On the Expedition

Examine the effects of ecotourism and poaching on these brilliantly-colored endangered birds.

To get to the research sites, you’ll travel by riverboat and hike through a tropical rainforest with towering, 50-meter-tall trees, guided by experienced field team leaders and marveling at the lianas (long, woody vines) and a wide range of astounding plants. At the sites, you’ll observe scarlet, blue and gold, and red and green macaws at clay licks and look for them foraging in the forest. You’ll also observe macaw nesting sites to record data on when the parents are present, how often they feed the chicks, and other activities. Your primary field site is right next to the world's largest clay lick, where up to 15 species of parrots and macaws come to eat clay every morning.

The data you collect will help the researchers better understand these birds and will help ensure the long term conservation of their habitats. In your recreational time, there's great bird watching to be done, or you can enjoy the monkeys and other large forest mammals that frequent the research area.

Meals and Accommodations

You'll stay at two different places: Tambopata Research Center and the Refugio Amazonas. Both have shared rooms, flush toilets, and unheated showers. Professional cooks will prepare three buffet meals a day. Tambopata is one of the richest rainforests in the world, with more than 500 recorded species of birds.

About the Research Area

The Peruvian Amazon holds the world record for the most species of birds, frogs, butterflies and tiger beetles, and has one of the highest rates of tree diversity as well, with more than 200 species per hectare. Since the region is protected from hunting, monkeys and other large mammals are relatively common. The area contains over 500 species of birds, providing ample opportunities for bird-watchers and to encounter new species. During this expedition you’ll get ample opportunity to observe and enjoy this wonderful biodiversity and do your part to help preserve it.