Large-footed Finch

How to find it

Listen and look for leaves being tossed around in the undergrowth, which is often the easiest way to spot it. It is generally common but unobtrusive, because it likes dense vegetation such as ravines, so look in thick undergrowth and bamboo. It prefers humid, dim understory, so good views and photos can be hard. Pairs stay on or near the ground, so look for a pair rather than waiting for a flock. One birder found it early in the morning on a forest trail near Cerro de la Muerte, along with other highland birds, before going on to roadside bamboo along the highway for Peg-billed Finch.

How to recognise it

Think large, chunky and long-tailed, a sparrow with very big legs and feet and a bill that looks thin and small for the body. It is about 20 cm long and weighs about 56 g, one of the heaviest birds in its family.

The plumage is dark. The head and throat are mostly black, turning grayer over the nape. The body and wings are olive, paler and yellower underneath.

Adults have a reddish eye, a black bill and dark brown legs. Juveniles have a dark olive head with dusky streaks and heavily streaked underparts.

What it sounds like

Recording: Dan MacNeal, CC BY 4.0, source, read 4 Nov 2026.

Behaviour and diet

Pairs forage from dawn to dusk. Each day starts with the male singing solo from dense thickets for 10 to 20 minutes, until foraging begins. On the ground it jumps with both feet together, forward and back, to shove leaf litter aside, and its kick-scratching can send leaves and debris flying 30 cm or more behind it.

It usually stays in pairs all year and does not join mixed-species flocks. At Cerro de la Muerte, when researchers came within about 5 m of a family, the male came toward them and perched about 1.5 m up, while the female kept feeding the young.

Where it lives

In Costa Rica it lives in the understory of mountain forest, second growth, bamboo clumps and overgrown pastures. It ranges from about 2,150 m up to scrubby páramo near 3,350 m, so it also lives in páramo.

Its Costa Rican range covers the Cordillera Central and Talamanca, from western Cartago and northeastern San José south to Panama. It has been recorded at San Gerardo de Dota, in San José province.

When to see it

It is a year-round resident, so it can be looked for in any month. Breeding runs from March to June, mostly in March and April.

Similar birds

No other highland bird in Costa Rica combines a yellowish green body with a dark gray head. That pairing, with the big feet and the habit of scratching on the ground, sets it apart.

Names and lore in Costa Rica

Besides the official name Saltón Patigrande, Spanish sources also call it sabanero patón and cerquero patigrande. Panama uses a different Spanish name, Pinzón Patigrande.

Status and conservation

R-END on the AOCR list: found only in the highlands of Costa Rica and western Panama, rated Least Concern by IUCN and described as fairly common in Costa Rica.

Photography tips

Look for a pair on or near the ground rather than waiting for a flock, since it does not join mixed-species flocks. Listen for tossed leaves, then wait quietly near the thicket. Humid, dim understory makes light tricky, so patience helps.