Fauna of the Amazon rainforest

The Amazon rainforest covers 6.7 million square kilometres (2.6 million square miles), accounting for over 40% of the planet's remaining tropical forests. Since 2000, rainfall has declined across 69% of the Amazon. The WWF estimates that 27% of the Amazon will be without trees if deforestation continues at its current rate.

Birds

Roughly 14% of all birds on Earth are located in the Amazon rainforest. This percentage consists of around 1,300 known, distinct species, 20% of which are endemic to the Amazon. Approximately 11% of the birds found in the Amazon rainforest have been declared endangered as of 2025. This is due, in large part, to the wide-scale deforestation of the Amazon and subsequent habitat loss. Birds are crucial to the ecosystem of the rainforest, serving as seed dispersers, pollinators, and pest controllers. They tend to be especially sensitive to the environmental changes brought on by global warming and climate change, providing another layer of importance to conservation efforts. Some notable species of birds found in the Amazon include the Hoatzin, the Harpy eagle, and the Blue-and-yellow macaw.

The Hoatzin, scientific name Opisthocomus hoazin, is a unique species of bird that is only found in the Amazonian region. They are most remarkable for their way of digesting food. Hoatzins are the only birds that ferment the vegetation they eat, similar to the way a ruminant would in their gut. However, these birds possess a crop with a microbial ecosystem that ferments the leaves, buds, and other plants; the fermentation does not happen in their stomach. These birds spend most of their time in the trees and surrounding undergrowth of the swampy regions of the Amazon and Orinoco river basins. Hoatzins are not excellent fliers, but the juveniles will often jump from their nests into the water below to swim away from predators and other dangers.

Harpy eagles, or Harpia harpyja, are the largest Neotropical birds of prey. Their position as apex predators solidifies their classification as a keystone and umbrella species. Their prey primarily includes various two-toed and three-toed sloths, howler monkeys, spider monkeys, and capuchins; however, other animals such as armadillos, anteaters, and iguanas are also food sources for them. Harpy eagles are diurnal, meaning they are awake and active during the day, where they spend most of the time in the high canopy or hunting for food. These eagles share a unique characteristic with owls: an adaptation called a facial disk. Facial disks are a special circular arrangement of feathers around a bird's face that can be lifted and lowered to direct sounds to the ears for a keen sense of hearing.

The Blue-and-yellow macaw (Ara ararauna) is also referred to as a Blue-and-gold macaw; both names originating from their vivid plumage of azure blue on their dorsal side and golden-yellow ventral side. In the Amazon, Blue-and-yellow macaws are often found in the lowlands of the rainforest nesting in tree cavities, eating a variety of nuts and fruits, and communicating with other birds using their loud calls that can be heard for miles. These birds usually pair together in twos and mate for life.