How bird full is Costa Rica? Seriously.

Forums: Birds, Costa Rica, Bird Phobia
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I have a work colleague who has booked a tour to Costa Rica.

She is a very intelligent and delightful woman. (Who wants to get married and have babies in the next three years, so anyone knowing any seriously eligible Costa Rican men just drop me a line, Ok? Oh, she's seriously easy on the eye, too...but I know Costa Rican men are too evolved to care about that.)

However, she has a serious bird phobia and wants to be prepared. Seriously, she has a fear index scale based on flutteriness, unpredictability, how likely bird is to stand its ground or flee etc. It's kind of hilarious, but she is really scared.

Are birds a big thing in Costa Rica? Do you run into them a lot in cities? Are they well mannered and appropriately fearful of humans? Do any of them swoop you like magpies do here? Can they largely be avoided unless you go on tours to see fauna?

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Type: Question • Score: 7 • Views: 3,515 • Replies: 20

@dlowan,

She's Australian and worried about birds in Costa Rica? Seriously?

2 Replies

@roger,

I've not been in Costa Rica, I wish, but have spent a few weeks in Guatemala.
I was more afraid of the giant cockroach in the bathroom of the convent we stayed at.

I have been in the jungle, so called, but not hiked it, pampered tourists that we were, elementary vintage plane to get to Tikal, puff puff. We did get to be friends with the archeology tour guide at Tikal, who had hiked and thumbed from Rio to there, a brit who married a native..wonder how she is now.

I don't remember birds all over the place, but do remember the bird songs.

How to advise your friend, I don't know, but I don't remember any attacking birds.

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@dlowan,

Don't people go to Costa Rica specifically to see birds?

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If you want the pithy version, there is a shitload of birds in Costa Rica. There are bird tours in Costa Rica.

Here's what Wikipedia has to say about birds in Costa Rica.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_birds_of_Costa_Rica

Is there a place without birds? Dunno. I sincerely doubt that any tropical or semitropical place would be short on birds.

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@roger,

Seriously. She's PHOBIC. It's not rational. She's worried about birds everywhere

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@ehBeth,

ehBeth wrote:

Don't people go to Costa Rica specifically to see birds?

Not this little black duck.

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@Roberta,

****! She'd better not go in the northern winter!

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Sorry, I just had to.

1 Reply

@Blickers,

I suspect that is pretty much how she feels about birds!

Phobias seem funny until you share one!

I thought everyone shared my feelings about blood and injury for years.

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@dlowan,

deb, I remember reading about a tropical island whose bird population was decimated by an invasion of nonnative snakes. Guam. I don't know if the avian population has made a comeback.

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@dlowan,

German friends of mine have moved to Costa Rica and just about every day they post pictures of many, many birds - beautiful birds, that roam around Costa Rica.
If she really has such a huge bird phobia, she should not go!

1 Reply

@CalamityJane,

Blimey. Not sure if I dare tell her.

Are they fluttery in your face don't move when you walk at them birds?

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@dlowan,

How did she manage to book a trip to Costa Rica without discovering it's famous for its birding? Seriously. One google on Costa Rica and it's birds, birding, birding tours, bird lists ...

1 Reply

@dlowan,

No, I don't think so, they are just around trees and won't bother with people. I'd be much more concerned about these huge geckos and chameleons, or snakes. Birds are a harmless lot there....

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I'm sure the birds in Costa Rica must be better than those rude, loutish Canada geese that cause so much trouble in so many Northern countries. I'm sure your friend will be fine with the well-mannered Costa Rican avians.

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@Blickers,

Hmmmmmm

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@CalamityJane,

CalamityJane wrote:

No, I don't think so, they are just around trees and won't bother with people. I'd be much more concerned about these huge geckos and chameleons, or snakes. Birds are a harmless lot there....

One hopes so.. We all keep trying to get her to let us cure her phobia....she's happy for me to do EMDR but she doesn't want classic exposure therapy

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@ehBeth,

I have no idea.

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@dlowan,

Lots of birds in Costa Rica but they are easily avoided. At some beaches there will be flocks of parrots in the trees but the only time a bird has ever come close to me is on a tour when they are in cages.

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How bird full is Costa Rica? Seriously.

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