22 January 2026: Day 4, Natural Lodge Caño Negro — Road Scholar Birding in Northern Costa Rica: Tanagers to Toucans
For the next two days we’ll be birding in Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge, 25,100 acres of wetlands in northern Costa Rica less than eight air-miles from the Nicaraguan border. Similar to Florida’s Everglades it is home to many of the same species including roseate spoonbills, anhingas, and great egrets. It also attracts migratory birds during North America’s winter.
“Caño Negro” means “black creek” in Spanish and was so named because the Frio River that feeds it was black from tannins and Raffia palm fruits. The river is browner now due to sediment, and so are Caño Negro waterways, but the original name has stuck. (See the lodge website for a flyover.)
During the rainy season the Frio floods the wetlands but in the December through April dry season it’s reduced to little lagoons, channels and beaches. With better weather (for us) and a lot more birds, this is the time of year to visit.
Birding is the top reason and pretty much the only reason that anyone ventures into the heart of Caño Negro where the only way to travel is by boat.
Our lodge offers boat tours where these are the top 8 species.
— bIRDWATCHING AT cAñO nEGRO — FROM nATURAL lODGE WEBSITE
- Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja)
- Northern Jacana (Jacana spinosa)
- Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga)
- Great Egret (Ardea alba)
- Black-collared Hawk (Busarellus nigricollis)
- Jabiru (Jabiru mycteria)
- Amazon Kingfisher (Chloroceryle amazona)
- Northern Potoo (Nyctibius jamaicensis)
Many of the birds found here are also in Brazil’s Pantanal region. The two sites have similar habitat.
If I’m lucky I’ll see at least five Life Birds, shown in the slideshow below.
Russet-naped wood-rail
- Russet-naped Wood-Rail (Aramides albiventris): 42% chance
- Sungrebe (Heliornis fulica): 31% chance
- Jabiru (Jabiru mycteria), whose name comes from the Tupi–Guaraní language and means “swollen neck” … 30% chance
- Green Ibis (Mesembrinibis cayennensis), 51% chance
- Black-collared hawk (Busarellus nigricollis), 47% chance
p.s. Yesterday I saw a Life Bird in the falcon family –> a pair of bat falcons.
Oh Kate! I hope you see them all. I love Roseate Spoonbills. The green egret was very interesting since mine are all snow white! Have fun and thanks for the post!