Our birding tour to SE Brazil and the Pantanal features some of the best and most visited birding locales in Brazil south of the Amazon basin. We'll spend our first week birding the endemic-rich SE Atlantic Forests found in the low-lying escarpments between Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro as well as some lower elevation sites near Ubatuba and Pereque. We'll spend our second week birding the Pantanal and the cerrado habitat of Chapada dos Guimaraes in the interior of south-central Brazil. These 2 very diverse locations offer us a grand opportunity to maximize our species count during this fabulous 2-week tour.
UBATUBA - COASTAL SE ATLANTIC FOREST RESERVES
Our first destination after leaving Sao Paulo's Guarulhos Airport will be some protected forest reserves south of the resort area of Ubatuba on the beautiful Atlantic coastline of SE Brazil. Here we'll enjoy our stay at a classic hotel within walking distance of the beach while birding lowland forest reserves a half-hour's drive away. We'll spend our first afternoon and next morning birding a track through the forest and visiting a private residence where the owner welcomes selected guests to view the numerous hummingbirds coming to his feeders. We'll spend our second afternoon birding the forests located on a private farm where the owners have decided to preserve the forest and make a living in part by charging birders an entrance fee to bird the property.
Some of the many exciting specialty and endemic birds we can expect to see along the forest trails include endemics such as White-necked Hawk, Plain Parakeet, Brown-backed Parrotlet, Orange-eyed Thornbird, Pale-browed Treehunter, Spot-breasted and Rufous-backed Antvireos, Star-throated, Salvadori's, and Unicolored Antwrens, Ferruginous, Bertoni's, Scaled, and Squamate Antbirds, Such's Antthrush, Black-cheeked Gnateater, Slaty Bristlefront, Pin-tailed Manakin, Gray-capped Tyrannulet, Brown-breasted Bamboo-Tyrant, Yellow-lored Tody-Flycatcher, Gray-hooded Attila, Lemon-chested Greenlet, Rufous-headed Tanager, Olive-green Tanager, Brazilian Tanager, Azure-shouldered Tanager, Gilt-edged Tanager, and Black-legged Dacnis. We'll very likely hear the vociferous Bare-throated Bellbird and try to spot this difficult to see bird. At the hummingbird feeders we're likely to see 10-12 species including Saw-billed Hermit, Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, Black Jacobin, Black-throated Mango, Festive Coquette, Violet-capped Woodnymph, White-chinned Sapphire, Versicolored Emerald, Glittering-throated Emerald, and Brazilian Ruby. Watching the hummingbirds will be a relaxing respite and give us an opportunity to visit with Jonas, the hospitable owner of the residence.
Early next morning we'll head up the coast to Pereque, an uninteresting town that is home to a very special bird. In an obscure location along a country road outside town, a critically endangere-d species once thought to be extinct lives in thickets near a small creek. This special bird and our target for the morning is the recently rediscovered Black-hooded Antwren. The species is fairly readily seen if everyone is quiet and is a little patient. While there, we'll also do some birding along the road, where we may see the endemic Gray-hooded Attila, Brazilian Tanager, and Red-necked Tanager and perhaps the elusive and prized White-shouldered Fire-eye.
It's a fairly long drive from Pereque to Itatiaia National Park as the roads wind out of our way up the escarpment and through the hills to the north. We'll be spending much of the afternoon driving to the park, eating lunch at a restaurant en route. If we arrive early enough, we'll have a little time to bird around our hotel before dark.
ITATIAIA NATIONAL PARK - SE ATLANTIC RAINFOREST
We'll spend 4 nights at the wonderfully upscale Hotel do Ype in the birding paradise of Itatiaia National Park. The hotel is located at the end of a long winding road in the lower part of the park and is surrounded by forest. We feel it is the best of several hotels located in the vicinity. The food is excellent, and the private cabanas offer superbly comfortable accommodations.
Itatiaia National Park is located on an escarpment rising several thousand feet above the Atlantic Ocean. It is often draped in clouds and subjected to steady rainfall, especially during the rainy season from October to February. The austral winter months of August and September offer drier and sunnier weather, greatly reducing the likelihood of being rained out during our visit.
The park protects a large remnant of SE Atlantic Forest and is home to numerous Brazilian endemics and specialty birds. We'll spend 2 full days birding the lower portion of the park and 1 day birding the upper portion where a different set of endemics are to be found. Species we may see in the lower part of the park include Dusky-legged Guan, Slaty-breasted Wood-Rail, Plain Parakeet, Crescent-chested Puffbird, Saffron Toucanet, Yellow-eared and Yellow-browed Woodpeckers, Pallid Spinetail, Olive Spinetail, White-browed Foliage-gleaner, Pale-browed Foliage-gleaner, Tufted Antshrike, White-bearded Antshrike, Star-throated Antwren, Rio de Janeiro Antwren, Ferruginous Antbird, Bertoni's Antbird, Ochre-rumped Antbird, Rufous Gnateater, Black-cheeked Gnateater, Slaty Bristlefront, 
Blue Manakin, Pin-tailed Manakin, Sao Paulo Tyrannulet, Brown-breasted Bamboo-Tyrant, Gray-hooded Attila, Long-billed Wren, Lemon-chested Greenlet, Chestnut-headed Tanager, Olive-green Tanager, Azure-shouldered Tanager, Green-headed Tanager, Brassy-breasted Tanager, Gilt-edged Tanager, and Black-legged Dacnis, . We'll also make an effort to find the rare and much sought-after Fork-tailed Pygmy-Tyrant.
