This page has a list of 224 birds found in Manuel Antonio.
The ‘+’ symbol indicates important birds for environmental education or guiding.
The * indicates birds also found in the book “Site Guides Costa Rica” by Dennis Rogers.
The @ sign indicates birds listed by the professor of ornithology of the University of Southern California, on an informal list made in November 1997; @BALCONY indicates birds on that list seen from the balcony our rental house.
| Imp. | English | Spanish | Presence |
|---|---|---|---|
| + | Great Tinamou | Tinamu grande | |
| Little Tinamou | Tinamu chico | Common | |
| Least Grebe | Zambullidor enano | Common | |
| @BALCONY | Brown pelican | Pelicano pardo | Abundant |
| @BALCONY | Roseate Spoonbill | Rare | |
| +* | Brown Booby | Piquero moreno | Abundant |
| @ | Neotropic cormorant | Corvejon | (Olivaceous cormorant) |
| @ | Woodstork | Cigueñon | Uncommon |
| @ | Franklin’s Gull | ||
| @BALCONY | Magnificent frigatebird | Fregata | Abundant |
| @BALCONY | Great egret | Garceta grande | |
| @BALCONY | Snowy egret | Garceta patiamarilla | |
| @ | Green heron | Garcilla verde | |
| +@ | Cattle egret | Garcilla bueyera | Abundant |
| @ | Yellow-crowned night heron | Martinete coroninegro | Common |
| Bare-throated tiger heron | Garza tigre cuellinuda | ||
| + | Boat-billed heron | Pico cuchara o cucharon | |
| @ | Tricolor heron | Garceta tricolor | Uncommon |
| + | White Ibis | Ibis blanco | |
| Masked duck | Pato enmascarado | ||
| +@BALCONY | Black vulture | Zopilote negro | Abundant |
| @ | Turkey vulture | Zopilote cabecirrojo | |
| @BALCONY | Gray hawk | Gavilan gris | |
| *@BALCONY | Broadwinged hawk | Common | |
| * | Roadside hawk | Common | |
| White hawk | Gavilan blanco | ||
| Common black-hawk | Gavilan cangrejero | ||
| *@BALCONY | Yellow-headed Caracara | ||
| @ | Crested Caracara | Caracara cargahuesos | |
| @ | Osprey | Aguila pescadora | |
| @BALCONY | Laughing falcon | Guaco | |
| Collared forest-falcon | Halcon | ||
| Barred forest-falcon | Halcon | ||
| Great curassow | Pavon grande | ||
| +@BALCONY | Gray-headed chachalaca | Chachalaca cabecigris | Common |
| Marbled woodquail | Codorniz cocorovado | ||
| * | Gray-necked woodrail | Rascon cuelligris | Common |
| +@ | Northern jacana | Jacana centroamericana | Common |
| American oystercatcher | Ostrero americano | ||
| @ | Black-bellied plover | Chorlito gris | Common |
| Semipalmated plover | Chorlitejo semipalmado | Common | |
| Collared plover | Chorlitejo colirejo | ||
| Thick-billed plover | Chorlitejo piquigrueso | ||
| Solitary sandpiper | Andarrios solitario | ||
| @BALCONY | Spotted sandpiper | Andarrios maculado | Abundant |
| @BALCONY | Willet | Piguilo o Playero Aliblanco | Common |
| Ruddy turnstone | Vuelvapiedras rojizo | ||
| Least sandpiper | Correlimos menudillo | Common | |
| Pectoral sandpiper | Correlomos pechirayado | ||
| Semipalmated sandpiper | Correlimos semipalmado | Common | |
| Western sandpiper | Correlimos occidental | Abundant | |
| Sanderling | Playero arenero | Common | |
| @ | Whimbrel | Zarapito trinador | Common |
| Long-billed dowitcher | Agujeta silbona | ||
