Southern Brazil
Mammals and Birds of the Pantanal and Atlantic Forests
Sunday 28 September - Sunday 12 October 2008 (15 days)
Sunday 27 September - Sunday 11 October 2009 (15 days)
From the fabulous Pantanal wetlands to the lush forested hills of south-east Brazil, we visit some of the best wildlife areas in South America, for some of the finest birdwatching in the world, and a superb array of mammals, from Giant Otters to Maned Wolves! During our last trip we saw twenty one species of mammals, including eleven species of monkeys. At this time of the year the flowers are also quite breathtaking.
Mention a wildlife trip to Brazil, and most people start imagining long journeys through the endless, continent-sized tracts of Amazonian rainforest in the northern part of this vast land. But Brazil is much more than the Amazon - to the south of the country can be found coastal mountains that rise above the forests and a huge inland swamp that many believe to be the world's finest wetland for birds, the renowned Pantanal.
Located in the south of Brazil right on the border with Bolivia, the Pantanal astounds by its sheer size of around 91,000 square kilometres, making it, seasonally, the largest wetland in the world. Habitats range from semi-deciduous and evergreen forests to palm woodlands and true Pantanal, the seasonally flooded grasslands with scattered clumps of ÒcerradoÓ scrub. This is the home of a vast array of birds, with wonders including the massive Jabiru stork, and the spectacular Hyacinth Macaw, as well as some impressive mammals, from Giant Otters to the rarely-seen Jaguar. Here we will spend the early mornings and late afternoons exploring in our air conditioned vehicle, on foot and in river boats. There is often time to relax in the middle of the day.
We fly back to Sao Paulo, and then on to Belo Horizonte and the inland forests. The Atlantic forest is considered one of the world's most endangered tropical forest ecosystems, a close second to Madagascar. Over 95% of the original forests are gone, and only isolated patches remain. We visit two of these areas, one where Maned Wolves are attracted to feed at night, and with a wonderful array of birdlife, and one famed for its number and variety of primates.
We then travel the short distance to the Serro do Cipò, an area of riverine forest and dry open, hilly grasslands.
Prices:
2008: £ 3,795
2009: £ 3,895
Single supp.:
2008: £ 325
2008: £ 345
Deposit: £ 400 per person
The price includes scheduled return flights London/Sao Paulo, internal flights as described, airport taxes, ground transportation as outlined above, accommodation on a full-board basis, admissions, local taxes, tips and the services of the leaders.
The price excludes holiday insurance, drinks, optional tips to the local guides and drivers, and other personal expenses.
Leaders:
Neil Arnold and Miguel Castelino
Itinerary
Day 1
We take an evening flight from London to Sao Paulo, arriving early on Day 2.
Day 2
We connect with a morning flight to Cuiaba in the Mato Grosso, from where we head for the Pantanal, birdwatching en route. First we cross the drier grasslands of the 'Cerrado' country, with possible Greater Rhea and Red-legged Seriema before we hit the dirt road of the 'Transpantaneira', the gateway to the Pantanal. We travel along this in the evening, and, as night falls, we'll be spotlighting along the last few km for some of the area's wealth of mammals including Crab-eating Raccoon, Marsh Deer, Capybara, and both Crab-eating and South American Foxes.
We continue to our accommodation at Pousada Pouço Alegre, on the edge of the Pantanal.
Overnight Pouço Alegre
Days 3 - 5
One of the star birds of the scattered forests of the area must surely be the world's largest parrot, Hyacinth Macaw, and in the morning we hope to see them coming in to feed or roost at one of the ranches here.
We then head into the Pantanal proper. This area of seasonally flooded grassland is one of the Earth's greatest freshwater marshes, stretching for mile upon mile close to the Bolivian border. Late September is one of the best times to visit the area, when it is at its driest and most accessible. The whole area is simply bursting with wetland birds, including the massive Jabiru, and an abundance of wildfowl, herons, and ibises. Other local species in a class of their own include Limpkin, Sungrebe, and the amazing Sunbittern, while overhead Snail Kite, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture are amongst the many soaring raptors.
