Main Tour:

Day 1: The tour begins around midday with lunch in Cuiabá followed by the drive to our lodge in the Chapada dos Guimarães National Park. Uniquely located on an inholding within the park boundaries, Pousada do Parque has trails through the woodland as well as a short and stable canopy tower where we’ll watch the sunset before searching for Little Nightjar, Common Pauraque, and Tropical Screech-Owl. Night at Pousada do Parque.

Days 2-3: We’ll have two bird-filled days in the Chapada dos Guimarães and surrounding areas. We’ll spend one morning in a cerrado area of short woodland on red sandy soils searching for target birds such as White-banded and White-rumped Tanagers, Collared Crescentchest, Curl-crested Jay, and Chapada Flycatcher, a species described only in 2001. Another drive will have us looking for Red-legged Seriema, Greater Rhea, and Red-winged Tinamou, and we could get lucky with both White-eared and Spot-backed Puffbirds. Positioning ourselves for the midmorning soar, we could see such stunning raptors as White Hawk, Gray-headed Kite, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, or King Vulture. Another highlight will be our visit to a spectacular waterfall where we hope to see Red-and-green and Blue-winged Macaws along with Cliff Flycatchers demonstrating their name. Crested Black-Tyrant is sometimes found here as well. Finally, we’ll spend some time in the habitats reachable on foot from our lodge, where we’ll look for Large-billed Antwren, Planalto Slaty-Antshrike, Planalto Hermit, and many other species. Nights at Pousada do Parque.

Day 4: After breakfast we’ll spend a relaxed morning birding on the grounds of our hotel, cleaning up on any species we might have missed. This may be our only chance for Southern Antpipit. Soon it will be time to return to Cuiabá for our noontime flight to Alta Floresta in the southern Amazon Basin. Here we’ll feel as though we have entered a different world. The transfer to Cristalino Jungle Lodge is merely an hour by dirt road and an additional 15 minutes by boat—a short trip for the transformation from extensive ranch lands and forest fragments to countless hectares of unspoiled rainforest (a transformation made possible only in the last 40 years). However, we’ll take our time making the transfer, as there will be things to see along the way. As we settle into our rooms, we’ll see if any of the trees are fruiting, and attracting Spix’s Guans, tanagers, or any number of aracari species. Night at Cristalino Jungle Lodge.

Days 5–8: The bird list for Rio Cristalino and the surrounding area has recently breached 600 species—a higher diversity than for any similarly sized area in the world—and the many furnariids, antbirds, and flycatchers combine with such locals as Crimson-bellied Parakeet, Eastern Striolated Puffbird, Tooth-billed Wren, and Kawall’s Parrot to have us wanting to bird from dawn to dusk and beyond. We’ll spend our days walking trails near the lodge, surveying the canopy from both of the 170-foot towers, and exploring the riverine forest by boat.

Any trip along the river can hold numerous 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.

With luck we may encounter an ant swarm, allowing us to watch at close range such species as Bare-eyed Antbird, Black-spotted Bare-eye, or even White-chinned Woodcreeper. We’ll pause for breaks during the heat of the day and for the incredibly delicious food provided by the staff, not to mention the absolutely authentic caipirinhas, the Brazilian national cocktail, which tastes its best in the tropical lowlands.

We’ll quickly realize that four days, four weeks, or even four months would not allow us to absorb all that the lower Amazon Basin has to offer. Nights at Cristalino Lodge.

Day 9: After a final morning birding this superb area, we’ll say a sad farewell and take a last boat trip along the Cristalino River to meet our transport to Alta Floresta for our afternoon flight to Cuiabá. From there we’ll settle down for the bus ride south to Poconé, where we’ll 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. Once we’ve reached our lodge in the northern part of the Pantanal, we’ll have dinner and mentally prepare for the exciting birding that awaits us in the next days. Night at Aymara Lodge.

