Early birding and Wildlife Tour at Matapalo and Rio Claro
Private tour
Your tour guide:
We are the premier local tour operator based in the heart of the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica. We specialize in crafting unforgettable, low-impact eco-adventures for travelers seeking to immerse themselves in one of the most biologically intense places on Earth. Driven by a passionate team of certified local naturalist guides, our mission is to deliver authentic, safe, and deeply educational wilderness experiences while actively supporting community conservation. 🌿 Corcovado National Park Expeditions: Journey deep into the crown jewel of Costa Rica’s park system. We coordinate complete day trips and overnight expeditions to Corcovado National Park (including Sirena and La Leona stations). Our expert guides handle all permits and logistics, leading you through pristine rainforests to spot elusive wildlife like tapirs, peccaries, anteaters, and four species of monkeys.🦉 Rainforest Night Walks: When the sun sets, the rainforest completely transforms. Our guided night walks reveal a hidden, nocturnal world teeming with life. Equipped with specialized flashlights, you will safely encounter exotic tree frogs, sleeping birds, colorful insects, tarantulas, and bioluminescent fungi, all while listening to the thrilling evening symphony of the jungle. 🦜 Expert Birdwatching ToursThe Osa Peninsula is a paradise for birders, boasting over 460 distinct species. Led by optics-equipped, specialist birding guides, our birdwatching tours take you through optimal habitats at the best times of day. We help you check rare target species off your list, including the majestic Scarlet Macaw, the endangered Yellow-billed Cotinga, and various endemic hummingbirds.🐋 Golfo Dulce Cetacean & Marine ToursExplore the calm, emerald waters of the Golfo Dulce, a critical marine sanctuary. Our responsible whale and dolphin watching tours bring you face-to-face with resident Bottlenose and Spotted dolphins. Depending on the season (especially July to November), you can witness the breathtaking acrobatics of migrating Humpback whales and their newborn calves. Why Choose Passiflora Tours? 100% Certified Local Guides: Our bilingual experts possess decades of combined experience and an unmatched eye for spotting wildlife. Small Group Sizes: We strictly limit group numbers to guarantee personalized attention and minimize environmental impact. Tailor-Made Itineraries: From family vacations to hardcore wildlife photography expeditions, we design the perfect itinerary for your physical level and interests. Commitment to Sustainability: We proudly practice Leave-No-Trace principles and reinvest a portion of our profits into local reforestation projects.
About this tour
Discover two of the absolute best birding hotspots in the Osa Peninsula. This tour takes you through lush secondary forests, river ecosystems, and pristine primary rainforests, offering an unparalleled opportunity to spot a vast diversity of avian species and local wildlife.Tour Overview & LogisticsRío Nuevo (15 minutes from Puerto Jiménez): A vibrant river valley corridor. It is famous for its transitional habitats, making it excellent for aquatic birds, raptors, and forest-edge species.Cabo Matapalo (30 minutes from Puerto Jiménez): Where the dense primary rainforest meets the ocean. This cape is a paradise for canopy-dwelling birds, endemic species, and large mammals.The Journey: The adventure begins the moment you leave the hotel. The roads connecting Puerto Jiménez to these destinations act as natural wildlife corridors. During the short drive, we frequently stop to observe a high concentration of animals.
