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Mixed flocks - Clay licks - Guano - Other interesting facts - Peru facts

Did you know that…

-Peru has the second highest number of bird species in the world? Counting only breeding species, Peru ranks first.

-more new species were described in Peru in the last 30 years than in any other country in the world, with about 1 new species on average described each year?

-the official list of the birds of Peru has increased by about 200 species in the last 30 years, from 1601 species in 1972 to about 1800 species today? A combination of new records for Peru, taxonomic re-arrangement, and new species for science are responsible for this.

-right now, descriptions of at least 2 new species are already in press, at least another 5 new species are being described, and scientists estimate that more than 40 populations could be new species waiting to be properly documented?

-more than 400 of Peru’s birds have more than one subspecies in the country, adding 1003 subspecies to the 1800 species, for a total of over 2803 taxa?

-Peru has the highest number of “range-restricted”* species in the Neotropics and is second in the world only to Indonesia?
* defined by Birdlife International as confined to a range of less than 50,000 square kilometres

-Peru holds the world record for number of bird species seen in a single day without the help of motorized vehicles, with 331 birds at Cocha Cashu in southeast Peru? This record was established by Ted Parker and Scott Robinson in 1982 and yet to be surpassed. The absolute world record is 342, done in Africa with the help of airplanes.

-Tinamous are the most primitive of the Paleognathae, a group that includes Ostriches, Rheas,Cassowaries, Emus, Kiwis and Tinamous, and belongs to the oldest lineage of birds), and that Peru has more Paleognathae species (28) than any other country in the world?

-Peru has more flycatchers (family Tyrannidae, 248 species), more ovenbirds (Family Furnariidae, 121 species) and more finches (Emberizidae, 91 species) than any other country in the world?

-Peru has both the world’s largest flying land bird, the Andean Condor (and largest bird of prey), and the next-to smallest, the Little Woodstar (only 1 mm larger than the smallest, the bee hummingbird of Cuba)?

-for nature lovers from North America, Peru offers by far the world's most economical, most accessible penguins---the endangered Humboldt Penguins of the Pacific coast of Peru, found near the cities of Lima, Pisco, and Arequipa?

-the largest mixed flocks in the rainforest of southeast Peru gather as many as 103 species, with up to 70 species present at one time?

-these flocks in southeastern Peru are the most complex multi-species assemblages of any group of organisms in the world, more so even than coral reef fish?

-these mega-flocks, formed by an understory flock, a canopy flock and a fruiting tree flock, take a long time to form every morning, so that the best time to see them is between 11 am and 2:30 pm ?

- that clay licks are areas generally situated in the banks of some Amazon rivers, where seed eating birds (most notoriously Parrots of all sorts), get certain kinds of soil in order to neutralize toxins abundant in many seeds?

-that Peru has more macaw clay licks than any other country?

-parrots species take turns when visiting a clay lick but that up to 10 species of parrots can be seen at the same time at the best clay licks?

- the largest numbers of macaws ever seen at clay licks are at the Tambopata Research Center lick (southeast Peru) and at the Pucani lick (central-eastern Peru), both in excess of 300 large macaws at the same time?

- the dropping of fish-eating birds make excellent natural fertilizers, and that due to climatic conditions (no rain to wash out the nitrogen) and abundance of birds and fish, the Peruvian guano has always been considered the best one?

- That during Peru's golden age of guano, around 1840 to 1880, it has been estimated that the Peruvians excavated over 20,000,000 tons (sometimes up to 80 meter) of guano for export, creating around $2 billion in profits and making it at the time the main economic income for the country.

- That the main producers of Guano are the Peruvian Pelican, Guanay Cormoran and the Peruvian Booby.

-there are 5 inca-finches belonging to the genus Incaspiza and that all five are endemic to Peru?

-it has been recently discovered that Gray Gulls, a common gull along the coast of Peru, nests in Chile in the desert as far as 60 km inland? Until then, nobody knew where this common bird made its nesting colonies.

-at least another 4 species of seabirds (storm-petrels and terns) use the Peruvian desert as a nesting ground in order to avoid predation?

-Peru’s natural reserve system protects as of 2004 an approximate area of 170 000 square Kilometer?

-Peru has the highest tropical peak in the world? The Huascarán at 6700 m or 22 000 feet.

-Perú is the source of the longest river on earth, The Amazon (maximum measure): 6,712km in comparison to the much better promoted Niels river: 6690 Km

-Did you know that approximately 20% of all the freshwater discharge into the world’s oceans comes from the Amazon river, and that even though it is fed by over 1,000 tributary rivers, most of the water comes from the Andes.

-Peru has the driest desert on Earth with no rain at all in most years? (The Peruvian desert is contiguous to the Atacama dessert in Chile)

-Peru has the second wettest year on record with 15,000 mm of rain? That’s 15 metres or 49 feet! And that the place is known as “Quincemil” which means “Fifteen Thousand”?

-the coastal currents of Peru are the most nutrient and fish-rich tropical oceans in the world--by far?

-In 197os Peru was the largest producer of fish in the world, but the fish stock collapsed soon after because of over fishing? That it is recovering slowly, even though the same mistakes are being done by authorities?

-Peru has 87 of the 103 Holdridge Life Zones found in the world, more than any other country?

-Peru (Yanamono in the northeast) holds the world record for the number of trees growing in one hectare (2.5 acres), with 283 species of trees*?
* a tree is defined as a plant with a trunk larger than 10 cm diameter at breast height.

-Peru shares with Bolivia the highest navigable lake in the world. The Tticaca Lake at 38000 m above sea level is aproximately 195 Km large by65 Km wide with a surface of 8700 square Km.