At our accommodation, a ranch by the Pixaim River, dawn is shattered by the territorial duets of Chaco Chachalaca, while pre-breakfast birdwatching can offer us a great range of species including Plumbeous Ibis and Pygmy Kingfisher. Giant River Otters can be found in the area, and we will take at least two boat trips in search of them. Nearby an area of riverine forest holds another exciting range of species, from showy Rufous-tailed Jacamar and Blue-crowned Trogon to the more secretive Mato Grosso Antbird. Diurnal mammals can include Black-tailed Marmoset.
Next day we drive through the Pantanal, stopping at any pools which at this dry time of year are a magnet for birds.
We hope to penetrate deep into the central Pantanal from here, but the access depends on road conditions, which depend in turn crucially on water levels, and rains during the previous wet season.
The shrinking of vast flooded areas at the beginning of the dry season concentrates fish for birds such as storks, egrets ibises and spoonbills. Some of the specialities we'll look for include Purplish Jay, Chestnut-eared Aracari, Red-billed Scythebill, Nanday Parakeet, Great Rufous Woodcreeper, Toco Toucan, Bare-faced Curassow, the endemic Chestnut-bellied Guan and many, many others.
The Pantanal is a superb place to see and photograph a wide variety of neotropical mammals. Wide-open areas allow the visitor a good chance of seeing many of the more elusive mammals including the rare Marsh Deer, Giant Anteater, Capybara, Brown Capuchin, Black-and-Gold Howler Monkey, Ocelot and even the mighty and secretive Jaguar. Although we will have to be exceptionally lucky to see the latter, we can try spotlighting for these, and owls and nightjars on our return to the Pousada Pouço Alegre, on the edge of the Pantanal, where we stay for the final night.
Three nights Pantanal
Day 6
After a final morning birdwatching in the Panatanal, we drive back to Cuiaba from where we fly to Belo Horizonte. From here we drive to Ouro Preto where we stay in a well appointed hotel in the middle of the city.
Overnight Ouro Preto
Day 7
In the late 1700s Ouro Preto had more inhabitants than New York as a result of its incredible mineral wealth. In 1933 it was declared a national monument, and in 1980 was elevated to the status of World Heritage Site. The town's cobbled streets wind up and down steep hills each crowned with a church. Mansions, fountains, vistas of terraced gardens, and ruined towers shining with coloured tiles, all blend together to maintain a delightful 18th century atmosphere.
In the early morning we'll walk through the town. We'll then drive to the village of Caratinga. En route we will hope to visit a garden where we should be able to watch White-faced Marmosets at feeders.
Overnight Caratinga
Days 8 - 9
Each day we leave our hotel after an early breakfast to drive to the Caratinga National Park where we spend the day in search of the Muriqui, formerly known as the Woolly Spider Monkey. The Muriqui is the largest primate in the Americas, the largest mammal endemic to Brazil and one of the most endangered primates on Earth. There are only five hundred left, half of which live in the park. They are wild but accustomed to people and usually not difficult to see.
Besides four species of monkeys and sloths, many species of forest birds are present here. A picnic lunch will be served at the research base. At the end of the day we may be lucky to encounter Tawny-browed Owl, a large, beautiful owl endemic to South-eastern Atlantic Forest.
Two nights Caratinga
Days 10 -11
After breakfast we leave Caratinga to drive to Caraça Natural Park, where we'll arrive at lunchtime. Caraça Reserve was originally the site of a seminary school built in the 1700s, and is kept up by priests to this day. The impressive building with a tall steeple in the centre was converted into rooms for guests some years ago at an altitude of approximately 1,200 m. Rich highland Atlantic forest is found at lower elevations, with grassland and mountainous habitats somewhat reminiscent of Cipo above the seminary.
Accommodation for the next two nights is at the newly completed rooms in a wing of the seminary building. In the evening, we'll join the priests when they go feeding the wild, elegant and very rare Maned Wolves that sometimes come to the sanctuary at night. This is probably the best place in the world to see this shy mammal, and a chance not to be missed.
