Birding Cataratas Bijagua

One of the things that makes Bijagua unique is the diverse topography and geology of the region. Catataras Bijagua is located at the base of Volcan Tenorio and the river flows from the mountains down past the lodge and into the town of Bijagua.

Because of the rapid elevation change, Cataratas Bijagua provides some excellent opportunities for birding with very little tourist traffic (rare with Costa Rica waterfalls).

The Torrent Tyrannulet (Serpophaga cinerea) is a fantastic little flycatcher that inhabits, as it name would suggest, fast-moving rivers and streams from Costa Rica to Bolivia.

In Costa Rica, they're found at higher elevations than in South America, and Bijagua is possibly the farthest north that these little birds can be found.

These antbirds love wet, dark ravines and steep creeks, and Cataratas Bijagua is the perfect habitat for them.

They're one of the easier antbirds to locate, since they're very vocal and they travel in small family groups, constantly calling to each other in the forest.

But they're shy and they love the dark, so it takes some patience to get a good photo of these birds.

The Sunbittern is a fantastic bird that is found at lower elevations in Costa Rica. They're found exclusively along rocky river banks, and the river that cuts through Bijagua is a good place to see these cool birds.