Discover the 16 Most Colorful Birds of Costa Rica

Central America is home to an abundance of colourful birds, together with those who make their home in Costa Rica. Why are these birds so colourful? Mostly, in keeping with biologists, to draw mates. You’ll discover that many (however not all) colourful birds are male, and the females are usually a bit drab. Not solely does the male coloration entice females, however it might additionally entice would-be predators. It’s higher {that a} predator take off after a floridly coloured male than discover a nest filled with eggs or dependent chicks! Here are 16 colourful birds of Costa Rica.

1. Lovely Cotinga

You’ll discover this beautiful chicken in Costa Rica’s tropical forests. Adults are about 7.5 inches lengthy. The male sports activities sapphire blue plumage whereas the feminine is dun coloured with a noticed breast and stomach. He additionally has a purple bib and a big splash of purple on the breast, with black flight feathers edged in blue. The chicken’s tail fathers are additionally black however coated with blue higher tail coverts. The beautiful cotinga is a largely silent chicken, however its wings make a rattling sound because the chicken flies. Though its inhabitants has been affected by deforestation, the conservation standing of this elusive chicken stays least concern.

2. Vermilion Flycatcher

The males of this little chicken are sensible purple or vermilion on their crowns and their underparts. Their faces, ear coverts and the again of their neck are deep brown as are their tails and the tops of their wings. The females are largely grey, although their underparts flip pink. The vermilion flycatcher is about 5.12 to five.51 inches lengthy and weighs between 0.40 to 0.50 ounces. It will get its identify as a result of it snatches flying bugs out of the air throughout sallies from one department to the opposite.

The vermilion flycatcher lives in open areas akin to farms, savannas, and dry scrubland. During the breeding season, the male begins to build a nest and tries to entice females to it. If she accepts, she’ll end the nest and lay two to 4 eggs. The eggs hatch after 13 to fifteen days and the chicks fledge 13 to fifteen days after that. The feminine incubates the eggs, and the male feeds her. Later, each dad and mom feed the chicks a eating regimen of largely caterpillars. Vermilion flycatchers reside about 5.5 years and their conservation standing is least concern.

3. Rufous Tailed Jacamar

This colourful chicken, Galbula ruficauda appears very very like a hummingbird, however it’s an insectivore. In the case of this chicken, each sexes are somewhat colourful. One subspecies has a metallic inexperienced dorsal aspect, a largely inexperienced dorsal aspect, with a band of inexperienced throughout the breast. The male’s throat is white whereas the feminine’s is buff, and her dorsal space is slightly paler. In one other species the again is coppery. As the identify says, the chicken’s tail is rufous coloured beneath.

The chicken waits on a limb with its lengthy invoice tilted up. When an insect flies by, the chicken flies out to catch it. Its favourite prey is a wasp known as Agelaia vicina. These wasps are identified for his or her enormous colonies. Rufous tailed jacamars additionally eat different flying bugs akin to bees, butterflies, and dragonflies. They are in a position to inform which butterflies are palatable and that are poisonous simply from the insect’s form. The rufous tailed jacamar’s conservation standing is least concern.

4. Red-capped Manakin

This little chicken, which is simply 4 inches lengthy and weighs little greater than half an oz, is known for the male’s courtship show. Basically, he woos a feminine by moonwalking forwards and backwards on a department. He is a deep black save his head and the again of his neck, each of that are sensible purple. His thighs are yellow, as are his chin and the linings of his wings. He additionally has startling white irises. The feminine is a shade of olive inexperienced with some yellow-green beneath, and her irises are brown.

This chicken is present in Costa Rica’s woods and humid forests and eats fruit. Because of this, red-capped manakins assist to repopulate the forests because of the seeds discovered of their droppings.

5. Painted Bunting

The painted bunting is a kind of cardinal. One subspecies, Passerinaciris pallidior, breeds in Ecuador. It’s present in open areas with a smattering of thickets and brush.

This chicken is between 4.72 to five.12 inches lengthy and weighs between 0.46 and 0.67 ounces. The male’s plumage is a phenomenal mixture of vibrant blue on the pinnacle and again of the neck, bronzy inexperienced again, and purple throat and ventral space. The females have a darkish inexperienced dorsal space and are yellowish inexperienced beneath. Both female and male have darkish toes, legs, and eyes.

During the breeding season the feminine painted bunting builds the nest then lays a median of 4 eggs. She’ll incubate them for 11 days and is the one dad or mum who cares for the chicks, who fledge about two weeks after they hatch. Painted buntings usually have two broods a 12 months, a few month aside. Catching these birds for the pet commerce was once commonplace, however is now unlawful despite the fact that some poaching happens. Despite habitat loss, the conservation standing of the painted bunting is least concern.

6. Rosy Thrush Tanager

This colourful chicken of Costa Rica lives in tropical or subtropical forests and disturbed areas that was once forests. It’s about 8 inches lengthy, and the male has a brown-black higher physique, dusky flanks, and his ventral components and the forefront of the wings are magenta. He additionally has a pink and white streak above his eye. The chicken is shy however notable for its lovely music, and pairs usually duet. As far as scientists comprehend it’s the one tanager that does this. The rosy thrush tanager is omnivorous and in Costa Rica its breeding season lasts from winter to late summer season. Its conservation standing is least concern.

