This cheery little Collared Redstart hops and flits along trails, looking for insects that have been disturbed by passersby. For this reason, it is also known as “Amigo de Hombre” (friend of man). It’s common in the Cloud Forest of Monteverde, Costa Rica, a place I’ve visited many times over the years.

I’ve probably seen hundreds of these birds. By rain forest standards, their colors are not remarkable. And yet there’s something in these simple, delicate birds, that always draws me deeper into the surrounding nature.