August 2000
by Chris Goodie
My non-birding girlfriend and I spent just over two weeks in Brazil in August 2000. I was working in Sao Paulo, so we rendezvoused there, then headed S.W. to Bonito, the Pantanal and Chapada dos Guimaraes, rounding off with 4 days in Rio, mostly sightseeing, on the way back to the UK.
Itinerary
Weds 16 Aug- Left London Heathrow 22:00 Hrs on British Airways direct to Sao Paulo, arriving at 05:30 Hrs (S.P. is 4 hrs behind the UK)
Thursday 17 Aug-19 Aug- work, Sao Paulo
Sunday 20 Aug- work, then Parque Ibirapuera, Sao Paulo
Monday 21 Aug- a.m. Varig flight from Sao Paulo to Campo Grande, then taxi from C.G. airport to Bonito (3hrs 15mins) Night at Zagaia Hotel
Tuesday 22 Aug- Bonito, Aquario Natural
Wednesday 23 Aug- Bonito, Rio de Prata
Thursday 24 Aug- Bonito, Rio Sucuri
Friday 25 Aug- Bonito, Grutas Sao Miguel
Saturday 26 Aug- 4am Taxi Bonito-Campo Grande (3Hrs 30 Mins) 1 hr Tam flight North to Cuiaba, rented a car and drove thru Pocone, and down the Transpantaneira Highway to Pixaim. Night at Pousada Pixaim
Sunday 27 Aug- Birded scrub around Pixaim, then drove S. down Transpantaneira 40kms to broken bridge, returned to Pixaim. Night at Pousada Pixaim
Monday 28 Aug- Birded Gallery Forest behind P. Pixaim. Drove N. up Transpantaneira thru Cuiaba to Chapada dos Guimaraes, stopping at Veu de Novia (Bridalveil Falls.) Night at The Turismo Hotel in CdosG.
Tuesday 29 Aug- Birded Portao da Fe early morning, then 1st section of Agua Fria rd, Rio Coixpo, Morro de Sao Jeronimo rd. Drove back to Cuiaba for late pm flight via Campo Grande and Sao Paulo to Rio arriving midnight.
Wednesday 30 Aug- Rio, Corcovado etc
Thursday 31 Aug- Rio, Pao de Acucar etc
Friday 1 Sept- Rio, N.P. de Tijuca
Saturday 2 Sept- Rio, general sightseeing, early a.m. seawatch from Copacabana hotel room.
Sunday 3 Sept- left Rio via S.P. 1pm, delayed 1 hr,
then
12.5 Hrs BA flight to LHR arriving 6-30am Mon 4th
Avian Highlights
Bonito: Blue-throated Piping-Guan, Bare-faced Curassow, Red-legged Seriema, Red-and-Green Macaw, and Blue-crowned Trogon
The Pantanal: Hyacinth Macaws (12 in total) Red-winged- and Undulated- Tinamous, a total of 7 Sunbitterns and 1 Sungrebe, 5 spp. of Kingfisher incl. amazing views of male American Pygmy-, c20 Heron/Ibis/Egret, and Brazilian Duck, Band-tailed and Matto Grosso Antbird, Rusty-backed Antwren, and Barred and Great Ant-Shrikes
Chapada dos Guimaraes: Coal-crested- and Blue- Finches, Fiery-capped Manakin, (cracking walk-away views of a male, call also recorded,) and Campo Suiriri
Rio: c20 Black-browed Albatrosses, 15 Magellanic Penguins, Pin-tailed- and Blue- Manakin, Saw-billed Hermit.
Animal-wise we saw most of the expected species, but
missed
both Giant Anteater and Anaconda in the Pantanal.
Details of daily birding .
Sunday 20 Aug
Spent a few hours late afternoon wandering around Ibirapuera Park- rammed with Paulistas exercising and relaxing, but still a few birds to be seen: a pair of Orange-headed Tanagers, a Squirrel Cuckoo, flocks of Plain Parakeets, a male Glittering-throated Emerald, 2 Swallow-tailed Hummingbirds and a Ringed Kingfisher.
Monday 21 Aug
Arrived at Campo Grande airport and negotiated a taxi fare to Bonito. Soon on our way, we passed through dry Cerrado, picking up our first flocks of Greater Rhea close to the road, 5 White-browed Blackbirds, a Buff-necked Ibis, a couple of Fork-tailed Flycatchers and, 10 miles E. of Bonito, a pair of stately Red-legged Seriemas crossing the road.
Having checked in at the swanky Zagaia Hotel, (main claim to fame- Harrison Ford stayed there in the late 1990’s….) we checked out the grounds, scoring our first Brazilian Teal, strolling past the resident pair of Burrowing Owls (which became a daily ritual) 1 Whistling Heron, and Peach-fronted- and Yellow-chevroned Parakeets. A constant series of 4 descending melancholic whistles, “pheoo…pheuh-pheuh-pheew” repeated every 45 secs or so from the nearby fields puzzled me, and took a couple of days to resolve (see below…)
Tuesday 22 Aug
Up at dawn to check out the woods in the Zagaia grounds: A Green Ibis on the Pond en route was a nice start, followed by 3 Yellow-rumped Marshbirds. The woodland edges held Red-rumped Cacique, Pale-breasted Thrushes, Turquoise-fronted Parrots, Crested Oropendola, White-bellied Warblers and Silver-beaked Tanagers, whilst a single taller tree held a Black-crowned Tityra and a Rusty-margined Flycatcher.
After a swift breakfast, we met up with our driver, Augusto, (booked
through the hotel the night before) and headed out to the nearby
Aquario
Natural, one of a number of forest rivers in Bonito where limestone
formations
filter spring water, creating incredibly clear rivers rich in large
fish.
The basic idea is to drift down-river observing fish (and, if you’re
lucky
enough, Anaconda and Caiman,) but of course, if you drift downstream on
your back, it’s quite possible to enjoy some leisurely birding along
the
way. The best areas of gallery forest are around these eco-tourist
attractions,
so the range of species can be quite good. At Aquario we saw our first
Toco Toucans, Lesser Kiskadees, Yellow-billed Cardinal,
(Orange-backed-)
Troupial, 3 Streamer-tailed Tyrants, the only Tiny Hawk of the trip,
and
heard a very close Undulated Tinamou which called back to tape but
failed
to appear. The walk back through the forest from the river produced a
pair
of Bare-faced Curassow, a male Blue-crowned Trogon and lots of
White-tipped
Doves.
Relaxing by the bar after our swim downstream we watched throngs of
Ruddy- and Picui- Ground Doves and Giant Cowbirds come to the feeding
stations,
but the highlight of the day was a Red-and-Green Macaw which waited
until
I was in the pool before choosing to fly over.
Having returned to the Zagaia, an evening walk around the small wood produced a Blue-crowned Motmot, an imm. Black-crowned Night Heron, and 2 distant Nacunda Nighthawks over the hills on the opposite side of the main dirt road.
Wednesday 23 Aug
A 6am start on what was to become the regular Zagaia woodland circuit produced a male and female Large-billed Antwren, a White-throated Spadebill, a Pale-vented Pigeon, 2 fly-by Red-and-Green Macaw, a Scaly-crowned- and 2 Turquoise-fronted Parrots plus the usual suspects. We then headed out with Augusto, (fast becoming a regular member of our expeditionary team,) to the Rio de Prata, c90kms SE of Bonito. This is one of the more distant attractions from Bonito, but the rivers are larger and faster flowing and the forest more extensive than at many of the sites.
The more mature forest along the river banks held 2 Rufous-tailed Jacamars, an Anhinga, 1 Green Kingfisher, 1 Great Rufous Woodcreeper, a pair of Bare-faced Curassow, 3 Black-hooded Parakeet, 2 Purplish Jay and the highlight of the day, (seen whilst recovering from our aquatic exertions on a riverine platform,) a Blue-throated Piping-Guan clambering around in the branches above our heads. The gardens and Cerrado around the RdP lodge held Rheas, Red-legged Seriemas, R+G Macaw, Snail Kite, 15+ Burrowing Owls, 1 White-backed Stilt and 3 White-rumped Monjitas. Whilst digesting lunch, I wandered through the garden just behind the lodge and heard the same “pheoo…pheuh-pheuh-pheew” that had been driving me mental at The Zagaia, and finally managed to track down the source, a cracking Red-winged Tinamou, for once out in the open, walking slowly through short grass, and stopping to call every 30 seconds or so. Driving back we had a 2nd Blue-throated Piping-Guan fly over the road, at Correge Mutum, a small river valley West of Bonito. We celebrated the Guan over dinner in the Zagaia which was pretty hilarious, as we were one of only 4 occupied tables (the dining room is designed to hold c500…) and our hosts had laid on strolling minstrels to serenade the diners. By timing runs to the buffet it was possible to keep the number of songs at our table to an acceptable level…
Thursday 24 Aug
The woodland circuit at dawn had little activity, only the usual Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, Grey-headed- and Sayaca- Tanagers and Plush-crested Jays, but at least it served to drive the tunes from last night out of my head.
After the usual buffet breakfast affair, we headed out to Rio Sucuri, 20kms S. of Bonito, for more river-drifting. The set-up at Rio Sucuri is smaller and even more laid-back than the previous locales we had tried, and the float downstream was even more relaxing as a result. The river-banks were also a little more densely vegetated, and as a result we saw Rufescent Tiger-Heron, Chaco Chachalaca, Limpkin, Amazon- and Ringed- Kingfishers, Black-capped Donacobius, Gray-necked Wood-rail and Blue-crowned Trogon. Birding at river level gives a really unique perspective on the habits of eg Wattled Jacana families etc, and you can drift in very close without alarming the birds. The drier areas around the Sucuri Lodge held Pearly-vented Tody-Tyrant, White-rumped Monjita and Thrush-like Wren, as well as two (presumably feral?) Blue-and-Gold Macaws. Having returned to the hote, I strolled up the dirt road West of the Zagaia, a walk that produced little except a dull, heavily-streaked female Tyrant with pale lores, which I sketched, and identified via Tudor and Ridgely once back in the UK as a Cinereous Tyrant.
