map of Biological Corridor The Costa Rican Bird Route (CRBR) is a habitat conservation and ecotourism project being implemented by the Rainforest Biodiversity Group, Inc (RBG) with funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Program for South-South Cooperation.  Rainforest Biodiversity Group is a 501(c)3 non-profit based in Madison, Wisconsin, USA. The mission of RBG is to protect biological diversity, including migratory bird species, through the protection of habitat for the Great Green Macaw and the creation of local conservation initiatives.

The Costa Rican Bird Route is being implemented to promote the conservation of bird habitat and the biological diversity within the San Juan – La Selva Biological Corridor and to improve bird tourism in the northern region of Costa Rica. This project protects the last remaining habitat of the endangered Great Green Macaw, the second largest parrot in the world, and provides the best opportunity in the world to see this species.

As Central America’s first official birding trail, the Costa Rican Bird Route consists of 18 great bird watching locations. Eight of these sites are newly created private biological reserves owned by local landowners. These new reserves are enrolled in the Costa Rican Private Reserve Network and protect a total of 2,629 acres (1064 hectares) of wildlife habitat just waiting to be explored. Overall, the Bird Route protects a total of 11,950 acres of wildlife habitat.

Great Green Macaw, photo by Bent Pedersen
Great Green Macaw

The remaining ten sites are some of Costa Rica’s most well known and most established biological reserves.  This includes the world renowned La Selva Biological Station, the famed Selva Verde Lodge and Tirimbina Rainforest Center. Click here to visit our image gallery and see photos of the birds and sites of the Costa Rican Bird Route.

To maintain environmentally sound tourism and conservation practices within the route, all Bird Route locations adhere to a set of sustainable tourism practices. Many of the sites are already certified by Rainforest Alliance and the Costa Rica Tourism Institute as sustainable tourism sites. Some of the other sites have received training from Rainforest Alliance and RBG on sustainable tourism development so as to ensure the sites provide a sustainable tourism product for the visitor concerned about their impact as a visiting tourist. 

Come visit the Bird Route and experience some of the best birding and culture Costa Rica has to offer through an array of activities that connect you to the communities and their conservation efforts.

Initial funding for the project has come from the US Fish and Wildlife Service via the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act. Click here to see our partners.
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