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San José — City

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Central Valley

Towns & nearby places
San José

Highlights

explore san josé + nearby discoveriesSmall Discoveries in the Capital

San José offers families a different Costa Rican adventure: museum objects that raise questions, public plazas, historic buildings and markets filled with everyday life. Choose a small part of the capital and explore it with curiosity.

Explore with Pico & Tati
Turn a walk into a shared question, notice the world around you and discover how small choices help care for the places we visit.

National Museum of Costa Rica

At the Bellavista site, museum collections introduce different parts of Costa Rica’s history. Choose a theme your family is curious about and check current visitor arrangements. Look closely, ask questions and respect display barriers.

Jade Museum

The museum offers a setting for exploring archaeology and the meanings of objects from the past. Ask what a material or image might tell us about its makers. Confirm current exhibitions and visit arrangements before setting out.

Pre-Columbian Gold Museum

The Central Bank Museums offer a way to examine pre-Columbian gold objects and their cultural context. Choose a few pieces to discuss instead of rushing through everything. Follow the museum’s current access and photography rules.

National Theatre of Costa Rica

The National Theatre is a cultural and architectural landmark in the capital. Check whether a guided visit or performance fits your family’s interests. Looking at the building from the plaza and entering for a program are different experiences.

Children’s Museum

The Children’s Museum offers interactive learning in a historic building. Review current exhibits and visitor arrangements, then choose activities for your children’s ages and interests. Leave time to talk about a question raised by the experience.

Museum of Contemporary Art and Design

This museum forms part of the historic National Culture Center complex. Explore an exhibition with an open question about materials or ideas rather than searching for one correct interpretation. Confirm its current program and access first.

Plaza de la Democracia

The plaza beside the National Museum connects a public city space with nearby cultural landmarks. Notice the relationship between buildings and open space during a short, planned walk. Use secure pedestrian routes and follow any temporary access controls.

Plaza de la Cultura

A central public plaza provides a place to pause between cultural visits and observe the city’s rhythm. Keep your group together, choose a sensible pedestrian route and respect people’s privacy when taking photographs.

Barrio Amón Architecture

Historic buildings in and around Barrio Amón offer details to notice from public streets. Compare roofs, windows and materials without assuming that every interesting building is open to visitors. Plan a short route suited to your group.

National Culture Center — CENAC

The former National Liquor Factory now connects with cultural uses in the city. Ask which public areas or programs are available during your visit. Its changing purpose can inspire a conversation about preserving and reusing older buildings.

La Sabana’s Urban Green Space

La Sabana provides a different setting from the downtown museum area. Choose a permitted route and an activity suited to the weather and facilities. Notice trees and birds without disturbing wildlife or assuming every recreational area has the same rules.

City Nature in San José

Parks, trees and green public spaces help make nature visible within the capital. Choose one leaf shape or bird call to investigate together. Observe without collecting, feeding animals or entering planted areas.

SAN JOSÉ WEATHER

local life + insider tipsA Little Local Know-How

A focused city day works better than a long checklist. Pick one museum or neighborhood, plan a sensible walking route and leave room for a meal or a park pause. Check visitor arrangements directly with each institution before setting out.

This page focuses on the capital city. Rural and mountain destinations elsewhere in San José province are covered separately.

Start with your family’s interests: archaeology and history, art or interactive learning. Check the institution’s current exhibitions and facilities, then allow time to discuss what you notice.

A shorter visit to one or two collections is often more rewarding. Opening arrangements differ and travel between locations takes time.

No. Juan Santamaría International Airport is in the Alajuela area. Plan the transfer separately and allow for traffic rather than treating it as a downtown stop.

Confirm the meeting point, access, transport and facilities with the responsible host or authority. Choose the route and activity for your group’s abilities and the current conditions.

Keep a flexible plan and check the forecast for the specific place you will visit. Local conditions can affect roads, trails, outdoor events and water activities.

Use public or authorized routes, ask before photographing people and support local hosts. Leave plants and wildlife in place and take your rubbish with you.

Choose one thing to observe closely, share what you noticed and ask a new question. You do not need a long checklist to learn something together.

things to doLittle Adventures Around San José

Begin at Plaza de la Cultura

Start your downtown visit at Plaza de la Cultura, beside the National Theatre. Use this central gathering place to get your bearings before exploring nearby pedestrian streets. Pair your stop with a café visit or the Gold Museum below the plaza, keeping your first city outing relaxed and manageable.

Step Inside the National Theatre

Take a guided tour of the Teatro Nacional to discover its painted ceilings, sculptures and ornate interiors. Hear how this landmark became part of Costa Rica’s cultural life. Children can choose a favorite detail while adults enjoy the stories behind the building—a memorable experience without needing to attend a performance.

Taste San José at Mercado Central

Explore Mercado Central’s passages for a lively introduction to the capital’s food traditions. Choose a soda for a casado, browse ingredients and ask vendors about their specialties. Leave time for coffee or something sweet afterward. A few unhurried stops make this more enjoyable than trying to see every stall.

Discover Costa Rica’s Golden Past

Visit the Museo del Oro Precolombino to explore finely crafted gold objects and the stories of Costa Rica’s Indigenous peoples. Study the animal forms and craftsmanship, then discuss what these objects reveal about the communities that made them. This adds historical depth to the wildlife and landscapes your family encounters elsewhere.

Take a Green Break at La Sabana

Make room for outdoor time at Parque Metropolitano La Sabana. Enjoy a relaxed walk and a break beneath the trees between city activities. For an art-and-history pairing, visit the Museo de Arte Costarricense in the former airport terminal at the park’s eastern end.

Explore History at the National Museum

Visit the Museo Nacional in the former Bellavista barracks to explore Costa Rica’s archaeology and history. The building itself is part of the experience, connecting its military past with its present role as a museum. Choose a few exhibitions that interest your family, then spend time around the adjoining Plaza de la Democracia.

Walk Through Historic Barrio Amón

Explore Barrio Amón’s historic streets, where decorative façades and distinctive houses reveal another side of the capital. A guided walk can connect the architecture with the families and coffee-era prosperity that shaped the neighborhood. Combine a manageable daytime route with a café stop rather than treating it as a long walking expedition.

Learn Through Play at the Children’s Museum

Set aside a dedicated visit to the Museo de los Niños for interactive learning about science, culture and everyday life. Explore exhibits covering subjects such as the human body, space, energy and Costa Rican agriculture. Let your children’s interests guide the visit instead of trying to complete every room.

Explore Nature Field Guide cards from this province and the surrounding travel regions named below. Habitats and species vary by locality.

Nature Field Guide

Nature & Wildlife Around San José

Discover the birds, butterflies and tropical plants that bring nature into Costa Rica’s capital. Explore life in city parks and gardens, then meet more species from the surrounding Central Valley.

84 profiles

Nature Field Guide

Almendro de Rio

Spanish name
Almendro de río / Almendro de montaña
Scientific name
Andira inermis
Trees Rivers & Streams · Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Purple flower clusters stand out against a dense green crown.”

Tati: “Let’s notice the leaves, flowers and habitat without disturbing the plant.”

Identification

Key Features of the Almendro de Rio

  • Pinnate compound leaves

  • Clusters of lavender-purple flowers

  • Oval fruits and a dense leafy crown

Habitat & range

Dry and humid forests across both slopes, including Guanacaste, Nicoya, the Central Valley, Caribbean lowlands and Osa.

Conservation & care

Explore with an adult on permitted paths. Observe and photograph without picking leaves, flowers or fruits. Do not taste plants or let pets chew them. Avoid climbing trees and disturbing roots, seedlings or visiting wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect suitable habitat, mature trees and natural regeneration. Avoid trampling, unauthorized clearing and collection.

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Nature Field Guide

Anhinga

Spanish name
Aninga o pato aguja
Scientific name
Anhinga anhinga
Birds · Coastal Birds · Wetland Birds Freshwater · Rivers & Streams · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

A long neck rises above the water like a question mark. Pico waits while Tati looks for the rest of the bird.

Identification

Key Features of the Anhinga

  • Very long slender neck

  • Straight pointed bill

  • Long tail and pale wing markings

  • Often rests with wings spread

Habitat & range

Scan sheltered freshwater wetlands and wooded lagoon margins for swimming birds or a resting bird on a branch. Observe from a permitted viewpoint.

Conservation & care

Give feeding and resting birds space. If a bird stops feeding, repeatedly looks at you or moves away, increase your distance. Keep dogs away from flocks, avoid playback and feeding, and leave nests and natural shoreline debris undisturbed.

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Nature Field Guide

Baltimore Oriole

Spanish name
Bolsero norteño
Scientific name
Icterus galbula
Birds Farms & Cultivated Land · Forest Edge · Gardens · Open Woodland

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Did that bird travel here?”

Tati: “Baltimore orioles connect Costa Rica with places farther north.”

Identification

Key Features of the Baltimore Oriole

  • Male orange body and black head

  • White wingbar

  • Slender pointed bill

Habitat & range

A migrant and nonbreeding visitor, generally September to early May. Occurs on both slopes, especially the northern Pacific and Central Valley, in wooded gardens, edges and plantations.

Conservation & care

Observe quietly from trails or established viewing areas. Give nests, roosts and feeding birds space. Do not handle, chase or lure birds with playback. Keep pets away from wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Migrants depend on suitable habitat across their full annual journey. Protect native vegetation, reduce collision hazards around glass and keep cats away from birds. These are practical prevention priorities, not a claim of a measured decline at a specific Costa Rican site.

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Nature Field Guide

Barva Volcano

Spanish name
Volcán Barva
Scientific name
Volcanoes Volcanic Landscape

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Join Pico and Tati to discover Volcán Barva and learn how volcanoes help shape Costa Rica.

Identification

Key Features of the Barva Volcano

  • A crater lake surrounded by forest.

  • Mossy trees and damp vegetation.

  • Mist around rounded forested slopes.

