Birds of Tropical Rainforests

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Tropical rainforests are found in Africa, Asia, Australia, Central and South America. Dense plantation, warm weather and heavy rainfall are typical characteristics of the rainforests. They provide a perfect habitat for many animals, plants and birds. Amazon is the world’s largest tropical rainforest. There are more than 10,000 species of birds in the world. Amazon Basin and Indonesian tropical rainforests are the habitat of more than 50% of the birds in the world.

Parrots


There are about 315 species of parrots found in tropical rainforests.They eat fruits, nuts, seeds and some vegetables. Macaws also belong to the family of parrots. Many of them live in flocks and some live with a single mate throughout their lives. Though parrots are strikingly colorful, males are usually more colorful than females; which shows sexual dimorphism. They have an average lifespan of 30 to 50 years. African Gray Parrot, scarlet macaw, blue and gold macaw, hyacinth macaw, red and green macaw are some popular parrot species.

• Scarlet Macaw: Its biological name is ‘ara macao’. It is found in the tropical forests of Central and South America. It is a national bird of the country Honduras.


• Blue and Gold Macaw: Its biological name is ‘ara ararauna’. It is blue and yellow in color, that is why, it is also called blue and yellow macaw. It is mostly found in the tropical South America.


• Hyacinth Macaw: Its biological name is ‘anodorhynchus hyacinthinus’. It has blue wings, black beak and yellow eyes. It is the largest bird among the flying parrot species and macaws.

Hornbill


There are many species of hornbills, such as the great Indian hornbill, rhinoceros hornbill, crowned hornbill, African pied hornbill, oriental pied hornbill, wreathed hornbill etc. They eat fruits, insects, ants, and other small animals. Hornbills make a raucous noise. They are known for their unusual nesting behavior. Female hornbills stay in the tree hole with sealed opening during the period of nurturing the young ones. Hornbills live in groups and are mostly found in tropical and subtropical areas of Asia and Africa.

• Rhinoceros Hornbill: Its biological name is ‘buceros rhinoceros’. It has white beak with red and orange shades, black wings and black and white tail. It is the largest bird of this species. It is found in Southeast Asia, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo, and Java.


• Crowned Hornbill: Its biological name is ‘tockus alboterminatus’. It has white belly, red beak, yellow eyes and black wings.


• Wreathed Hornbill: Its biological name is ‘rhyticeros undulatus’. It is also called bar-pouched wreathed hornbill. It is found in the tropical areas from Southwest China to India, Southeast Asia, Java and Bali.

Kingfisher


There are about 90 species of kingfisher in the world. It is a small and bright colored bird. It can be seen skimming over the water surface to catch fish.

• Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher: Its biological name is ‘tanysiptera sylvia’. It has a white tail and a thick red beak. Buff-breasted paradise kingfisher eats lizards, frogs and insects. It is found only in the rainforests of North Queensland.


• Little Kingfisher: Its biological name is ‘alcedo pusilla’. It has glossy deep blue wings, black beak, a small white patch on the neck and a white belly. Little kingfisher eats crustaceans, reptiles, insects and their larvae. It is found in far north coastal areas of Northern Territory and Australia.


• Forest Kingfisher: Its biological name is ‘todiramphus macleayii’. It is also known as macleay’s kingfisher or blue kingfisher. It has turquoise green head and white belly and black legs.

Cassowary


The Cassowary is one of the remarkably big, powerful and flightless bird. It is found in the northern Queensland in, Australia and lowland rainforests of New Guinea. It belongs to a rare bird species. It is similar to emu and ostrich in appearance. It eats insects, fruit, seeds, and tubers. The cassowary plays an important role in spreading the vegetation within the forest. The golden-neck Cassowary is known for using powerful kick for defense. Golden-neck cassowary, southern cassowary, double wattled cassowary are some cassowary species.



These are some beautiful birds of rainforests, which are diverse in colors and characteristics. Tropical rainforests play an important role in maintaining the diversity in the birds.

Birds of Tropical Rainforests