Friday 25 Aug
A 6am romp round the usual Zagaia woodland circuit produced a mini bird-wave, consisting of a male Great Antshrike, 3 Chestnut-eared Araçari, a female Lineated Woodpecker, a Blue-crowned Trogon, a Rufous-browed Peppershrike, a White-throated Spadebill, 3 Toco Toucans and a Planalto Woodcreeper- a nice start to the day.
After breakfast we met up with Augusto again, and drove out to the Grutas Sao Miguel, c12kms SW of Bonito. The caves are impressive, and avian bonuses included a Barn Owl, (in the main cave itself) a Blue Dacnis, 2 Red-legged Seriemas and a Tropical Parula. Returning to the Zagaia, we had time to relax by the pool and a final wander around the grounds produced the usual suspects, plus 2 Pale-vented Pigeons and a flight view of the Red-winged Tinamou.
Saturday 26 Aug
Our early flight from Campo Grande meant we had to leave Bonito at 4am, but highlights during the daylight portion of the journey included a White-tailed Kite and more Seriemas, Rheas and Toucans. The brief flight to Cuiaba left on time, and on arrival we managed to find a hire car at the 4th time of asking, just outside the airport. We wasted no time in heading out of Varzea Grande toward Pocone and onward to the Transpantaneira, arriving in the heat of Pocone by noon. (NB If you’re a Cachaça/Caipirinha drinker, a litre of reasonable-brand sugar cane alcohol in a grocery store here is 2 reais!)
As soon as you hit the Pantanal proper the sheer number of waterbirds is overwhelming, jostling throngs of Egrets, Jabirus, Ibises, Herons, and Tiger-Herons at every waterhole make for a truly spectacular introduction to the area’s avifauna. We drove slowly down the Transpantaneira, stopping every few hundred metres to check out pools teeming with caiman, an interesting raptor, or another roadside passerine. Picking a highlight from our 1st day in the Pantanal is pretty easy; just N. of Pixaim we spotted two distant Hyacinth Macaws flying towards us which conveniently landed in a tree 100m from the road. Having managed to avoid skidding the car into a ditch, we parked up and crept over, set up the scope, and watched the pair preening. We had enough time to take a couple of photographs before the birds called, and finally flew over our heads and off over the Cerrado- stunning stuff!
We arrived at Pixaim, approx. 60kms S. of Pocone late afternoon and checked into the near-deserted Pousada Pixaim. Whilst the limited number of hotels mean that it’s necessary to book ahead during high season, we found that in August there was no problem in just turning up and finding a room on spec. The P. Pixaim is great- more rustic and characterful, as well as a little cheaper, than the Best Western (!) Hotel Beira Rio on the other side of the river. All meals are included in the hotel rate, and boat hire is available. We took advantage of the latter and took a boat up-river an hour before dusk, seeing most of the commoner waterbirds, plus Band-tailed Nighthawks and a family of Large River Otters. We enjoyed a simple but tasty buffet in the wooden/on-stilts canteen at the Pousada, and then headed over the river to sample the high life on offer at the Beira Rio, (Caipirinhas and rocking chairs.)
Sunday 27 Aug
I was up and out in the scrub opposite the P. Pixaim at dawn, and the birding was very productive during the 1st couple of hours- Rusty-backed Antwren, Buff-throated Hermit, Red-billed Scythebill, 2 Great- and 7 Barred- Antshrikes, a pair of fly-by Hyacinth Macaws, a Rusty-fronted Tody-Flycatcher, a Golden-Green Woodpecker, a male White-headed Marsh-Tyrant, 2 White-lored- and 1 Rusty-backed- Spinetails, a pair of Boat-billed Flycatchers, and finally, the real prize, a skulking male Matto Grosso Antbird.
After breakfast we drove further down the Transpantaneira, finding 4
Sunbittern, a single Hooded Tanager, 3 Scarlet-headed Blackbird, a
Gray-headed
Kite and 6 Southern Screamers. We bumped into a party of Coatamundi
crossing
the road, and came across numerous Capybara, and a lone stag Mazama
Deer.
Unfortunately, our aim of driving all the way down to Porto Joffre
was thwarted by a bridge in a serious state of disrepair 40kms S. of
Pixaim.
Although we could perhaps have made it across the bridge unscathed, we
decided, after careful examination of the large holes in the structure,
against taking the risk, since any incident would have been tricky to
get
out of. So we drove slowly back to the Pousada Pixaim birding on the
way,
and checked in for a 2nd night.
Our second boat-trip, this time downstream (East) was as restful as yesterday’s trip in the opposite direction, and yielded better birds. First we found 2 Chestnut-bellied Guan high in a bare riverside tree, then the sound of the boat’s motor flushed a Sungrebe, and we had reasonable views as the bird fled down-river and took refuge in an area of dense cover. We failed to find the bird in the vegetation, but found another Sunbittern instead. A female Band-tailed Antbird showed well just above the riverbank, and finally on the way back, a male Pygmy Kingfisher flew across the river and perched on an overhanging bough whilst we drank in its details, alarm-calling at us all the while- a bogey laid to rest as I had dipped the species in Costa Rica 3 years before. After dinner we stumbled again across the river in the pitch dark to enjoy a few Caipirinhas on the veranda of the Hotel Beira Rio, watching a group of Italian package tourists catching Piranhas and feeding them to the waiting Caiman.
Monday 28 Aug
Another dawn start in the scrub behind the P. Pixaim produced very little, just a pair of Barred Antshrikes, a Nighthawk sp., 4 Rufous Casiornis and a Fuscous Flycatcher. On returning to the hotel I discovered a few other members of the local fauna, but sadly they were of the tick variety. Having removed 20+ of the little darlings from my trousers (tucked into my socks thank God) I took a shower and headed to another tasty breakfast. We said our goodbyes to our enthusiastic host, admiring once more his seafarer’s beret, (the cutting edge of fashion in the Pantanal it seems,) and drove at a leisurely pace back to Pocone. A group of 7 Hyacinth Macaws c5kms N. of Pixaim brought us to a halt, and other avian delights en route included 2 Black-fronted Nunbirds, 2 Greater Ani, a solitary Solitary Sandpiper, a final Sunbittern, a Yellow-rumped Cacique, 4 Large-billed Terns and a pair of Muscovy Duck, the only ones we saw all trip.
Having left the Pantanal behind us, we took advantage of the extra time granted to us courtesy of the impassable bridge further South, and decided to spend our final night in the West at Chapada dos Guimaraes, 1 hour NE of Cuiaba. We drove along the switchback road towards CdosG, passing weird, wind-sculpted sandstone outcrops on the way. We stopped at the Bridalveil falls, (Veu de Novia) 0.5kms S. off the main rd en route to CdosG to admire the impressive waterfalls, and tick off flocks of Biscutate- and Great Dusky- Swifts, a pair of diminutive Blue-winged Macaw, (well, diminutive compared to Hyacinth-…) and 100+ White-eyed Parakeet.
We drove on to CdosG, and checked in at The Hotel (on Rua Fernando Correo Costa, c200m from the main square, fax: 791-1383, $35 for a double) The weather closed in late in the day bringing dusk prematurely, so I headed out to recce Portao da Fé for the morning, a wise precaution as it turned out, as the site was difficult to find. I finally managed to track down the religious community compound, and startled 3 of the residents by enquiring in my faltering Spanish, if it would be OK to return early the next day to watch birds. They eyed me a little warily, but having realised I was only a birder, not a maniac, they consented with a smile.
Tuesday 29 Aug
Awake by 5am, and agog with anticipation having re-checked Forrester’s summary of the site’s possibilities, I was disturbed to find the weather refusing to co-operate- it was pouring with rain. By the time I arrived at the site at first light the rain had eased a little, but conditions were still far from ideal for birding. Luckily the weather continued to improve, and by 6-45a.m. the rain had slowed to a light drizzle. Having seen nothing, and taped in a Tinamou sp. but failed to persuade it to appear, I was starting to get a little frustrated when the Tinamou finally appeared, proving to be a Small-billed Tinamou. The bird realised it had emerged from the forest close to where I was standing, and scurried off up the road like a demented chicken. A Plumbeous Kite was drying off atop the canopy, and a plain-looking Antshrike sp. kept largely out of view in heavy cover, eluding identification.
A sharp call made me look up, just in time to see a smart Yellow-tufted Woodpecker fly in to the dead tree above me. 2 Hummers perched up, proving to be Violet-capped Woodnymphs, and 3 Chestnut-eared Araçaris fooled around a little way down the road. By 7-15am the sun was breaking through and bird activity increased. A wave of passerines included Purplish Jays, a Fawn-breasted Wren, a female Blue Dacnis, female Crested Becard, White-wedged Piculet, and a few common species, but whilst checking through the flock I suddenly scanned past a close passerine, perched motionless on a bare branch only c20 feet away. I focussed my bins and immediately realised I was looking at a male Fiery-capped Manakin! I became aware that the bird was calling, a soft “zjhing” repeated every 2 secs. or so. I set up the scope and enjoyed stunning 60x views of the bird, which sat calling for a full ten minutes, enabling me to get a reasonable recording.
I returned to base, and after a suitably Germanic breakfast (best selection of cold meat/cheese in Brazil…) we drove back towards Cuiaba, stopping to check the 1st 2kms of the red dirt road to Agua Fria (White-eared Puffbird, White-banded Tanager, a pair of White-bellied Seed-eater, and a cracking male Coal-crested Finch.) We then tried the trails just East of the Veu de Novia, which yielded a pair of Swallow-Wing, a male Helmeted Manakin (at last,) Burnished-buff Tanager, the recently split (?) Campo Suiriri, Crested Black-Tyrant, Grassland Sparrow, Bat Falcon and finally, a stunning male Blue Finch to round off a great morning. If only we’d had an extra day here we could have cleaned up!
