Amazon Birding: The Shiripuno River

The Amazon Birding along the Shiripuno River: Lost Birding Deep in the Yasuni Biosphere Reserve (National Park & The Waorani Reserve) in Ecuador.

Ecuador is a world birding destination by tradition, from Quito, its capital you to explore a wide array to ecosystem present in the country with such and easy stroke. The Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador offers many birding destination with chances of seen many colorful species from canopy towers to easy oxbow cruising dugout canoes and WIFI.

The **Blue-and-Yellow Macaw** also known as the **Blue-and-Gold Macaw**, is a large South American parrot with blue top parts and yellow under parts. It is a member of the large group of neotropical parrots known as macaws. Wikipedia

Why is the Shiripuno River, the Lost Amazon Rainforest Birding in Ecuador?

Wild and Remote, away from everything. The Shiripuno Rivers is wild sandy river, nestled core of the Yasuni, with many bends with trees covered in epiphytes and lianas and with many tree trunks in the river bottom already, shallow in most parts; The Shiripuno River is surrounded by miles of unbroken Amazon Rainforest.

When birding along the Shiripuno River, you will be transported to the early adventures of the greatest naturalist such as Henry Bates, Alfred Wallace, Humboldt or Darwin, watching toucans, macaws, oropendolas, Flycatchers or Tanagers and mammals, frogs, snakes, trees.. many trees.

The Logistics of the Shiripuno Rivers is unique, the exploration goes beyond the limit of human interaction, it’s the beginning of the wild and unpredicted. We had entered the domains of the forest tales and forest gods: Jaguars, Harpy, Anaconda, Caiman.

**Rufescent Tiger-Heron** is a species of heron in the family Ardeidae. It is found in wetlands from Central America through much of South America. Wikipedia

The Amazon Birding along the Shiripuno River

When going Amazon Birding in the Shiripuno River start scanning to the Treetops, always searching for the Queen: Harpy Eagle, check the tallest point in the area, dead branches, for falcons; watch on brand new palm spikes for puffbirds, kingbirds, shaded horizontal medium-sized branches for nunbirds, trogons. From time to time also check the the big branches for Curassows and Large Raptors Search ahead of time, predict in the next River Bend, check on logs and trunks for swallows, Kingfishers, Sunbitterns, Sungrebe or Herons.

Amazon Birding: The Shiripuno River — The **Hoatzin**, also known as the Stinkbird, or Canje pheasant, is a species of tropical bird found in swamps, riparian forests, and mangroves of the Amazon and the Orinoco basins in South America. Wikipedia

The Birding in the Shiripuno River, might catch you off guard.., be ready for birding in move! Practice with Oropendolas, Flycatchers and other easy to spot. You will be birding as the boat move, you will lose a few individuals until pick it up.

There is time to stop to watch birds while drifting in the afternoons or early mornings to listens to the dawn chorus with Chachalacas, Oropendolas, Antwrens, Antshirkes, Woodcreepers and many others join the party.

Salvin's Curassow — The **Salvin’s Curassow** is a species of bird in the family Cracidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest. Wikipedia

Amazon Birding Riverine Habitats

The Shiripuno River is connected to a large community of birds living in the riversides of the main tributaries such as the Napo River and the Amazon River itself. Birds such as Hoatzin, Russet-backed Oropendola, Great Kiskadee, Blue-and-Yellow Macaw and many others rivers specialist are here. There is no River Islands along the Shiripuno River but enough soil conditions and dynamics to support same species community.

River Bends

The river bends are covered by early successional vegetation, constitute a large proportion of the total riverine habitat in Amazonia. After formation, these rivers bends travel downstream, in a sense, by constant erosion of the older, upstream portions, and the constant increase in size by the deposition of sand and silt on the downstream ends.

This constant change creates an array of early successional habitats on the river bends. The use of and specialization on such habitats by Amazonian birds has remained poorly known.

The **White-eared Jacamar** is a species of bird in the family Galbulidae. It is found in the Amazon Basin of western Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and northern Peru. Wikipedia

A series of dense foliage made with Giant Gynerium grass, Cecropia Trees, Red Guarea Trees, Triplaris Trees, Ficus Trees, Inga Trees, Mimosa Vines, Cats Claws Vines,Amazon Birding: The Shiripuno River

Moriche Swamps

The Moriche Swamps are made mainly by Moriche Palms (Mauritia flexuosa) a dominant palm tree, Wild Costus Ginger, Cats Claws Vine, Pseguria Vines and more. Many animal species; several bird species, such as the Blue-and-Yellow Macaw, Red-bellied Macaw, Sulphury Flycatcher, and Moriche Oriole, use it for nesting and food. Tapirs, peccaries, fish and monkeys depend on the forest habitat.

Oxbow Lakes

Along the Shiripuno River creates a meander over the time, due to the river’s eroding the bank through hydraulic action, abrasion and erosion. After a long period of time, in the Shiripuno River the meander becomes very curved, and eventually the neck of the meander becomes narrower and the river cuts through the neck during a flood, cutting off the meander and forming an oxbow lake. The bird community living in here are Hoatzin, Kingfishers, Flycatchers, Donacobius, Herons, Oropendolas and Caciques colonies can be found.

The **Laughing Falcon** also called the snake hawk, is a medium-sized bird of prey in the falcon family, the only member of the genus Herpetotheres. This Neotropical species is a specialist snake-eater. Wikipedia

Várzea Forests: Seasonal Flooded Forest

As many location through the Amazon Basin and its tributaries, high annual rainfall that occurs mostly within a rainy season results in extensive seasonal flooding of areas from stream and river discharge. The result is a 1–6 m rise in water level, with nutrient rich waters. Specialized avifauna such as the Great Antshrike, Undulated Tinamou, Dusky-throated Antshrike flocks also presents when the plant community allows it.

