The Great Journey

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[ Gorgeously Colored Birds Eating Soil ]

To the shore of Tambopata River in Peruvian Amazon, I heard as many as 1000 macaws come to eat soil. At the end of June, I headed for Corpa (feeding ground) in a boat. There was a wall of brick- colored soil along the shore of the river, standing a few hundred meters. I heard macaws come to one corner of the wall. The next morning, as I waited for them, a large flock of macaws flew by giving wild shrieks. Then, the innumerable birds with gorgeous colors started pecking at the soil.
Why do macaws eat soil? In one theory, it is said that they do this to neutralize some toxins in the fruits they eat. But the theory that they do so to get some nutrients like phosphorus that is not obtainable in the forest is more convincing.