LET'S GET TOGETHER

Clay licks deep in the Amazon explode in a riot of colour, with macaws the stars of the show

- Mike Dilger

IT MAY BE THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND largest and most biodiverse ecosystem, but it can be surprisingly difficult to see much in the Amazon. The majority of species are placed firmly in the ‘shy and secretive’ category, and even spotting birds is tricky, given the dense nature of the forest foliage. However, if you like your fauna to put on a show, worry not. Select sites along the western reaches of the Amazon basin host a dazzling phenomenon that is the ornithological equivalent of shooting fish in a barrel.

Did you know?

Macaws feed large amounts of clay, through regurgitation, to their chicks. The youngsters need the sodium in the clay for the development of bone, muscle and nervous and circulatory systems.

Described by researcher Elizabeth Hobson as "a crazy, screaming kaleidoscope of colour," the spectacle of scarlet macaws and other parrot species breaking cover and descending en masse to feed along eroded, clay-rich cliffs and riverbanks (known as 'clay licks' or collpas), presents the opportunity to boost your bird list while revelling in some fascinating behaviour.