Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin)

Posted on August 20, 2016 by Tara

The Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin), also known as the stinkbird, or Canje pheasant, is a species of tropical bird found in swamps, riparian forests, and mangroves of the Amazon and the Orinoco Delta in South America. It is notable for having chicks that possess claws on two of their wing digits.

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Hoatzin have a huge range over most of tropical South America. You are most likely to see them when you visit jungle lodges in the Amazon such as Napo Wildlife Center, Tambopata Research Center, Manu Peru, Cristalino, etc. I only saw them well in Ecuador at Napo. They are really cool looking birds even if the locals do think they stink!

Hoatzin

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Watch this youngster using the claws on his wings!

And a couple adults.

Red-bellied Macaw (Orthopsittaca manilatus)

Posted on August 17, 2016 by Tara

The Red-bellied Macaw (Orthopsittaca manilatus), also known as Guacamaya Manilata, is a medium-sized, mostly green South American parrot, a member of a group of large Neotropical parrots known as macaws. It is the largest of what are commonly called “mini-macaws”. The belly has a large maroon patch which gives the species its name.

Red-bellied Macaw (Orthopsittaca manilata)

And since I couldn’t get a perched shot here’s one from Wikipedia.

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They have quite a large range in in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Venezuela. I saw a pair flying overhead at Nariva Swamp while driving but by the time I pulled over, they were gone. I’ve seen them in several places such as Cristalino and near Napo Wildlife Center.

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Preening to look their best!

The Birding Doesn’t Stop Just Because You Are Leaving Cristalino

Posted on March 31, 2016 by Tara

A few days ago I wrote how “Getting there is half the fun” but leaving Cristalino (sad as the thought is because everyone hates leaving this place) can be equally interesting. Here’s a few sightings we caught on the way out.

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Spangled Cotinga (Cotinga cayana)

Posted on March 29, 2016 by Tara

The Spangled Cotinga (Cotinga cayana) is a species of bird in the family Cotingidae, the cotingas. It is found in the canopy of the Amazon Rainforest in South America.

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This beautiful little bird has a huge range throughout South America. I saw this one at the Canopy Tower in Cristalino.

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Birdlife

Neotropical Birds

VIDEOS

Preening at Cristalino.

Turning his back on the paparazzi.

Kawall’s Amazon Parrot (Amazona kawalli)

Posted on March 28, 2016 by Tara

Kawall’s amazon (Amazona kawalli), also known as the white-faced amazon, white-cheeked amazon or Kawall’s parrot, is a relatively large species of parrot in the Psittacidae family. It is endemic to the south-central Amazon. After not having been recorded in the wild for around 70 years, the species was rediscovered in the 1980s.

C68 C70 I couldn’t get a decent shot so here’s one from Wikipedia.

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They are endemic to Brazil with the best place to see them being Cristalino.

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VIDEOS

This is a fairly rare bird and videos are hard to find. Nothing I could embed but there are some clips on IBC.

Blue Dacnis / Turquoise Honeycreeper (Dacnis cayana)

Posted on March 25, 2016 by Tara

The Blue Dacnis or Turquoise Honeycreeper (Dacnis cayana) is a small passerine bird and a member of the tanager family.

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This bird has a huge range from Nicaragua to the south of Brazil. I have personally seen them at Cristalino and Laguna de Lagarto in Costa Rica but this is nowhere near an exhaustive list.

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Wikipedia

Birdlife

Neotropical Birds

VIDEOS

Just look at the gorgeous blue on this hungry little guy!

Bird feeders with fruit will attract them.

Madeira Parakeet (Pyrrhura snethlageae)

Posted on March 24, 2016 by Tara

Madeira Parakeets have a very complicated taxonomy and just about all of my usual resources have something different to say. It looks like they are currently a species on their own merit though they were once a subspecies of the Painted Parakeet and often confused with the Santarem Parakeet which has a range further north in the Amazonia National Park of Brazil.

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They are nearly endemic to Brazil with just a small incursion into Bolivia. They are most easily seen from the Canopy Tower at Cristalino.

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VIDEOS

The only videos I could find are on IBC and I can’t embed them so please view them on that site.

Cuvier’s Toucan (Ramphastos cuvieri)

Posted on March 19, 2016 by Tara

Some of my resources listed below consider the Cuvier’s Toucan (Ramphastos cuvieri) to be a species on it’s own and some consider it to be a subspecies of the White-throated Toucan (Ramphastos tucanus).

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Here’s a close up from Wikipedia.

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This beautiful toucan has a large range in South America in Brazil, Peru, Bolivia & Colombia. My first photo was taken at Cristalino in Brazil.

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VIDEO

I could only find one video with this bird online which was filmed in Peru.

White-bellied Parrot / Green-thighed Parrot (Pionites leucogaster)

Posted on March 18, 2016 by Tara

The Green-thighed Parrot (Pionites leucogaster) is one of the four species in the genus Pionites of the Psittacidae family. Originally the species Pionites leucogaster (also known as the White-bellied Parrot or White-bellied Caique in the aviculture business) contain three subspecies including the nominate race, but recent morphological work suggests the species should be split into three.

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Close-up of captive birds

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They are almost endemic to Brazil with a small incursion into Amazonian Peru. Although they have a huge range, most of it is remote and inaccessible. They are regularly seen from the Canopy Tower at Cristalino.

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Beautiful flock!

Cristalino Excursion #3 – The Canopy Tower

Posted on March 17, 2016 by Tara

Whether by chance or by design, Cristalino saved our best excursion for last – the stunning canopy tower! It’s quite a hike to climb up, especially in the heat and humidity of the Brazilian rainforest, but well worth it. The 360 degree views with birds flying everywhere has to be seen to be believed. I hope that someday you will come here and see it for yourselves but for now see and believe these photos!

Red & Green Macaws

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