Terra Firme

Terra Firme (“solid ground”) is the most widespread topographical feature: Gently undulating hills composed of layers of alluvial soil that were deposited as much as 2.5 million years ago and subsequently uplifted to positions above flood level.

In the terra firme, the dead organic matter quickly decays and is recycled. Much of the Ecuador Rainforest is covered by an immense terra firme moving towards the west into montane forest in the Andes. The bird species richness in the Amazon Rainforest reaches its peak in terra firme forest, home of Antbirds, Antwren, Antshrikes, Woodcreepers, Foliage-Fleagers and Forest Falcon and many joining the mixed flocks moving around through the dense foliage.

The **White-necked Puffbird** is a species of puffbird in the family Bucconidae. It is found in forest and woodland from southern Mexico through Central America to the Chocó, northern Colombia (including Magdalena Valley), northern Venezuela, and the western and southern Amazon Basin. Wikipedia

Special species

The special species we focused during our Amazon Birding in the Shiripuno River show a little bite a degree of specialization on specific microhabitats, such as palms trees, lianas, treetops, and foraging substrates, such as suspended dead leaves, dead trunks, flowers and fruits.

The **Greater Yellowlegs** is a large North American shorebird. Adults have long yellow legs and a long, thin, dark bill which has a slight upward curve and is longer than the head. The body is grey-brown on top and white underneath; the neck and breast are streaked with dark brown. Wikipedia.

Although, The Shiripuno River avian richness is the contribution by habitats other than primary forest that elevates the richness to such high levels in western Amazonia, some of the specie you can be seen while birding in the remote location in Ecuador.

Hoatzin
Salvin’s Curassow
Amazon Kingfisher
Blue-and-Yellow Macaw
Great Kiskadee
White-throated Toucan
Black-capped Donacobius
Bat Falcon
Sunbittern
and more…

Orchids of the Amazon Rainforest

The Orchids of the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador.

ecuador orchids tours — Orchids of the Amazon Rainforest

A Quest of Beauty and Mystery is around Amazonian Orchids in the Yasuni, with many hours in the field rescuing and collecting fallen specimens deep in the Jungle.

The Orchids of the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador are easily distinguished plants, with blooms that are often colorful and fragrant.

Amazon Orchids combine their special apomorphies like bilateral symmetry of the flower (zygomorphism), many resupinate flowers, a nearly always highly modified petal (labellum), fused stamens and carpels, and extremely small seeds.

The Orchids of the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador are still a mystery for science in many ways. From simple question like How many species of Orchids live in the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador?… We do not know.

We know very little about this diverse family of plants present in the Amazon Rainforest at all strata.

While most of the Orchids of the Amazon live in the canopy, some live attached to the tree trunks under the thick canopy with less light, just a few can live inside the Terra Firme undergrowth, and there are even fewer that are able to survive in swampy habitats.

In-Situ Amazon Orchid Garden in Ecuador

Most of the Orchids of the Amazon recorded in Ecuador can be seen In-Situ at the Wild Amazon Orchid Garden held by the Shiripuno Amazon Lodge in the Yasuni Biosphere Reserve.

This remote garden was started with a single question: Where are the Orchids around here?

A simple Orchids question led us to a frenetic quest to find and study them, but as we all know most of the Amazonian Orchids live up to 40 or 50 meters above the ground where under the different and challenging conditions of the canopy, most of them have adopted a lifestyle to limited conditions of soil and water.

How we have the largest living collection of Orchids Amazon of the Amazon Rainforest?

The collection of Amazon Orchids takes place as part of our Nature Trips, during our Forest Walks, we started searching for orchids plants along the paths, during this process, we trained our eyes to recognize orchids and found that many had fallen from the treetops.

We learned that after heavy rainstorms, thousands of branches fall down to the forest floor loaded with orchids and many of them bring rarities.

Parts of an Orchid Flower

Bloom – the actual flower once it is open.
Bud – the flower before it is opened.
Column – the tiny, rounded, column-like extension between the two largest petals. This little guy is the central reproductive organ of the orchid flower.
Inflorescence – the flowering part of a plant.
Keiki – a small plant growing from a node on the flower stem.
Leaves – located above the roots.
Lip – the part of the flower that is almost completely divided from the rest of the flower, however, it is connected by the column. The lip is specialized to aid in pollination.
Medium – the material added to an orchid’s container, which can range from varieties of materials such as soil to bark.
Node – a distinct joint or notch on the inflorescence from which a secondary flower stem can emerge after the primary inflorescence has finished blooming.
Roots – located just below the leaves.
Sepal – the outer segments on an orchid flower. Similar to petals, sepals are the three smaller segments of the flower that create a triangular shape.
Spike/Stem – a flower stalk.
Stake – a wooden stick to support the orchid spike.
Throat – the inner portion of a tubular orchid lip, often quite colorful.

The Genus of Orchids found in the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador:

Gongora is a genus of showy epiphytic Orchids family (Orchidaceae). It comprehends 65 species known from Central America, Trinidad, and tropical South America, with most species found in Colombia and Ecuador. The habitat of the Gongora species and especially the fact that the pendent inflorescences originate from the base of the pseudobulbs indicates that they all are true epiphytes. The Gongora genus has a complex pollination system. They are pollinated by male solitary bees of the Euglossinae family.

