Tropical Birding tour report - Brazil June 2006

Brazil Introtour (4-11 June)
Brazilian Cerrado (11-18 June)
Atlantic Rainforest Endemics (18-30 June)

Our June tour program to Brazil was a great success! The birds were cooperating and we had good activity almost everywhere. The groups were friendly, lively, and fun, and that always makes a huge difference. Throw in the good Brazilian food, some of those tasty caipirinhas, and World Cup fever for an even more unique experience. The most amazing thing of all was the weather. With 27 days in Brazil you can reasonably expect some rain, but we hardly had any, and what we did have didn't impact the birding at all. All but a few days were beautiful, sunny, and not too hot - a windy day at Algulhas Negras caused some grief, but overall we hardly could have been luckier.

We offered three departures that could be combined or taken separately. Some of the group chose the first two tours for a two week trip, others picked the latter two for a three week trip, while some clients had time only to do one of the trips. Due to the overlap, I have chosen to write one report for the three trips together - please forgive me if this causes inconvenience (or pain! Inevitably each group sees its own special birds, and no one apart from me did all three trips together).

Tour A: Brazil Introtour
4-11 June
Chuck and Nancy Bell, Marge and Joe Crouch, Sonia Jupp, Barry and Michelle Miller, Sally Wechsler.

This was a shorter Atlantic Rainforest tour concentrating on a fairly small area in and around the Serra dos Órgãos mountain range in the state of Rio de Janeiro. We were based most of the time in the very nice Guapiassu Bird Lodge, but had two nights at a more basic hotel in the mountains to be able to bird the high elevations more easily. Bird activity overall was excellent with many mixed-species flocks and good vocal activity.

The tour started in the Rio airport as most of our flights arrived in the middle of the morning. Once we all made it, we headed off to Guapiassu Bird Lodge in the 5000 hectare Reserva Ecologica de Guapiassu (REGUA). We had our first of many hearty Brazilian lunches then had a few hours to "get our eyes in" birding around the lodge and the nearby restored wetlands.

Over the next few days we concentrated on the lowland forest trails in the reserve. Flocks were really active, and we often could not make much progress along the trail because there was so much to see. The Waterfall Trail treated us to some real gems like Gray-hooded Attila, Scaled Antbird, Spot-backed Antshrike, Crescent-chested Puffbird, and an incredibly confiding Rufous-capped Antthrush. Higher up in the reserve we nailed some really special endemics like the incredibly cute Eared Pygmy-Tyrant and the spectacular White-bibbed Antbird. We also ran into our first Spot-billed Toucanet - really one of the most outrageous birds of the Atlantic Rainforest. The wetlands near the lodge offer some really easy birding (except for the crakes...) and we spent several afternoons here. Rufescent Tiger-Herons, wild Muscovy Ducks, various kingfishers, Tail-banded Horneros, Campo Flickers, and flocks of spectacular Brazilian Tanagers were some of the neat birds here, but there were plenty more. See the trip list at the end for all of them.

After three nights at Guapiassu, we were ready to move further afield. We rose early for the long drive over the mountain range to an anonymous dirt road that is famous for its population of Three-toed Jacamars (photo right), the rarest and most endangered member of this family on the planet. They were especially easy to see this year, and we ran into several before we even got to my "regular" site. Nearby we watched noisy and colorful Blue-winged Macaws fly in front of the hills, and a pygmy-owl imitation brought in a mob of angry birds like Hooded Tanager, Three-toed Jacamar (©Nick Athanas)

Chestnut-vented Conebill, and the lovely Gilt-edged Tanager. The rest of the day we birded our way towards the city of Nova Friburgo, stopping for various open-country specialties like Whistling Heron, Streamer-tailed Tyrant, White-eared Puffbird, and two species of monjita. We passed through the city and carried on up a narrow cobblestone road towards our hotel, but had to stop short for three Red-legged Seriemas standing on top of a hill. There was panic when the van door jammed and Nancy nearly climbed out the window before a few well-placed blows popped it open and we all got out to enjoy them - it was a family tick for many. A nice way to end the day.

Next day we made our assault on Pico Caledônia, aided by a 4WD Land Rover that took us up much higher than the van could go. The high-elevation forests here don't have much diversity, but the birds are quite different from what we saw lower down. Beautiful Diademed and Brassy-breasted Tanagers were among the first that we saw, followed by a handsome Yellow-browed Woodpecker. We then took some time to call in the endemic Rufous-tailed Antbird before carrying on up the slope. Eventually the road turns into a series of steps that go all the way to the summit of the mountain. These steps pass through scrub just above treeline that is the perfect habitat for the endemic Itatiaia Thistletail, and with a little persistence nearly everyone saw it well. Some of us carried on up to the summit for the panoramic view before heading back down. By now clouds were starting to build and we made a serious effort to see the mega-rare Gray-winged Cotinga. Unfortunately we only heard it a few times, and it never put in an appearance. In the afternoon we birded closer to the hotel where we saw, among other things, several Shear-tailed Gray-Tyrants (photo below) coming down to the ground, very odd behavior for this tree-loving flycatcher.

On our second day in the highlands, we headed for a private reserve near Macaé de Cima owned by the orchid expert David Miller. En-route we stopped to bird a patch of forest for Dusky-tailed Antbird and Gray-capped Tyrannulet when a Giant Antshrike started calling really close to the road. Luckily, this impressive beast decided to come in and check us out, and we saw a female reasonably well through gaps in the dense vegetation. Higher up in the reserve proper, we saw some of the most unforgettable birds of the trip - Bertoni's Antbird surprisingly came totally out in the open for us, and farther up we had a great view of a Hooded Berryeater (photo above), followed shortly thereafter by a singing Black-and-gold Cotinga perched in a tree right overhead. David's feeders had a variety of hummers including the endemic Brazilian Ruby and the frenetic Scale-throated Hermit - a good place to have our picnic lunch. In the afternoon we made our way back to Guapiassu, where the reserve manager, Nicholas Locke, gave a talk and slideshow about the history of the reserve and their ambitious plans for the future.

