Birding Costa Rica Focus On the Resplendent Quetzal
By Lindell Haggin, Majestic Feathers Tour Participant March 2010

In preparation for a birding trip to an exotic place like Costa Rica, most birders will get a field guide, peruse it carefully and determine some “target” birds that you just cannot do without. One of the target birds of basically every birder that goes to Costa Rica is the Resplendent Quetzal. This bird lives in the cloud forest at higher elevations. It was worshipped by the Mayans and for good reason. The Resplendent Quetzal is the most elegant of the trogons to be found. The male is 14 inches long with Emerald green head, back and throat. The chest and abdomen shades from maroon to bright red. The most striking feature though are the tail coverts. Typically, the tail coverts are short little feathers that cover the insertion of the tail feathers. In the Resplendent Quetzal these four striking blue-green feathers are 25 inches (or more) long extending well beyond the end of the tail. When sitting on an open branch, they flow elegantly in the breeze. When inside the nest hole the ends extend out, wafting in the air currents surrounding the tree.

Quetzals are found in the cloud forest. The cloud forest is found where the cooler temperatures of the higher elevation meet the moisture from the lower elevations. Their favorite food source is the native artichoke tree. The fruits on these trees are about 1 inch in diameter. Global climate change and habitat destruction are both having negative impacts on these birds.

Our best chance of seeing them is in the headwaters of the Savegre River, elevation 7000 feet. Long sleeved t-shirts and a fleece jacket in the morning actually feel good. What a change from the coastal areas - 82°F and 82% humidity. We get a ride up to the 9000 foot level to start our birding for the day. This is an old growth oak forest, quite open in the understory. We hike a rugged loop back to the jeep trail. While on the hike we come across a “pilot” bird leading its mixed band of birds. The “pilot” typically is a Tanager of some species finding food at locations along a circuit. Various birds join the flock for a period of time and then drop out whenever they feel the need. It’s really quite exciting to have all this activity of every color and size of bird surrounding you.

In order to get to the Quetzal nest, we need to hike about 600 meters up the jeep trail. Due to endurance level and distractions (birds in the bushes) people arrive at the nest site over a period of time. The first two of us arrive at what appears to be an empty nest hole, high up in a dead tree. Since the Quetzal does not have a very strong bill, the trees have to be fairly rotten for them to excavate a nest hole. The opening is about 5-6 inches in diameter. I see two such holes about 18 inches apart from one another and focus on the top hole. After sitting and waiting for five minutes or more I see some movement from the right and Kike, our bus driver and bird spotter, whispers, “It’s the Quetzal.” I see it perch at the lower hole for a few seconds and then it disappears inside. It’s carrying food, which means the eggs have hatched and there should be a more active pattern of movement of the adults. After 10-15 minutes everyone else has arrived at the site. It’s easy to tell which hole is occupied as the “tail” feathers are extending 12-14 inches out of the hole. Now we have 10 or more people standing around looking up expectantly with binoculars and/or camera at the ready, hoping to get a view of this elegant bird. Occasionally, someone whispers to their neighbor or looks down at their watch to see how much time has passed. Despite the great variety of birds in the area, there are remarkably few bird songs to disrupt the silence. After almost an hour someone notices some movement to the left. It’s the female and she’s carrying food. She gives a quiet signal to the male that she has arrived. Soon we see his green head and shoulders sticking out the hole. I’m afraid he’s going to disappear as quickly as he arrived, so try to imprint his image into my memory. After a minute or so he flies out of the hole and she quickly flies in. Fortunately, he stays in the area moving to several different perches. One of the perches is a bare branch that hangs out over the valley. He is sitting with his back to us, the sun making its back gleam. His tail hangs elegantly in the breeze which blows the feathers in slow lazy circles. It is an image to remember for a lifetime. The Quetzal then flies off to gather more food as does the female after spending less than five minutes in the hole. After quiet exclamations at the marvelous site, we begin our hike down to our lodge. What a morning, a truly religious experience.

The next day we start off early for our next destination. Before we had traveled very far on the dirt road, we notice a number of people in the road all peering to one side. Our small bus pulls to the side and we join the throng. Apparently there is another Quetzal nesting site nearby. Both male and female birds are frantically being pointed out. Another guide is whistling incessantly, apparently imitating the call of the Quetzal. Rather than elegant and resplendent, the birds looked harassed. I can’t imagine them nesting at this site again.

Being in the midst of that sighting makes me appreciate the quality of our tour. Edwin guides us expertly in a variety of habitats locating an incredible range of species. If I’m not able to locate the bird with my binoculars, Edwin quickly has it in the spotting scope for everyone to see. The respect for the birds and their habitat is evident every time we go out. We saw almost 400 species on this trip, there are still more than 400 more to enjoy the next time around.