Private Forest Reserve

The Birds

Over 170 bird species have been counted in this region, of which almost 120 species have been observed in our private Forest Reserve; most of them you can encounter just walking on the trails or sitting comfortable on your terrace overseeing the nearby canopy and the adjacent mountains.

The reason for many to visit the cloud forest or even Costa Rica is to see a glimpse of the Resplendent Quetzal, sacred bird of the Maya and Aztec cultures. You can find evidence of its cultural importance in examples like Quetzalcoatl, the feathered snake, one of the most important Maya Gods. Montezuma, emperor of the Aztecs, was using a crown made with quetzal tail-feathers when Cortés conquered his empire in Mexico. Its bright colors, an emerald green that changes into blue tones reflecting the sunlight, and its crimson red chest, together with its one meter large tail-feathers – who are in reality back-feathers – make it the most beautiful bird of the Americas and without doubt one of the most beautiful birds in the whole world. Despite its bright colors he melts way in the mystic cloud forest.

One legend tells about a battle between Mayan warriors and Spanish conquerors. The Spaniards retreated after winning the battle, to come back later to kill the wounded Mayas on the battlefield, a clearing in the forest. The quetzals, entirely green in those times, left the forest and landed on the wounded Mayas, covering them. The Spaniards found the clearing ´abandoned´ and left. After that, the quetzals flew back into the forest, with their chest red from the blood of the wounded Mayas, whose lives they just saved. Since that day, the quetzal has a red chest.

Nowadays, Quetzal is the name of the currency in Guatemala, and its image is found in Guatemala´s national shield on its flag. Not strange for a country, whose mainly indigenous population descents from the Mayas among others.

But the forest has a lot more to offer; red-tailed hawks, acorn woodpeckers and long-tailed silky flycatchers rest in the canopies of the old oaks, wood-quails walk in front of you on the trails, black guans and emerald toucanets move through the dense vegetation just above you and mixed flocks of tree-runners, flycatchers and redstarts surround you. And this all accompanied by the beautiful metallic sound of the black-faced solitaire.

Mammals

A variety of mammals can be found here, with over 50 species in our private Reserve alone, although it is not that easy to see them because of the low density at higher altitudes. The diversity of species, especial the larger ones, is possible thanks to the interconnection of the many national parks and reserves in the region, ranging from the international La Amistad National Park from Panamá along the Talamanca mountain range to the Los Santos area, interconnecting a number of national parks and protected areas such as the La Amistad International Park, the Chirripó National Park, the Tapantí National Park, the Los Quetzales National Park and the Los Santos Forest Reserve. Since the foundation of the Los Quetzales National Park in 2006, with its ranger station only 9 km away from the hotel, hunting in the region has almost disappeared, allowing large mammal species to establish themselves again in the region. Now you might encounter species like the tapir, cougar, peccary, ocelot and deer in the forests and clearings. But you are more likely to see porcupines, squirrels, capuchin monkeys or tayras.