| * | Laughing gull | Gaviota reidora | Common |
| * | Sandwitch tern | Common | |
| * | Royal tern | Common | |
| Mangrove cuckoo | Cuclillo de anfifar | ||
| @BALCONY | Squirrel cuckoo | Cuco ardilla | Common |
| +@BALCONY | Groove-billed ani | Garrapatero tijo | Common |
| * | Smooth-billed ani | Common | |
| Striped cuckoo | Cuchillo listado | Common | |
| Barn owl | Luchuza ratonera | Common | |
| Crested owl | Buho penachudo | ||
| Spectacled owl | Buho de anteojos | ||
| +*@BALCONY | Pauraque | Chotacabras campestre | Common |
| @BALCONY | White collard swift | Vencejon collarejo | Common |
| @BALCONY | Chestnut collared swift | Vencejo cuellicastaño | |
| @BALCONY | Chimney swift | Vencejo de paso | Spring and fall |
| * | Vaux’s swift | Common | |
| Black skimmer | Rayador negro | ||
| Red-billed pidgeon | Paloma piquirroja | ||
| * | Pale vented pigeon | Paloma colorada | Abundant |
| @BALCONY | Short-billed pigeon | Paloma piquicorta | |
| Inca dove | Tortolita colilarga | ||
| Common ground-dove | Tortolita comun | ||
| @BALCONY | Ruddy ground-dove | Tortolita rojiza | Abundant |
| * | Blue ground-dove | Tortolita azulada | Common |
| * | White-tipped dove | Paloma coliblanca | Abundant |
| Gray-chested dove | Paloma pechigris | Abundant | |
| * | Orange-fronted parakeet | Perico frentirrojo | |
| @BALCONY | Orange-chinned parakeet | Periquito barianaranjada | Abundant |
| *@BALCONY | White-crowned parrot | Loro coroniblanco | Common |
| * | Rod-lored Amazon parrot | Loro frentirrojo | |
| Yellow-headed amazon parrot | Loro nuquigualdo | ||
| Band-tailed barbthroat | Eritano bronceado | Common | |
| *@BALCONY | Little hermit | Ermitano enano | Common |
| @BALCONY | Longtailed hermit | Ermitaño colilargo | |
| *@BALCONY | Blue-throated goldentail | Colibri colidorado | Common |
| *@BALCONY | Rufous-tailed hummingbird | Colibri rabirruto | Common |
| *@BALCONY | Purple-crowned fairy | Colibri airoso | Common |
| @BALCONY | Crowned woodnymph | Ninfa violeta y verde | |
| Slaty-tailed trogon | Trogon ojoblanco | Common | |
| Belted kingfisher | Martin pescador norteno | Common | |
| *@ | Ringed kingfisher | Common | |
| *@ | Green kingfisher | Martin pescador verde | Common |
| Pygmy kingfisher | Martin pescador pigmeo | ||
| @BALCONY | Blue-crowned motmot | Momoto comun o de diadena azul | Common |
| White-whiskered puffbird | Buco barbon | ||
| +@BALCONY | Fiery-billed aracari | Tucancillo piquianaranjado | Common |
| Chestnut-mandibled toucan | Tucan pico bicolor o Dios-te-de | Common | |
| Olivaceous piculet | Carpinterito olivaceo | ||
| *@BALCONY | Golden-naped woodpecker | Carpintero nuguidorado | Common |
| *@BALCONY | Red-crowned woodpecker | Common | |
| * | Tawny-winged woodcreeper | Trepador alirufo | |
| Ruddy woodcreeper | Trepador rojizo | ||
| Buff-throated woodcreeper | Trepador cuellianteado | Common | |
| Black-striped woodcreeper | Trepador pinto | ||
| *@BALCONY | Streak-headed woodcreeper | Trepador cabecirayado | Common |
| Slaty spinetail | Arquitecto plomizo | ||
| Buff-throated foliage-gleaner | Hojarrasquero cuellianteado | ||
| Streaked xenops | Xenops rayado | ||
