Tours

Birding the Pantanal and Chapada dos Guimarães

Sunset in the Pantanal

The largest wetland in the World, the Pantanal is one of the last major untouched nature reserves on the face of the earth, and a land of superlatives. The wildlife is amazingly abundant here, and it’s seasonally flooded plains attract immense quantities of birds and caimans, and is also one of the most mammal rich areas of South America. The Transpantaneira road transects the northern portion of the Pantanal and offers the visitor close encounters with Jabiru storks, Roseate Spoonbills, Southern Screamers, at least four species of ibises, several species of birds of prey, egrets, herons and many other animals that come to the ditches along the road in search of water and food, making every drive a great safari.

Key bird species include Red-legged Seriema, Agami and Zigzag herons, Chestnut-bellied Guan, Sungrebe and Sunbittern, Hyacinth Macaw, Long-tailed Ground Dove, Black-banded Owl, White-fronted and Pale-crested Woodpeckers, White-lored and Cinereous-breasted Spinetails, Mato Grosso Antbird, Planalto Slaty Antshrike, Subtropical Doradito, Helmeted Manakin, Red-billed Scythebill, Flavescent Warbler, Moustached & Fawn-breasted Wrens, Purplish Jay, Orange-backed Troupial, and many others. Among the mammals possible on this trip are Capybara, Crab-eating Raccoon, South-American Coati, Southern Tamandua, Giant Anteater, Black Howler monkey, Black-striped Tufted Capuchin, Crab-eating Fox, Ocelot, Marsh Deer, Giant Otter, and Brazilian Tapir.

While the Pantanal lies in a low-altitude sedimentary plain, Chapada dos Guimarães National Park sits atop the Brazilian Central Plateau, on a very scenic area comprised by cerrado scrubland bordered by huge sandstone cliffs and lush gallery forest. This land is home for many of the Cerrado's specialties, such as Greater Rhea and Red-legged Seriema, Horned Sungem, Collared Crescentchest, Rufous-winged Antshrike, recently described Chapada Flycatcher and some rarities such as the Rufous-sided Pygmy-Tyrant and the Yellow-billed Blue Finch. The red sandstone cliffs are also home for Red-and-green and Blue-winged Macaws, Biscutate Swifts and some big raptors too, including Ornate and Black-and-white Hawk-Eagles, Crowned Eagle and Black-chested Buzzard Eagle.

Colared Crescentchest

During this eight days trip we will be based in three different lodges, what gives us better wildlife-viewing opportunities. Our days should have an early start with full mornings exploring mostly easy terrain, followed by a midday break after lunch. At some nights we will have night excursions in search of mammals and nocturnal birds.

For a complete list of species, a detailed itinerary and quoting, please contact us.