We'll spend the next day in the forest and mountains of Caraça, looking for the endangered Southern Masked Titi Monkey, following the sound of its strange call. Bird life includes Red-breasted Toucan, Campo Flicker, White and Green-barred Woodpeckers, Brazilian Trogon, Pin-tailed and Blue-tailed Manakins, White-breasted Tapaculo, Red-eyed Thornbird, Swallow-tailed Cotinga and Brassy-breasted Tanager. In the evening we'll go out looking for Maned Wolves again, and hope for some nocturnal birds as well.
Two nights Caraça
Days 12 - 13
This morning we drive to Serra do Cipò National Park, where we have lunch at a restaurant overlooking the forest and the Cipò River. Here a large family of Common Marmoset have become accustomed to people, since they are regularly offered fruit by the hotel owners.
After lunch we drive up into the park. Rolling grass fields interrupted by rocky outcroppings, outline strange and spectacular scenery. There is a handful of bird species we'll look for here, including the endemic and newly described Cip— Canastero.
We spend the whole of the next day in the park enjoying a wide variety of birds, hopefully including the delightful Yellow-beaked Blue Finch, Cinnamon Tanager and Hyacinth Visorbearer. The area is also packed with colourful plants, which can be breathtaking at this time of year.
Two nights Serra do Cipò
Day 14
We spend the entire morning at the park before driving back to Belo Horizonte for our flight to Sao Paulo to connect with the international flight back home, arriving on Day 15.
Accommodation will be in hotels and lodges, with en suite rooms throughout.
Numbers: Max. 14 clients
Day 1
We take an evening flight from London to Sao Paulo, arriving early on Day 2.
Day 2
We connect with a morning flight to Cuiaba in the Mato Grosso, from where we head for the Pantanal, birdwatching en route. First we cross the drier grasslands of the 'Cerrado' country, with possible Greater Rhea and Red-legged Seriema before we hit the dirt road of the 'Transpantaneira', the gateway to the Pantanal. We travel along this in the evening, and, as night falls, we'll be spotlighting along the last few km for some of the area's wealth of mammals including Crab-eating Raccoon, Marsh Deer, Capybara, and both Crab-eating and South American Foxes.
We continue to our accommodation at Pousada Pouço Alegre, on the edge of the Pantanal.
Overnight Pouço Alegre
Days 3 - 5
One of the star birds of the scattered forests of the area must surely be the world's largest parrot, Hyacinth Macaw, and in the morning we hope to see them coming in to feed or roost at one of the ranches here.
We then head into the Pantanal proper. This area of seasonally flooded grassland is one of the Earth's greatest freshwater marshes, stretching for mile upon mile close to the Bolivian border. Late September is one of the best times to visit the area, when it is at its driest and most accessible. The whole area is simply bursting with wetland birds, including the massive Jabiru, and an abundance of wildfowl, herons, and ibises. Other local species in a class of their own include Limpkin, Sungrebe, and the amazing Sunbittern, while overhead Snail Kite, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture are amongst the many soaring raptors.
At our accommodation, a ranch by the Pixaim River, dawn is shattered by the territorial duets of Chaco Chachalaca, while pre-breakfast birdwatching can offer us a great range of species including Plumbeous Ibis and Pygmy Kingfisher. Giant River Otters can be found in the area, and we will take at least two boat trips in search of them. Nearby an area of riverine forest holds another exciting range of species, from showy Rufous-tailed Jacamar and Blue-crowned Trogon to the more secretive Mato Grosso Antbird. Diurnal mammals can include Black-tailed Marmoset.
Next day we drive through the Pantanal, stopping at any pools which at this dry time of year are a magnet for birds.
We hope to penetrate deep into the central Pantanal from here, but the access depends on road conditions, which depend in turn crucially on water levels, and rains during the previous wet season.
The shrinking of vast flooded areas at the beginning of the dry season concentrates fish for birds such as storks, egrets ibises and spoonbills. Some of the specialities we'll look for include Purplish Jay, Chestnut-eared Aracari, Red-billed Scythebill, Nanday Parakeet, Great Rufous Woodcreeper, Toco Toucan, Bare-faced Curassow, the endemic Chestnut-bellied Guan and many, many others.
