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BRAZIL

6 - 20 August 1996

by R.W.Goldbach

This is a report on bird observations done during a combined birding/business trip to Manaus, Campo Grande and Dourados.

Itinerary:

06 August Amsterdam - Sao Paulo by Varig (dep. 21.10 p.m., arr. 07.25 am)
07 August Sao Paulo - Manaus (Varig, dep. 10.45 am, arrival 13.15 p.m.) 
08 August Manaus: birding around Hotel Tropical at Ponta Negra
09 August Manaus: drive by rented car along BR 174 to approx. 80 km N of Manaus
10 August Manaus: roadside birding N and NW of Ponta Negra
11 August Manaus - Porto Velho - Rio Branco - Campo Grande (dep. 07.30 am, arr. 14.25 pm) 
11-16 August Campo Grande: Annual Congress of Brazilian Society for Phytopathology
16 August Drive to Bonito (330 km SW of Campo Grande) 
17 August Bonito: Visit to Olho d'Agua; return via Miranda to Campo Grande
18 August Campo Grande - Dourados by bus (210 km, dep. 08.30 am, arr. 11.20 am), visit to EMBRAPA institute
19 August Dourados - Campo Grande by bus (210 km, dep. 08.30 am., arr. 12.30 pm); late afternoon flight to Sao Paulo, connecting flight to Amsterdam (dep. 22.50 pm) 
20 August Arrival Amsterdam (17.00 pm)

Information on the Locations Visited:

Manaus

Manaus turned out to be an expensive place for a solitary visitor: hotel prices are generally high, and renting a car is extremely costly (270 USD for 2 days at AVIS). The normal rate for Hotel Tropical at Ponta Negra is 220 Real (230 USD) per night, only including breakfast. A reduced rate of 75 USD per night could be obtained thanks to a personal contact via a Brazilian colleague. Hotel Tropical is situated along the Rio Negro. The grounds of the hotel, and the forest patches around, are very rich in (forest) birds, and will keep a birder busy for more than a day. Two species of monkeys were seen here, including the threatened Pied Bare-face, as well as a Three-toed Sloth.

On August 9 birding was done along the BR 174 till approx. 65 km North of the police checkpoint. The Ducke Nature Reserve appeared to be inaccessible by normal car, moreover a permit was needed, which could not be obtained at the gate. On August 10 birding was done along the unpaved roads N and NW of Ponta Negra and again around Hotel Tropical.

Best birding is from dawn to 09.00 am, and from 16.00 pm to dusk. The temperature and the extremely high humidity slows down your and birds' activities during the day. August is at the beginning of the dry season, and except for some very short and heavy showers it was dry indeed. Boots and rain coat were not required. Insects got nasty at dusk but were not a major problem.

Birds indicated with * in the list were seen at Sao Paulo airport, during transfer.

Campo Grande

A congress was held at Campo Grande from August 11 till 16. During that time some short walks were made from the conference centre into the surroundings which contained some cerrado vegetation. Some additional bird species were seen from the hotel (Exceler Plaza).

Bonito

Bonito, approx. 330 km SW of Campo Grande, is a popular place for Brazilian tourists. Situated in the dry area south of the Pantanal, Bonito has some very clear streams, rich in many fish species. Diving and swimming trips can be made. During our stay I birded in and around the riverine forests surrounding these streams, especially around the Olho d'Agua on August 17. Here some (very) good birds were seen, including the marvelous Red-and-green Macaw. In the drier areas (and farm land) Red-legged Seriemas and Greater Rheas were present. On the way back to Campo Grande a few marshy areas were visited close to Miranda, at the edge of the Pantanal.

Dourados

At Dourados an EMBRAPA institute and its experimental fields were visited. The birds seen here were at the experimental fields, and around Dourados.

