A Hyacinth Macaw, a spectacular and rare Brazilian endemic. Photo: David Fisher
Second only to Peru in terms of family diversity, Brazil has 84 of the 92 families regularly occurring in South America. On this tour we’ll be treated to a rich sampling of many of them, especially cracids, parrots, toucans, woodcreepers, antbirds and cotingas.
In the Pantanal, the world’s largest freshwater wetland, the multitude of waterbirds will compete for our attention with many other species, including the striking Hyacinth Macaw and the possibility of some exciting mammals. Then in the lower Amazonian basin we’ll relish the pristine setting of our comfortable lodge along the Cristalino River and marvel at the mixed-species flocks in the forest: how can so many birds appear (and disappear) so quickly? The rare treat of being able to observe cotingas and canopy flocks at eye level from their two unique free-standing towers will make canopy birders of us all. A brief sojourn to Chapada dos Guimarães National Park, along the western edge of the Brazilian Plateau, will complement the rest of the trip with new species and superb scenery.
This ornithological extravaganza, combined with an excellent infrastructure of lodges, friendly people and superb food, sets the stage for one of the best birding experiences imaginable. Comfortable accommodations situated close to our birding sites will maximize our time in the field while offering optional opportunities for those who may desire a respite from intensive all-day birding.
This tour can be taken in conjunction with our tour Brazil: The Southeast Atlantic Rainforest.
Day 1: The tour begins mid-morning at Cuiabá International Airport. We’ll drive south to Poconé to connect with the Transpantaneira highway. Not a highway by modern definition, this is actually a raised dirt track that crosses part of the world’s largest freshwater wetland, the Pantanal, which covers approximately 90,000 square miles across Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay. The Transpantaneira extends for 90 miles to Porto Jofre, with excellent roadside birding over its entire length. We’ll arrive arrival at our lodge in the late afternoon. Night in Porto Jofre.
Day 2: We’ll start this morning with a boat ride on the Rio Cuiabá right next to our hotel. It is on this river where in recent years sightings of Jaguar have become a nearly daily occurrence. We’ve altered our itinerary a bit to include this exciting possibility, but with just one boat trip this elusive cat is far from a guarantee. We’ll spend the rest of the morning and the afternoon birding our way northward through the heart of the North Pantanal to our next hotel for two nights.
Our next base in the Pantanal is a private fazenda south of Poconé known for its comfortable lodging and superb birding, and will afford us easy access to the Pantanal and its birds. Walks from the lodge and drives along the Transpantaneira will provide opportunities to feast from dawn to dusk on the avian offerings of this vast wetland. Hyacinth Macaw, the world’s largest parrot, can be seen in the palms around the fazenda grounds. Greater Rheas may be spotted walking sedately through the grass, while Buff-necked and Plumbeous Ibises call from the background. The wetlands and gallery forests here are home to many of the birds we’ll be seeking. A night drive will provide opportunities to search for nightjars and potoos, along with mammals including Crab-eating Fox or possibly even a tapir. Night in the Pantanal.
Day 3: We’ll have all day to explore the forest and open areas of our lodge and the Transpantaneira between Poconé and Pixaim. In addition to enjoying the spectacle of herons, ibises, Jabirus, Sunbitterns and parrot flocks, we’ll spend time looking for such gems as Chaco Chachalaca, Chestnut-bellied Guan, White-lored Spinetail, Mato Grosso Antbird, Helmeted Manakin, and Rufous Cachalote. Night in the Pantanal.
Day 4: After some early morning birding near the lodge we’ll return to Cuiabá in time for our flight to Alta Floresta in the southern Amazon basin. Here we’ll feel as though we have entered a different world. We’ll have a chance to walk a mere ¼ mile down one of the trails behind the hotel in town where a pair of Harpy Eagles have built their nest and breed about every other year. Then after a transfer to the Teles Pires River we’ll enjoy a short and easy boat trip on the pristine Cristalino River as we make our way to the lodge. Late afternoon along the river can hold many surprises and our introduction to the Amazonian forest could include Scarlet, Red-and-green or Blue-and-yellow Macaws flying overhead, an Amazonian Umbrellabird crossing the river in front of us, Red-throated Piping Guans perched high in trees or, with incredible luck, a tapir taking a cooling swim in the river. Our lodge is located minutes away from the river with comfortable rooms, friendly and helpful staff and birds, birds, birds! Night at Rio Cristalino Lodge.
Days 5-9: We’ll quickly realize that five days, five weeks, or even five months would not allow us to absorb all that the lower Amazon Basin has to offer. We’ll spend our days walking trails near the lodge, surveying the canopy from a 30-meter tower and exploring the riverine forest by boat. With luck we may encounter an antswarm, allowing us to watch at close range such species as Bare-eyed Antbird, Black-spotted Bare-eye or even White-chinned Woodcreeper. The birdlist for Rio Cristalino and the surrounding area exceeds 600 species, and the many furnariids, antbirds, and flycatchers, combine with such locals as Crimson-bellied Parakeet, Striolated Puffbird, Musician and Tooth-billed Wrens, Rufous-capped Antthrush, Gray-bellied Hawk, and Kawall’s Parrot to have us birding from dawn to dusk and beyond—with stops only for the incredibly delicious food provided by the staff and for rest breaks during the heat of the day. Nights at Rio Cristalino Lodge.
Day 10: After a final morning birding this superb area we’ll sadly say farewell and take a last boat trip along the river to meet our transport to Alta Floresta for our afternoon flight to Cuiabá. Following arrival in Cuiabá, we’ll depart for Chapada dos Guimarães, where we’ll spend two nights. Night in Chapada dos Guimarães.
Day 11: We’ll spend a bird-filled last day in Chapada dos Guimarães National Park and surrounding areas. Located on the edge of Brazil’s central plateau, the Chapada offers impressive monolithic rock formations and a spectacular waterfall. We’ll spend the morning in a cerrado area searching for targets including White-banded and White-rumped Tanagers, Collared Crescentchest, and Chapada Flycatcher, a species described as recently as 2001. The final hours of the day will be spent scanning for Red-and-green and Blue-winged Macaws returning to their cliff-side roost sites for the night. Night in Chapada dos Guimarães.
Day 12: Time permitting, we’ll spend the dawn hour in the cerrado searching for any specialties we may have missed the day before. Following breakfast at our hotel, we’ll return to the Cuiabá airport where the tour will end in mid-morning with check-in for departing flights.
Updated: 29 February 2012
Prices
- 2012 Tour Price : $6,200*
- Single Occupancy Supplement : $590
Notes
This tour is limited to eight participants with one leader.
Participants should contact the WINGS office to discuss their travel plans. Those arriving a day or more early can ask WINGS for assistance with accommodation; those arriving the day the tour starts can ask for a list of flights from Sao Paulo that will connect with the tour’s formal beginning.
* Tour invoices paid by check carry a modest discount. Details here.