In vast regions of the original habitat, the “Lapa Verde” has become extinct. The bird is acutely endangered by poaching (especially of young birds which are unscrupulously sold to so-called bird lovers), but especially through logging and the recent spread of pineapple plantations.As the survival of these fascinating birds can only be secured by conservation of their habitat, they represent an “umbrella species” for the conservation of the primary forests bordering the Rio San Juan and their abundant biodiversity.

“If the Lapa Verde disappears, we can also perish in an ocean of poverty.”    Manuel Rodriguez, Costa Rica’s Minister for the Environment, 2003