Epidendrum is a large neotropical genus of the Orchid family (Orchidaceae). With more than 1,500 species, some authors describe it as a mega-genus. Their habitat can be epiphytic, terrestrial, or even lithophytic (growing on bare rock).

Sobralia is a genus of Orchid family (Orchidaceae) native to Mexico, Central, and South America. The plants are more commonly terrestrial but are also found growing epiphytically, in wet forests from sea level to about 8,800 ft.

Catasetum is a genus of showy epiphytic Orchids family (Orchidaceae) that occur from Mexico to Argentina, including much of Central America, the West Indies, and South America. The largest number of species is in Brazil.

The Orchids of the Amazon Rainforest. Ecuador Orchid Tour — The Orchids of the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador. **Genus: Catasetum.** Yasuni Biosphere Reserve.

Stelis is a genus of orchids known as the Leach orchids, with perhaps 500 species. The generic name Stelis is the Greek word for ‘mistletoe’, referring to the epiphytic habit of these species. These mainly epiphytic (rarely lithophytic) plants are widely distributed throughout much of South America, Central America, Mexico, the West Indies, and Florida.

The Orchids of the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador. Genus: Catasetum. Yasuni Biosphere Reserve. — The Orchids of the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador. Genus: **Stelis**. Yasuni Biosphere Reserve.

Maxillaria is a large and diverse genus of orchids with very different morphological forms. Their characteristics can vary widely. They are commonly called spider orchids, flame orchids or tiger orchids. Their scientific name is derived from the Latin word maxilla, meaning jawbone, reflecting on the column and the base of the lip of some species, which may evoke a protruding jaw.

The Orchids of the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador. Genus: **Maxillaria**. Yasuni Biosphere Reserve.

The Yasuni National Park

The Yasuni National Park in Ecuador is one of the most biodiverse place on Earth.

The Yasuni National Park. Ecuador - South America — The Yasuni National Park have an amazing diversity of Insects. Watch a daily activity in the forest, always improving for the challenges. Clear Winged Butterfly Gene crossing in the most biodiverse on Earth!

A Journey to the Diversity of Life!

The Yasuni National Park (PNY) is located in the Provinces of Orellana and Pastaza in Eastern Ecuador, a tiny spot in the Western Amazon Basin, it is arguably as one of the most biodiverse place on Earth.

The Yasuni National Park Information

The Yasuni National Park was established 26 July 1979, between the Napo and Curaray rivers. It is the biggest conservation unit Ecuador, encompasses an extension of 1´022.736 hectares of Tropical Evergreen Forest, with an Altitudinal Range between:190 – 400 meters.

Ocelot in the Yasuni National Park in Ecuador.

The Yasuni National Park contains an amazing Diversity of Life, visible on its flora and fauna. There are amazing numbers!, for example, more than 200 mammalian species, more than 650 bird species, more than 120 species of reptiles, more than 147 amphibian species and more than 600 fish species. The Yasuni National Park is the core area of the Biosphere Reserve created 1989 by the UNESCO.

The Yasuni National Park Rivers.

The rivers inside the reserve started at the end of the Andean Foothills at altitudes from 300 meters to 600 meters above sea level; the most important rivers that flow through the park are: Napo, Yasuní, Cononaco, Nashiño and Tiputini.

The Yasuni National Park Oxbow Lakes

The most important Oxbow Lakes through the park were created by the Napo River, all of them with black water systems: Añangucocha (Leaf-cutters Ant Lake), Yuturicocha, Pañacocha (Piranha Lake) and Jatuncocha .
Weather and Rainfall

Office in Coca

Yasuni National Park in Ecuador.

Calles Bolívar and Amazonas. Puerto Francisco de Orellana (Coca).
Province of Orellana.
Phone: (06) 288-2500
New Rocafuerte Office: (06) 238 2141.

People living the Yasuní National Park

The People living in the Yasuní National Park is a mosaic of ethnics groups with different lifestyles, all connected with the forest as their main source of food and supplies. and lately internal migration from other places to Ecuador come to work.

The entire area between the Napo and Curaray rivers was home to a semi-nomadic hunter-gatherer: The Waorani People, lived throughout the area, hunting, collecting fruits and keeping small crops; in 1969 they were confined and grouped in an area that was called “protectorate”, located in the headwaters of the Curaray River. Some Clans that did not accept to live in the protectorate nor renounce their type of life are the seed of the Indigenous Peoples in Voluntary Isolation: The Tagaeri and Taromenane People.

Today, to the west of the park extends the Waorani Territory, which covers only a part of its ancestral territory, while the northern part of the Yasuní is concessioned to several oil companies.

The Kichwa People live in the northern part of the park along the Napo River is an itinerant population of dedicated to ecotourism, guides, students and researchers working at the two scientific stations that are located inside the park and in its buffer zone.

The Yasuni National Park Facts

The Yasuni National Park is located in the Napo Basin, a funnel shaped basin with 98445 Km2. Originates in the eastern of the Ecuadorian Andes and expands southeast to the convergence of the Napo and the Marañon Rivers in Peru.

The annual rainfall in the Yasuni National Park can reach 3800 mm with an average monthly rain of 260 mm.
The wettest month is, usually, July with 400 mm and the driest is December with 130 mm.

The rainfall seasonality in the Yasuni National Park is bimodal. In other words, there are two wet seasons, one between March and July, and the other between October and November.

The mean annual temperature is 25.5 °C with a mean maximum temperature of 30 °C and a minimum of 23 °C. November, December and January are the hottest months whereas July is the coldest.
The relative humidity is high during the whole year. In the dry season, the annual mean humidity is about 83% while in the rainy season is almost 90%.

