Great egret in a “fireant” tree
I never set out to become a birder. I enjoy spotting wildlife on my travels, but I have never been the kind of person to keep a list of sightings or carry a massive telephoto lens. Still, when I joined a G Adventures river cruise in the Peruvian Amazon, I quickly realized that bird-watching would be one of the trip’s highlights. The variety, color, and sheer abundance of birds here make the Amazon one of the best places on earth to start noticing feathered creatures in a new light.
Over the course of a week on the rivers and forests of the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, I saw everything from tiny reed-loving songbirds to flamboyant macaws. I learned to recognize birds not only by their plumage but also by their sounds. I discovered that you don’t need to be an expert to appreciate the experience. If you are considering a trip to the Amazon, here is a beginner’s guide to birdwatching, based on my own journey.
The Soundtrack of the Amazon
Before you even spot your first macaw or toucan, you hear the Amazon. The jungle is never quiet. At dawn, the calls echo from every direction: whistles, screeches, metallic honks, and the occasional racket that sounds suspiciously like a car alarm. Our guides pointed out the “car alarm bird” (or Screaming Piha), and I laughed when I realized it really did sound like one.
At first, it feels overwhelming, like trying to learn a new language by standing in a crowded train station. Every tree seemed to be broadcasting something new. But as the days passed, I began to pick out distinct voices. The macaws were loud and raucous, as if determined to make their presence known. The jacanas in the wetlands made quick, sharp calls as they skittered over lily pads. Raptors like the black-collared hawk kept a quieter watch, occasionally giving a single piercing cry that sliced across the river.
The jungle’s soundtrack is a reminder that birding in the Amazon is not about silence and patience in a hide, as it sometimes is elsewhere. Here, you are surrounded by life, and sound often leads you to the sighting. At night, the chorus changes: frogs, insects, and nocturnal birds take over.
Blue-and-yellow macaw on a perch at the Rainforest Awareness Rescue Education Center
Parrots and Macaws: The Celebrities of the Amazon
On our first morning, I spotted a flash of blue and yellow in the treetops. A blue-and-yellow macaw was perched high above the river, its long tail trailing down like a banner. With its bold colors and striking face, it was impossible to miss. I remember the boat swaying slightly as everyone scrambled to one side with cameras ready.
Later, we watched a pair of scarlet macaws squabbling over a piece of fruit on a feeding platform in a village. Their plumage was astonishing in the sunlight, with red bodies and bright yellow patches, and wingtips shaded in blue. The locals seemed used to them, but I felt like I had stepped into the pages of a nature magazine.
Scarlet Macaws at the Rainforest Awareness Rescue Education Center
Another blue-and-yellow macaw appeared later, high in a bare tree, calmly chewing at a branch. They seem playful, but our guides reminded us that macaws are powerful birds, able to crack tough nuts with those massive beaks.
Macaws are loud, social, and constantly on the move. They fly in pairs or small groups and often announce themselves long before they land. For a beginner, they are among the easiest birds to spot and identify. Seeing them felt like checking an essential box: if you are birdwatching in the Amazon, macaws will almost certainly be part of your story.
Macaws mate for life, so if poachers take one macaw, its mate will never mate again.
Toucan at the Rainforest Awareness Rescue Education Center
Toucans: Beaks Bigger Than Life
Seeing a toucan for the first time felt oddly familiar. I had seen cartoon versions on cereal boxes. The real thing is much more striking. The channel-billed toucan we spotted had a long black bill edged in ivory and a bright yellow throat. It perched on a branch, eyeing us curiously as we drifted past in the skiff.
Our guide explained that toucans use their oversized bills not only for eating fruit but also to regulate heat, like a built-in radiator. They are also important seed dispersers, spreading the forest as they feed. It was fascinating to think that this comic-looking bird plays such a serious role in the ecosystem.
Toucans are harder to photograph than macaws. They stay higher in the canopy and often vanish as soon as you spot them. But the reward of capturing that iconic silhouette against the sky is worth the patience.
black-collared hawk or fish hawk
Raptors of the River
The Amazon is home to a number of interesting raptors, and spotting one of these hunters always felt like a small triumph.
The black-collared hawk, or fish hawk as our guides called them, stood out with its rusty orange plumage and black throat band. Perched above the river, it scanned the water for fish.
The great black hawk was equally memorable. Dark and imposing, it sat quietly in a riverside tree as if it owned the territory. Our guides told us it would even hunt snakes, which gave me new respect for it.
Another striking raptor we encountered was the Yellow-headed Caracara. Its name is tied to both its look and its voice: the pale yellow head explains the “yellow-headed,” while the word “caracara” comes from its call, a repeated “cara-cara” cry that gives the bird away even before you see it. A narrow black line trails behind the eye like a penciled accent, giving it a distinctive profile.