We arose early again to head for the Atlantic coast to search for the endemic and endangered Restinga Antwren, restricted to dense scrub near the coast, a habitat that is fast disappearing due to development. My old site seems to have been converted to a salt evaporation pond, but with a little exploration we found another patch, and one of the first birds we found was a very cooperative Restinga Antwren. The scrub is also good for the little endemic Hangnest Tody-Tyrant, which we found after a longer search. After looking at some terns, boobies, and frigatebirds we headed back to Guapiassu for lunch. The highlight of the afternoon was a pair of Rufous-capped Motmots that required a lot of work, scrambling up a slope after their odd hooting calls, but eventually we all got on it.

The last morning of the trip was not wasted - after some last-minute birding around the lodge, we drove to the Serra dos Órgãos National Park to look for some of the montane species we still needed. Despite the masses of hikers enjoying the beautiful Sunday morning, we stumbled onto some great mixed flocks with Sharp-billed and Pale-browed Treehunters, Brown and Azure-shouldered Tanagers, and plenty more. On the way back down we managed good views of the skulking Brazilian Antthrush and a surprisingly friendly Mouse-colored Tapaculo. A great way to end the trip, and we headed off to the airport to catch our flight to Belo Horizonte to start the next portion of the tour.

Tour B: Brazilian Cerrado
11-18 June
Chuck and Nancy Bell, Steve Gast, Sonia Jupp, Noel Mann, Sally Wechsler

This week-long tour was designed to be taken with one of the Atlantic Rainforest tours, There's no reason why it couldn't be taken along, but no one did. This was very much a tour to target rare and endemic species as overall numbers were not very high, and we were pretty successful with that, finding most of our targets.

Our Varig flight to BH was over an hour late, but fortunately there wasn't any birding planned for the afternoon anyway. We drove an hour and a half to our hotel near the Serra de Cipó mountain range and enjoyed a quiet night. Next morning we drove to the mountain pass and started walking up. The grassy slopes were interspersed with patches of dense scrub and rocky outcrops, a totally different landscape to what we had before. The birds were totally different too, and there were a lot fewer of them around. One of the first that we saw was a beautiful endemic hummer called the Hyacinth Visorbearer. They turned out to be pretty common, and later in the day we even found a female sitting on a nest. Soon after we saw the first of several Gray-backed Tachuris, small endemic flycatchers. A male Rufous-winged Antshrike was also a nice find. Higher up we paused to look at some Gray Monjitas and Yellow-rumped Marshbirds before searching in earnest for our main quarry, the rare, endemic Cipó Canastero. The wind had picked up making it difficult, and we heard and glimpsed several before finally finding a sheltered valley where we all enjoyed good views of this shy bird. After lunch we birded some scrubby habitat lower down, where the highlight was a pair of Cinereous Warbling-Finches, and the following morning, battling drizzle and wind, we finally saw our last main target, a Pale-throated Serra-Finch, before heading of to Caraça.

Caraça is a private reserve surrounding an old monastery that has now been converted to a lodge. The habitat is an odd mix of cerrado and montane Atlantic rainforest - we concentrated mainly on the forested parts as we had seen most of the cerrado birds in Cipó. The first afternoon was surprisingly active with lots of flocks, but it was the Large-tailed Antshrike that came in almost close enough to touch that really made the afternoon.

For years the monks have put out chicken for the wild Maned Wolves that roam the reserve, and even before we went for dinner we saw one lurking near the stairs of the church. Apparently the wolves' dinner took precedence, as we had hardly begun before a staff member announced that they were about to put the chicken out. We raced down to grab cameras then sat an watched the beautiful beast come in and timidly crunch up the pieces of chicken, bones and all.

Next morning was absolutely fantastic - the birds seemed to be enjoying the warm, sunny day and everywhere we looked there was something to see. A roadside flock with confiding Serra and Black-capped Antwrens, Gray-eyed Greenlets, and others kept us busy for a while, but they kept coming fast once we got inside the forest with two more Large-tailed Antshrikes, a pair of Ochre-rumped Antbird, and a White-breasted Tapaculo that tried unsuccessfully to hide from us in a crack in a tree. Undoubtedly the highlight of the morning was the flock of at least 14 Swallow-tailed Cotingas (photo right) that we found in a fruiting tree right by the trail. The afternoon was slower, but we did manage to see a Serra Tyrant-Manakin that caused some confusion, since the yellow in its crown was totally hidden.

The temperature started to plummet overnight, and by morning it was uncomfortably cold. The birds didn't like it any more than we did and they were shockingly quiet compared to the day before. We decided to head off to Canastra a little earlier than planned to have some late afternoon birding in the cerrado. This plan worked well as we stopped near a farm near dusk that was absolutely loaded with birds. The trees were sagging with hundreds of parakeets of three different species: Peach-fronted, White-eyed, and Yellow-chevroned, while a pair of Red-legged Seriemas strutted around on the other side of the road. The late afternoon light made everything look magical.

We had two full days at Canastra, one in the farmland and gallery forest at the base of the plateau, and another in the rolling grasslands on top. The Brazilian Merganser, the bird for which the park is most famous, can be found in both areas, but it is much easier on the lower side, so that's where we went first. Luck was on our side as it was almost the first bird we encountered, a lone bird swimming along a bend in the river for a few minutes until it took off and flew upstream. Later in the day we saw it again in the same spot. With "the Duck" out of the way, we were able to enjoy a constant stream of birds along the road like Toco Toucan (photo above), Plush-crested Jay, and a bunch of finches, that made us arrive at the gallery forest rather late. Despite the large number of visitors, we still had a smashing view of a Helmeted Manakin, then found a big flock with Gilt-edged Tanager, Pin-tailed Manakin, White-rimmed and White-bellied Warblers and others.

