The Amazon: Río Bigal Night

A nocturnal soundscape recorded in foothill rainforest where the Amazon meets the Andes in Río Bigal Biological Reserve, Ecuador. This region is a biodiversity hotspot and is one of the wettest regions in the Amazon basin.

The album begins in the evening with the sounds of frogs and insects, along with the pulsing calls of Band-bellied Owls and the distinctive low-pitched tumbling, humming sounds of Grey-winged Trumpeters.

At around 06:10 the first rumbles of an approaching thunderstorm can be heard and the frog calls intensify, as if in anticipation of the coming rain. From 18:00-32:00 rain falls on the forest and afterwards gradually lightens as the gentle insect choruses build again and a Foothill Screech-Owl calls with its soft, hooting trills.

The booming songs of Nocturnal Curassows can be heard in the distance as thunder slowly drifts away, and from around 53:30 Band-bellied Owls beging to call from closer to the microphones. From 58:00 several Grey-winged Trumpeters can be heard calling along with the Band-bellied Owls and Nocturnal Curassows, creating a lovely ambience of hums, pulses and booms. 

See below for details on some of the species heard in this recording.