Habitat & range

Heredia province, in the Barva sector of Braulio Carrillo National Park.

Conservation & care

Explore with an adult. Follow staff instructions, authorized trails, barriers and closures. Leave rocks, plants and wildlife in place and carry out litter. Stay on marked forest trails and out of the crater lake.

Plan Your Visit

Braulio Carrillo National Park — Barva sector entrance

Get Directions ↗

Getting There

Approach via Heredia, Barva, San José de la Montaña, Paso Llano and Sacramento. SINAC recommends a four-wheel-drive vehicle. From the entrance, walk the marked trails toward Laguna Barva.

Before You Go

Check the final road conditions and reservation requirements before leaving. This is a cool, wet mountain hike; bring suitable footwear and rain protection.
Visit information reviewed October 8, 2026. Confirm current access before travel.

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Nature Field Guide

Black Vulture

Spanish name
Zopilote negro
Scientific name
Coragyps atratus
Birds Farms & Cultivated Land · Open Woodland

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Which vulture is that one?”

Tati: “Look for the short tail and pale patches just at the wingtips.”

Identification

Key Features of the Black Vulture

  • Bare dark head

  • Short rounded tail

  • White patches at outer wingtips

Habitat & range

Widespread over towns and open landscapes from the coast into the mountains, becoming less frequent above about 2000 m. A regional tag does not identify a nesting site.

Conservation & care

Observe quietly from trails or established viewing areas. Give nests, roosts and feeding birds space. Do not handle, chase or lure birds with playback. Keep pets away from wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect native vegetation, reduce collision hazards around glass and keep cats away from birds. These are practical prevention priorities, not a claim of a measured decline at a specific Costa Rican site.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Blue-gray Tanager

Spanish name
Tangara azuleja
Scientific name
Thraupis episcopus
Birds Forest Edge · Gardens · Open Woodland

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “It looks like a piece of the sky!”

Tati: “Let’s see where the blue is pale and where it is brighter.”

Identification

Key Features of the Blue-gray Tanager

  • Powder blue-gray body

  • Brighter blue wings and shoulder

  • Dark eye and stout bill

Habitat & range

Widespread in gardens, towns and semi-open wooded areas, mainly below about 2000 m. In the dry northwest it is less frequent and associated with moister sites near homes.

Conservation & care

Observe quietly from trails or established viewing areas. Give nests, roosts and feeding birds space. Do not handle, chase or lure birds with playback. Keep pets away from wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect native vegetation, reduce collision hazards around glass and keep cats away from birds. These are practical prevention priorities, not a claim of a measured decline at a specific Costa Rican site.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Cacomistle

Spanish name
Ostoche
Scientific name
Bassariscus sumichrasti
Mammals Cloud Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

A cacomistle's long ringed tail is a memorable clue.

Identification

Key Features of the Cacomistle

  • Slender body, pointed face and relatively large ears.

  • Very long bushy tail with alternating pale and dark bands.

  • Usually associated with wooded habitat and climbing.

Habitat & range

Evergreen and mountain forests, with some use of seasonally dry forest.

Conservation & care

Explore with an adult or local guide. Observe quietly from a distance, stay on established trails and leave shelter undisturbed. Do not feed, touch, capture or corner wildlife. Keep pets away.

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Nature Field Guide

Carpenter Bees

Spanish name
Abejas carpinteras
Scientific name
Xylocopa spp. — genus card
Other Insects Forest Edge

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Let's look closely at the carpenter bees!”

Tati: “We can compare its shape and markings without touching it.”

Identification

Key Features of the Carpenter Bees

  • Robust body

  • often shiny abdomen

  • some nest in wood

Habitat & range

Suitable forest, garden or open habitats; distribution varies with habitat and species.

Conservation & care

Observe without collecting, handling or disturbing insects or nests. Stay on permitted paths. Leave caterpillars and their food plants in place.

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Nature Field Guide

Ceiba Kapok Tree

Spanish name
Ceiba / Puri
Scientific name
Ceiba pentandra
Trees Rivers & Streams · Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Huge buttress roots help make a mature ceiba unforgettable.”

Tati: “Let’s notice the leaves, flowers and habitat without disturbing the plant.”

Identification

Key Features of the Ceiba Kapok Tree

  • Large buttress roots on mature trees

  • Palmate leaves with several narrow leaflets

  • Seed capsules containing silky fibers

Habitat & range

Dry, humid and very wet lowland forests on both slopes, including Pacific, Caribbean and northern lowland landscapes.

Conservation & care

Explore with an adult on permitted paths. Observe and photograph without picking leaves, flowers or fruits. Do not taste plants or let pets chew them. Avoid climbing trees and disturbing roots, seedlings or visiting wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect suitable habitat, mature trees and natural regeneration. Avoid trampling, unauthorized clearing and collection.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Central American Coral Snake

Spanish name
Coral macho
Scientific name
Micrurus nigrocinctus
Reptiles Farms & Cultivated Land · Gardens · Open Woodland

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico and Tati invite you to learn about the central american coral snake. Create a ring-pattern drawing from a verified photograph. Write the rule: observe snakes from a distance and tell an adult.

Identification

Key Features of the Central American Coral Snake

  • Red, pale and black rings encircling the body.

  • Relatively small head with little separation from the neck.

  • A slender-to-moderately robust cylindrical body.

Habitat & range

Pacific-slope lowlands and premontane areas, including parts of the Central Valley.

Conservation & care

Never approach, touch, catch or try to move any snake, even if it appears harmless or dead. Keep children and pets away, step back calmly and tell an adult or guide. Do not use colors, head shape or this card to judge safety.

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Nature Field Guide

Cicadas

Spanish name
Chicharras
Scientific name
Cicadidae — family card
Other Insects Forest Edge

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Let's look closely at the cicadas!”

Tati: “We can compare its shape and markings without touching it.”

Identification

Key Features of the Cicadas

  • Large transparent wings

  • broad head

  • loud calls from some males

Habitat & range

Suitable forest, garden or open habitats; distribution varies with habitat and species.

Conservation & care

Observe without collecting, handling or disturbing insects or nests. Stay on permitted paths. Leave caterpillars and their food plants in place.

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Nature Field Guide

Clay-colored Thrush

Spanish name
Mirlo pardo / Yigüirro
Scientific name
Turdus grayi
Birds Farms & Cultivated Land · Forest Edge · Gardens · Open Woodland

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “That brown bird has a beautiful song!”

Tati: “That is the yigüirro. We can learn its voice as well as its colors.”

Identification

Key Features of the Clay-colored Thrush

  • Warm brown plumage

  • Yellowish bill

  • Fine throat streaks and orange-brown eye

Habitat & range

Widespread across Costa Rica from lowlands to about 2450 m, in gardens, farms, secondary growth and wooded urban areas. Less numerous in the dry northwest and higher mountains.

Conservation & care

Observe quietly from trails or established viewing areas. Give nests, roosts and feeding birds space. Do not handle, chase or lure birds with playback. Keep pets away from wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect native vegetation, reduce collision hazards around glass and keep cats away from birds. These are practical prevention priorities, not a claim of a measured decline at a specific Costa Rican site.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Coffee

Spanish name
Café
Scientific name
Coffea arabica
Agriculture & Crops Farms & Cultivated Land

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “The coffee bean starts inside a fruit!”

Tati: “Let's find the cherry before we think about the bean.”

Identification

Key Features of the Coffee

  • Glossy leaves arranged in pairs

  • Small fruits clustered along branches

  • Ripe cherries are often red, though some varieties ripen yellow

  • Small white flowers when flowering

Habitat & range

Cultivated farms in several Costa Rican coffee zones, including the Central and Western Valleys, Los Santos, Turrialba, Orosi, Tres Rios, Guanacaste and Brunca. ICAFE also documents production in San Carlos and Sarapiqui, mapped here to Northern Plains. Coffee requires suitable elevation and local growing conditions; a regional tag does not mean all climates within that region are suitable.

Conservation & care

Visit farms only with permission and follow the host's instructions. Stay clear of machinery, chemical applications and working areas. Do not pick or taste plants without a responsible adult and the host's approval.

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Nature Field Guide

Common House Gecko

Spanish name
Geco casero común
Scientific name
Hemidactylus frenatus
Reptiles Forest Edge · Gardens

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What helps this reptile fit into its habitat?”

Tati: “Let’s look at its shape, colors and surroundings while giving it plenty of space.”

Identification

Key Features of the Common House Gecko

  • Pale gray-to-beige coloration

  • Broad spreading toe pads

  • Often on walls near night lighting

Habitat & range

Buildings, gardens and disturbed habitats across much of Costa Rica, especially warm lowlands and settled areas. Documented at Tirimbina and San Luis de Monteverde.

Conservation & care

Observe with an adult from permitted paths. Do not touch, chase, catch or feed reptiles. Leave bark, logs, stones and leaf litter in place. Keep pets away and allow an open escape route.

Threats & pressures

Prevent accidental transport of introduced geckos and their eggs in belongings or plant materials. Protect native reptile habitats and avoid moving animals between places.

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Nature Field Guide

Common Squirrel-Cuckoo

Spanish name
Cuco ardilla
Scientific name
Piaya cayana
Birds Forest Edge · Gardens · Open Woodland · Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “That tail is longer than I expected!”

Tati: “Follow its movement through the branches without chasing it.”

Identification

Key Features of the Common Squirrel-Cuckoo

  • Rusty upperparts

  • Very long graduated white-tipped tail

  • Greenish-yellow bill

Habitat & range

Widespread in wooded habitats on both slopes, including forest canopy, secondary growth, plantations and tree-rich gardens. It can occur well above the lowlands where trees remain.

