Items12The creator’s order
  1. 1Resplendent quetzalResplendent quetzalIn the cool cloud forest at San Gerardo de Dota, look into fruiting trees and along openings in the canopy. A male’s green upperparts and red belly can be hard to see through the branches, but two long green streamers may hang into view when he perches. Give feeding birds time to come and go…0
  2. 2Brown-throated slothBrown-throated slothOn a trail in Manuel Antonio National Park, scan the treetops for a rounded back or a long arm draped over a branch. The brown-throated sloth is one of the park’s sloths. Its dark eye markings can help you tell it from the local two-toed sloth if it turns toward you. Binoculars help when the face…0
  3. 3Scarlet macawScarlet macawAt Carara National Park on the central Pacific coast, listen for loud calls and watch clearings for pairs flying over. Red dominates the body, with yellow and blue across the wings. You can often get a better view by staying at the opening and letting the birds cross it.0
  4. 4Baird's tapirBaird's tapirCorcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula is a good setting for learning what a Baird’s tapir needs. A guide may spot the bulky animal or its tracks from the forest trails around Sirena. If you see one, look for the short, flexible snout and let it move on without cutting across its path.0
  5. 5Mantled howlerMantled howlerFrom a boat on the Tortuguero canals, listen for the low roar of mantled howlers before scanning the crown of a riverside tree. The monkey is mostly dark, with lighter, longer hair along its sides. Once you find one, look nearby for the rest of the group.0
  6. 6Agalychnis callidryasAgalychnis callidryasNear La Fortuna, the Arenal Natura frog garden displays the red-eyed tree frog in a terrarium. Look underneath broad leaves for the folded green body of a resting frog. When active, it may show red eyes, orange feet, or blue-and-yellow flanks. The exhibit offers a close look at features you might…0
  7. 7Keel-billed toucanKeel-billed toucanAt Curi Cancha Reserve in Monteverde, pause at forest edges with a clear view of the upper branches. A keel-billed toucan has a bright yellow throat and a long bill with patches of green, orange, and red. Use the gaps between trees to follow its flight if the foliage hides it once it lands.0
  8. 8White-nosed CoatiWhite-nosed CoatiLook down as well as up in Manuel Antonio, where a coati may cross the forest floor with its long tail upright. The pale muzzle and flexible snout help identify it as it searches leaf litter. If several pass along the same trail, wait for them to clear it and keep food packed away.0
  9. 9Panamanian white-faced capuchinPanamanian white-faced capuchinAround the forest trails of Manuel Antonio, look for cream fur around a dark-capped head and a mostly dark body. This Central American white-faced capuchin often changes branches quickly, giving you several short looks. Watch from the trail and keep bags secured so the monkeys don’t learn to…0
  10. 10Green sea turtleGreen sea turtleOn Tortuguero’s nesting beach, green turtles come ashore from June through November. Go with an authorized guide for night viewing and follow the staff’s directions about light and where to stand. Keep the turtle’s route across the sand clear.0