San Gerardo de Dota is one of the top destinations for birding in Costa Rica. Besides the spectacular Resplendent Quetzal which definitely makes this valley so attractive to nature lovers and birdwatchers, the high concentration of cloud forest and páramo species, and more specifically the Costa Rica and Western Panama endemics make this unique spot in the Talamanca Mountain Range a very privileged location. To maximize your birding experience we encourage you to hire a guide in advance.

Gray-tailed Mountain-Gem
- A very common hummingbird at the feeders and gardens of the lodge, also found in the forest.

Fiery-throated Hummingbird
- In occasions you can find it around the lodge usually being territorial of a particular flowering bush, however your best chances are in the Sub-Alpine Rain Páramo and La Georgina Restaurant on the Panamerican Highway as you drop towards San Isidro.

Volcano Hummingbird - Found in around the feeders and gardens around the lodge, very abundant in the higher elevations, they fly all over the Páramo.

Scintillant Hummingbird
- The smallest hummingbird in Costa Rica, found at feeders and all over the valley.

Resplendent Quetzal
- The very beautiful and popular Quetzal can be found pretty much anywhere in the valley, often flies across the lodge's grounds looking for fruiting Lauraceae Trees. Guides most of the time know where to look for them.

Spot-crowned Woodcreeper
- Found in primary, secondary, and disturbed areas, it usually accompanies mixed flocks.

Buffy Tuftedcheek
- Most of the time found in the primary oak forest where trees are covered with epiphytes, Los Robles and La Quebrada Trails are the ones that offer a better chance to see this bird.

Streak-breasted Treehunter
- Most of the time found in mixed flocks in primary and secondary forest, in forest edge too.

Spotted Wood-Quail
- Can be found on the forest floor of primary and secondary cloud forest, you can hear them quite often but it takes some work to find them. The first 150 meters of Los Robles Trail tend to be good for the, although you can run into them pretty much on any forest trail.

Sulphur-winged Parakeet
- They fly and perch around the lodge and the whole valley, as loud as parakeets are your first sight will be probably be them flying over you as you arrive to the valley. They often perch on the apple orchard.

Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl
- This interesting little owl can be found mostly in the forest trails, the first section of Los Robles Trail has been quite productive and we see them in numerous occasions.

Dusky Nightjar
- Heard at dawn or dusk near the lodge, the first 300 meters of the road to the forest are quite good, also seen on the main road up to the highway at dawn and well into the night.

Silvery-fronted Tapaculo
- Most of the time this little fellow is found in the thick understory of primary and secondary growth, it has a distinctive call the alerts you of its presence, but hard to see as it almost acts like a mouse. You probably want to see your bare eyes rather then binoculars.

Black-capped Flycatcher
- This nice looking and small flycatcher can be found perching in trees, bushes, or even barbed wires of fences in open areas or forest edge.

Ochraceous Pewee
- Usually found in primary forest and forest edge, La Quebrada and Los Robles Trails have been quite productive to find this flycatcher that most of the time perches mid to high level in tall trees.

Golden-bellied Flycatcher
- Look for it in primary and secondary forest tree tops, forest edge or light gaps in the forest are good locations to find it.

Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher
- Common around the lodge, very often see on the trees behind the restaurant, however widespread in the valley and even see in the Páramo sometimes.

Timberline Wren
- To be looked for in the Sub-Alpine Rain Páramo, most of time in thick bamboo patches.

Silvery-throated Jay
- It doesn't seem to be as abundant as in other portions of the mountain range, however its best spot in the valley is Los Robles Trail.

Yellow-winged Vireo
- Commonly found alone or in mixed flocks on forest edge and primary and secondary growth. It vocalizes quite often.

Black-cheeked Warbler
- Fairly common in the understory of primary oak forests and also at the Paramo.

Flame-throated Warbler
- Very common warbler that forages in primary and secondary growth, comes out to forest patches and scattered trees in open areas, most of the time in mixed flocks. Often seen in the Páramo.

Collared Redstart
- Common everywhere in the valley, very common in the primary and secondary forest, forest edge and disturb areas, not very concern about human presence and many times catches flies next to you. This particular behavior has made locals called this bird "Amigo del Hombre" (Friend of man)

Wrenthrush (formerly Zeledonia)
- Very hard to spot, usually found in primary growth around fallen trees or along creeks, also around dense Bamboo of the genus Chusquea. To be looked for in the Páramo as well.

Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager
- A core species of most mixed flocks in the valley and in the Páramo.

Flame-colored Tanager
- Very common tanager all around the gardens, roadsides and forest. The best looks would be around the gardens of the lodge, you might be able to get incredible photos of this tanager.

Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush
- Common in primary forests and forest edge above the lodge, can either be found in Los Robles Trail or on the road as you come in San Gerardo de Dota, also seen abundantly in the Páramo. It is lowest range is usually 2,500 m, however it can be found as low as the lodge at 2,200 m, specially in rainy months.

Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush
- Very common in the woods and open areas of the valley usually below 2,500 m. You will probably see it around the cabins.

Sooty Robin
- Rarely found near the lodge, but hard to miss on the road into the valley and quite abundant in the Páramo.

Yellow-thighed Finch - Found in the forest trails, forest edge and bushy areas around the lodge, it even comes out to the gardens. Mostly in groups and many times following mixed flocks of bush-tanagers.

Peg-billed Finch
- Very uncommon finch because of its nomadic behavior as in most cases searches for seeding bamboo. It might show up in bamboo patches in the forest and in the chusquea genus bamboos in the Páramo. Having a guide is ideal!

Volcano Junco
- One of the fantastic inhabitants of the Sub-Alpine Rain Páramo, quite common here.

Black-thighed Grosbeak
- Found in the primary and secondary forest, forest edge, and open areas around the lodge. A lot of times found on the trail to the waterfall 150m after you go across the river for the first time.

Large-footed Finch
- A lot of times you hear the dry fallen leaves being turned, kicked and it eally seems to be noisy in the undergrowth. Look for this finch, it can be found in primary and secondary forest, forest edge, bushy areas, and up in the Sub-Alpine Rain Páramo.

Yellow-bellied Siskin
- Found all over the valley in open areas, quit often seen in the orchards, a good number of them arrive around 5:25 p.m. each day to roost next to the souvenir shop, locate the tree next to the public phone.