Species List

- Species Manaus Campo
Grande		 Bonito Dourados
001 Greater Rhea     16  
002 Chaco Chachalaca     2  
003 Little Chachalaca 10      
004 Red-legged Seriema     24 1
005 Red-winged Tinamou     2  
006 Jabiru     1  
007 Maguari Stork     1  
008 Wood Stork     100  
009 White-necked (Cocoi) Heron     1  
010 Great Egret 1   25 15
011 Snowy Egret       3
012 Cattle Egret   100 ++ ++
013 Rufescent Tiger-heron     2  
014 Whistling Heron     1 1
015 Striated Heron 1      
016 Plumbeous Ibis     10  
017 Limpkin     3  
018 Bare-faced Ibis     25  
019 Anhinga     1  
020 Olivaceous Cormorant     1  
021 Turkey Vulture 10   ++ +
022 Greater Yellow-headed Vulture 5      
023 Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture       1
024 Black Vulture ++ ++ ++ ++
025 Black-shouldered Kite       2
026 Snail Kite     20  
027 Plumbeous Kite 6   1  
028 Gray Kite     1  
029 Roadside Hawk 2   2  
030 Savannah Hawk     3  
031 Black-collared Hawk 1   1  
032 Sharp-shinned (Rufous-thighed) Hawk   2    
033 Crested Caracara 2   10 2
034 Yellow-headed Caracara 5   3  
035 Bat Falcon 1      
036 American Kestrel   1 10 10
037 Wattled Jacana     2 2
038 Lesser Yellowlegs     1  
039 Southern Lapwing   2 + +
040 Large-billed Tern 1      
041 Yellow-billed Tern 1      
042 Picazuro Pigeon   4 ++ +
043 Ruddy Pigeon 2      
044 White-tipped Dove 1   1  
045 Grey-fronted Dove     5  
046 Eared Dove     5 5
047 Scaled Dove     25  
048 Long-tailed Ground Dove   1    
049 Common Ground Dove 3      
050 Ruddy Ground Dove   1 10 25
051 Picui Ground Dove     5  
052 Red-and-green Macaw     2  
053 Red-bellied Macaw 35      
054 Peach-fronted Parakeet     40  
055 Canary-winged Parakeet   2 6  
056 Tui Parakeet 20      
057 Sapphire-rumped Parrotlet 5      
058 Festive Parrot 12      
059 Turquoise-fronted Parrot     30  
060 Red-fan Parrot 5      
061 Blue-headed Parrot 50      
062 Greater Ani     1  
063 Smooth-billed Ani + 4 ++ ++
064 Guira Cuckoo   + ++ ++
065 Squirrel Cuckoo 5 1 2  
066 Striped Cuckoo   3    
067 Burrowing Owl   1 3 3
068 Ferruginous Pygmy Owl     1  
069 Common Potoo       1
070 Nacunda Nighthawk       40
071 Fork-tailed Palm Swift 50      
072 Band-rumped Swift 50      
073 Short-tailed Swift 10      
074 Grey-breasted Martin 50   5  
075 Brown-chested Martin 10      
076 Southern Rough-winged Swallow ++   2  
077 Blue-and-white Swallow 15*      
078 White-winged Swallow 12      
079 White-rumped Swallow     3  
080 Planalto Hermit     1  
081 Glittering Throated Emerald 1   1  
082 Swallow-tailed Hummingbird     2  
083 Blue-crowned Trogon   1 1  
084 Ringed Kingfisher     2  
085 Green Kingfisher     1  
086 Black Nunbird 2      
087 Pied Puffbird 2      
088 Swallow-Wing 25      
089 Toco Toucan     20 1
090 Red-billed Toucan 15      
091 Green Aracari 10      
092 Crimson-crested Woodpecker 1      
093 Campo Flicker     7 3
094 Green-barred Woodpecker     1  
095 Ringed Woodpecker 1      
096 Yellow-tufted Woodpecker 2      
097 Golden-collared Woodpecker 1      
098 Golden-spangled Piculet 2      
099 Wedge-billed Woodcreeper 1      
100 Rufous Hornero   4 20 4
101 Rusty-backed Spinetail     4  
102 Rusty-backed Antwren     2  
103 Pompadour Cotinga 7      
104 Spangled Cotinga 1      
105 Masked Tityra     1  
106 White-fronted Manakin 3      
107 Cattle Tyrant     4  
108 Wing-barred Water Tyrant     1  
109 Grey Monjita   1    
110 White-rumped Monjita     3  
111 White Monjita     3  
112 Tropical Kingbird 40      
113 White-throated Kingbird 5      
114 Great Kiskadee 4 10 20 10
115 Lesser Kiskadee 2      
116 Rusty-margined Flycatcher     2  
117 Social Flycatcher 5   4  
118 Streaked Flycatcher 1      
119 Brown-crested Flycatcher   1    
120 Streamer-tailed Tyrant     1  
121 Sirystes 1      
122 Rufous Casiornis     2  
123 Lesser Elaenia 1      
124 Forest Elaenia 1      
125 Fork-tailed Flycatcher 75 2    
126 Yellow-browed Tyrant     2  
127 Variegated Flycatcher 3      
128 Piratic Flycatcher 3      
129 Tropical Peewee   1    
130 Grey-crowned Flycatcher 1      
131 Vermilion Flycatcher     1  
132 Long-tailed Tyrant     1  
133 Mouse-coloured Tyrannulet 2      
134 Southern Beardless Tyrannulet     2  
135 Striped-necked Tody-Tyrant 2      
136 Common Tody-Tyrant 2*      
137 Plush-crested Jay     9  
138 Purplish Jay     3  
139 Cream-bellied Thrush   1    
140 Rufous-bellied Thrush 1* 4    
141 Black-billed Thrush 40      
142 White-necked Thrush 2      
143 Chalk-browed Mockingbird     4  
144 Black-capped Mocking-Thrush     1  
145 House Wren 6      
146 Rufous-browed Peppershrike 3 1 1  
147 Red-eyed Vireo 3   1  
148 Green Honeycreeper 2      
149 Red-legged Honeycreeper 1      
150 Blue Dacnis 3      
151 Bananaquit 10 3 1  
152 Yellow-rumped Cacique 50      
153 Red-rumped Cacique 5   5  
154 Solitary Cacique 2      
155 Chopi Blackbird     30  
156 Red-breasted Blackbird 5      
157 Troupial     1  
158 Epaulet Oriole     2  
159 Yellow-rumped Marshbird     7  
160 Shiny Cowbird 10      
161 Flavescent Warbler     2  
162 Silver-beaked Tanager ++      
163 Blue-grey Tanager ++      
164 Sayaca Tanager 10*   1  
165 Palm Tanager 20      
166 Turquoise Tanager 6      
167 Spotted Tanager 3      
168 Purple-throated Euphonia     1  
169 Golden-bellied Euphonia 2      
170 Opal-rumped Tanager 2      
171 Fulvous-crested Tanager 1      
172 Saffron-billed Sparrow     1  
173 Red-crested Finch   6 14  
174 Saffron Yellow-Finch     6  
175 Common Waxbill 20      
176 Black-capped Warbling-Finch     1  
177 House Sparrow   2 + +
178 Grassland Sparrow     1  
179 Yellow-browed Sparrow 10      
180 Chestnut-bellied Seedeater 3      
181 Orange-fronted Yellow-Finch 4      
182 Blue-black Grassquit 9   1  
183 Lesser Seed Finch 2      
184 Red-capped Cardinal 2      
185 Yellow-billed Cardinal     1  
R.W. Goldbach,
Hollandseweg 159,
6705 BC Wageningen,
The Netherlands;

Rob.Goldbach@medew.viro.wau.nl

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