Mato Grosso Memories
The marvelous state of Mato Grosso presented us its avian treasures with one amazing day after the next, as we visited three strikingly different eco regions – from the cerrado at a national park in the middle of the state, to the Amazon Basin in the north, and to the varied Pantanal wetlands in the south. Capping that off with our extension to Atlantic Rainforest in the Iguazú region, we recorded nearly 550 species of birds in 19 days.
Our birding time in the Chapada dos Guimarães area was hampered by a slow-moving cold front, but we still picked up some great birds there during gaps in the fog and rain, including very close Rufous-tailed Jacamars, an adorable family group of Brown Jacamars, a pair of rare Sharp-tailed Streamcreepers (a write-in on our already huge master list), and stunning Red-and-green Macaws feeding in a sea almond tree in front of our hotel.
The Amazon at Cristalino was by far the most diverse of our stays, even though we just scratched the surface, with the canopy towers, boat rides on the river, and forest bird baths offering unparalleled opportunities for observation of the regional specialties. A family of Dark-winged Trumpeters on our pre-dawn walk to one of the towers was a great find, and later we would glimpse another group of these fascinating cranes through the dark forest understory. Both Bare-eyed Antbird and Black-spotted Bare-eye were hits among the 22 amazing species we saw bathing.
The Pantanal's incredible abundance and easy-to-view wildlife resulted in most of our tour favorites, with stunning Hyacinth Macaws tying the charismatic, duetting Black-capped Donacobius with top votes. We also had great views of American Pygmy-Kingfisher here, watched Cocoi Herons hunting patiently, and saw a Southern Screamer on nest, as well as a pair with a very young chick. The big prize for most in the Pantanal were the Jaguars, and we had four sightings of three individuals, all stunning looks.
Though we never suffered from a heat wave, it was still a refreshing change to arrive to chilly temperatures at Puerto Iguazú, where a pair of Buff-bellied Puffbirds perched up in the open, Black-fronted Piping-Guans greeted us upon arrival at Urugua-í Provincial Park, and a usually invisible Planalto Tapaculo appeared in the dark bamboo undergrowth. The falls were stunning, perhaps mistier than usual, with the sun behind us providing an unending display of arm's length rainbows.