During lunch, a park worker told us that there was a merganser on a nest near the visitor's center, but politely requested that we not risk disturbing the birds since we had already seen one well. On the way back to the hotel in the afternoon we were lucky to see three Golden-capped Parakeets perched in a tree by the side of the road. This is a rare and beautiful endemic birds that I had only ever seen in flight before. If that wasn't enough, the hummer feeders we stopped to look at in Vargem Bonita really capped off the day - the Stripe-breasted Starthroats and Planalto Hermits were the favorites of the six species there.

The birding was a lot harder the next day up on the plateau, with some of the finches staying hidden in the grass and a shy Brasilia Tapaculo that few people saw, but it was still fun to be up in that totally different landscape. Both Cock-tailed (photo left) and Sharp-tailed Tyrants were easy to find and we had great views of both of these odd flycatchers, both now threatened due to the destruction of their grassland habitat. Walking around in the grass we tried to flush up some finches, and we managed to see Wedge-tailed Grass-Finch, Great Pampa-Finch, and Grassland Sparrow, but only Sonia managed to see the Black-masked Finch. We also tracked down a lone Giant Anteater, which could stay surprisingly well hidden in the tall grass.

We needed an early start to make it back to the airport on the final day - or so we thought. Our flight back to Rio was over two hours late, but at least we were able to find a terrific restaurant where we could watch Brazil beat Australia in a World Cup match. We finally made it on the plane and back to Rio in time to catch connecting flights or start the next tour. (Varig, which is on the verge of bankruptcy, cancelled many of their flights the following week, so we were actually quite fortunate to get through with only a two hour delay).

Tour C: Atlantic Rainforest Endemics
18-30 June
Bob Ambrose, Mike Austin, Peta Constable, Steve Gast, Noel Mann, John Williamson

This was a longer Atlantic Rainforest tour covering a lot more ground than the Introtour. We started at REGUA again but then headed west through the top birding sites between Rio and São Paulo.

Thanks to the late Varig flight, we didn't get to Guapiassu Bird Lodge until just about dark. We were based here for five nights, alternately birding the reserve itself and doing daytrips to various sites around the Serra dos Órgãos mountains.

At REGUA, we once again failed to reach the waterfall on the Waterfall Trail due to the number of birds we ran into along the way. We did particularly well on foliage-gleaners, getting nice scope views of a singing White-eyed Foliage-gleaner and seeing the smart Black-capped along with Ochre-breasted and Buff-fronted in the mixed-species flocks we found along the way. A Ringed Antpipit showed well, coming up to several higher perches, and we had our first endemic antbirds, with the nice-looking Star-throated Antwren and Scaled Antbird. Definitely the best find of the day was a fantastic Shrike-like Cotinga that came into playback giving its distinctive series of downslurred whistles, though the cracking male Black-cheeked Gnateater was likely a close second.

Our morning on the higher trail was a lot quieter, but certainly had its moments. Early on we saw three different parrots perched: Plain Parakeet, Maroon-bellied Parakeet, and Scaly-headed Parrot, much more satisfying than the usual quick flyovers. Nearby was an active pair of Eared Pygmy-Tyrants, and farther up the forest we found flocks with Yellow-eared Woodpecker and Thrush-like Woodcreeper as well as our first group of Spot-breasted Antvireos. Later we birded our way back down the track watching neck-breaking canopy flocks with poor views of Streak-capped and Rufous-winged Antwrens (fortunately we saw both much better later in the trip), and finally, the endemic Eye-ringed Tody-Tyrant.

Walking around the wetland gave us the usual set of birds plus our only White Woodpeckers, a nice soaring Rufous-thighed Hawk, and the endemic Long-billed Wren. Sunset was beautiful from the new tower/hide overlooking the swamp, and we enjoyed some Biscutate Swifts flying low enough to see their broken collar. As dusk fell the spotlight came out an we managed to beam some Pauraques, a Common Potoo (rare here!), and a Tropical Screech-Owl, when a Giant Snipe started calling. We gave a brief chase before it became obvious that it was too far away and it was now too dark to have any chance to see it. Later that night a pair of stunning Tawny-browed Owls called in - luckily for those who were asleep, they came in again as we were getting up early on the morning we left.

Our day at Macaé de Cima was surely one of the most memorable of the trip. The weather was not promising - a chilly, windy morning with periods of drizzle. After a brief spurt of great birds like Shear-tailed Gray-Tyrant, Red-eyed Thornbird, and Gray-capped Tyrannulet, it became really difficult, with few birds singing, and the few that were simply not coming in. Frustration was running high as a big flock came blasting through so fast that we hardly identified anything in it, and a Hooded Berryeater called a few times and vanished without a trace. Things were not looking good - a lot of these birds we would have few if any chances to see again. But miraculously the weather improved and the birds came out, with a fantastic series of some of the best birds in the Atlantic Forest. A singing male Black-and-gold Cotinga started it all followed by a nice Sharpbill, then the incomparable Spot-billed Toucanet. After enjoying some hummers at the feeders, our string continued with a flock full of (among other things) Rufous-backed Antvireos and Sharp-billed Treehunters. Later a Giant Antshrike put in a brief appearance and a beautiful Bertoni's Antbird finally came out into full view. A calling Barred Forest-Falcon drew us farther down the mountain and led us straight to an amazing Hooded Berryeater, feeding on berries low to the ground, not worried about the 7 birders only 15 feet away, or even the bird-eating falcon calling nearby. To cap off the day, the fierce forest-falcon finally came in (and fortunately did not become a Barred Berryeater-eater).

