What makes Monteverde a must-stop on almost every birding tour of Costa Rica? To paraphrase the real estate experts: habitat, habitat, habitat. Along with the famous cloud forest, there are also secondary forest, transitional dry forest and transitional rain forest. Thanks to Monteverde’s remote location and difficult access, a lot of this habitat has been preserved.
Enjoying all these hospitable, middle-elevation habitats are more than 400 species of birds, including two of the country’s most spectacular and sought-after species: the resplendent quetzal and the three-wattled bellbird (see box).
Add the Monteverde Guide Association’s cadre of highly qualified naturalist guides and miles and miles of well maintained trails in breathtakingly beautiful nature preserves, and you have all the ingredients to make Monteverde a mecca for birders.