There are those who do not notice in the rush of everyday life, but several species of birds live with us. For many people, they are eye relief, a pause to admire the diversity of life.
In the Amazon there are at least a thousand different species cataloged. A biome that, despite being the subject of several researches, its biodiversity surprises with new species discovered every day.
We talked to Pedro Nassar, coordinator of the Mamirauá Institute's Community-Based Tourism Program, and great connoisseur of the birds of our region, so that he selected 5 species of birds that every birdwatcher would like to observe at the Uakari Lodge.
Check it out below:
1. Wattled Curassow (Crax globulosa):
"Mutum-piuri is the local name for this species, but the reader may know it as curassow-bean. It is a very special species, which occurs in the west of the Amazon and is closely linked to lowland environments. Unfortunately, it is an endangered species due to habitat loss and hunting. This is the bird that most attracts bird watchers to Pousada Uacari, but you have to be very careful, as the animals are shy and fly as soon as they see people."
2. Agami Heron (Agamia agami):
"I choose this species a lot by personal preference, but it is certainly one of the most beautiful birds that we can find in the Amazon. This is not a heron that is "going around" on the edge of pipes and paranás like some others and it is not always possible to see many of them together, but, as the name implies, it is found a little more hidden. In Mamirauá it is possible to observe more when the water is going down and in the dry season. We know that they nest in large birds in the Amanã Reserve, a neighbor of Mamirauá, during the flood season."
3. Large-billed Tern (Phaetusa simplex) and Black Skimmer (Rhyncops niger):
"Both species are common in much of Brazil, but this combo is worth the amount of individuals that inhabit some beaches on the Solimões and Japurá rivers to nest in the dry season, especially during the months of August and September."
4. Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin):
"A very symbolic bird that can be seen in droves in Mamirauá, both in the dry season and in the flood season. Passing by boat and canoe along the channels and paranãs, it is possible to observe several groups of this species with unique characteristics, such as their feeding at the plant-based, facilitated by the presence of symbiotic bacteria in their crop and the presence of claws on their wings, similar to the extinct Archeopteryx."
5. Parker’s Spinetail (Cranioleuca vulpecula):
"I choose this species as a representative of the birds that inhabit the fluvial islands of the Solimões rivers and their tributaries. It also represents those small birds that are not super colorful, but that pose a certain challenge to the observer, as they like to be immersed in the vegetation."
Do you want to observe these and the more than 400 species of birds in Mamirauá?
Discover our Birdwatching Tour program and make your reservation now!
Image credit: Pedro Nassar and Aline Alegria.