Over 330 bird species have been recorded around Playa de Oro. These include: 23 species of diurnal raptors (e.g., plumbeous hawk and plumbeous forest-falcon), 15 species of hummingbirds (e.g., tooth-billed hummingbird), 19 species of antbirds (e.g., stub-tailed antbird), 49 species of tyrant flycatchers (e.g., pacific flatbill and western sirystes), and 36 species of tanagers and their allies (e.g., blue-whiskered tanager and golden-chested tanager).

The endemic Pacific Flatbill frequently accompanies the mixed-species bird flocks that a visitor will encounter on hikes trough the forest interior.	The endemic Purple-chested Hummingbird is one of 15 hummingbird species known from Playa de Oro. It is common in the orchard and forest at the lodge.

Playa de Oro holds a good population of the rare and endemic Berlepsch's Tinamou. With luck it might be spotted on the forest floor just a few meters from the lodge.

The Scarlet-breasted Dacnis is present year around in the orchard and forest at the lodge. This spectacular colorful bird is globally threatened and is endemic to the Chocó region.

The Orange-fronted Barbet, a near-threatened Chocó endemic, is regularly observed at forest borders and in the traditional subsistence plantations of Playa de Oro.

Olaf Jahn provided and holds the copyright for all photographs and captions on this web page. He has compiled an extensive list of Playa de Oro's birds and is willing to be contacted by interested birders.

Among the attractive species which Olaf says "can be encountered with some probability by birders" are Berlepsch's tinamou, Baudó guan, indigo-crowned quail dove, rose-faced parrot, Chocó poorwill, Chocó trogon, five-colored barbet, rufous-crowned antpitta, long-wattled umbrellabird, broad-billed sapayoa, and a number of colorful varieties of tanager.

A 2-CD set including vocalizations for many of the species encountered at Playa de Oro is available from John V. Moore Nature Recordings