We cruised back to Cuiaba/Varzea Grande, cleaned up and changed clothes in the airport car-park, (much to the amusement of the car park attendants,) checked in for the flight, and dumped the hire car back at Hertz. Our flight to Rio routed via both Campo Grande and Sao Paulo, so we didn’t arrive at the Hotel Luxor Copacabana in Rio ($50 for a double) until just before midnight, only to discover that, tragically, the hotel bar had already closed. Ah Rio, the city that never sleeps…
Wednesday 30 Aug
Sightseeing started in earnest. However, having never birded in Rio before there were, (much to my partner’s dismay…) still new species to be enjoyed. A trip to the Corcovado to admire the world-famous Statue of Christ turned up a pair of Velvety Black-Tyrants, 10+ White-collared Swift, a Sepia-capped Flycatcher and a Fork-tailed Woodnymph. Even the Copacabana beach held the odd surprise- Magnificent Frigatebirds and Kelp Gulls were expected, but the Magellanic Penguins just offshore were more of a surprise.
A regular birding itinerary probably wouldn’t include Rio, since almost all the species at sites around Rio (e.g. Tijuca N.P.) can also be found, along with plenty of other species, at Itatiaia N.P. which is only c170kms from Rio. However for once I agreed to relax like normal people do, (actually quite enjoyable, but I wouldn’t make a habit of it,) and we stayed put in and around Rio, (and still managed a fair few extra species.)
Thursday 31 Aug
We visited the Jardim Botanico, an immaculately manicured ornamental garden complex in the centre of Rio. The amount of bird-life is impressive given that the Jardim is right in the middle of an urban jungle, and highlights included 5 Slaty-breasted Wood-Rails, a Long-billed Wren, a few Red-crowned Ant-Tanagers, a Flame-crested Tanager, a White-barred Piculet and 2 Reddish-bellied Parakeets. Gaudy Green-headed Tanagers featured in most mixed flocks, whilst the area of accessible forest near the greenhouses at the back of the gardens held Blue Manakin, Plain Ant-Vireo and a Streaked Xenops. In the afternoon we ascended the Pao de Açucar, (Sugar Loaf) by the famous cable-car (“God’s gift to the picture postcard industry.”) Views from the top were spectacular, the birding incidental, until, that is, a gorgeous Brazilian Tanager flew past us at the middle cable-car station, the only one we saw all trip.
In the evening we dined at the Churrascaria Marius, a fabulous eat-as-much-as-you-dare restaurant at the N. end of the Copacabana sea-front. If you enjoy food (and are carnivorous) it’s highly recommended, better even than most of the churrascarias I’ve eaten at in Sao Paulo, (but don’t tell the Paulistas I said so.) The staff are friendly and even speak English, although if they should offer you a glass of local champagne I recommend you politely decline…Brazil’s viniculture, whilst improving, still has a way to go.
Friday 1 Sept
After a leisurely breakfast we took a taxi up to the gate of the National Park de Tijuca. The driver knew where we meant, once we told him it was off the Alta da Boa Vista. The road winds from the gate up to the Bom Retiro and is easy going, and following this route takes you through some great forest. We saw both Blue-(“Swallow-tailed-“) and Pin-tailed- Manakins (although all were in female-/young male- type plumage,) a single Chivi Vireo, Green-headed-, Flame-crested- and 1 Golden-chevroned Tanager, 2 White-necked Thrush and 3 spp. of Woodcreeper. Over an alfresco lunch at the small restaurant c300m down from the Bom Retiro car park we watched the Hummingbird feeder and enjoyed great views of Black Jacobin, Violet-capped Woodnymph and a Saw-billed Hermit, the latter a nice surprise. A Channel-billed Toucan also made a brief appearance, much to the excitement of 3 New Zealand entomologists who had been identifying a large bug which had landed on our table (“nothing to worry about, probably just a Soldier Fly trying to lay eggs under your skin”…I never did find out if they were winding us up or not.)
We headed back to the gate and came across 3 Lesser Woodcreepers picking ants out of a long line, a pair of Plain Antvireos, and 2 more female Blue Manakins before flagging down a taxi to take us back into town. The weather closed in late afternoon, with thick, low cloud and rain, reminding us that the English Summer would already be over by the time we got home. Two small groups of Black Skimmers swooped by along the beach as we took a pre-prandial walk shortly before dusk, a nice end to the day. We stopped in at the Sindicato do Chopp, a bar on Rua Farme de Amoedo, just inland from the N. end of Ipanema beach, and ordered a couple of snacks to accompany our Caipirinhas. When they arrived they were bigger than our heads, and we stuffed ourselves before staggering back to the Hotel. We still hadn’t recovered enough by late evening to eat again, managing only a few Caipirinhas in the Bar Lagoa, (Avenida Epitacio1674,) a great local hang-out for the smart-but-casual set of Rio.
Saturday 2 Sept
The weather stayed poor, with rain and low cloud again for most of the day- lucky we’d done the Statue of Christ and Sugar Loaf in the 1st two days. As things didn’t look promising early on I decided a seawatch from our seafront hotel room was in order and set up the scope accordingly. Keeping warm indoors, sitting on a comfortable bed, with room service only a phone call away, this is definitely the way to seawatch. The young Magellanic Penguins were out as usual, as were 50+ Brown Boobies, lots of Cayenne-, Royal- and 2 Common- Terns, mostly very distant. 3 Arctic Skuas were harrying the Terns in the bay, but a distant fishing boat returning with its catch produced the most excitement- at least 20 Black-browed Albatross following in its wake were identifiable at 60x through my Kowa scope- who knows what else was out of range? On our last night we ate at a pricey restaurant just around the corner from the S. end of the Copacabana, sampling Bahian cuisine- distinctive and delicious, with an African influence. We strolled back up the Copacabana through the drizzle, bought tat in a beach market, and shivered over a final Caipirinha, savouring the highlights of the past two weeks.
Sunday 3 Sep
Our flight left late morning, returning us to a cold and damp Gatwick airport at 5-30am the following day- back to reality with a bump.
Reading:
The only field guide I took was the basic but eminently portable “Todas as Aves do Brazil, Guia de Campo Para Identificaçao”: Deodata Souza, which is compact and has most Brazilian species depicted, with English and Latin species names, but only Portuguese text. The illustrations are pretty bad, but it’s a useful starting point. I then took lots of notes in the field and spent a few happy hours once returned to the UK checking species’ details against the following indispensable (but way-too-bulky-to-carry-with-you) tomes:
The Birds of South America Volume 1- The Oscine passerines.
Tudor
and Ridgely
The Birds of South America Volume II- The Suboscine passerines.
Tudor and Ridgely
(With hindsight I wish I’d at least photocopied the more difficult
families from Tudor and Ridgely to carry in the field.)
Birds in Brazil: Sick
A Guide to the Birds of Colombia: Hilty and Brown
Collins’ Birds of Southern South America and Antarctica- Martin de la Pena and Maurice Rumboll is also useful.
We also used The Lonely Planet: Brazil which was very useful in places for finding hotels, providing logistics information and interesting background details etc.
I also took “Birding Brazil- A Check-list and Site Guide”: Bruce Forrester, which was very useful for its checklists and site details.
I sourced the following reports before travelling (most of those listed are now available free on the Internet through Blake Maybank’s excellent site at: http://www.birdingtheamericas.com (reports are text only,) or through Steve Whitehouse (reports cost money but have the benefit of maps and are often more detailed.) Contact Steve at FBRIS, 6 Skipton Crescent, Berkeley Pendesham, Worcester. WR4 0LG, UK. Tel: UK (+44) (0)1905-454541.) E-mail: jwhiteh107@aol.com):
Birdwatching in Brazil 26/7/91-18/8/91 and Oct 1996 and Nov: Molgaard et al
Birding in Eastern Brazil 17 Jan to 5th March 1995: Beadle/Bostock/Hornbuckle/Kirwan
1996 Brazil, Rio De Janeiro State, 24 February - 4 March 1997, and 4 - 12 March 1996/ 31 May -12 June 1996: David F. Abbott
Brazil (SE) & Argentina (N), October - November 1996: Chris Carpenter
Brazil, Sao Paulo State, 5-16 December 1993: Dalcio Dacol
Brazil, North-East Of Rio Grande Do Sul, 27 September -5 October 1996: Claudius Feger
Brazil, 6-20 August 1996: R.W.Goldbach
Brazil, Southern, 26 April -13 May 1995: R.W.Goldbach
Brazil, Sao Paulo, Santos, Caraça, October 1999: Tom Harrison
Brazil, South-Central, 3 - 12 October 1997: Peter Lonsdale
Brazil, Northern Pantanal, Chapada Dos Guimaraes, and Alta
Floresta
10-21 October 1999: Patricia O'Neill
Ground arrangements:
We used a Sao Paulo travel agency arranged through my Brazilian friend Lucio in Sao Paulo who pre-booked our internal Varig and Tam flights, the hotel Zagaia in Bonito, and The Luxor Copacabana in Rio. We didn’t pre-book car-hire in Cuiaba or Pantanal/Chapada hotels, and had no problem finding places to stay, none were busy in this, the low season.
Climate:
We were in Brazil in early Spring, so weather was mixed- cool in Sao Paulo, like a very mild English winter, hot and dry in The Pantanal, continuous overnight rain and heavy showers in Chapada, and 2 warm days/2 very wet days in Rio.
Visa:
Visas are not required for UK residents for Brazil for stays of less than 30 (?) days
Language:
The National language in Brazil is Portuguese, and between us we could only say “Obrigado” and “Cerveja por favor.” However, we managed to get by with our basic Spanish, arm waving and drawing pictures. Our phrase book was invaluable, and we found that very little Spanish was understood, especially in Bonito. If you speak a little Spanish reading Portuguese is not too difficult, but decoding Brazilian spoken Portuguese is altogether more challenging. (For example, “Boa tarde”- Good Afternoon- sounds like “Botaj”)
The hotel we stayed at in Chapada is German-owned, as I discovered when wishing the landlady “boa noite” which was returned with “guten abend”! Brazilians are almost universally friendly and helpful, as are other tourists, and we were variously assisted by an Italian, 2 Urugayans and a multi-lingual Carioca.