Our day in Sumidouro was productive as we saw more or less the same birds as on the Introtour, though a flock of Curl-crested Jays spotted en-route were a nice surprise. The Three-toed Jacamars were easy and the Blue-winged Macaws flew over on schedule. A nice addition was Sooty Grassquit - not exactly a stunning bird, but not recorded very often either. I can't blame Mike for lingering to look at the Red-legged Seriemas before running down to get the grassquit just in time. One of the most memorable birds of the day was a pair of Streamer-tailed Tyrants (photo right) displaying together on a wire, throwing themselves up and lifting their wings while calling.

We finally left REGUA for Itatiaia, taking a detour to the coast to see Restinga Antwren and various coastal birds first. We arrived at the famed Hotel do Ypê, the highest and best hotel in the park, to find an absolute bonanza at the bird feeders. Never have I seen such a brilliant group of birds concentrated in such a small area. It was a swirl of colors with Blue-naped Chlorophonias (photo left), Green-headed Tanagers, Yellow-fronted Woodpeckers, Chestnut-bellied Euphonias all at the feeders. A short time later they were joined by a gang of the outrageous Saffron Toucanet, and we even scoped a pair of Red-breasted Toucans in a distant tree at the same time. The hummer feeders weren't bad either with the typical highland species including our first Black Jacobin of the trip. The show was so good we spent most of the afternoon there.

You can't see everything at feeders, and early next morning we headed down the road into the forest. We couldn't get very far before we were distracted by a big mixed species flock in a bamboo patch highlighted by White-bearded Antshrike and Black-billed Scythebill. Shortly thereafter a loud double-rap announced the presence of a Robust Woodpecker, and we were able to track it down, eventually seeing a pair perched nicely on the end of a dead snag. Farther down along a trail we heard a Brazilian Antthrush, and were able to get off the trail into a nice open "theater" where we called it in for an incredible show. In the afternoon we birded lower down in the park and found a few new ones like a Surucua Trogon that seemed to be glued to a wire and the unassuming Greenish Schiffornis. The various other hummer feeders in the park that used to be good now all seem to be gone or neglected, and we did not see much on them.

We needed an early start to get up to the higher elevations of the park on the Algulhas Negras road. Unfortunately, several of the party were struggling with food poisoning - this was surprising and disappointing as the Ypê has reputation of having the best restaurant in the park - but these things can happen anywhere. That wasn't a good start to the day, and the windy weather we had up there did not improve the situation. This was the hardest day of birding of the trip by an order of magnitude, with almost everything being a struggle and even normally easy species not performing or else being a lot of hard work. That's not to say there weren't any highlights - the mega-views of a male Large-tailed Antshrike topped the list, but we also had good views of Black-capped Piprites, Serra Tyrant-Manakin, Araucaria Tit-Spinetail, and Rufous-tailed Antbird. Oddly, some birds were present in extraordinarily large numbers. We some flocks of dozens of birds, all of which were Diademed Tanagers, Bay-chested Warbling-Finch, and Red-rumped Warbling-Finch.

Chestnut-bellied Euphonia (©Nick Athanas)

As we left Itatiaia a cold front came in. Luckily all the heavy rain came down while were driving between sites, and we were heading back to the lowland where the cool weather would be welcome. We had a long stop in Perequê before carrying on to Ubatuba; this is THE site for the beautiful and endangered Black-hooded Antwren, which we did manage to see, as well as numerous lowland forest specialties. We had our only good view of Buff-throated Purpletuft here as well as our only sightings of Sao Paulo Tyrannulet and the smart Squamate Antbird. Mixed flocks here were really good as we had better views of some of the birds we had seen in REGUA and our best views of Fork-tailed Tody-Tyrant.

We had three nights in our hotel on the outskirts of Ubatuba in a quiet suburb, with one of the best restaurants around, and very convenient to most of the birding sites. My favorite place here is called Folha Seca, where not only are there tracks through good forest, but a retired gentleman named Jonas has set up fruit and hummingbird feeders that are some of the best in South America. Festive Coquettes are like bees here, and some scarce endemics like Saw-billed Hermit (photo below) and Sombre Hummingbird are regular. A legion of frugivores were waiting for him to put out bananas, almost eating right from his hands - we saw both Sayaca and Azure-shouldered Tanagers squabbling for the same banana as well as plenty more like Chestnut-bellied Euphonia (photo right), Plain Parakeet, Ruby-crowned Tanager, and Green Honeycreeper. The trails themselves were absolutely brilliant with the star birds being a wonderfully vocal Slaty Bristlefront and our only Bare-throated Bellbird, an immaculate male perched up on a dead branch.

When we finally went to Fazenda Angelim, there were rather few "new" birds left to look for. The most wanted was the unique Spotted Bamboowren, easier to see here than anywhere else I know. Today it definitely wasn't easy, but we finally found one singing and were able to climb into a bamboo patch and get close enough to watch it. Other goodies here were a Pale-browed Treehunter demolishing a bromeliad and a kettle of raptors that included a rare Mantled Hawk and an impressive Black Hawk-Eagle. In the afternoon we walked down through beautiful forest on the Sertão das Cotías road, first seeing very little, then striking gold by finding a big mixed flock highlighted by the ultra-rare Salvadori's Antwren, my only lifer on any of the three tours.

It was hard to believe it was the last day, but we still had some birds left to look for. We had a few hours in the morning at the base of the Corcovado peak, and some of the group were able to see the rare and rotund Russet-winged Spadebill, but we also had our best-ever views of Black-cheeked Gnateater, a bird that could almost pass as a pitta, as well as prolonged low-level views of another Sharpbill, regurgitating fruit seeds and wiping them on branches.

