Groove-billed ani, Crotophaga sulcirostris941 species of birds have been recorded in Costa Rica. Seven of them are endemic, and 19 are globally threatened.
Anis: Found in open areas.
Groove-billed ani, Crotophaga sulcirostris
Antbirds:
Zeledon's antbird, Hafferia zeledoni
Aricaris: medium-sized toucans, rather slender and long-tailed.
Collared aricari, Pteroglossus torquatus
Fiery-billed aricari, Pteroglossus frantzii
Bananaquits:
Bananaquit, Coereba flaveola
Becards:
Black-and-white becard, Pachyramphus albogriseus
Blackbirds:
Melodious blackbird, Dives dives
Red-breasted blackbird (male), Leistes militaris
Caracaras:
Yellow-headed caracara (adult left, juvenile right), Milvago chinachina
Crested caracara (adult left with juvenile right), Caracara cheriway
Chachalacas: Long-tailed arboreal birds with small, red dewlap.
Gray-headed chachalaca, Ortalis cinereiceps
Cormorants:
Neotropic cormorant, Phalacrocorax brasilianus
Curassows: large, mainly terrestrial bird that is senstive to hunting pressure and persists mainly in remote or protected areas.
Great curassow (female left, male right), Crax rubra
Doves:
Inca dove, Columbina inca
White-winged dove, Zenaida asiatica
Short-billed pigeon, Patagroenas migrirostris
Ruddy ground dove, Columbina talpaeoti
Ducks:
Black-bellies whistling-dick, Dendrocygna autumnalis
Muscovy duck, Cairina moschata
Egrets:
Snowy egret (adult left, juvenile right), Egretta thula
Cattle egret, Bubulcus ibis
Great egret, Ardea alba
Euphonias:
Yellow-crowned euphonia (male), Euphonia lutecapella
Yellow-throated euphonia (female), Euphonia hirundinacea
Falcons:
Laughing falcon, Herpetotheres cachinnans
Finches:
Large-footed finch, Pezopetes capitalis
Flower-piercers:
Cinnamon-bellied flowerpiercer (males left, female right), Diglossa baritula
Flycatchers:
Social flycatcher, Myiozetetes similis
Piratic flycatcher, Legatus leucopalus
Black-and-yellow silky-flycatcher (males left, female right), Phainoptila melanoxantha
Long-tailed silky-flycatcher (male left, female right), Ptiliogonys caudata
Grackles:
Great-tailed grackle, Quiscalus mexicanus
Guans: Large arboreal species confined to regions with extensive humid broadleaf forest.
Crested guan, Penelope purpurascens
Hawks:
Gray hawk, Bateo plagiatus
Roadside hawk, Rupornis magnirostris
Great black hawk (juvenile), Buteogallus urubitinga
Herons:
Little blue heron (juvenile left, adult right), Egretta caerula
Boat-billed heron, Nyctanasa violacea
Green heron (juveniles left, adult right), Butorides virescens
Honey creepers:
Red-legged honeycreeper (female left, male right), Cyanerpes cyaneus
Green honeycreeper (female left, male right), Cyanerpes spiza
Hummingbirds:
White-bellied mountain-gem (F), Lampornis hemileucus
White-throated mountain-gem (M left, F right), Lampornis castaneoventris
Green-crowned brillinat (M left, F right), Heliodoxa jacula
Coppery-headed emerald (M left, F right), Microchera cupreiceps
Rufous-tailed hummingbird (adults), Amazilia tzacatl
(females, emerald-bellied) 
(males, emerald-bellied) 
(males, Columbian violet-crowned) Crowned woodnymph, Thalurania colombica
Violet sabrewing (M), Campylopterus hemileucurus
Charming hummingbird (F left, M right), Polyerata decora
Purple-crowned fairy (F), Heliothryx barroti
Brown violetear, Colibri delphinae
Lesser violetear, Colibri cyanotus
Green thorntail (M left, F right), Discosura conversii
Violet-headed hummingbird (M), Klais guimeti
Blue-vented hummingbird, Saucerottia hoffmanni
White-necked jacobin (M), Florisuga mellivora
Black-bellied hummingbird (M), Eupherusa nigriventris
(M) 
(F) Talamanca hummingbird, Eugenes spectabilis
