Photo essay

Costa Rica

Rainforest wildlife, cloud-forest birds, and quiet encounters along the trail.

Costa Rica

A keel-billed toucan perched among tropical leaves beneath a clear blue sky

The forests change quickly with elevation, from lowland heat and night sounds to cooler cloud forest. The wildlife photographs here follow that movement through several regions of the country.

Costa Rica

Rainforest wildlife

Animals encountered from the forest floor to the canopy.

A brown-throated three-toed sloth resting among green leaves — Brown-throated three-toed sloth.

A red strawberry poison frog with dark blue legs climbing across a green leaf — Strawberry poison frog, the blue-jeans color form.

A mother Hoffmann's two-toed sloth carrying her dark-furred infant in a leafy tree at night — A mother Hoffmann's two-toed sloth carrying her infant after dark.

A nine-banded armadillo foraging through wet leaves on the forest floor — Nine-banded armadillo.

A female resplendent quetzal perched on a branch in dense forest — Female resplendent quetzal.

A white-nosed coati resting on a moss-covered branch in the forest — White-nosed coati.

Two white-faced capuchins sitting together among leafy branches — White-faced capuchins.

A green toucanet with a blue throat and yellow-tipped bill among leaves — Blue-throated form of the northern emerald-toucanet.

A bright red summer tanager perched on a branch in the rainforest — Summer tanager.

A Central American agouti standing in dappled light on the forest floor — Central American agouti.

A small herd of collared peccaries crossing a shaded forest path — Collared peccaries.

A male resplendent quetzal with a long blue-green tail perched in the canopy — Male resplendent quetzal.

A small translucent green glass frog resting on a broad leaf at night — A glass frog on a leaf at night.

The naturally heated Tabacón River flowing through tropical rainforest near Arenal Volcano — The naturally heated Tabacón River, flowing through the rainforest at Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa near Arenal Volcano.

Highland birds

Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds photographed in the Costa Rican highlands.

A violet sabrewing with deep purple-blue plumage perched on a branch — Violet sabrewing.

A male magenta-throated woodstar hovering between purple flowers — Male magenta-throated woodstar.

A female green-crowned brilliant perched among leaves and flowers — Female green-crowned brilliant.

A male green-crowned brilliant showing a small violet throat patch — Male green-crowned brilliant.

Lesser violetear.

A female purple-throated mountain-gem with cinnamon underparts and a white facial stripe — Female purple-throated mountain-gem.

A male purple-throated mountain-gem with an iridescent violet gorget — Male purple-throated mountain-gem.

A coppery-headed emerald hummingbird feeding from a purple flower — Coppery-headed emerald.