Car Hire:
We hired a very basic model from Hertz at Cuiaba airport, 300 reais ie c£120 total for 4 days hire. The car was the only one available, having found 2 other agencies to have no other vehicles available, and Localiza unwilling to rent to us as my driving license was not printed in Portuguese (!) (even my International Driving Permit didn’t swing it.) We survived without aircon OK, just drove with the windows down, frantically winding them up when other vehicles swept past on dry dirt roads. If you’re there in Summer, aircon would be vital. The rental agencies outside the airport in Cuiaba are cheaper than those inside the airport terminal, and only c3mins walk away- come out of the airport, turn right onto the main road and you can see the agencies on the opposite side of the road 200m away.
Maps:
We had one large-scale map (Geocenter “World Map” series, scale 1:4,000,000!) of the whole of Brazil/Paraguay/Uruguay which had very little detail, but since our only driving was Cuiaba/Pixaim/Cuiaba/Chapada/Cuiaba, navigation was easy. Driving to Bonito would be a challenge, no decent road signs in evidence.
Tapes/Equipment:
I didn’t have any recordings organised ahead of time this trip, but I did take a basic recording/ playback Mini Disc set-up. This certainly helped when birding in woodland/forest eg in Bonito/Chapada.
MD’s are quicker to access in the field than cassette, hold up to 150 species on one tiny disk etc. The MD recorder I use is a Sony MZ-R55 MD recorder/player (2 x AA battery) and an AKG ATR55 shotgun condenser mic. (1 x AA battery) which enables me to playback and record easily in the field. I also carry a battery-powered mini speaker, (Walkman remote speaker type affair) which you should be able to buy from any hi-fi store, (6 x AA batteries which add to the weight, and need replacing every 3-4 days, but overall compact and useable.) I’d definitely recommend Audio specialists HHB in London for the pro. Gear (not the cheapo powered speaker) if you want to kit yourself out, contact Tim Shaxson Tel 0208-962-5000/ E-mail: sales@hhb.co.uk
I recorded and played back in mono.
I also invested in a ‘5 pocket tool pouch’ ie builder’s belt (“Town + Country” brand from Thomas Bros. at Archway roundabout, London N1, c£12.99) which was indispensable, and enabled me to carry, hands-free, the MD player, mic., speaker, and cables, all on one hip.
Health:
Yellow Fever, Cholera, Polio, Typhoid required i.e. standard stuff. Malaria prophylaxis (Doxycycline) was also recommended for the Pantanal by the British Airways Travel Clinic in Regent St, central London. We took tablets for a couple of days but were assured by a number of different people that there have never been any cases of Malaria in the Pantanal and so stopped taking them without any subsequent problems, check the latest position before travelling. The usual common sense precautions apply with food and drink, we had no problems with either. We drank tap water in most areas and were fine, but bottled mineral water is also widely available.
Animals:
Mosquitos can be a major problem in the Pantanal, but we didn’t see many in the dry season. After a walk in the scrub/gallery forest behind the Pousada Pixaim I discovered c20 small red ticks (?) on my clothes, but managed to remove them all without any becoming attached- tuck trousers into boots and use repellent. One of the locals told us the ticks are dangerous so they may carry disease? My other half was savaged by some evil tiny biting flies at Veu de Novia, Chapada dos Guimaraes that left large bites which swelled up and blistered, and took a week to die down.
Snakes:
We failed to find Anaconda, and only saw one c4ft long snake, on the riverbank at Pixaim. However, there are venomous species throughout much of Brazil so the usual precautions apply.
There are lots of Caiman and Piranhas in The Pantanal, but neither seem to bite humans.
Clothing/Footwear:
We wore boots most of the time in the field, long trousers tucked in, and long-sleeved shirts to avoid insect bites.
Money:
The Brazilian currency is reais, R$2.7=£1, R$1.7=$1US when we visited. We took most funds in $US cash which we changed at airports etc. NB: It can be very difficult to change traveller’s cheques and especially Sterling cash/t.c.’s away from the major centres/airports. Most hotels accept major credit cards, except the Zagaia in Bonito where we had to pay cash. Needless to say it pays to take extra care of your money and valuables in Sao Paulo and Rio, (Don’t wander round the city with your bins on, but on the other hand, don’t let the alleged dangers of Rio put you off visiting a wonderful city; we had no problems at all, and birding in the two sites listed seemed very safe.)
Costing:
We paid £615.30 round trip London/Sao Paulo, Rio/London with British Airways, and £355 for the Sao Paulo/Campo Grande, Campo Grande/Cuiaba, Cuiaba/(CG/SP/) Rio internal flights with Tam and Varig. Taxi from C.G. to Bonito was 300 Reais, only 200 Reais return with the driver we had used all week in Bonito. Hotels vary from $5/double upwards, cheap accommodation (e.g. sub $30/night for a double) is not available in the Pantanal.
Site Information:
Ibirapuera Park, Sao Paulo
Ibirapuera is a large park in Central Sao Paulo, next to the Jardims area, and provides an opportunity to get familiar with some of the commoner S.E. Brazilian birds. Avoid weekends as the park is thronged with jogging/footballing/dog-walking Paulistas.
Bonito
Bonito is a small town in S.W. Mato Grosso do Sul, c150kms from the
Bolivian border, and is famed for its clear forest rivers, which have
their
source in local limestone springs. Ecotourism has developed as a
result,
and many well-to-do Brazilians visit to float downstream with the
various
species of fish etc. This is also a novel way to go birding- the first
Rufescent Tiger-Heron I saw in Brazil was from a fish’s eye view! Birds
can also be approached closely whilst swimming of course, as they don’t
flush.
We stayed at the Zagaia hotel, and the hotel grounds included a small
pool and an area of woodland.
Northern Pantanal
The Pantanal can be accessed either from the South, (fly to Campo Grande and drive 4-5hrs W. to Miranda) or the North, (fly to Cuiaba as we did, and then head in from Pocone, which is only 1 hour’s drive from Cuiaba.) The Northern Pantanal is easy to access by hire car in the dry season, lying just c100kms S.W. of Cuiaba. Once you find the main road S.W. out of Varzea Grande (just outside central Cuiaba, this is where the airport is,) it’s easy to get to the Transpantaneira. Take the turn signed for Pocone at the large roundabout on the edge of V.G. and then turn left for Pocone after c10kms- this road leads the 90 or so kms to Pocone, then just wriggle through town until you find the Transpantaneira entrance on the far side. You need to pay a small fee to gain entrance to the highway itself at the guardhouse. After that there’s just the highway South, and it’s necessary to retrace one’s steps once you get to Porto Joffre at the Southern end of the Transpantaneira. Birding is from the highway, or the few side-tracks/surrounding scrub/gallery forest. The Pantanal is arguably the world’s greatest wetland reserve, and the numbers of herons, ibis, egrets and other birds are amazing.
Chapada dos Guimaraes- Portao da Fe, Rd to Agua Fria
These 2 areas are close to each other on the main road that leads from Cuiaba to CdosG, Portao da Fe is on the right as you head to CdosG, the rd to Agua Fria is on the left further towards CdosG. The entrance to Portao da Fe is not very obvious with only a small brown sign on the fence. I drove past it 4 or 5 times before I finally found it. It’s also incorrectly marked on Forrester’s map as being east of the Agua Fria turnoff, whereas it’s actually West, (nearer to Cuiaba, further from CdosG.) The entrance is 6.4kms from the main CdosG square. I parked on the main road and walked the short distance through the religious compound, then found a short narrow trail that leads from the back of the compound (in the SW corner) c50m down a slope to a dirt road that cuts through the forest and leads to a small river at the bottom of the hill. All my birding at PdaF was along this road. I’d definitely have spent more time here if we’d had an extra day or two.
We only birded the 1st 2 kms along the rd to Agua Fria briefly, just crawling along by car and stopping whenever we came across activity. The dirt road is c6kms W of CdosG. Even so we managed to jam in on Coal-crested Finch, as well as picking up a number of the commoner Cerrado species.
Chapada dos Guimaraes- Bridalveil Falls (Veu de Novia) etc, other trails
There are 2 or 3 sites in this area that are worth birding, and all are accessible from the dirt road that leads to the falls, S. off the main Cuiaba/CdosG road. The Falls themselves are well known and have Biscutate- and Great Dusky- Swift, Blue-winged Macaw etc, accessible by turning sharp right c200m after the entrance booth. The other sites are accessed by carrying straight on where you turn sharp right for Veu de Novia, and following the dirt road down to the smaller falls at the bottom of the hill. This is the Rio Coixpo (we had Helemeted Manakin on the approach track that leads down to the near falls.)
After we’d checked out this area we continued driving the same way beyond the Rio Coixpo for another few kms towards another set of smaller falls (Cachoeiras) along the Morro de Sao Jeronimo dirt rd. (These smaller falls are on the far side of the same canyon into which the Veu de Novia falls drop.) This road splits after a few kms and we took the right fork to the falls, not the left fork to the caves (?) This right fork ends up at a small car park, and there’s then a c1.2km walk to the 2 or 3 smaller falls through dry Cerrado. Half way along this walk, we found a solitary Blue Finch, a group of Tanagers, the afffinis race of Suiriri Flycatcher ‘Campo Suiriri’.
Jardim Botanico, Rio
A nice introduction to the birds of the SE, with lots of activity early in the day. There’s even a little reasonable forest in the NW corner, accessible along a dirt path that leads from the space in front of the glasshouses that are home to the orchid collection. Access to the gardens is from the gate at Rua Jardim Botanico 1008, (NW of the jockey club) and costs c$3US.
NP de Tijuca, Rio
A good site in central Rio, accessible from the N. side by Taxi off Alta da Boa Vista. We spent most of one day walking from the reserve gate up to the car park at Bom Retiro, an easy hike up a paved road, which passes through some nice forest. We successfully found Pin-tailed and Swallow-tailed (Blue-) Manakins, Plain Antvireo, Golden-chevronedTanager, 3 Woodcreepers etc, but no sign of Eye-ringed Tody Tyrant or Black-eared Gnateater. The trail that cuts the corner leading down from the Mayrink Chapel (which you pass on the main road on the way up) was especially good.
Thanks to. . .
. . .all those named above whose reports and guides enabled me to get an idea of where to go/what to look for, and to the Brazilian folk we encountered along the way for their universally cheerful hospitality.