Fiery-throated hummingbird, Panterpe insignis
Volcano hummingbird (F), Selasphorus flammala
Scintillant hummingbird (F), Selasphorus scintilla
Ibises:
White ibis (left immature, right adult), Eudocimus albus
Jacamars: related to puffbirds
Rufous-tailed jacamar, Galbula ruficauda
Kingbirds:
Tropical kingbird, Tyrannus melancholicus
Kingfishers:
Green kingfisher (females left, male right), Chloroceryle americana
Ringed kingfisher, Megaceryle torquata
Kiskadees:
Great kiskadee, Pitangus sulphuratus
Kites:
Swallow-tailed kite, Elanoides forficatus
Lapwings:
Southern lapwing, Vanellus chilensis
Macaws:
Scarlet macaw, Ara macao
Martins:
Brown-chested martin, Progne tapera
Mockingbirds:
Tropical mockingbird (juvenile), Mimus gilvus
Motmots:
Broad-billed motmot, Electron platyrhynvhum
Nightjars:
Chuck-will's-widow, Antrostomus carolinensis
Orioles:
Hooded oriole, Icterus cucullatus
Oropendolas:
Montezuma oropendola, Psarocolius montezuma
Owls:
Pacific screech owl, Megascops cooperi
Crested owl, Lophostrix cristata
Barn owl, Tyto alba
Parakeets:
Sulphur-winged parakeet, Pyrrhura hoffmanni
Parrots:
Mealy parrot, Amazona farinosa
Red-lored parrot, Amazona autumnalis
Pelicans:
Brown pelican, Pelecanus ocidentalis
Phoebes:
Black phoebe (adult left, juvnile right), Sayornis nigricans
Potoos:
Common potoo, Nyctibius griseus
Quails: Shy birds of broadleaf forest, usually found in small groups.
Spotted wood-quail, Odontophoris guttatus
Quetzals:
Resplendent quetzal (male), Pharomachrus mocinno
Saltators:
Buff-throated saltator, Saltator maximus
Sandpipers:
Double-striped thick-knee, Burhinus bistriatus
Spotted sandpiper, Actitis macularius
Seedeaters:
Variable seedeater (female), Sporophila corvina
Sparrows:
Rufous-collared sparrow, Zonotrichia capensis
Spoonbills:
Roseate spoonbill, Platalea ajaja
Stilts:
Black-necked stilt, Himantopus mexicanus
Storks:
Wood stork, Mycteria americana
Sunbitterns:
Sunbittern, Eurypyga helias
Swallows:
Tree swallow, Tachycineta bicolor
Tanagers:
Crimson-colared tanager (adult left, juvenile right), Ramphocelus sanguinolentus
Scarlet-rumped (Passerini's) tanager (male left, female right), Ramphocelus paserinii
Golden-hooded tanager (adult left, juvenile right), Tangara larvata
Crimson-backed tanager, Ramphocelus dimidiatus
Blue-gray tanager, Thraupis episcopus
Silver-throated tanager, Tangara icterucephala
Palm tanager, Thraupis palmarum
Hepatic tanager (female), Piranga flava
Flame-colorad tanager (female left, male right), Piranga bidentata
Thrushes:
Clay-colored thrush, Turdus grayi
Tiger-herons:
Bare-throated tiger-heron, Tigrisoma mexicanum
Fasciated tiger-heron (adults left, juvenile right), Tigrisoma fasciatum
Tityras:
Masked tityra, Tityra semifasciata
Black-crowned tityra, Tityra inquisitor
Toucans:
Keel-billed toucan, Ramphastos sulfuratus
Yellow-throated toucan, Rampastos ambiguus
Trogons:
Gartered trogon, Trogon caligatus
Tyrants:
Long-tailed tyrant (females left, male right), Colonia colonus
Vultures:
Black vulture, Coragyps atratus
King vulture, Sarcoramphus papa
Turkey vulture, Cathartes aura
Warblers:
Buff-rumped warbler, Myiothlypus fulvicauda
Woodpeckers:
Hoffman's woodpecker (male left, female right), Melanerpes hoffmannii
Black-cheeked woodpecker, Melanerpes pucherani
Golden-fronted woodpecker (male), Melanerpes aurifrons
Golden-naped woodpecker (male), Melanerpes chrysauchen
Acorn woodpecker, Melanerpes formicivoris
Lineated woodpecker, Dryocopus lineatus
Wrens:
Rufous-naped wren, Campylorhynchus rufinucha
Southern house wren, Troglodytes musculus
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Last modified 20 September 2025