Wilson’s Botanical Gardens

Birdwatching at Wilson's Botanical Garden Located in the scenic Coto Brus Valley near San Vito in southern Costa Rica, Wilson Botanical Garden features one of the most diverse and scientifically significant plant collections in Central America. Set at an elevation of approximately 1,200 meters (3,900 feet), Wilson Botanical Gardens sit at the interface of montane and lowland…

Quick Facts on Wilson’s Botanical Gardens
- Hotspot Type
  Botanical Research Station
- Habitat
  Botanical Garden, Secondary Forest
- Bird Species
  Silver-throated Tanager, Lesson’s Motmot, Black Vulture, Bay-headed Tanager, Buff-throated Saltator, Clay-colored Thrush, Green Honeycreeper, Crested Guan, Spot-crowned Euphonia, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant, Rufous-breasted Wren, Scarlet-rumped Tanager, White-throated Thrush, Speckled Tanager, Bananaquit, Turkey Vulture, Green Hermit, Black-faced Antthrush, Orange-billed Sparrow, White-crowned Parrot, Squirrel Cuckoo, Stripe-throated Hermit, Great Tinamou, Buff-rumped Warbler, Gray-headed Chachalaca, Charming Hummingbird, Spotted Woodcreeper, Scarlet-thighed Dacnis, Black-hooded Antshrike, Swallow-tailed Kite, Fiery-billed Aracari, Blue-gray Tanager, Streak-headed Woodcreeper, Tropical Parula, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Bright-rumped Attila, Roadside Hawk, Red-crowned Ant-Tanager, Common Tody-Flycatcher, The Brown-Hooded Parrot, Long-billed Gnatwren, Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush, Rufous Piha, Slaty-capped Flycatcher, Riverside Wren, Gray-cowled Wood-Rail, Scaly-breasted Wren, Northern Schiffornis, Olivaceous Piculet, Yellow-headed Caracara, Marbled Wood-Quail, Golden-olive Woodpecker, Gartered Trogon, Plain Xenops, Tawny-crowned Greenlet, Brown-billed Scythebill, Golden-crowned Warbler, Smoky-brown Woodpecker, Slate-throated Redstart, Laughing Falcon, Common Chlorospingus, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Dot-winged Antwren, Summer Tanager, Tawny-winged Woodcreeper, Yellow-throated Vireo, White-vented Euphonia, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Orange-collared Manakin, Shining Honeycreeper, Chiriqui Quail-Dove, Great Kiskadee, Slaty-tailed Trogon, Black Hawk-Eagle, Crested Caracara, Bicolored Antbird, Blue-headed Parrot, Pale-billed Woodpecker, White-shouldered Tanager, Masked Tityra, Gray-headed Tanager, White-winged Tanager, Ruddy Quail-dove, Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher, Northern Black-throated Trogon, Orange-chinned Parakeet, Crested Oropendola, Little Tinamou, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, Rose-throated Becard, Blackburnian Warbler, Rufous Mourner, Variable Seedeater, Blue-black Grosbeak, Golden-naped Woodpecker, Violet Sabrewing, Collared Trogon, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Golden-crowned Spadebill, Scaly-breasted Hummingbird, White-collared swift, Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Northern Bentbill, Green-Crowned Brilliant Hummingbird, Kentucky Warbler, Lineated Woodpecker, Ruddy Woodcreeper, Dusky Antbird

Birdwatching at Wilson’s Botanical Garden

Located in the scenic Coto Brus Valley near San Vito in southern Costa Rica, Wilson Botanical Garden features one of the most diverse and scientifically significant plant collections in Central America.

Set at an elevation of approximately 1,200 meters (3,900 feet), Wilson Botanical Gardens sit at the interface of montane and lowland forest zones, creating a unique blend of habitats that supports a rich diversity of bird species. It’s part of the Las Cruces Biological Station and features trails weaving through secondary forest, regenerating areas, open gardens, and forest edges ideal for spotting everything from fiery-billed aracaris, rufous-breasted wrens, and white-crested coquettes to mixed-species flocks of tanagers and flycatchers. Early mornings are particularly active, with birds foraging at eye level, while the botanical gardens come alive throughout the day as hummingbirds, euphonias, and flowerpiercers are drawn to the abundant blooms.

Plant Species at Wilson’s Botanical Garden

The Wilson Botanical Garden enhances the birding experience with its living collection of over 2,000 plant species, including one of the world’s most extensive displays of palms, heliconias, and bromeliads. These carefully cultivated landscapes not only offer stunning visual interest but also provide critical food and shelter for a wide range of birds. As visitors move between towering tropical specimens and shaded understory paths, they may encounter everything from orange-collared manakins performing display flights to green hermits zipping between heliconias. The garden’s design encourages up-close encounters, making it an exceptional location for both bird photography and plant appreciation too.

The combination of diverse birdlife, fascinating flora, and the tranquil setting of Las Cruces makes for an unforgettable experience in Costa Rica’s southern highlands.