Clay-colored Thrush

Our first Costa Rican bird was this Clay-colored Thrush in the garden of our first hotel, The Bougainvillea on the outskirts of San Jose. We arrived late, after our airport ordeals. Many of our companions were surprised that this thrush, despite all the stunning birds of the country, is the National Bird of Costa Rica.

This thrush is found from the Rio Grande Valley south through Central America to northern South America. The males’ songs are like those of American Robins, but “smoother, clearer, mellower, and more melodious” (Handbook of Birds of the World—Alive). In Costa Rica, Clay-colored Thrushes are commonly kept as cage-birds, despite their being the National Bird.