Copyright: Vivek Tiwari, Vayun Tiwari 2021
Birds of the Neotropics: A Personal Journey
Please note that this meeting will be online.
Presenter: Vivek Tiwari
The Neotropical Region, which consists of all of Central and South America is by far the richest bird region, holding more than a third of all bird species on Earth. From colorful iconic species like Toucans and Macaws and dazzling Hummingbirds and Tanagers with fanciful names, to the amazing diversity in Ovenbirds, Antbirds and Flycatchers, there is almost an endless feast of birds that awaits a birder here.
Whether its the striking beauty of a Coquette or the frustrating furtiveness of a Tapaculo, there is enough to hook any birder to this fascinating region. Vivek will take us on a quick tour of the amazing diversity of this avifauna that ranges across Andean peaks to lush cloud forests to steamy lowland jungles. Along the way Vivek will describe some of his most memorable experiences with rare and poorly known birds, and his own personal journey that took him from being a schoolboy in Delhi looking wide-eyed at rainforest photos in nature magazines to taking the same photos himself in remote Amazonia.
Vivek has been a Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society member for a quarter of a century, during which time he has also extensively traveled in the Neotropics. While almost half this time was spent with just a pair of binoculars, bird photography has since allowed him to be able to share his passion with others. In recent years a particular joy (at least pre-pandemic) has been to travel and photograph with his son Vayun Tiwari, who has become a great bird photographer in his own right.
Banner photo: Copyright: Vivek Tiwari, Vayun Tiwari 2021