Caracaras are opportunistic feeders, and our guides described them as “generalists.” They will scavenge carrion, pick insects off the backs of capybaras, and snatch lizards or frogs from the ground. Watching one perch in the tangled branches near the river was a reminder that not every bird of prey in the Amazon is a specialized hunter. Some thrive by being adaptable.
black caracara
The Black Caracaram, unlike its pale-headed cousin, is strikingly dark, with black plumage offset by a vivid orange-red face and legs. Its name comes from its somber coloration, but its habits are anything but plain. Black Caracaras are highly social raptors, often seen in pairs or groups, and they play an important role as opportunistic feeders. They eat carrion, raid wasp nests for larvae, and even take small vertebrates. I watched one perched boldly on a branch above the river, as if staking claim to its territory.
Wetland Birds: Walking on Water
Wetlands are some of the best places for birdwatching in the Amazon, and our excursions often included drifting past or through mats of aquatic plants. The still water, dotted with lilies and hyacinths, was a stage for some of the most unusual birds I had ever seen.
northern jacana / Jesus Christ bird
One of the highlights was the northern jacana, also known as the “Jesus Christ bird” because it appears to walk on water. Its long toes spread its weight so it can dash across floating leaves. Watching one sprint across the lilies was comical, almost like a magician’s trick.
wattled jacana
The wattled jacana, with its dark body, red forehead shield, and yellow bill, was just as fascinating. It blended beautifully with the purple blossoms of the water hyacinths.
horned screamer
Odd and Unusual Birds
The Horned Screamer may be the strangest bird I have ever seen. With a horn-like spike protruding from its forehead and a loud, braying call, it is not particularly elegant, but it is unforgettable. Locals often call it the “donkey bird” because its honking cry carries across the wetlands with the same harsh quality as a donkey’s bray.
Despite its size, the horned screamer eats only aquatic plants, plucking vegetation from the surface of the water. Our guides pointed out the bony spurs on its wings, which it can use in fights with rivals. It may not win any beauty contests, but the horned screamer is one of the most memorable sounds and sights of the Amazon.
black-capped donacobius
Then there was the black-capped donacobius, a small marsh bird with a golden chest and a sharp black cap.
Herons, Storks, and Egrets
capped heron
The capped heron was one of the most beautiful, with a sleek black cap, white plumage, and delicate head plumes. Its face was tinted a pale turquoise, which glowed in the morning light.
tri-colored heron
On a night excursion, I spotted a Tricolored Heron hunting along the muddy riverbank. Its name comes from its distinctive mix of slate-blue back and wings, reddish neck, and white belly. The bird’s slender bill and stalking posture were clear in the flashlight beam as it probed for fish and frogs in the shallows. Seeing it in the dark reminded me that not all herons retire at sunset. Some remain active well into the night.
wood stork
The wood stork, tall and somewhat ungainly, was another memorable sighting. In flight, however, it was elegant, wings stretched wide like a prehistoric glider.
great egret
The great egret, with its pure white plumage, is a bird I had seen before in North America. Yet here in the Amazon, it felt part of a much bigger story. Watching it land in a tree covered with orange blossoms was one of those rare travel moments that burns into memory.
Weaver bird nest
Nests Worth Noticing
Even the nests are spectacular in the Amazon. The weaver bird builds massive hanging baskets that dangle from the tallest branches like woven pendulums. In some trees, dozens swayed together, each one home to a new generation of birds.
Practical Advice for Beginner Birdwatchers in the Amazon
- Go out early and late: Dawn and dusk excursions are prime times. The light is magical, and the birds are active.
- Bring binoculars: Even compact binoculars will transform your experience. I shared mine with other passengers.
- Use a zoom lens: A 300mm or greater lens helps with canopy birds. Some were using their iPhone with their binoculars.
- Shoot in burst mode: I took a lot of pictures and had to throw away 80% of them.
- Listen as much as you look: Birds are often identified first by sound. Let your guides teach you the calls.
- Be patient: Some birds are quick to appear, others take time. Relax, enjoy the boat ride, and let the birds come to you.
- Embrace the unexpected: You may not see everything on your list, but you will almost certainly see something remarkable.
Why Birding Belongs in Your Amazon Adventure
Before I took the G Adventures Amazon Riverboat Adventure in Depth cruise, I thought of the Amazon in terms of big animals: monkeys, sloths, anacondas, and the pink dolphins that surface beside the boats. But the birds added a whole new dimension. They brought color to the canopy, music to the mornings, and constant discovery to every outing.
Whether you are a casual traveler or someone who is already passionate about birdwatching, the Amazon will surprise you. It is a place where even beginners can come home with a story about macaws, screamers, and toucans. And once you notice one bird, you start to notice them all. That, for me, was one of the great gifts of traveling in the Peruvian Amazon.
