Green-cheeked Parakeet (Pyrrhura molinae)
The green-cheeked parakeets were quite hard to see up close, as they were usually in the dense canopy when in the valleys. Not in dead trees, like the mitred parakeet seemed to prefer. Altitude: 1064 metres.
Archive for 'Birds'
Mitred Parakeet (Aratinga mitrata)
This is perhaps the most numerous of the parakeet species here, and I saw many flocks of them escaping the various birds of prey. They nest in cracks and holes on the cliffs, and here it appeared at least 2 couples had their nest. A perfect spot it seemed, as they had this dead tree [...]
Streaked Flycatcher (Myiodynastes maculatus)
If you know of a dead tree, or a tree with a dead branch nearby – just wait there for a while and you’re bound to find flycatchers or other birds with a need to have an unobstructed view. This is from the only lookout point in the park, so this flycatcher both had an [...]
Long-tailed Potoo (Nyctibius aethereus)
This bird is so well camouflaged that even though you know what to look for you will easily miss it. As a visitor you’ll need help from the locals, as their daily routines interact with it’s way of life, and the observant locals will at one time or another see it. In this case it [...]
Masked Yellowthroat (Geothlypis aequinoctialis velata)
The song is very similar to the Willow Warbler, and I was enjoying it every day of my stay here. When looking for sound recordings I haven’t been able to find one that sounds like this one did, and it is perhaps yet another variation of this species. The recording below resembles European Pied Flycatcher [...]
Plush-crested Jay (Cyanocorax chrysops)
A common but truly beautiful bird! I found this one very busy eating from this tree, and you can see it’s focusing on the Cecropia fruits rather than me. Altitude: 1036 metres.
Military Macaw (Ara militaris)
As I’m photographing a Plumbeous Kite I hear the calls of Military Macaws! I’ve just entered the fringes of Amboro National Park in which Refugio Los Volcanses resides, and I see this magnificent macaw – my very first sighting of the species. I am standing on a steep slope prohibiting me from moving closer to [...]
Plumbeous Kite (Ictinia plumbea)
Getting to the Refugio Los Volcanes is a steep descent in dense forest-clad slopes. You hear birds constantly, but seeing them is difficult unless they are perched like this kite. Altitude: 1228 metres.
Cliff Flycatcher (Hirundinea ferruginea)
A perfect spot for a flycatcher – a dead branch overlooking a wide area of land. It seemed at ease with humans approaching, and was busy chasing prey, grooming and stretching wings in various postures.
Red Tanager (Piranga flava rosacea)
The color of this bird is like a flash of red in a sea of green! This bird definitely wants to bee seen, and despite several species of bird of prey, the visibility does not seem to be a disadvantage in this landscape of scattered trees and open landscape. Altitude: 671 metres.
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
As I’m sitting on the edge of the sheer cliff to cool off in the strong updrafts, this juvenile was checking me out a couple of times. Usually you only see them soar high above, but this is sufficiently high for many of the local vulturs to be level with you during their many “patrols”. [...]
Blue-throated Piping Guan (Pipile cumanensis)
I saw the species in Madidi as well, and although not really disturbed by my presence they are hard to see in the clear as the jungle in Noel Kempff Mercado National Park is dense and dark. On the ground they prefer more distance and are harder still to see or photograph. Listed by IUCN [...]
Spix’s Guan (Penelope jacquacu)
The second species of Guan I saw in this park, and both in the trees. When on the ground they are quick to run and hard to see as there are few clearings in the dense jungle of Noel Kempff Mercado National Park.
Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger)
My only sighting of this peculiar species was along the Tuichi River, so I never saw it hunting. Its peculiar beak is used as a kind of fishing rod, and it flies close enough to the water surface for the mandible, or lower beak, to be sufficiently submerged so that it will hit fish in [...]
Capped Heron (Pilherodius pileatus)
Unfortunately I have lost a few really great photo opportunities in regards to this species, and I was about to miss this one as well, as the boat driver was in such a hurry, and in no way heeded my requests to slow down. In my few days in Madidi I saw only this one. [...]
Wood Stork (Mycteria americana)
My boat trip from Chalalan back to Rurrenabaque presented an even greater amount of bird species than my trip upstream! Also species I didnæt see on my way top Chalalan. That’s what’s so great about a pla ce like the enormous Madidi National Park – it’s so diverse that even boat 100 trips would present [...]
Orinoco Goose (Neochen jubata)
It’s a relief to see many fledglings of a species that is under pressure from human activity, and they are most likely present in all the rivers in low-land Madidi.
Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin)
It was perched in such a nice position and light, as if it wanted me to take a picture. Usually they prefer some distance, and if the comfort zone is about to be breached, they flap wings and turn around like if in a weird sort of ballet. This one was just watching silently (!)
Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin)
The sun has set and the Hoatzin is prepping for the nocturnal activities. The moon is bright, and that sometimes brings out sounds never heard during the day. Unfortunately I have not been able to locate any such recordings, so I have decided to bring my own recorder in the future.
Red-necked Woodpecker (Campephilus rubricollis)
There are many species of woodpecker in Madidi and on the grounds of Chalalan, but this one is by far one of the largest and most powerful. To make it’s territory known it drums on wood that has the most powerful resonace, and it only does so in 2 fast beats. Sometimes it sounds so [...]
Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna)
Yet another pair I was able to get quite close to – this is on the grounds of the neighboring Santa Rosa (no longer in business, unfortunately). As you can see they’ve got an eye on me, but just barely. They kept on with their “Macaw-business” until they moved on.
Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna)
Chalalan has a good population of both Blue-and-yellow and Red-and-green Macaws. If you are able to get in the canopy (usually most unlikely), on a hill or like I am here, a look-out-platform Chalalan installed not long ago, you might get some amazing experiences as you are level with many of the birds flying between [...]
Sungrebe (Heliornis fulica)
A very shy and secretive bird, that instead of taking to the wings prefer to swim into the vegetation for cover. It will sometimes leap out of the water to catch insects from branches hanging over the water.
Tricolored heron (Egretta tricolor)
I’m amazed by the number of fish-eating bird species are fed by the fish stock of the small Chalalan lake, in addition to caimans! Herons and cormorants are ravenous, so the rate of reproduction and diversity is incredible for a lake that has no inlet or outlet – it’s isolated from the Tuichi river.. I [...]
Red-and-green Macaw (Ara chloropterus)
What’s wonderful about some of the national parks like Madidi is that more and more of the inhabitans are no longer hunted, and you’re able to get reasonably close, albeit most often vertically close that is. As Macaws get very old, I assume they have not been hunted here for a few decades, as they [...]
White-throated Toucan (Ramphastos tucanus)
Despite the huge beaks and wonderful plumage, their song is rather annoing. An excellent ring-tone candidate This one was part of a group of at least 4 birds on the other side of the Tuichi river, and the only encounter I had where I was able to get a decent shot.
Great Black Hawk (Buteogallus urubitinga)
A juvenile on the Tuichi riverside and where the trail to Chalalan starts or ends.
Blue-throated Piping Guan (Pipile cumanensis)
I never saw this species on ground, and thus never got a good shot. Not really disturbed by human presence, and some individuals just stared at me, the surroundings and me again. Then shifting position, and same procedure. But when I encountered them on the ground, they were usually quick to get some distance between [...]
Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga)
A common bird in Madidi and here on Chalalan lake. Thanks for showing both sides
Amazon Kingfisher (Chloroceryle amazona)
A beautiful and loud bird, and one of several harvesting fish from Chalalan lake. This is the female – the male has a reddish chest.
Red-capped Cardinal (Paroaria gularis)
The fully mature adult.
Neotropic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus)
Even though Chalalan lake has no inlet or outlet, and is quite small, there is so much life in it that it supports several ravenous cormorants in addition to many other fish eating species. Yet again you can see the horseflies! Every larger bird I’ve seen by the water (river or lake) so far has [...]
Red-capped Cardinal (Paroaria gularis)
A juvenile.
Striated Heron (Butorides striata)
A canoe is silent, and thus you get really close to the animals around Chalalan lake. Even the very shy herons seem to have become accustomed to the slow moving canoes – to a certain point of course. I prefer not to step over the comfort zone of the animals so that I’ll see as [...]
Great Black Hawk (Buteogallus urubitinga)
If you’ve got a sharp eye and know what to look for, you will see a hawk watching you!
Neotropic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus)
Drying its feathers after a dive.
Orinoco Goose (Neochen jubata)
My first sighting of this species! And not the only one – there were many of them here, both fledglings and adults. The species is listed as near threatened.
Cocoi Heron (Ardea cocoi)
The 4-5 hour boat trip from Rurrenabaque to the Chalalan lodge provides excellent fauna opportunities, as the river is the only all-year natural clearing in the density of the Madidi jungle. Desipte being a bird who can easily outfly the bloodsucking insects, they are constantly bombarded with horseflies, as you can see here.
Yellow-billed Teal (Anas flavirostris)
A common duck, but this was my first close encounter, as most of the previous ones were in lagoons sometimes 100 metres away or more. Altitude: 4228 metres.
Ornate Tinamou (Nothoprocta ornata)
Fortunately I was quick enough to see the bird, stop the car, open the window and swing the camera into position and shoot! Even though it did not take to the wings, it disappeared just as fast as I had seen it. It’s a really good runner, and the land is littered with quite tall [...]
White-winged Diuca Finch (Diuca speculifera)
Very common and sometimes also not at all disturbed by human presence. This is perhaps one that has become accustomed to all the climbers and trekkers eating here by the lake. Altitude: 4658 metres.
Black-hooded Sierra-Finch (Phrygilus atriceps)
A very common bird, and seen in the most remote places as well as close to humans, as is the case here. Altitude: 3708 metres.
Tawny-throated Dotterel (Oreopholus ruficollis)
My only sigthing of this species. Altitude: 3687 metres.
Andean Lapwing (Vanellus resplendens)
A common bird here, but not in large numbers during my visit. Altitude: 3669 metres.
Crested Duck (Lophonetta specularioides)
Here at the Laguna Cañapa the ducks were not at all disturbed by humans, and I could get quite close to this individual busy cleaning itself. Altitude: 4136 metres.
Golden-spotted Ground Dove (Metriopelia aymara)
Due to the midday sun, the light is very hard, and the golden spots on the wing barely visible. The morning or evening sun would have revealed some brilliantly iridescent golden feathers. Thanks to Niels Larsen for identification. Altitude: 4145 metres. Unfortunately no song recording available – only wingnoise registered so far.
James’s Flamingo (Phoenicoparrus jamesi)
It appears as if it’s floating or even swimming! Beauty to me, but bare necessity to the flamingo! Altitude: 4119 metres.
Grey-breasted Seedsnipe (Thinocorus orbignyianus)
Not particularly disturbed by human presence, and Laguna Cañapa offered a close encounter, albeit not with both sexes. Thanks to Lou Salomon for identification. Altitude: 4125 metres.