Day 10: We’ll have all day to bird the dry gallery forest trails and open grounds around our lodge, and we’ll be stunned by how different the surroundings are from the rainforest we’ve just left. For one, most of the birds are out in the open, but the sounds and feel of the habitat will be utterly new as well. The dawn chorus of Chaco Chachalacas, Turquoise-fronted Parrots, Thrush-like Wrens, and Great Kiskadees around our lodge is unforgettable, but it is the stunning Hyacinth Macaw, the world’s largest parrot, that will likely be the star of the morning—a family group often hangs out right near our rooms. Other special birds here include Red-billed Scythebill, Pale-crested Woodpecker, Mato Grosso Antbird, and White-lored Spinetail. The mammals are exciting as well. We’ll take a drive after dark with hopes of bumping into Giant Anteater or South American Tapir, but there are multiple species of armadillo, Crab-eating Fox, and three species of deer. Several nightbirds are even more likely, including Mottled and Striped Owls and two species of potoo. Night at Aymara Lodge.

Day 11: We’ll have another early morning at our lodge, perhaps walking a trail where Helmeted Manakin and Undulated Tinamou can be found, and we might get lucky with Black-bellied Antwren or Buff-bellied Hermit, both of which are scarce residents. We’ll then drive a few hours south to the terminus of the Transpantaneira Highway at Porto Jofre. Along the way we’ll see some fine birds: Black-capped Donacobius, Yellow-billed and Large-billed Terns, and several species of kingfisher, heron, and ibis will keep us alert and excited. Night at Porto Jofre.

Days 12-13: We’ll rise early for a delightful sunrise on the peaceful river and greet the day with multitudes of birds and animals as we take our first boat ride up the Cuiabá. We may be lucky enough to be the first to catch sight of an early-rising Jaguar this morning as we carefully search every shaded hideout under the riverine vegetation; or we might just spot one basking on an open sandbar or swimming across the river. Cocoi, Capped, and Rufescent Tiger-Herons are hard to miss, though we’ll have to search harder for Boat-billed Herons in the dense foliage. Pied Plovers, Black Skimmers, and Large-billed Terns perch on sandbars around many river bends. There are passerines and other landbirds as well, with Lesser Kiskadees catching insects at the water’s edge, local Ashy-headed Greenlets in mixed flocks, and Striped Cuckoos singing from exposed perches; our morning’s boat ride could easily tally 75 species in a short time. With patience we’ll have excellent chances of seeing multiple Jaguars, if not on the morning boat ride then on the afternoon excursion to the same areas.

We’ll have another morning on the river, but if we’ve had our fill of Jaguars, we can spend the second afternoon birding along the southern Transpantaneira for the likes of Scarlet-headed Blackbird, Southern Screamer, Rufous Cacholote, Yellow-chinned Spinetail, Gray-breasted Crake, and many other species. As dusk falls, Nacunda Nighthawks and Band-tailed Nighthawks adorn the skies. Nights at Porto Jofre.

Day 14: We’ll depart early this morning to bird the central section of the Transpantaneira, stopping when necessary for the spectacle of herons, ibises, Jabirus, Sunbitterns, and parrot flocks along the road. We’ll stop for lunch at the Pixaim River before completing the drive to Cuiabá. Night near Cuiabá airport.

Day 15: The main tour ends this morning with flights home.

Iguaçu Falls Extension:

Day 15 (Day 1 of the Extension): In the morning, those going on the extension will fly from Cuiabá to Foz do Iguaçu, landing on the Brazil side of the falls but crossing by bus to the Argentinean side (where the spelling changes to Iguazú), from where we’ll base our birding for the next days as there is better access to habitat and more impressive views of the falls than on the Brazilian side. After lunch at our hotel we’ll bird the hotel grounds, looking for Yellow-fronted Woodpecker, Thrush-like Wren, and our first Green-headed Tanagers. In the evening we’ll visit the Jardín de los Picaflores, where Black Jacobin, Versicolored Emerald, Black-throated Mango, Gilded Hummingbird, Swallow-tailed Hummingbird and others will be buzzing around the feeders. Night in Puerto Iguazú, Argentina.

Days 16-18: On one day we’ll make an early departure for the Iguazú National Park. Before visiting the falls themselves, we’ll bird the first hours of the day in the periphery of the park, looking for Robust Woodpecker, Spot-backed and Tufted Antshrikes, Creamy-bellied Gnatcatcher, Yellow Tyrannulet, Green-headed Tanager, and the superb Chestnut-bellied Euphonia. When the temperature begins to rise, we’ll head toward the falls, where we’ll have our lunch. We’ll spend the rest of the day enjoying the falls and its refreshing spray but also the other wildlife usually seen here, such as South American Coati and Black-and-white Tegu. 

