The Formula Behind Birding Itineraries
A large analysis of commercial birding trips in Costa Rica, finds companies balance novelty with deliverability – favouring colourful, range-restricted tropical species that clients are likely to see
The question: what makes a bird “marketable”?
Birdwatching tourism is big business, but which species do companies actually promote – and why? A new analysis of more than 150 Costa Rican tour itineraries, covering over 750 bird species, links what companies advertise to measurable traits such as body size, colour, range size, distribution and vocal appeal. The headline result: itineraries consistently elevate birds that look striking and feel novel, so long as guides can reliably show them to paying clients.
Novelty mattered. Species with small geographic ranges were far more likely to be advertised than widespread birds, tropical distributions were favoured over temperate ones, and evolutionarily distinctive species appeared more often. Crucially, operators also leaned towards species that are commonly encountered in Costa Rica – they sell what they can deliver, rather than over-promising on ultra-difficult targets.
Looks over song
Appearance was a powerful predictor. Larger, visually appealing species showed up on far more itineraries. By contrast, acoustic appeal – how pleasing a species’ calls or songs are – did not reliably boost the chance of being advertised.
Species strongly associated with human-modified habitats (gardens, urban edges, farmland) were mentioned less often, reinforcing a marketing emphasis on “wild” settings and rainforest experiences that match traveller expectations.
Conservation status and nocturnality
Threat category did not predict how often a species appeared in copy, and nocturnal species were no more likely to be highlighted than day-active birds. Practical deliverability and visual charisma outweighed these factors in shaping sales text.
When the analysis focused on itineraries likely aimed at keener birders (longer trips or species-dense pages), signals sharpened further: small ranges, tropical distributions, visual attractiveness and body size all became even more important – suggesting that even specialist audiences respond to beautiful, distinctive birds, provided they’re realistically gettable.
Implications for ethical avitourism
There’s good news here: market interest overlaps with traits often linked to conservation priority (range restriction, evolutionary distinctiveness). But concentrating attention on a narrow set of targets can risk disturbance or site pressure if unmanaged.
Best practice therefore matters – from group sizes and access management to careful, sparing use of playback – alongside channelling tour revenues into local communities and habitat protection so that the birds that sell trips also benefit from them.
The takeaway
Costa Rican itineraries reveal a clear formula: sell the colourful and the local – but only when the chances of success are high. For tour leaders and destination managers, that is a practical roadmap to align marketing with sustainability, so the promise of the brochure matches the experience in the field.
October 2025
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