Costa Rica’s national bird is the yigüirro, or clay-colored thrush (Turdus grayi), a plain brown songbird about the size of an American robin. It was named the national bird in 1977 for its song, which Costa Ricans link to the arrival of the rains, and for how close it lives to people.
Most visitors guess the toucan or the resplendent quetzal. The real answer is a bird you’ll probably see on your first morning, hopping across a hotel lawn or singing from a rooftop in San José. Here’s why it was chosen, how to recognize it, when to hear it and where to look.
| Costa Rica national bird | At a glance |
|---|---|
| Common names | Yigüirro (yee-GWEE-roh); clay-colored thrush; clay-colored robin |
| Scientific name | Turdus grayi |
| National bird since | January 3, 1977 (Law No. 6031) |
| Size | 23 to 27 cm (9 to 10.6 inches) |
| Look | Brown above, paler buff below, yellowish-green bill, reddish eyes |
| When it sings most | Late dry season into the early rainy season, roughly March to July |
| Where to see it | Gardens, parks, farms and towns across most of the country |
The choice
Why Is the Yigüirro Costa Rica’s National Bird?
Costa Rica declared the yigüirro its national bird on January 3, 1977. Two reasons usually come up.
- Its song marks the change of seasons. The yigüirro sings hardest in the last weeks of the dry season and the start of the rains. For generations of farmers, hearing it meant the wet season and planting time were close.
- It lives with people. The yigüirro is common in towns, coffee farms and backyards across much of the country. That familiarity put it in Costa Rican folk songs, stories and childhood memories in a way a rare forest bird never could be.
The choice says something about Costa Rica’s character. Instead of a showy bird found only in a few cloud forests, the country picked a modest one that nearly everyone knows by ear.
Identification
What Does the Yigüirro Look Like?
The yigüirro is a thrush, a close relative of the American robin, and it has the same build and ground-hopping habits. It’s easy to overlook because it’s almost entirely brown.
- Size: 23 to 27 cm (9 to 10.6 inches), about robin-sized and plump.
- Color: warm brown on the back and wings, paler buff or cream below, with a faintly streaked throat. Birds from wetter regions tend to be darker.
- Bill and eyes: a greenish-yellow bill and reddish eyes, the two details that set it apart from other brown birds.
- Legs: pinkish.
- Behavior: runs and hops on lawns, then stops to listen for earthworms, much like a robin. It also eats fruit and will visit fruit feeders.
The song
When You’ll Hear the Yigüirro Sing
The yigüirro’s song is a slow, low series of slurred whistles, repeated with small variations. It’s loudest at dawn, and in the breeding season males often start singing before first light.
The breeding season runs from about March to July, and the singing peaks around the start of the rainy season, usually in April and May. If you’re in Costa Rica then, you’ll likely hear it from your room before sunrise, even in the middle of San José. Outside that window the bird is still around, just much quieter.
Yigüirros build a heavy cup nest of grass, moss and mud, often on a ledge, beam or windowsill, and lay two to four pale blue eggs. Pairs may raise two broods a year.
Where to look
Where to See the Yigüirro in Costa Rica
You don’t need a guide or a national park ticket. The yigüirro is one of the most common birds in populated parts of Costa Rica.
- The Central Valley: parks, plazas and gardens in San José, Heredia, Alajuela and Cartago.
- Hotel grounds: lawns and fruiting trees around hotels and lodges almost anywhere outside dense forest.
- Coffee farms and pastures: forest edges and shade trees on farms.
- Beach towns: gardens and open areas on both coasts, especially in the morning.
Its range runs from southern Texas through Mexico and Central America to northern Colombia, so travelers from the U.S. Gulf Coast may know it already. The species is listed as least concern, and it does well alongside people.
Want to see more of Costa Rica’s birds? Start with our guide to bird watching in Costa Rica, then look for the toucans and the resplendent quetzal that visitors often mistake for the national bird. Our compact binoculars guide and tips on photographing hummingbirds will help, and the month-by-month wildlife calendar shows what else is active when you visit.
National symbols
Costa Rica’s Other National Symbols
The yigüirro is one of several official symbols that say a lot about how Costa Ricans see their country. Read more about the flag, the national flower, the Guanacaste tree, the blue morpho butterfly and the national anthem.
Good to know
Costa Rica National Bird FAQ
What is the national bird of Costa Rica?
The yigüirro, or clay-colored thrush (Turdus grayi). Costa Rica named it the national bird on January 3, 1977.
Why is the yigüirro the national bird?
Its song is strongest as the rainy season begins, which farmers traditionally took as a sign to prepare for planting, and it lives close to people across most of the country, so nearly every Costa Rican knows it.
How do you pronounce yigüirro?
Roughly “yee-GWEE-roh.” The two dots over the u (a diéresis) mean the u is pronounced.
Is the toucan or the quetzal Costa Rica’s national bird?
No. Both are popular with visitors, but the national bird is the yigüirro. In 2024 Costa Rica also named two hummingbird species national symbols of wild fauna, but that didn’t change the national bird.
When does the yigüirro sing?
Most during its breeding season, from about March to July, with a peak around the start of the rainy season. It sings loudest at dawn.
Where can I see a yigüirro?
Almost anywhere people live: city parks, gardens, hotel lawns, coffee farms and beach towns. It’s one of the easiest birds to find in Costa Rica.
The short version
Costa Rica’s national bird is the yigüirro, a brown clay-colored thrush, chosen in 1977.
Its dawn song, strongest as the rains arrive, is the reason Costa Ricans love it.
Look for it on lawns and in gardens almost anywhere; listen for it before sunrise from about March to July.