PALO VERDE NATIONAL PARK
COSTA RICA
LOCALE
| Area (ha): | 13,058 |
| # Species: | 349 |
| # Excl Vagrants: | 349 |
| # Endemics: | 3 |
| # Near Endemics: | 1 |
| Species/100 ha: | 2.7 |
| Habitat: Floodplain, marshes, tropical dry forest | |
ABOUT THE BIRDING
Palo Verde National Park protects a vast area of the Tempisque River basin in northwestern Costa Rica. It encompasses 13 different habitat zones, making it one of the most biologically diverse areas in Costa Rica. The park is relatively inaccessible, reachable mainly by boat and 3 well-maintained hiking trails that reach to the interior all the way to the Rio Tempisque and Rio Barbados. The wetlands are home to crocodiles wallowing on the muddy riverbanks and myriads of waterbirds including the Jabiru. The park is also home to the only nesting colony of Scarlet Macaws in the drier northwestern part of Costa Rica.
LOCATION OF SITE
Palo Verde National Park is reached in several ways. Boat trips down the Rio Bebedero can be arranged in Las Canas, about a 2½ hour drive north from San Jose. Boat trips can also be arranged at Hacienda La Ensenada near Puntarenas. The Palo Verde Biological Station is further north and is reached via dirt road about 23 miles southwest of Bagaces, which is some 20 miles north of Las Canas.