Wetland · Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Birding Palo Verde & the Tempisque, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

The lower Río Tempisque, on the edge of Palo Verde National Park: a boat through the mangroves of Cipancí at first light, then the marsh of Hacienda El Viejo on foot.

Plan Your Day →What You’ll See →

Quick answer

Our wetland birding in Guanacaste, Costa Rica follows the lower Río Tempisque, on the edge of Palo Verde National Park. We start by boat from Bolsón, in the Cipancí Wildlife Refuge, where the Boat-billed Heron is on 72% of eBird checklists, then walk the marsh of Hacienda El Viejo, with 274 species recorded. There the Jabiru is on 38% of checklists, and on 50% in February. The best months are December to February.

Boat + marshBest December – February274 species at El ViejoPrivate full day

Last verified October 2026 by Miller Contreras, naturalist guide and wildlife photographer

30+Years in Tourism

20+Years Guiding

274Species at El Viejo

100%Private Groups

Why the Tempisque

One River,
Three Wetlands

The lower Río Tempisque is lined by protected wetlands that hold more than 60 species of waterbirds. Palo Verde National Park, a Ramsar wetland since 1991, lies between the Tempisque and the Bebedero rivers. Downstream, the Cipancí Wildlife Refuge, created in 2001, protects about 3,500 hectares of mangrove and river channel where the Tempisque meets the Bebedero. And Hacienda El Viejo, a privately owned national wildlife refuge of about 1,100 hectares on the edge of Palo Verde National Park, keeps seasonal wetlands. We bird the river first, while the herons are still in the mangroves, and finish on foot at the marsh. Palo Verde also hosts a Festival de las Aves; its ninth edition was held on 28 February 2026.

The Tempisque wetlands

Protected wetlands that hold more than 60 species of waterbirds.

At a glance

The Tempisque wetlands, in one look

Where	The lower Río Tempisque, inland from the Guanacaste, Costa Rica coast
Pickup	Timed so you reach the boat at Bolsón between 6:30 and 7:00; leave about 1 hour 20 minutes before, from any of the beach hotels or from Liberia
Route	A boat from Bolsón, in the Cipancí Wildlife Refuge, then the marsh of Hacienda El Viejo on foot
Protection	Palo Verde National Park (Ramsar wetland since 1991) · Cipancí Wildlife Refuge (2001, about 3,500 ha) · Hacienda El Viejo, a private national wildlife refuge (about 1,100 ha)
Habitat	River, mangrove, seasonal marsh and gallery forest
Birds on eBird	Hacienda El Viejo: 274 species on 1,051 checklists · Cipancí, Bolsón: 201 on 359 · Cipancí, Puente Amistad: 257 on 451 · Palo Verde OTS station: 336 on 2,210
Best months	December to February, when the marsh is shrinking and waterbirds gather on the remaining water
eBird hotspots	Hacienda El Viejo Wetlands · RNVS Cipancí, Bolsón

Last verified October 2026 by Miller Contreras, naturalist guide and wildlife photographer

Figures are the share of complete eBird checklists that report each species at that hotspot. Source: eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, read October 2026.

When the Marsh Shrinks

Which month is best for the Tempisque wetlands?

December to February, early in the dry season, when the marsh of Hacienda El Viejo is shrinking and the waterbirds gather on the water that is left, as these eBird figures show.

Tap a bird to see its months

Jabiru: best in February, on 50% of checklists.

See all the numbers as a table

Bird at El Viejo	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Jun	Oct
Jabiru	38%	39%	50%	43%	35%	22%
Wood Stork	80%	72%	72%	55%	51%	49%
Roseate Spoonbill	69%	51%	29%	33%	33%	23%
Glossy Ibis	64%	41%	38%	30%	0%	2%
White Ibis	65%	71%	62%	59%	27%	9%
Black-necked Stilt	89%	84%	71%	66%	31%	29%

Share of complete eBird checklists that report each species at the Hacienda El Viejo Wetlands hotspot, by month. Source: eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, read October 2026.

Río Tempisque

We bird the river first, while the herons are still in the mangroves, and finish on foot at the marsh.

The Birds

Which birds can you see on the Tempisque?

You will see birds on every visit. What we can’t promise is which ones, so here they are sorted honestly.

On the river · Cipancí

From the boat at Bolsón, most mornings.

Green Heron · 78%
Bare-throated Tiger-Heron · 78%
Little Blue Heron · 76%
Boat-billed Heron · 72%

In the marsh · El Viejo

On foot, most mornings.

Great Egret · 81%
Northern Jacana · 76%
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck · 75%
Limpkin · 55%
Snail Kite · 51%

Seasonal, never promised

Best in their month.

Jabiru · 38% at El Viejo, 50% in February
Roseate Spoonbill · 33%, 69% in December
Glossy Ibis · 20%, 64% in December
Scarlet Macaw · 19% on the river, 53% in April

If you come for one bird, tell us before the day. The forest has the last word, but we will put you in the right place at the right hour.

