Wetland Birds

The Amazon basin holds one of the most diverse bird faunas in the world. Most of these species are forest dwellers. However, the rivers and wet lands hold large populations of birds adapted to aquatic habitats. The number of fish feeding birds is sufficient to be a major threat to fish. For example, in the white water Lago Mamirauá there is a colony of 25,000 to 30,000 Neotropic Cormorants, which during the low water season hunt as a group. As each Cormorant can eat its own body weight in fish per day, this colony probably consumes more than 100,000 fish per day! It is amazing to see these ever hungry birds eating piranhas and spiny catfish. The lake also supports large groups of egrets, terns and herons and arranged along every bank there are kingfishers. There are also large numbers of fish feeding hawks and eagles including the osprey, which is quite common in white water lakes. The birds aggregate in floodplain lakes at low water because the fish are concentrated into small areas and they often lack the cover of floating meadow and fallen trees. It is little wonder that most small to medium sized fish are wary of open water during the day and try to hide under the banks or any floating debris they can find. There are surface feeding fish active by day such as Triportheus which are highly alert to any movement from above and are specialised for making quick dashes . In small forest streams, fish predation by birds is still high as every reach has its resident kingfisher. The Amazon has four species of kingfisher which range in size from a large species specialising in large lakes and rivers to the pygmy kingfisher that feeds in small streams and side arms.

It is not just fish that are heavily predated by birds. Herons and egrets also eat large numbers of frogs and insects and terns are often seen consuming crabs. There is even a hawk that specialises in eating large snails.

As well as the true wetland birds there are many others that can get an appreciable proportion of their food from the waters. For example, the vultures quickly appear when there is a fish kill and swifts are often seen catching insects flying above the water.

Below is a list of the main wetland birds observed in Amazonia:
  • Anhinga
  • Neotropic Cormorant
  • Cocoi (White-necked) Heron
  • Great Egret
  • Snowy Egret
  • Cattle Egret
  • Striated Heron
  • Capped Heron
  • Black-crowned Night Heron
  • Boat-billed Heron
  • Rufescent Tiger Heron
  • Agaii Heron
  • Maquari Stork
  • Jabiru
  • Wood Stork
  • Green Ibis
  • Limpkin
  • Orinoco Goose
  • Masked Duck
  • Muscovy
  • Gray-necked Wood Rail
  • Gray-breasted Crake
  • Azure Gallinule
  • Purple Gallinule
  • Sunbittern
  • Wattled Jacana
  • Pied lapwing
  • Spotted Sandpiper
  • Solitary Sandpiper
  • Black-necked Stilt
  • Large-billed Tern
  • Yellow-billed Tern
  • Black Skimmer
  • Hoatzin
  • Ringed Kingfisher
  • Amazon Kingfisher
  • Green Kingfisher
  • Green-and-rufous Kingfisher
  • Pygmy Kingfisher
  • Jacamar

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Vultures on the edge of a floodplain lake at low water attracted by dead fish washed up after a fish kill
Vultures on the edge of a floodplain lake at low water attracted by dead fish washed up after a fish kill

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Yellow-rumped Cacique (Cacicus cela)

Anhinga drying its wings
Anhinga drying its wings

Aquatic birds aggregate at the entrance of Lago Mamiraua during the low water season to feed on fish. In the picture there are Neotropic Cormorants and Great Egrets
Aquatic birds aggregate at the entrance of Lago Mamiraua during the low water season to feed on fish. In the picture there are Neotropic Cormorants and Great Egrets

Yellow headed caracara - this species is a common scavenger around floodplain lakes
Yellow headed caracara - this species is a common scavenger around floodplain lakes

Great Egret (Casmerodius albus) standing in bushes at a edge of a lake
Great Egret (Casmerodius albus) standing in bushes at a edge of a lake

A Neotropic Cormorant dries its feathers after diving
A Neotropic Cormorant dries its feathers after diving

During the low water season Neotropic Cormorant gather into huge groups to collectively hunt for fish. This picture shows part of a 25,000 to 30,000 strong colony moving down a lake in the morning at the start of the days fishing
During the low water season Neotropic Cormorant gather into huge groups to collectively hunt for fish. This picture shows part of a 25,000 to 30,000 strong colony moving down a lake in the morning at the start of the days fishing

During the low water season Neotropic Cormorant gather into huge groups to collectively hunt for fish. This picture shows part of a 25,000 to 30,000 strong colony fishing co-operatively in a floodplain lake
Neotropic Cormorant

During the low water season Neotropic Cormorant gather into huge groups to collectively hunt for fish. This picture shows part of a 25,000 to 30,000 strong colony moving down a lake in the morning at the start of the days fishing
Neotropic Cormorant

Ducks such as this White-throated Tinamou (Tinamus guttatus) are surprisingly uncommon in Amazonian lakes
Ducks such as this White-throated Tinamou (Tinamus guttatus) are surprisingly uncommon in Amazonian lakes

Snowy Egret standing at the edge of a lake
Snowy Egret standing at the edge of a lake

Great Egrets feeding as a group on a floodplain lake during the low water season. Close to the edge of the floating meadows there are a number of Neotropic Cormorants
Great Egrets feeding as a group on a floodplain lake during the low water season. Close to the edge of the floating meadows there are a number of Neotropic Cormorants

Great Egret (Casmerodius albus)
Great Egret (Casmerodius albus)

Great Egret (Casmerodius albus) wading in a floodplain lake.
Great Egret (Casmerodius albus) wading in a floodplain lake.

Great Egrets in flight
Great Egrets in flight

This species is uncommon in the Amazon and the photograph was taken in Florida. The commoner species is the green ibis
Juvenile White Ibis (Eudocimus albus). This species is uncommon in the Amazon and the photograph was taken in Florida. The commoner species is the green ibis

Ringed Kinqfisher sitting on a perch overhanging water. This species is largest of the kingfisher species found in the Amazon and is common in floodplain lakes and channels
Ringed Kinqfisher sitting on a perch overhanging water. This species is largest of the kingfisher species found in the Amazon and is common in floodplain lakes and channels

Amazon Kingfisher sitting on a perch overhanging water. This species is common in floodplain lakes and channels
Amazon Kingfisher sitting on a perch overhanging water. This species is common in floodplain lakes and channels

A shy water bird found throughout the Amazon
Limpkin. A shy water bird found throughout the Amazon

Black-crowned Night Heron resting by water
Black-crowned Night Heron resting by water

Snowy Egret standing at the edge of a lake
Snowy Egret standing at the edge of a lake

Wood Stork fishing at the edge of a lake
Wood Stork fishing at the edge of a lake

Sunbittern walking along the edge of a floodplain lake
Sunbittern walking along the edge of a floodplain lake

Yellow-billed Tern resting on a dead tree in an Amazonian floodplain lake. These terns are common throughout Amazonia and give the rivers a sea-like atmosphere
Yellow-billed Tern resting on a dead tree in an Amazonian floodplain lake. These terns are common throughout Amazonia and give the rivers a sea-like atmosphere

Pigmy kingfisher perch on a branch overhanging a small Amazonian stream
Pigmy kingfisher perched on a branch overhanging a small Amazonian stream

Spotted Puffbird perched in whitewater flooded forest. This kingfisher-like bird is frequently observed near water
Spotted Puffbird (Bucco tamatia) perched in whitewater flooded forest. This kingfisher-like bird is frequently observed near water