In the lower montane forests of Monteverde, Costa Rica, at least 70 bird species rely on fruits to different degrees. Over 700 records of birds feeding on the fruits of 171 plant species were presented in a survey of a single site intended to complement Snow''s (1981) world survey of fruit-eating by birds. The frequency with which birds visited plants and the characteristics of the fruits (dimensions, color patterns, nutritional traits) are also described. The number of bird species recorded feeding on the fruits of a particular plant species was positively correlated with the size of the plant and with its commonness. Because biases may also be introduced by observing plant species for different amounts of time, plant species that were thoroughly studied were distinguished from others studied only casually. Plants in 5 genera (Acnistus, Citharexylum, Ficus, Hampea and Sapium) attract more than 20 bird species; at about half of all plant species, fewer than 3 bird species were observed. These results should lead to a bettter understanding of the characteristics of neotropical fruits and the diets of fruit-eating birds.