Peru: Tambopata Reserve – Exploring the River Island
In the middle of Tambopata River not far upstream from the Tambopata Research Center there is an island that is completely flooded during the wet season but gets exposed during the dry season with a small pond in the middle. Flora and fauna is quite different here, and interesting spotting opportunities around the pond make it a worthy exploration. Baby turtles and baby caymans were sunning themselves on the log in the middle of the pond, but it was two very rare hoatzin birds that was a true find! Hoatzin is a large bird endemic to the Amazon basin, it’s the size of the pheasant, has a large crest of their head, and colorful feathers. What’s more unique – it’s digestive system is similar to that of cows, with a large internal chamber for fermenting the food, quite unlike any other bird species.
