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The Yiguirro (Turdus grayi) |
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How a Clay-colored Robin Became Costa Rica's National Bird
“That's Costa Rica's national bird? What about the toucan, the macaw or a hummingbird?" Such a reaction would be natural for a first-time visitor to Costa Rica upon learning that the clay-colored robin, one of the most nondescript of Costa Rica's nearly 900 bird species, is indeed a national symbol. Yet the clay-colored robin carries a special place in the hearts, and in the ears, of every Costa Rican.
 The Yiguirro (Turdus grayi) The male claycolored robin sings an upbeat, melodious tune to attract its mate. Since breeding coincides with the onset of the rainy season, Ticos associate the song with the coming rains and the fertility of the Costa Rican soil. For farmers walking to their verdant fields on a clear tropical morning, the song of the claycolored robin is as much a part of life as coffee, fresh air and gollo pinto.
This special place in the country's folklore led to the claycolored robin's adoption by law as the national bird in 1977. According to the law, anyone killing or keeping a claycolored robin in captivity would be subject to a fine of 100 to 500 colones, a considerable sum at the time.
Thanks in part to such conservation, claycolored robins can be seen and heard throughout Costa Rica, in fields and forests and at backyard bird feeders in the city and country alike.
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Ecotourism and Nature 
