Green Honeycreeper – Arenal, CR

Green Honeycreepers visit the feeding station at Arenal Observatory Lodge in numbers. Its turquoise plumage and black hood stand out as one of the photogenic birds. The lodge’s feeders regularly attract this species, giving excellent views that are often difficult elsewhere. Green Honeycreepers are among the most colorful members of the tanager family and are close relatives of the Red-legged Honeycreeper and Shining Honeycreeper, while the larger Purple Honeycreeper is another dazzling species birders hope to find elsewhere in Costa Rica. Like its relatives, tanager uses its slender, slightly curved bill to feed on fruit, nectar, and insects, making it an important pollinator and seed disperser in the tropical forest.