Chapter 4 Finding Animals in Rain Forest

• Dress in dark, subdued clothing; you don’t need to
  wear military- type camouflage, but dark clothing is
  definitely preferable to light. A bright white T- shirt
  that says “Save the Rain Forest” in Day- Glo pink
  letters is fine back at the field station or lodge, but it
  will give away your presence in the forest.


• Remain on the trail. This is important for safety
  reasons.
  Regarding this last point, suppose you come upon
  a really good sighting, perhaps a striking Orange-
  crowned Oriole (Icterus auricapillus; plate 4- 2). The
  oriole is perched in understory just beside the trial.
  You raise your binoculars and get a quick but good
  look at it before it flies a short distance into the forest.
  Now the temptation arises. Do you go off trail to get
  another, perhaps better look at the bird or perhaps a
  great photo of it?
  Remember, there are snakes and many are
  inconspicuous. Going off trail in a tropical rain forest
  carries risks, especially if you are unskilled at seeing
  snakes before they see you. The risk is low but not zero.
  If you are not wearing snake chaps or high boots be
  really careful if you go off trail. Bushwhacking is not
  recommended. But bear in mind that some professional
  guides who are skilled at keeping an eye out for
  serpents will on occasion take their group off- trail to
  see wildlife. I have never felt unsafe in the company of
  such guides.
  And then there are the hard realities of the rain
  forest itself. Consider how many species remain almost
  entirely in the canopy, far from where you are standing
  on the forest floor. How can you see them? It takes
  work, patience, and skill to see rain forest animals
  well. Many species are cryptic, a result of evolution in
  a predator- rich environment (plate 4- 3; see discussion
  in chapter 11). Even gaudily colorful birds, such as
  various tanagers and cotingas, may appear surprisingly
  dull in the forest shade. To make matters worse, some
  tropical birds, such as trogons and motmots, tend to
  sit still for long periods and can easily be overlooked
  even when close by (plate 4- 4). It requires luck and
  the ability to develop a search image, or mental image
  of certain species, to find them on a regular basis. In
  other words, you must become sufficiently familiar
  with trogons (for example) that they begin to “pop out”
  at you as you scan likely perches.
  You will also be presented with light problems when
  looking up. Skies in rain forest areas are frequently
  overcast, and the white sky background makes it more

Plate 4- 2. A clear and unobstructed view of an Orange-

crowned Oriole. If it flies into the forest, and you go off the trail

to chase it, realize you are taking a risk. Photo by John Kricher.

Plate 4- 3. Looking up into a tall tree, you may notice a snag

that isn’t a snag but a bird. It’s a Great Potoo (Nyctibius

grandis), cryptically colored and perched so as to mimic the

bare snag and seemingly become part of it. It takes skill to find

such well- camouflaged species. Photo by John Kricher.

Plate 4- 4. This female Slaty- tailed Trogon (Trogon massena)

is perched quietly on a limb and may remain so, virtually

unmoving, for many minutes. Thus it can easily be overlooked

in the forest shade. Photo by John Kricher.

finding animals in rain forest 59