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CHECKLIST

ATTA RAINFOREST

GUYANA
LOCALE

# Species:350
# Excl Vagrants:350
# Endemics:0
# Near Endemics:0
Habitat: Tropical rainforest

ABOUT THE BIRDING

Atta Rainforest is actually a camp within rainforest at the southern end of Iwokrama Forest Reserve. The camp is operated by Iwokrama Forest Reserve. As of 2010, Atta is a hammock camp with a dining area and community bathroom facilities. The hammocks are under roofs to protect them from the weather, the dining area is an enclosed building with bar and dining facilities, and the bathrooms are wholly adequate. There are plans to enclose the hammock area into separate cabins to form a more suitable eco-lodge. This was originally scheduled to be completed in 2009. The hope is it will be completed in the near future, though that is dependent on sufficient funding.

The prime attraction of the camp is the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway. The walkway consists of 5 platforms interconnected by suspension foot-bridges extending out from a ridgeline, allowing easy viewing of mid-story and upper canopy birds. It's reached by a 20-minute walk through the forest from the camp. The walkway is a great place to view Scarlet Macaw, Red-and-green Macaw, Painted Parakeet, Golden-winged Parakeet, Blue-headed Parrot, and Dusky Parrot flying among the treetops and over the valley below. Several notable target birds can be seen here. Among these are Black Nunbird, Black-spotted Barbet, Waved, Red-necked, and Ringed Woodpeckers, Mouse-colored Antshrike, Todd's and Spot-tailed Antwrens, Guianan Warbling Antbird, Pompadour Cotinga, Paradise Tanager, Yellow-green Grosbeak, and Green Oropendola. Overnight visitors generally stat until after dark to look for White-winged Potoo, which is often found by their eye shine in the tree tops just after dusk. Variegated Tinamou and other understory birds are possible along the trail to and from the walkway.

LOCATION OF SITE

Atta Rainforest is located at the southern end of Iwokrama Forest Reserve and is actually part of the reserve. It is reached by driving the main road south from Iwokrama Field Station and the Essequibo River. It's perhaps a 20 minute drive, but birders are likely to take a half day to get between the field station and Atta unless they've driven the road before because the birding is so good.