On the other days we’ll be able to return to the more remote parts of the national park, but we’ll also leave very early one morning to arrive at Urugua-í Provincial Park at dawn for a chance to look for the rare Black-fronted Piping-Guan. We’ll spend the rest of the morning on the trail system looking for Surucua Trogon, Red-breasted Toucan, Ochre-collared Piculet, Large-tailed Antshrike, Bertoni’s and Dusky-tailed Antbirds, Ochre-breasted Foliage-gleaner, Drab-breasted Pygmy-Tyrant, Swallow-tailed Manakin, Riverbank Warbler, Chestnut-headed Tanager, and so many more.

On both days we’ll either have a picnic lunch in order to bird farther afield or have a late lunch back at our hotel, followed by an afternoon walk nearby for any birds we might be missing. Nights in Puerto Iguazú, Argentina.

Day 19: After some possible early birding near the hotel, the extension ends with transfers back to the Foz do Iguaçu airport (Brazil side) for flights home. 

2025 Narrative

IN BRIEF: WINGS' fourteenth Marvelous Mato Grosso tour went splendidly despite some logistical curveballs thrown at the last minute. Extra-long drives to and from Chapada dos Guimarães may have actually padded the bird list and certainly provided some great sightings and lovely scenery. The canceled flights to Alta Floresta cost us some birding time, however, with the long drives to and from Sinop, but we still did very well at Cristalino Lodge, finding 220 species in just four days. The cruises up and down the river and the visits to the bird bath blinds were particularly memorable. From a species count perspective, the Pantanal didn't match the Amazon, with just over 200 species in four days, but we saw virtually all of them extremely well, and a huge proportion of them every day, a welcome relief after the challenge of the rain forest. Mammals staged a fantastic showing, with the rarely seen Yellow-crowned Toró (an arboreal rodent related to Capybaras and Agoutis), and even more rarely seen Jaguar, and a spectacular Ghost Bat at Cristalino. In the Pantanal we saw voracious Giant Otters, adorable baby Capybaras, two very confiding Crab-eating Foxes, three Giant Anteaters, and five Jaguars. Weather was excellent throughout, only typically tropical, with the welcome relief of a weak cold front on one day. It was still lovely to arrive in the Iguazú to much more moderate temperatures as well as a slew of additional colorful birds of the Atlantic Rainforest biome. The water level in the Iguazú River was on the high side, making for magnificent spectacle at the Garganta del Diablo main falls. Two recurring themes among the favorite birds from the tour were big and colorful. Top-scoring birds started with Hyacinth Macaw, fitting both categories while also being super confiding. Big was represented by the runners up Jabiru and Greater Rhea, though not far behind, being large and equally colorful, were Red-and-green Macaw at Chapada dos Guimarães and Scarlet Macaw at Cristalino Lodge. Bucking the trend, the fascinating White Woodpeckers in the Pantanal mango trees were a treat to see well.

IN FULL: We were off to a good start already at our hotel across the street from the Cuiabá airport with a group of Red-shouldered Macaws in the palms by the mall across the street. We squeezed in a couple random birding spots on the way to our first lodging, finding a pair of Rusty-backed Antwrens in the roadside grass, a White-eared Puffbird on a fence post, Red-legged Seriemas right next to the road, Blue-and-yellow Macaws flying by, and our only Gray Monjita on a fence wire. After lunch we took a short walk, first finding Sibilant Sirystes and Lettered Aracari right in the hotel garden. We then came across Masked Tityra, Black-fronted Nunbird, and Planalto Tyrannulet, and from the observation tower had great views of a beautiful Scaled Pigeon. Back at the lodge, a Tropical Screech-Owl was poking its head out of a cavity right at dusk, and just as we were about the start our checklist a pair of Black-banded Owls began calling. Checklist postponed, we ended up getting great views of one of the birds.

Toco Toucans greeted us at dawn in the treetop near the dining area before we rushed to beat the heat in the open cerrado scrub where special birds awaited us. We found most of the specialties in short order, such as the fabulously duetting White-rumped Tanagers, but we had to tap our patience for Curl-crested Jays, which eventually showed very well. A Rufous-browed Peppershrike peeked out of a tree without announcing its presence, and a surprise was a family of three Greater Rhea right next to the road as we were departing. Back at the lodge, we took a walk down to the pond, as the trail had recently been re-opened. We saw a few birds in the wooded area, such as a Saffron-billed Sparrow, but it was a nice surprise when we emerged from the woodland to see an Ornate Hawk-Eagle soaring, very shortly followed by a White Hawk in the exact same airspace. We finished the day with some stunning Red-and-green Macaws with the ridiculously perfect background of mist, rainbows, and sheer red sandstone cliffs at Veu du Noiva waterfalls at Chapada dos Guimarães National Park.

