Photos
What
Ringed Kingfisher Megaceryle torquataObserver
hoppy1951Description
Observed at night, roosting on the banks of the Rupununi River.
Caiman House, Yupukari Village, north Rupununi, Guyana, South America.
Observed at night, roosting on the banks of the Rupununi River.
Caiman House, Yupukari Village, north Rupununi, Guyana, South America.
Male, perched above the Burro - Burro River.
Surama Village Eco-Lodge, North Rupununi, Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo Region, Guyana, South America.
A male observed at night, roosting on the banks of the Rupununi River.
Caiman House, Yupukari Village, north Rupununi, Guyana, South America.
A female, observed from a small dugout canoe, paddled by my excellent guide, Kenneth.
Awarikru Lake to the Rupununi River. Caiman House, Yupukari Village, north Rupununi, Guyana, South America.
Male. Amazon Kingfishers resemble the small Green Kingfisher, which were also seen along the Rupununi River, but they are much larger and three to four times as heavy.
Rupununi River downstream of Karanambu Lodge, North Rupununi, Guyana, South America.
Female, ssp. americana.These lovely birds were a common sight along the Rupununi River, but were very boat/camera-shy.
Downstream of Karanambu Lodge, North Rupununi, Guyana, South America.
Two birds perched high in a riverside tree, enjoying the bright warm early morning sunshine.
Iwokrama River Lodge and Research Centre, Iwokrama Forest Reserve, Guyana, South America.
Striated Heron (South American) (Butorides s. striata). Seen on my last morning in Guyana These little heron were a common sight along the banks of inland rivers.
Botanical Gardens, Georgetown, Guyana, South America.
Traditionally a monotypic species, but the Clements Checklist 2012 expect a second subspecies to be described, which is what is meant by ssp above.
Iwokrama River Lodge and Research Centre, Iwokrama Forest Reserve, Guyana, South America.
Seldom seen, but often heard, their call is a signature sound of neotropical rainforest. Listen here: www.xeno-canto.org/24226 (recorded from Iwokrama Canopy Walkway by Ken Allaire). Not a brilliant image, but I count myself very lucky to get one!
Turtle Mountain, Iwokrama River Lodge and Research Centre, Iwokrama Forest Reserve, Guyana, South America.
Adult flying low over the Rupununi River.
Karanambu Lodge, North Rupununi, Guyana, South America.
Observed at night on a small island in the Essequibo River.
Iwokrama River Lodge and Research Centre, Iwokrama Forest Reserve, Guyana, South America.
These winter migrants were a common sight along the Rupununi River. However, they were usually very wary and difficult to observe at close range.
Rupununi River, near Karanambu Lodge, North Rupununi, Guyana, South America.
A Limpkin uses its 1m wingspan to take off from a wetland on the Rupununi savannah.
Rupununi savannah, Karanambu Lodge, Karanambu Ranch, North Rupununi, Guyana, South America.
Adult, perched on a fallen tree at the edge of the Rupununi River
Between Kwatamang Landing and Rewa Village, north Rupununi, Guyana, South America.
Immature, perched on a branch over the Rupununi River, near Karanambu Lodge, north Rupununi, Guyana, South America.
Aka Forest Vulture, it favours moist lowland forests in tropical South America
Iwokrama River Lodge and Research Centre, Iwokrama Forest Reserve, Guyana, South America.
Roosting in a bush over the Rupununi River, near Karanambu Lodge, north Rupununi, Guyana, South America.
Mature adult showing the foreclaws that it uses to rip open ant nests and termite mounds. It's the largest of its family, stretching 182–217 cm (6–7 ft) and weighing 27–41 kg (60–90 lb).
Rupununi savannah, Karanambu Lodge, Karanambu Ranch, north Rupununi, Guyana, South America.
Warmed by the early morning sun, this young adult was on the edge of a track near Karanambu airstrip.
Rupununi savannah, Karanambu Lodge, Karanambu Ranch, north Rupununi, Guyana, South America.
One of a family group of 6 that I watched swimming outside their holt/den, before they retired for the night.Rupununi River, downstream from Caiman House, Yupukari Village, north Rupununi, Guyana, South America.
This little nipper was seen in the Rupununi River, near Karanambu Lodge, North Rupununi, Guyana, South America.
Aka Common Tree Boa, Amazon Tree Boa. This is a different individual, observed later on the same evening, half-way through shedding its skin.
Banks of the Rupununi River, downstream from Caiman House, Yupukari Village, north Rupununi, Guyana, South America.
Aka Common Tree Boa, Garden Tree Boa. This snake was just over a 1m long, but these non-venomous constrictors can grow to an average of 1.5–2m (5 - 6.5 ft) in length. They exhibit an immense variety of colours and patterns, although yellow was the most common colour I saw in Guyana.
Banks of the Rupununi River, downstream from Caiman House, Yupukari Village, north Rupununi, Guyana, South America.
Adult heading back into the rainforest at Maipaima Ecolodge, Nappi Village, north Kanuku Mountains, Rupununi, Guyana, South America.
