El Residente
6 Destinos by William Duckwall
Quetzal Quest
D
aniel Oduber Quirós, whose name you may recognize if you have flown into the country via the airport bearing his name in Liberia, was president of Costa Rica from 1974 through 1978. During his presidency the national bird was chosen – the yigüirro, or clay-colored thrush, formerly, and still sometimes, called the clay-colored robin. This bird bears the unflattering scientific name Turdus grayi (but, it is in good company – the American robin, with the red breast, is Turdus migratorius). Interestingly, the two birds play similar parts in the two cultures. We Norte Americanos associate the appearance and song of robins with the advent of spring; in Costa Rica the melodious song of the clay-colored thrush marks the welcome return of the rains. The Oduber administration was focused on social and working-class issues – securing better pricing for agricultural products, preserving natural resources, and fostering good relations across Central America. It is consistent that the Oduber administration, with its focus
on the working class, would pick the plainest workingclass bird in the country as the national bird. In its way, however, this bird symbolizes important parts of Costa Rica’s character; it is modest and unpretentious and it likes people, often nesting near homes. It can be found nearly everywhere in the country. Its one standout feature is its enchanting song.
The digression about Daniel Oduber and Turdus grayi springs from my own idle curiosity – was there no controversy in 1977 when it was selected? Surely there were those who advocated birds with a bit more pizzazz? There are dozens of possibilities – the scarlet macaw, the keel-billed toucan, the harpy eagle, maybe one of the motmots or hummingbirds. Notice I didn’t mention the quetzal, one of the most striking birds in the world, as it has been the national bird of Guatemala since 1871, and is featured on their currency, which is even denominated in – quetzals. So perhaps the quetzal was viewed as already spoken for.