The Yasuni National Park Oil Drilling

Oil exploitation affects local communities’ social practices and the natural ecosystem.
The Yasuni National Park curse is an estimated 1.7 billion barrels of crude oil – 40% of Ecuador’s reserves – in the Ishpingo-Tiputini-Tambococha (ITT) oil fields
The Yasuni National Park Map

The Yasuni National Park Tours

The best way to explore the Diversity of Life of the Yasuni National Park is by taking all different types of tours offered, Check below a short description.

Nature Tours

The best Nature Tours to explore the Diversity of Life of the Yasuni National Park, start from Coca, Orellana Ecuador. Check below a short description.
4 Days
5 Days
8 Days

Birding Tours

The best Birding Tours to explore the Diversity of Birdlife of the Yasuni National Park, start from Coca, Orellana Ecuador. Check below a short description.
4 Days
5 Days
8 Days

Wildlife Photo Tours

The best Wildlife Photo Tours to explore the Diversity of Life of the Yasuni National Park, start from Coca, Orellana Ecuador. Check below a short description.
4 Days
5 Days
8 Days

Cultural Experience

The best Cultural Experiences to explore the Diversity of Life of the Yasuni National Park, start from Coca, Orellana Ecuador. Check below a short description.
4 Days
5 Days
8 Days

Adventure Tour

The best Adventure Tour to explore the Diversity of Life of the Yasuni National Park, start from Coca, Orellana Ecuador. Check below a short description.
4 Days
5 Days
8 Days

The Yasuni National Park Biodiversity

The distribution of amphibian, bird, mammal, and vascular plant species across South America demonstrate the Yasuni National Park unique biogeographic position where species richness of all four taxonomic groups reach diversity maxima.

The Yasuni National Park holds a world record of 150 amphibian species,121 reptiles species 382 fish species documented.

The Yasuni National Park is home to at least 596 bird species which comprises one-third of the total native bird species for the Amazon.

The park is also very rich with many species of bats.
On a regional scale, the Amazon Basin has an estimated 117 bat species but on a local scale,

Yasuni is estimated to have comparable richness.
In a single hectare, Yasuni has over 100,000 different species of insects which is roughly the amount of insect species that can be found in all of North America.
It is one of nine places in the world that has over 4,000 vascular plant species per 10,000 km2.
The park contains many species of trees and shrubs and holds at least four world records for documented tree and liana richness and for diversity in woody plant species.

The park also hosts a list of endemic species such as 43 different species of vertebrates and between 220-720 different plant species.

The Yasuni National Park Animals

Mammals

The Mammals of the Yasuni National Park is very well represented with 5 species of cats like Jaguar, puma, Ocelot, 12 species of monkeys, including the Pygmy Marmoset and the Yellow-bellied Spider Monkey, Giant Armadillo, Giant Anteater, Giant Otter, Lowland Tapir, Sloth and many other unique mammals from the Amazon Rainforest.

Birds

The Birds of the Yasuni National Park represents a third of all the Amazonian bird fauna with Macaws, Toucans, Harpy Eagle, Fiery Topaz, Rufous Potoo, Salvin’s Curassow, Antbird, Woodcreepers, motmots and many other birds from the Amazon Rainforest.

Treefrogs

The Frogs and other amphibian of the Yasuni National Park have world record, with Smoky Jungle, Gladiator Treefrog, Yasuní broad-headed Treefrog, Green Glass Tree Frog, Ringed Caecilian and many others frogs from the Amazon Rainforest.

Insects

The Insects and other invertebrates of the Yasuni National Park are well represented by butterflies such as Morpho, the Owl butterfly, Heliconius, many species of Dung Beetles, tons of ants everywhere, Watch out for the Bullet Ant.

Snakes

The Snakes and other reptilians of the Yasuni National Park are represented by Anaconda, Boa constrictor, Bushmaster, Emerald Tree Boa, Coral Snake and many other Amazon Rainforest Snakes.

The Yasuni National Park Plants

The Flora of the Yasuni National Park consist of many emblematics species of tree such as Ceiba, the largest tree in the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador, Mahogany Tree, Red Cedar tree, Rubber Tree, Balsa Tree, and of course many lianas such as Curare to make hunting poison or Ayahuasca to connect with Mother Nature and many other medicinal plants use by indigenous people.

Heliconias

Heliconias are far relatives of bananas, can be easily confused for the shape of the leaves, when flowering it attracts several species of hummingbirds from a special group of the Amazon Rainforest: The Hermits.

Passiflora

The Passiflora or Passion Vines are bright colored flowers inside the forest, many species of butterflies from the family Heliconidae come to laid eggs on its fresh leaves.

Centropogon

The Centropogon genus is represented for several species, all of the seems to attract hummingbirds.

Wildlife Trail Map

Follow the Wildlife Trail Map

Discover the world of the amazonian wildlife, hidden in our Amazon Wildlife Map, click on the icons to find sounds, images and motion of some the most rare and charismatic creatures of the Tropical Rainforest.

Sumaco Ñahui wants everyone gets involved! We want to start planting trees by May 2018. In order to get the project running, we have a fundraising program: a Conservation Timesharing program. Join Us! — Sumaco Ñahui is a Cloud Forest Restoration Dream to restore a deforested area next to Sumaco National Park & Antisana Ecological Reserve
Habitat of threatened species such as Spectacled Bear, Mountain Tapir, Military Macaw and Harpy Eagles is turned into pasture, affecting the cycles of nature.
We want to turn a cattle area into a wildlife sanctuary by planting natives species of trees.
We want everyone gets involved! We want to start planting trees by May 2018.
In order to get the project running, we have a fundraising program: a Conservation Timesharing program.
Join Us!