If you have any questions or need further information, you can reach me at chrisg@focusrite.com, or on (UK ie +44) (0)207-609-1108, or at Flat 1, 155 Hemingford Rd, Islington, London N1 1BZ or daytime at work 01494-462246. If you have any recent reports of your own I’d be delighted to receive them at chrisg@focusrite.com or at the address above.
Chris Gooddie, October 2000.
SYSTEMATIC SPECIES LIST
SP = Sao Paulo,
CdosG = Chapada dos Guimaraes,
[ ] indicates species heard but not seen or species not
specifically identified.
Species order broadly follows Souza’s ‘Todas as Aves do Brazil.’
| COMMON NAME | SCIENTIFIC NAME | COMMENTS |
| Magellanic Penguin | Spheniscus magellanicus | Birds seen daily off Copacabana beach, max. 8, mostly 1st winter birds. |
| Olivaceous Cormorant | Phalacrocorax olivaceus | 10 Ibirapuera, S.P., 1 off Cobacabana Beach, 2/9. |
| Greater Rhea | Rhea americana | Fairly common around Bonito, and en route between Campo Grande and Bonito, max. 40. Also 8 just S. of Pocone en route back to Cuiaba. |
| Undulated Tinamou | Cryturellas undulatus | 1 heard at Aquario Natural. 1 flushed by our hire car from the edge of the Transpantaneira, South of Pixaim, 27/8 |
| Small-billed- Tinamou | Crypturellus tataupa/parvirostris | 1 ran across the dirt road behind the compound, Portao da Fe, early morning 29/8. |
| Red-winged Tinamou | Rhynchotus rufescens | Heard constantly at Zagaia Hotel, Bonito, 1 seen briefly there on the main entrance road, and 1 seen very well in short grass at Rio de Prata lodge. |
| [Grebe sp. | 1 seen briefly from a moving vehicle, on a small pool at Rio de Prata, Bonito was probably a Pied-billed Grebe, Podilymbus podiceps] | |
| Black-browed Albatross | Diomedea melanophris | Up to 20 very distantly off the Copacabana Rio, 2/9. |
| Brown Booby | Sula leucogaster | Very common off Rio beaches. I'm sure there's a Frankie Howerd joke in there somewhere… |
| Magnificent Frigatebird | Fregata magnificens | Very common off Rio beaches, over the city etc, max 200/day. |
| Anhinga | Anhinga anhinga | 1, Rio de Prata, Bonito. Common in the Pantanal. 50+/day |
| Cocoi (White-necked) Heron | Ardei cocoi | Common in the Pantanal. 50+/day |
| Great White Egret | Casmerodius albus | Very common everywhere, max 300/day, Pantanal |
| Snowy Egret | Egretta thula | Common everywhere, 100+/day in the Pantanal |
| Little Blue Heron | Florida caerulea | 3 in total in the Pantanal, all in the Northernmost (wettest) areas |
| Striated Heron | Butoroides striatus | 1 Ibirapuera, S.P., 15+/day in the Pantanal |
| Cattle Egret | Bubulcus ibis | 200+ per day in the Pantanal |
| Whistling Heron | Syrigma sibilatrix | 1 on the Zagaia pool most days, 3 or 4 a day in the Pantanal. |
| Capped Heron | Pilherodius pileatus | Rather scarce- 3 in the N. Pantanal on the 1st day, 2 S. of Pixaim the next day etc. |
| Black-crowned Night-Heron | Nycticorax nycticorax | 1 imm., Zagaia pool, 2 Rio Sucuri, Bonito. Common in the Pantanal, 20+ seen daily. |
| Rufescent Tiger-Heron | Tigrisoma lineatum | 1st seen whilst drifting downstream at Rio Sucuri, Bonito. Common in the Pantanal, 30+ seen daily. |
| (American) Wood Stork | Mycteria americana | Common in the Pantanal, 100+/day. |
| Maguari Stork | Euxenura maguari | Uncommon in the Pantanal; 4 on the way in, 1 on the way out, (all in the wetter areas at the start of the Transpantaneira) were the only ones we saw. |
| Jabiru | Jabiru mycteria | 1 over the Zagaia Hotel, Bonito at dawn on the last day there, abundant in the Pantanal, 400+/day.Plaster phone-box model variety also very common around airports, cafés etc… |
| Plumbeous Ibis | Harpiprion caerulescens | Rather scarce in the Pantanal, max 10 daily seen. 1 on nest with young S. of Pixaim. |
| Buff-necked Ibis | Theristicus caudatus | Fairly common in drier grassland areas around Bonito, ditto Pantanal, 10/day max. |
| Green Ibis | Mesembrinibis cayennensis | 1 on Zagaia pool early on 22/8, fairly common in the Pantanal, max. 10/day. |
| Bare-faced (Whispering-) Ibis | Phimosus infuscatus | Scarce in the Pantanal, max 6 daily. |
| Roseate Spoonbill | Ajaia ajaja | Scarce in the Pantanal, max 6 daily. |
| Southern Screamer | Chauna torquata | A few in the Pantanal, most S. of Pixaim, max 6 daily. |
| Brazilian Duck (-Teal) | Amazonetta brasiliensis | Up to 6 resident on the small pool at the Zagaia, Bonito, and a few on the pools at the entrance to the Pantanal |
| Muscovy Duck | Cairina moschata | Only 2 seen, on the pools at the entrance to the Pantanal when leaving. |
| Black Vulture | Coragyps atratus | Abundant everywhere |
| Turkey Vulture | Cathartes aura | Abundant everywhere |
| Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture | Cathartes burrovianus | 1 in the Pantanal, with TV's, on the way S. to Pixaim. |
| Gray-headed Kite | Leptodon cayanensis | 1 S. of Pixaim, Pantanal, 27/8. |
| White-tailed Kite | Elanus leucurus | 1 on the return journey to Campo Grande from Bonito, 26/8, c1hrs drive W of C.G. |
| Plumbeous Kite | Ictinia plumbea | 1 drying out on the top of the canopy at Portao da Fe, CdosG was the only one recorded. |
| Snail Kite | Rostrhamus sociabilis | 2 between Bonito and Rio de Prata. Very common in the Pantanal, 60+/day. |
| Tiny Hawk | Accipiter superciliosus | 1 male watched perched on a fence at the edge of woodland along the Aquario Natural entrance rd, Bonito. |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | Accipiter striatus | 1 behind the Pousada Pixaim, Pantanal, 28/8. |
| Roadside Hawk | Buteo magnirostris | 1 S.P., 1 Statue of Christ, Rio. |
| Black-collared Hawk | Busarellus nigricollis | Common in the Pantanal, 20+/day. |
| Savanna Hawk | Buteogallus meridionalis | Common in the Pantanal, 10+/day. |
| Great Black Hawk | Buteogallus urubitinga | A few in the Pantanal, max 3/day. |
| Laughing Falcon | Herpetotheres cachinnans | 1 most days at the Zagaia, Bonito, 2 in the Pantanal. |
| Yellow-headed Caracara | Milvago chimachima | 2 along the rd to Agua Fria, CdosG. |
| Crested Caracara | Polyborus plancus | Common everywhere, even in the centre of S.P. |
| Bat Falcon | Falco rufigularis | 1 watched for 10 mins in a bare tree, walking back from the smaller falls opp. Veu de Novia, CdosG |
| American Kestrel | Falco sparverius | Common in small numbers. |
| Chaco Chachalaca | Ortalis canicollis | 2 at Rio Sucuri, Bonito. Common in the Pantanal, up to 20/day. |
| Rusty-margined Guan | Penelope superciliaris | 1, Jardim Botanico, Rio, 31/8. |
| Chestnut-bellied Guan | Penelope ochrogaster | 2 high in a tree downstream from the Pousada Pixaim, 27/8 were the only birds we saw. |
| Blue-throated Piping-Guan | Pipile pipile | 1 from the wooden platform whilst swimming at the Rio de Prata, Bonito, 1 en route back to Bonito from Rio de Prata, at the Correge Mutum river crossing, 1 on the river upstream from the Pousada Pixaim, Pantanal |
| Bare-faced Curassow | Crax fasciolata | 1 male on the trail at Aquario Natural, Bonito. 1 male and 2 females just off the trail at Rio de Prata, 2 males and a female just upstream from the Pousada Pixaim. |
| Limpkin | Aramus guarauna | 2 whilst floating down-river at Rio Sucuri, Bonito. Common in the Pantanal, max 30/day. |
| Gray-necked Wood-Rail | Aramides cajanea | 1 Zagaia Hotel, 2 Rio Sucuri, Bonito, a few in the Pantanal. |
| Slaty-breasted Wood-Rail | Aramides saracura | 5+, easy to see at the Jardim Botanico, Rio. |
| Moorhen (Common Gallinule) | Gallinula chloropus | Common in the Pantanal. |
| Sungrebe | Helioris fulica | 1 flushed by the sound of the boat's motor, downstream from the Pousada Pixaim on 27/8. The bird flew from an area very approx. 0.5km beyond the right fork in the river (heading away from the Pousada.) |
| Sunbittern | Eurypyga helias | 4 between Pixaim and the broken bridge 40kms South, 1 downstream from the Pousada Pixaim, 2 on the way out of the Pantanal between Pixaim and Pocone. |
| Red-legged Seriema | Cariama cristata | 2 seen on the road just E. of Bonito, and up to 6 then seen daily thereafter around Bonito. Especially easy to see around the Rio de Prata lodge. |
| Wattled Jacana | Jacana jacana | Common in suitable habitat. |
| Southern Lapwing | Vanellus chilensis | Common, a couple even in Central S.P. |
| Solitary Sandpiper | Tringa solitaria | 1 in flight just N. of the entrance to the Pantanal, 1 on pools in N'ernmost Pantanal. |
