12 different habitats and 150 different species of
trees
Palo Verde National Park, with an extension of 13,058
hectares, is situated at the northwest bank of the Tempisque River. Palo
Verde has more than 12 different habitats and has the greatest
ecological diversity in Costa Rica. There you can see freshwater and saltwater lagoons and
marshes, grasslands with black mangroves, mangrove swamps, grasslands
with rough-leaf trees, different kinds of forests and savannahs. In the
park there are more than 150 different species of trees, among them the
Parkisonia Aculeata, which lends its name to the park for the light
green color of its branches.
For Bird-watching fans
Palo Verde contains the largest
concentration of wading birds in all of Central America. Identification
has been made of 279 species of birds and from September to March
several thousand of herons, storks, egrets, grebes, ibis and ducks flock
to the lagoons and surrounding areas to feed and mate. The park also has
the largest nesting colony of blackcrowned night herons in the country.
It is located in the Bird Island, which is part of the Park. Crocodiles
of up to 5 meters in length have been seen on the banks of the Tempisque
river.
Palo Verde National Park is a real attraction for bird-watching fans.