The Amazon: Cuyabeno Dawn - Album Cover

The Amazon: Cuyabeno Dawn

The sounds of the Amazon rainforest awakening to a new day.

Recording Location: Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, Ecuador
Habitat: Lowland tropical rainforest
Duration: 65 minutes (1 track)
Year of Release: 2025 © All rights reserved
Download Formats: mp3 & FLAC (48kHZ/24bit)

$15

The Amazon: Cuyabeno Dawn - Album Cover

Album Info

The sounds of the Amazon rainforest awakening to a new day. This album was recorded in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve in Ecuador and captures the transition from night to day early one morning on the banks of the remote Cuyabeno River.

The first half of the album features the sounds of darkness before dawn with a variety of nocturnal bird species calling to a backdrop of insects and the distant roars of howler monkeys. As the light gradually brightens, Russet-backed Oropendolas begin to call with their magical liquid melodic phrases. Many other diurnal species soon follow and as dawn breaks on the river an adundance of wildlife can be heard.

See ‘Track Notes’ below for more details on some of the sounds heard on this recording.

Listen to a Sample

Recording Location

Map showing location of Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, Ecuador

Track Listing

1. The Amazon: Cuyabeno Dawn (65:33)

0:00 – 10:34: During the first ten minutes of the album a number of nocturnal bird sounds can be heard including the calls of Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl, Tropical Screech-Owl and the deep growls of a Great Potoo. A Rufescent Tiger-Heron calls at 03:10 & again at 08:41 with a series a grunting notes. In the slow flowing Cuyabeno River, fish occasionally splash as they break the surface of the water. Starting just after 6:00, the song of two Cinereous Tinamous can be heard with their long series of rising whistles. Around this same time a Common Pauraque calls and at 08:06 are the rapid drumming wingbeats of a Spix’s Guan.

10:35 – 19:29: A distant group of Colombian Red Howlers begin to roar, and two Common Potoos make their distinctive, lamenting song. In the background, the buzzing grunts of a Great Potoo can be heard, along with the soft ‘woah aah’ cries of a Laughing Falcon.

19:30- 28:45: Amazonian River Dolphins splash in the river as they come up for air, and the howlers continue to roar. A Ferruginous Pygmy Owl sings with its piping, rhythmic whistled phrases while Common Pauraques call as they fly about before they settle to roost for the day. The distinctive three-note whistles of an Undulated Tinamou are a characteristic sound of these forests and can be heard at times throughout the album.

28:46 – 32:44: One of my favourite sections of the album – the captivating sounds of a few Russet-backed Oropendolas as they begin to sing with their magically liquid explosive calls. The forest is still dark at this point and the sky is brightening.

32:45 – 59:40: The dawn chorus intensifies for several minutes as Yellow-rumped Caciques and a number of other bird species begin to sing. As the sun rises the vibrant chorus settles and dozens of bird species can be heard coming and going in this early morning soundscape. 

59:41 – 65:33: Morning clouds develop above the forest and a light rain shower falls.

Bird species heard on this album include:

Rufescent Tiger-Heron, Great Potoo, Common Potoo, Tropical Screech-Owl, Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl, Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl, Common Pauraque, Cinereous Tinamou, Undulated Tinamou, Great Tinamou, Laughing Falcon, Roadside Hawk, Blue-throated Piping-Guan, Spix’s Guan, Russet-backed Oropendola, Green Oropendola, Yellow-rumped Cacique, Thrush-like Wren, Coraya Wren, Citron-bellied Attila, Great Kiskadee, Peruvian Warbling Antbird, Fasciated Antshrike, Buff-throated Woodcreeper, Long-billed Woodcreeper, Scarlet Macaw, Black-headed Parrot, Orange-cheeked Parrot, White-throated Toucan, Amazon Kingfisher, Grey-fronted Dove, Ruddy Pigeon, Plumbeous Pigeon, Pale-vented Pigeon and more…!

Mammal species heard on this album include:

Colombian Red Howler, Black-mantled Tamarin, Amazon River Dolphin (breathing sounds)

Album Photos