Watch incredible wildlife such Jaguars, Harpy Eagles, Anacondas and Tapirs!

The Amazon Rainforest is most biologically diverse place on the planet. with millions of species of animal and plants and others realms .

Go through and discover wildlife videos and photos capture during our trips.

We will be adding more information to this interactive Map

Trail Network

Shiripuno Amazon Lodge have an extensive trail network of 30 km, perhaps longer than any other tourist facility in the Yasuni Biosphere Reserve.

Trails:

Colibri
Mirador
Skutch
E. O. Wilson
Carue
Wallace
Bates
Puyuno
Misterioso
Saladero
Saladero 2
Mirador 2
Mirador 3
Moretal
Playa del Amor
Ceibo
Self Guide

We have set Trap Cameras to capture uniques images from the animals that wandering in the back-doors trails.

We have created our first drone fly and check the first featuring video of the Mirador Trail.

Stay close to this adventure!!

The Mushrooms and Fungi from the Rainforest

Learn about the Mushrooms and Fungi in the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador.

The Fungi or Mushrooms are a phylogenetically diverse group of microorganisms that are all heterotrophic (absorptive nutrition) eukaryotes, unicellular (i.e. yeasts) or hyphal (i.e. filamentous), and reproduce by sexual and/or asexual spores.

The Mushrooms and Fungi from the Amazon Rainforest are essential functional components of the Amazonian ecosystem as decomposers, symbionts, and pathogens and fungi represent one of the most biodiverse groups of organisms on earth.

However, our knowledge of their diversity and ecological function in Neotropical Amazonian Lowland forests is limited.

The ecological interaction of macrofungi with other organisms in these forests is poorly understood due to the largely unexplored, but likely huge, fungal diversity, as well as the cryptic and ephemeral nature of many fungal species.

Where is located the Fungal Hub Diversity in the World?

A major part of the global but unknown fungal biodiversity is assumed to occur in Tropical Regions, where the diversity of fungi may be higher than in temperate regions.

Tropical Regions favor environmental conditions throughout the year, a higher diversity of vascular plants that create niches and microhabitats for fungi, and the presence of many ecotones.
The diversity of macrofungi in tropical forests showed that the highest diversity in the Neotropics occurred in the Amazon Basin with Agaricomycetes, Pyrenomycetes, Xylariaceous, and Hyphomycetous fungi being the most species-rich.

The Amazon Rainforest is Heaven for Mushrooms

The Amazon Basin is the perfect location if you would like to become a Fungi, the constant humidity combined with heat is the perfect combination for fungi to diversity in the Amazon Basin.

The Mushrooms and Fungi in the Amazon Rainforest play an important role in the ecology of this huge wilderness, these organisms do a critical job of decomposing all kinds of materials from the forest itself.

Everything is a resource in the forest, follow this: From an old and finished canopy leaf falling to the ground where the community of mushrooms, fungi, and many invertebrates specialized in turning useful everything to the basic elements of nature: Carbon, Nitrogen, Hydrogen, and Oxygen.

A tiny portion of the colors and shapes of the diversity of Mushrooms and Fungi of the Amazon Rainforest can be found during a short walk on the trails nearby.

Move slowly, fix your looks in the ground, along the trunk, the nearby light gap can be very rewarding, some mushrooms and fungi are still in use by indigenous people to treat, diseases or food in some cases.

The diversity of Mushrooms and Fungi from the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador is captured in photos after a short walk around the trails of Shiripuno Amazon Lodge. Enjoy it.

Where to find them?

You can find almost everywhere in the forest, here are some locations:

Light Gaps

Light Gaps in the forest form predominantly when trees fall by wind and storms. After a few months, we can find a whole series of fungi over time.

Rotting Trees

Rotting Giant Trees can be a perfect place to watch a timelapse of the different fungi community coming with different fruiting over and over.

The soil in Terra Firme

The Soil in the Terra Firme habitat is poor by nature in terms of nutrients for life, specialization is the key for those species living in here, many unique Jelly Fungi can be found around

Soil in Varzea

The Soil in the Varzea is a sediment-rich habitat, and species of fungi need to be faster decomposing all the flooded community.

Territories

The are many species of Mushrooms and Fungi with territories of more than 10 years!

Have fun finding them in the forest.

The Mushrooms and Fungi from the Rainforest

The true fungi (kingdom: Mycota) are divided into four divisions:

Chytridiomycota,
Zygomycota,
Ascomycota
Basidiomycota

ASCOMYCOTA: CUP FUNGI

The family of fungi Ascomycota produces mushrooms that tend to grow in the shape of a “cup”. Spores are formed on the inner surface of the fruit body (mushroom)

Cookenia tricholoma
Cookenia speciosa
Phillipsia domingensi
Daldinia eschscholzii
Entonaema pallida

ASCOMYCOTA: CORDYCEPS & ALLIES

-discovered by the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace in 1859.

Cordyceps cylindrica
Metacordyceps martialis
Ophiocordyceps amazonica
Ophiocordyceps nutans
Ophiocordyceps australis

ASCOMYCOTA: XYLARIA & ALLIES

Camillea leprieurii
Xylobotryum portentous
Xylaria telfairii
Xylaria sp
Thamnomyces chordallis

Basidiomycetes mushrooms comprise a diversity of gill fungi that occur in most terrestrial ecosystems worldwide, their diversity and biological applications in tropical ecosystems remain almost unknown.

Some Basidiomycetes species from Amazon tropical rainforests have been described as sources of primary and secondary bioactive compounds with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antiparasitic, and antitumoral metabolites and as nutraceutical foods.

