At any roadside stop we might see the lovely Silvery-cheeked Antshrike. Photo: Rich Hoyer
The northeasternmost corner of Brazil, the cluster of small states that make up the prominent “nose” jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean, holds many ornithological treasures. From the endemics of the moist Alagoas-Pernambuco highlands to the distinctive birds of the seasonally dry caatinga interior to the isolated specialties of the sky islands of Ceará, the species of this varied region are presented in a unique itinerary. We’ll become familiar with each ecosystem as we work our way west from the coast to the interior, then north to finish at a coast of a totally different character.
This tour can be taken in conjunction with our tour, Brazil: Bahia and Sergipe.
Day 1: The tour starts this morning at 9 a.m. at the São Paulo International Airport. Once everyone has assembled, we’ll board our flight to Maceió, the capital of Alagoas. From the Maceió airport it’s an hours’ drive to our resort hotel in the country, our base for the next three nights. We may get in some birding this afternoon on the hotel grounds, which host at least a couple of the regional endemics, Seven-colored Tanager and Long-tailed Woodnymph. Night in União dos Palmares.
Days 2-3: We will have two full days to spend birding the Alagoas cloud forests in search of the rare endemics that have evolved in these isolated highlands. Because of incentives for sugarcane production in the area, very little land has been officially and strictly preserved. Ironically, it is now the sugar companies that own the most original forest, and our most promising access to this habitat is in the remaining fragments on their lands. Some of the many species we’ll be looking for are Alagoas Antwren, Orange-bellied Antwren, White-winged Cotinga, Pinto’s Spinetail and Black-headed Berryeater. Alagoas Foliage-gleaner, restricted to a very few of these forest fragments, will require a bit more luck. Nights in União dos Palmares.
Day 4: With one last morning to search for any missed target species or simply to bird our hotel grounds and some roadside habitats, we’ll drive westward, away from the moisture-gathering hills of Alagoas and into the dry interior of Pernambuco. The sudden change in habitat is dramatic, and the resulting change in birdlife is no less impressive. A roadside stop or two will likely produce our first Barred Antshrike, Guira Cuckoo, Pileated Finch and Chalk-browed Mockingbird. Night in Arcoverde.
Day 5: We’ll spend the early morning exploring the new habitats of the caatinga in Catimbau National Park. The deciduous woodland here is home to the habitat-specific Red-shouldered Spinetail and the even more range-restricted Tawny Piculet. More common inhabitants we could spot include Cactus Parakeet, Glittering-bellied Emerald, Lesser Wagtail-Tyrant, Stripe-backed Antbird and Ultramarine Grosbeak. Then we’ll have to hit the road again to make it to our next destination, a mountain range high enough to create its own weather and a geologic history that has in part led to a very distinctive avifauna, the Serra do Araripe. Night in Crato.
Days 6-7: It must have been a magical moment just 12 years ago for the Brazilian birders who first spotted the snow-white, dipped-in-cranberry-sauce vision that would later be named the Araripe Manakin. This spectacular bird is found only in a tiny area at the well-watered northeast base of the Serra do Araripe mesa, and we’ll make a concerted effort to see it. In the process we’ll enjoy the birding in this beautiful area, which encompasses the first national forest set aside in Brazil. Some of the highlights are White-browed Guan, Blond-crested Woodpecker, Rufous-breasted Leaftosser, Giant Xenops, White-browed Antpitta, Ash-throated Casiornis and Gray-eyed Greenlet. Hummingbirds are always an interesting part of Neotropical birding, and here we should see Planalto Hermit, Sombre Hummingbird, Versicolored Emerald and Stripe-breasted Starthroat among others. The duller but interesting Planalto Tyrannulet and Fuscous Flycatcher will likely show themselves as will the more colorful Cinnamon Tanager and Flavescent Warbler. If we make a nighttime excursion, Common Potoo and Rufous Nightjar are among the possibilities. Nights in Crato.
Day 8: After a final morning in the habitats near Crato we’ll begin the long drive north to our next hotel and habitat. Along the way are varied patches of habitat and wetland that will keep things interesting. Masked Duck, Southern Pochard and Spot-flanked Gallinule could be on roadside ponds, each usually adorned by a Black-backed Water-Tyrant or White-headed Marsh-Tyrant. Overhead we’ll keep an eye out for raptors such as Pearl Kite, Crane Hawk or Harris’s Hawk, while a mid-day stroll will have us searching the ground for roosting Pygmy Nightjars. Night in Guaramiranga.
Day 9: The Serra de Baturité is a unique range of hills, not quite like the Chapada do Araripe; the vistas are less stark and the forests even lusher. If it weren’t for the mountains, this whole area would be desert, but the highlands create their own rains, forming a habitat that supports some birds we won’t see elsewhere, especially Gould’s Toucanet, Spot-winged Wood-Quail, Buff-breasted Tody-Tyrant and Rufous Gnateater (a distinctive subspecies). Many of these occur near our hotel, and we’ll have all day to search for them here and in areas nearby. Night in Guaramiranga.
Day 10: We’ll have one last morning in this birdy location before we drive to the Fortaleza airport, where those participants going home will catch an early afternoon flight to São Paulo. Those staying for the tour Brazil: Bahia and Sergipe will board a flight to Salvador later in the afternoon.
Updated: 12 September 2007
Prices
Notes
Maximum group size is eight participants with one leader; 14 with two leaders.