Many folks believe that a strict reading of the Bible informs us that while animals may live with us here on Earth, they will not join us in the afterlife. Devoted pet owners who fervently hope to rejoin with Fifi or Cuddles through eternity rebut that view, arguing that God showed great concern for animals, as evidenced by his insistence that Noah take a vast array of creatures on the Ark. I will leave the religious arguments to others, but we can take comfort in knowing there are places on Earth where the concentration of beautiful wildlife species seems heaven-sent.

In December I had the pleasure of spending ten days in one of those places, a popular destination for all kinds of tourists, but especially for those who love birds and other exotic creatures. Costa Rica (translates as the “Rich Coast”) is high up on the bucket lists of birders worldwide and deservedly so. Roughly 900 species have been reported as breeding within the country or visiting/migrating on a reliable basis. For a tiny country of just 20,000 square miles (smaller than West Virginia) that is impressive when compared to just over 1,100 species recorded for the continental US.

Why do so many birds choose to live or travel through Costa Rica? First, look at the attached map of Central America and you will see that any birds migrating north or south through that region have no choice but to fly through Costa Rica, other than flying over water as some species choose. Pay attention also to the terrain of Costa Rica. While the country is known for stunning ocean beaches and fertile lands in the central valleys, it is also a mountainous country soaring up to 12, 500 feet. There are dozens of volcanic peaks, with six of them active within the last 75 years.

With such varied terrain, plus the effects of ocean currents and winds both East and West, Costa Rica has a panoply of habitats. There are officially 19 different regions each with its own diversity of flora and fauna. The country has everything from salt marshes and riverine wetlands along its coasts to jungles and high elevation forests. Since most creatures are highly specialized in their choice of habitat and foods, those 19 different habitat regions can accommodate an amazing diversity of birds and other animals. Another factor is the way in which Costa Rica was developed after the arrival of Europeans. Unlike most countries that develop first along their coastlines, Costa Rica was most attractive to settlers in the central valleys where the land could support agriculture. Only in recent decades have other parts of the country seen the kind of development that is disruptive to wildlife habitat.

Costa Rica is a beautiful place to visit or to live, becoming more popular with retirees from many Western countries due to the moderate climate and low cost of living. There is a rich cultural environment there, partly due to the mixing of people from many countries and tribes, with a history of living together in peace. A long-time democracy, the country went so far as to eliminate their military in 1948. The country’s favorite phrase, “pura vida,” translates to “pure life” in English and seems to capture a near universal sense of joy, optimism, and welcoming to all.

Like most developing countries, Costa Rica suffered after its discovery, with Europeans and their descendants enjoying the fruits of the country while the indigenous people were relegated to poverty. As a result, the natural habitat and its resident wildlife suffered from neglect and exploitation. This was a particular concern for the stunning Scarlet Macaw, a target of poaching and illegal trafficking to support the global pet trade.

In the early 1990s a team of scientists concluded that the Scarlet Macaw would soon become extinct without intervention and major conservation efforts. At its lowest point the population was determined to be fewer than 40 birds. Fortunately, a scientist from Wisconsin, Dr. Christopher Vaughn, stepped forward to initiate a conservation effort that is still running. Teaming up with Guillermo Hernandez, a local community leader, Vaughn began a series of conversations with local people in the towns along the Pacific coast where the macaws were concentrated. Realizing that a heavy-handed approach to the issue of poaching would likely fail, Vaughn and Hernandez began to educate the locals about the value of such unique birds and their habitat. The rationale was that by saving the birds and their forest habitats, Costa Rica could benefit from an influx of traveling nature enthusiasts.

Jumping forward 30 years, Dr. Vaughn’s approach proved to be a resounding success. Today the macaws have reached a population of roughly 800, with birds moving back into traditional nesting sites. Similar efforts in countries like Panama and Guatemala have pulled the bird back from the brink of disaster. Local people are now employed as guides and work for ongoing research projects in the region. This effort has benefitted not just macaws, but also many other birds subject to exploitation and animals such as the white-headed capuchin monkey and the Geoffroy’s Spider Monkey.

Across the country Costa Ricans have embraced the need to conserve large tracts of land and they have reversed the deforestation that has damaged so many countries in that part of the world. Recognized as a pioneer in conservation and ecotourism Costa Rica has set aside 32 national parks, 51 wildlife refuges, 13 forest reserves and 8 biological reserves. The national parks encompass roughly 25 percent of the country’s land mass. Tourism now brings several million visitors to the country each year with an economic benefit measured in the billions of US dollars.

The trip to Costa Rica, my second, was specifically for birding with an itinerary across 10 days that took us from the capital city San Jose as far as the southern border with Panama. We stayed at four ecolodges in different habitats, two of them well off the grid in classic rainforest. While December is normally the beginning of the annual dry season, the country had suffered from heavy rains for two weeks and record flooding in northern and eastern regions. We had some wet weather for a couple days but it did not seem to affect the birding, especially in the southern rainforest where it can rain 200-300 inches per year!

Of 11 birders in the group, most of us were from northern climates like Maine. We quickly noted that many species we knew from home had joined us in fleeing the coming winter. Tennessee Warblers, Baltimore Orioles, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, and Wood Thrush were all present and accounted for. On a boat trip along a river swollen by the rains, we encountered water-oriented pals from up north—Great Blue Herons, Ospreys, Northern Waterthrush, and a lone Broad-winged Hawk. It was like old home week!