Conservation & care

Observe quietly from trails or established viewing areas. Give nests, roosts and feeding birds space. Do not handle, chase or lure birds with playback. Keep pets away from wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect native vegetation, reduce collision hazards around glass and keep cats away from birds. These are practical prevention priorities, not a claim of a measured decline at a specific Costa Rican site.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Copper Anole

Spanish name
Anolis cobrizo
Scientific name
Anolis cupreus
Reptiles Forest Edge · Gardens · Tropical Dry Forest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What can we learn from this reptile’s shape?”

Tati: “Let’s notice its markings and habitat while leaving it plenty of space.”

Identification

Key Features of the Copper Anole

  • Tan-to-coppery brown body

  • Variable spots, bars or darker markings

  • Long tail and low-perching posture

Habitat & range

Northwestern and western Pacific slope, including Guanacaste, Monteverde and Quepos, with populations in the Central Valley.

Conservation & care

Observe from permitted paths with an adult. Do not touch, chase, catch or feed reptiles. Leave bark, stones, logs and leaf litter in place. Keep pets away and give animals an open escape route.

Threats & pressures

Protect natural shelters and connected habitat. Avoid collection, unnecessary clearing and deliberate killing. Leave wildlife in its habitat and support responsible observation.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Cortez Amarillo

Spanish name
Cortés amarillo / Cortez amarillo
Scientific name
Handroanthus ochraceus
Trees Forest Edge · Tropical Dry Forest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Golden trumpet flowers can brighten the branches of an almost leafless tree.”

Tati: “Let’s notice the leaves, flowers and habitat without disturbing the plant.”

Identification

Key Features of the Cortez Amarillo

  • Yellow trumpet-shaped flowers

  • Palmately compound leaves

  • Flowering branches may be nearly leafless

Habitat & range

Seasonally dry Pacific forests and wooded edges, including Guanacaste, the Central Pacific and the Térraba valley.

Conservation & care

Explore with an adult on permitted paths. Observe and photograph without picking leaves, flowers or fruits. Do not taste plants or let pets chew them. Avoid climbing trees and disturbing roots, seedlings or visiting wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect suitable habitat, mature trees and natural regeneration. Avoid trampling, unauthorized clearing and collection.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Damselflies

Spanish name
Caballitos del diablo
Scientific name
Odonata: Zygoptera — group card
Other Insects Freshwater

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Let's look closely at the damselflies!”

Tati: “We can compare its shape and markings without touching it.”

Identification

Key Features of the Damselflies

  • Slender body

  • widely separated eyes

  • many fold wings above abdomen

Habitat & range

Vegetation near ponds, wetlands and streams; individual species use different waters.

Conservation & care

Observe without collecting, handling or disturbing insects or nests. Stay on permitted paths. Leave caterpillars and their food plants in place.

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Nature Field Guide

Decorated Anole

Spanish name
Anolis decorado / Lagartija gigante de bandas
Scientific name
Anolis insignis
Reptiles Cloud Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What helps this reptile fit into its habitat?”

Tati: “Let’s look at its shape, colors and surroundings while giving it plenty of space.”

Identification

Key Features of the Decorated Anole

  • Large anole with a broad head

  • Green body with pale markings

  • Long tail and tree-perching posture

Habitat & range

Humid foothill and montane forests, including the Guanacaste volcanic range and the central mountains. Documented at San Gerardo Biological Station in Área de Conservación Guanacaste.

Conservation & care

Observe with an adult from permitted paths. Do not touch, chase, catch or feed reptiles. Leave bark, logs, stones and leaf litter in place. Keep pets away and allow an open escape route.

Threats & pressures

Protect connected habitat and natural shelters. Avoid collection, unnecessary clearing and deliberate killing. Leave wildlife in place and support responsible observation.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Dragonflies

Spanish name
Libélulas
Scientific name
Odonata: Anisoptera — group card
Other Insects Freshwater

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Let's look closely at the dragonflies!”

Tati: “We can compare its shape and markings without touching it.”

Identification

Key Features of the Dragonflies

  • Large eyes

  • two pairs of wings

  • wings usually held open at rest

Habitat & range

Vegetation near ponds, wetlands and streams; individual species use different waters.

Conservation & care

Observe without collecting, handling or disturbing insects or nests. Stay on permitted paths. Leave caterpillars and their food plants in place.

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Nature Field Guide

Dung Beetles

Spanish name
Escarabajos estercoleros
Scientific name
Scarabaeinae — subfamily card
Other Insects Forest Edge

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Let's look closely at the dung beetles!”

Tati: “We can compare its shape and markings without touching it.”

Identification

Key Features of the Dung Beetles

  • Compact beetle body

  • digging legs

  • some species roll dung balls

Habitat & range

Suitable forest, garden or open habitats; distribution varies with habitat and species.

Conservation & care

Observe without collecting, handling or disturbing insects or nests. Stay on permitted paths. Leave caterpillars and their food plants in place.

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Nature Field Guide

Elephant Beetle

Spanish name
Escarabajo elefante
Scientific name
Megasoma elephas
Other Insects Forest Edge · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Let's look closely at the elephant beetle!”

Tati: “We can compare its shape and markings without touching it.”

Identification

Key Features of the Elephant Beetle

  • Large rounded beetle

  • fine golden body hairs

  • males have a forward horn

Habitat & range

Most often associated with lowland wooded habitats; larvae develop in decaying wood and damp plant material. A documented Tortuguero record supports Caribbean rainforest habitat. A Costa Rican specialist account places most records below 500 m, with some to 1,500 m. Existing broad region tags require further locality checks and should not be read as presence throughout the highlands.

Conservation & care

Observe without collecting, handling or disturbing insects or nests. Stay on permitted paths. Leave caterpillars and their food plants in place.

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Nature Field Guide

Firebush

Spanish name
Coralillo
Scientific name
Hamelia patens
Other Plants Tropical Moist Forest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico wants to sketch the plant’s shapes. Tati suggests looking for three clues before guessing its name. What would you notice first?

Identification

Key Features of the Firebush

  • Narrow orange-red tubular flowers

  • Simple leaves often arranged in whorls

  • Small rounded fruits that darken with age

Habitat & range

Clearings, roadsides, forest edges and gardens.

Conservation & care

Observe from paths and leave leaves, bark, flowers and fruits attached. Do not taste wild plants or offer them to pets. Ask a knowledgeable guide to confirm the species.

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Nature Field Guide

Fireflies

Spanish name
Luciérnagas
Scientific name
Lampyridae — family card
Other Insects Forest Edge

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Let's look closely at the fireflies!”

Tati: “We can compare its shape and markings without touching it.”

Identification

Key Features of the Fireflies

  • Soft beetle wing covers

  • some show glowing abdominal segments

  • light patterns vary

Habitat & range

Suitable forest, garden or open habitats; distribution varies with habitat and species.

Conservation & care

Observe without collecting, handling or disturbing insects or nests. Stay on permitted paths. Leave caterpillars and their food plants in place.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Golden Trumpet

Spanish name
Campana amarilla
Scientific name
Allamanda cathartica
Other Plants Gardens

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico wants to sketch the plant’s shapes. Tati suggests looking for three clues before guessing its name. What would you notice first?

Identification

Key Features of the Golden Trumpet

  • Large yellow funnel-shaped flowers

  • Glossy leaves in whorls

  • Climbing or sprawling woody stems

Habitat & range

Gardens and disturbed moist to seasonally dry sites.

Conservation & care

Observe from paths and leave leaves, bark, flowers and fruits attached. Do not taste wild plants or offer them to pets. Ask a knowledgeable guide to confirm the species. Avoid contact with milky sap.

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Nature Field Guide

Great Blue Heron

Spanish name
Garzón azulado
Scientific name
Ardea herodias
Birds · Coastal Birds · Herons & Egrets Estuary & Mangroves · Freshwater · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

A tall, patient hunter can make the whole shoreline feel still. Pico counts its slow steps while Tati watches its folded neck.

Identification

Key Features of the Great Blue Heron

  • Large blue-gray body

  • Long legs and a heavy yellowish bill

  • Pale head with a dark stripe above the eye

Habitat & range

Scan shallow water, quiet mangrove channels and vegetated wetland margins from an established viewpoint. Follow a local guide’s directions around estuaries.

Conservation & care

Give feeding and resting birds space. If a bird stops feeding, repeatedly looks at you or moves away, increase your distance. Keep dogs away from flocks, avoid playback and feeding, and leave nests and natural shoreline debris undisturbed.

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Nature Field Guide

Great Egret

Spanish name
Garceta grande
Scientific name
Ardea alba
Birds · Coastal Birds · Herons & Egrets Estuary & Mangroves · Freshwater · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico calls it a bright white shape in the green. Tati checks the bill and feet before giving it a name.

Identification

Key Features of the Great Egret

  • White plumage and long slender neck

  • Yellow bill

  • Black legs and dark feet

Habitat & range

Scan shallow water, quiet mangrove channels and vegetated wetland margins from an established viewpoint. Follow a local guide’s directions around estuaries.

Conservation & care

Give feeding and resting birds space. If a bird stops feeding, repeatedly looks at you or moves away, increase your distance. Keep dogs away from flocks, avoid playback and feeding, and leave nests and natural shoreline debris undisturbed.

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Nature Field Guide

Great Kiskadee

Spanish name
Bienteveo grande
Scientific name
Pitangus sulphuratus
Birds Estuary & Mangroves · Gardens · Open Woodland · Rivers & Streams · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “It sounds like it is calling its own name!”

Tati: “Let’s also check its bold eyebrow and strong bill.”

Identification

Key Features of the Great Kiskadee

  • Black-and-white head pattern

  • Bright yellow belly

  • Heavy bill and reddish-brown wings

Habitat & range

Open wooded country and settled areas, often near water, on both slopes, mainly below about 1500 m. Less frequent in some southern Pacific areas; not a high-mountain specialist.

Conservation & care

Observe quietly from trails or established viewing areas. Give nests, roosts and feeding birds space. Do not handle, chase or lure birds with playback. Keep pets away from wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect native vegetation, reduce collision hazards around glass and keep cats away from birds. These are practical prevention priorities, not a claim of a measured decline at a specific Costa Rican site.

