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Welcome to the world’s mega bird park From the colourful toucan to the majestic harpy eagle, the South American tropics rank as one of the world's most diverse areas for birds. About 3,800 species are found there – over 1,300 in the Amazon, 28 of which are endemic to the region 1 . There is considerable variety in the geographic range from one species to another. While the harpy eagle ranges from southern Central America to the Amazon, some toucan species may be found only in relatively restricted areas. At one site in the Peruvian Amazon, about 575 bird species have been identified within a mere 5,500-hectare section of the rainforest. By comparison, 700 bird species are found in the whole of North America. From November to March, some birds migrate from North America to the Central American and South American tropics. Others are found exclusively in the Amazon rainforest. Most birds live in the dense undercover of forest, looking for insects from the rainforest floo...