We started our second day in the Chapada area in the same habitat, adding Plumbeous Seedeater and Spot-backed Puffbird, and though we had already seen plenty of Red-crested Finches, the one we saw here was the first show us its ridiculous, fully erect, black-lined, scarlet crest. Before it got hot, we checked out the windy and nearly birdless geographic center of South America and then retreated to a more wooded area where the first surprise was a singing Pavonine Cuckoo. We coaxed it to fly slowly across the road a few times, but only three of us got to see it perched deep in the thickets. High in the mid-story was a Blue-crowned Trogon while the canopy was home to a very vocal pair of Thrushlike Wrens during the entire time we were there. The second surprise was a gorgeous female Pale-crested Woodpecker at point-blank range before we returned to the lodge for lunch. The drive through intensive agriculture to a more distant part of the national park yielded several Yellowish Pipits in the cotton. We had a reprise of the cerrado specialties once we were back in the native habitat, but we had even better views of Curl-crested Jays as well as a trio of very confiding Red-legged Seriemas that didn't want to leave the road, despite some passing cars.

Toco Toucans bid us farewell from Pousada do Parque as we began the long day of travel to Cristalino Lodge. We squeezed in one major birding stop when some flowering trees looked productive, and within moments we were seeing a coquette. Brief scope views (and bad photos) proved it to be a male Frilled Coquette, a nice rarity in the region. A Blue-tufted Starthroat came in briefly, and the remaining mob of birds that came through was quite entertaining. We made only short pauses on the remianing drive to the Cuiabá airport, seeing an amazing total of eleven Red-legged Seriemas along the dirt road. The drive from Sinop to Cristalino added a couple species, but most interesting was seeing Greater Rheas in a field, a huge expansion of their original distribution into the "arc of deforestation" that is encroaching on the Amazonian rainforest.

Our first morning at Cristalino was on top of the Ted Parker Tower, where Curl-crested Aracari and Opal-rumped Tanagers were among the many highlights. A Banded Antbird right underneath the tower was a great find, while the best sighting along the trail was a Snow-capped Manakin male. Our first afternoon ride on the river netted our first of several lovely Capped Herons, but we were aiming for a spot on the river where a Jaguar had been sighted in the morning. It seemed like there wasn't much of a chance some four-and-a-half hours after the fact, but our boatman Aldo knew the spot, and Jean's sharp eyes spotted it on the bank behind a veil of branches and vines. What an amazing animal to behold in a location where it is very rarely seen. The birding highlight of the day was Rafael's bird bath blind; we arrived with a Chestnut-winged Hookbill already there, but then things went quiet for passerines when a large family group of Dark-winged Trumpeters took over for some 15 minutes. After they left, a parade of different species came in, highlights among them a pair of Black-bellied Gnateaters, a White-eyed Stipplethroat, and a stunning male Rose-breasted Chat.

Our second day at Cristalino involved a morning hike to the top of the granitic Serra to a totally different habitat and fabulous view over the forest. We descended before it got too hot, but not before we had great views of a Tooth-billed Wren and several hummingbirds including Black-eared Fairy. Some who didn't do the hike were treated to a boat ride with Aldo, where they enjoyed extended views of a Gray-cowled Wood-Rail, but the rest of the day's highlights came from additional boat rides with a Razor-billed Curassow coming to the water's edge for a drink, both American Pygmy-Kingfisher and Green-and-rufous Kingfisher, a cute pair of Amazonian Streaked-Antwrens, and a Paradise Jacamar spotted when we stopped for a totally different bird that was soon forgotten. We had just been wondering why we hadn't seen a Bat Falcon when once blasted into the airspace in front of us with something in its talons. The Crested Owl we had heard the first evening showed only briefly before dinner, but a night walk around the lodge clearing after dinner didn't relocate it. A walk down the trail was also extremely quiet, save for the flapping of wings of dozens (hundreds?) of bats at the mud wallow, an amazing sight in the thermal scope. We found several species of spiders, a tailless whip-scorpion, and the large nocturnal termites being hunted by the formidable wolf ants. A quick check of the clearing once again resulted in the spotting of a large female tapir right by the trail to the boats – and three participants were awake enough to respond to the WhatsApp message to quickly throw their shoes on and enjoy the close encounter as she looked for food and enjoyed a good belly scratch on a log just a few yards away.