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Nature Field Guide

Green Heron

Spanish name
Garcilla verde
Scientific name
Butorides virescens
Birds · Coastal Birds · Herons & Egrets Estuary & Mangroves · Rivers & Streams · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

A small hunched shape almost disappears among the roots. Pico and Tati learn that patient looking beats noisy searching.

Identification

Key Features of the Green Heron

  • Small hunched silhouette

  • Greenish back and chestnut neck

  • Straight pointed bill and yellowish legs

Habitat & range

Scan shallow water, quiet mangrove channels and vegetated wetland margins from an established viewpoint. Follow a local guide’s directions around estuaries.

Conservation & care

Give feeding and resting birds space. If a bird stops feeding, repeatedly looks at you or moves away, increase your distance. Keep dogs away from flocks, avoid playback and feeding, and leave nests and natural shoreline debris undisturbed.

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Nature Field Guide

Green Lacewings

Spanish name
Crisopas verdes
Scientific name
Chrysopidae — family card
Other Insects Forest Edge

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Let's look closely at the green lacewings!”

Tati: “We can compare its shape and markings without touching it.”

Identification

Key Features of the Green Lacewings

  • Delicate green body

  • finely veined wings

  • long antennae

Habitat & range

Suitable forest, garden or open habitats; distribution varies with habitat and species.

Conservation & care

Observe without collecting, handling or disturbing insects or nests. Stay on permitted paths. Leave caterpillars and their food plants in place.

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Nature Field Guide

Green Spiny Lizard

Spanish name
Lagartija espinosa verde
Scientific name
Sceloporus malachiticus
Reptiles Cloud Forest · Forest Edge · Open Woodland

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico and Tati invite you to learn about the green spiny lizard. Compare a photo of its rough scales with a smooth-looking anole. Describe texture without touching either animal.

Identification

Key Features of the Green Spiny Lizard

  • Pointed, strongly textured body scales.

  • A dark shoulder marking.

  • Adult males often show green coloration.

Habitat & range

Costa Rican uplands, including suitable forest edges and rocky or open perches.

Conservation & care

Watch wildlife with an adult from a safe path. Do not touch, feed, capture or move reptiles, and keep pets away. Leave eggs, shelters and vegetation undisturbed.

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Nature Field Guide

Groove-billed Ani

Spanish name
Garrapatero piquiestriado / Tijo
Scientific name
Crotophaga sulcirostris
Birds Farms & Cultivated Land · Gardens · Open Woodland

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Its beak has tiny lines!”

Tati: “Those grooves are helpful, but we need a clear view.”

Identification

Key Features of the Groove-billed Ani

  • All-black plumage

  • Long loosely held tail

  • Heavy upper bill with grooves

Habitat & range

Open and shrubby country, pasture margins and settled areas across Costa Rica, reaching middle elevations. It is less frequent in much of the southern Pacific, where Smooth-billed Ani predominates.

Conservation & care

Observe quietly from trails or established viewing areas. Give nests, roosts and feeding birds space. Do not handle, chase or lure birds with playback. Keep pets away from wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect native vegetation, reduce collision hazards around glass and keep cats away from birds. These are practical prevention priorities, not a claim of a measured decline at a specific Costa Rican site.

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Nature Field Guide

Guapinol

Spanish name
Guapinol
Scientific name
Hymenaea courbaril
Trees Rivers & Streams · Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Paired leaflets and hard brown pods identify a forest tree with an important wildlife role.”

Tati: “Let’s notice the leaves, flowers and habitat without disturbing the plant.”

Identification

Key Features of the Guapinol

  • Two leaflets in each compound leaf

  • Thick brown woody pods

  • Large spreading forest-tree form

Habitat & range

Pacific lowlands and western Central Valley; Guanacaste dry forest is one documented setting.

Conservation & care

Explore with an adult on permitted paths. Observe and photograph without picking leaves, flowers or fruits. Do not taste plants or let pets chew them. Avoid climbing trees and disturbing roots, seedlings or visiting wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect suitable habitat, mature trees and natural regeneration. Avoid trampling, unauthorized clearing and collection.

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Nature Field Guide

Guaria Morada Orchid

Spanish name
Guaria morada
Scientific name
Guarianthe skinneri
Other Plants Forest Edge · Gardens

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Costa Rica’s national flower carries pink-purple blossoms above fleshy leaves.”

Tati: “Let’s notice the leaves, flowers and habitat without disturbing the plant.”

Identification

Key Features of the Guaria Morada Orchid

  • Pink-purple orchid flowers with a shaped lip

  • Fleshy oblong leaves

  • Thickened stem bases and roots on a support

Habitat & range

Native Central American orchid, also cultivated in Costa Rican homes and gardens. The Greater Metropolitan Area supports both native flora records and a strong garden tradition.

Conservation & care

Do not collect wild orchids, remove roots or climb supporting trees. Observe with an adult from the ground. Any garden plant should come from a documented lawful nursery source.

Threats & pressures

Wild collection and habitat loss are conservation concerns. Leave forest plants in place and support protection of their habitat.

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Nature Field Guide

Hanging Lobster Claw

Spanish name
Platanillo colgante
Scientific name
Heliconia rostrata
Other Plants Gardens

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico wants to sketch the plant’s shapes. Tati suggests looking for three clues before guessing its name. What would you notice first?

Identification

Key Features of the Hanging Lobster Claw

  • Hanging zigzag inflorescence

  • Red bracts with yellow-green tips

  • Broad banana-like leaves

Habitat & range

Planted tropical gardens.

Conservation & care

Observe from paths and leave leaves, bark, flowers and fruits attached. Do not taste wild plants or offer them to pets. Ask a knowledgeable guide to confirm the species.

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Nature Field Guide

Hoffmann’s Earth Snake

Spanish name
Culebra de tierra de Hoffmann
Scientific name
Geophis hoffmanni
Reptiles Cloud Forest · Forest Edge · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What can we learn from this reptile’s shape?”

Tati: “Let’s notice its markings and habitat while leaving it plenty of space.”

Identification

Key Features of the Hoffmann’s Earth Snake

  • Small head and dark slender body

  • Usually plain dark upper surfaces

  • Paler underside; young may have a pale neck mark

Habitat & range

Humid lowland and foothill habitats and central mountain slopes, including the Monteverde area.

Conservation & care

Observe only from a distance with an adult or qualified guide. Never touch, catch, feed, corner or move any snake. Keep children and pets away. Colors, head shape and pupil shape must never be used to decide a snake is safe.

Threats & pressures

Protect natural shelters and connected habitat. Avoid collection, unnecessary clearing and deliberate killing. Leave wildlife in its habitat and support responsible observation.

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Nature Field Guide

Hoffmann’s Woodpecker

Spanish name
Carpintero de Hoffmann
Scientific name
Melanerpes hoffmannii
Birds Farms & Cultivated Land · Forest Edge · Gardens · Open Woodland · Tropical Dry Forest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Its back looks like a striped pattern!”

Tati: “Look at the crown too. Males and females differ there.”

Identification

Key Features of the Hoffmann’s Woodpecker

  • Black-and-white barred back

  • Yellow nape

  • Male has a red crown

Habitat & range

Strongest in the northern Pacific and Central Valley, extending south toward Tarcoles and locally into Rio Frio. Occurs along parts of the Reventazon corridor; avoid treating all Caribbean rainforest as typical habitat.

Conservation & care

Observe quietly from trails or established viewing areas. Give nests, roosts and feeding birds space. Do not handle, chase or lure birds with playback. Keep pets away from wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect native vegetation, reduce collision hazards around glass and keep cats away from birds. These are practical prevention priorities, not a claim of a measured decline at a specific Costa Rican site.

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Nature Field Guide

Ice Cream Bean

Spanish name
Guaba
Scientific name
Inga edulis
Trees Gardens

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico wants to sketch the tree’s silhouette. Tati suggests looking for three clues before guessing its name. What would you notice first?

Identification

Key Features of the Ice Cream Bean

  • Very long ribbed pods

  • Paired leaflets

  • Winged central leaf stalk

Habitat & range

Moist forest margins, farms and planted orchards.

Conservation & care

Observe from paths and leave leaves, bark, flowers and fruits attached. Do not taste wild plants or offer them to pets. Ask a knowledgeable guide to confirm the species.

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Nature Field Guide

Irazú Volcano

Spanish name
Volcán Irazú
Scientific name
Volcanoes Volcanic Landscape

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Join Pico and Tati to discover Volcán Irazú and learn how volcanoes help shape Costa Rica.

Identification

Key Features of the Irazú Volcano

  • Broad crater depressions.

  • Gray volcanic ground.

  • Low vegetation and mist at high elevation.

Habitat & range

Cartago province, in the Central Volcanic Mountain Range.

Conservation & care

Explore with an adult. Follow staff instructions, authorized trails, barriers and closures. Leave rocks, plants and wildlife in place and carry out litter. Bring suitable layers for the cold summit and remain behind crater barriers.

Plan Your Visit

Irazú Volcano National Park — Craters sector

Get Directions ↗

Getting There

From Cartago, follow the signed road toward Irazú and the Craters sector. Use the visitor parking and marked paths to the crater viewpoints.

Before You Go

Choose Sector Cráteres when reserving; Sector Prusia is a different forest visitor area. Check current admission arrangements with SINAC.
Visit information reviewed October 8, 2026. Confirm current access before travel.

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Nature Field Guide

Katydids

Spanish name
Esperanzas
Scientific name
Tettigoniidae — family card
Other Insects Forest Edge

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Let's look closely at the katydids!”

Tati: “We can compare its shape and markings without touching it.”

Identification

Key Features of the Katydids

  • Very long antennae

  • leaf-like wings in many species

  • strong jumping hindlegs

Habitat & range

Suitable forest, garden or open habitats; distribution varies with habitat and species.

