Due in part to lack of access, Venezuelan Amazonas is relatively little birded in comparison with the neighbouring countries of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil. The best known lodge, Junglaven, is rather remote and costly to access, so it comes as a welcome surprise to find excellent Amazonian birding just a few kilometres south of the sleepy town of Puerto Ayacucho. I first accompanied Mary Lou Goodwin along this road several years ago and am certain that continued exploration will produce a very respectable bird list. Although the road has been heavily deforested and initially looks rather fruitless, perseverance pays off. The road gives access to a variety of Amazonian habitats including savannah, white sand scrub, moriche palm swamps and tall humid forests and it is a good idea to bird all habitats to ensure a good representative overview. Typical Amazonian groups are the bread-and-butter of this road: about 15 species of parrot, six toucans, four Celeus woodpeckers, plenty of woodcreepers, Furnariids and antbirds and a host of flycatchers and tanagers. The remaining chunks of primary forest are good places to listen for Rufous-winged Ground-Cuckoo; White-plumed and Rufous-throated Antbirds will be found at the same antswarms. Tree tops should be scanned for Paradise Jacamar, Spangled and Pompadour Cotingas and White-browed Purpletuft. Moriche swamps hold the specialist Point-tailed Palmcreeper and Sulphury Flaycatcher. Forested creeks have Long-billed Woodcreeper, Black-chinned Antbird and, with luck, Amazonian Black-Tyrant. Guianan Cock-of-the-Rocks are not uncommon and add a touch of colour. Good accommodation exists on the outskirts of Puerto Ayacucho and many more Amazonian species can be picked up at a variety of sites nearby.

Specialities and endemics

Crested Eagle
Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle
Rufous-winged Ground-Cuckoo S
Festive Coquette
Cinnamon-rumped Foliage-gleaner
Caura Antbird S
Spangled Cotinga
Pompadour Cotinga
Amazonian Umbrellabird
Bare-necked Fruitcrow
Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock
Crowned Slaty-Flycatcher
Grey Elaenia
Buff-cheeked Greenlet
White-bellied Dacnis

Full bird checklist

None available.
The above list of specialities and endemics is taken from a List of Avifauna for Puerto Ayacucho Region by Dale Delaney, compiled in 2002 for Mary Lou Goodwin.