On the way back to the airport we stopped at a marsh near Mogi das Cruzes, site of a newly discovered population of the very rare and local Parana Antwren, which might actually prove to be a totally new species. After first struggling to see a pair skulking in the dense mass of cattails, we tried a different spot and had a male and a female come right in and perch in the open. If that wasn't enough, we also found a singing Rufous-capped Antshrike perched in the open, and managed to call in a Red-eyed Thornbird - this time the southern race, which is likely to be split in the near future. It was a great way to end the trip, and after some group photos we made our way to the airport and said our goodbyes.

BIRD LIST
This list includes all the bird species that were recorded by at least one of us. Taxonomy and nomenclature follow:
Clements, James F. 2000. Birds of the World: A Checklist. Fifth Edition. Vista, CA: Ibis Publishing Co.
I have also included the latest updates to the list. These updates can be found online at: http://www.ibispub.com/updates.html

I have put in comments for nearly all the endemics, near endemics, rare species, and sightings of particular interest. Common and widespread species are listed without comments.

Tour codes:
The first column indicates which tours the species were recorded on:
a=Brazil Introtour, 4-11 June
b=Brazilian Cerrado, 11-18 June
c=Atlantic Rainforest Endemics, 18-30 June
If the tour code is in (parentheses), it indicates the species was only heard for that tour.

Totals:
Tour A only: 247 seen, 17 heard only
Tours A+B: 320 seen, 22 heard only
Tour B only: 207 seen, 16 heard only
Tours B+C: 398 seen, 17 heard only
Tour C only: 332 seen, 19 heard only
Tours A+B+C: 409 seen, 15 heard only

Abbreviations:
(I)=Introduced species
(E)=Species endemic to Brazil
(A)=Species which is not a country endemic, but is endemic to the Atlantic Rainforest
(nt)=Considered near-threatened by BirdLife International
(VU)=Considered vulnerable by BirdLife International
(EN)=Considered endangered by BirdLife International
(CR)=Considered critically endangered by BirdLife International