Conservation & care

Observe without collecting, handling or disturbing insects or nests. Stay on permitted paths. Leave caterpillars and their food plants in place.

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Nature Field Guide

Keel-billed Toucan

Spanish name
Tucán pico arco iris / Pico canoa
Scientific name
Ramphastos sulfuratus
Birds Forest Edge · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Its bill has so many colors!”

Tati: “Let’s look at the throat and body too.”

Near Threatened

Identification

Key Features of the Keel-billed Toucan

  • Large bill with several bright colors.

  • Yellow throat and dark body.

  • Compare the entire silhouette with other toucans.

Habitat & range

Most frequent in wooded Caribbean lowlands. Also occurs in suitable northern Pacific woodland, Nicoya hills, foothills and parts of the Central Valley; generally less frequent there.

Conservation & care

Stay on authorized trails or viewing routes. Give birds space, keep voices low and leave nests undisturbed. Observe without bait, feeding or recorded calls.

Conservation assessment

Costa Rica’s government wildlife guide reports IUCN Near Threatened and a decreasing trend; the page does not supply the assessment year. Source checked 7 October 2026. This is a global species category, not a count of birds in the tagged towns.

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Nature Field Guide

Lady Beetles

Spanish name
Mariquitas
Scientific name
Coccinellidae — family card
Other Insects Forest Edge

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Let's look closely at the lady beetles!”

Tati: “We can compare its shape and markings without touching it.”

Identification

Key Features of the Lady Beetles

  • Rounded beetle body

  • hard wing covers

  • spot patterns vary

Habitat & range

Suitable forest, garden or open habitats; distribution varies with habitat and species.

Conservation & care

Observe without collecting, handling or disturbing insects or nests. Stay on permitted paths. Leave caterpillars and their food plants in place.

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Nature Field Guide

Lesson’s Motmot

Spanish name
Momoto coroniazul
Scientific name
Momotus lessonii
Birds Forest Edge · Gardens · Open Woodland · Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Its tail has tiny paddles!”

Tati: “They are feather tips. Let’s compare the crown with our other motmot.”

Identification

Key Features of the Lesson’s Motmot

  • Blue crown with dark center

  • Dark eye mask

  • Long central tail feathers with racket tips

Habitat & range

Pacific lowlands and middle elevations, the Central Valley and locally northern areas. In the dry northwest it is associated especially with gallery forest. Most Caribbean lowlands are outside its usual range.

Conservation & care

Observe quietly from trails or established viewing areas. Give nests, roosts and feeding birds space. Do not handle, chase or lure birds with playback. Keep pets away from wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect native vegetation, reduce collision hazards around glass and keep cats away from birds. These are practical prevention priorities, not a claim of a measured decline at a specific Costa Rican site.

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Nature Field Guide

Little Blue Heron

Spanish name
Garceta azul
Scientific name
Egretta caerulea
Birds · Coastal Birds · Herons & Egrets Estuary & Mangroves · Freshwater · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico expects every Little Blue Heron to be blue. Tati discovers that young birds tell a different color story.

Identification

Key Features of the Little Blue Heron

  • Adult slate-blue body and purplish neck

  • Two-toned bill with a dark tip

  • Juveniles are white, unlike the illustrated adult

Habitat & range

Scan shallow water, quiet mangrove channels and vegetated wetland margins from an established viewpoint. Follow a local guide’s directions around estuaries.

Conservation & care

Give feeding and resting birds space. If a bird stops feeding, repeatedly looks at you or moves away, increase your distance. Keep dogs away from flocks, avoid playback and feeding, and leave nests and natural shoreline debris undisturbed.

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Nature Field Guide

Long-tailed Manakin

Spanish name
Saltarín toledo
Scientific name
Chiroxiphia linearis
Birds Estuary & Mangroves · Forest Edge · Tropical Dry Forest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Two birds are moving together on the branches!”

Tati: “We can watch the rhythm without interrupting.”

Identification

Key Features of the Long-tailed Manakin

  • Adult male: black body, blue back and red crown.

  • Long central tail feathers in males.

  • Female: less conspicuous greenish plumage.

Habitat & range

Gallery forest, mature secondary woodland and mangrove edges in the northern Pacific, extending toward Carara, the Central Valley and suitable Dota slopes. Shaded woodland is essential.

Conservation & care

Stay on authorized trails or viewing routes. Give birds space, keep voices low and leave nests undisturbed. Observe without bait, feeding or recorded calls.

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Nature Field Guide

Long-tailed Weasel

Spanish name
Comadreja de cola larga
Scientific name
Neogale frenata
Mammals Farms & Cultivated Land · Open Woodland · Rivers & Streams · Woodland Edges

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

A long-tailed weasel has a narrow flexible body that helps it move through cover and investigate small spaces.

Identification

Key Features of the Long-tailed Weasel

  • Very slender body with short legs and a small head.

  • Brown upper coat and pale underside.

  • Long tail with a black tip.

Habitat & range

Wooded edges, scrub and other suitable partly open landscapes.

Conservation & care

Explore with an adult or local guide. Observe quietly from a distance, stay on established trails and leave shelter undisturbed. Do not feed, touch, capture or corner wildlife. Keep pets away.

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Nature Field Guide

Mantled Howler Monkey

Spanish name
Mono congo / Mono aullador
Scientific name
Alouatta palliata
Mammals Estuary & Mangroves · Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “We heard the monkeys before we could see them!”

Tati: “Let’s stay quiet and see what they’re doing in the branches.”

Identification

Key Features of the Mantled Howler Monkey

  • A mostly dark coat with a lighter mantle along the sides.

  • A long, grasping tail used while moving through trees.

  • Deep calls that may carry beyond the visible group.

Habitat & range

Tropical forest canopy and wooded corridors. Around the estuary, observe canopy habitat from a guided route rather than following animals into the forest.

Seasonal Calendar

Breeding

General species biology; local schedule unverified

Year-round

Mantled howlers breed throughout the year. Species-level biology, not a schedule of births in a particular troop.

Event source ↗

Conservation & care

Never offer food or try to touch a monkey. Avoid playback and shouting, and give groups space to move through the canopy.

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Nature Field Guide

Monstera

Spanish name
Costilla de Adán
Scientific name
Monstera deliciosa
Other Plants Gardens

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Large split leaves with natural holes make this cultivated climber easy to notice.”

Tati: “Let’s notice the leaves, flowers and habitat without disturbing the plant.”

Identification

Key Features of the Monstera

  • Large heart-shaped mature leaves

  • Natural holes and deep splits

  • Climbing stem with aerial roots

Habitat & range

Cultivated gardens and collections, including plants documented at the University of Costa Rica campus in San José.

Conservation & care

Observe without handling. Do not chew or taste leaves, stems or unripe fruit. Keep children and pets from mouthing plant parts. Ask the garden owner before approaching a planted specimen.

Threats & pressures

Protect suitable habitat, mature trees and natural regeneration. Avoid trampling, unauthorized clearing and collection.

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Nature Field Guide

Montezuma Oropendola

Spanish name
Oropéndola de Moctezuma
Scientific name
Psarocolius montezuma
Birds Forest Edge · Open Woodland · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Those nests hang like long baskets!”

Tati: “We can admire their shape from a distance and leave the colony quiet.”

Identification

Key Features of the Montezuma Oropendola

  • Black head and chestnut body

  • Yellow outer tail feathers

  • Large patterned bill and bare cheek area

Habitat & range

Most frequent in Caribbean lowlands, with distribution through the Reventazon basin and parts of the Central Valley. Local in the northwest, especially near mountain bases; not uniformly common across Guanacaste.

Conservation & care

Observe quietly from trails or established viewing areas. Give nests, roosts and feeding birds space. Do not handle, chase or lure birds with playback. Keep pets away from wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect native vegetation, reduce collision hazards around glass and keep cats away from birds. These are practical prevention priorities, not a claim of a measured decline at a specific Costa Rican site.

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Nature Field Guide

Mountain Immortelle

Spanish name
Poró gigante
Scientific name
Erythrina poeppigiana
Trees Gardens

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico wants to sketch the tree’s silhouette. Tati suggests looking for three clues before guessing its name. What would you notice first?

Identification

Key Features of the Mountain Immortelle

  • Orange flower clusters

  • Three leaflets per leaf

  • Large shade tree in farm landscapes

Habitat & range

Planted shade areas, farms and disturbed moist landscapes.

Conservation & care

Observe from paths and leave leaves, bark, flowers and fruits attached. Do not taste wild plants or offer them to pets. Ask a knowledgeable guide to confirm the species.

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Nature Field Guide

Neotropic Cormorant

Spanish name
Cormorán neotropical
Scientific name
Nannopterum brasilianum
Birds · Coastal Birds · Wetland Birds Estuary & Mangroves · Freshwater · Ocean

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico watches a dark swimmer vanish below the surface. Tati looks for its hooked bill when it returns.

Identification

Key Features of the Neotropic Cormorant

  • Dark body and long tail

  • Slender neck

  • Bill with a hooked tip

  • Often dives from the water surface

Habitat & range

Look across sheltered wetlands, lagoons and river margins from permitted trails or a responsible guided boat trip.

Conservation & care

Give feeding and resting birds space. If a bird stops feeding, repeatedly looks at you or moves away, increase your distance. Keep dogs away from flocks, avoid playback and feeding, and leave nests and natural shoreline debris undisturbed.

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Nature Field Guide

Neotropical Whipsnake

Spanish name
Sabanera / Corredora de sabana
Scientific name
Masticophis mentovarius
Reptiles Forest Edge · Open Woodland · Tropical Dry Forest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What can we learn from this reptile’s shape?”

Tati: “Let’s notice its markings and habitat while leaving it plenty of space.”