Our third morning found us above the canopy on the Chip Haven Tower, and bird activity was almost nonstop during our hour and a half there. A White-browed Hawk was the first bird spotted, followed soon by a Double-toothed Kite. The kite later perched right by the tower to scan the branches for lizards that may have been flushed by the troop of Brown Capuchins that had come in. Spangled Cotingas and Bare-necked Fruitcrows adorned the trees at a distance, and an Amazonian Pygmy-Owl eventually came close for good views. We then hiked a loop trail for the rest of the morning, bumping into a bird and a bug here and there – a pair of Pygmy Antwrens were amazingly low in the trailside vegetation, a Black-tailed Trogon perched for good views, an all-blue Morpho menelaus dazzled us, and a pair of Red-necked Woodpecker foraged quietly just off the trail. An afternoon boat ride was good for the very localized Zimmer's Tody-Tyrant and a Neotropical River Otter before we set off on a short trail to another rocky outcropping that didn't involve a steep hike. Before we even arrived at our destination, a mega-rare Black-faced Hawk perched close to the trail for extended views while a group of Red-billed Pied-Tanagers called simultaneously overhead. In the open area we added quite a few birds, with a soaring King Vulture and White-browed Purpletuft in the tops of the short trees being highlights. On the boat ride back to the lodge we were surprised by an Amazonian Umbrellabird that flew over the river and landed for all to see. After dinner we took a boat ride to spot riverside nightlife. Potoos and nightjars were notably absent, but we saw lots of caimans of both species and the thermal scope revealed two species of echimyids in the riverside vegetation and on the bank – rarely seen nocturnal rodents related to guinea pigs and capybaras, and with so little information available, the exact species are only an educated guess (even after consultation with mammologist Fiona Reid).

Our final full day at Cristalino started with another delightful boat ride upriver, with no hurry to walk a forest trail on the agenda. Before we got on the boat a Cryptic Forest-Falcon was calling right by the trail to the floating deck, and some saw it fly off over the trail just before everyone could assemble; it then began calling again from far away. Sunbitterns and another Neotropical River Otter graced the boat ride, while on the short trail to a pond in the forest understory (the Lagoinha), we saw Long-billed Gnatwren and Blue-cheeked Jacamar. White-lipped Peccaries and a Crimson-bellied Parakeet were the main highlights on the trail to the huge Brazil Nut Tree. Later in the day, several birds provided good memories from right around the lodge: stunning Silver-beaked Tanagers were around the rooms, while a Gray-chested Greenlet and a gang of Red-necked Aracaris foraged near the floating dock. The afternoon down the Manakin trail was predictably rather quiet bird-wise, though we did see a rare Bronzy Jacamar, and Heather's spotting of a Yellow-crowned Toró poking its head out of a tree cavity was a mammal highlight of the tour. It was later learned that one had been seen regularly in a tree hole visible from the river more than 20 years ago, though no one knew what it was at the time. After the trail we then had birds delivered on a silver platter at Sebastião's bird bath blind. That there was a swarm of Burchell's army ants along the short trail was a hint that we were in for a treat. Without them, we probably would not have seen Black-spotted Bare-eye, but to have a group of five or more come in at once was a very rare event, not to mention the Bare-eyed Antbirds that were also associated with the ants. Other highlights were Snow-capped Manakin, White-crowned Manakin, and both Dot-backed and Spot-backed Antbirds, with a total of 19 species coming in to drink or bathe. Back at the lodge, the Crested Owl was visible after dinner, thanks to some Brazilian children eager to show off their spotting skills to us foreigners.

Yet another long travel day awaited us, but not all was lost. Our sightings of two Giant Anteaters from the highway north of Poconé, thanks to our driver Claudio, were one of the tour highlights. We also got a glimpse of the birding that awaited us as we entered the northern Pantanal with Yacare Caimans and all manner of water birds along the dirt highway.

