For many travelers visiting Costa Rica, the wildlife bucket list begins with the country’s most iconic mammals. Sloths dozing in the canopy. Tapirs leaving tracks in the mud. Howler monkeys echoing at dawn. Coatis trotting across forest trails. These species create an instant sense of wonder, especially for visitors arriving from places where tropical wildlife feels almost mythical.
But there is another group of travelers who come with binoculars already in hand. Birdwatchers. They arrive searching for toucans, motmots, scarlet macaws and resplendent quetzals. Yet even visitors who are not birdwatchers are often surprised to discover one of Costa Rica’s most extraordinary treasures. Hummingbirds. Small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, yet packed with some of the most extreme adaptations in the animal kingdom.
Costa Rica is one of the best places in the world to see them. And when you learn what makes these birds so unusual, it becomes clear why hummingbirds capture the attention of anyone who sees them for the first time.
This guide explores the science behind hummingbirds, why Costa Rica holds the greatest hummingbird diversity in Central America, and where to find the most iconic species. It is designed to feel like a museum walk through the natural history of one of the most remarkable groups of birds on Earth.
HUMMINGBIRDS IN CONTEXT: A FAMILY FOUND NOWHERE ELSE ON EARTH
Hummingbirds belong to the family Trochilidae, a group that evolved exclusively in the American continent. They do not exist naturally in Europe, Asia, Africa or Australia. For many visitors from those regions, seeing a hummingbird is not just exciting. It is entirely new. There is no equivalent bird in their home countries. No animal that hovers like an insect, glitters like a gemstone and moves with the precision of a tiny aircraft.
More than 360 species of hummingbirds are known across the Americas. They reach their highest diversity along mountain ranges where ecosystems stack vertically, creating many microhabitats in small areas. This is one of the reasons Costa Rica, despite its small size, is a hummingbird hotspot.
Costa Rica is home to around 53 species of hummingbirds. That makes it the country in Central America with the greatest hummingbird diversity. To put this in perspective, the United States and Canada combined see only about 15 to 20 species. Many of those are migratory and only appear in certain seasons. Costa Rica surpasses both countries by a wide margin, all packed into an area smaller than West Virginia.
For travelers, this means something simple. You are more likely to see a hummingbird in Costa Rica than almost anywhere else in North America. And more than that, you are likely to see species that exist nowhere else.
WHY COSTA RICA IS A HUMMINGBIRD HAVEN
Costa Rica’s unique geography creates perfect hummingbird habitat.
Costa Rica rises from sea level to more than 3,800 meters (12,467 feet) in only 120 kilometers (75 miles), which is the narrowest distance between the Pacific and Caribbean coasts. Tropical dry forest, lowland rainforest, cloud forest, páramo and high elevation oak forest all sit within a few hours of each other. Each of these habitats hosts its own specialized hummingbirds.
This variety of climates also supports an extraordinary diversity of flowering plants. Hummingbirds evolved alongside these plants, forming one of the most famous examples of coevolution. The flowers rely on hummingbirds for pollination. The hummingbirds rely on the flowers for energy. The result is a landscape where hummingbirds can thrive at almost every elevation.
Another important factor is stability. Costa Rica has extensive protected areas and continuous forest corridors. This gives hummingbirds space to feed, breed and migrate between elevations seasonally without losing habitat.
The combination of elevation gradients, biodiversity, protected ecosystems and a tropical climate creates the ideal stage for hummingbirds to flourish.
WHAT MAKES HUMMINGBIRDS SO SPECIAL
Hummingbirds are often described as jewels. But the real magic is not how they look. It is how they work. Their biology is so extreme that learning about them often feels like discovering a new category of animal.
Most birds flap their wings up and down. Hummingbirds do something entirely different. They rotate their wings in a full circle at the shoulder, almost like turning a tiny propeller. This movement generates lift on both the upstroke and the downstroke.
This is the reason hummingbirds can hover in place, reverse in midair and even fly backward. They are the only birds in Costa Rica capable of such precise, multidirectional flight.
A typical hummingbird flaps its wings between 50 and 80 times per second. Some species can push past 100 beats per second during courtship displays, creating the characteristic hum that gives the group its name.
Hummingbirds have the fastest heart rates of any bird on the planet. A resting hummingbird’s heart may beat around 250 times per minute. During flight it can reach an astonishing 1200 beats per minute.
To understand how extreme this is, imagine a human exercising intensely. Elite athletes may push their heart rate to 180 beats per minute. A hummingbird reaches seven times that speed while feeding calmly from a flower.
The energy demand of hovering flight is enormous. To keep their wings rotating at high speeds, hummingbirds burn calories faster than almost any vertebrate.
If a human had the same metabolic rate as a hummingbird, we would need to consume close to 300,000 calories per day to survive. They feed every ten to fifteen minutes and may visit thousands of flowers in a single day.
At night, their metabolism drops through a process called torpor, a temporary hibernation that prevents them from burning through their energy reserves before sunrise.
The shimmering colors on a hummingbird’s throat or crown are not pigments. They come from microscopic layers within the feathers that bend and scatter light, a phenomenon called structural coloration.
It is the same principle behind the colors of butterfly wings, peacock feathers and even opals. The angle of the light changes what the viewer sees. This is why a hummingbird’s throat may look dark one moment and flash a brilliant emerald the next.
