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About Neotropical Birding

OVERVIEW

The tropics have the greatest species diversity on Earth. The tropics in each part of the world has its own flavor due to its own unique evolutionary past. The Neotropics is characterized by mountain ranges that act as barriers to species expansion as well as rainforests, arid lands, dry forests, and wetlands. Every country in the Neotropics features a large number of bird species in a relatively small area, and each country has its own quite different species mix. Some of the species are north temperate migrants passing through or spending the winter, while others are offshore pelagic species also found off U.S. coastlines. However, the majority are tropical or subtropical species not found north of Mexico. Unusual aquatic birds add many entries to every life list. Tropical hawks, eagles, and owls intrigue. Whole new families of birds await discovery by birders visiting the tropics for the first time. A plethora of parrots, jacamars, motmots, toucans, barbets, puffbirds, manakins, cotingas, and oropendolas thrill the most experienced birder. The incredible diversity of hummingbirds and tanagers amaze. A baffling array of antbirds, flycatchers, and woodcreepers challenge the best birders. The forests and waterways are alive with birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, butterflies, and untold numbers of exotic plants. The combination makes for an exciting travel experience, and at the end one inevitably wants to return because there is always so much more yet to see.

COUNTRY COMPARISONS

Difference in species composition between countries
Country Total Species Recorded in Country Species not in ABA Area Species not in Mexico Species not in Belize Species not in Guatemala Species not in Nicaragua Species not in Costa Rica Species not in Panama
ABA Area 738 0 170 463 377 433 478 506
Mexico 1040 472 0 515 331 431 511 586
Belize 537 262 12 0 22 44 91 128
Guatemala 732 371 23 217 0 122 194 272
Nicaragua 711 406 102 218 101 0 101 176
Costa Rica 801 541 272 355 263 191 0 106
Panama 840 608 386 431 380 305 145 0

Difference in species composition between countries
Country Total Species Recorded in Country Species not in ABA Area Species not in Colombia Species not in Ecuador Species not in Venezuela Species not in Guyana Species not in Suriname Species not in Brazil
ABA Area 738 0 500 562 518 595 609 575
Colombia 1815 1577 0 492 624 1139 1228 908
Ecuador 1573 1397 250 0 656 1018 1078 798
Venezuela 1390 1170 199 473 0 620 746 476
Guyana 794 651 118 239 24 0 155 35
Suriname 684 555 97 189 40 45 0 28
Brazil 1712 1549 805 937 798 953 1056 0

Difference in species composition between countries
Country Total Species Recorded in Country Species not in ABA Area Species not in Ecuador Species not in Peru Species not in Bolivia Species not in Chile Species not in Brazil Species not in Argentina
ABA Area 738 0 562 561 622 650 575 599
Ecuador 1573 1397 0 267 778 1412 798 1157
Peru 1810 1633 504 0 720 1543 845 1234
Bolivia 1321 1205 526 231 0 1110 438 648
Chile 412 324 251 145 201 0 254 76
Brazil 1712 1549 937 747 829 1554 0 995
Argentina 1032 893 616 456 359 696 315 0

* Species counts follow Clements' nomenclature.


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