| "White-backed" Stilt | Himantopus melanurus | 1 at the entrance to Rio de Prata, Bonito, 1 on the first day in the Pantanal, N. of Pixaim were the only birds seen. |
| Arctic Skua (Parasitic Jaeger) | Stercorarius parasiticus | 3 dark phase birds chasing Terns off Cobacabana Beach, 2/9. |
| Kelp Gull | Larus dominicanus | Common off Rio beaches. |
| Common Tern | Sterna hirundo | 2 off Cobacabana Beach, 2/9. |
| Royal Tern | Sterna maxima | Max. 10/day off Rio beaches. |
| Cayenne Tern | Sterna eurygnatha | Typically 20/day off Rio beaches, but c80 off Cobacabana Beach, 2/9. |
| Large-billed Tern | Phaetusa simplex | Only seen twice, both times on pools near the top of the Pantanal, 1 on the way in, 4 on the way out. |
| Black Skimmer | Rhynchops niger | 2 groups, of 6 and 3, were seen flying South past Copacabana on the evening of 2/9. |
| Picazuro Pigeon | Columbina picazuro | Very common around Bonito etc. |
| Pale-vented Pigeon | Columba cayennensis | 1 in the Zagaia woodland, Bonito, 23/8, 2 there 25/8, 1 behind the Pousada Pixaim, Pantanal, 28/8, 1 at Portao da Fe, CdosG. |
| Picui Ground-Dove | Columbina picui | Fairly common eg in the Pantanal, but nowehere as numerous as the following species. |
| Ruddy Ground Dove | Columbina talpacoti | Very common everywhere. |
| Scaled Dove | Scardafella squammata | Common in the Pantanal |
| White-tipped Dove | Leptotila verreauxi | 8 at Aquario Natural, Bonito. |
| Hyacinth Macaw | Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus | Fairly easy to find in the Pantanal; 2 approx. 2kms N. of Pixiam on the way in, 3 in scrub around the Pousada Pixaim, the following day, 7 on our last day c5kms N. of Pixaim, all on the right hand side of the road when heading S.- so face that way! |
| Red-and-Green Macaw | Ara chloroptera | A few at Bonito: The 1st flew over the swimming pool at Aquario Natural, 2 the following morning over the Zagaia woodland, 2 en route back to Bonito from Rio de Prata. Also 3 en route to CdosG from Cuiaba. |
| Blue-winged Macaw | Ara maracana | A pair seen in front of the Veu de Novia waterfall CdosG, 28/8. |
| White-eyed Parakeet | Aratinga leucophthalmus | 100+ seen in front of the Veu de Novia waterfall CdosG, 28/8. Very noisy and conspicuous. |
| Peach-fronted Parakeet | Aratinga aurea | Common around Bonito, and in the Pantanal, max. 40/day. |
| Black-hooded Parakeet | Nandayus nenday | 2+, Rio de Prata, Bonito, 2 N. of Pixaim in the Pantanal. |
| Monk Parakeet | Myiopsitta monachus | 20 at Pixaim, 27/8. |
| Reddish-bellied Parakeet | Pyrrhura frontalis | 2 Jardim Botanico, Rio, 31/8. |
| Plain Parakeet | Brotogeris tirica | 10 over Sao Paulo, 17/8, 2 Jardim Botanico, Rio, 31/8. |
| Yellow-chevroned Parakeet | Brotogeris chiriri | Up to 5/day in Bonito, up to 20/day in the Pantanal |
| Scaly-headed Parrot | Pionus maximiliani | Seen every day at the Zagaia, Bonito in small numbers. |
| Turquoise- (Blue-) fronted Parrot | Amazona aestivaUp | to 4/day in Bonito. 1 at the Rio de Prata lodge was especially tame. Up to 10/day in the Pantanal. |
| Squirrel Cuckoo | Piaya cayana | 1 Ibirapuera, S.P., 1 Aquario Natural, 1 Rio de Prata, Bonito, a few in the Pantanal. |
| Smooth-billed Ani | Crotophaga ani | Very common in open country everywhere. |
| Greater Ani | Crotophaga major | 2 near the top of the Transpantaneira were the only ones we saw, can't say that we spent a lot of time looking though… |
| Guira Cuckoo | Guira guira | Very common around Bonito etc. |
| Barn Owl | Tyto alba | 1 inside main cave at Grutas Sao Miguel, Bonito. |
| Ferruginous Pygmy Owl | Glaucidium brasilianum | Seen every day around the Zagaia, Bonito, max 2 birds. A recording of the call, (an even-spaced, monosyllabic whistle, 3 per 2 secs) is useful to pull in passerines. (Referred to as F.P.O. below to save my typing.) |
| Burrowing Owl | Athene cunicularia | Common around Bonito, max c15 around Rio de Prata lodge, 3, entrance track to Portao da Fe, CdosG. |
| Band-tailed | Nighthawk | Nyctiprogne leucopypygaUp to 5 seen at dusk both days over the river at Pixaim, Pantanal |
| Nacunda Nighthawk | Podager nacunda | 2 seen over the hillside on the opposite side of the dirt rd from the Zagaia Hotel, Bonito, 22/8. |
| [Nighthawk sp. | 1 flushed from dry scrub behind the Pousada Pixaim was not relocated.] | |
| Blue-crowned Motmot | Momotus momota | Seen most days at Bonito: 1 tail-less bird seen on 2 days in Zagaia woodland, 1 at Aquario Natural, 1 at Rio Sucuri, 1 at the Grutas Sao Miguel, |
| White-collared Swift | Streptoprocne zonaris | A few around the statue of Christ, Rio. |
| Biscutate Swift | Streptoprocne biscutata | 100+ in a single flock at Veu de Novia, CdosG. |
| Great Dusky Swift | Cyseloides senex | A single large flock at Veu de Novia, CdosG. This flock stayed higher than the Biscutate Swift flock, and the two never mixed. |
| Ashy-tailed Swift | Chaetura andrei | 2 over Jardims, S.P., 1 over the Pao de Açucar, Rio, 31/8. |
| Saw-billed Hermit | Ramphodon naevius | 1 watched at close range repeatedly visiting a feeder outside the small rustic restaurant three quarters of the way up to Bom Retiro in Tijuca national Park, Rio on 1/9. |
| Black Jacobin | Melanotrochilus fuscus | 1 watched at close range repeatedly visiting the same feeder outside the small rustic restaurant three quarters of the way up to Bom Retiro in Tijuca national Park, Rio on 1/9. |
| White-vented Violetear | Colibri serrirostris | 1 along the rd to Agua Fria, CdosG, 29/8. |
| Buff-bellied Hermit | Phaethornis subochraceous | 2 in the scrub just S. of the river at Pixaim, Pantanal. |
| Swallow-tailed Hummingbird | Eupetomena macroura | 2 Ibirapuera S.P., 1 Jardim Botanico, Rio. |
| Glittering-bellied Emerald | Chloristilbon aureoventris | 1 at the Zagaia hotel, Bonito. |
| Fork-tailed Woodnymph | Thalurania furcata | 1 male at the statue of Christ in Rio, |
| Violet-capped Woodnymph | Thalurania glaucopis | 1 female, woods behind Portao da Fe, CdosG. 1, Jardim Botanico, Rio, 31/8, 2 Tijuca N.P., Rio. |
| Glittering-throated Emerald | Amazilia fimbriata | 1 male Ibirapuera, S.P., 1 at the Grutas Sao Miguel, Bonito, 3 in scrub around the Pousada Pixaim, Pantanal, 27/8. |
| Blue-crowned Trogon | Trogon curucui | 1 at Rio Sucuri, 1 Zagaia Hotel woodland, Bonito, 1 at Pousada Pixaim, Pantanal. |
| Ringed Kingfisher | Ceryle torquata | 2 Ibirapuera S.P., common in the Pantanal, 30+/day. |
| Amazon Kingfisher | Chloroceryle amazona | 1 at Rio Sucuri, Bonito. Fairly common in the Pantanal, 15+/day |
| Green Kingfisher | Chloroceryle americana | 1 Rio de Prata lodge, Bonito, up to 3/day in the Pantanal. |
| Green-and-Rufous Kingfisher | Chloroceryle inda | Small numbers in the Pantanal eg 2 downstream from the Pousada Pixaim, 27/8. |
| American Pygmy Kingfisher | Chloroceryle aenea | Stunning views of one perched extremely close on bank-side vegetation just down-river from the Pousada Pixaim in the Pantanal on the way back to the Pousada at the end of a boat trip. We were close enough to hear the bird alarm-calling at the boat! |
| Rufous-tailed Jacamar | Galbula ruficauda | 2, Rio de Prata, Bonito, 1 in scrub around the Pousada Pixaim, Pantanal, 27/8. |
| White-eared Puffbird | Nystalus chacuru | Singles in the Cerrado around CdosG, especially in the area around the rd to Agua Frio/in front of Portao da Fe., and 1 on the walk to the smaller waterfalls opposite the Veu de Novia. |
| Swallow-Wing | Chelidoptera tenebrosa | 2 perched together in the canopy just by the Rio Coixpo, CdosG were a nice surprise. |
| Black-fronted Nunbird | Monasa nigrifrons | 2 flew across the road to a small area of forest near the top of the Transpantaneira, 28/8. 1 came in to F.P.O. tape at Rio Coixpo, CdosG. |
| Chestnut-eared Aracari | Pteroglossus castanotis | 3 at the Zagaia Hotel, Bonito, 25/8, 1 there same evening, 3 in woods behind Portao da Fe, CdosG. |
| Channel-billed Toucan | Ramphastos vitellinus | Only 1 seen, from the restaurant near the top of the road up to Bom Retiro, Tijuca N.P., Rio. |
| Toco Toucan | Ramphastos toco | Our first were 6 seen on the entrance road to Aquario Natural, Bonito. Thereafter seen daily around Bonito and the Pantanal, max 15/day. |
| White-barred Piculet | Picumnus cirratus | 1 Jardim Botanico, Rio, 31/8. |
| White-wedged Piculet | Picumnus albosquamatus | 1 in the woodland behind Portao da Fe, CdosG, 29/8. |
| Campo Flicker | Colaptes campestris | Fairly common in small numbers around Bonito, 2 Portao da Fe, CdosG. |
