Explore Central Highlands

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October 18, 2026

Mountain Alligator Lizard

An armored-looking lizard belongs to Costa Rica’s cool mountain forests.

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October 18, 2026

Hot Lips Plant

Two bright red bracts surround tiny pale flowers in the forest understory.

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October 18, 2026

Costa Rican Oak

Acorns and leathery leaves belong to this mountain-forest oak.

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October 18, 2026

Expanded Lobster Claw

An upright open arrangement of colorful bracts rises among broad green leaves.

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October 17, 2026

Green Heron

The Green Heron is a compact hunter with a dark greenish back, chestnut neck and a short crest.

tico-coastal-bird-charadrius-semipalmatus

October 17, 2026

Semipalmated Plover

This small plover usually searches open flats with short runs and pauses.

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October 17, 2026

Osprey

The Osprey is a large raptor that catches fish with its feet.

tico-coastal-bird-actitis-macularius

October 17, 2026

Spotted Sandpiper

Spotted Sandpipers often bob their tails while walking along water edges.

tico-coastal-bird-calidris-mauri

October 17, 2026

Western Sandpiper

Western Sandpipers are tiny migratory shorebirds that feed on tidal flats.

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October 17, 2026

Blue-gray Tanager

A powder-blue bird of gardens and wooded clearings.

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October 17, 2026

Clay-colored Thrush

A familiar brown songbird and Costa Rica’s national bird.

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October 17, 2026

Tropical Kingbird

A yellow-bellied flycatcher often seen on an open perch.