Identification

Key Features of the Neotropical Whipsnake

  • Long slender body

  • Very long whiplike tail

  • Pale chin below a brown-to-olive head

Habitat & range

Northwestern and western Pacific-slope dry and open wooded habitats, including Guanacaste, western lowlands and suitable Central Valley areas.

Conservation & care

Observe only from a distance with an adult or qualified guide. Never touch, catch, feed, corner or move any snake. Keep children and pets away. Colors, head shape and pupil shape must never be used to decide a snake is safe.

Threats & pressures

Protect natural shelters and connected habitat. Avoid collection, unnecessary clearing and deliberate killing. Leave wildlife in its habitat and support responsible observation.

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Nature Field Guide

Orange-fronted Parakeet

Spanish name
Perico frentinaranja / Catano
Scientific name
Eupsittula canicularis
Birds Forest Edge · Open Woodland · Tropical Dry Forest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “That little flock turns so quickly!”

Tati: “Let’s look for orange above the bill when one lands.”

Identification

Key Features of the Orange-fronted Parakeet

  • Orange forehead above the bill.

  • Pale yellow eye ring and green body.

  • Long pointed tail; agile flock flight.

Habitat & range

Northern Pacific lowlands, Tilaran and Nicoya hills. Occurs locally in the western Central Valley. Regional tags do not imply abundance in every town.

Seasonal Calendar

Year-round presence

Santa Rosa, ACG

Year-round

Source describes presence in nearly any season; La Cruz is the gateway, not the observation site.

Event source ↗

Fledgling family activity

Santa Rosa / lowland ACG

May, Jun

Source describes begging fledglings in May and June; not a fixed date for every nest.

Event source ↗

Conservation & care

Stay on authorized trails or viewing routes. Give birds space, keep voices low and leave nests undisturbed. Observe without bait, feeding or recorded calls.

Threats & pressures

ACG documents capture of nestlings for the pet trade outside the protected area. Habitat and safe nesting sites also matter.

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Nature Field Guide

Orchid Bees

Spanish name
Abejas de las orquídeas
Scientific name
Euglossini — group card
Other Insects Forest Edge

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Let's look closely at the orchid bees!”

Tati: “We can compare its shape and markings without touching it.”

Identification

Key Features of the Orchid Bees

  • Often metallic colors

  • two pairs of wings

  • males may visit scented flowers

Habitat & range

Suitable forest, garden or open habitats; distribution varies with habitat and species.

Conservation & care

Observe without collecting, handling or disturbing insects or nests. Stay on permitted paths. Leave caterpillars and their food plants in place.

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Nature Field Guide

Osprey

Spanish name
Águila pescadora
Scientific name
Pandion haliaetus
Birds · Coastal Birds · Coastal Raptors · Raptors Estuary & Mangroves · Freshwater · Ocean

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico sees a fish hunter high above the water. Tati follows its shape with binoculars while keeping both feet on the trail.

Identification

Key Features of the Osprey

  • White head with broad dark eye stripe

  • Brown back and pale underparts

  • Hooked bill and powerful feet

  • Long angled wings in flight

Habitat & range

Scan exposed branches and the sky above fish-bearing rivers, estuaries and coastal water. Watch from a safe shore viewpoint.

Conservation & care

Give feeding and resting birds space. If a bird stops feeding, repeatedly looks at you or moves away, increase your distance. Keep dogs away from flocks, avoid playback and feeding, and leave nests and natural shoreline debris undisturbed.

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Nature Field Guide

Parrot’s Beak Heliconia

Spanish name
Platanillo
Scientific name
Heliconia psittacorum
Other Plants Gardens

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico wants to sketch the plant’s shapes. Tati suggests looking for three clues before guessing its name. What would you notice first?

Identification

Key Features of the Parrot’s Beak Heliconia

  • Upright slender flower clusters

  • Pointed orange to red bracts

  • Narrow lance-shaped leaves

Habitat & range

Planted tropical gardens and garden borders.

Conservation & care

Observe from paths and leave leaves, bark, flowers and fruits attached. Do not taste wild plants or offer them to pets. Ask a knowledgeable guide to confirm the species.

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Nature Field Guide

Peach Palm / Pejibaye

Spanish name
Pejibaye
Scientific name
Bactris gasipaes
Agriculture & Crops Farms & Cultivated Land

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “These palm fruits are orange!”

Tati: “Let's learn why pejibaye is served cooked.”

Identification

Key Features of the Peach Palm / Pejibaye

  • Palm with featherlike fronds

  • Dense clusters of small colored fruits

  • Many forms have spines on the trunk

  • Cooked fruit has a firm, starchy interior

Habitat & range

Warm Caribbean-side settings and cultivated farms around Tucurrique, Cartago. The site's Central Valley tag represents the Cartago cultivation example, not a claim that all valley climates suit this palm.

Conservation & care

Avoid trunk spines, climbing and hanging fruit clusters. Taste only properly prepared fruit offered by a responsible adult or host.

Visit farms only with permission and follow the host's instructions. Stay clear of machinery, chemical applications and working areas. Do not pick or taste plants without a responsible adult and the host's approval.

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Nature Field Guide

Poás Volcano

Spanish name
Volcán Poás
Scientific name
Volcanoes Volcanic Landscape

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Join Pico and Tati to discover Volcán Poás and learn how volcanoes help shape Costa Rica.

Identification

Key Features of the Poás Volcano

  • A very wide main crater.

  • Exposed volcanic rock and crater walls.

  • Cloud forest around the volcanic landscape.

Habitat & range

Alajuela province, in the Central Volcanic Mountain Range.

Conservation & care

Explore with an adult. Follow staff instructions, authorized trails, barriers and closures. Leave rocks, plants and wildlife in place and carry out litter. Follow park instructions about volcanic gases, protective equipment and time at viewing areas.

Plan Your Visit

Poás Volcano National Park — visitor entrance

Get Directions ↗

Getting There

Travel through Poasito and follow signs to the national-park visitor entrance. Continue to the viewpoint only along the authorized visitor route.

Before You Go

Book through the SINAC reservation system. Volcanic activity can change access; confirm current opening and follow ranger instructions.
Visit information reviewed October 8, 2026. Confirm current access before travel.

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Nature Field Guide

Praying Mantises

Spanish name
Mantis
Scientific name
Mantodea — order card
Other Insects Forest Edge

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Let's look closely at the praying mantises!”

Tati: “We can compare its shape and markings without touching it.”

Identification

Key Features of the Praying Mantises

  • Triangular head

  • grasping front legs

  • alert upright posture

Habitat & range

Suitable forest, garden or open habitats; distribution varies with habitat and species.

Conservation & care

Observe without collecting, handling or disturbing insects or nests. Stay on permitted paths. Leave caterpillars and their food plants in place.

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Nature Field Guide

Puma

Spanish name
Puma / León de montaña
Scientific name
Puma concolor
Mammals Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest · Woodland Edges

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “This cat has no rosettes!”

Tati: “Its shape helps us tell it apart from a jaguar.”

Identification

Key Features of the Puma

  • Uniform tawny adult coat, without jaguar rosettes.

  • Long tail with a darker tip.

  • Relatively small head and long legs.

Habitat & range

Reserva Sierra Zapote, Las Juntas district, Abangares, and suitable forests elsewhere in Costa Rica.

Conservation & care

Keep a respectful distance and leave an open route for the animal. Stay on authorized paths, secure food and rubbish, and observe without feeding, touching, baiting or chasing.

Threats & pressures

Forest fragmentation and loss of prey are habitat-level pressures relevant to wide-ranging predators.

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Nature Field Guide

Red Ginger

Spanish name
Jengibre rojo
Scientific name
Alpinia purpurata
Other Plants Gardens

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico wants to sketch the plant’s shapes. Tati suggests looking for three clues before guessing its name. What would you notice first?

Identification

Key Features of the Red Ginger

  • Upright red or pink bract spike

  • Small pale true flowers

  • Long simple leaves on leafy stems

Habitat & range

Moist planted gardens.

Conservation & care

Observe from paths and leave leaves, bark, flowers and fruits attached. Do not taste wild plants or offer them to pets. Ask a knowledgeable guide to confirm the species.

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Nature Field Guide

Red-legged Honeycreeper

Spanish name
Mielero patirrojo
Scientific name
Cyanerpes cyaneus
Birds Farms & Cultivated Land · Forest Edge · Gardens · Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Why are its feet so red?”

Tati: “Those red legs help us identify it, even when the body colors differ.”

Identification

Key Features of the Red-legged Honeycreeper

  • Bright red legs

  • Slender decurved bill

  • Breeding male blue with turquoise crown

Habitat & range

Wooded lowlands, forest edges, gardens and plantations. Common in northern Pacific areas and parts of Rio Frio; elsewhere on the Caribbean slope it is more local. Also occurs in the southern Pacific.

Conservation & care

Observe quietly from trails or established viewing areas. Give nests, roosts and feeding birds space. Do not handle, chase or lure birds with playback. Keep pets away from wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect native vegetation, reduce collision hazards around glass and keep cats away from birds. These are practical prevention priorities, not a claim of a measured decline at a specific Costa Rican site.

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Nature Field Guide

Redback Coffee Snake

Spanish name
Dormilona común / Culebra de cafetal
Scientific name
Ninia sebae
Reptiles Farms & Cultivated Land · Forest Edge · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What clues help us recognize this reptile?”

Tati: “Let’s notice its shape, markings and habitat from a respectful distance.”

Identification

Key Features of the Redback Coffee Snake

  • Red or brick-colored upper body

  • Dark head

  • Pale neck collar and small eyes

Habitat & range

Lowland and foothill ground cover in suitable wooded and disturbed habitats on both slopes.

Conservation & care

Observe only from a distance with an adult or qualified guide. Do not touch, catch, corner or attempt to move any snake. Step back and tell your adult; keep children and pets away. Do not use colors, head shape or pupil shape to decide a snake is safe.