Target Species
Hook-billed Kite
Chondrohierax uncinatus
Yellow-billed Cotinga
Carpodectes antoniae
Southern Rough-winged Swallow
Stelgidopteryx ruficollis
Lesser Scaup
Aythya affinis
Black Skimmer
Rynchops niger
Cherrie’s Tanager
Ramphocelus costaricensis
Slaty-tailed Trogon
Trogon massena
Dot-winged Antwren
Microrhopias quixensis
White Hawk
Pseudastur albicollis
Speckled Mourner
Laniocera rufescens
Giant Cowbird
Molothrus oryzivorus
Crowned Woodnymph
Thalurania colombica
Uniform Crake
Amaurolimnas concolor
Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher
Myiobius sulphureipygius
Semipalmated Plover
Charadrius semipalmatus
Snowy Egret
Egretta thula
Great-tailed Grackle
Quiscalus mexicanus
Pearl Kite
Gampsonyx swainsonii
Slaty Antwren
Myrmotherula schisticolor
Mealy Parrot
Amazona farinosa
Scarlet Macaw
Ara macao
Three-wattled Bellbird
Procnias tricarunculatus
Yellow-throated Toucan
Ramphastos ambiguus
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Amazilia tzacatl
Crimson-fronted Parakeet
Psittacara finschi
Boat-billed Heron
Cochlearius cochlearius
Roseate Spoonbill
Platalea ajaja
Spectacled Owl
Pulsatrix perspicillata
Sunbittern
Eurypyga helias
Mangrove Hummingbird
Amazilia boucardi
Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager
Habia atrimaxillaris
Masked Booby
Sula dactylatra
American Kestrel
Falco sparverius
Cinnamon Becard
Pachyramphus cinnamomeus
Slate-headed Tody-Flycatcher
Poecilotriccus sylvia
Ornate Hawk-Eagle
Spizaetus ornatus
Eastern Meadowlark
Sturnella magna
Blue-black Grosbeak
Cyanoloxia cyanoides
Bare-throated Tiger-Heron
Tigrisoma mexicanum
White-throated Shrike-Tanager
Lanio leucothorax
Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrel
Hydrobates tethys
Yellow-olive Flycatcher
Tolmomyias sulphurescens
Speckled Tanager
Ixothraupis guttata
Rufous Piha
Lipaugus unirufus
Black-collared Hawk
Busarellus nigricollis
Red-lored Parrot
Amazona autumnalis
Zone-tailed Hawk
Buteo albonotatus
Gray-breasted Crake
Laterallus exilis
American Coot
Fulica americana
Amazon Kingfisher
Chloroceryle amazona
Black Rail
Laterallus jamaicensis
Barred Antshrike
Thamnophilus doliatus
White-whiskered Puffbird
Malacoptila panamensis
Velvety Manakin
Lepidothrix velutina
Northern Bentbill
Oncostoma cinereigulare
Short-tailed Nighthawk
Lurocalis semitorquatus
Garden Emerald
Chlorostilbon assimilis
Black-striped Sparrow
Arremonops conirostris
Southern Lapwing
Vanellus chilensis
Riverside Wren
Cantorchilus semibadius
Black-headed Trogon
Trogon melanocephalus
Great Potoo
Nyctibius grandis
Least Storm-Petrel
Hydrobates microsoma
Galapagos Petrel
Pterodroma phaeopygia
Streaked Flycatcher
Myiodynastes maculatus
White-browed Gnatcather
Polioptila bilineata
Black Vulture
Coragyps atratus
Black-cowled Oriole
Icterus prosthemelas
Orange-chinned Parakeet
Brotogeris jugularis
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensis
Lesser Greenlet
Pachysylvia decurtatus
Magnificent Frigatebird
Fregata magnificens
Red-legged Honeycreeper
Cyanerpes cyaneus
Green Honeycreeper
Chlorophanes spiza
Herring Gull
Larus argentatus
Rufous-winged Woodpecker
Piculus simplex
Red-rumped Woodpecker
Dryobates kirkii
Northern Barred-Woodcreeper
Dendrocolaptes sanctithomae
Great Curassow
Crax rubra
Rufous-browed Peppershrike
Cyclarhis gujanensis
Variable Seedeater
Sporophila corvina
Red-billed Tropicbird
Phaethon aethereus
Crested Bobwhite
Colinus cristatus
Elegant Tern
Thalasseus elegans
Common Gallinule
Gallinula galeata
Rufous Nightjar
Antrostomus rufus
Orange-billed Sparrow
Arremon aurantiirostris
Rufous-browed Tyrannulet
Phylloscartes superciliaris
Tropical Mockingbird
