Northern Emerald-ToucanetFamily Ramphastidae
Northern Emerald-Toucanet
Aulacorhynchus prasinus
In Spanish: Tucancillo Verde (Curré, Curré Verde)
- Resident
The oaks above San Gerardo de Dota and Los Quetzales. All year.
Green. For anyone who knows toucans from posters, that is the surprise: a small toucan that is green almost all over. Older field guides leave off the "Northern"; this is the name on the official Costa Rican list.
In the Savegre valley it belongs to the same mornings as the quetzal, in the oaks and along the river, with the Black Guan nearby and the Fiery-throated Hummingbird at the feeders. They go about in groups of up to about ten, and the call is a nasal, barking wok-wok-wok that keeps going.
Where to see it
- Hotspot page
- Named place
- Nearby lodge (numbers match the cards)
- San Gerardo de Dota and the Savegre valleyin the oaks and along the river, in the same mornings as the quetzal.
- Los Quetzales National Parkour trips record it in the valley the park looks down on.
Nearby lodges
Within 20 km of a place on the map, in the same zone.
- 1
Savegre Lodge0.9 km from San Gerardo de DotaSee the lodge - 2
Dantica Cloud Forest Lodge4.2 km from Los Quetzales National ParkSee the lodge - 3
Hotel Suria1.6 km from San Gerardo de DotaSee the lodge - 4Photo comingParaíso Quetzal Lodge4.7 km from Los Quetzales National ParkSee the lodge
- 5
Trogon Lodge2.1 km from San Gerardo de DotaSee the lodge
How to recognise it
About 29 to 37 cm, around the length of a school ruler. Mostly green, with chestnut under the tail. The bill is the mark that settles it. The upper half, the maxilla, is yellow with a black patch near the nostrils; the lower half, the mandible, is black; and a thin white upright stripe runs where the bill meets the face. Male and female look alike, though the female is usually smaller, with a shorter bill. Besides the barking call it gives a throaty, growling rattle.
Where it lives
Mainly humid montane forest, but also more open country nearby: secondary forest, scrub, pasture and plantations. The species ranges from near sea level to at least 3,000 m; the Costa Rican subspecies is the one of the highlands of Costa Rica and western Panama.
When to see it
All year.
Trips that find it
- Best of Birding in Costa Rica9 to 10 nightsSee the trip
- Dancing with Quetzals11 nightsSee the trip
- Birding in Costa Rica's Eco-Zones11 nightsSee the trip
- The Southern Highlands and Pacific9 nightsSee the trip
- Nature Birding TourSee the trip
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Plan my birding tripHow we know this 1 sources, each read on the date shown
- Wikipedia: Northern emerald toucanet read 4 November 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_emerald_toucanet