BRAZIL Northern Pantanal and Chapada dos Guimaraes
Information
The Pantanal offers any birder, photographer or wildlife enthusiast the perfect combination of great birding and mammal spotting opportunities! It is one of the best places in the world to see the endangered and stunning Hyacinth Macaw, 100’s of Jabiru Storks, Wood Storks, Herons and Ibises, waterfowl and literally 1000’s of Caimans, this together with excellent chances of seeing Jaguar.
This tour will start in Cuiaba as you depart towards the 80,000 acre Chapada dos Guimaraes National Park. This Cerrado habitat (seasonally dry woodland and scrub) will provide you with your first birds of the tour and some truly stunning scenery.
You will then move onto the Pantanal, the world's largest freshwater wetland, covering approximately 195.000 km². During this time, you shall travel the entire length of the famous Transpantaneira road (145 km of dirt road with many bridges along the way).
ITINERARY:
1st day: Cuiaba
Arrival at Cuiaba International Airport - Transfer to Pocone (the gateway to the Transpantaneira road and the Pantanal) - Birding along Transpantaneira road - Check into the lodge - Birdwatching in the local area - Dinner - Night in Pocone.
Specialties: Anhinga - Large-billed Tern - Yellow-billed Tern - Cocoi Heron - Rufescent Tiger Heron - Striated Heron - Jabiru - American Wood Stork - Bare-faced Ibis - Green Ibis - Sunbittern - Limpkin - Roseate Spoonbill - Black-crowned Night-heron - Black-collared Hawk - Great Black Hawk - Snail Kite - Savanna Hawk - Ringed Kingfisher - Amazon Kingfisher - Green Kingfisher.
2nd day: Pocone
Pre-dawn walk to see Giant Anteater - Breakfast at the lodge - Full day birding around the lodge - Lunch at the lodge - Mid-afternoon birding - Dinner at the lodge - Night drive to see Giant Anteater (if conditions are good) - Night at the lodge.
Specialties: Giant Anteater - Hyacinth Macaw - Jabiru - Roseate Spoonbill - American Wood Stork - Great Rufous Woodcreeper - Straight-billed Woodcreeper - Narrow-billed Woodcreeper - Undulated Tinamou - Glittering-throated Emerald - Black-fronted Nunbird - Bat Falcon - Greater Rhea - Black-bellied Antwren - Planalto Slaty Antshrike - Saffron-billed Sparrow - Blue-crowned Trogon.
3rd day: Pocone
Pre-dawn walk in search of Giant Anteater - Breakfast at the lodge - Birding at the very end of the Transpantaneira road - Check into the Hotel - Dinner and night at the Hotel.
Specialties: White Woodpecker - Green-barred Woodpecker - Crested Oropendola - Blue-fronted Parrot - Buff-necked Ibis - Plumbeous Ibis - Scarlet-headed Blackbird - Rusty-collared Seedeater - Black-capped Donacobius - Golden-collared Macaws - Lineated Woodpecker - Crimson-crested Woodpecker - Maguari Stork - Laughing Falcon - Whistling Heron - White-faced Whistling Duck - Black-bellied Whistling Duck - Muscovy Duck - Bare-faced Curassow - Blue-throated Piping-Guan - Bay-winged Cowbird - Giant Cowbird - Cocoi Heron - Sungrebe - Sunbittern - Ringed Kingfisher - Amazon Kingfisher - Green Kingfisher - Rufous Kingfisher - Pygmy Kingfisher.
4th and 5th day: Pocone
Breakfast at the Hotel - Bird and wildlife watching during a boat ride - Lunch at the Hotel - Back out onto the river - Dinner - Night at the Hotel.
Specialties: Giant River Otters - Capybaras - Tapir - Black Skimmer - Yellow-billed Tern - Large-billed Tern - Pied Plover - Collared Plover - Crested Oropendola - Yellowrumped Cacique - Black-collared Hawk - White-wedged Piculet - Black-fronted Nunbird - Bare-faced Curassow - Rusty-backed Spinetail - Band-tailed Nighthawks.
6th day: Pocone
Breakfast at the Hotel - Return journey along the Transpantaneira road - Birding along the road - Check into the Hotel - Boat ride along the Pixaim River during the afternoon - Dinner - Night at the Hotel.
Specialties: Golden-collared Macaw - Blue-crowned Parakeets - Nanday Parakeets - Red-billed Scythebill - Great Rufous Woodcreeper - Red-legged Seriema - Black-bellied Antwren - Dull-capped Attila - Solitary Cacique - Raptors.
7th day: Pocone
Breakfast at the Hotel - Boat trip along the Pixiam River - Lunch at the Hotel - Afternoon birding in the dry forests at the back of the Hotel - Dinner - Night at the Hotel.
Specialties: Band-tailed Antbird - Pale-legged Hornero - Rusty-backed Spinetail - Lesser Kiskadee - Southern Beardless Tyrannulet - Green-backed Becard - Golden-green Woodpecker - Plain Antvireo - Rufous-browed Peppershrike - Ashy-headed Greenlet - Helmeted Manakin - Rufous-tailed Jacamar - White-lored Spinetail - Cinereous-breasted Spinetail - Red-billed Scythebill - Flavescent Warbler - Moustached Wren - Buff-bellied Wren - Purplish Jay - Orange-backed Oriole (Troupial) - Crested Oropendola - Solitary Black-Cacique - Blue-crowned Trogon - Black-fronted Nunbird - Silver-beaked Tanager - Rusty-collared Seedeater - White-bellied Seedeater - Chestnut-bellied Seed-Finch.
8th day: Chapada dos Guimaraes National Park
Breakfast at the Hotel - transfer to Chapada dos Guimaraes National Park - Check into the lodge - Birding - Dinner at the Hotel - Night at the lodge.
Specialties: Blue-winged Macaw - Red and Green Macaws - Curl-crested Jay - Gray Monjita - Crested Black-Tyrant - Swallow Flycatcher - White-eared Puffbird - Suiriri Flycatcher - Yellow-ridged Toucan - Southern Antpipit - Biscutate and White-collared Swifts - Maned Wolf.
9th day: Chapada dos Guimaraes National Park
Breakfast at the Hotel - Full day birding at the National Park - Lunch at a local hotel - Setting off to a patch of dry forest - Dinner at the lodge - Night at the lodge.
Specialties: Rufous-sided Pygmy-Tyrant - Small-billed Tinamou - White-eared Puffbird - Collared Crecentchest - Horned Sungem - Yellow-billed Blue Finch - Rufous-winged Antshrike - Black-faced Tanager - Red-legged Seriema - White-rumped Tanager - White-banded Tanager - Coal-crested Finch - Plumbeous Seedeater - Black-throated Saltator - Pale-breasted Spinetail - Curl-crested Jay - Band-tailed Manakin - Fire-crowned Manakin - Southern Antpipit.
10th day: Cuiaba
Breakfast at the lodge - Back to Cuiaba - Birding during the ride - Flight.