7. Blue Grosbeak

Named for the male’s lapis lazuli feathers and the massive, nut cracking invoice shared by each sexes, some populations of this chicken winter in Costa Rica whereas others reside there year-long. They want areas with low rising shrubs or timber, often on the edges of woods or forests.

Blue grosbeaks are between 5.9 and 6.3 inches lengthy and weigh between 0.92 and 1.09 ounces. Besides the predominantly blue feathers, the males’ main flight feathers are black, and so they have brown wing bars on the covert feathers and a streak of brown from their beak to their eye. Females are basic brown with a number of blue feathers and largely black wings. They are those who build the nests through the April to August breeding season.

Hens lay three to 5 eggs. The male feeds her as she incubates the eggs for 11 to 12 days. Both dad and mom feed the chicks, and so they fledge as early as 9 or 10 days after they hatch. Blue grosbeaks usually breed twice a 12 months, and the feminine builds one other nest for the following brood. Interestingly, this time the male takes essentially the most care of the chicks. Blue grosbeaks most likely reside rather less than six years, and their conservation standing is least concern.

8. Indigo Bunting

You’ll discover the attractive indigo bunting in Costa Rica through the winter. Related to the cardinal, it’s slightly chicken between 4.5 and 5.9 inches lengthy with a 7 to 9 inch wingspan, and weighs between 0.40 and .075 of an oz. The male’s blue feathers are particularly vivid through the breeding season, however in Costa Rica his plumage is a little more subdued, and edged with brown. The feminine is brown on a regular basis.

The indigo bunting prefers open woods and the sides of forests and farms. They want areas the place forests have been cleared. The chicken migrates at night time and makes use of the celebrities to information it. After it arrives at its winter habitat, the indigo bunting feeds in flocks on the bottom and largely eats grass seeds, buds and bugs. Its conservation standing is least concern.

9. Hummingbirds

Costa Rica has a wealth of jewel-toned hummingbirds. Some of the extra colourful are:

• Coppery headed emerald, which is simply present in Costa Rica
• Green-crowned sensible
• Purple throated mountaingem
• Sapphire-throated hummingbird
• Fiery-throated hummingbird
• Garden emerald
• Canivet’s emerald
• Coppery-headed emerald
• Violet sabrewing
• Ruby-throated hummingbird
• Green hermit
• Blue-vented hummingbird

Hummingbirds belong to the Apodiformes order and largely sip nectar from often funnel formed flowers. Indeed, there are hummingbirds whose payments have developed to drink from just one kind of flower. Specialized bones of their wings and highly effective muscle mass let hummingbirds hover within the air and even fly backwards.

10. Green Honeycreeper

The solely member of the Chlorophanes genus, each the male and the feminine of this tanager are colourful. The feminine is shades of vibrant inexperienced, whereas the male is blue inexperienced, with an iridescent black head and a vibrant yellow, barely curved beak. The chicken is about 5.1 to five.5 inches lengthy and weighs between 0.49 and 0.81 of an oz. You’ll discover them in Costa Rica’s forest cover. It will get its identify as a result of it eats nectar, but it surely additionally eats fruit, seeds, and bugs. There are seven subspecies of the inexperienced honeycreeper, and its conservation standing is least concern.

11. Roseate Spoonbill

This massive wading chicken is thought for its lengthy spatulate invoice and its splendidly pink feathers. You’ll discover it in brackish marshes and mangroves.

The roseate spoonbill is 32 inches lengthy, has a 47 to 52 inch wingspan and often weighs between 2.28 and 4.0 kilos. It has a naked inexperienced head that turns golden through the breeding season. The again, breast and higher neck are white, and the remainder of the chicken ranges in shade from sugar pink to deep carmine. Unlike a number of the birds talked about right here, women and men look alike. The roseate spoonbill’s shade comes from its eating regimen. This consists of crustaceans, bugs, minnows, and a few plant materials scooped out of muddy water by its beak.

The chicken can also be identified for building enormous nests in timber or shrubs, the place the hen lays a median of three eggs that hatch after round 23 days. The roseate spoonbill was once hunted aggressively for its feathers, however now its conservation standing is least concern.

12. Purple Gallinule

This chicken is called a lot for its enormous yellow toes as its colourful plumage. It’s a kind of rail, often 10 to fifteen inches lengthy and weighing between 5.0 and 10.8 ounces, with the males a bit bigger than the females. They have purplish blue feathers that flip emerald inexperienced or turquoise when the solar strikes them. Their foreheads bear a blue protect and their invoice is vibrant purple on the again and yellow on the tip. The measurement of their toes helps them walk over floating vegetation within the watery habitat the place they reside. Purple gallinules even build their nests on the water. They’re omnivores and eat terrestrial and aquatic crops in addition to small invertebrates, bugs and their larvae, and frogs. Purple gallinules aren’t above robbing the nests of different birds for his or her eggs or chicks.

