Wild Encounters: Life Among Costa Rica’s Toucans

Wild Encounters: Lessons from Costa Rica’s Most Iconic Creatures

Costa Rica is alive with creatures that inspire awe, laughter, and sometimes a little surprise. From the treetops to the forest floor, every animal seems to have a lesson to teach. Some move so slowly they seem frozen in time, while others burst across the sky in flashes of colour and sound. In this four-part series, we explore the sloths, macaws, toucans, and reptiles—creatures that define the soul of Costa Rica. Whether you’re a visitor stepping into their world for the first time or a resident sharing your home with these wild neighbours, their stories are unforgettable.

This is Part Three of a Four Parts series. Read Part One and Part Two, and stay tuned for the last one.

Toucans look like nature’s attempt at humour. With bills that seem far too big for their bodies, they hop through the canopy as if unaware of how ridiculous they appear. Yet every detail of their design serves a purpose.

Costa Rica is home to six toucan species. The keel-billed toucan is the most iconic, flaunting a rainbow-coloured beak that photographers adore. Despite its size, the bill is incredibly light, made of a honeycomb-like structure that balances strength with weight.

Toucans are fruit specialists, using their long bills to pluck and toss food with surprising precision. But they aren’t strictly vegetarian. Occasionally, they raid nests for eggs or young birds, a fact that shatters their purely comedic image.

Their calls sound like rusty hinges or creaky doors, adding a touch of eerie humour to the rainforest soundscape. Watching them launch into flight is another source of amusement. The large bill seems to pull them downward, creating a wobbling trajectory that looks like it belongs in a cartoon.

For hikers and birdwatchers, toucans are a prized sighting. Their splash of colour and oddball antics make even the most challenging trail worthwhile.

But the jungle isn’t all about birds. Some of Costa Rica’s most fascinating creatures crawl, climb, and chirp a little closer to the ground.