It’s not everyday that you can watch an Emerald Toucanet, or aulacorhynchus prasinus, having breakfast while enjoying your first cup of morning coffee. At least not for me.

Which made spotting, watching and photographing this one the highlight of a two-day stay at the Toucanet Lodge in the mountains near Copey de Dota, Costa Rica in July 2013. Besides his willingness to perch still and pose for a bit, I loved how well he blended into his surroundings. And that he enjoyed hanging out in this tree just behind the lodge’s main building, perhaps some 20 feet from where I sat sipping my fine local java.

Measuring 30-35cm (12-14in) Emerald Toucanets aren’t as large as toucans, and their bills are significantly shorter, but they’re no less stunning to watch. They  can be found in mountainous regions from Mexico, through Central America, to northern Venezuela and along the Andes as far south as Central Bolivia.

Two more shots below.

Here is is short clip of an Emerald Toucanet and its call via Birdfun:

And as a point of comparison, here’s a Yellow-Throated Toucan (Ramphastos ambiguus), spotted near Mindo, Ecuador, in May 2013. It was the first toucan I ever spotted in the wild.

Note: A version of this post was originally published on 3 August 2013 on my previous site, Piran Cafe, which is no longer being updated. The Images were reprocessed and moved here on 14 August 2025.