Birds draw many visitors to the Neotropics. Many
come to augment their life lists, wanting to add more
parrot species, more tanagers, more hummingbirds,
and hoping for an encounter with the majestic Harpy
Eagle (plate 15- 1). Others do research on birds in the
hopes of adding knowledge about avian ecology and
evolution in this richest of ecosystems. This chapter
makes an attempt to convey the uniqueness and
diversity of the Neotropical avifauna, whose continued
welfare faces an uncertain future (chapter 18). Be
aware that this account is in no way meant to be
comprehensive and that birds, as you know by now, are
featured in numerous chapters throughout the book.
The International Ornithological Congress lists a
total of 10,637 species of birds currently inhabiting
the world. More than one third of these are found
in the Neotropics. No one knows exactly how many
species of birds inhabit the region, because avian
taxonomy is in a current state of flux, and numbers
of species in various groups change annually as
decisions are made about lumping or splitting species.
Incredibly there is no single list of bird species of the
Neotropics, because most lists are confined either to
South America or Middle America or the West Indies
or individual countries, and authorities differ in
assigning species status. The American Ornithologists’
Union (AOU) has compiled a current taxonomic
bird species list for South America that totals 3,368
species (readily available on the AOU website; http://
http://www.americanornithology.org), but this list (which
includes one extinct species) omits all the numerous
species of Central America (such as the Resplendent
Quetzal), as well as Cuba and the West Indies, because
those areas are included in the North American AOU
checklist, which, of course, includes numerous species
that never occur in the Neotropics. In this chapter
I have used both the AOU’s South American and
North American checklists to cite current numbers
or recognized species. As well, I have relied on Bird
Families of the World (Winkler, Billerman, and Lovette,
2015). Other checklists to the world’s birds exist as
well, including the comprehensive list published by the
International Ornithological Congress (http://www.
worldbirdnames.org). What is important to note is
that these various authoritative sources do not agree
in some cases on species designation, as well as species
names, both common and scientific. Older field guides
to birds will not reflect much of what has emerged withChapter 15. Neotropical Birds: The Bustling Crowd
Plate 15- 1. The Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja) is found
throughout Amazonia, but each bird occupies a large
territory. Seeing one is every tropical birder’s wish. Photo by
Gina Nichol.
Plate 15- 2. The widespread and familiar Bananaquit (Coereba
flaveola) is one of the species that has usually been placed
among the incertae sedis, at least in some authoritative
lists. The American Ornithologists’ Union’s South American
checklist currently considers it in the Thraupidae, among the
tanagers. Photo by Nancy Norman.
262 neotropical birds: the bustling crowd