	TINAMOUS	Tinamidae
(a)(b)(c)	Brown Tinamou	Crypturellus obsoletus
(a)	Tataupa Tinamou	Crypturellus tataupa
	GREBES	Podicipedidae
ac	Least Grebe	Tachybaptus dominicus
c	Pied-billed Grebe	Podilymbus podiceps
	GANNETS AND BOOBIES	Sulidae
ac	Brown Booby	Sula leucogaster
	CORMORANTS	Phalacrocoracidae
abc	Neotropic Cormorant	Phalacrocorax brasilianus
	FRIGATEBIRDS	Fregatidae
ac	Magnificent Frigatebird	Fregata magnificens
	HERONS, EGRETS, BITTERNS	Ardeidae
abc	Whistling Heron	Syrigma sibilatrix
ac	Capped Heron	Pilherodius pileatus
c	Cocoi Heron	Ardea cocoi
abc	Great Egret	Ardea alba
c	Little Blue Heron	Egretta caerulea
abc	Snowy Egret	Egretta thula
abc	Cattle Egret	Bubulcus ibis
abc	Striated Heron	Butorides striata
abc	Black-crowned Night-Heron	Nycticorax nycticorax
a	Rufescent Tiger-Heron	Tigrisoma lineatum
	IBIS AND SPOONBILLS	Threskiornithidae
ac	Roseate Spoonbill	Platalea ajaja
	DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS	Anatidae
c	White-faced Whistling-Duck	Dendrocygna viduata
abc	Muscovy Duck	Cairina moschata
abc	Brazilian Teal	Amazonetta brasiliensis
ac	White-cheeked Pintail	Anas bahamensis
b	Brazilian Merganser (CR)	Mergus octosetaceus	Arguably the #1 target on tour B, and happily it was one of the very first birds that we saw in Canastra, a single individual swimming in the lower Rio São Fransisco. Later in the day we saw what was likely the same bird sleeping on a rock.
	NEW WORLD VULTURES	Cathartidae
abc	Black Vulture	Coragyps atratus
abc	Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura
abc	Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture	Cathartes burrovianus
	HAWKS, EAGLES, AND KITES	Accipitridae
c	White-tailed Kite	Elanus leucurus
c	Rufous-thighed Hawk	Accipiter erythronemius
c	Mantled Hawk (A) (nt)	Leucopternis polionota	Nice views of a single bird soaring over Faz Angelim.
abc	Savanna Hawk	Buteogallus meridionalis
b	Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle	Geranoaetus melanoleucus
abc	Roadside Hawk	Buteo magnirostris
abc	White-tailed Hawk	Buteo albicaudatus
c	Black Hawk-Eagle	Spizaetus tyrannus
	FALCONS AND CARACARAS	Falconidae
abc	Southern Caracara	Caracara plancus
abc	Yellow-headed Caracara	Milvago chimachima
ac	Laughing Falcon	Herpetotheres cachinnans
c	Barred Forest-Falcon	Micrastur ruficollis
(c)	Collared Forest-Falcon	Micrastur semitorquatus
abc	American Kestrel	Falco sparverius
ac	Aplomado Falcon	Falco femoralis
b	Bat Falcon	Falco rufigularis
	GUANS, CURASSOWS, ETC.	Cracidae
bc	Dusky-legged Guan	Penelope obscura
	NEW WORLD QUAIL	Odontophoridae
c	Spot-winged Wood-Quail (A)	Odontophorus capueira	We unexpectedly bumped into small covey while walking down a road at Itatiaia. Only a few of the party were able to see it.
	LIMPKIN	Aramidae
(c)	Limpkin	Aramus guarauna
	RAILS, GALLINULES, & COOTS	Rallidae
(a)(c)	Russet-crowned Crake	Anurolimnas viridis
(a)(b)(c)	Rufous-sided Crake	Laterallus melanophaius
c	Slaty-breasted Wood-Rail (A)	Aramides saracura	The pair living around the Hotel do Ypê has become ridiculously tame, seen every morning running around with the horde of guans.
(b)	Uniform Crake	Amaurolimnas concolor
(a)(c)	Ash-throated Crake	Porzana albicollis
(a)b(c)	Blackish Rail	Pardirallus nigricans
ac	Purple Gallinule	Porphyrio martinica
abc	Common Moorhen	Gallinula chloropus
	SERIEMAS	Cariamidae
abc	Red-legged Seriema	Cariama cristata	Seen by all this month! Not only did we find them around Canastra, where they are easy, we also found them in Sumidouro and Nova Friburgo.
	JACANAS	Jacanidae
abc	Wattled Jacana	Jacana jacana
	PLOVERS AND LAPWINGS	Charadriidae
abc	Southern Lapwing	Vanellus chilensis
ac	Collared Plover	Charadrius collaris
	SANDPIPERS	Scolopacidae
(a)(c)	Giant Snipe	Gallinago undulata	Heard displaying at night over the wetland at REGUA, the only place we ever record them in this area.
ac	Greater Yellowlegs	Tringa melanoleuca
	GULLS	Laridae
ac	Kelp Gull	Larus dominicanus
	TERNS	Sternidae
c	Sandwich Tern	Sterna sandvicensis acuflavidus
ac	Sandwich (Cayenne) Tern	Sterna sandvicensis eurygnatha
ac	Royal Tern	Sterna maxima
	PIGEONS AND DOVES	Columbidae
abc	Rock Pigeon (I)	Columba livia
abc	Picazuro Pigeon	Patagioenas picazuro	Now better known as PIC-a-ZUR-o PI-geon. If you were not on tour C, this comment will make no sense to you. It's better that way.
b	Pale-vented Pigeon	Patagioenas cayennensis
a(c)	Plumbeous Pigeon	Patagioenas plumbea
b	Eared Dove	Zenaida auriculata
abc	Ruddy Ground-Dove	Columbina talpacoti
b	Scaled Dove	Columbina squammata
abc	White-tipped Dove	Leptotila verreauxi
c	Gray-fronted Dove	Leptotila rufaxilla
	PARROTS	Psittacidae
ac	Blue-winged Macaw (nt)	Primolius maracana	Seen on both visits to Sumidouro in exactly the same spot. Both views were flyovers, but on tour A they were quite close and in front of the hill, so quite nice.
b(c)	White-eyed Parakeet	Aratinga leucophthalmus
b	Golden-capped Parakeet (E) (nt)	Aratinga auricapilla	One of my favorite sightings on tour B, where we had three perched beautifully in a tree right by the side of the road, totally oblivious to us, or even to the local 4WD club that came roaring by at one point…
b	Peach-fronted Parakeet	Aratinga aurea
(a)c	Maroon-bellied Parakeet (A)	Pyrrhura frontalis	It was admittedly one of the most egregious dips on tour A, but then parrots can do that to you. They were everywhere on tour C.
abc	Blue-winged Parrotlet	Forpus xanthopterygius
ac	Plain Parakeet (E)	Brotogeris tirica	We saw this Brazilian endemic well in many Atlantic Rainforest sites. There were staggering numbers in Perequê, and they even come to Jonas's feeders at Folha Seca.
b	Yellow-chevroned Parakeet	Brotogeris chiriri
c	Pileated Parrot (A)	Pionopsitta pileata	Poor flight views in Itatiaia, Perequê, and Ubatuba were all we could managed this month.
