From 50 Lifers to Life long Memories

Trip Stats

Dates	June 22 – July 3, 2026 (12 days)
Route	Caño Negro → Sarapiquí → Turrialba/Quelitales → Savegre Highlands
Guide	Alex Castro
Travelers	Tonja W., Phil W., Rhianna E.
Species observed	257
Checklists submitted	61
Species photographed	63
Lifers added (Tonja & Phil)	51 (goal was 20)

Full eBird trip report: link

When Tonja and Phil Wright arrived in Costa Rica with their niece Rhianna, they came with different goals but a shared passion for wildlife. Tonja, who only discovered birding after the pandemic, has quickly become an exceptional birder with an incredible eye in the field. Phil and Rhianna focused on photography, with Phil bringing years of experience and professional equipment while Rhianna eagerly looked forward to improving her skills and capturing some of Costa Rica’s most iconic birds.

Early in the tour, while traveling through northern Costa Rica, Tonja mentioned that she would be thrilled to add 20 new species to her life list. Our guide, Alex Castro, smiled and replied, “What if we made it 50?” It sounded ambitious, but by the end of the second day they had already recorded 24 lifers. The pace never slowed.

Central Valley Warm-Up

The trip opened around Hotel Bougainvillea and the Soda Cinchona hummingbird gallery near San Fernando, an easy first taste of Costa Rica’s hummingbird diversity — Violet Sabrewing and Green-crowned Brilliant among the early highlights before the group headed north.

Caño Negro: Kingfishers and a Jabiru

Caño Negro delivered unforgettable moments, where the group recorded five of Costa Rica’s kingfisher species here, including the hard-to-find Green-and-rufous Kingfisher — a bird most visiting birders never catch. Six Agami Herons, a Jabiru, Sungrebe, Boat-billed Heron, and Pinnated Bittern rounded out a wetland list that’s tough to beat anywhere in the country. I

Sarapiquí: Slower Mornings, Manakins

Moving to the Sarapiquí lowlands — Laguna Lagarto Lodge, Plumas y Picos, and the family-run Pierella Ecological Garden — the pace shifted from checklist-chasing to savoring. A home-cooked meal at Pierella came with the White-collared Manakin Rhianna had been hoping to photograph all trip, alongside Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Collared Aracari, and a steady supply of Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds at the feeders.

Turrialba and Quelitales: The Jaguarundi Moment

One of the most extraordinary moments of the trip came at Quelitales. The family witnessed an incredibly rare scene as a Jaguarundi carried an agouti in its jaws before pausing to look directly toward the camera. Phil captured the remarkable encounter in a photograph worthy of the pages of National Geographic, the kind of once-in-a-lifetime wildlife moment photographers dream about.

Savegre Highlands: Closing Strong

The final stretch through Paraiso Quetzal Lodge, Savegre Hotel, and Batsú Gardens brought the highland specialties that don’t show up anywhere else on the route: Talamanca Hummingbird, Fiery-throated Hummingbird, Black-bellied Hummingbird, Large-footed Finch, and the Sooty-faced Finch — a genuinely difficult regional endemic. The lifer count kept climbing right to the last checklist.

The Numbers

51 lifers against a goal of 20. 257 species. 61 checklists across five regions in 12 days. It’s the kind of trip that reminds you birding in Costa Rica isn’t really about the number — though 51 is a good one. It’s family-run lodges, once-in-a-lifetime wildlife, and guiding that turns “maybe 20” into 51 without anyone noticing the goalposts moved.

Trips like this remind us that birding in Costa Rica is about so much more than adding names to a checklist. It’s about unforgettable moments in nature, sharing those experiences with the people you love, and discovering that sometimes even the most optimistic expectations can be surpassed. We were honored that the Costa Rica Focus team could help make this journey such a memorable one, and we look forward to welcoming Tonja, Phil, and their family back for another adventure.

Full eBird trip report: ebird.org/tripreport/541229