Wildlife · Osa and Corredores, Puntarenas

Osa Rangers Warn of Macaw and Parrot Chick Poaching at Nesting Time

Park rangers in Costa Rica's Osa Conservation Area warned in April 2026 that late March and early April is the busiest time of year for raiding scarlet macaw, parrot and parakeet nests to sell the chicks as pets. A recent case in nearby Laurel de Corredores involved a man allegedly offering more than 10 parrot chicks for sale, and authorities are urging people to report nest raiding and never buy wild birds.

By Pura-Verde.com Editors · Published October 30, 2026
Original report: The Tico Times: Costa Rica Warns of Rising Wildlife Trafficking in Osa During Nesting Season (2026-04-08)

Scarlet macaws flying over the forest are one of the highlights of a trip to the Osa Peninsula on Costa Rica's southern Pacific coast. In early 2026, rangers there warned that macaw and parrot nests are a target. Poachers take chicks from nest cavities to sell as pets, and the pressure peaks in late March and early April, rangers told Teletica on April 7. The Tico Times reported the warning the next day.

What Osa rangers are seeing

According to rangers from the Osa Conservation Area (ACOSA), the part of the national park service, SINAC, that manages the region, nest raiding rises sharply during breeding season, when chicks are still in the nest and easiest to remove. The birds most at risk are scarlet macaws, parrots and parakeets. An unnamed official told Teletica that most of the activity happens along the Fila Costeña, the coastal mountain range that runs inland from the Osa coast.

Teletica's report gave one concrete example. About three weeks before its story, in Laurel, a district of neighboring Corredores canton near the Panama border, a man was found with more than 10 parrot chicks that he was allegedly offering for sale. He wasn't named, and no court outcome had been reported.

The Tico Times headline described the trafficking as "rising." We didn't find data showing a year-over-year increase in Osa. What rangers described is a seasonal peak that comes back every year, which is worrying enough on its own.

Why the pet trade hits macaws so hard

Rangers say demand is the main driver: people still buy wild parrots and macaws as pets. A scarlet macaw can fetch thousands of dollars on the black market, Teletica reported, which makes a single nest worth a lot of risk to a poacher.

For the birds, the cost is far higher than one chick. Macaws are long-lived, raise few young and depend on large old trees with cavities, which are scarce. Each nest that's stripped is a breeding season lost for that pair, and fewer young birds join the next generation. SINAC describes the scarlet macaw as endangered in Costa Rica, and parrots as the bird order with more threatened species than any other, El Observador reported in 2024.

Osa matters because it's one of the scarlet macaw's main strongholds in Costa Rica, home to Corcovado National Park and the Isla del Caño Biological Reserve. Macaws once lived on both coasts of the country but now survive mainly on the Pacific side. Our guide to saving Costa Rica's macaws, sloths and other wildlife covers the people working to bring them back.

What the law says

Costa Rica's Wildlife Conservation Law (Law 7317), passed in 1992, gives SINAC authority over the wildlife trade and bans trafficking in endangered species or those with reduced populations unless they come from an authorized breeding or management site. Taking, keeping and selling wild birds like these is illegal. Teletica reported that fines under the law range from about ¢800,000 to ¢2.8 million, and cases are sent to the Public Ministry, the national prosecutor's office.

The national picture

Osa's warning fits a wider pattern. On World Wildlife Day in March 2026, the Public Ministry said more than 1,000 wild animals are taken illegally from their habitats in Costa Rica every year, for the pet trade, private collections or export, Delfino.cr reported. In July 2026, the Judicial Investigation Agency's forensic biology unit reported 4,366 plant and animal specimens seized at major airports and border posts in 2024 and 2025, including parrot eggs, according to Delfino.cr.

Police, prosecutors, customs officers and environmental staff have been getting more joint training to handle these cases. In April 2026, Humane World for Animals Costa Rica and the National Environmental Security Commission trained 150 officials in handling confiscated wildlife, which we cover in our story on that training. Prosecutors also say more of the trade is moving onto social media, as we explain in our story on online wildlife trafficking.

What you can do

• Don't buy a wild bird, ever, even if the seller says it was "rescued." Osa authorities stress that buying a wild bird doesn't save it; it pays for the next nest raid.
• Report it. SINAC asks people to report nest raiding, birds for sale or birds kept in cages through its environmental complaints system or the nearest conservation area office.
• Support legal rescue. Injured or orphaned birds should go to authorized wildlife rescue centers, which you can find on our wildlife rescue map or in our guide to wildlife rescue centers.
• Watch from a distance. If a guide shows you an active nest, keep back, keep quiet and never share its location online.

Frequently asked questions

When do scarlet macaws nest in Costa Rica?

Scarlet macaws nest during the dry season in the first months of the year. In Osa, rangers say chick poaching peaks in late March and early April, when chicks are still in the nest.

Is it legal to keep a parrot or macaw as a pet in Costa Rica?

Taking or buying wild parrots and macaws is illegal under Costa Rica's Wildlife Conservation Law unless the bird comes from an authorized breeding or management site. Fines run from about ¢800,000 to ¢2.8 million, according to Teletica.

Where can you see scarlet macaws in the wild in Costa Rica?

The Osa Peninsula, including Corcovado National Park, and the Central Pacific around Carara National Park are the best-known areas for wild scarlet macaws.

How many wild animals are trafficked in Costa Rica each year?

The Public Ministry said in March 2026 that more than 1,000 wild animals are illegally taken from their habitats each year in Costa Rica.

Sources and original reporting

1. The Tico Times: Costa Rica Warns of Rising Wildlife Trafficking in Osa During Nesting Season (2026-04-08)
2. Teletica: Hasta $3.000 por una lapa: el negocio ilegal que amenaza la biodiversidad en Osa (2026-04-07)
3. Delfino.cr: Más de mil animales silvestres se trafican de manera ilegal al año en Costa Rica (2026-03-05)
4. Humane World for Animals: Costa Rican authorities trained on proper handling of confiscated wildlife (2026-04-16)
5. Delfino.cr: Autoridades costarricenses decomisaron más de 4.300 especímenes de flora y fauna entre 2024 y 2025 (2026-07-31)
6. El Observador: Lapas, loras y pericos entran en temporada de anidación (2024-12-06)
7. CMS: Wildlife Conservation Law No. 7317 (Costa Rica)

We wrote this story from the published reports and official sources above. We didn't interview the people named unless the story says so.