NEOTROPICAL Tropical Moist Broadleaf Forest
non-passerine birds

The non-passerine birds of the rainforest of tropical South America and Central America...

Order Tinamiformes

This order only contains the Tinamous. They are related to the rheas and other ratites. 

Family Tinamidae: Tinamous

There are some 46 species, and they are only found in Central and South America.

Family Anatidae: Ducks, Geese, Swans

Merganetta armata, 'Torrent Duck'. An unusual duck that has adapted to swimming and diving through the waters of fast flowing rivers. Distributed all the Andes.

'Torrent Duck', female.

Family Cracidae: including Guans, Curassows, and Chachalaca 

Chaemaepetes goudoitii, 'Sickle-winged Guan'. Dark brown and rusty coloured Guan with blue face. Found in the subtropical rainforests of the slopes of eastern and western Andes.

Ortalis guttata, 'Speckled Chachalaca'.

Penelope obscura, 'Dusky-legged Guan'. Disjunct populations: found in and around rainforest in the Andes and the Atlantic forest.

Penelope jacquacu, 'Spix's Guan'. Found in rainforest and edge in northern South America, particularly around Andes foothills. 

Pipile cumanensis, 'Blue-throated Piping Guan'. Closely related and perhaps the same species as Pipile pipile, 'Trinidad Piping Guan'. 

Family Columbidae : Doves & Pigeons

Patagioenas spp.

Zentrygon spp.

Zentrygon frenata, 'White-throated Quail-Dove'.  Found in mountain rainforest along the Andes. 

Family Opisthocomidae: Hoatzin

Opisthocomus hoazin, 'Hoatzin'.  Large bird with blue face and messy crest. Climbs about noisily in waterside trees clumsily, often stretching and grunting. Unlike most other birds, it is mostly a folivore. Found in swampy habitats in South America. 

Family Cathartidae: New World Vultures

Cathartes melambrotus, 'Greater Yellow-headed Vulture'.

Family Accipitridae: Hawks, Kites, Eagles

Family Trogonidae: Trogons, including Quetzals

Trogons are often colourful birds. They sometimes sit motionless on branches, allowing some good photographs, if you can find them! They live in the rainforests of Africa, tropical Asia and the Neotropics.

Trogon personatus, 'Masked Trogon'. Found in mountain rainforest of South America.

Trogon viridis, 'Green-backed Trogon'. Males have dull green back and dull blue throat, with a bright yellow belly and white eye rings. Females have grey rather than the blue and green. Found throughout forest and edge, across much of tropical South America.

Order Coraciformes

Family Alcedinidae: Kingfishers

Family Momotidae: Motmots

Baryphthengus martii, 'Rufous Motmot'. Found in the rainforests of central America and south to the Andes.

Order Picaformes

Family Galbulidae: Jacamars

Galbalcyrhynchus leucotis, 'White-eared Jacamar'. Large red bill, like a kingfisher. Found in swamps and rainforest in north-western South America.

Family Bucconidae: Puffbirds

Monasa nigrifrons, 'Black-fronted Nunbird', 'Monja de Frente Negra'.

Family Capitonidae: New World Barbets

Eubucco bourcierii, 'Red-headed Barbet', male. Found in the rainforests of Central America and south to the Andes..

Family Semnornithidae: Prong-billed & Toucan Barbets

Semnornis ramphastinus, 'Toucan Barbet'.

Family Ramphastidae: Toucans, Aracaris, Toucanets

Andigena laminirostris, 'Plate-billed Mountain Toucan'.

Aulacorhynchus haematopygus, 'Crimson-rumped Toucanet'. Found in the mountain rainforest of the Andes.

Ramphastos vitellinus, 'Channel-billed Toucan'. Found in various habitats across the humid parts of tropical South America.

Family Picidae: Woodpeckers

Melanerpes cruentatus, 'Yellow-tufted Woodpecker'. Found in rainforest and woodlands in northern South America.

Family Falconidae: Falcons, Caracaras

Herpetotheres cachinnans, 'Laughing Falcon', 'Snake Hawk'. Small, with distinctive black face mask and white breast. As suggested by common name, has a laugh like call. As suggested by other common name, reported to specialize in feeding on snakes (however it is a Falcon, not a Hawk). Found in lower altitude forests in Central and South America. 

Family Psittacidae: African and American Parrots

South and Central America has a diverse range of parrots. Many species are variations on green and often go unnoticed, but there is one group that stands out - the Macaws. There are some 19 species, and they are all native to the Neotropics, distributed as far north as Mexico. This group of genera include some (relatively) smaller species of parrot, but it is the larger and more colourful species that literally stick out. Compared to other parrots, these larger species usually have a paler face, massive curved bill, and very long tails. They are thought of as rainforest parrots, but they are also found in the open woodlands. Each individual macaw has a different pattern on its face, uniquely identifying each one like a humans fingerprint.  

Ara ararauna, 'Blue and Yellow Macaw'.

Ara macao, 'Scarlet Macaw', 'Aracanga'.

Back to the page on the hummingbirds of the tropical American rainforest
For the page on the passerine songbirds of the tropical American rainforest
Back to the page on the tropical American rainforest