The Clay-Colored Thrush

Also locally known as the yiguirro, the clay-colored thrush is the national bird of Costa Rica since January 1977. It was previously named as the clay-colored robin but scientists later modified its family to thrush. These birds can be found almost anywhere in the country.

The National Bird of Costa Rica

The clay-colored thrush measures about nine inches tall. Both male and female show yellow-brown feathers, a faintly striped neck, and yellow-green bills. These birds stand out with their pudgy cream-colored stomach. Like any other thrushes and robins, these tiny birds hop and flick their tails when they land.

These small birds were selected as the national bird for a lot of reasons. First, they’re close to the humans, which makes them very popular and thus mentioned in a lot of folk songs and literature. The males are also known to give a beautiful serenade during the mating season (April to June). The farmers take this sweet tune as the first indication of coming rains.

If you liked this, and want to learn more about Costa Rica wildlife, check out the various monkey species in Costa Rica!