This young tortoise was about the size of the palm of my hand (ca. 10cm). Hopefully, it will survive to become an adult of the third largest mainland tortoise species on Earth. Sadly, an endangered species.
Rainforest around the Maparri River, Kanuku Mountains, Rupununi, Guyana, South America.
Aka Common Iguana.
On the banks of the Rupununi River, Karanambu Lodge, Karanambu Ranch, North Rupununi, Guyana, South America.
Aka Spotted Anole.
Botanical Gardens, Georgetown, Guyana, South America.
Seen in rainforest near Surama Village Eco-Lodge, North Rupununi, Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo Region, Guyana, South America.
This small attractive heron is being buzzed by a large bee.
Rupununi River, upstream of Caiman House, Yupukari Village, north Rupununi, Guyana, South America.
Aka Pied Plover. These lovely waders were a frequent sight on sandbars along the Rupununi River.
Between Kwatamang Landing and Rewa Village, north Rupununi, Guyana, South America.
Aka White-breasted Emerald. This individual has a pink mandible that is reminiscent of the out of range Versicolored Emerald (Amazilia versicolor hollandi). The taxonomy of this group is complex and still in dispute. My first trip 'hummer' on my first morning in Guyana.
Promenade Gardens, Georgetown, Guyana, South America.
These are a very common sight around gardens and cultivation in Guyana. I assume that this subspecies (P. t. melanoptera) is named after it's particularly black flight feathers.
Arrow Point Nature Resort, near Santa Mission Village, West Bank Demerara, Guyana, South America.
Flying up into a palm tree.
Arrow Point Nature Resort, near Santa Mission Village, West Bank Demerara, Guyana, South America.
Near Ginep Landing junction, Rupununi Road, south of Rock View Lodge, Annai, North Rupununi, Guyana, South America.
Moura Bridge, Linden-Lethem Rupununi Road, near Wowetta, North Rupununi, Guyana, South America.
Feeding on the lovely sweet, juicy "cashew apple" on a cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale). The cashew 'nut' shell protrudes from the end.
Rock View Lodge, Annai, North Rupununi, Guyana, South America.
Male. These large woodpeckers are residents of the Botanical Gardens, Georgetown, Guyana, South America.
Soaring over the rainforest next to the Burro Burro River.
Near Surama village, North Rupununi, Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo Region, Guyana, South America.
Lit by the very bright early morning sun on the savannah.
Road between Rock View Lodge, Annai and Ginep Landing, north Rupununi, Guyana, South America.
This snake-eater gets its name from "hahahahahaha" calls thatsound like maniacal laughter. Observed as I traveled up Kamuni Creek to Arrowpoint Nature Resort.
Kamuni Creek, West Bank Demarara, Guyana, South America.
Formerly Buteo m. magnirostris. These small hawks were a common sight during my time outside rainforest in Guyana. This individual was a 'Riverside Hawk', as it perched on the bank of the Rupununi River.
Rupununi River, Karanambu Lodge, Karanambu Ranch, North Rupununi, Guyana, South America.
Showing its 'rusty-margin', a key feature in distinguishing this from many superficially similar flycatcher species.
Arrowpoint Nature Resort, near Santa Mission Village, West Bank Demerara, Guyana, South America.
Aka American Finfoot, they have broad lobes on their feet, similar to grebes. Unusually, the female is more colourful than the male. Photographed roosting at night.
Maparri River, Kanuku Mountains, Rupununi, Guyana.
G. a. colonus (formerly Buteo a. colonus), dark morph. Soaking up early morning sun while perched in a sandpaper tree on the Rupununi savannah.
Rupununi savannah, Karanambu Lodge, North Rupununi, Guyana, South America.
Aka West Indian Manatee. I've been a number of places where these occur, but had always been unlucky, so this meeting was a lifetime ambition achieved! This friendly gentle giant was hoping to be fed another handful grass. On average adults weigh around 550 kg (1,200 lb) and are 3.0 m (9.8 ft) in length. Originally manatees were placed in the ponds in 1885, they have lived an independent existence there ever since.
Botanical Gardens, Georgetown, Guyana, South America.
Pelecanus o. occidentalis, near the southern limit of their non-breeding distribution on the Atlantic coast of the "Guianas". As I tried to get a little closer, it paddled to maintain the same distance from me.
Seawall, Georgetown, Guyana, South America.
A younger adult than the one I saw 11 days earlier in the same area. Crossing a track near Karanambu airstrip in the early morning light.
Rupununi savannah, Karanambu Lodge, North Rupununi, Guyana, South America.
Aka Red-faced Spider Monkey, or Red-faced Black Spider Monkey, is only found in upper canopy of undisturbed primary rainforests. This is one of 4 individuals watching me as I watched them foraging as they moved through the high canopy.
Atta Rainforest Lodge, Iwokrama Canopy Walkway, Iwokrama Forest Reserve, Guyana, South America
These little bats are seen here, in typical perfect single file, clinging to a dead tree in the Rupununi River.
Photographed from a boat on the Rupununi River, while travelling from Rewa Village to Kwatamang Landing, Annai, north Rupununi, central Guyana, South America.
