A hike in the Peruvian rainforest is like a walk through a natural cathedral of biodiversity. Immense trees that have been stretching to the sky for hundreds of years tower overhead. Palm trees with spine-covered, stilt-like roots march across the forest floor. The understory seems to be permanently shaded by a canopy of green situated 120 feet above the forest floor. Vine tangles hide myriads of small creatures with uncanny camouflage that resemble dead leaves, twigs, and insect-chewed vegetation. Most animals in the rainforest have evolved such incredible means of staying concealed due to the high number of predators that share their leafy home.
Hundreds of birds prey upon bugs, lizards, and other small creatures and they are in turn hunted by various hawks, falcons, snakes, cats, and even a predatory bat! Nevertheless, not every creature in the jungle is naturally painted in dull hues that allow it to blend into its surroundings. Many butterflies look like fluttering jewels, tree frogs show patches of bright orange and blue, and quite a few bird species have plumage that rivals Gothic stained glass. Most of the colorful birds inhabit the canopy and it is in that upper realm of the forest where trogons are usually encountered.
Trogons are medium-sized birds that frequent tropical forests in many places in the world. Most species sport iridescent plumage that combines such hues as jade-green, purplish-blue, bright yellows, and crimson. In Tambopata, there are six species of trogons that frequent the upper levels of the rainforest. Some species are fairly common and regularly encountered on jungle hikes. Pavonine Quetzal, the largest and rarest of the trogons in Tambopata, is occasionally seen at all of the Rainforest Expedition lodges in Tambopata. Much more common are the stately Black-tailed Trogon, White-tailed Trogon, Collared Trogon, and the small Blue-crowned Trogon.
Some interesting facts about trogons:
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