Birds

There is an amazing diversity of birdlife at Las Cuevas. Of the birds not photographed here, some of the more common residents include Keel-billed toucans, Great Curassows, Crested Guams, and Oropendula Montezuma birds.

Hummingbirds (Family Trochilidae) are a common sight, particularly at the forest edges. They and make a loud buzzing sound when flying and are the only birds capable of flying backwards. Hummingbirds are only found in the Americas and were known as flying jewels (Joyas Voladores) by the Spanish, due to their vivid iridescent colours.

Ocellated Turkeys (Agriocharis ocellata) are regular visitors to the lawn at Las Cuevas. Their name derives from the eyespots on their tail feathers (from Ocelli the Latin word for eye). The Ocellated turkey is known as the Cutz by the Maya and according to legend borrowed but never returned its pretty feathers from the Yucatan poorwill, which explains the porrwill's lamenting call. Apparently it has tender meat and a gamey flavour. It is listed under CITES Appendix III.

This Nightjar (Family Caprimulgidae) was found on the path leading to the research station. It had a bad wound on its wing and had probably been bitten by a snake. Nightjars are usually seen during the night, when they can often be found on the ground making a distinctive whooping call. They are easy to spot as their eyes glow red when caught in a torch beam.

One of the rarest and most impressive birds seen at Las Cuevas is the Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao). The population in Belize belongs to the largest subspecies of scarlet macaw (A. macao cyanoptera). The population of scarlet macaws in Belize is believed to be dangerously small and many of the birds live within the Macal valley, which is threatened by the construction of a massive hydroelectric dam - the Chalillo dam. For more information see http://www.stopfortis.org/. The Macal valley is also home to many other rare animals including: Baird's tapirs, Morelet's crocodiles, jaguars, southern river otters and black howler monkeys.