Common Birds of Costa Rica

Ancient Maya deity and modern conservation icon — the male's 65 cm tail streamers are the most spectacular plumage ornament in the New World, best seen at Cerro de la Muerte in March.

Costa Rica has the healthiest Scarlet Macaw population in Central America, concentrated on the Pacific slope at Carara and Corcovado — paired birds fly in formation at dawn.

The male's explosive metallic call can be heard from 1 km away — three dangling facial wattles are unique in the bird world, and breeding males are among the most bizarre birds on Earth.

A crow-sized cotinga with a massive umbrella-like crest and a bare red throat pouch — one of Costa Rica's most sought-after birds, found in Caribbean lowland forests.

A spectacularly long-tailed jay with a recurved black crest — the signature bird of Guanacaste's dry forest, common at lodges and incredibly bold.

Costa Rica's most photographed bird — the rainbow bill is one of the most outlandish structures evolved by any bird, used for fruit-plucking and thermoregulation.

Two males perform an elaborate cooperative "caterpillar dance" display to court females — one of the most intricate behavioral sequences in the bird world.

Unfolds its wings to reveal enormous sun-like eye patterns when threatened — one of the most dramatic defensive displays of any bird on Earth.