| Scaly-throated leaftosser | Triajojas barbiescamado | ||
| Great antshrike | Batara mayor | ||
| @BALCONY | Barred antshrike | Batara listado | |
| *@BALCONY | Black-hooded antshrike | Batara negruzco | Abundant |
| Russet antshrike | Batara cafe | ||
| White-flanked antwren | Hormiguerito flanquiblanco | ||
| Bare-crowned antbird | Homiguero calvo | ||
| * | Chestnut-backed antbird | Hormiguero dorsicastano | Abundant |
| Bicolored antbird | Hormiguero bicolor | ||
| Blue-crowned manakin | Saltarin coroniceleste | ||
| * | Red-capped manakin | Saltarin cabecirrojo | Common |
| Orange-collared manakin | Saltarin cuellinaranjado | Common | |
| Torquoise cotinga | Cotinga torquesa | ||
| Yellow-billed cotinga | Cotinga piquiamarillo | ||
| Bright-rumped attila | Atila polimorfa | ||
| Rufos hiha | Pija rojiza | ||
| * | White-winged becard | Cabezon aliblanco | |
| Masked tityra | Tityra cariroja | Common | |
| @BALCONY | Black-crowned tityra | Tityra coroninegra | |
| @BALCONY | Scissor-tailed flycatcher | Tirano-tijereta rosada | |
| @BALCONY | Tropical kingbird | Tirano tropical | Abundant |
| @BALCONY | Tropical pewee | Pibi tropical | |
| White-ringed flycatcher | Mosquero cabecianillado | ||
| @BALCONY | Social flycatcher | Mosquero cejiblanco | Common |
| + | Gray-capped flycatcher | Mosquero cabecigris | Common |
| @BALCONY | Great kiskadee | Bienteveo grande | Common |
| *@BALCONY | Great crested flycatcher | Common | |
| @BALCONY | Boat-billed flycatcher | Mosqueron picudo | Common |
| Ruddy-tailed flycatcher | Mosquerito colirrufo | ||
| Black-tailed flycatcher | Mosquerito colinegro | ||
| Northern royal-flycatcher | Mosquero real norteno | ||
| + | Common tody-flycatcher | Espatulilla comun | Common |
| Norther bentbill | Piquitorcido norteno | ||
| Yellow tyrannulet | Mosquerito amarillo | ||
| Yellow-bellied elaenia | Elaenia vientriamarillo | Common | |
| *@BALCONY | Southern beardless tyrannulet | Mosquerito silbador | |
| Yellow-bellied tyrannulet | Mosquerito cejiblanco | ||
| @BALCONY | Ochre-bellied flycatcher | Mosquerito aceitunado | Common |
| Gray-breasted martin | Martin pechigris | Common | |
| @BALCONY | Cliff swallow | Golondrina risquera | |
| *@BALCONY | Southern roughwing swallow | Golondrina alirrasposa sureno | Common |
| @BALCONY | Barn swallow | Golondrina tijereta | |
| Bank swallow | Golondrina riberena | Common | |
| Mangrove swallow | Golondrina lomiblanca | Common | |
| * | Plain wren | Soterrey chinchirigui | Common |
| *@BALCONY | Riverside wren | Soterrey pechiondeado | Common |
| Southern house-wren | Soterrey cucarachero | ||
| White-breasted wood-wren | Soterrey de selva pechiblanco | ||
| @BALCONY | Veery | Zorzal dorsirrojizo | spring and fall (Rare) |
| @BALCONY | Brown jay | Urraca parda | |
| @BALCONY | Clay-colored robin | Mirlo pardo | Common |
| Pale-vented robin | Mirlo culiblanco | ||
| @BALCONY | Yellow throated vireo | Vireo pechiamarillo | |
| *@BALCONY | Tennessee warbler | Reinita verdilla | Common |
| Yellow warbler | Reinita amarilla | Common fall to spring | |
| * | Chestnut-sided warbler | Reinita de costilla castana | Common fall to spring |
