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Toucan guide

Where to See Toucans in Costa Rica (and Which Species You'll Find)

Six species, from the rainbow-billed keel-billed toucan to the small emerald toucanet. Here's where to find each one, town by town, and the local guides who know the fruiting trees, compared and ranked.

By Lior, wildlife photographer and guide from Guanacaste

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Reserve with a 25% deposit on secure WeTravel checkout · Refundable up to 60 days before trips, 48 h before day tours

The short answer

Where
Sarapiquí, La Fortuna, Tortuguero, Manuel Antonio
Caribbean lowlands and the south Pacific
When
All year, best early morning
They nest in tree holes from about February to June
How many species?
Six
Two toucans, two aracaris, two toucanets
Are there toco toucans?
No
They live in South America; here you only see them in rescue centres.

Lyferr is a marketplace

We don’t run tours. Licensed local guides and operators list them, we rank them openly, and you reserve through Lyferr’s secure checkout on WeTravel.

How it works

Sighting odds

How likely you are to see toucans, spot by spot

Some places give you very good odds of toucans on a morning walk. Here's the honest picture for a half-day walk with a local guide.

SpotChance
SarapiquíCaribbean lowlandsKeel-billed, Yellow-throated, AracarisAlmost certain
La FortunaNorthern plainsKeel-billed, Collared aracariAlmost certain
TortugueroNorth CaribbeanKeel-billed, Yellow-throatedAlmost certain
Puerto ViejoSouth CaribbeanKeel-billed, Yellow-throatedLikely
Manuel AntonioCentral PacificYellow-throated, Fiery-billed aracariLikely
Osa PeninsulaSouth PacificYellow-throated, Fiery-billed aracariLikely
MonteverdeCloud forestEmerald toucanetLikely
CararaCentral PacificFiery-billed aracariGood chance

Our local guides' estimate. As guests report what they saw on Lyferr tours, these become measured rates.

Each tour page shows what guests actually saw, once reports come in.

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Town by town

Can you see toucans where you're staying?

Species expert program

Find a certified Toucan Expert

Lyferr certifies guides one species at a time. A Toucan Expert has the strongest proven record on Lyferr for finding and photographing toucans, which makes them your best odds for a good sighting and a good shot.

  1. 175+ logged toucan tripsCounted on Lyferr for this species only, not for wildlife tours in general.
  2. 290%+ composite scoreSighting success, cross-checked with public sighting records, weighted with traveller ratings of the guide's species knowledge.
  3. 3Earned species by speciesA guide can hold several badges. Each one is earned on its own and kept once earned.

How guides move up, one species at a time

  1. 01EmergingUnder 20 trips
  2. 02Skilled20+ trips · 60%+ score
  3. 03Specialist40+ trips · 75%+ score
  4. 04Species Expert75+ trips · 90%+ score
Founding experts

At launch, we award Founding Expert badges to guides with several years of premium tours focused on this species. Each one is confirmed or removed once the guide has logged 20 trips on Lyferr. After that, the badge is earned with logged trips and score.

No guide can promise a sighting. The badge shows the strongest track record for this species, not a guarantee.

See Toucan Expert guides

Day tours from local guides

Compare toucan tours from local guides

Day tours run by independent local guides, all held to the no-touch, no-feeding standard.

Ranked by sighting success, verified reviews and licence

Toucans tours from local guides are being added. Tell us your dates and where you’re staying, and we’ll match you with a guide.

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  • Clear refunds

    up to 60 days before trips, 48 h before day tours, on every booking made through Lyferr. Booking fee (11% of the price) excluded.

  • Reserve with 25%

    secure checkout on WeTravel, the rest paid before your tour

  • Group size, upfront

    every listing shows its maximum group size

  • Your guide, confirmed

    guide's name and WhatsApp arrive in your booking confirmation

  • Real reviews

    only travellers who booked can review

How booking works

  1. 1Pick a tour or trip on Lyferr
  2. 2Choose your date and pay the 25% deposit on WeTravel
  3. 3The guide confirms within 24 h. Their WhatsApp arrives with your confirmation

Prices are set by each guide. The 25% deposit includes Lyferr’s booking fee (11% of the price), shown before you pay. Each card opens the tour’s booking page on WeTravel.

How to tell them apart

Toucan, aracari or toucanet?

Six species, plus one that isn't here. Start with the bill colour and the size.

  • Rainbow bill

    Keel-billed toucan

    Caribbean lowlands, Arenal

  • Biggest

    Yellow-throated toucan

    Caribbean side and south Pacific

  • Black collar

    Collared aracari

    Caribbean and north Pacific lowlands

  • Orange-red bill

    Fiery-billed aracari

    South Pacific only

  • All green

    Emerald toucanet

    Cloud forest

  • Hard to find

    Yellow-eared toucanet

    Caribbean foothills

  • Myth

    Toco toucan

    Not wild in Costa Rica

The toco toucan is South American. If you see one in Costa Rica, it lives in a rescue centre.