In addition, some Basidiomycetes have demonstrated potential as producers of interesting prototype molecules for the development of drugs useful in medicine.

BASIDIOMYCOTA: JELLY FUNGI, GASTEROMYCETES, CORAL

Auricularia fuscosuccinea
Auricularia delicata
Dacryopinax spathularia
Tremella fuciformis
Tremellodendron schweinitzii

BASIDIOMYCOTA: GASTEROMYCETES

Laternea dringii
Phallus sp.
Staheliomyces cintus
Clathrus sp
Geastrum schweinitzii
Myriostoma coliforme
Lycoperdon nigrescens
- Calvatia cyathiformis

BASIDIOMYCOTA: CORAL

- Ramaria sp.
- Scytinopogon angulisporus
- Deflexula sprucei
- Deflexula subsimplex
- Phlebopus sp

MYXOGASTRIA: SLIME MOLDS

Arcyria denudata
Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa

BASIDIOMYCOTA: NON-AGARIC

Cymatoderma dendriticum
Cymatoderma dendriticum
Hydnopolyporus sp.
Cotylidia aurantiaca
Hymenochaete damaecornis

BASIDIOMYCOTA: AGARICALES – GILLED MUSHROOMS

Pleurotus djamor
Neonothopanus sp
Oudemansiella canari
Macrolepiota colombiana
Lepiota hemisclera
Leucocoprinus birnbaumii
Marasmius haematocephalus
Marasmius berteroi
Marasmius cladophyllus
Marasmiellus volvatus
Marasmiellus sp
Tetrapyrgos nigripes
Collybia nivea
Collybia aurea
Hygrocybe sp
Xeromphalina tenuipes
Trogia cantharelloides
Favoloschia sp
Schizophyllum commune
Psilocybe cubensis
Coprinellus disseminatus
Agaricus sp
Vovariella sp
Polyporus trichloma
Favolus tenuiculus
Lentinus concavus
Lentinus strigosus
Earliella scabrosa
Pycnoporus sanguineus
Lenzites elegans
Amauroderma sprucei
Ganoderma applanatum
Rigidoporus microporus

Common Mushroom and Fungi

Cookeina

Coprinellus

Ecuador Mushrooms and Fungi Trip — **Coprinellus** is a genus of mushroom-forming fungi in the family Psathyrellaceae. Accepted 62 species of Coprinellus.

Mushrooms and Fungi from the Yasuni Biosphere Reserve.

Come and Enjoy the Diversity of Mushrooms and Fungi on Our trip to Ecuador.

The Birds of the Amazon Rainforest

The Birds of the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador

The Birds of the Amazon Rainforest has captivated people’s attention for thousands of years. They are unique in many ways, by its colors like the fantastic Fiery Topaz, Paradise Tanager, Blue-and-Yellow Macaw and many others.

The Amazon Rainforest is home of the many of the largest birds like the Mighty Harpy Eagle, the most powerful Eagle in the world. This Eagle is the top bird hunter of the forest, it prefers arboreal animals such as monkeys and sloths.

The largest Bird of the Amazon Rainforest is King Vulture (Sarcoramphus papa). Reaching length ranges from 67 to 81 cm (26–32 in) and its wingspan is 1.2 to 2 m (4–7 ft). Its weight ranges from 2.7 to 4.5 kg (6–10 lb).

Hoatzin is a bizarre bird, eats leaves, social brooders, ancient bird group.

The smallest bird of the Amazon Rainforest is the Short-tailed Pygmy Tyrant (Myiornis ecaudatus) is a flycatcher. The species is one of the smallest birds on Earth and the smallest passerine. The average length is 6.5 cm (2.6 in) and the weight averages at 4.2 g (0.15 oz).

Where to find birds in the rainforest?

A short walk into the forest and it will start revealing by itself. The Birds of the Rainforest can be seen in the canopy, when they are feeding as they move, picking fruits from figs, bromeliads, anthurium and other. In the canopy lives the toucans, tanagers, puffbirds, flycatchers, and others.

The Birds of the Rainforest living in the ground such as tinamous, wood-quail, curassows, trumpeters are very particular with their voices.

Many species of birds of several families in the Amazon Rainforest travel in groups through the forest, we called mixed species flock. They feed in packs wor a certain area, the advantage of having more eyes to protect the flock while feeding.

The Birds of the canopy of the Rainforest can be found at water sources especially in hot days, plunging in shallow water places.

All thought out the Yasuni Biosphere Reserve there is a series of clay licks inside the forest, named the “Forest Clay Lick”.

Several species of birds such as Macaws, Parakeet, Pigeon, Guans, gather by particular places known as the Clay Lick, they come down to eat clay or drink water. They go down only when all the conditions are perfect!.

Interesting Amazon Bird Stories.

Army Ants Swarm party for Antbirds.

In the floor of the Amazon Rainforest, there is a kind of social ants: The Army Ants wanders the forest floor searching for food: insects and other arthropods. Insects fly away from the ant’s swarms. A particular group of birds called the “Professional Antbird” they eat all the insects escaping the ants.

Plunged Kingfishers Use it All

When Amazonian Kingfisher feel empty stomach, they use all the resources at the other end. They defecate in the river water to attract fish. Fish react to all the drops, most of the times are food. Except for this time.

The Shiripuno River

The Shiripuno River is the Magic River!

All the magic begins at the waters of the Shiripuno River, these small and meandered river carries a light brown water, its colors is due to the rich sediments from terra firme, of the Shiripuno Basin. These experience begins every time we embark on our Nature Trips.