| @BALCONY | Worm eating warbler | Reinita gusanera | Fall to spring |
| Oven bird | Reinita hornera | ||
| Northern waterthrush | Reinita acuatica norena | Common fall to spring | |
| American redstart | Candelita nortena | ||
| Buff-rumped warbler | Reinita guariribera | ||
| + | Scarlet-rumped cacique | Cacique limiescarlata | Common |
| Tropical gnatcatcher | Pertila tropical | ||
| * | Long-billed gnat-wren | Soterillo caricafe | Common |
| * | Lesser greenlet | Common | |
| Red-eyed vireo | Vireo ojirojo | Common | |
| Yellow-green vireo | Vireo cabecigris | Common | |
| *@BALCONY | Bananaquit | Reinita mielera | Common |
| * | Kentucky warbler | Common | |
| Green honeycreeper | Mielero verde | ||
| *@BALCONY | Red-legged honeycreeper | Mielero patirrojo | Common |
| @BALCONY | Shining honeycreeper | Mielero luciente | |
| Black-and-white warbler | Reinita trepador | ||
| * | Prothonotary warbler | Reinita cabecidorada | |
| Nicaraguan grackle | Clarinero nicaraguense | ||
| @BALCONY | Great tailed gracke | Clarinero | |
| *@BALCONY | Northern oriole | Bolsero veranero | Common fall to spring |
| * | Eastern meadowlark | Common | |
| Spot-crowned euphonia | Eufonia vientrerrojiza | ||
| @BALCONY | Thick billed euphonia | Eufonia piquigruesa | |
| *@BALCONY | Yellow-crowned euphonia | Common | |
| @BALCONY | Blue Dachnis | ||
| @BALCONY | Scarlet-thighed Dachnis | ||
| +*@BALCONY | Golden-hooded tanager | Tangara capuchidorada | Common |
| Bay-headed tanager | Tangara azuleja | ||
| @BALCONY | Blue-gray tanager | Tangara azuleja | Abundant |
| +@BALCONY | Palm tanager | Tangara palmera | Abundant |
| +@BALCONY | Scarlet-rumped tanager | Tangara lomiescarlata | Abundant |
| * | Summer tanager | Tangara veranera | |
| White-winged tanager | Tangara aliblanca | ||
| Red-crowned ant-tanager | Tangara hormiguera coronirroja | ||
| * | Buff-throated Saltator | Common | |
| @BALCONY | Rose-breasted grosbeak | Piquigrueso pechirosado | Common |
| * | Blue-black grosbeak | Piquigrueso negro azulado | Common |
| Yellow-faced grassquit | Semillerito cariamarillo | Common | |
| * | White-collared seedeater | Espiguero collajero | Abundant |
| +*@BALCONY | Variable seedeater | Espiguero variable | Abundant |
| Blue-black grassquit | Semillerito negro azulado | Abundant | |
| Yellow-thighed finch | Fringilo de muslos amarillos | ||
| * | Orange-billed sparrow | Piquianaranjado | Common |
| * | Black-striped sparrow | Pinzon cabecilistado | Common |
| * | House sparrow | Common |
This list adapted from a list prepared by biologist Tex Hawkins of the US Fish and Wildlife, park guard Efrain Vargas from Manuel Antonio National Park, and biologist Jorge Rodriguez from the Costa Rican Park Service. September 1981, based on their own knowledge and Lista de pajaros de Costa Rica segun Localidades by Gary Stiles and T. James Lewis, 1980, and Slud, Birds of Costa Rica. A ‘+’ indicates update using “Site Guide Costa Rica,” 1994. The @ sign indicates birds listed by the professor of ornithology of the University of Southern California, on an informal list made in November 1997; @BALCONY indicates birds on that list seen from our balcony of our rental house.