13. Scarlet Macaw

One of essentially the most colourful birds on earth, the scarlet macaw appears like somebody artfully tossed cans of main shade paint throughout it. Found in Costa Rica’s tropical rainforest, this chicken’s head and shoulders are scarlet, and there’s vibrant yellow and blue on their wing feathers and blue on the tail feathers. There are white feathers on the chicken’s face round yellow eyes. The high of the scarlet macaw’s beak is mild coloured whereas the underside is black as are its toes and legs. These birds are about 35 inches lengthy, and between one third and one half of that size is the macaw’s spectacular tail.

Scarlet macaws have a eating regimen of fruit and nuts, and so they usually eat fruit earlier than they’re ripe. Their enormous payments are in a position to tear by way of unripe fruit and crack nuts. Not solely this, they’ve a mechanism inside their beaks that permit them to grind nuts and seeds. These parrots additionally eat clay discovered at river banks to assist them digest unripe fruit.

They weigh about 2.64 kilos on common. Males and females look alike, and so they mate for all times. They’re additionally devoted dad and mom, and although they will breed all 12 months, they gained’t begin one other household till the earlier brood is unbiased. This can take one to 2 years. Scarlet macaws are able to breed after they’re between two and 4 years old. They reside so long as 50 years within the wild and so long as 75 years in captivity. Though their inhabitants is below stress from habitat destruction and poaching, the conservation standing of the wondrous scarlet macaw is least concern.

14. Turquoise-browed Motmot

This chicken is discovered on the sides of forests, pastures and scrublands. If you’re in Costa Rica, you might even see it perching on fences or phone wires because it appears out for potential prey akin to worms, lizards, beetles, caterpillars and different invertebrates. These birds want to reside in rocky crevices and terraces, and so they dig burrows into sandy river banks. These burrows are used as nests through the breeding season and could be as a lot as 8 toes lengthy.

The turquoise browed motmot is about 13 inches lengthy and weighs slightly over 2 ounces. The male is a bit bigger than the feminine. Its physique is generally grayish blue or olive inexperienced, although there are areas of chestnut on the again and the stomach. It has a patch of black on its throat that’s edged in blue, and the flight feathers and the higher a part of the tail are additionally blue. The lengthy tail ends in rackets on the finish of naked shafts. The rackets are there for each courtship and to let a predator know that the chicken has seen it and chasing it’s futile. Both sexes have rackets, however the male’s tail is longer. The motmot will get its identify from the turquoise blue line above its eye. Its conservation standing is least concern.

15. Resplendent Quetzal

You’ll discover this extraordinary chicken in tropical and cloud forests within the mountains. The males have sensational plumage of iridescent inexperienced and the feathers change shade relying on the angle and high quality of the sunshine. The chicken’s decrease breast and stomach are purple, it has a crest, its undertail is white, its inside wings are black, and its tail coverts are terribly lengthy. They could be as a lot as 3 toes lengthy in a chicken that’s in any other case the scale of a pigeon. Females are not at all uninteresting, however they’re not as vibrant because the male. They lack a crest and their tail is shorter. The chicken’s feathers are additionally thick to guard its delicate pores and skin. The colours of this colourful chicken from Costa Rica are to not delight people however to camouflage it within the tropical rain forest.

Resplendent quetzals are largely fructivorous, although they will additionally eat bugs, frogs, snails, and small reptiles. Still, they’re keen on fruit from the laurel household. They can swallow these fruits complete after which spit out the pits and seeds. There are two subspecies of the resplendent quetzal, and Pharomachrus mocinno costaricensis is, as its identify says, present in Costa Rica. The conservation standing of this wonderful chicken is close to threatened.

For a very long time it was believed that the resplendent quetzal merely couldn’t be held in captivity, for it at all times died, and it turned a logo of freedom to many. It was then found that the chicken couldn’t tolerate the iron discovered within the water it was given to drink. Birds survived after their eating regimen was corrected.

16. Keel-billed Toucan

How does this chicken handle to hold its huge, rainbow coloured invoice? It’s as a result of the invoice, product of hole bone and keratin, is light-weight. It’s about 4.7 to five.9 inches lengthy, and the remainder of the chicken is between 14 and 18 inches lengthy. The keel-billed toucan will get its identify as a result of the sides of the invoice have ridges that resemble enamel. The chicken’s feathers are largely deep black, with a vibrant yellow bib and purple on the finish of its tail. its toes are blue and the invoice has splashes of inexperienced, purple, orange, and purple. Males and females look alike however males are slightly bigger. You’ll discover the keel-billed toucan on the sides of forests and in lowland forests in Costa Rica.

This toucan eats primarily fruit but it surely additionally takes small reptiles, tree frogs and bugs and isn’t above stealing the eggs and chicks of different birds. It both spits up bigger seeds or lets smaller ones cross undamaged by way of its digestive tract, which helps repopulate the forest. Like the resplendent quetzal, it’s delicate to an excessive amount of iron in its eating regimen. The keel-billed toucan is the nationwide chicken not of Costa Rica however of Belize. Its conservation standing is close to threatened because of habitat loss and poaching.

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