Hummingbirds remember every flower they visit. They track how long it takes each bloom to replenish nectar and adjust their route to optimize energy intake. This behavior is not random but a mapped routine they build using spatial memory.
Their ability to navigate and maintain efficient foraging circuits is another way they conserve energy in an otherwise energy expensive lifestyle.
THE MOST ICONIC HUMMINGBIRD SPECIES IN COSTA RICA
With more than 50 hummingbird species recorded in Costa Rica, some naturally stand out to travelers. They may have striking colors shaped by structural iridescence, unusual behaviors, high elevation habitats, or simply a presence that feels unforgettable when seen up close. These are not necessarily the most common species in the country but the ones that tend to leave the strongest impression.
One of the largest hummingbirds in Costa Rica, known for deep violet plumage that shifts dramatically under soft forest light. Males often perch in semi shaded understory, making their metallic colors glow when the angle of the sun hits just right. They are most often seen in mid elevation cloud forest and wet forest edges.
A high elevation specialist found in the Talamanca mountains. Its throat shows intense structural coloration that can flash gold, green, orange or red depending on the angle of light. The effect is so pronounced that its colors can appear to ignite when the bird turns its head. Often seen feeding in páramo and cloud forest shrubs.
A favorite among photographers due to its crisp contrast of bright blue head, white belly and tail. This species tends to hover in open light more than many other hummingbirds, which makes its colors especially visible. Most commonly found in Caribbean lowland rainforest and mid elevation gardens.
Known for its vivid violet throat in males and the emerald green back that catches light in shaded forest. This species perches predictably along forest borders in highland regions, making it easier to observe than other mountain hummingbirds. Females show a warm cinnamon belly that helps distinguish them.
A tiny and delicate hummingbird with a long, filament like tail in males. Its rapid, insect like flight makes it a fascinating species to watch. Found in Caribbean foothills and wet forest zones, often visiting flowers high in the canopy or near forest edges.
Among the species most frequently encountered by travelers throughout Costa Rica are the Rufous tailed Hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl), a bold and adaptable species seen in urban and rural settings, the Stripe tailed Hummingbird (Eupherusa eximia), often active along forest trails, and the Steely vented Hummingbird (Amazilia saucerrottei), common in the northwestern Pacific region. These species are widespread, approachable and often the first hummingbirds visitors notice during their time in the country.
BEST PLACES TO SEE HUMMINGBIRDS IN COSTA RICA
Hummingbirds can be found throughout the country, but some regions stand out for their exceptional viewing opportunities:
Each destination offers a different ecological window into hummingbird diversity.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO SEE HUMMINGBIRDS
Hummingbirds are present year round in Costa Rica. The dry season often offers clearer skies and better visibility, while the green season brings more flowers which can attract additional species.
Some species shift elevations seasonally, following blooming cycles. For visitors, this means that no matter what month you visit, you will have excellent chances of seeing hummingbirds.
TIPS FOR RESPONSIBLE WILDLIFE WATCHING
Responsible viewing ensures that hummingbirds continue thriving in their natural environments.
WHY GUANACASTE MATTERS IN THE BIODIVERSITY STORY
Guanacaste is often associated with dry forest, beaches and warm Pacific sunsets. Yet it plays an important role in Costa Rica’s ecological mosaic. Dry forest is one of the most endangered tropical ecosystems in the world. Many plant species here produce flowers that are critical nectar sources during the dry months, when other forests have fewer resources.
For hummingbirds, this means Guanacaste becomes an important feeding landscape at times of the year when food is scarce elsewhere. The region also creates valuable ecological contrast. Visitors who explore different parts of Costa Rica can appreciate how hummingbirds adapt to sunlight rich, open habitats compared to the dense shade of cloud forests.
EXPLORING GUANACASTE FROM LAS CATALINAS
Las Catalinas sits along the Pacific coast of Guanacaste, surrounded by tropical dry forest, ocean views and a landscape shaped by seasonal change. While this region does not have the same density of hummingbirds as Costa Rica’s highland cloud forests, it offers its own perspective on biodiversity. Trails around Town wind through tree lined paths where seasonal blossoms attract species like the Rufous tailed Hummingbird and other coastal visitors moving through the dry forest.
For travelers eager to explore Costa Rica’s hummingbird diversity, Las Catalinas becomes a peaceful base by the sea. As a Town shaped by principles of well living such as walkability, access to nature and an atmosphere of quiet clarity, many visitors find themselves slowing down enough to notice the details they might otherwise miss.
Hummingbirds appear very frequently here. Sometimes it happens in the most ordinary moments. A flash of green near Parque Central. A quick burst of movement in the planters along Main Street. A tiny silhouette feeding on the flowers that thrive in the dry season sun. Seeing one up close makes all the facts you learn about them feel even more astonishing. The wings rotating like miniature propellers. The heart racing faster than any other bird on the planet. The iridescent feathers that shift color as if lit from within. It is surprising how much wonder can fit into a creature that weighs less than a coin.
Staying or living at Las Catalinas gives you a coastal home base connected to the rest of Costa Rica’s natural world. From here, day trips to cloud forests, mid elevation reserves and volcanic slopes place you within reach of the country’s most iconic hummingbird habitats. It is a way to experience both sides of Costa Rica. The calm of the Pacific and the exhilaration of discovering one of the most extraordinary bird families on Earth.