At the lodge in Selva Verde, the staff keep some feeding platforms stocked with fresh fruit to lure the birds where they can easily be seen by visitors. One morning, ripe bananas were on the menu, and these Collared Aracaris (Pteroglossus torquatus) had a feast. They use their long, sharp beaks to break open the peels, tear off a piece of banana, toss it in the air, and gulp it down. I could watch them for hours.

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Collared Araçari (Pteroglossus torquatus) can be found on the Caribbean and north-Pacific coasts. They have black bands across their breasts and white on their upper mandibles, which differ from the Fiery-billed Araçari (Pteroglossus frantzii) native to the south-Pacific region. This Collared Araçari was photographed in Selva Verde.

All media is copyright costaricawildlife.net, 2013.