Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin)
The unmistakable profile of the Hoatzin – even close to darkness you know immediately what bird it is.
Archive for December 9th, 2011
Rufescent Tiger Heron (Tigrisoma lineatum)
A large bird like this should be easy to see, but the Herons are expert at standing still no matter what their position is. They will assess the best cost benefit, and often they will fly off only if we get really close. Distance here is just 8 metres! The vegetation is very dense, so [...]
Common squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus)
This was the only encounter I had with this species. You may see them anywhere, and in this case I didn’t have to go more than a few metres from my cabana. Their sounds are high pitched and short burst: Sound recording courtesy of bioacoustica.org.
Napo Wildlife Center
There is no sound of engines after you disembark the motorized boat at the welcome center, where the Aanangu creek meets the Napo river. From there all goods and people must be transported by canoes up the creek to the Anangucocha lake. This is a wonderfully silent means of transport, and has an impact on [...]
Callicore sp
I only saw this once – at least with wings open. Most I saw of this species had their wings closed, thus I only saw the underside of the wing (ventral). Usually butterflies are rather dull colorwise on the underside, but this species caught my eyes due to their very colorful underside. Unfortunately I didn’t [...]
Red-capped Cardinal (Paroaria gularis)
One couple was nesting underneath the pier. I first thought they roosted there during the nights, but one day I was swimming I noticed the nest. They seem to feel secured by the human activities to and fro, day in and out, but when I checked out the nest from above one day, it created [...]
Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus)
An unfortunate turtle being drowned and asphyxiated – no chance of survival here! I assume the snake knows how the different prey manages air, and that a turtle can stay alive for longer without a breath of fresh air than rodents, as it was coiled around the turtle and kept it submerged for a very [...]
South American Common Toad (Rhinella margaritifera)
A tiny toad that’s impossible to spot when still, and even when it’s moving it can be hard, as it’s incredibly well camouflaged. Called Sapo Crestado in Spanish, and I find that a lot more descriptive than the English, as this toad does have a ridge or crest along its back. This species is currently [...]
South American Common Toad (Rhinella margaritifera)
A tiny toad that’s impossible to spot when still, and even when it’s moving it can be hard, as it’s incredibly well camouflaged. Called Sapo Crestado in Spanish, and I find that a lot more descriptive than the English, as this toad does have a ridge or crest along its back. It is currently under [...]
Ivory-billed Aracari (Pteroglossus azara)
For a human in the jungle it’s mostly about looking up to the canopy where much of the life resides. Adding distance and high contrast (fauna is dark against the very bright background) it’s usually very hard to see what’s moving. It’s often hearing and not seeing. Every now and then you will see trees [...]