The Gray-bellied Hawk (Accipiter poliogaster) is one of the largest members of the genus Accipiter and occurs in a large range in South America. It occurs mostly in continuous forests and to a lesser extent in semi-disturbed habitats. Apparently, there are two disjunct populations, in Amazonia and in southern Brazil (Figure 2). Despite its size and […]
Coastal waters include an area of approximately 20 kilometers from the coastline. Coastal Waters Coastal waters include bays, estuaries, and other waters on continental shelves out to approximately 20 km from the shore. Most coastal seabirds are found within only a few kilometers from the coast. Most coastal seabirds forage for food within only a few
Typical bogs formation in the high Andes. Photo: Alfredo Begazo. Bogs Bogs are areas in the high Andes of poorly drained soils that contain water almost constantly, even during long droughts in the regions where they occur. Soils usually contain a layer of organic material called peat. A few Andean birds are strongly associated with
Aerial view of a typical Amazonian river. Photo: Alvaro del Campo. Rivers Rivers as habitat, include courses of running water with a width of 10 meters or more. This habitat includes the overhanging vegetation found along riverbanks, logs, branches protruding out of the water, and other features within the portion of the running water. River course
Campo grasslands. Photo: Alessandra-Fidelis Campo Grasslands Campo grasslands are upland grasslands with little or no woody vegetation. This habitat type occurs locally in the Brazilian and Guianan shields. The complexity and grass diversity of these grasslands vary from region to region. Grassland savannas occur in northern Venezuela and northeastern Colombia (Llanos) Southeastern Venezuela (Gran Sabana), the
Panoramic view of cerrado habitat in Brazil. Cerrado The denomination of Cerrado habitat has been used widely for the non-forest vegetation that ranges from open grasslands (Campo Sujo) to dense woodlands (Cerradao). Trees and shrubs in these habitats have thick fire-resistant barks, twisted trunks and limbs, and large thick leaves. The cerrado habitat encompasses nearly
Semi-humind montane scrub in an inter-Andean valley in central Peru. Semi-Humid and Humid Montane Scrub The Semi-humid and humid montane scrub are zones of moist dense shrub and scrub. These habitat types are generally found at elevations of 2900-3000 meters, particularly in moist inter-montane valleys and extend up to the puna grasslands. Semi-humid montane scrub with patches
Arid montane scrub in the high Andes. Arid Montane Scrub The arid montane scrub is structurally similar to the arid lowlad scrub. This habitat type supports a variety of plant communities including shrubby vegetation, scrub, scattered small trees, and cacti. Arid montane scrub occurs throughout Tropical America including the Andean mountains at elevations ranging between
