Station Headquarters are 30 kms. from Limón on the road to Cahuita, near the bridge over the River Estrella.
The wide River Estrella, which is 52 kms. long, stands in the foothills of the Matama Range, a region that is almost always cloudy, very humid, rugged and rainy. The river collects the runoff of over 7,000 mm. of rainfall and irrigates the banana plantations of the Estrella Valley. On crossing the plain in search of the Caribbean, it gives rise to a dense network of navigable channels and canals that provide shelter for 180 species of waterfowl, many of which are migratory.
These channels are of great scenic beauty. From time to time native fisherman can be seen in their fragile craft built with local materials, or tiny hamlets appear that have grown up on the edge of the banana plantations. At dusk, flocks of cattle egrets return to roost on the riverbanks. The Caribbean Biological Bird Station protects these ecosystems and provides water transport for those interested in ornithology.