Something very large is standing in the marsh, taller than the egrets by a head and shoulders, white with a black neck and a red band at the throat like a scarf. A jabiru. There are not many.
Where you’ll see it
The Tempisque basin, above all Palo Verde and the wetlands and rice fields around it. This is the species’ stronghold in Costa Rica and the bird is a large part of why birders drive out there.
What to know
A huge stork with a heavy black bill, feeding on fish, frogs and anything else in shallow water. Pairs build enormous stick nests in tall trees and reuse them for years. The Costa Rican population is small and protected, and disturbance at nests is the main thing to avoid. Seeing one lift off, wings nearly three metres across, is worth the drive.
