Los Cusingos – San Isidro de General

San Isidro de General This intermontane, beautiful valley is just east of the highest peak in Costa Rica, Mt. Chirripo (12,532 ft.). While primarily an agricultural area of the country, visitors will also find numerous groves of secondary forest. Being at the foothills of the Talamanca Mountains provides numerous bird habitats including foothills, middle elevations,…

Quick Facts on Los Cusingos – San Isidro de General
- Hotspot Type
  Wildlife Refuge
- Habitat
  Rainforest, Secondary Forest
- Bird Species
  Bay-headed Tanager, Gray-headed Tanager, Scarlet-rumped Tanager, Silver-throated Tanager, Speckled Tanager, Turquoise Cotinga, Red-capped Manakin, Blue-crowned Manakin, Orange-collared Manakin, Lesson’s Motmot, Golden-crowned Spadebill, Riverside Wren, Rufous-breasted Wren, Great Tinamou, Fiery-billed Aracari, Baird’s Trogon, Bicolored Antbird, Chestnut-backed Antbird, Black-faced Antthrush, Common Potoo, Golden-naped Woodpecker, Northern barred Woodcreeper, White-crested Coquette, Bronzy Hermit, Long-billed Hermit, Stripe-throated Hermit, Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet, Spot-crowned Euphonia, Blue Dacnis, Shining Honeycreeper, Red-legged Honeycreeper, Green Honeycreeper, Scaly-breasted Hummingbird, Scaly-breasted Wren, Red-crowned Ant-Tanager, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Ruddy Woodcreeper, Olivaceous Piculet

San Isidro de General

This intermontane, beautiful valley is just east of the highest peak in Costa Rica, Mt. Chirripo (12,532 ft.). While primarily an agricultural area of the country, visitors will also find numerous groves of secondary forest. Being at the foothills of the Talamanca Mountains provides numerous bird habitats including foothills, middle elevations, tropical and cloud forests. This diversity provides the perfect environment for an extremely wide array of bird species. San Isidro del General was home to the famous Naturalist, Dr. Alexander Skutch. His home, Los Cusingos, still stands and is a wonderful place for birders to visit for bird watching and photography

Los Cusingos Bird Sanctuary

Dr. Alexander Skutch is a revered figure among birders and nature lovers around the world. In 1941, this renowned botanist and naturalist purchased a piece of land in Costa Rica’s Southern Zone that would become the now-iconic Los Cusingos Bird Sanctuary, named after the Fiery-billed Aracari (locally called “Cusingo”), one of his favorite birds.

From his modest farmstead, Dr. Skutch authored more than 30 books and hundreds of scientific papers on the biodiversity and birdlife of Costa Rica. His deep, personal study of over 300 bird species in the American tropics contributed significantly to the global understanding of avian behavior and ecology. In addition to his ornithological work, he discovered numerous plant species, many of which carry the specific epithet skutchii in his honor.

Today, visitors to Los Cusingos can explore approximately 1.2 miles of peaceful forest trails, which pass through tropical vegetation and lead to pre-Columbian petroglyphs, echoing the cultural richness of the region. The sanctuary spans a wide altitudinal range from 800 to 3,820 meters above sea level, supporting impressive biological diversity within a relatively compact area. In addition to birding, guests can enjoy walking through the very grounds where Dr. Skutch once lived and worked. His humble home is preserved on-site, and the property also includes basic lodging facilities with bathrooms, showers, and a communal kitchen.

A visit to Los Cusingos is not only a rewarding birding experience but also a chance to honor one of conservation’s great visionaries, walking the same trails he once explored, and experiencing the forest through the lens of his legacy.