| Golden-Green Woodpecker | Piculus chrysochloros | 1 in scrub around the Pousada Pixaim, Pantanal, 27/8. |
| Yellow-tufted Woodpecker | Melanerpes cruentatus | Excellent views of a male in the woodland behind Portao da fe compound, CdosG, 29/8. |
| White Woodpecker | Melanerpes candidus | 2 by the Rio Sucuri lodge, 3 near the Zagaia Hotel, Bonito, 1 at the top of the Transpantaneira. |
| Lineated Woodpecker | Dryocopus lineatus | 1 at the Zagaia Hotel, Bonito, 25/8. |
| Olivaceous Woodcreeper | Sittasomus griseicapillus | 3 Tijuca N.P., Rio. |
| Great Rufous Woodcreeper | Xiphocolaptes major | 1 in Gallery Woodland at the start of the trail, Rio de Prata, Bonito. |
| Red-billed Scythebill | Campylorhamphus trochilirostris | 1 in large tree opposite the Pousada Pixaim, Pantanal, 27/8. |
| Planalto Woodcreeper | Dendrocolaptes platyrostris | 1 at the Zagaia Hotel, Bonito, 25/8. |
| Scaled Woodcreeper | Lepidocolaptes squamatus | 1, Tijuca N.P., Rio. |
| Lesser Woodcreeper | Lepidocolaptes fuscus | 3, Tijuca N.P., Rio. |
| Rufous Hornero | Furnarius rufus | Very common Sao Paulo and elsewhere. |
| Pale-legged Hornero | Furnarius leucopus | Fairly common in the Pantanal near water, max 10/day. |
| Common (Rufous-fronted) Thornbird | Phacellodomus rufifronsA | few around the Pousada Pixaim, Pantanal, 27/8. |
| Greater Thornbird | Phacellodomus ruber | A few in scrub around the Pousada Pixaim, Pantanal. |
| Rusty-backed Spinetail | Cranioleuca vulpina | 2 N. of Pixaim, 1 S. of the river and 1 behind Pousada Pixaim, Pantanal. |
| White-lored Spinetail | Synallaxis albilora | 2 in scrub around the Pousada Pixaim, Pantanal, 27/8. |
| Rufous Cachalote | Pseudoseirura cristata | Common in small numbers in the Pantanal, even around the bird tables at the Pousada Pixaim. |
| Streaked Xenops | Xenops rutilans | 1 Jardim Botanico, Rio, 31/8. |
| Great Antshrike | Taraba major | A pair in scrub around the Pousada Pixaim, Pantanal, 27/8. |
| Barred Antshrike | Thamnophilus doliatus | 7 in scrub around the Pousada Pixaim, Pantanal, 27/8, and 2 behind the Pousada the next day. |
| Plain Antvireo | Dysithamnus mentalis | 1 male, Jardim Botanico, Rio, 31/8, near the orchid greenhouses, and a pair, Tijuca N.P. on the short-cut trail below the Mayrink Chapel. |
| Rusty-backed Antwren | Formicivora rufa | 3 in scrub opposite the Pousada Pixaim, Pantanal, 27/8. Really smart birds. |
| Large-billed Antwren | Herpsilochmus longirostris | A pair together, responding to Ferruginous Pygmy Owl tape in the Zagaia woodland, Bonito were the only birds seen. |
| Mato Grosso Antbird | Cercomacra melanaria | 1 male seen briefly but well in scrub just South of the main river at Pixaim, off the short dirt road that leads off to the left of the main road as you head South. |
| Band-tailed Antbird | Hypocnemoides maculicauda | A female in scrub 200m S. of the river at Pixaim, down the short road on the left as you head South, and another female seen downstream from the Pousada Pixaim the following day. |
| Crested Becard | Pachyramphus validus | 1 female in a mixed flock at Portao da Fe, CdosG, 29/8. |
| Black-crowned Tityra | Tityra inquisitor | Only 1 seen, in a large tree by the river at the back of the Zagaia woodland, 22/9. |
| Helmeted Manakin | Antilophia galeata | 1 male came in to F.P.O. tape at the Coixpo Rio nr Veu de Novia, CdosG and showed very well before disappearing as swiftly as it had arrived. Nice to catch one at the 11th hour…One of the birds of the trip. |
| Blue (Swallow-tailed-) Manakin | Chiroxiphia caudata | 1 female type, Jardim Botanico, Rio, 31/8, near the orchid greenhouses, 3 females and a young male, Tijuca N.P., Rio. Easiest to see on the short-cut trail below the Mayrink Chapel. |
| Pin-tailed Manakin | Ilicura militaris | 2 female-type, Tijuca N.P., Rio. |
| Fiery-capped Manakin | Machaeropterus pyrocephalus | Incredible views of a male calling in the woods behind Portao da Fe, CdosG, 29/8 c50m uphill from the point at which the trail leading from the back of the compound meets the main dirt road that bisects the forest. |
| Purplish Jay | Cyanocorax cyanomelas | 5 around Rio de Prata lodge, Bonito, 2 nr Pixaim, Pantanal, 3 Portao da Fe, CdosG. |
| Plush-crested Jay | Cyamocorax chrysops | Common around Bonito, up to 10/day. |
| White-rumped Monjita | Xolmis velata | 3 around the Rio de Prata lodge, 2 at Rio Sucuri, Bonito, 1 N. of Pixaim, Pantanal, 1 nr the top of the Transpantaneira. |
| Streamer-tailed Tyrant | Gubernetes yetapa | 3 at Aquario Natural, Bonito, in the central area of reeds. 1, Rio Sucuri, Bonito. |
| Pied Water-Tyrant | Fluvicola albiventer | 1 at Pixaim, Pantanal, 26/8. |
| Masked Water-Tyrant | Fluvicola nengeta | 1 on a stream in the Jardim Botanico, Rio, 1 on Copcabana beach, |
| White-headed Marsh-Tyrant | Arundinicola leucocephala | 1 around the small pools next to the Hotel Beiro Rio, Pixaim was the only one we saw. |
| Crested Black-Tyrant | Knipolegus lophotes | 1 seen on the walk to the smaller waterfalls opposite the Veu de Novia, 29/8. |
| Velvety Black-Tyrant | Knipolegus niggerimus | Only seen around the statue of Christ in Rio, a pair. No directions necessary for this site I guess… |
| Cinereous Tyrant | Knipolegus striaticeps | 1 female in dry scrub at the edge of the Cerrado along the dirt rd West of the Zagaia Hotel, |
| Vermilion Flycatcher | Pyrocephalus rubinus | 1 daily at the Zagaia, Bonito, 2 in the Pantanal. |
| Cattle Tyrant | Machetornis rixosus | 5 near Rio de Prata lodge, Bonito., fairly common around Pixaim max. 10/day. |
| Fork-tailed Flycatcher | Tyrannus savana | 2 en route from Campo Grande to Bonito, 1 at the Zagaia Hotel, Bonito, 2 on the return to C. Grande |
| Tropical Kingbird | Tyrannus savana | Common in the Pantanal. |
| Boat-billed Flycatcher | Megarhynchus pitangua | 2 by a small pool just S. of the river at Pixaim, Pantanal, 27/8. |
| Rusty-margined Flycatcher | Myiozetetes cayanensis | 4 seen, 1 in Zagaia woodland, Bonito, 22/8, 1 at Pixaim, 2 further S. of Pixaim, Pantanal. |
| Social Flycatcher | Myiozetetesb similis | Seen somewhere, in the Pantanal I think? Obviously made a big impression… |
| Great Kiskadee | Piyangus sulphuratus | Very common everywhere. Nice to have a bird that shouts your name wherever you go ('Kris Gooddeeeee!') |
| Lesser Kiskadee | Philohydor lictor | A few near water around Bonito eg 3 Aquario Natural 22/8. |
| Rufous Casiornis | Casiornis rufa | 2 in scrub around the Pousada Pixaim, Pantanal, 27/8, 4 in scrub behind the Pousada the next day. |
| Fuscous Flycatcher | Cnemotriccus fuscatus | 2 in scrub around the Pousada Pixaim, Pantanal, 27/8, 1 behind the Pousada the next day. |
| Brown-crested Flycatcher | Myiarhcus tyrannulus | 1 at the Grutas Sao Miguel, Bonito, |
| White-throated Spadebill | Platyrinchus mystaceus | 1 seen on two days and recorded in the Zagaia woodland, Bonito. |
| Yellow-olive Flycatcher | Tolmomyius sulphurescens | 2 Jardim Botanico, Rio, 31/8. |
| Common (Black-fronted) Tody-Flycatcher | Todirostrum cinereum3 | Ibirapuera, S.P., 2 Jardim Botanico, Rio, 31/8. |
| Yellow-lored Tody-Flycatcher | Todirostrum poliocephalum | 2 in Tijuca N.P., Rio, 1/9, on the main road up to Bom Retiro. |
| Rusty-fronted Tody-Flycatcher | Todirostrum latirostre | A total of 3 in 2 days 1 in scrub around the Pousada Pixaim, Pantanal, 27/8. |
| Pearly-vented Tody-Tyrant | Hemitriccus margaritaceiventer | 1st at Rio Sucuri, Bonito. Then seen almost daily in small numbers. |
| Plain Tyrannulet | Inezia inornata | 1 in scrub opposite the Pousada Pixaim, Pantanal, 27/8. |
| Sepia-capped Flycatcher | Leptopogon amaurocephalus | 1 at the statue of Christ, 1 Tijuca N.P., Rio. |
| Yellow-bellied Elaenia | Elaenia flavogaster | 1 behind the Pousada Pixaim, Pantanal, 28/8. Presumably overlooked. |
| Campo Suiriri | Suiriri affinis | 2 seen on the walk to the smaller waterfalls opposite the Veu de Novia, (access from the car park at the end of the right fork of the Morro de Sao Jeronimo rd.) Call noted as "Vi-bej" (Sick has as "BEE-jewt", T+R do not transcribe a call for affinis.)I have followed the nomenclature of T+R in terms of the English name (they suggest "Chaco Suiriri" for the nominate suiriri) NB: Some authorities still consider affinis and suiriri as a single species, Suiriri Flycatcher, indeed, T+R still lump them although they note "having repeatedly seen and heard both "types" in the field, we continue to suspect that two biological species are involved" (T+R vol. 2 P428) |