Mimus gilvus
Brown-hooded Parrot
Pyrilia haematotis
Chestnut-backed Antbird
Poliocrania exsul
Northern Schiffornis
Schiffornis veraepacis
Solitary Sandpiper
Tringa solitaria
Clay-colored Thrush
Turdus grayi
Great Kiskadee
Pitangus sulphuratus
Bananaquit
Coereba flaveola
Wedge-billed Woodcreeper
Glyphorynchus spirurus
Collared Forest-Falcon
Micrastur semitorquatus
Blue-gray Tanager
Thraupis episcopus
White-throated Thrush
Turdus assimilis
Northern Harrier
Circus hudsonius
Ochre-bellied Flycatcher
Mionectes oleagineus
Yellow-headed Caracara
Milvago chimachima
Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift
Panyptila cayennensis
Roadside Hawk
Rupornis magnirostris
Reddish Egret
Egretta rufescens
Masked Duck
Nomonyx dominicus
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Stelgidopteryx serripennis
Yellow-bellied Elaenia
Elaenia flavogaster
Nazca Booby
Sula granti
American Pygmy Kingfisher
Chloroceryle aenea
Ruddy Ground Dove
Columbina talpacoti
White Ibis
Eudocimus albus
Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet
Ornithion semiflavum
Rock Pigeon
Columba livia
Double-toothed Kite
Harpagus bidentatus
Long-tailed Woodcreeper
Deconychura longicauda
Greenish Elaenia
Myiopagis viridicata
Blue-footed Booby
Sula nebouxii
Ring-necked Duck
Aythya collaris
Anhinga
Anhinga anhinga
Osprey
Pandion haliaetus
Sora
Porzana carolina
Great Tinamou
Tinamus major
Solitary Eagle
Buteogallus solitarius
Baltimore Oriole
Icterus galbula
Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher
Terenotriccus erythrurus
Social Flycatcher
Myiozetetes similis
Chestnut-collared Swift
Streptoprocne rutila
Scrub Greenlet
Hylophilus flavipes
Tawny-crowned Greenlet
Tunchiornis ochraceiceps
Southern House Wren
Troglodytes musculus
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Black-bellied Wren
Pheugopedius fasciatoventris
Black-crowned Tityra
Tityra inquisitor
Laughing Falcon
Herpetotheres cachinnans
Masked Tityra
Tityra semifasciata
Yellow Tyrannulet
Capsiempis flaveola
Black Swift
Cypseloides niger
Pale-billed Woodpecker
Campephilus guatemalensis
White-tipped Dove
Leptotila verreauxi
Yellow-breasted Chat
Icteria virens
Ruddy Quail-Dove
Geotrygon montana
Lineated Woodpecker
Dryocopus lineatus
Blue-winged Teal
Spatula discors
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus
Gray-capped Flycatcher
Myiozetetes granadensis
Cabanis’s Wren
Cantorchilus modestus
Scarlet-thighed Dacnis
Dacnis venusta
Palm Tanager
Thraupis palmarum
Peruvian Booby
Sula variegata
Red-throated Caracara
Ibycter americanus
Crane Hawk
Geranospiza caerulescens
Striped Cuckoo
Tapera naevia
Orange-collared Manakin
Manacus aurantiacus
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
Dendrocygna autumnalis
Galapagos Shearwater
Puffinus subalaris
Gray-cowled Wood-Rail
Aramides cajaneus
Northern Plain Xenops
Xenops mexicanus
Red-breasted Meadowlark
Leistes militaris
Great Antshrike
Taraba major
Striped Owl
Asio clamator
Pied-billed Grebe
Podilymbus podiceps
Panama Flycatcher
Myiarchus panamensis
Common Nighthawk
Chordeiles minor
Mangrove Cuckoo
Coccyzus minor
Russet Antshrike
Thamnistes anabatinus
Band-rumped Storm-Petrel
Hydrobates castro
White-vented Euphonia
Euphonia minuta
American Barn Owl
Tyto furcata
Tropical Royal Flycatcher
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Thick-billed Seed-Finch
Sporophila funerea
Great Egret
Ardea alba
Melodious Blackbird
Dives dives
White-tailed Hawk
Geranoaetus albicaudatus
Gray-headed Dove
Leptotila plumbeiceps
Lesson’s Motmot
Momotus lessonii
Purple Gallinule
Porphyrio martinicus
Black-hooded Antshrike
Thamnophilus bridgesi
Collared Plover
Charadrius collaris
