories. Those that do not are commonly occurring native or migratory species.