of a challenge to make out the colors of birds and other
animals. A bird perched atop a tree silhouetted against
a white background is a commonplace sight in the
tropics (plate 4- 5).
Getting unobstructed views of animals is a challenge.
And not only do branches and leaves obstruct your
view, so do shadows. Get used to that. The animals are
there, but finding them is a different matter. Monkeys
noisily scamper through the canopy, but tree crowns
may be so dense that you can catch only a glimpse. You
may pass below an iguana sitting idle in a tree without
ever seeing it.
Most guides will focus on finding vertebrates,
particularly birds, since most bird species are diurnal,
and they are often relatively easy to observe, particularly
when a mixed- species foraging flock suddenly appears
and seems to surround you. Another reason for
an avian focus is that many, if not most, visitors to
Neotropical rain forest sites are primarily seeking birds
to add to their life lists. But mammals, snakes, lizards,
and anurans (toads, frogs, and tree frogs) can be found
with regularity, as can many fascinating insects and
other invertebrates (plates 4- 6– 7).
Sounds reveal some of the forest dwellers: there
is often a predawn chorus of howler monkeys, the
various troops proclaiming their territorial rights to
one another, their tentative low grunts soon becoming
loud, protracted roars, their combined voices one of
the most exciting, memorable sounds of Neotropical
forests. Many bird species are vocal beginning before
sunrise, an event ornithologists call the dawn chorus.
Parrots, hidden in the thick foliage of a fruiting fig
tree, reveal themselves by an occasional harsh squeak.
Scarlet Macaws (Ara macao), flying serenely overhead
with deep, dignified wing beats, so close to us that
they fill the binocular field, suddenly emit a guttural,
high- decibel squawk, about as musical as screeching
brakes. Macaws are a feast for the eyes, but they can
be an assault on the ears. Peccaries, the Neotropical
equivalent of wild pigs, grunt back and forth to one
another in low tones as they root for breakfast. A
Whooping Motmot (Momotus subrufescens; plate 4- 8)
reveals itself as it calls softly, Hoop, hoop.
Cicadas provide a constant background din, their
loud, monotonous sound continuing throughout much
of the day (plate 4- 9). A reality of tropical rain forest
wildlife observation is that on any given outing, the
experience can seem underwhelming. It is not unusual
to take a morning walk and see little in the way of birds
Plate 4- 5. This Blue- headed Parrot (Pionus menstruus) is
perched high atop a tree against an utterly white background,
so typical of tropical daytime skies. Good binoculars or a good
spotting scope will bring out its colors. Photo by John Kricher.Plate 4- 7. Learning to look carefully has its rewards. This
slender serpent, called the Blunthead Tree Snake (Imantodes
cenchoa), could be easily missed unless you look sharply. It
ranges throughout the Neotropics, from Mexico through
Amazonia. Photo by Dennis Paulson.Plate 4- 6. It is useful to look at the ground as you walk
a forest trail. Sure, you might see a venomous snake—
and thus avoid stepping on it— but more likely you will
encounter an interesting insect, spider, or, as in this case, the
cryptically colored and well named Leaf Litter Toad (Rhaebo
haematiticus). Photo by John Kricher.60 chapter 4 finding animals in rain forest