No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsPoliticsLaura Chinchilla's post-presidential hobby? Caring for a baby bird

Laura Chinchilla’s post-presidential hobby? Caring for a baby bird

After leading an entire country what does an ex-president do in her or his spare time?

Well, it you’re U.S. President George W. Bush you start painting cats and world leaders. If you are former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi you record an album of Elvis Presley covers.

And what has former Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla (2010-2014) been doing the past two months (aside from tweeting, a lot)? Adopting a baby bird.

From Chinchilla’s Facebook page:

WHEN I RETURNED HOME FROM SUPPORTING THE COSTA RICAN NATIONAL TEAM IN BRAZIL, I WAS SURPRISED NOT ONLY TO FIND MY HUSBAND AND SON WAITING FOR ME AT THE AIRPORT, BUT ALSO A NEW MEMBER OF THE FAMILY. HIS NAME IS BABY CHARLIE.

According to the Facebook post, the girlfriend of Chinchilla’s son found Baby Charlie in the middle of the road where it had fallen from a tree. The family is now caring for the baby chick, which followers of Chinchilla’s Facebook page have identified as a clay-colored thrush, the national bird of Costa Rica.

Since his Facebook debut, Baby Charlie has been a continued feature on Chinchilla’s page:

They feed him
Watch him grow new feathers 

And even dress him up for Costa Rica’s World Cup games

For more Baby Charlie updates that are sure to follow, visit Laura Chiinchilla’s Facebook page.

Trending Now

Costa Rica’s New Vape Rules Were Supposed to Start Today. They Didn’t.

Costa Rica's flavored vape restrictions were scheduled to take effect August 6, 2026. A July decree pushed them to 2027. Here's what actually applies now.

Jannik Sinner Withdraws From Cincinnati Open With Knee Injury

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the 2026 Cincinnati Open because of a right knee injury, removing another of the tournament’s biggest...

Costa Rica Detains 56 Peruvians Working Illegally at Gold Mine

Costa Rica has detained 56 Peruvian nationals today after finding them working without authorization at a gold mine in Miramar, Puntarenas. The workers had...

Dollar Stuck Near â‚¡450 as Costa Rica Keeps Policy Rate

The Banco Central de Costa Rica set its reference exchange rate on Wednesday at â‚¡449.80 for the purchase of United States dollars and â‚¡455.01...

Costa Rica Builds One of Central America’s Longest Four-Lane Bridges

Construction is continuing on a 308-meter (1,010-foot) bridge that Costa Rican officials say will become one of the longest four-lane bridges in Central America....

Tropical Wave 29 Crosses Costa Rica as the Caribbean Alert Holds

The yellow alert that went up over the weekend is still in place, and a second tropical wave in three days crosses today. If...

Costa Rica Proposes Major Overhaul of Courts and State Oversight

Lawmakers from Costa Rica's governing party filed a package of constitutional reform bills on Tuesday that would end the Comptroller General's power to block...

Costa Rica’s Romería Closes With Zero Deaths and 1,772 Medical Cases

Costa Rica's Romería closed without a single reported death, ending a nine-day emergency operation in which the Costa Rican Red Cross treated 1,772 people...

Costa Rica Offers Panama Two-Part Plan to End Trade Block

Costa Rica has presented Panama with a two-part proposal aimed at ending a seven-year agricultural trade dispute that has blocked meat, dairy products, fruit...
🌴 The Weekly Pura Vida

Costa Rica, Once a Week

The week's top stories, weather & insider tips — delivered every Sunday. One email, zero clutter.

🔒 Free. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Loading…

Latest News from Costa Rica

Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Car Rentals
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Travel