Bronzed Cowbird
Molothrus aeneus
Buff-rumped Warbler
Myiothlypis fulvicauda
Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle
Spizaetus melanoleucus
Yellow-crowned Euphonia
Euphonia luteicapilla
Streaked Saltator
Saltator striatipectus
Laughing Gull
Leucophaeus atricilla
Great Black Hawk
Buteogallus urubitinga
Ruddy Woodcreeper
Dendrocincla homochroa
Bay-headed Tanager
Tangara gyrola
White-crowned Parrot
Pionus senilis
Dusky-capped Flycatcher
Myiarchus tuberculifer
Rufous Mourner
Rhytipterna holerythra
Least Tern
Sternula antillarum
White-necked Jacobin
Florisuga mellivora
Cocoa Woodcreeper
Xiphorhynchus susurrans
Thick-billed Euphonia
Euphonia laniirostris
Tricolored Heron
Egretta tricolor
Violet-headed Hummingbird
Klais guimeti
Common Tody-Flycatcher
Todirostrum cinereum
Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopus
Shining Honeycreeper
Cyanerpes lucidus
Smooth-billed Ani
Crotophaga ani
Gray-headed Tanager
Eucometis penicillata
Buff-throated Saltator
Saltator maximus
Crested Owl
Lophostrix cristata
Paint-billed Crake
Neocrex erythrops
Leach's Storm-Petrel
Hydrobates leucorhous
Mottled Owl
Ciccaba virgata
Fiery-billed Aracari
Pteroglossus frantzii
Tiny Hawk
Accipiter superciliosus
Tawny-throated Leaftosser
Sclerurus mexicanus
Ringed Kingfisher
Megaceryle torquata
Slaty Spinetail
Synallaxis brachyura
Red-capped Manakin
Ceratopipra mentalis
White-winged Becard
Pachyramphus polychopterus
Fasciated Tiger-Heron
Tigrisoma fasciatum
Bright-rumped Attila
Attila spadiceus
Gray-headed Kite
Leptodon cayanensis
Brown Noddy
Anous stolidus
House Sparrow
Passer domesticus
Black Tern
Chlidonias niger
Stripe-throated Hermit
Phaethornis striigularis
Common Black Hawk
Buteogallus anthracinus
Gull-billed Tern
Gelochelidon nilotica
Blue Ground Dove
Claravis pretiosa
Little Tinamou
Crypturellus soui
Boat-billed Flycatcher
Megarynchus pitangua
Yellow-billed Cacique
Amblycercus holosericeus
Gray-crowned Yellowthroat
Geothlypis poliocephala
Black-striped Woodcreeper
Xiphorhynchus lachrymosus
Red-crowned Woodpecker
Melanerpes rubricapillus
Ruddy-breasted Seedeater
Sporophila minuta
Band-tailed Barbthroat
Threnetes ruckeri
Marbled Wood-Quail
Odontophorus gujanensis
Belted Kingfisher
Megaceryle alcyon
Black-bellied Plover
Pluvialis squatarola
Broad-winged Hawk
Buteo platypterus
Spotted Woodcreeper
Xiphorhynchus erythropygius
Common Potoo
Nyctibius griseus
Bronzy Hermit
Glaucis aeneus
Dusky Antbird
Cercomacroides tyrannina
Yellow-throated Euphonia
Euphonia hirundinacea
White-crested Coquette
Lophornis adorabilis
Killdeer
Charadrius vociferus
Spot-crowned Euphonia
Euphonia imitans
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Nycticorax nycticorax
Blue Dacnis
Dacnis cayana
Charming Hummingbird
Polyerata decora
White-tipped Sicklebill
Eutoxeres aquila
Agami Heron
Agamia agami
Scaly-breasted Hummingbird
Phaeochroa cuvierii
Rufous-tailed Jacamar
Galbula ruficauda
Black-faced Antthrush
Formicarius analis
Bicolored Antbird
Gymnopithys bicolor
Rusty-margined Flycatcher
Myiozetetes cayanensis
Crested Eagle
Morphnus guianensis
Baird's Trogon
Trogon bairdii
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Nyctanassa violacea
Purple-crowned Fairy
Heliothryx barroti
Least Grebe
Tachybaptus dominicus
Lesser Nighthawk
Chordeiles acutipennis
Brown-throated Parakeet
Eupsittula pertinax
Willet
Tringa semipalmata
Yellow-bellied Seedeater
Sporophila nigricollis
Green Heron
Butorides virescens
Turquoise Cotinga
Cotinga ridgwayi
Gray-headed Chachalaca
Ortalis cinereiceps
Gray-lined Hawk
Buteo nitidus
Ring-billed Gull
Larus delawarensis
Red-footed Booby
Sula sula
White-lined Tanager
