The high diversity of birds in Costa Rica is a unique feature that makes bird watching in Costa Rica highly productive and very spectacular. No other country in the world has more bird species per square kilometer than Costa Rica, where in about 51 000 km² more than 900 birdspecies have been reported (the exact amount on the Costa Rica bird list for 2024 is 938 species and growing…). Its high diversity in habitats and micro-climates and its unique position as a land bridge between the North and South American continent are the main reasons for this.

Besides well-known cosmopolitan birdfamilies like Thrushes, Cuckoos, Owls, Raptors and Herons, the birds of Costa Rica also include some typical neotropical bird families like Toucans, Jacamars, Cotingas, Motmots and Antbirds.