Arcc Wildlife
ARCC is superbly located to give easy access to a range of habitats and wildlife hotspots, making it a number one destination for wildlife enthusiasts. At ARCC you can walk forest trails, ascend to the canopy, take a canoe on an oxbow lake, visit a macaw clay lick and take nocturnal hikes.
Arcc forest clearing and trails
Tours to ARCC regularly afford good observations of black spider monkeys, a species sensitive to human disturbance and absent from destinations closer to more populated areas. At ARCC, they are often seen in the forest immediately surrounding the eco-lodge clearing or on a short walk from the lodge. Other monkey species at ARCC are howler monkeys, brown capuchins, white fronted capuchins, squirrel monkeys, night monkeys, dusky titi monkeys and saddle-backed tamarins.
The rich fruit-laden floodplain forests surrounding Lake Soledad support high mammal densities. Other mammals in the forest include white-lipped peccaries, sometimes in huge groups passing through the forest; tayra, agoutis, and anteaters may also be encountered. Animal tracks give an indication of the existence of harder-to-see species such as Brazilian tapir, jaguar, red or grey brocket deer, armadillo and paca.
The ARCC clearing is ideal for leisurely bird watching - sightings might include long-billed wood creeper, yellow-tufted woodpecker, crimson-crested woodpecker, cream-coloured woodpecker, cuviers toucans, curl-crested aracaris, white-bellied parrots, blue and yellow macaws, paradise tanagers, white-vented euphonia, swallow tanager, blue dacnis, gilded barbet, fork-tailed wood nymph, rufous-breasted hermit (hummingbirds), bluish-fronted jacamar, striated puffbird, blue-crowned motmot, pale-winged trumpeter, and blue-throated piping guan.
There are stands of Guadua bamboo easily accessible on the ARCC trail system, close to the centre. The hollow bamboo segments are full of water, and are the perfect breeding ground for insect larvae which in turn support a number of rare endemic bird species, only found in these special bamboo stands. Such secretive species include Peruvian recurvebill, rufous-headed Woodpecker, white-lined Antbird and Goeldi’s antbird.
Specialist birders? Click here for the bird checklist
(Provisional birds checklist – more species will be added as the forest around ARCC is studied further.)
Mammals enthusiast? Click here for the mammal list.
(Provisional mammals checklist – more species will be added as the forest around ARCC is studied further.)
At night there is the chance to see night monkeys, armadillos, porcupines, brocket deer or tree frogs. There are an incredible array of nocturnal noises -from large crickets, the lake resonating with croaking frogs, the hooting of owls, the ‘coughing’ of the roosting hoatzins, the loud ‘belching’ of large caimans and even the occasional roaring of a jaguar can all be heard from your bungalow! Guests opting for a night walk on the bamboo trail have reported good sightings of ocelot, as this beautiful wild cat uses our trails at night.
Arcc canopy access
From our spectacular canopy platform at ARCC, the undisputed highlight is the colourful mixed flocks of tanagers and other birds which pass close to the platform. Species include blue dacnis, plum throated cotinga, paradise tanager, green and gold tanager, white shouldered tanager, turquoise tanager, opal crowned tanager and masked crimson tanager. Other species include aracaris, scarlet macaws, bare necked fruit crows and swallow-wing puff birds. Monkeys can be seen high in the canopy; the acrobatic spider monkey is often seen here swinging through the trees in search for fruit, or the passive howler monkey just laid out on a branch. Looking down from the 35m (120 ft) high platform you are undetected by the lake wildlife- the otters are regularly seen from the platform, and sometimes the rare and elusive black caiman, one resident individual of Lake Soledad is almost 5m long, an impressive sight if it surfaces and reveals its full size before subsiding into the water moments later.
Lake soledad
ARCC is located on the banks of Lake Soledad, a typical ‘ox-bow’ lake, formed over 50 years ago by the Las Piedras River cutting through the neck of a sharp meander, and leaving a horseshoe shaped or ox-bow lake 3 kilometres (2 miles) long and just 100m wide.
The palm roofed boat jetty is provided with hammocks, and is an ideal place for leisurely observations of the lake wildlife. Giant otters can sometimes be seen fishing close to the jetty, or resting on a fallen trunk opposite. Lake Soledad harbours good fish stocks, including piranha and catfish. A canoe tour of the lake gives more opportunities for seeing the otters- most visitors to ARCC have good observations of the lake’s resident giant otters, fishing, playing, grooming or resting.
Bird life on the lake is plentiful; the lake attracts many species which include: blue and yellow macaws, grey-necked wood-rails, rufrescent tiger-herons, wattled jacanas, Amazon and pygmy kingfishers, green ibis, black-collared hawk, black capped mocking thrush and yellow-rumped casiques. You might also spot hoatzins, green ibis, red capped cardinals, and ringed kingfishers.
Other lake wildlife includes black caiman, side necked turtles, and dragonflies.
Arcc macaw clay lick
There are 4 clay licks accessible from ARCC; the most impressive is a macaw and parrot clay lick just 20 minutes by boat up river from the center. A hide (blind) on top of the cliff just 25m (80 ft) from the clay lick affords excellent opportunities for observations and photography. The species regularly visiting this clay lick include red and green macaws and scarlet macaws, sometimes a flock of 20 or more macaws at a time, and flocks of up to 200 others including dusky headed parakeet, cobalt winged parakeet and tui parakeet. Other species visiting the clay lick include chestnut-fronted and red-bellied macaws; mealy, blue headed and yellow-crowned parrots, white-eyed parakeets, orange-cheeked parrots, white-bellied parrots, blue and yellow macaws, piping guans, and chachalacas.