Hobbies And Interests
Niches
As anywhere, birds in the Amazon segregate themselves into different ecological niches to reduce competition and take full advantage of the intricacies of the ecosystem. There are myriad insect-eaters, including the yellow-throated woodpecker of lowland forests, which, like many other woodpecker species, hunts for insects within the bark and trunk of trees. Versicolor emeralds and other hummingbirds eat insects but also feed heavily on nectar, serving as important pollinators. Many Amazon birds, like parrots, target the region's diverse fruit and nut crops, while others, like the white hawk, are raptorial --- hunting vertebrate prey like reptiles and rodents.
Notable Species
One of the world's heftiest eagles resides in the Brazilian Amazon as well as other parts of the Neotropics. The harpy eagle, which boasts a 7-foot wingspan, cruises the Amazonian canopy in search of prey as large as monkeys and sloths, dispatching them with immensely powerful talons and a robust curved beak. Another intriguing resident of the rainforests is the black skimmer, a tern-like species that casts for fish by flying low over the water and hanging its oversize lower beak beneath the surface.
Center of Diversity
The World Wildlife Fund lists the Southwest Amazon Moist Forest, a particular ecoregion, as the most diverse part of the Amazon biogeographic province for avifauna (birdlife). Close to 800 bird species inhabit this area, 17 of which are specialties of the area. This mosaic of bottomland forests and scattered uplands covers close to 300,000 acres in Brazil, Peru and Bolivia.
Birdwatching
Among the finest places to watch for birds in the Brazilian Amazon are in protected refuges and parks. The Cristalino Private Natural Heritage Preserve, close to the landscape frontier between the southern Amazon and Brazil's great "cerrado," a mosaic of tropical savannas, boasts extremely diverse birdlife. The Cristalino Jungle Lodge reports that some 600 species of birds frequent the region, from the harpy eagle and six kinds of macaws to currassows, puffbirds and the unusual hoatzin. Other Brazilian Amazon refuges with birdwatching possibilities include the Floresta Nacional de Tapajos and the Ilha de Marajo.