The ultimate birding tour in Ecuador: 10 unbelievable species at Yasuni Biosphere Reserve

By Diego Escobar on Mar 21, 2018 in Adventure Travel, Attractions, Ecuador, Going Out, Leisure Travel, Regions, South America, Speciality Travel

 

The Amazon is full of unbelievable birds, but Ecuador, represented in this case by Yasuni Biosphere Reserve, is the perfect place to find some of the most unbelievable bird species for travellers who are in search of unique adventures and birdwatching. Come to discover 10 representative species found in the Ecuadorian Amazon!

In the year of the bird, imagine yourself inmmersed in a wildlife documentary at the heart of the rainforest. You can play the role of a TV host showing the beauties of the Amazon and the wonderful flying fairies fluttering arround Añangu Lagoon:

1. Salvin’s curassow

Scientific name: Mitu salvini or Crax salvini

Description: Native from the Cracidae family, it can be found in Colombia, Peru and Ecuador. Humid terra firme in tropical or subtropical lowland forests is their natural habitat.

Curious facts: *It is a turkey-size, prized game bird. *Despite it has been hunted, it is a least-concern animal in the Conservation status. *They feed on seeds, cotyledons, flowers, leaves, and fallen fruit. *They are also called “culiblanco” in Spanish -which means “white ass”- for the color of the tip of their tail.

2. Grey-winged trumpeter

Scientific name: Psophia crepitans

Description: it is a member of the Psophiidae family. Guiana Shield and the Amazon are the only places where you can see it. They nest in hollow trees and pick their food (insects and fruit) from the ground. *Its colors are mostly black and grey. Its rump and back are grey.

Curious facts: *They are similar to Guineafowls and prefer running than flying. *They have a low humming, but their call is as loud as their name, so they can be kept as pets because their sound is an alert, and they hunt snakes. *Do not hunt them, please! They are Near Threatened in the Conservation Status.

3. Snail kite

Scientific name: Rostrhamus sociabilis

Description: It belongs to the Accipitridae, which also has the hawks, the Old World vultures, and the eagles as members. South America, the Caribbean, Central America and Central-Southern Florida are their breeding spots.

Curious facts: *Snail kites have red eyes, a curved beak, white rump with an elongated tail, and red or orange legs. *They are molluscivores –they eat apple snails. They also eat rodents, crabs, crayfish and turtles. They nest in bushes or on the ground. Kites are a Least Concern species in the Conservation Status, but in Florida they are listed as endangered.

4. Scarlet macaw

Scientific name: Ara Macao

Description: Scarlet macaws belong to the Psittacidae, a large family group of Neotropical parrots with 17 species at all. Their home ranges from Southern Mexico to Bolivia, including Honduras, Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil and Peru.

Curious facts: *Scarlet macaws are the national bird in Honduras. *These are one of the most beautiful and gorgeous parrots. *They prefer to live in the Rainforest, and eat seeds, fruits, nuts, larvae and insects. *They also eat clay, no one knows why! In fact, there is a place where you can watch them doing this particular action: the Parrot Clay Licks in Napo! *In the Conservation Status, Scarlet Macaws are at the Least Concern level.

See them for yourself in a birding tour in Añangu kichwa community, inside Yasuni National Park.

 

Fuente: https://www.aluxurytravelblog.com/2018/03/21/the-ultimate-birding-tour-in-ecuador-10-unbelievable-species-at-yasuni-biosphere-reserve/

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