The Shiripuno River is the main waterflow in the basin. All the running water of this area is in the clouds, the rain can happens anywhere at any time.

When rain happens, it hits the foliage in the canopy breaking into smaller drops and start a long journey of dripping tips to end up into a running stream.

The water carries sediments, it can be seen using transparents containers while you explore.

Sloth in the Shiripuno River!

The Shiripuno River like many other rivers in the Amazon Rainforest has the meandered movement , they moves like giant snakes in the vegetation giving life any any direction.

The Shiripuno Rivers has a series of flooding events, changing the river’s banks, the flood can reach couple hundreds meter inside, filling old oxbow lakes, shallow varzeas, forest swamps.

During flooding of the Shiripuno River all animals living near the bank, have adapted to this lifestyle, they come out with incredible solutions such as termites and leaf cutter ants both building the colonies in the canopy and mid canopy respectively.

The Shiripuno River embraces all kind of iconic Amazonian Wildlife during its navigation you might cross with incredible Anacondas, Jaguars, Tapirs, or Harpy Eagles, be prepared for this events, on every corner surprises are awaiting for all of us.

Anaconda in the Shiripuno River!

Below is a quick Checklist of all animals possible to be seen waiting visiting us.

Trees of the Shiripuno River

Ceibos or Kapoks
Moriche Palms
Trees of Fire
Cecropias
Figs
Pachacos
Parkias
Mimosas

Wildlife of the Shiripuno River

Monkeys
River Turtles
Kingfishers
Capybaras
Caimans
Oropendolas
Macaws
Butterflies

People of the Shiripuno River

The Shiripuno Rivers has very little human activity, most of the river is protected by the Waorani People and the Yasuni National Park.

Waorani People
Shuar People
Settlers
Visitors

Yasuni Wildlife: Amazon Tapir

Yasuni Wildlife: Amazon Tapir

The Yasuni Wildlife is one of the most diverse on the planet, in the Yasuni Life has diversified into millions of ways, a nature explorer mind would get excited at any direction!

Shiripuno Amazon Lodge enjoy the remoteness of the Yasuni, with a set of trap cameras is able capture special moments of Amazonian Wildlife.

The Amazon Tapir is the largest mammal living in the vast Rainforest of the Yasuni.

The Amazon Tapirs are active mostly at nights, although some daytime encounters shows they wonder in the day as well.

The Amazon Tapir have forest trail on which they feeds on fresh and young leaves, they also eats a great deal of fruits specially figs.

The Amazon Tapir are excellents swimmers, sometimes seen crossing the Shiripuno River early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

English Name: Lowlands or Brazilian Tapir

Waorani Name: Tite

Kichwa Name: Sacha Wagra

Scientific Name: Tapirus terrestris

Body length

The body length of a tapir 1.8 to 2.5 m (5.9 to 8.2 ft) with a 5 to 10 cm (2.0 to 3.9 in) short stubby tail and an average weight around 225 kg (496 lb).

Body Weight

The body weight of a tapir, on adult weight has been reported ranging from 150 to 320 kg (330 to 710 lb).

Body Height

The body height of a tapir stands somewhere between 77 to 108 cm (30 to 43 in) at the shoulder.

The Lowland Tapir is the largest surviving native terrestrial mammal in the Amazon. it closest relatives are horses, donkeys, zebras and rhinoceroses.

The frequently visit Forest Clay Licks to drink water rich in minerals that possible could help with plant based diet.

One of the coolest features is the Proboscis: a highly flexible organ, able to move in all directions, allowing the animals to grab foliage that would otherwise be out of reach. Tapirs often exhibit the flehmen response, a posture in which they raise their snouts and show their teeth to detect scents.

Shiripuno Research Center is carrying out a several small project to monitoring wildlife and measure the impact of human activity in pristine forest.

The Yasuni Trap Camera Project is creating the baseline of wildlife activity along the trail net work and forest clay licks.

Waorani: The Nomads of the Rainforest

The Waorani People: The Nomads of the Rainforest and their Lifestyle.

The Waorani People are one of the last Nomads of the Rainforest of Ecuador living for hundreds of years along the Western Amazon Basin between Ecuador and Peru, the Waorani People made a home inside the Yasuni Biosphere Reserve, a unique place in the Amazon.

Yasuni is known for its super high Diversity of Life. It is not surprising to think, about the possibility to find people living in synchronization with this rich ecosystem.

The Nomads of Rainforest are the Waorani People and their closest kins: Tagaeri People and Taromenane People.

These last two groups are still wandering in depth of the Yasuni Biosphere Reserve, living the way it means to be thousands of years ago, they represent thousands of years of Amazon Rainforest knowledge and experience for mankind.

The Nomads of the Rainforest in Ecuador.

The Waorani People are moving all the time, from one place to another, using and cultivating the forest resources and always planning where to move next.

Expanding and controlling their territories is an important activity to maintain constant access to Les fruits de la forêt: wild game and fruits.

The Nature of the Rainforest is everything for them, the forest provides them all: shelter, food, love, friends, spirits, and gods.

Waorani Lifestyle

The Waorani are Hunters-and-Gathers from the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador, a millenarian lifestyle of humankind from all ancient tribes around the globe.

These nomadic Lifestyles combine with the high productivity of the Yasuni Biosphere Reserve allow them to pick the best of tropical forest production.

After the seasonal hunting and gathering they would embark into new lands to find a new living location in the immensity of the forest, once they find it, new plans come along with it and basic farming is the first activity do when a new spot to live was found.