The Pantanal is a superb place to see and photograph a wide variety of neotropical mammals. Wide-open areas allow the visitor a good chance of seeing many of the more elusive mammals including the rare Marsh Deer, Giant Anteater, Capybara, Brown Capuchin, Black-and-Gold Howler Monkey, Ocelot and even the mighty and secretive Jaguar. Although we will have to be exceptionally lucky to see the latter, we can try spotlighting for these, and owls and nightjars on our return to the Pousada Pouço Alegre, on the edge of the Pantanal, where we stay for the final night.
Three nights Pantanal
Day 6
After a final morning birdwatching in the Panatanal, we drive back to Cuiaba from where we fly to Belo Horizonte. From here we drive to Ouro Preto where we stay in a well appointed hotel in the middle of the city.
Overnight Ouro Preto
Day 7
In the late 1700s Ouro Preto had more inhabitants than New York as a result of its incredible mineral wealth. In 1933 it was declared a national monument, and in 1980 was elevated to the status of World Heritage Site. The town's cobbled streets wind up and down steep hills each crowned with a church. Mansions, fountains, vistas of terraced gardens, and ruined towers shining with coloured tiles, all blend together to maintain a delightful 18th century atmosphere.
In the early morning we'll walk through the town. We'll then drive to the village of Caratinga. En route we will hope to visit a garden where we should be able to watch White-faced Marmosets at feeders.
Overnight Caratinga
Days 8 - 9
Each day we leave our hotel after an early breakfast to drive to the Caratinga National Park where we spend the day in search of the Muriqui, formerly known as the Woolly Spider Monkey. The Muriqui is the largest primate in the Americas, the largest mammal endemic to Brazil and one of the most endangered primates on Earth. There are only five hundred left, half of which live in the park. They are wild but accustomed to people and usually not difficult to see.
Besides four species of monkeys and sloths, many species of forest birds are present here. A picnic lunch will be served at the research base. At the end of the day we may be lucky to encounter Tawny-browed Owl, a large, beautiful owl endemic to South-eastern Atlantic Forest.
Two nights Caratinga
Days 10 -11
After breakfast we leave Caratinga to drive to Caraça Natural Park, where we'll arrive at lunchtime. Caraça Reserve was originally the site of a seminary school built in the 1700s, and is kept up by priests to this day. The impressive building with a tall steeple in the centre was converted into rooms for guests some years ago at an altitude of approximately 1,200 m. Rich highland Atlantic forest is found at lower elevations, with grassland and mountainous habitats somewhat reminiscent of Cipo above the seminary.
Accommodation for the next two nights is at the newly completed rooms in a wing of the seminary building. In the evening, we'll join the priests when they go feeding the wild, elegant and very rare Maned Wolves that sometimes come to the sanctuary at night. This is probably the best place in the world to see this shy mammal, and a chance not to be missed.
We'll spend the next day in the forest and mountains of Caraça, looking for the endangered Southern Masked Titi Monkey, following the sound of its strange call. Bird life includes Red-breasted Toucan, Campo Flicker, White and Green-barred Woodpeckers, Brazilian Trogon, Pin-tailed and Blue-tailed Manakins, White-breasted Tapaculo, Red-eyed Thornbird, Swallow-tailed Cotinga and Brassy-breasted Tanager. In the evening we'll go out looking for Maned Wolves again, and hope for some nocturnal birds as well.
Two nights Caraça
Days 12 - 13
This morning we drive to Serra do Cipò National Park, where we have lunch at a restaurant overlooking the forest and the Cipò River. Here a large family of Common Marmoset have become accustomed to people, since they are regularly offered fruit by the hotel owners.
After lunch we drive up into the park. Rolling grass fields interrupted by rocky outcroppings, outline strange and spectacular scenery. There is a handful of bird species we'll look for here, including the endemic and newly described Cip— Canastero.
We spend the whole of the next day in the park enjoying a wide variety of birds, hopefully including the delightful Yellow-beaked Blue Finch, Cinnamon Tanager and Hyacinth Visorbearer. The area is also packed with colourful plants, which can be breathtaking at this time of year.
Two nights Serra do Cipò
Day 14
We spend the entire morning at the park before driving back to Belo Horizonte for our flight to Sao Paulo to connect with the international flight back home, arriving on Day 15.
Accommodation will be in hotels and lodges, with en suite rooms throughout.
Numbers: Max. 14 clients