Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga)

The Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) is commonly known as the snakebird, black darter or American darter, and it is closely related to the darter species. The Anhinga has a wingspan of about 4 feet, and is between 32 to 36 inches in length. They are black in color, with smallish heads (almost snakelike), long bills and [...]

Crested Caracara (Polyborus plancus)

The Crested Caracara (Polyborus plancus) has a body length of between 19 to 23 inches and so is a relatively large bird. The wingspan is four-foot in length and the average bird weighs between the region of one and a half to three and a half pounds. The variance of weight is dependant on where [...]

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)

For many, the turkey is simply a large bird that you eat traditionally at Thanksgiving dinner. Few realize that there are two different species of turkey and that the Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is the heaviest of the two. The Wild Turkey is found naturally in North America and the other species – known as [...]

Scarlet Ibis (Eudocimus ruber)

The Scarlet Ibis (Eudocimus ruber) is the national bird of Tobago and Trinidad. This absolutely stunning, brightly colored bird is a remarkable sight to see. Although they only occur naturally in South America, they can be seen in zoos the world over. Scarlet Ibises vary in length from 56 to 61 cm or 22 to [...]

Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea)

The Scarlet tanager, Piranga olivacea, is unusual in comparison to the other 230 species of the Neotropical Tanager family. The Scarlet Tanager differs in that its plumage changes seasonally, in fact only one other member of the family does this and that is the Tanager that comes from the South American species. Every fall the [...]

Guyana: A Bird Watcher’s Dream Come True

Not many people know much about Guyana. This sleepy little country shares its borders with Venezuela, Suriname and Brazil. Despite the fact that its neighbors are well-known, Guyana tends to stay rather isolated from commercial endeavors. And perhaps that is a good thing – for it may well be the reason why this small part of South America is a birder’s paradise!

A Brightly Colored and Lively Courtship Display

Found in and around the Amazon basin in the Northern regions of South America, the male Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock never fails to impress. This fascinating bird sports an orange-colored fan-like crest with a chestnut stripe running along the edge, accentuating the flawless semicircular shape. From his crest down to his claws the Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock is wrapped in shades of orange plumage. His wings, which are black with a splash of white, are covered by a layer of fluffy golden-orange feathers, giving him the appearance of being wrapped in a shawl.

Giant Penguin Fossils Found in South America

The Giant Penguin fossils found in South America, more specifically in Peru, have been a monumental discovery. The research of the two new penguin species found in Peru was conducted by Julia Clarke and funded by the Expeditions Council of the National Geographic Society. Finding giant penguin fossils in South America casts a shadow on the previous belief that penguins can only survive in the cold. Unearthing penguin fossils in a tropical region sheds a whole new light on penguins from the past.

The Best Places to Watch Penguins

An Antarctic cruise is a dream-vacation for penguin fans. Antarctica is the only place where you’ll find the famous Emperor Penguin. But you don’t have to travel quite that far to see penguins in the wild – many penguin species live in places much easier, and less expensive, for people to visit. Here are some examples for the travel-minded bird watcher:

The World of Antbirds

Flip through a field guide for the South American tropics, and you may be dazzled by the numbers of Antbirds listed. Over 240 species of antbirds live in Central and South America, including the ant-wrens, ant-vireos, and ant-thrushes. These small bird species are dull-colored, in blacks, browns and tans that hide them on the shady rainforest floors. Some species have eyes that are brightly-colored or surrounded with patches of colorful bare skin.

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