From the Boat and the Marsh

Birds of the Tempisque Wetlands

Real photographs from the river at Bolsón and the marsh of Hacienda El Viejo, on the edge of Palo Verde National Park.

Roseate Spoonbill feeding in shallow water among Wood Storks on the Tempisque wetlands, Guanacaste, Costa Rica — **Roseate Spoonbill**Feeding among Wood Storks · 69% of checklists at El Viejo in December

Jabiru stork wading through a green marsh near Palo Verde National Park, Guanacaste, Costa Rica — **Jabiru**The largest stork in the Americas · 50% of checklists in February

Close portrait of a Bare-throated Tiger-Heron with finely barred plumage on the Tempisque River, Guanacaste, Costa Rica — **Bare-throated Tiger-Heron**On 78% of checklists from the boat at Bolsón

Adult Jabiru with two chicks on a large stick nest in a bare tree at Hacienda El Viejo, Palo Verde, Costa Rica — **A Jabiru Nest**A pair raising two chicks at Hacienda El Viejo

Flock of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks taking off from the grassy marsh at Hacienda El Viejo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica — **Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks**Taking off from the marsh · 75% of checklists at El Viejo

Ringed Kingfisher with rufous breast and blue crest perched on a branch over the Tempisque River, Guanacaste, Costa Rica — **Ringed Kingfisher**The largest kingfisher on the river

Wood Stork standing in shallow water next to a Black-necked Stilt on the Tempisque wetlands, Guanacaste, Costa Rica — **Wood Stork and Stilt**80% and 89% of checklists at El Viejo in December

Anhinga spreading its wings to dry on a log over the Tempisque River, Guanacaste, Costa Rica — **Anhinga**Drying its wings on a river log

Two Amazon Kingfishers perched on bare branches along the Tempisque River, Guanacaste, Costa Rica — **Amazon Kingfishers**A pair on the riverbank

Roseate Spoonbill preening its pink feathers in shallow water near Palo Verde National Park, Guanacaste, Costa Rica — **Roseate Spoonbill**Preening in the shallows

Little Blue Heron perched on a branch above the Tempisque wetlands, Guanacaste, Costa Rica — **Little Blue Heron**On 76% of checklists from the boat

Bare-throated Tiger-Heron with prey in its bill on the muddy bank of the Tempisque River, Guanacaste, Costa Rica — **Tiger-Heron on the Hunt**Working the muddy riverbank

Juvenile Bare-throated Tiger-Heron with buff and black barred plumage standing on a log, Tempisque wetlands, Costa Rica — **Young Tiger-Heron**The barred, buff plumage of a juvenile

Two Bare-throated Tiger-Heron chicks looking up from their nest in a riverside tree on the Tempisque River, Costa Rica — **Tiger-Heron Chicks**Two chicks in a riverside nest

Osprey perched on a dead snag against a pale sky over the Tempisque River, Guanacaste, Costa Rica — **Osprey**Watching the river from a dead tree

Yellow-headed Caracara on the Tempisque wetlands near Palo Verde National Park, Guanacaste, Costa Rica — **Yellow-headed Caracara**On the Tempisque wetlands

Snail Kite perched at the Hacienda El Viejo marsh on the edge of Palo Verde National Park, Guanacaste, Costa Rica — **Snail Kite**On 51% of checklists at El Viejo

White Ibis walking through wet grass beside a Northern Jacana at Hacienda El Viejo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica — **White Ibis and Jacana**Feeding together on the marsh grass

Black-necked Stilt wading in shallow water at the Hacienda El Viejo marsh, Guanacaste, Costa Rica — **Black-necked Stilt**89% of checklists at El Viejo in December

Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks landing among purple water hyacinth flowers in a marsh near Palo Verde, Costa Rica — **Whistling-Ducks in the Lilies**Among flowering water hyacinth

Large flock of Wood Storks and egrets feeding in a marsh below dry-forest hills, Tempisque wetlands, Guanacaste, Costa Rica — **Wood Storks**A flock on the marsh below the dry-forest hills

The wide brown Tempisque River between green forested banks under a blue sky, Palo Verde, Guanacaste, Costa Rica — **Río Tempisque**The river route from Bolsón

Seasonal wetland lagoon with egrets, surrounded by dry forest, on the edge of Palo Verde National Park, Guanacaste, Costa Rica — **The Marsh**A seasonal wetland on the edge of Palo Verde

Drag or swipe to see more. Photos from the Tempisque wetlands and Hacienda El Viejo, used with permission.

Your Day

How to bird the Tempisque with us

The usual route: the boat from Bolsón at first light, then the marsh of Hacienda El Viejo, as one private day. To add the rice fields and the mangroves of the Gulf of Papagayo, see our Dry Forest & Wetland birding day.