Naturally our focus was on seeing and learning about new species, and our guide kept us hopping with his keen eyes and exceptional hearing. In thick habitat like the rainforest, it was common to hear birds well before we could spot them (in some case, they never broke cover for us). There was, however, an advantage in having 12 pairs of eyes glued to binoculars and we gradually spotted most of the birds after they gave away their locations.

The beginning birders in the group were tickled pink to see some of the exotics on offer. I could bore you to death with a comprehensive list, but a few are worth noting. Early in the trip we encountered a gorgeous bird called the Lesson’s Motmot . The mix of colors in its plumage was breathtaking and the tail is a work of art. Other motmots appeared later in the trip, often calling early in the morning like owls. The motmots are known for lurking quietly in thick cover, snatching both insects and lizards, and they nest in tunnels dug into sandy banks.

Another colorful appearance came in the form of the Fiery-billed Aracari, with a schnozz even the legendary comic Jimmy Durante could not match! The aracari is a medium-sized toucan and often appears in a small flock, focused on fruit, but also feeding on large insects, eggs, even nestlings. Their movements are often quite slow as they stretch out to grab food, and they are also willing to hang upside down when necessary. We had fun watching the aracaris eating bananas at a bait station, snapping up large chunks of fruit only to struggle getting it in just the right position for the bird to swallow.

The trip was not just birds and more birds, of course. There are vast numbers of insects in the forest, some of them exotic in their own right. At night, we enjoyed walking slowly to hear the calls of poison dart frogs, katydids, and other species. We often spotted bats fluttering around in the light from our headlamps, and I was thrilled that we located several new species of owls for my list. Howler monkeys put in a couple appearances, blasting their loud cries through the forest, leaving us glad for our time with the quieter spider monkeys. Fortunately, we did not encounter any snakes on the trip although Costa Rica has plenty of them, some quite deadly if you are unlucky.

One morning we had quite a thrill as we walked slowly through the gardens of our remote lodge just after first light. Focused on a pair of Great Curassows, we were suddenly confronted by a young tayra, a member of the weasel family similar in size and habits to our fisher. The guide was astonished to see this elusive animal so close by, wary of us but clearly focused on his search for food. First the tayra made a dash at an agouti, a small rodent that looks like a large rat. Failing in that attempt, the tayra then decided to carry off a couple bananas from the bait tray. Reveling in this unique encounter we stayed quietly glued to our spots and were rewarded with two more visits by the tayra. Later, he stalked close to two women sitting by the pool and hissed at them when they turned to look at him.

Every birding destination seems to have its superstar bird or two. No doubt the Scarlet Macaw falls in that category, but we were keen to find another rare beauty that frequents the cloud forests. A cloud forest is a unique place, subtropical and quite moist due to frequent low-level fog or cloud cover. Not surprisingly, that specialized habitat appeals to certain species of wildlife since the vegetation and insects can be quite different from other forests. The thick vegetation makes birding quite challenging, to say nothing of the damp conditions.

The bird in question is called the Resplendent Quetzal, a grand name and well deserved. It does not take a long look at the attached photo to know this is a special bird, one highly sought after by lovers of exotic wildlife. Part of the trogon family, quetzals are omnivorous, focused both on the fruits of the laurel family (especially avocados in the area we visited) but also preying upon small amphibians, reptiles, snails, and insects. The quetzal is known as an “altitude migrant,” meaning that it moves from lower slopes to higher elevations and back again as seasons change and favored foods become available.

Like the birds-of-paradise found on some islands in the Pacific Ocean, the bird’s beauty is also its downfall thanks to unscrupulous collectors of birds and feathers. Fortunately, poaching is on the wane, thanks to international efforts to protect rare species, but habitat destruction is an ongoing concern as mature forests are cut, often illegally in less developed countries. Long revered by indigenous people in Central America, the Resplendent Quetzal is listed as “near threatened” today and is dependent upon human efforts to avoid further losses of a spectacular bird. Luck was with us on the morning we rose well before dawn to put ourselves in the right place in hopes of spotting the birds, a pair getting ready for mating season.

The ten days passed quickly, and we covered a great deal of terrain, searching for the special birds in each locale. Despite repeated stops we never found a Lesser Yellow-Headed Vulture, no beauty contest winner, but still sought after. On our fourth attempt we finally located a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, no small task since it favors thick cover during the day and stands just six inches tall. At a stop high in the mountains, with the wind roaring around us, I scooted up a logging trail determined to find a special junco. Finally, movement in the thick brush revealed my target, the Volcano Junco.

Thanks to determined and enthusiastic efforts by our guide Erick, we nearly met his stretch goal of 300 species of birds. Given the weather conditions early on, to reach 292 species was no small achievement and all of us were thrilled with the diversity and beauty we encountered. There is good reason for me to return to Costa Rica at least once more, partly because it makes for a fine vacation, but there is a tour in the northern part of the country with lots of new birds on offer. Join me?

If you like Ed Robinson’s writing, check out his two Nature Notes books! Click here for more information.