We birded near Aymara Lodge all day, first greeted by noisy Orange-winged Amazons flaring their tails and contracting their pupils in excitement. A trio of Crimson-crested Woodpeckers were right by the rooms, while a stroll down the road before breakfast gave us a surprise flush of several Roseate Spoonbills. Meanwhile, three Hyacinth Macaws had gathered near the nest hole by our rooms and lounged nonchalantly while we gawked at their hugeness and blueness. We continued birding down the entrance road as well as down the forest trail, adding one species after the next, including White-winged Becard, Red-billed Scythebill, and the occasional Jabiru either foraging in the ditches or flying overhead. The two-pronged afternoon outing started with a little detour for a day-roosting Great Potoo that Claudio knew about, followed by a drive north to the Bento Gomes marshes where Scarlet-headed Blackbird and White-tailed Goldenthroat were among the many new species for the day. We then hooked up with a safari vehicle that took us on some back roads through savannah until after dark. We added Common Potoo and Brazilian Rabbit (Tapetí) and spotted our third Giant Anteater of the tour, but the highlight was a male Scissor-tailed Nightjar that showed off his fabulously long tail in a repeated flight.

Our drive south through the entire northern Pantanal of Mato Grosso to the southern end of the state was our biggest day, netting a dizzying 152 species. The more wooded area near our lodge is where we started with Little Woodpecker, Yellow-rumped Cacique, Purple-throated Euphonia, and Pale-bellied Tyrant-Manakin in the early morning. Then stops along the Transpantaneira gave us Rufous-fronted Thornbird, a single Long-tailed Ground-Dove, and a group of Lesser Yellow-headed Vultures apparently catching stranded fish in a drying up pool. Here we decided that the species is very inappropriately named, with most colors of the rainbow appearing in the featherless head. We made the usual break at the mango orchard where a family of Great Horned Owls lives, and other highlights here included White Woodpecker and Chotoy Spinetail. It was impossible to not stop as we drove through the flooded marshes known as Campos do Jofre, where all manner of wading birds distracted us. Our first magnificent Southern Screamers, Black Skimmers, a flock of migrant Lesser Yellowlegs, and Nacunda Nighthawks were some of the more memorable ones.

Our first morning on the Rio Cuibá and its tributaries, side channels, and oxbows started with an enormously cooperative pair of Black-capped Donacobius duetting and doing their dance. We were soon responding to a radio call about a jaguar, so off we went and within minutes had joined a few other boats to watch a sleepy Donal on the bank. Before long he wandered off to hunt, but not where any of the boats could follow. We returned to Curixo Negro where we found Golden-green Woodpecker and spent time trying to see a Least Bittern which finally flew up and down just long enough for most to get a glimpse. A bit of bird mobbing had us thinking there might be a jaguar nearby, but we couldn't see anything, so we moved on and found a scarce (at this time of year) Greater Ani. Then came another radio call about a jaguar – from exactly where we had been 10 minutes earlier at the mobbing birds! She must have been deep in the water behind the floating vegetation. This time it was Medrosa, a nine-year-old known for her habit of hunting from tree trunks overhanging the water, but she also enjoyed just resting on them and getting her picture taken. Back at the lodge for lunch and a break, wandering around the compound resulted in Whistling Heron and quality time spent with the Hyacinth Macaws. We went downriver in the afternoon, checking out a tern and skimmer colony where Pied Plover was a highlight. Amazon Kingfishers delighted, including one whacking a fish and a trio of juveniles looking expectant. Boat-billed Herons flushed here and there, and the water hyacinth-choked end of Curixo Negrinho had a huge feeding frenzy of egrets and storks. On the way back, our boatman Tinho spotted a Crane Hawk, and we watched it plunging its long legs into a hollow tree trunk after prey. As if on cue, dozens of Band-tailed Nighthawks appeared in the sky above the Cuiabá River at dusk as we motored our way back to the lodge.