Private · Full day

A day on the Tempisque

The usual rhythm of the day. We adjust it to your hotel, the season and your target birds.

Before dawn · Pickup

Timed so you reach the boat at Bolsón between 6:30 and 7:00, when the birds are most active. The exact time depends on your hotel.

First light · Boat from Bolsón

Through the mangroves and channels of the Cipancí Wildlife Refuge while the herons are still in the trees.

Bare-throated Tiger-Heron with prey on the muddy bank of the Tempisque River

Late morning · Hacienda El Viejo

On foot around the marsh, where the Jabiru, the storks and the spoonbills feed, with snacks in the field.

Roseate Spoonbill feeding among Wood Storks in the marsh

Midday · Lunch

Lunch is included.

Afternoon · A second walk

If the hours allow, a second birding walk at the marsh or along the river to close the day, then the drive back to your hotel.

Black-necked Stilt wading in the marsh at Hacienda El Viejo

PriceFrom $700 per private group of 2

Good to know

What the day includes

Everything is private: your group never joins strangers.

Included

A private naturalist guide specialized in birds, private transportation, the boat on the Tempisque, entrance to Hacienda El Viejo, binoculars and a spotting scope, bottled water, snacks and lunch. Taxes included.

Not included

Gratuities.

Bring

Light clothes, a hat, sunscreen and insect repellent; a rain jacket from May to November.

Cancellation

Seventy-two hours before your birding day begins, counted from your pickup time and not the day: cancel before that for a full refund.

More Birding

More birding sites in Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Each site has its own season. See where to bird in Guanacaste, Costa Rica and the best time for birding, month by month.

Volcano foothills

Rincón de la Vieja

The top eBird hotspot in Guanacaste, Costa Rica: manakins, motmots and magpie-jays below the volcano.

Explore

Caribbean rainforest

Tapir Valley

Tenorio Rainforest, with the Snowcap on 56% of eBird checklists and three toucans.

Explore

Close to the hotels

Near Coco & Papagayo

Dry forest close to the Coco and Papagayo hotels, with the Elegant Trogon on 72% of eBird checklists in May.

Explore

Common Questions

Birding the Tempisque,
Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Where do you go birding near Palo Verde National Park?+

On the lower Río Tempisque, on the edge of the park. We start by boat from Bolsón, in the Cipancí Wildlife Refuge, then walk the marsh of Hacienda El Viejo, a private national wildlife refuge with 274 bird species on eBird.

When is the best time for wetland birds on the Tempisque?+

December to February. At Hacienda El Viejo the Wood Stork is on 80% of eBird checklists in December, the Roseate Spoonbill on 69% and the Black-necked Stilt on 89%, and the Jabiru peaks at 50% in February.

Can you see a Jabiru near Palo Verde?+

Often, never guaranteed. At Hacienda El Viejo the Jabiru is on 38% of eBird checklists across the year and on 50% in February. On the river at Bolsón it is rarer: 14% across the year and 42% in December.

How many bird species live in the Tempisque wetlands?+

Each hotspot has its own count on eBird: 274 species at Hacienda El Viejo, 201 to 257 at the Cipancí hotspots, and 336 at the Palo Verde OTS station.

Is this the same as your Palo Verde boat tour?+

No. It is the same river and the same boat, but a different day with its own price. Our Palo Verde National Park tour is a general wildlife experience; this one is built only around birds, with a birding guide, a spotting scope and the time to wait for each species.

How much does a private birding day on the Tempisque cost?+

From $700 per private group of 2 guests, that is $350 per person, taxes included. It is a full day and 100% private, and the price includes a private naturalist guide specialized in birds, private transportation, the boat on the Tempisque, entrance to Hacienda El Viejo, binoculars and a spotting scope, bottled water, snacks and lunch.

What time is pickup?+

We time it so you reach the boat at Bolsón between 6:30 and 7:00 in the morning, when the birds are most active. That means leaving about 1 hour 20 minutes before, from any of the beach hotels or from Liberia.

What is the cancellation policy?+

Seventy-two hours before your birding day begins, counted from your pickup time and not the day. Cancel before that and you get a full refund. We ask for three days because the reserve, your private guide and lunch are booked for your group alone. If we cancel for safety or weather, you get one hundred percent back.

Plan Your Birding

Send Us Your Dates
and Your Target Birds

Tell us when you are coming and which birds you are after. We will tell you honestly what is realistic for your dates and plan the day around it.

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Private groups only · Hotel and LIR pickup · Based in Playas del Coco, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

By the Guanadreams team, led by Miller Contreras — naturalist guide and wildlife photographer, born and raised in Guanacaste.

Birding Palo Verde & the Tempisque, Guanacaste, Costa Rica

One River,
Three Wetlands

The Tempisque wetlands, in one look

Which month is best for the Tempisque wetlands?