The Resplendent Quetzal – The emerald jewel of the cloud forest

If you would enjoy watching brightly plumed birds and spectacular sunsets over a beautiful cloud forest, you’ll need to plan for a visit to the Mirador de Quetzales (“Quetzal Lookout”) during your next trip to Costa Rica!

The Mirador de Quetzales is a family farm converted into a quaint lodge in one of the coldest parts of Costa Rica (the Cerro de la Muerte zone), a quiet spot where the rare and elusive Resplendent Quetzal birds come to mate, nest and raise their young.

The late Eddie Serrano and his family were pioneers to the area over 50 years ago and have traditionally made a living in this sub-alpine climate (8695 feet/2650 meters) by raising dairy cows and selling wild blackberries in San Jose.

With more and more interest by visitors from all over the world in spotting the beautiful Quetzal, the Serrano family now caters to tourists by providing daily guided hikes and self-guided trails around the expansive property.

A stay at the lodge also includes delicious farm fresh meals served in the charming rustic lodge and accommodations in private cabins. The cabins are stocked with plenty of blankets and an electric heated shower, although when you visit you will still want to pack a fleece jacket and long pants!

I had always wanted to see a Quetzal… I have been fascinated by the sacred animals of the rain forest from the time I was in elementary school learning about the ancient cultures of Latin America. Since that young age I have hiked in rain forests countless times and had many excellent naturalist guides, but somehow missed the Quetzal season everywhere.

Therefore, you can imagine how excited I was to visit a place where Quetzals are observed daily for a good portion of the year – sometimes over 20 at a time feed in the treetops near the lodge!

Traditionally the time to see them is November to May, but with the climatic changes due to global warming, the fruits that the Quetzals eat are growing later and the Serrano family is expecting them to stay for another 2-3 months this year.

When my boyfriend Julio and I visited the lodge with some clients recently, we arrived in the afternoon and soon heard the good news that Quetzals had been spotted just on the crest of the hill near the lodge. We put on our hiking boots and started trekking up the hill.

The pace was fast, and while at first the trail was level and simple enough to maneuver, soon we were passing through a boggy thicket and then deep into the forest with uneven footing and exposed roots everywhere.

The local guides, the son and grandsons of the late Eddie Serrano, kept making eerie and beautiful bird calls, mimicking the Resplendent Quetzal. Just when we thought we must have been on a wild goose (or should I say Quetzal?) chase, we were beckoned to approach a grove of trees very slowly.

Looking up, we started to make out green and red plumage in the dense forest canopy above – three female Quetzals perched near each other, then flying back and forth to different trees. Beautiful, but somewhat difficult to make out since they were against a background of thick trees at dusk.

We went to eat dinner, elated to have seen the Quetzal so soon, yet hoping that that wouldn’t be the end of our observations as we had not had the opportunity to see the impressive plumage of the male!

The next morning we dragged ourselves out of our warm beds into the morning chill along with the other guests for a 6am bird watching hike. Again, we went at a fast pace, this time we were guided by Carlos, the oldest of the brothers, an excellent photographer but a less accommodating guide than his father and younger brothers.

He informed us that we wanted to find the Quetzals quickly as they eat the fruits from the aguacatillo (a wild tree of the avocado family) near the lodge and then make a daily visit to lower elevations.

We zig-zagged quickly through the forest, finally reaching a clearing. The first time seeing a male Quetzal was spectacular, just as everyone had always told me. I saw some flickers of brilliant green motion in the trees, then a male Quetzal left the branch and went flying in the bright morning sunlight with a backdrop of bright blue sky.

It seemed to me that liquid emeralds lined with rubies had taken flight in the form of an undulating angel! Okay, so that sounds a little cheesy, but truly I have to say that it was miraculous and breath-taking! A small crowd of onlookers watched several males there in the clearing as they moved from tree to tree, and then flew away to go to lower elevations.

The rest of our time at the lodge was relaxing and satisfying with great food and excellent bird watching. My clients (avid bird watchers), and I (wildlife enthusiast and translator guide) used the bird list and our bird guide book to see what we could observe.

Among others, we had the luck (and patience) to find the brilliant lime green and sunshine yellow Golden-Browed Chlorophonia eating some berries, the Long-Tailed Silky Flycatcher hunting insects, and the Fiery-Throated Hummingbird at it’s nest with a glimpse of the beaks of multiple babies inside.

I’m looking forward to adding to my bird list on my next visit to Mirador de Quetzales!

As always, we love helping tourists to Costa Rica discover small family owned-and-operated hotels and ecological lodges such as this special place run by the Serrano family.

Written by Sarah Joy Staude.

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Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.