On our second day of jaguar spotting, we again spent time with Medrosa, this time lounging on a tree overhanging the water on the opposite side of the channel. She really seemed to enjoy the attention as she performed her daily bath. We then went in search of Giant Otters, and a short way up Cuirxo Ilha we found a group of four happily catching armored catfish and chowing down. We were drawn away from them by the call of a jaguar not far upriver, and we were pleased to find that it was Ipepo, the now two-and-a-half-year-old our WINGS tour named when we were the first group to spot him in 2023. We enjoyed a few more birds, such as Rufous Cacholote, Masked Gnatcatcher, Collared Plover, Crested Oropendola, and Roseate Spoonbill before stumbling on yet another jaguar on our own. It scrambled down a bank into the water taking us by surprise, and he proceeded to slowly swim upstream in search of caiman. There were none, so we eventually left who we later found out was Bororo when he exited the water and walked off into the brush. Before lunch we came across a group of boats that were watching our fourth jaguar of the morning, also swimming down the river. This one was Ousado, the well-known male that had been treated for third degree burns on his paws after the 2020 wildfires; he still has his satellite radio collar. After lunch we birded around the hotel compound, finding Screaming Cowbirds with Gray-headed Baywings and watched a Gilded Hummingbird come down for a sip of water in the lake. We went up the Piriqui River in the afternoon, hoping for perhaps just one more jaguar, but we instead found another Giant Otter for those who sat out the morning outing, and we enjoyed finding both Cocoi Heron and a Rufescent Tiger-Heron in their sun-worshipping poses.

We had one last morning to bird in the Campos do Jofre on our way back north, but we first made one last good-bye to the Hyacinth Macaws at our lodge. The open marshes finally yielded a very few stately Maguari Storks and flocks of White-faced Whistling-Ducks among the Black-bellied, and we worked hard to find and finally see well a Subtropical Doradito darting about the lush green marsh vegetation. We had last looks at the almost jay-like Rufous Cacholote, had our best views of a Yellow-chinned Spinetail, and added Large Elaenia to the list of birds seen by everyone. We bid farewell to the Pantanal with a group photo at the iconic Transpantaneira gate and began our travel for the extension to Iguazú.

EXTENSION: With most of the group in Puerto Iguazú, on our first full morning we awoke to heavy rain and dark skies. But it eased off much sooner than forecast, and by mid-morning we were enjoying the likes of Magpie Tanager, Blond-crested Woodpecker, and Ochre-collared Piculet on the road near our hotel. We were lucky to see a Rufous-capped Motmot in the open, though it was brief, and even luckier when a Spot-backed Antshrike sat on an exposed perch for several minutes. We visited the Jardín de Picaflores where favorites were Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, Black Jacobin, and Yellow-fronted Woodpecker and took in the sights of the Hito Tres Fronteras where Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil meet. In the afternoon, we took a short walk on a nearby road where the prize bird was a rare Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle that flew over, but we also glimpsed a pair of White-shouldered Fire-eyes as they darted across the road, had brief views of a Tufted Antshrike, and inspected a mixed flock with our first Chestnut-bellied Euphonia.

On our second day out of Iguazú we went farther afield to Parque Provincial Urugua-í where the forest trails revealed their prizes. A mixed flock of Black-goggled Tanagers and Red-crowned Ant-Tanagers was followed by a very close Large-headed Flatbill, an immature male Swallow-tailed Manakin, a pair of Gray-bellied Spinetails, and an adorable pair of Southern Bristle-Tyrants. The most memorable birds though were an impressive Lineated Woodpecker over our heads and the most cooperative Violet-crowned Plovercrest ever. On the way back to Puerto Iguazú, we paused on the roadside for a handsome Campo Flicker and made a short stop for the local specialty Araucaria Tit-Spinetail, where a Long-tailed Tyrant was also a hit. Back at our lodge we had time for a short walk down the road where we lucked into a mixed flock with stunning Green-headed Tanagers and had perfect views of a male White-shouldered Fire-eye.

On our last day, we had some morning birding on the 101 Road, where the best find was a fabulous male Chestnut-headed Tanager. A Robust Woodpecker was impressive, but getting such good looks at Southern Yellowthroat, Green-winged Saltator, Blue Dacnis, and Bertoni's Antbird was also great. We were about to leave when we finally spotted one of our targets high in the trees, a Creamy-bellied Gnatcatcher. From lunch onwards we spent the rest of the day in the national park where the views of the Iguazú Falls were the main goal. We took in some of the lower falls first while also enjoying the lovely Plush-crested Jays around every turn, finally ending our experience with a walk out to the impressive Garganta del Diablo (Devil's Maw) cataract.

Those with later flights had the opportunity for a bit of morning birding on the very last day, adding Plain-winged Woodcreeper, Buff-necked Ibis, and Southern Antpipit to the master list.

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