Tachyphonus rufus
Merlin
Falco columbarius
Neotropic Cormorant
Nannopterum brasilianum
Gartered Violaceous Trogon
Trogon caligatus
Scaly-throated Foliage-gleaner
Anabacerthia variegaticeps
Mangrove Swallow
Tachycineta albilinea
Long-billed Hermit
Phaethornis longirostris
Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpres
Crested Caracara
Caracara plancus
Spot-fronted Swift
Cypseloides cherriei
Tropical Screech-Owl
Megascops choliba
Blue-throated Goldentail
Chlorestes eliciae
Royal Tern
Thalasseus maximus
Green Shrike-Vireo
Vireolanius pulchellus
Streak-headed Woodcreeper
Lepidocolaptes souleyetii
Squirrel Cuckoo
Piaya cayana
Little Blue Heron
Egretta caerulea
King Vulture
Sarcoramphus papa
Costa Rican Swift
Chaetura fumosa
Black-and-white Owl
Ciccaba nigrolineata
Bicolored Hawk
Accipiter bicolor
Sungrebe
Heliornis fulica
Bare-crowned Antbird
Gymnocichla nudiceps
Eye-ringed Flatbill
Rhynchocyclus brevirostris
Black-tailed Flycatcher
Myiobius atricaudus
Middle American Screech-Owl
Megascops guatemalae
Least Bittern
Ixobrychus exilis
White-necked Puffbird
Notharchus hyperrhynchus
Wood Stork
Mycteria americana
Blue-black Grassquit
Volatinia jacarina
Scarlet-rumped Cacique
Cacicus uropygialis
Golden-crowned Spadebill
Platyrinchus coronatus
Pheasant Cuckoo
Dromococcyx phasianellus
Wedge-tailed Shearwater
Ardenna pacifica
Pale-vented Pigeon
Patagioenas cayennensis
Short-billed Pigeon
Patagioenas nigrirostris
Western Cattle Egret
Ardea ibis
Striped Woodhaunter
Automolus subulatus
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
Golden-hooded Tanager
Stilpnia larvata
Limpkin
Aramus guarauna
Tropical Kingbird
Tyrannus melancholicus
Brown Booby
Sula leucogaster
Crested Guan
Penelope purpurascens
Short-tailed Hawk
Buteo brachyurus
White-throated Crake
Laterallus albigularis
Brown Jay
Psilorhinus morio
White-tailed Nightjar
Hydropsalis cayennensis
Green Kingfisher
Chloroceryle americana
Golden-naped Woodpecker
Melanerpes chrysauchen
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
White-ringed Flycatcher
Conopias albovittatus
Northern Jacana
Jacana spinosa
Pale-breasted Spinetail
Synallaxis albescens
Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
Olivaceous Piculet
Picumnus olivaceus
Yellow-crowned Tyrannulet
Tyrannulus elatus
Gray-breasted Martin
Progne chalybea
White-collared Swift
Streptoprocne zonaris
Spotted Sandpiper
Actitis macularius
Black Hawk-Eagle
Spizaetus tyrannus
American Oystercatcher
Haematopus palliatus
American Golden-Plover
Pluvialis dominica
Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet
Camptostoma obsoletum
Black Storm-Petrel
Hydrobates melania
Tawny-faced Gnatwren
Microbates cinereiventris
Streak-chested Antpitta
Hylopezus perspicillatus
Surfbird
Calidris virgata
Common Pauraque
Nyctidromus albicollis
Brown Pelican
Pelecanus occidentalis
Plain Antvireo
Dysithamnus mentalis
Barred Forest-Falcon
Micrastur ruficollis
Barred Hawk
Morphnarchus princeps
Blue-headed Parrot
Pionus menstruus
Slate-colored Seedeater
Sporophila schistacea
White-shouldered Tanager
Loriotus luctuosus
Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner
Automolus ochrolaemus
Wilson's Plover
Charadrius wilsonia
Bat Falcon
Falco rufigularis
What's Included
Private guide Water-Juice-Gallo pinto Burrito or traditional breakfast. The visit of two of the best points for birdwatching.
Not Included
Transportation, Tourists generally bring their own vehicles, but should transportation be required, an additional charge will be added to the total amount due.
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$88.00
includes all fees
Start times
- 05:30$88.00