abc	Scaly-headed Parrot	Pionus maximiliani	A surprisingly widespread parrot seen in both lowlands and highlands, and both dry and humid forest.
c	Orange-winged Parrot	Amazona amazonica	Surprisingly scarce in this area, we only saw them once on the second trip to Praia Seca.
	CUCKOOS	Cuculidae
abc	Squirrel Cuckoo	Piaya cayana
abc	Smooth-billed Ani	Crotophaga ani
abc	Guira Cuckoo	Guira guira
(c)	Striped Cuckoo	Tapera naevia
	BARN-OWLS	Tytonidae
c	Barn Owl	Tyto alba
	OWLS	Strigidae
(a)bc	Tropical Screech-Owl	Megascops choliba
c	Tawny-browed Owl (A)	Pulsatrix koeniswaldiana	Though absent from tour A, the resident pair at Guapiassu Bird Lodge came around twice for us on C tour, giving everyone close, fantastic views.
(a)bc	Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl	Glaucidium brasilianum
abc	Burrowing Owl	Athene cunicularia
	POTOOS	Nyctibiidae
c	Common Potoo	Nyctibius griseus	One scoped in the spotlight near the wetland at REGUA was a surprise - this is a scarce bird in the Atlantic Forest.
	NIGHTJARS	Caprimulgidae
ac	Pauraque	Nyctidromus albicollis
	SWIFTS	Apodidae
b	Great Dusky Swift	Cypseloides senex	Hard to find at Canastra this year. We finally had to settle for distant scope views of a big flock.
abc	White-collared Swift	Streptoprocne zonaris
c	Biscutate Swift	Streptoprocne biscutata	After having a difficult time finding them, they seemed to turn up everywhere on the last tour, including some right over the beach at Praia Seca.
c	Gray-rumped Swift	Chaetura cinereiventris
	HUMMINGBIRDS	Trochilidae
ac	Saw-billed Hermit (E) (nt)	Ramphodon naevius	My favorite hermit in the world, seen well on both Atlantic Rainforest tours.
ac	Rufous-breasted Hermit	Glaucis hirsuta
ac	Scale-throated Hermit (A)	Phaethornis eurynome	Plenty of them at the highland hummer feeders, and occasionally seen in the forest.
ab	Planalto Hermit	Phaethornis pretrei
c	Dusky-throated Hermit (E)	Phaethornis squalidus	Scarce in these areas, we had several very views at Itatiaia and few people got on it.
(a)c	Reddish Hermit	Phaethornis ruber
c	Sombre Hummingbird (E)	Campylopterus cirrochloris	A well-named endemic, seen best at the feeders in Folha Seca.
abc	Swallow-tailed Hummingbird	Eupetomena macrourus
bc	Black Jacobin (A)	Florisuga fuscus	Sporadic in Rio state where we missed it, but we had decent views at Caraça and great views at the feeders at Hotel do Ypê.
b	White-vented Violet-ear	Colibri serrirostris
ac	Plovercrest (A)	Stephanoxis lalandi	This beautiful Atlantic Rainforest Endemic is always a favorite. We had nice views at Pico Caledônia, Macaé de Cima, and the Algulhas Negras road.
c	Frilled Coquette (E)	Lophornis magnificus	The feeders they used to visit in Itatiaia are now gone or poorly maintained. However, we managed to luck into two cracking males on the Tres Picos trail; unfortunately two of he party were in the bushes at the time…
c	Festive Coquette	Lophornis chalybeus	They were like bees at Jonas's feeders, and we even managed to find a "wild" one on the trail.
abc	Glittering-bellied Emerald	Chlorostilbon aureoventris
b	Fork-tailed Woodnymph	Thalurania furcata
abc	Violet-capped Woodnymph (A)	Thalurania glaucopis	Loads of them everywhere in forested areas.
ac	White-chinned Sapphire	Hylocharis cyanus
abc	White-throated Hummingbird (A)	Leucochloris albicollis	Common in the higher elevations everywhere in the Atlantic Forest.
c	Versicolored Emerald	Agyrtria versicolor
abc	Sapphire-spangled Emerald	Polyerata lactea
ac	Glittering-throated Emerald	Polyerata fimbriata
ac	Brazilian Ruby (E)	Clytolaema rubricauda	A big, bold endemic seen at most feeders, and encountered occasionaly in the forest.
b	Hyacinth Visorbearer (E) (nt)	Augastes scutatus	Lots of them in the Serra do Cipó, including a surprising find of a female sitting on a nest.
b	Stripe-breasted Starthroat (E)	Heliomaster squamosus	We saw a few of this striking endemic on the road to the lower part of Canastra and at the feeders in Vargem Bonita.
b	Amethyst Woodstar	Calliphlox amethystina	Scarce this year, seen only at Caraça and Canastra.
	TROGONS AND QUETZALS	Trogonidae
c	White-tailed Trogon	Trogon viridis
c	Black-throated Trogon	Trogon rufus	Seen only by me at REGUA, heard by others.
abc	Surucua Trogon (A)	Trogon surrucura aurantius	The yellow-bellied race was seen at REGUA, Caraça, and Itatiaia.
c	Surucua Trogon (A)	Trogon surrucura surrucura	One red-bellied bird was seen in Itatiaia. Some authorities have considered these two races as distinct species, but they are currently lumped, since in some areas intermediate orange-bellied birds can be found.
	KINGFISHERS	Alcedinidae
ac	Ringed Kingfisher	Ceryle torquatus
abc	Amazon Kingfisher	Chloroceryle amazona
ac	Green Kingfisher	Chloroceryle americana
	MOTMOTS	Momotidae
ac	Rufous-capped Motmot (A)	Baryphthengus ruficapillus	Both good sightings required some work - at REGUA we had to bushwhack up a slope, and at Folha Seca it took a very long time to respond. Eventually seen by all.
	JACAMARS	Galbulidae
ac	Three-toed Jacamar (E) (VU)	Jacamaralcyon tridactyla	Very easy to find on both trips to Sumidouro - every year there seem to be more of them, though the area still receives no formal protection.
abc	Rufous-tailed Jacamar	Galbula ruficauda
	PUFFBIRDS	Bucconidae
a(b)c	White-eared Puffbird	Nystalus chacuru
abc	Crescent-chested Puffbird (E)	Malacoptila striata	What a cool bird - we had no problems finding it this year at REGUA with three different sightings. The big surprise was the one that Steve found at Caraça at 1250m elevation - this is mainly a lowland species.
	TOUCANS	Ramphastidae
ac	Saffron Toucanet (E) (nt)	Baillonius bailloni	The fruit feeders at the Ypê regularly attracted a flock of 6-8 of these beauties, and it was one of the trip favorites. We ran into a few of them around Ubatuba as well, and two people on A tour had a flyover at Macaé de Cima.