Threats & pressures

Protect habitat connections and natural shelters. Avoid road mortality, collection and deliberate killing. Leave reptiles in their habitat rather than keeping or relocating them.

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Nature Field Guide

Rhombic Cat-eyed Snake

Spanish name
Culebra ojo de gato / Escombrera
Scientific name
Leptodeira rhombifera
Reptiles Forest Edge · Tropical Dry Forest · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What clues help us recognize this reptile?”

Tati: “Let’s notice its shape, markings and habitat from a respectful distance.”

Identification

Key Features of the Rhombic Cat-eyed Snake

  • Large eyes

  • Dark rhombic or saddle-shaped back blotches

  • Slender body and long tail

Habitat & range

Lowland and foothill habitats, with published Costa Rican observations in Guanacaste and the Pacific landscape.

Conservation & care

Observe only from a distance with an adult or qualified guide. Do not touch, catch, corner or attempt to move any snake. Step back and tell your adult; keep children and pets away. Do not use colors, head shape or pupil shape to decide a snake is safe.

Threats & pressures

Protect habitat connections and natural shelters. Avoid road mortality, collection and deliberate killing. Leave reptiles in their habitat rather than keeping or relocating them.

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Nature Field Guide

Ringed Snail-eating Snake

Spanish name
Caracolera anillada
Scientific name
Sibon annulatus
Reptiles Cloud Forest · Forest Edge · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What clues help us recognize this reptile?”

Tati: “Let’s notice its shape, markings and habitat from a respectful distance.”

Identification

Key Features of the Ringed Snail-eating Snake

  • Slender body with contrasting rings

  • Large eyes

  • Branch-climbing posture

Habitat & range

Humid Caribbean-slope forest and foothills, with records around Cartago and northern mountain forests.

Conservation & care

Observe only from a distance with an adult or qualified guide. Do not touch, catch, corner or attempt to move any snake. Step back and tell your adult; keep children and pets away. Do not use colors, head shape or pupil shape to decide a snake is safe.

Threats & pressures

Protect habitat connections and natural shelters. Avoid road mortality, collection and deliberate killing. Leave reptiles in their habitat rather than keeping or relocating them.

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Nature Field Guide

Roadside Hawk

Spanish name
Gavilán chapulinero
Scientific name
Rupornis magnirostris
Birds Farms & Cultivated Land · Forest Edge · Open Woodland

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “I can see stripes across its belly!”

Tati: “Those bars and its yellow eye help us check the identification.”

Identification

Key Features of the Roadside Hawk

  • Yellow eye

  • Rufous-and-white barred belly

  • Broad dark tail bands

Habitat & range

Lowland woodland edges, second growth and open country with trees on both slopes. More frequent in northern Pacific lowlands; local in the Central Valley and other areas.

Conservation & care

Observe quietly from trails or established viewing areas. Give nests, roosts and feeding birds space. Do not handle, chase or lure birds with playback. Keep pets away from wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect native vegetation, reduce collision hazards around glass and keep cats away from birds. These are practical prevention priorities, not a claim of a measured decline at a specific Costa Rican site.

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Nature Field Guide

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

Spanish name
Colibrí rabirrufo
Scientific name
Amazilia tzacatl
Birds Farms & Cultivated Land · Forest Edge · Gardens · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “That hummingbird has a rusty tail!”

Tati: “Let’s check its bill and belly too.”

Identification

Key Features of the Rufous-tailed Hummingbird

  • Rusty rufous tail

  • Green head and chest

  • Reddish bill with dark tip

Habitat & range

Widespread on both slopes from sea level locally to about 1850 m. Flowering gardens, secondary growth and river corridors are useful habitat; occurrence is more local in the dry northwest.

Conservation & care

Observe quietly from trails or established viewing areas. Give nests, roosts and feeding birds space. Do not handle, chase or lure birds with playback. Keep pets away from wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect native vegetation, reduce collision hazards around glass and keep cats away from birds. These are practical prevention priorities, not a claim of a measured decline at a specific Costa Rican site.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Semipalmated Plover

Spanish name
Chorlitejo semipalmado
Scientific name
Charadrius semipalmatus
Birds · Coastal Birds · Shorebirds Beach · Estuary & Mangroves · Sand & Mud Flats

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico follows a run, then a stop. Tati notices one breast band on a small round shorebird.

Identification

Key Features of the Semipalmated Plover

  • Small compact brown-and-white body

  • One dark breast band

  • Short bill and orange legs

  • Run-and-pause feeding

Habitat & range

Scan exposed shoreline feeding areas and nearby resting places with binoculars. The tide changes which flats are available; remain on a safe established route.

Conservation & care

Give feeding and resting birds space. If a bird stops feeding, repeatedly looks at you or moves away, increase your distance. Keep dogs away from flocks, avoid playback and feeding, and leave nests and natural shoreline debris undisturbed.

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Nature Field Guide

Side-striped Palm Pitviper

Spanish name
Lora venenosa
Scientific name
Bothriechis lateralis
Reptiles Cloud Forest · Farms & Cultivated Land · Forest Edge

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What helps this reptile fit into its habitat?”

Tati: “Let’s look at its shape, colors and surroundings while giving it plenty of space.”

Identification

Key Features of the Side-striped Palm Pitviper

  • Thin pale line along each side

  • Adults often green; juveniles may be brown

  • Climbing body with a gripping tail

Habitat & range

Mountain forests and wooded agricultural landscapes of Costa Rica, including Monteverde and the central and Talamanca ranges.

Conservation & care

VENOMOUS. Observe only from a distance with a qualified guide. Keep children and pets well away. Never approach, touch, catch or provoke this snake, and do not reach into nearby vegetation.

Threats & pressures

Protect connected habitat and natural shelters. Avoid collection, unnecessary clearing and deliberate killing. Leave wildlife in place and support responsible observation.

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Nature Field Guide

Spotted Sandpiper

Spanish name
Andarríos maculado
Scientific name
Actitis macularius
Birds · Coastal Birds · Shorebirds Beach · Estuary & Mangroves · Rivers & Streams

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico looks for spots but finds a plain white belly. Tati learns that the name does not describe every season.

Identification

Key Features of the Spotted Sandpiper

  • Brown back and white underparts

  • Frequent tail bobbing

  • Short straight bill

  • Belly spots may be absent outside breeding

Habitat & range

Scan exposed shoreline feeding areas and nearby resting places with binoculars. The tide changes which flats are available; remain on a safe established route.

Conservation & care

Give feeding and resting birds space. If a bird stops feeding, repeatedly looks at you or moves away, increase your distance. Keep dogs away from flocks, avoid playback and feeding, and leave nests and natural shoreline debris undisturbed.

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Nature Field Guide

Stingless Bees

Spanish name
Abejas sin aguijón
Scientific name
Meliponini — group card
Other Insects Forest Edge

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Let's look closely at the stingless bees!”

Tati: “We can compare its shape and markings without touching it.”

Identification

Key Features of the Stingless Bees

  • Usually small bees

  • busy nest entrances

  • shape varies among species

Habitat & range

Suitable forest, garden or open habitats; distribution varies with habitat and species.

Conservation & care

Observe without collecting, handling or disturbing insects or nests. Stay on permitted paths. Leave caterpillars and their food plants in place.

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Nature Field Guide

Sugar Cane

Spanish name
Caña de azúcar
Scientific name
Saccharum spp. (cultivated hybrids)
Agriculture & Crops Farms & Cultivated Land

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “This tall grass gives us something sweet!”

Tati: “The juice comes from the stalk, and a host can show us how it is processed.”

Identification

Key Features of the Sugar Cane

  • Tall stalks with distinct joints

  • Long narrow grass leaves

  • Many stems growing in a clump

  • Cut stalks show a fibrous interior

Habitat & range

Cultivated cane fields, including Guanacaste, the Northern Zone, Puntarenas, the Central Valley and southern Costa Rica. Traditional trapiches require permission or a hosted visit.

Conservation & care

Stay away from cutting tools, rollers, moving machinery and hot syrup. Let the host handle any cane samples.

Visit farms only with permission and follow the host's instructions. Stay clear of machinery, chemical applications and working areas. Do not pick or taste plants without a responsible adult and the host's approval.

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Nature Field Guide

Summer Tanager

Spanish name
Tangara veranera
Scientific name
Piranga rubra
Birds Forest Edge · Gardens · Open Woodland · Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Even its wings are red!”

Tati: “That helps us compare it with the scarlet tanager.”

Identification

Key Features of the Summer Tanager

  • Adult male entirely red

  • Hefty pale bill

  • Female yellowish and young males patchy

Habitat & range

A migrant and nonbreeding visitor, generally mid-September through April. Uses forest, edges and wooded gardens on both slopes, with fewer birds at higher elevations.

Conservation & care

Observe quietly from trails or established viewing areas. Give nests, roosts and feeding birds space. Do not handle, chase or lure birds with playback. Keep pets away from wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Migrants depend on suitable habitat across their full annual journey. Protect native vegetation, reduce collision hazards around glass and keep cats away from birds. These are practical prevention priorities, not a claim of a measured decline at a specific Costa Rican site.

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Nature Field Guide

Tricolored Heron

Spanish name
Garceta tricolor
Scientific name
Egretta tricolor
Birds · Coastal Birds · Herons & Egrets Estuary & Mangroves · Sand & Mud Flats · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico follows a quick turn in the shallows. Tati notices the white belly beneath the darker neck.

Identification

Key Features of the Tricolored Heron

  • Dark blue-gray upperparts

  • White belly and pale front-neck stripe

  • Long slim bill and lively feeding movements

Habitat & range

Scan shallow water, quiet mangrove channels and vegetated wetland margins from an established viewpoint. Follow a local guide’s directions around estuaries.

Conservation & care

Give feeding and resting birds space. If a bird stops feeding, repeatedly looks at you or moves away, increase your distance. Keep dogs away from flocks, avoid playback and feeding, and leave nests and natural shoreline debris undisturbed.

