Six species of macaws and nine species of parrots, as well as guans, tapir, capybara, howler monkeys, and pigeons come to the clay lick to obtain hard-to-find minerals present in high concentrations in the soil. It is thought that macaws and parrots eat the clay to neutralize the effects of toxic fruits and seeds in their diets. Some scientists hypothesize that macaws and parrots also socialize and exchange information as they gather around the clay lick. As they congregate in the surrounding crowns of trees, parrots spend hours at a time screeching, squabbling, and gurgling at each other before they descend to eat the clay. Even though perching on the cliff exposes them to danger, hundreds of parrots visit the lick, creating an avian clamor audible for hundreds of meters. If an eagle or other raptor soars into view while the parrots and macaws are at the lick, either the large macaws will mob it, or more often, all the parrots will depart simultaneously in a spectacular explosion of color and sound, circling the area and returning when conditions are safe.