| White-winged Swallow | Tachycineta albiventer | 10+ per day in the Pantanal, often perched on the wooded bridges that dot the Transpantananeira. |
| Brown-chested Martin | Phaeoprogne tapera | 1 at the Zagaia Hotel, Bonito, 22/8. |
| Gray-breasted Martin | Progne chalybea | Fairly common in the Pantanal eg around the river at Pixaim. |
| Blue-and-White Swallow | Notiochelidon cyanoleuca | Common in Sao Paulo, Rio. |
| Southern Rough-winged Swallow | Stelgidopteryx ruficollis | A few in the Pantanal eg around the river at Pixaim. |
| Black-capped Donacobius | Donacobius atricapillus | 8 along the Rio Sucuri, Bonito. c15 total in the Pantanal. |
| Thrush-like Wren | Campylorhynchus turdinus | Small numbers regularly seen at the sites around Bonito, usually in taller trees, 2 in the Pantanal at Pixaim. Very noisy. |
| Fawn-breasted Wren | Thryothorus guarayanus | 4 in scrub around the Pousada Pixaim, Pantanal, 27/8, 1 Portao da Fe, CdosG, 29/8. |
| Long-billed Wren | Thryothorus longirostris | 1 Jardim Botanico, Rio, 31/8. |
| Southern House Wren | Troglodytes aedon | Ones and twos here and there around Rio etc. |
| White-banded Mockingbird | Mimus triurus | 1 in the Cerrado opposite the Zagaia Hotel, Bonito was the only one seen. |
| Chalk-browed Mockingbird | Mimus saturninus | Common everywhere. |
| Rufous- (Chestnut-) bellied Thrush | Turdus rufiventrisCommon everywhere. | |
| Pale-breasted Thrush | Turdus leucomelas | 2 Bonito most days. |
| Creamy-bellied Thrush | Turdus amaurtachalinus | 2 Ibirapuera, S.P. |
| White-necked Thrush | Turdus albicollis | 2 seen, one very well at forest edge along the paved road up to Bom Retiro, Tijuca N.P., Rio. |
| Masked Gnatcatcher | Polioptila dumicola | 2 in scrub around the Pousada Pixaim, Pantanal, 27/8. |
| Rufous-browed Peppershrike | Cyclarhis gujanensis (ocrocephala) | 1 in the Zagaia woodland, Bonito, 25/8. |
| Chivi Vireo | Vireo chivi | Only 1 seen, from the lookout on the paved road that leads off to the left of the road up to Bom Retiro, Tijuca N.P., Rio. |
| Ashy-headed Greenlet | Hylophilus pectoralis | 2 nr Pixaim, Pantanal, 26/8 were the only ones we saw. |
| Shiny Cowbird | Molothrus bonariensis | Common. |
| Bay-winged Cowbird | Molothrus badius | Very common at the Pousada Pixaim, Pantanal. |
| Giant Cowbird | Scaphidura oryzivora | 5+ at Aquario Natural, Bonito, 5 at the Pousada Pixaim, Pantanal. |
| Crested Oropendola | Psarocolius decumanus | Up to 4/day, Bonito. A few behind the Pousada Pixaim, Pantanal. |
| Yellow-rumped Cacique | Cacicus cela | 1 near the top of the Transpantaneira on the way out of the Pantanal was the only one seen. |
| Red-rumped Cacique | Cacicus haemorrhous | Up to 4/day, Bonito. |
| Solitary Black Cacique | Cacicus solitarius | 1 nr Pixaim, Pantanal, 26/8. |
| Chopi Blackbird | Gnorimopsar chopi | 10 S. of Pixaim, Pantanal, 27/8 |
| Unicolored Blackbird | Agelaius cyanopus | One female nr Pixaim, Pantanal, 27/8 was the only one seen- I must have overlooked this species? |
| Epaulet Oriole | Icterus cayanensis | 2 S. of Pixaim, 27/8. |
| (Orange-backed) Troupial | Icterus icterus (croconotus) | 1 at Aquario Natural, Bonito. Seen daily in small numbers in the Pantanal, max 6/day. |
| Scarlet-headed Blackbird | Amblyrhamphus holosericeus | 3, c25kms (?) S. of Pixaim, 27/8. |
| Yellow-rumped Marshbird | Psuedoleistes guirahuro | Up to 6/day at the Zagaia, 1 on the way out of the Pantanal, pools nr the top of the Transpantaneira |
| White-browed Blackbird | Leistes superciliaris | 5 en route from Campo Grande to Bonito, and 3 on the return journey |
| Tropical Parula | Parula pitiayumi | 1 at the Grutas Sao Miguel, Bonito, 1 S. of Pixaim, Pantanal, 1 at the Pao de Açucar, Rio. |
| White-bellied Warbler | Basileuterus hypoleucus | 2-4 seen every day in small area of woodland at the Zagaia. |
| Golden-crowned Warbler | Basileuterus culcivorus | 5, Tijuca N.P., Rio. |
| Bananaquit | Coereba flaveola | 1 Ibirapuera, S.P., 3 in scrub around the Pousada Pixaim, Pantanal, 27/8, 15 Jardim Botanico, Rio, 31/8. |
| Blue Dacnis | Dacnis cayana | 1 at the Grutas Sao Miguel, Bonito, female at Portao da Fe, CdosG. |
| Swallow Tanager | Tersina viridis | 6, Veu de Novia, CdosG, 28/8, 2 on the walk to the smaller waterfalls opposite the Veu de Novia, 29/8. |
| Green-headed Tanager | Tangara seledon | 6+ Jardim Botanico, Rio, 31/8, and again in Tijuca N.P. A stunning species. |
| Red-necked Tanager | Tangara cyanocephala | Equally gorgeous, 6 Tijuca N.P., Rio. |
| Burnished-Buff Tanager | Tangara cayana | 1 male on the walk to the smaller waterfalls opp. Veu de Novia. |
| Thick-billed Euphonia | Euphonia laniirostris | 1 male in the woods behind Portao da Fe, CdosG, 29/8. |
| Purple-throated Euphonia | Euphonia chlorotica | A pair S. of the river at Pixaim, a pair at the Jardim Botanico, Rio, 31/8. |
| Violaceous Euphonia | Euphonia violacea | A pair at the Jardim Botanico, Rio, 31/8. |
| Sayaca Tanager | Thraupis sayaca | Common everywhere. |
| Golden-chevroned Tanager | Thraupis ornata | 1, fairly high up towards Bom Retrio, Tijuca N.P., Rio. |
| Palm Tanager | Thraupis palmarum | With Sayaca-, the commonest Tanager, seen almost everywhere. |
| Brazilian Tanager | Ramphocelus bresilius | 1 flew just over our heads at the middle station on the way up to the Pao de Açucar, Rio. Sightseeing pays off… |
| Silver-beaked Tanager | Ramphocelus carbo | One of the commonest Tanagers in the SW, up to 15/day Bonito, the Pantanal. |
| Red-crowned Ant-Tanager | Habia rubica | A male and 2 females Jardim Botanico, Rio, 31/8, and c15 in Tijuca N.P. Always the first species to respond to pishing, and then make so much noise you can't hear anything else… |
| White-lined Tanager | Tachyphonus rufus | A pair in the woods behind the compound, Portao da Fe, CdosG. |
| Flame-crested Tanager | Tachyphonus cristatus | 1 Jardim Botanico, Rio, 31/8. |
| Grey-headed Tanager | Euucometis penicillata | Common in small numbers around Bonito. |
| Hooded Tanager | Nemosia pileata | 1 at an obvious, long densely-wooded pool which extended either side of the road, S. of Pixaim, feeding in a mixed flock high in trees, 27/8 was the only bird we saw. |
| Orange-headed Tanager | Thlypopsis sordida | 1 male, Ibirapuera, S.P. I've seen these in very small numbers in gardens in S.P. on most business trips. |
| White-banded Tanager | Neothraupis fasciata | 6+ along the rd to Agua Fria, 1 in front of Portao da Fe, CdosG. |
| Buff-throated Saltator | Saltator maximus | Small numbers daily in the Pantanal. |
| Grayish Saltator | Saltator caerulescens | Small numbers daily in the Pantanal. |
| Black-throated Saltator | Saltator atricollis | 3 along the rd to Agua Fria, CdosG |
| Red-crested Cardinal | Paroaria coronata | 1 Ibirapuera, S.P., very common in the Pantanal |
| Yellow-billed Cardinal | Paroaria capitata | Abundant in the Pantanal. |
| Blue Finch | Porphyrospiza caerulescens | 1 seen on the walk to the smaller waterfalls opposite the Veu de Novia, (access from the car park at the end of the right fork of the Morro de Sao Jeronimo rd) |
| Blue-black Grassquit | Volatinia jacarina | A pair at the Zagaia, Bonito. 1 female S. of the river at Pixaim, Pantanal. |
| Lesser Seed-Finch | Oryzoborus angolensis | A pair S. of the river at Pixaim. |
| Rusty-collared Seedeater | Sporophila collaris | 6 nr Pixaim, Pantanal, 26/8, other singles elsewhere in the Pantanal |
| White-bellied Seedeater | Sporophila leucoptera | A pair along the rd to Agua Fria, CdosG |
| Coal-crested Finch | Charitospiza eucosma | 1 stunning male seen 2kms down the rd to Agua Fria, CdosG |
| Saffron Finch | Sicalis luteola | Fairly common in small numbers in the Pantanal. |
| Red-pileated (-crested) Finch | Coryphospingus cucullatus | Only 2 seen, on the way in to the Pantanal on the 1st day, c20kms N. (?) of Pixaim |
| Saffron-billed Sparrow | Arremon flavirostris | 2 in scrub opposite the Pousada Pixaim, Pantanal, 27/8, 1 at Portao da Fe, CdosG. |
| Grassland Sparrow | Ammodramus aurifrons | 1 seen on the walk to the smaller waterfalls opposite the Veu de Novia, 29/8. |
| Rufous-collared Sparrow | Zonotrichia capensis | Common. |
| Common Waxbill | Estrilda astrild | A group of 8 scoped from a Jardims rooftop in S.P. |
| House Sparrow | Passer domesticus | Fairly common around habitation. |
(267 Species total)
Chris Goodie
chrisg@focusrite.com