We'll spend one full day driving around to the other side of the park where we can gain access to a higher elevation birding site. This is home to a variety of sought-after species and other specialties, including Itatiaia Thistletail, Rufous-backed Antvireo, Rufous-tailed Antbird, Speckle-breasted Antpitta, Brazilian Antthrush, Black-and-gold Cotinga, Black-capped Manakin, Serra do Mar Tyrannulet, Mottle-cheeked Tyrannulet, Diademed Tanager, Bay-chested Warbling-Finch, Red-rumped Warbling-Finch, and Thick-billed Saltator.
PANTANAL - WORLD'S LARGEST WETLAND
The Pantanal is an extraordinary mix of seasonally-flooded lowldry forest patches, ands, permanent water, pastureland, and inhospitable scrub unsuited for farming. It is heavily visited by Brazilian fishermen in July when many people are on vacation in Brazil. The Pantanal is a superb birding destination with numerous sought-after birds to be found and photographed. It is also home to a healthy Jaguar population. Although Jaguars are more readily seen there than most anywhere else, it is still not easy to see them unless relying on the help of a team that is tracking radio-collared individuals along the Cuiaba River at the end of the Transpantaneira Road.
Our visit in early September is timed to avoid the crowds, observe a variety of species during nesting season, and minimize our chances of encountering bad weather. By September, much of the seasonally-flooded lands have dried up, causing birds, caimans, and other animals to concentrate around permanent water.
While driving south along the Transpantaneira Highway we should see a variety of wetland birds such as Jabiru, Whistling Heron, Capped Heron, Cocoi Heron, Plumbeous Ibis, Buff-necked Ibis, Muscovy Duck, Brazilian Teal, and Wattled Jacana. Other birds we could see along various stretches of the road and areas we visit include Greater Rhea, Southern Screamer, Black-collared Hawk, Chaco Chachalaca, Spix's Guan, Blue-throated Piping-Guan, Bare-faced Curassow, Picazuro Pigeon, Picui Ground-Dove, five species of kingfishers, Rufous Hornero, Black-backed Marsh-Tyrant, White-headed Water-Tyrant, Black-capped Donacobius, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Scarlet-headed Blackbird, and Chopi Blackbird. We're almost certain to see the prized and extraordinarily beautiful, yet endangered, Hyacinth Macaw as well as the very localized Golden-collared Macaw.
We'll bird some trails through dry woodland, where we'll be looking for a variety of species in this habitat. Possibilities include Small-billed Tinamou, Tataupa Tinamou, a strange tinamou that walks through the forest rearing up and cocking its head periodically to call, White-wedged Piculet, Plain-crowned Spinetail, White-lored Spinetail, Rufous Cacholote, Rusty-backed Spinetail, Long-billed Woodcreeper, Straight-billed Woodcreeper, Narrow-billed Woodcreeper, Planalto Slaty-Antshrike, Amazonian Antshrike, Mato Grosso Antshrike, Plain Antvireo, Helmeted Manakin, White-throated Spadebill, Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant, Pearly-vented Tody-Tyrant, Thrush-like Wren, Flavescent Flycatcher, Chestnut-vented Conebill, and Hooded Tanager.
Additional species we have seen in the Pantanal on previous visits include the extremely difficult to see Rufous-sided Crake, White-eyed Parakeet, Peach-fronted Parakeet, White-eared Parakeet, Monk Parakeet, Yellow-chevroned Parakeet, Little Cuckoo, Guira Cuckoo, Great Potoo, Band-tailed Nighthawk, Black-fronted Nunbird, Toco Toucan, Golden-Green and Golden-olive Woodpeckers, Campo Flicker, Pale-crested Woodpecker, Red-crested Finch, Rusty-collared Seedeater, White-bellied Seedeater, Red-crested Cardinal, Red-capped Cardinal, Yellow-billed Cardinal, Unicolored Blackbird, Bay-winged Cowbird, Giant Cowbird, Epaulet Oriole, and Solitary Cacique.
CHAPADO DOS GUIMARAES
We'll visit the dry canyon lands of Chapado dos Guimaraes, where we'll view wonderful scenery and look for specialty birds of this more arid land. We'll bird the boardwalk trail behind the lodge in late afternoon following our arrival the first day and then get an early start next morning to bird the trails within the national park itself.
Chapada specialties we'll be looking for include Small-billed Tinamou, Red-legged Seriema, Biscutate Swift, Horned Sungem, White-eared Puffbird, Channel-billed Toucan, Collared Crescent-chest, White-banded Tanager, White-rumped Tanager, Guira Tanager, Yellow-billed Blue Finch, and Saffron-billed Sparrow. Other birds we hope to see in the area include Red-and-green Macaw, the endangered Blue-winged Macaw, Lettered Aracari, Band-tailed Manakin, Cliff Flycatcher, Crested Black-Tyrant, Rufous-tailed Attila, and Curl-crested Jay.
