Tag: Nature
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Amazing Rainforest Animals: 8 Leafcutter Ant Facts
Leafcutter ants are one of Earth’s amazing creatures. Next to humans, leafcutter ants are the most socially complex organism on our planet. Leafcutter ants are found in the rainforests of the Neotropics, from the southern USA to South America. Despite their small size, they have a huge impact on their rainforest environment. Leafcutter ants are…
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Great Curassow: A Neotropical Specialty
Walking through the lowland rainforests of Central America, you hear a rustling off-trail along the forest floor. Scanning the dense foliage of the understory, you catch a glimpse of a large, turkey-like bird. It is glossy black all over with a bright yellow knob above the bill and a perfectly curled crest as if it…
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The Snow Leopard
The first time I saw a Snow Leopard, I was a young girl visiting the Los Angeles Zoo. I remember being amazed by its spotted fur, light eyes, and, most of all, its long, powerful tail that seemed to almost be a separate creature! Never could I have imagined that one day I would get…
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Top 10 Reasons to Visit India
There are SO many reasons to visit India, it is very hard to come up with only 10! Whitehawk made its first trip to India in 2014 in search of the elusive Snow Leopard. Our trip was a roaring success and our group was able to see not one but two Snow Leopards in a…
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Panama Wildlife: A Glimpse at Great Biodiversity
The narrow Isthmus of Panama is home to the famous Panama Canal and is nestled between Costa Rica and Colombia. It forms a land bridge between North and South America. It is a hotbed for biodiversity and has the most species recorded of all Central American countries. Panama’s landscape is comprised of low elevation rainforest…
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Top 10 Reasons to Travel to Panama
The Isthmus of Panama, nestled between two oceans and connecting two continents, has much to offer anyone interested in birds, nature, culture, and history. Planning to travel to Panama? Read more to find out our favorite things about this lovely country, in no particular order. 1. Biodiversity Despite its small size, Panama is one of…
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October Big Day 2020: The Biggest Birding Day of the Year!
The October Big Day 2020 is coming up this weekend on Saturday, October 17. We at Whitehawk, along with our sister company, Birding the Strait, plan to make the most out of it. This is an initiative of Cornell Lab of Ornithology which basically consists of going birding, and uploading as many bird lists to…
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Finding a Harpy Eagle: An Adventurous Excursion
Harpy Eagles live in the mature lowland rainforests of Central and South America. They prefer large areas of expansive, intact forest, especially when it comes to nesting. Despite having a huge wingspan of 2 meters, Harpy Eagles do not soar above the forest canopy; they are truly a bird of deep forest. They can stay…
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Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle
Probably one of the most striking of the Neotropical birds of prey, and one of the most difficult to observe perched, is the Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle (Spizaetus melanoleucus). We can find this raptor species throughout a large part of tropical America, from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. Unlike the Black Hawk-Eagle and Ornate Hawk-Eagle, the Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle does not tend to vocalize as much…