Want to see the wild ones? Go with a local guide who knows the fruiting trees.

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When to go

When is the best time to see toucans?

All year. Toucans don't migrate, so the hour matters most: they call and feed from first light to about 9 am. From about February to June they nest in tree holes, and a guide may know an active one to watch from a distance.

Why a guide matters

How guides find more toucans

You'll hear toucans on your own. A good guide gets you a clear view by:

  • Knowing the calls: most forest birds are heard long before they're seen.
  • Knowing which trees are fruiting this month, and which birds will come to them.
  • Keeping a list for you, with the names in English and Spanish.
  • Carrying a spotting scope, so a speck in the canopy becomes a bird you can see.

Not sure where to go? Send us your dates and where you're staying, and we'll suggest the right guide.

Ask Lyferr a question
FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS

Best light is 5:30 to 8:30 am, which is also when toucans call and feed most.

Ethical wildlife watching

Birds first, photos second

Is playing bird calls OK?

Use it sparingly or not at all. Playing calls stresses birds, especially in nesting season, and some parks ban it. Good guides find birds by ear instead.

Never use playback for quetzals, owls or any bird near a nest.

Short answer: no

Can you feed wild birds?

Not in national parks. Fruit feeders at private lodges bring toucans close, and they're where most toucan photos come from.

Never pay to hold or pose with a toucan. Real rescue centres don't offer it.

See toucans in the wild with a local guide

Find a no-touch guide

The sound of the forest

What's that croaking?

Often it isn't a frog: it's a keel-billed toucan. Its call is a dry, frog-like croak, repeated from a high branch.

The yellow-throated toucan yelps "dios te dé, te dé", which gave it its Spanish name. Aracaris give sharp, high calls as small groups move through.

Mornings are when toucans call most.

See morning walks

Not booking yet?

Take the toucan ID sheet with you

One printable page: all six species, how to tell them apart, the 10 spots and when they nest. Sent to your inbox.

No spam. One email with the PDF.

Toucan facts people ask about

  • 6toucan species live in Costa Rica
  • Dawnis when toucans call most
  • 0wild toco toucans in Costa Rica
  • Fruitis most of their diet, plus insects and eggs
  • Dios-te-déthe yellow-throated toucan, named after its call

Who wrote this

Lior, founder of Lyferr

Wildlife photographer and guide who grew up in Guanacaste, and a finalist in the Sony World Photography Awards and Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Lior has spent years photographing Costa Rica's toucans, from keel-billed toucans in Sarapiquí to fiery-billed aracaris on the south Pacific. This guide is what he tells friends before they go.

  • Sony World Photography Awards finalist
  • Wildlife Photographer of the Year finalist
  • Born in Guanacaste

How we rank guides and operators

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How many toucan species are in Costa Rica?

Six: the keel-billed and yellow-throated toucans, the collared and fiery-billed aracaris, and the emerald and yellow-eared toucanets. The yellow-throated toucan used to be called the chestnut-mandibled or black-mandibled toucan.

Does Lyferr run the tours?

No. Lyferr is a marketplace. Licensed local guides and tour operators list their tours here, and we rank them by sighting success, reviews and client experience (and photography expertise for photo tours). You book and pay the deposit through Lyferr, and the operator you choose runs the tour.

Where is the best place to see toucans in Costa Rica?

The Caribbean lowlands around Sarapiquí, La Fortuna and Tortuguero, and the south Pacific around Manuel Antonio and Osa.

What is the best time of year to see toucans?

Any month. They're easiest when trees are fruiting and in the nesting season, roughly February to June.

What time of day are toucans most active?

From first light to about 9 am, and again in the late afternoon.

How much does a toucan tour cost?

Group birding walks start at about $40 to $70 per person, and a private guide costs about $150 to $250 a day. Every tour on Lyferr shows its price before you book.

Are there toco toucans in Costa Rica?

No. The toco toucan, the big one with the orange bill, lives in South America. In Costa Rica you'll only see one in a rescue centre.

What do toucans eat?

Mostly fruit, plus insects, lizards, eggs and sometimes the nestlings of other birds.

Can you see sloths and toucans on the same tour?

Yes. Morning walks in Sarapiquí, La Fortuna, Puerto Viejo and Manuel Antonio often find both.

What are toucans called in Spanish?

Tucán. The yellow-throated toucan is also called "Dios-te-dé", after its call, and the fiery-billed aracari is the cusingo.

Keep exploring

More Costa Rica wildlife

Most trips combine two or three of these. Each guide covers where, when and the local guides who know them.

Often on the same tour

Wildlife by town

Guides