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Nature Field Guide

Tropical Kingbird

Spanish name
Tirano tropical
Scientific name
Tyrannus melancholicus
Birds Farms & Cultivated Land · Forest Edge · Gardens · Open Woodland

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “That bird keeps returning to the same branch!”

Tati: “A perch gives a flycatcher a place to watch for food.”

Identification

Key Features of the Tropical Kingbird

  • Gray head without bold white eyebrow

  • Yellow underparts

  • Long dark bill and brown tail

Habitat & range

Widespread in open country, farms, towns and forest clearings, mainly below about 1850 m and less commonly higher. Regional tags apply only where suitable open habitat exists.

Conservation & care

Observe quietly from trails or established viewing areas. Give nests, roosts and feeding birds space. Do not handle, chase or lure birds with playback. Keep pets away from wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect native vegetation, reduce collision hazards around glass and keep cats away from birds. These are practical prevention priorities, not a claim of a measured decline at a specific Costa Rican site.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Turkey Vulture

Spanish name
Zopilote cabecirrojo
Scientific name
Cathartes aura
Birds Open Woodland · Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Its wings look like a gentle V!”

Tati: “That posture and the pale flight feathers give us clues.”

Identification

Key Features of the Turkey Vulture

  • Red head in adults

  • Pale flight feathers beneath dark wings

  • Longer tail and shallow V in flight

Habitat & range

Widespread over open and wooded landscapes, less numerous at high elevations. Resident birds are joined by migrants, with especially conspicuous passage along Caribbean lowlands.

Conservation & care

Observe quietly from trails or established viewing areas. Give nests, roosts and feeding birds space. Do not handle, chase or lure birds with playback. Keep pets away from wildlife.

Threats & pressures

Protect native vegetation, reduce collision hazards around glass and keep cats away from birds. These are practical prevention priorities, not a claim of a measured decline at a specific Costa Rican site.

View full profile →

Nature Field Guide

Turrialba Volcano

Spanish name
Volcán Turrialba
Scientific name
Volcanoes Volcanic Landscape

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Join Pico and Tati to discover Volcán Turrialba and learn how volcanoes help shape Costa Rica.

Identification

Key Features of the Turrialba Volcano

  • An elongated summit profile.

  • Several summit craters.

  • Exposed volcanic surfaces above vegetated slopes.

Habitat & range

Turrialba canton, Cartago province.

Conservation & care

Explore with an adult. Follow staff instructions, authorized trails, barriers and closures. Leave rocks, plants and wildlife in place and carry out litter. Use only authorized visitor routes and follow all guide, gas-monitoring and protective-equipment instructions.

Plan Your Visit

Turrialba Volcano — Finca Monte Calas / El Tapojo access

Get Directions ↗

Getting There

The official approach uses the El Tapojo sector on cantonal route 020 through Finca Monte Calas. Confirm the meeting point and road conditions with the authorized guide before driving.

Before You Go

Reservations are arranged through the park. An accredited, trained guide and protective equipment are required. This is a demanding hike; confirm suitability for children and current volcanic restrictions.
Visit information reviewed October 8, 2026. Confirm current access before travel.

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Nature Field Guide

Virginia Opossum

Spanish name
Zorro pelón de Virginia
Scientific name
Didelphis virginiana
Mammals Farms & Cultivated Land · Open Woodland · Tropical Dry Forest · Woodland Edges

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Despite its name, the Virginia opossum's native range reaches Costa Rica.

Identification

Key Features of the Virginia Opossum

  • Gray coat, pale face and pink nose.

  • Largely hairless ears, sometimes with pale tips.

  • Long bare tail; ear color alone is not a reliable species test.

Habitat & range

Suitable wooded and edge habitats within Costa Rica; local occurrence varies.

Conservation & care

Explore with an adult or local guide. Observe quietly from a distance, stay on established trails and leave shelter undisturbed. Do not feed, touch, capture or corner wildlife. Keep pets away.

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Nature Field Guide

Walking Sticks

Spanish name
Insectos palo
Scientific name
Phasmatodea — order card
Other Insects Forest Edge

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “Let's look closely at the walking sticks!”

Tati: “We can compare its shape and markings without touching it.”

Identification

Key Features of the Walking Sticks

  • Twig-like body

  • six long legs

  • camouflage among branches

Habitat & range

Suitable forest, garden or open habitats; distribution varies with habitat and species.

Conservation & care

Observe without collecting, handling or disturbing insects or nests. Stay on permitted paths. Leave caterpillars and their food plants in place.

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Nature Field Guide

Western Sandpiper

Spanish name
Correlimos occidental
Scientific name
Calidris mauri
Birds · Coastal Birds · Shorebirds Beach · Estuary & Mangroves · Sand & Mud Flats

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

A tiny gray bird makes Pico slow down. Tati learns that some identifications deserve a question mark.

Identification

Key Features of the Western Sandpiper

  • Very small gray-and-white nonbreeding bird

  • Fine dark bill often slightly downcurved

  • Dark legs

  • Compare carefully with other small sandpipers

Habitat & range

Scan exposed shoreline feeding areas and nearby resting places with binoculars. The tide changes which flats are available; remain on a safe established route.

Conservation & care

Give feeding and resting birds space. If a bird stops feeding, repeatedly looks at you or moves away, increase your distance. Keep dogs away from flocks, avoid playback and feeding, and leave nests and natural shoreline debris undisturbed.

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Nature Field Guide

White Anole

Spanish name
Anolis de vientre liso
Scientific name
Anolis laeviventris
Reptiles Cloud Forest · Forest Edge

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What can we learn from this reptile’s shape?”

Tati: “Let’s notice its markings and habitat while leaving it plenty of space.”

Identification

Key Features of the White Anole

  • Small gray-to-brown anole

  • Mottled twig-colored camouflage

  • Fine tapering tail

Habitat & range

Upland forest and edges in Costa Rica, including San Luis de Monteverde and central mountain areas.

Conservation & care

Observe from permitted paths with an adult. Do not touch, chase, catch or feed reptiles. Leave bark, stones, logs and leaf litter in place. Keep pets away and give animals an open escape route.

Threats & pressures

Protect natural shelters and connected habitat. Avoid collection, unnecessary clearing and deliberate killing. Leave wildlife in its habitat and support responsible observation.

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Nature Field Guide

White-faced Capuchin

Spanish name
Mono carablanca
Scientific name
Cebus imitator
Mammals Tropical Dry Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “That troop is searching so many branches!”

Tati: “Our snacks are for us, not for the monkeys.”

Protected Vulnerable

Identification

Key Features of the White-faced Capuchin

  • Pale face, chest and shoulders on a dark body.

  • Pinkish bare facial skin.

  • Long grasping tail, often curled at the tip.

Habitat & range

Manuel Antonio National Park near Quepos, in forest habitat rather than food stalls or rubbish areas.

Conservation & care

Keep a respectful distance and leave an open route for the animal. Stay on authorized paths, secure food and rubbish, and observe without feeding, touching, baiting or chasing.

Threats & pressures

Loss of forest affects habitat. Feeding wild troops can encourage dependence on visitor food and conflict around belongings.

Protection & recovery

Costa Rica’s government wildlife guide explicitly identifies this species as protected nationally. This legal designation is separate from its global IUCN category.

Conservation assessment

Global IUCN category as reported by the linked source, checked 7 October 2026. The source does not give an assessment year here. National legal protection and local abundance are separate questions.

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Nature Field Guide

Wood Stork

Spanish name
Cigüeñón
Scientific name
Mycteria americana
Birds · Coastal Birds · Wetland Birds Estuary & Mangroves · Freshwater · Wetlands

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico spots a tall white bird with a very different head. Tati checks its heavy bill before comparing it with the egrets.

Identification

Key Features of the Wood Stork

  • White body with black flight feathers

  • Bare dark adult head

  • Heavy slightly curved bill

  • Long legs

Habitat & range

Look across sheltered wetlands, lagoons and river margins from permitted trails or a responsible guided boat trip.

Conservation & care

Give feeding and resting birds space. If a bird stops feeding, repeatedly looks at you or moves away, increase your distance. Keep dogs away from flocks, avoid playback and feeding, and leave nests and natural shoreline debris undisturbed.

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Nature Field Guide

Wood’s Anole

Spanish name
Anolis de Wood
Scientific name
Anolis woodi
Reptiles Cloud Forest · Tropical Rainforest

What Do Pico & Tati Think?

Pico: “What helps this reptile fit into its habitat?”

Tati: “Let’s look at its shape, colors and surroundings while giving it plenty of space.”

Identification

Key Features of the Wood’s Anole

  • Long legs and a narrow tail

  • Olive-to-brown body

  • Bluish eyes can be a useful supporting clue

Habitat & range

Humid mountain forests of the central volcanic range and Talamanca, including the Poás area and the San Vito/Las Cruces region in southern Puntarenas.

Conservation & care

Observe with an adult from permitted paths. Do not touch, chase, catch or feed reptiles. Leave bark, logs, stones and leaf litter in place. Keep pets away and allow an open escape route.

Threats & pressures

Protect connected habitat and natural shelters. Avoid collection, unnecessary clearing and deliberate killing. Leave wildlife in place and support responsible observation.

View full profile →

learning adventuresKeep Exploring,
Keep Learning

Choose a Learning Adventure to turn a local outing into shared discovery. These activities offer questions, observation games and ways to care for God’s creation. Pick one that suits your family and the setting.

Family Story Treasure Hunt with Pico & Tati

Story Cards on the Veranda-2

Costa Rica Rhythm Explorers with Pico & Tati

Pico Learns the Costa Rican Marimba-13

Garden to Table Explorers with Pico & Tati

Pico Harvests a Ripe Tomato-16

get in touchLet's Keep Exploring Together.

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At Tico Explorers™, we encourage families and children to explore with curiosity, learn with kindness, and care for God’s creation.

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