ac	Spot-billed Toucanet (A)	Selenidera maculirostris	It's hard to decide which of the two toucanets is more outrageous… This one we saw very well on both trips to Macaé de Cima, with one more sighting at REGUA.
ac	Channel-billed Toucan	Ramphastos vitellinus pintoi	Seen best at Perequê, the race in eastern Brazil is the most colorful.
c	Red-breasted Toucan (A)	Ramphastos dicolorus	Scoped right from the balcony of the Hotel do Ypê!
b	Toco Toucan	Ramphastos toco	That bill seems to give off light… The "big one" was easy to see around Canastra.
	WOODPECKERS	Picidae
abc	White-barred Piculet	Picumnus cirratus
abc	White Woodpecker	Melanerpes candidus
c	Yellow-fronted Woodpecker (A)	Melanerpes flavifrons	A fantastically colored woodpecker - easily seen at the fruit feeders at the Ypê, but also regularly encountered around Ubatuba and Perequê.
b	Little Woodpecker	Veniliornis passerinus
c	White-spotted Woodpecker	Veniliornis spilogaster
ac	Yellow-eared Woodpecker (E)	Veniliornis maculifrons	A surprising number were found this year in both lowland and montane forests.
ac	Yellow-throated Woodpecker	Piculus flavigula erythropis	Seen well in lowland Atlantic Forest on both A and C. The eastern Brazil race actually has a red throat.
abc	Yellow-browed Woodpecker (A) (nt)	Piculus aurulentus	Another nice Atlantic Rainforest Endemic; we found it at most highland sites.
b	Green-barred Woodpecker	Colaptes melanochloros
abc	Campo Flicker	Colaptes campestris
ac	Blond-crested Woodpecker	Celeus flavescens	The jaw-dropping eye-level view of this unbelievable beast we had at Perequê was surely a trip highlight. Unfortunately it was seen only poorly on trip A.
b(c)	Lineated Woodpecker	Dryocopus lineatus
c	Robust Woodpecker (A)	Campephilus robustus	A nice pair found without much difficulty this year not far from the Ypê.
	OVENBIRDS	Furnariidae
abc	Tail-banded Hornero (E)	Furnarius figulus	A Brazilian endemic that has been spreading southward recently. We saw them in REGUA, Sumidouro, and Caraça.
abc	Rufous Hornero	Furnarius rufus
c	Araucaria Tit-Spinetail (A) (nt)	Leptasthenura setaria	A nice pair right by the side of the Algulhas Negras road, lower than I have seen them in the past.
b	Sooty-fronted Spinetail	Synallaxis frontalis	Eventually one came out in full view near the park entrance in upper Canastra.
b	Pale-breasted Spinetail	Synallaxis albescens
abc	Chicli (Spix's) Spinetail	Synallaxis spixi
a(b)c	Rufous-capped Spinetail (A)	Synallaxis ruficapilla	One of the nicest of the genus. We recorded it in many areas, but only a few times would it come out for all to see.
abc	Pallid Spinetail (E)	Cranioleuca pallida	A Brazilian endemic, but widespread in montane Atlantic rainforest, moving with most mixed canopy flocks.
abc	Yellow-chinned Spinetail	Certhiaxis cinnamomea
a	Itatiaia Thistletail (E)	Oreophylax moreirae	We found three on the stairs up to Pico Caledônia on trip A, but it was a big miss on tour C, where we did not even hear one on the usually reliable Algulhas Negras road. The wind didn't help.
b	Cipo Canastero (E) (VU)	Asthenes luizae	As usual this was a hard bird to track down. The high winds made us concentrate our search in sheltered valleys, and finally, as we were just about giving up for the morning, we had a really nice views of a single bird scurrying down a slope in front of us.
abc	Common Thornbird	Phacellodomus rufifrons
ac	Red-eyed (Orange-eyed) Thornbird (E)	Phacellodomus e. erythrophthalmus
c	Red-eyed Thornbird (E)	Phacellodomus e. ferrugineigula	A nice bonus in the same marsh as the Parana Antwren. These two races are likely to be split soon.
ac	Firewood-gatherer	Anumbius annumbi	Both times we visited Sumidouro, a family group of three birds came straight in to playback and perched very close to us, looking around for the intruder.
c	Plain Xenops	Xenops minutus
abc	Streaked Xenops	Xenops rutilans
ac	Sharp-billed Treehunter (A)	Heliobletus contaminatus	Seen well following mixed flocks in several highland sites.
ac	White-browed Foliage-gleaner (A) (nt)	Anabacerthia amaurotis	Only two pairs were seen, one at Macaé de Cima and another at Itatiaia.
a(b)c	Buff-browed Foliage-gleaner	Syndactyla rufosuperciliata
ac	Pale-browed Treehunter (E)	Cichlocolaptes leucophrus	Wonderful views of several birds on Tour A's last morning at Serra dos Órgãos. We sweated a bit for it on C, but finally had a brilliant scope view at Faz Angelim.
abc	Buff-fronted Foliage-gleaner	Philydor rufus
ac	Ochre-breasted Foliage-gleaner (A)	Philydor lichtensteini	Rather scarce to begin with, with only a couple of sightings at REGUA. Near the end of the month we found them regularly at most sites.
ac	Black-capped Foliage-gleaner	Philydor atricapillus	Seen with flocks at REGUA, then once near Ubatuba. Usually we see more of this striking foliage-gleaner.
ac	White-collared Foliage-gleaner (E)	Anabazenops fuscus	Good views on tour A at Macaé de Cima, then at Itatiaia on tour C. Restricted to dense bamboo stands.
(a)(b)c	White-eyed Foliage-gleaner (A)	Automolus leucophthalmus	Oddly missed on tour A, we saw good numbers of them in all the lowland areas of tour C.
(c)	Tawny-throated Leaftosser	Sclerurus mexicanus
abc	Rufous-breasted Leaftosser	Sclerurus scansor	Never easy to see, though I think all of C and some of A had a decent view.
(a)b(c)	Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper	Lochmias nematura	What a pain. They didn't want to show themselves this year, though some of the group did have a good view behind the restaurant at Cipó.
	WOODCREEPERS	Dendrocolaptidae
c	Thrush-like Woodcreeper (A)	Dendrocincla turdina	Singles in flocks at REGUA and Corcovado.
abc	Olivace


Golden-capped Parakeet in Canastra.	Hyacinth Visorbearer nesting in Cipó.


Yellow-fronted Woodpecker in Itatiaia NP.	Yellow-throated Woodpecker at Folha Seca.