This bird, Golden-browed Chlorophonia, is certainly one of the more colorful birds of Central America, but it does not often appear on the “must see” lists of tourists. Small, often present deep in the rain forest, high in canopy, and not very vocal, it is often overlooked. This pair was seen at the Paraiso Quetzal Lodge in the Central Highlands of Costa Rica. A fruiting tree was located beside several cabins. and this pair would visit very early in the morning, often at first light. On our last day in CR, I waited in the dark and rain to see if they would come. After an hour in the rain, I was almost ready to leave (we had a long drive ahead to the airport) when they showed up. Not only did the birds show up, but the rain stopped. Not super photo ops, but better than anything else I had been able to get.
This shots were cropped heavily from all sides. The female had two branches intersecting her body; these were cloned out.
Your perseverance paid off! Beautiful!