Sungrebe

*Top 50 Target Species

The Sungrebe is a secretive aquatic bird found in Ecuador’s lowland rivers and forested waterways, where it glides silently through shaded backwaters and often swims partially submerged like an anhinga. Globally listed as Least Concern, its population is declining due to habitat degradation, though it remains locally present in tropical regions from the Amazon basin to the coastal lowlands. Unique among birds, males carry their chicks in specialized skin pouches beneath their wings—a rare marsupial-like adaptation that adds to the species’ mystique. In Ecuador, it is sparsely distributed but extant, favoring slow-moving streams with dense riparian cover.