One fourth of the population of animals in the rainforest is made up of birds. Some of the more interesting of those birds are: Bald Eagles, Oriental Black Ibis, Crimson Crested Woodpecker, Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, Black Frontend Nun-Bird, Hoatzins.

The Bald Eagle grows to be is over 7 feet, from wing tip to wing tip. This bird is considered sacred by many Native Americans.

Bald Eagles usually stay near large rivers, lakes, and swamps where they can find food. It often hunts by sitting on a high perch above water, looking for fish. When it spots something, it swoops down to catch it in its sharp talons.

Bald Eagles usually eat fish which they catch for themselves or steal from Ospreys or other birds. They sometimes eat ducks or other waterfowl and small animals such as squirrels and rabbits. They may also scavenge dead animals.

For many years the population of Bald Eagles dwindled because of the hunting and the use of the pesticide DDT. When the hunting of Bald Eagles became illegal and the use of DDT was banned the population of Bald Eagles began to recover. Today there are more than 5,000 in the Rainforests.

During migration they may sometimes be seen near mountains and dry open county areas, including desserts. The Bald Eagle's cry has a harsh crackle that may remind you of a gull.

The Oriental Black Ibis or Pseudibis Davisoni (Latin name) is extremely rare! It lives around Cambodia , Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos. Old wars in these areas have also taken a toll on these birds and humans hunted them for food, making them hard to find.

The Crimson Crested Woodpeckers lives in the humid terre firme forest, second growth woodland. Sometimes it is seen in isolated trees well away from forests. They peck on trunks and branches of larger trees, where they chisel the bark searching for ants and other insects. Crimson Crested Woodpeckers live together in pairs of 2 to 4 birds. They build nesting high in a large tree, where they lay two eggs.

The Ferruginous Pygmy Owl lives along Tahuayo, near the Amazon expedition lodge. They could be found along humid forest boarders of rivers and streams, on river islands, Varzea border and second growth woodland, areas.

Ferruginous Pygmy Owl's are active day and night. And often mobbed by small birds. It flicks its tail up and down when it is agitated (lays 2-5 white eggs.)

Black Frontend Nun-Birds are more active than puff birds. They fly with a few quick short sailing glides. The bird frequently follows groups of monkeys. In the evening , small groups line up on perches and give a noisy call. They nest in burrows excavated on level ground or the bank.

Hoatzins breed during the rainy seasons. During breeding, they live in small groups of two to ten, a fewbeing breeders and the others, "helpers". The entire group incubates eggs and cares for the young, which are fed from a crop of adult caretakers. They build a loose stick platform two to eight meters above water. Each nest contains two (occasionally three) creamy oblong eggs spotted with pink, blue or brown. Incubation is about 28 days. Newly-hatched Hoatzins almost featherless, but rapidly grow down, and have claws on first and second digits, so they can climb on vegetation. When endangered, they drop into the water, using their claws, bills and feet to climb out.

Hoatzins feed primarily on leaves and shoots of some marsh and swamp plants, mainly arums (philodendron family). Leaves are ground in the large double hole, and ferment there, giving bird the a musky odor. They are weak fliers because of the size of the crop, which displace some of breast flight muscles. They are sedentary and somewhat ungainly. Hoatzins live in pairs in groups of 50 or more. They perch on branches, while resting on a branch. When alarmed, they open their large wings, displaying bright chestnut flight feathers around a large black spot surrounded by white. This simulates an "eye". Diurnal and nocturnal, tending to rest during the hottest part of day. Humans do not find them very tasty, however they are preyed on by monkeys.

These are just some of the many, many birds found in the Rainforest.

To learn more about rainforest birds visit the following sites:
http://www.ran.org/kids_action/s06_animals.html
http://www.birdwatching-australia.com/
http://www.pbs.org/tal/costa_rica/birds.html