The Nomads of the Rainforest have a different approach to live needs, on doing things only because they like them or they need it to be done to continue living in harmony with the forest itself.

The Nomads of the Rainforest

Today the Last Nomads of the Rainforest are connected with the Western World after a systematic culturalization process carries out by modern times.

During his process the Waorani people lost 50% of their ancestral land, this land is given to oil companies to pay democratic debts and forest fragmentation for palm plantations.

The Monkeys of the Rainforest

The Monkeys of the Rainforest

Noisy Night Monkey. Yasuni Biosphere Reserve in Ecuador

The Monkeys of the Rainforest are the most diverse group of mammals moving throughout the Amazon Basin.

Most of them spend their lifetime in the dense canopy covering all kind of habitats monkeys find a way to survive and diversify, many have a prehensile tail, one of the most interesting feature Nature has come out to fix the the challenge of reaching the edge of the trees in the canopy.

Humboldt’s Woolly Monkey. Yasuni Biosphere Reserve in Ecuador. Photo By Randi Vickers

The Monkey of the Rainforest are a very important creatures of the forest, in many ways for example: some species feeds on fruits in the forest, they do best dispersing the genes of of thousands of trees and lianas, Other species feeds eats a little bite of everything and they do the best insect control for many species of tree and lianas.

Napo Saky Monkey . Yasuni Biosphere Reserve in Ecuador. Photo By Randi Vickers

Many species of Amazon Rainforest Monkeys covers a lot of area in their outing everyday, for fruits, flowers, invertebrates and forest clay licks. The Red Howler (Alouatta seniculus) and the White-bellied Spider Monkey (Ateles belzebuth) come down to forest clay licks to eat clay and drink the water if it is present.

The Yasuní Biosphere Reserve in Ecuador is the largest tract of Tropical Rainforest in the Western Amazon Basin, one of the most biologically diverse on the planet. Within the forest of the Yasuní is located Shiripuno Amazon Lodge where lives 9 species of monkeys, all of them sharing the forest resources in at this unique area.
Here is a list of the Monkeys you can find while visiting the Shiripuno Amazon Lodge found in the Yasuní Biosphere Reserve.

Callitrichidae Familia
1. Pygmy Marmoset (Cebuella pygmaea)

Cebidae Familia
1. Ecuadorian White-fronted Capuchin (Cebus aequatorialis)
2. Ecuadorian Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri cassiquiarensis)

Aotidae Familia
1. Aotus vociferans Mono nocturno vociferante Noisy Night Monkey

Pitheciidae Familia
1. Red-crowned Titi (Plecturocebus discolor)
2. Napo Saki (Pithecia napensis)

Familia Atelidae
1. Colombian Red Howler (Alouatta seniculus)
2. White-bellied Spider Monkey (Ateles belzebuth)
3. Humboldt’s Woolly Monkey (Lagothrix lagothricha)

The Amazon Birding along the Shiripuno River: Lost Birding Deep in the Yasuni Biosphere Reserve (National Park & The Waorani Reserve) in Ecuador.

Why is the Shiripuno River, the Lost Amazon Rainforest Birding in Ecuador?

The Amazon Birding along the Shiripuno River

Amazon Birding Riverine Habitats

River Bends

Moriche Swamps

Oxbow Lakes

Várzea Forests: Seasonal Flooded Forest

Terra Firme

Special species

The Orchids of the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador.

A Quest of Beauty and Mystery is around Amazonian Orchids in the Yasuni, with many hours in the field rescuing and collecting fallen specimens deep in the Jungle.

In-Situ Amazon Orchid Garden in Ecuador

How we have the largest living collection of Orchids Amazon of the Amazon Rainforest?

Parts of an Orchid Flower

The Genus of Orchids found in the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador:

The Yasuni National Park in Ecuador is one of the most biodiverse place on Earth.

A Journey to the Diversity of Life!

The Yasuni National Park Information

The Yasuni National Park Rivers.

The Yasuni National Park Oxbow Lakes

Office in Coca

People living the Yasuní National Park

The Yasuni National Park Facts

The Yasuni National Park Oil Drilling

The Yasuni National Park Tours

Nature Tours

Birding Tours

Wildlife Photo Tours

Cultural Experience

Adventure Tour

The Yasuni National Park Biodiversity

The Yasuni National Park Animals

Mammals

Birds

Treefrogs

Insects

Snakes

The Yasuni National Park Plants

Heliconias

Passiflora

Centropogon

Follow the Wildlife Trail Map

Trail Network

Trails:

Learn about the Mushrooms and Fungi in the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador.

Where is located the Fungal Hub Diversity in the World?

The Amazon Rainforest is Heaven for Mushrooms

Where to find them?

Light Gaps

Rotting Trees

The soil in Terra Firme

Soil in Varzea

Territories

The Mushrooms and Fungi from the Rainforest

Chytridiomycota,

Zygomycota,

Ascomycota

Basidiomycota

ASCOMYCOTA: CUP FUNGI

Cookenia tricholoma

Cookenia speciosa

Phillipsia domingensi

Daldinia eschscholzii

Entonaema pallida

ASCOMYCOTA: CORDYCEPS & ALLIES

Cordyceps cylindrica

Metacordyceps martialis

Ophiocordyceps amazonica

Ophiocordyceps nutans

Ophiocordyceps australis

ASCOMYCOTA: XYLARIA & ALLIES

Camillea leprieurii

Xylobotryum portentous

Xylaria telfairii

Xylaria sp

Thamnomyces chordallis

BASIDIOMYCOTA: JELLY FUNGI, GASTEROMYCETES, CORAL

Auricularia fuscosuccinea

Auricularia delicata