Peru achieved the first place in the world in number of bird species recorded in the October Big Day – OBD 2023, showing its great potential in bird biodiversity and the increase of the bird community in the country.
October Big Day 2023 results analysis
On October 14, OBD 2023 was held worldwide, an event that consists of recording for 24 hours all the species observed in each country with the aim of uniting the entire birding and nature-loving community worldwide.
In this last edition, the number of species registered worldwide increased to 7525, 72 more than in 2022. Peru was the country with the highest number of birds registered, reaching 1385 species, 12 more than Colombia, its closest competitor. In addition, the number of lists reached 2235, placing it in 11th place, with an increase of more than 50% in the number of participants compared to the previous year.
The results show that Peru increased its record by 213 species and, above all, doubled the number of lists from 1006 to 2235 compared to the previous year. The departments of Cusco, Loreto, San Martin, Madre de Dios and Pasco stand out in the top 5 regions with the highest number of bird records.
October Big Day 2023 in the Morro de Calzada Amazon Center
Our team composed of 5 people, completed the OBD in the Morro de Calzada Amazon Center – MCAC, a natural site located 20 minutes from the city of Moyobamba in the department of San Martin, Peru, which is part of the Northern Peruvian Birding Route. The site is being managed by our organization.
Activities began at 6 in the morning in the hummingbird garden, enjoying breakfast, while we observed and recorded several species of hummingbirds, mixed flocks, toucans, parrots, trogons, jacamars, among others. After breakfast we headed to the crakes observatory, near a small wetland where we recorded the Russet-crowned Crake and Rufous-sided Crake.
Then we headed to the Arenal sector, where we walked along a trail in the middle of a white sand forest, and were able to record species such as Zimmer’s Antbird, Fiery-capped Manakin, Blue-crowned Trogon, and the endemics Black-bellied Tanager and Painted Manakin.
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During the day we were visited by other groups of birdwatchers, including the group led by the Regional Office of Foreign Trade and Tourism, which recorded several species and also received information about the tourist services provided by the MCAC.
After lunch in the town of Calzada, we returned to the hummingbird garden of the MCAC and from there we continued birding, recording species that approached the hummingbird garden or species that inhabit the wetland throughout the afternoon. At night we went out to the trails surrounding the MCAC and recorded nocturnal bird species, where highlights were the Stigyan Owl, Tropical Screech-Owl, Banded-bellied Owl, among others.
Our OBD ended at 9 pm, with approximately 15 hours of birding and a total record of 91 species.
List of daily bird species
List of nocturnal bird species
This record confirms the high biodiversity of birds in and around the MCAC and contributes to the total number of species recorded in this area of interest for birdwatching in the Northern Bird Route, which has been available since March 2020 and has reached 261 bird species up to now.
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