The Xopilote Cantos recounts, in the form of a narrative poem, the Spanish conquest of Costa Rica by Gil Gonzalez Davila. The blood lust and dreams of riches of the conquistadores contrasts with the ecology of one of the richest biozomes in the world. The book is based on research the author made during four trips to Costa Rica, with additional field work in Mexico, Belize, Panama, and the Amazon.